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Showing posts from March, 2017

All-New Renault Megane RS Hides Under The Cover In First Official Teaser

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Renault Sport pulled the plug on the third-gen Megane RS last summer, and most thought that a reveal of its replacement was imminent. Some believed that the last Paris Motor Show was the perfect place for the company to reveal their new hot hatch, whereas others expected a debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. However the French chose to keep it away from both events, so the next logical assumption would be a reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, which seems to be on par with automaker's plan of unveiling it 'later this year', according to a video that celebrates Renault Sport's social media milestone - 1 million fans on Facebook. "Social media allows us to connect, interact and get meaningful feedback. We thank all our fans for their commitment and look forward to sharing the new Megane RS with them later this year", said Renault's Vice President of Global Brand Strategy and Marketing Communications, Bastien Schupp. As for the actua

2018 SsangYong Rexton Revealed In Full At The Seoul Motor Show

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Following its online presentation a couple of days ago, SsangYong has revealed in full the new generation Rexton at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show. Developed under the Y400 project name and inspired by the LIV-2 Concept that debuted in Paris last year, Ssangyong's new model retains the Rexton moniker in global markets, but it will be known as the G4 Rexton in Korea. It has a modern design, with a grille that "resembles the spread wings of a bird in flight", large headlights, muscular lines all around, keeping it at the same time in line with its smaller sibling, the Tivoli. Inside the Korean automaker focused heavily on passenger convenience and large load space, offering a wide array of features that include a 9.2-inch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation system, dual-zone climate control, 220V/115V inverter in the load area, a 'smart tailgate' that automatically opens it when holding the key next to the car for more than three seconds, and ot

Toyota FT-4X Concept Coming To NY Show, May Preview New FJ Cruiser

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Toyota will debut a new concept vehicle named the FT-4X at the 2017 New York Auto Show, on April 12. Even though we first heard about the FT-4X back in October last year when Toyota trademarked the name in the States, the study is shrouded in mystery, and the official teaser image isn’t helping either. However, if we were to look at a previous report, the trademark filling for the FT-4X name could mean that we're looking at a possible successor to the funky FJ Cruiser that ended production last year. An FJ Cruiser replacement could challenge the likes of the next generation Jeep Wrangler and the upcoming Ford Bronco, with a rugged design and increased ground clearance. And if you don't believe that the FT-4X has a good chance of hitting the assembly lines, then we'll remind you that Toyota has a history of producing concept cars wearing the FT (Future Toyota) designation. Moreover, in this case, the '4X' could stand for four-wheel drive, backing up the fa

2018 Acura TLX Gets A Beakless Design For NY Auto Show

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The 2017 MDX became the first beakless Acura in years, and now the TLX is getting ready to follow it. Designed by the brand's Studio in Torrance, California, the 2018 Acura TLX has a redesigned front end, inspired by the Precision Concept that debuted last year at NAIAS. Acura released a teaser image that reveals a grille similar to the one used on the latest MDX, a new front bumper and redesigned headlights, which are likely joined by a tweaked rear end, with a fresh pattern for the taillights. "The 2018 TLX will receive new styling elements that ratchet up its emotion and reflect Acura's focus on Precision Crafted Performance. Acura customers embraced the MDX when we raised its game with bold, new styling, and we're pumped to show how we're elevating the TLX experience", commented the brand's VP and General Manager, Jon Ikeda. The interior is not visible yet, but the automaker talks about "new premium features and technology enhancements&

Facelifted 2018 Lexus NX To Premiere At Shanghai Auto Show

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Lexus has announced that the facelifted NX crossover will debut at the Shanghai Auto Show. The current NX premiered almost exactly three years ago at the Beijing Auto Show and represented the company's entry into the luxury compact crossover segment. To our eyes, its styling is still ultra-modern but evidently, Lexus thinks it is in need of a slight refresh. As it stands, only a single teaser image of the updated NX has been released and it doesn't reveal much. All it shows is the bodywork of the tweaked model being affixed to the current car with the same tick-shaped daytime running lights and spindle front grille visible on the new body. Lexus officially says that the facelifted NX will receive an “updated exterior design” but clearly, it won't be anything major and we don't expect to see much more than slightly reshaped bumpers and perhaps the availability of new wheel designs. Inside, there will be a number of “enhancements that add convenience and function

Skoda Vision E Concept Coming To Shanghai With Electric Power And Autonomous Features

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Set to debut at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show next month, the all-new Skoda Vision E Concept promises to be much more than a Kodiaq Coupe. In fact, unlike its sibling, the Vision E will be battery-powered with two electric motors producing 306 PS (302 HP), and a lithium-ion battery pack, which allows it to travel for up to 500 km (311 miles). This makes it part of the company's electrification plan that sees the addition of five zero-emission vehicles in different segments by 2025. Moreover, it also gets an autonomous driving system that meets the level 3 requirements. This means that it can operate independently in traffic jams, do overtaking maneuvers, swerve, stay in lane and search for parking spaces on its own, thanks to various sensors and cameras that constantly monitor the traffic. The latest official sketches reveal a coupe-ish silhouette with hidden door handles, alongside a bold front end with slender headlights that seem to be joined by a light strip, and anoth

All-New SsangYong Rexton Revealed Ahead Of Seoul Show Debut

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SsangYong have released the first official images and data regarding the new generation Rexton. Set to debut at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show this week, in South Korea, it comes with a more modern look than its predecessor, while drawing inspiration from the LIV-2 Concept, presented at the Paris Auto Show, last year. The 2018 SsangYong Rexton has a bold front end, with a generously sized grille flanked by the large headlights and detailed fog lamps, muscular lines that run across its body, and what we expect to be a modern-looking rear end, even if the automaker has yet to release any images with it. Major improvements have been made inside as well, where there is a redesigned dashboard that incorporates a new infotainment system between the central air vents, measuring 9.2-inches in size, with around-view monitoring and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Leather covers pretty much every surface, and customers will get to choose between different tones. Maki

David Brown Automotive Announces Second Model Coming Soon

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David Brown Automotive makes one thing, and one thing only. But that's about to change as the small British carmaker has announced it has a second project in the works. Now in the process of relocating to a new facility at Silverstone, the automaker known for the Speedback GT (pictured) is preparing to unveil the vehicle currently known only as Project 2 sometime within the next few months, with deliveries to commence already in September. That already tells us something about how far along the project is, which the manufacturer confirms: “We’ve been working on Project 2 for over a year, it’s an idea that I had right at the start of Speedback GT’s story and sits beautifully alongside it,” said founder David Brown. “Using our core mantra of classic styling, beautiful craftsmanship and modern technology, Project 2 is a fusion of the brand’s values, with quintessential British design and craftsmanship at the heart.” The company is not saying much else at the moment, but refer

McLaren's New Three-Seater Priced At $2.5 Million, All 106 Sold

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McLaren has confirmed that its upcoming three-seat Hyper-GT costs 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) and that all 106 units have been sold. Currently codenamed the BP23, the vehicle will sit in the company’s Ultimate Series family but unlike the P1, won’t be track-oriented. Instead, it will be focused more on luxury, refinement and top speed, acting as a rival to the Bugatti Chiron and Koenigsegg Regera. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, McLaren chief executive Mike Flewitt said that the BP23 will act as a homage to the iconic F1 and that the reception to news of the vehicle has been very positive. “Almost from the day I started I've been asked: "Why don't you do another three-seater? When we did finally announce it, we were absolutely inundated with applications. I had to find polite ways to say, ‘No’,” Flewitt confirmed. Late last week, the British marque unveiled a new sketch of the BP23 and said that it will be the most powerful and aerodynamic road-goin

2017 Nissan GT-R Track Edition Making U.S. Debut At NY; Starts From $127,990

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Nissan will show the latest GT-R Track Edition for the first time in the U.S. at the 2017 New York Auto Show. The limited Track Edition of the Nissan GT-R is the third model of the range, following the GT-R Premium and the GT-R Nismo. Occupying the space between the two existing versions of the Japanese sportscar, the new Nissan GT-R Track Edition features various elements from the hardcore Nismo in order to deliver more performance than the standard GT-R. The twin-turbo V6 continues to deliver 565hp but the body now features additional adhesive bonding, instead of the standard version’s spot welding, increasing this way its rigidity. Additionally the suspension is now lighter and uniquely tuned by Nismo, the wheels are now 20-inch forged items and the rear spoiler is made out of carbon-fiber. The cabin gets a unique red and black treatment and a set of heavily-bolstered Recaros. A titanium exhaust is also standard. “The new GT-R Track Edition gives buyers a specialized mo

Audi Sport Quattro Confirmed Dead, New RS Models Coming

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There’s bad news for anyone still holding out hope that Audi might bring the Sport Quattro concept to market because Audi Sport boss Stephan Winkelmann boss says the project is dead. “It’s a nice dream,” Winkelmann told Car and Driver. “but I think we have so much in front of us that the most important thing is to get the lineup where we need it. I think there is the opportunity for a very limited car, but this is not my top priority at the moment.” Audi first imagined the concept on the contemporary RS5’s chassis in 2010 as a way to recall the original Quattro sports coupe. In 2013, the company updated it as the yellow Sport Quattro with a hybrid 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 TFSI engine making a combined output of 690 horsepower (515 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque. Audi slightly updated the design once again at the 2014 Consumer Electronics show when it introduced the red Sport Quattro Laserlight concept that featured laser-assisted versions of the com

Skoda Teases Vision E Concept For Shanghai Debut

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Skoda has just dropped a teaser image of the new Vision E concept it will debut at the Shanghai Auto Show next month. Little official details about the vehicle are known but it could foretell the long-rumored Kodiaq Coupe, recently confirmed for production thanks to a company slide show from a Chinese presentation. In recent years, the Czech company has unveiled Vision D, Vision C and Vision S concepts and all three of these models have ultimately spawned production models, namely the Rapid, Octavia, Superb and the Kodiaq seven-seat SUV unveiled last year. As for the teaser, we can see that the Skoda in question will adopt a very sharp design that incorporates aggressive headlights and taillights as well as a sleek SUV roofline that is indicative of an SUV 'Coupe'. Carscoops

2017 Geneva Motor Show Mega-Gallery Part 2 [M to Z]

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The 2017 Geneva Motor Show proved once again why it is the biggest auto show in the calendar year, with lots of world premieres, ranging from affordable hot hatches to ultra-exclusive hypercars. Here's the second part of the photo gallery. Mansory: McLaren: Mercedes Benz: Mitsubishi: Morgan: MTM: NanoFlowCell: Nissan: Opel: Pagani: Peugeot: Pininfarina: Pirelli: Porsche: Range Rover/Land Rover: Renault: