Audi A1 – Body Design Video
March will be the month when Audi reveals the A1 at the Geneva Autoshow. With an answer to the great anticipation of the model, Audi has released this teaser video with A1 designer, Jürgen Löffler. Löffler expands on his design ideas for the A1, comparing the exterior to how a sprinter prepares for his run. There’s much emphasis on the shoulder and the model’s rounded roof. It shows how the overall shape of the car comes together line one molded sculpture.
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Peugeot SR1 Concept
Debuting at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is the Peugeot SR1 design concept, a vehicle that the Parisian company hopes will represent its current and future direction as an automaker. Built to replicate the dimensions of a grand tourer, the SR1 uses a few touches from other highly regarded sports cars. The front, for example, is pure Aston Martin; from the sleek headlamps to the trapezoidal grille. The door creases make the car look terrific, and the rear of the car appears to borrow a bit from Nissan’s current Z-note the boomerang lights and sharp angle where the trunk would open, lending another edge of sportiness. The ultramodern interior almost disguises the fact that the convertible has a rather unique 2+1 layout (is the backseat even lonelier now? or more exclusive?). All of the interior’s touches seem to point the controls directly at the driver, a true enthusiast’s touch in marked contrast from most other vehicles, who design their switchgear as if were meant to be shared. As expected, the SR1 will benefit from hybrid technology; it boasts 313 total horsepower, which will go to all four wheels. All in all, it’s a great effort from Peugeot, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
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Mercedes-Benz SL Night Edition/SLK Grand Edition
Mercedes is once again conjuring up thoughts of summer come early with two special editions available on the SL and SLK. The SL Night Edition is finished in matte black paint, and rests on 19-inch AMG five-spoke alloys in a two-tone gloss. The head and tail-lights are also given the dark treatment, rounding out the look. The SL also receives some interior touchups and has been draped in black nappa leather; silver accents in the cockpit and seats contrast nicely with the dark decor. The smaller SLK is treated to a graphite paint job and rolls on unique 18-inch five-triple-spoke wheels. Color-coded headlamps and silver-treated hood fins complete the exterior look of the Grand Edition, and as with its SL counterpart the interior is not neglected. On the inside, basalt grey nappa leather maintains the color theme and is counterbalanced by red topstitching on the seats and door armrests. The packages are available in Germany only and cost between €2,300 and €3,500 for the SLK Grand Edition and €3,700 and €5,200 for the SL Night Edition, depending on which iteration of the car is being modified.
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GMC Granite Concept
What better place than the Detroit Auto Show to bring our the latest and greatest from American manufacturers? Enter the GMC Granite, a vehicle that represents GM’s current (and most might say, more correct) direction. The Granite is a fun, quirky little vehicle that is on par size-wise with the Nissan Cube and market-dominating Scion xB. While we’re sure there are some features that might not make it to production, we love the oversized grille and wheels, suicide doors, clever lighting, and high sporty beltline. The interior looks very aircraft-inspired and makes good use of organic LED lighting, and borrows a clever Jaguar-esque transmission shifter. Powering the mini-MPV is a turbocharged Ecotec engine mated to a six-speed automatic that promises to make the Granite both fun to drive and fuel efficient. Let’s hope GM takes some chances and gets this one into the marketplace as a replacement for the tired Cobalt.
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1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo Photographed by Benedict Redgrove
It’s hard to mention a unique Ferrari without the name Pininfarina coming up. In 1970, the fabled coachmaker put forth a design study/concept car that we can still stare at in amazement even today. We’re sure the 1970 Geneva Motor Show was breathtaking in its own right, but there’s no doubt that the Modulo was the crown jewel of the show. According to legend, Ferrari (in direct competition with Porsche) created 25 iterations of the 512S in order to meet homologation rules. Surprisingly, Maranello did not end of selling nor racing all 25, leaving chassis number 1046 in Pinanfarina’s hands. The result, as you see here, is a timeless design that is simply stunning in its forward thinking and aesthetics. The 512S was never designed to be driven one inch, and it doesn’t have to move to for one to appreciate features like its covered wheels, sliding canopy roof, and 24-hole engine cover. Simply stunning, and we have photographer Benedict Redgrove to thank for these images.
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Volkswagen Passat CC R-Line
Volkswagen’s heroic R-Line is finally available for the German marque’s sportiest sedan (yes, despite the monaker, it’s still a sedan). While it may be tough for some to see the value in a tuner package that doesn’t improve horsepower or handling, one look at a CC with the redone package is enough justification for us. The bundle adds a front spoiler with fog lights, side skirts, and smoked rear taillights in addition to 17 or 18-inch wheels, both of which are a stunning improvement over the stock CC’s already clever set. The inside, which is already loaded to the gills in stock guise, includes a three-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel and customizable aluminum tread plates. The CC will become the eighth model in VW’s stout lineup to receive the R-Line treatment, and like its brethren, responds quite well to a few tweaks.
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MG6
Add MG to the list of comeback companies from 2009. The British brand has started its resurgence and hopes to re-establish itself as a company to be reckoned with. The first car in its stable will be crowned the MG6, and if the sketches of the 5-seat fastback are even remotely close to what the production model will resemble, we like what we see. With no drivetrain or performance numbers to go on, we are left with the flowing aesthetics of the MG6’s sheetmetal. All lines appears to start at the MG6’s octagonal badge and continue towards the rear of the car; MG manages to avoid the now-common rising line that has affected every manufacturer from Mazda to Maserati and has complimented its sedan with beautifully done door sills and wraparound taillights. The interior has a no-nonsense fit and finish, with dark leather and hints of aluminum trim it will certainly appeal to the masses. Trying to branch out of Europe, MG has opened a facility in Lingang, China; sales will start in both Europe and Asia in 2010 in an effort to expand MGs sales and keep the company on track. We’re hoping they get to our side of the pond as well.
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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible
Get ready to see it everywhere. Mercedes has annouced that the droptop version of their recently redesigned E-Class will hit showrooms in January, and its safe to say the response should be overwhelming. With a bevy of diesel and petrol engines available, the adaptation of comfort technologies like the AirScarf (previously seen on higher end M-Bs like the SL-Class), and a virtual cavalcade of safety techstuff (two-to-one airbag to passenger ratio, tilt sensor, etc.), this variation of the E-Class is undoubtedly their best yet. Summer can’t come fast enough.
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Kepler Motors MOTION Supercar
No, it’s not the most original car out there. But you have to give Kepler Motors credit for entering an already-crowded ring; their MOTION supercar will debut this week at the Dubai International Motor Show. The MOTION’s greatest feature, other than its insanely gorgeous wheels, is its uniquely devised 800bhp, courtesy of a tweaked and turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine that drives the rear wheels; the front wheels are powered by a 250bhp electric motor. Yes, you read that correctly. While Kepler’s finest creation looks a bit like supercars past (McLaren and S7, specifically), its the drivetrain that will truly set it apart from its competitors. The power will ultimately go through a seven-speed sequential transaxle, undoubtedly delivering performance on par with its classmates, and the carbon fiber monocoque chassis and active suspension would put it at the front of its group with the upcoming McLaren MP4-12C and others. Kepler hopes to produce 50 in total, with deliveries starting in early 2011. Move over, Tesla. The next generation of green supercars has arrived.
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Folding Roboscooter by MIT Media Lab
Looking to inspire new patterns in urban mobility MIT Media Labs created the Folding Roboscooter. The lightweight scooter collapses to save space in our increasingly crowded cities. The Roboscooter is powered by an electric motor allowing it to be both whisper quiet and free of emissions.
The folks at MIT Media Labs have two sales models in mind. Model one is typical single owner use. Model two sees the Roboscooter functioning more like a Zip Car. You will be able to rent a Roboscooter for one way travel to your destination. Upon arrival you dock the Roboscooter and there it will wait for the next available patron.
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