Cold weather testing
Spy video of the 2013 BMW i8, the near-production version of the dramatically styled Vision EfficientDynamics Concept.
(Source: youtube.com)
Bold enough for you?
The Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class is making its global debut during both the New York and Shanghai auto shows.
This sporty little two-door hatchback is tasked with pushing the German automaker’s previously staid-looking family vehicle into a bold new direction.
A glimpse of what Subaru’s version of the compact rear-drive FT-86 sports car will look like. Too understated?
(Illustration copyright Brenda Priddy & Company)
The exterior design features what Hyundai refers to as “Intersected Flow.” If that means the mouth of a Maserati, the headlights and stance of an Audi and a rear that resembles a Chevy Camaro/Hyundai Genesis Coupe mash-up, we’re in. Funky LED panels on the front and rear are used to display the vehicle’s condition, although we can think of a creative use or two for the highway tailgater.
Chevrolet pulled the covers off its hybrid-powered Mi-ray Concept during the 2011 Seoul Auto Show. Powered by a gas/electric powertrain similar to the one found in the Chevrolet Volt, the Mi-ray Concept has room for two, a pair of scissor-style doors, and ambient lighting worked into the exterior character lines.
There’s no word on pricing, or if the Mi-ray stands a reasonable shot at production. However, a hybrid sports car at a Chevy price definitely sounds like a win-win situation to us.
General Motors says that its new Mi-ray Concept, which debuts at this week’s Seoul Motor Show, pays tribute to the sports car heritage at Chevrolet. Specifically, GM points out that the Mi-ray is “small and open” like the 1963 Monza SS, and “light and purposeful” like the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder.
The next Abarth Coupe?
The Italian styling school IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) received this simple directive from Fiat: “Express the pure unadulterated spirit of Abarth, which is renowned worldwide for compact, intelligent, record-breaking sports cars.”
Called the Scorp-Ion, it’s an electric 2-seater with motors at each wheel and lithium-ion batteries under the luggage compartment behind the cabin.
Infiniti says new Etherea Concept is a no-compromise hybrid that offers lots of driving fun while maximizing driver pleasure.
A supercharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 245 bhp is on duty underhood, aided by an electric motor and a CVT that directs power to the front wheels, a first for an Infiniti hybrid.
While the Audi A3 Concept being shown at Geneva has a snarling 408-bhp 5-cylinder engine under the hood, expect U.S. models to come with a choice of two 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines, one gasoline and one diesel-powered.
