Techart – Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Leonberg’s finest have announced that their take on Porsche’s Cayenne will debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Techart, who usually lend themselves to Porsche’s flagship 911, have decided to concentrate their efforts on the new Cayenne diesel, to great results. Probably still dizzy from their victories at this year’s Tuner Grand Prix, they have decided to leave the engine and internals unchanged, focusing instead on the body and ride of the sport-ute. The front features a lower spoiler with integrated headlight unit, and the new door sill panels give Techart’s creation the appearance of riding much lower to the ground. In the back, a revised rear apron surrounds the quad exhaust pipes, centered by a rear diffuser; riding up top is a functional roof spoiler. The beautiful new 5-spoke wheels are said to improve ventilation in the wheel arches, but something tells us that Techart is more concerned with form over function on this creation.
More images of the Techart Porsche Cayenne Diesel after the jump.
New Ferrari Store in Nurburgring
So, you trot your 599 GTB Fiorano out to one of the greatest test tracks in the world, but sadly, you’ve been rained out. What to do? Fear not, Ferrari has your answer. Scuderia drivers and Formula One stars Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen cut the ribbon on the merchandise-only store earlier this week. The modern design and layout is courtesy of Studio Iosa Ghini, a renowned Italian architecture and design firm that has been at the forefron of avant-garde styling for over 20 years. The track-level store boasts meeting rooms for corporate execs, as well as a relaxation lounge to sit back and take it all in.
See more after the jump.
Peugeot RCZ 2011
The RCZ debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007 and, after strenuous effort from Peugeot’s research and development teams, appears to be entering the market in one year’s time. This compact 2+2 coupe appears to be a direct shot at the Audi TT (from a looks perspective, at least) and will be based on the familiar Peugeot 308 lineage. From the pictures, the RCZ looks curvaceous and elegant, with bulging fenders and a brilliant bubbled roof leading to a sleek glass rear hatch. Horsepower and engine data are unknown, but the car is expected to be revealed in production guise at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and will go on sale in Spring of 2010.
See more images after the jump.
Mercedes-Benz BlueZero Concept
Admittedly, it’s been awhile since we’ve shown an eco-friendly car, but the BlueZero is just the vehicle to break that streak. What M-B had in mind when they designed this vehicle was to create an affordable, eco-conscious car that offered a multitude of platforms and was suitable for daily use. Enter the BlueZero. Keeping Mercedes’ sandwich floor concept in mind, the BlueZero’s structure allows for three different platforms to be realized: an E-Cell with battery, E-Cell plus with battery and gasoline, and an F-Cell with hydrogen. Without elaborating too much, the sandwich floor concept allows for the powertrain to move into cells in the floor in the event of a front-end collision. Such an innovative creation proved not only to be great for safety but also helped to create the universal platform you see here. From a design standpoint, not much is shared with other Benz models except the obligatory 3-pointed star in the center of the grille. A sweeping curve seems to be the defining look of the car, and starts right behind the front quarter panel begins low on the vehicle but finishes up by the beltline, near the back of the car. A lor of electric cars make a lot of bold claims, but this new Benz is relying on existing architecture, practical ideas, and strong support from confident clientele; we hope to see this in production soon.
See some of the BlueZero’s latest images after the jump.
Jopo Bicycle
Finnish design group Helkama created one of the most cheerful bikes that caters to everyone regardless of their age or size. The Jopo offers innovativion to the industry by allowing users to easily modify it to meet their specific needs. It’s an all-purpose bike for the entire family, because by adjusting the seat and the handlebar, people of all sizes and ages could ride it. Because Jopo has foot brake and no gears, it´s very easily maintained. The bold color selection, the low front frame and the 24 inch wheels make the bike’s form recognizable. Jopo’s durability, its upright riding position and its light pedalling qualities make it an excellent city bike. Available at Finnish Design Shop.
More images of the Jopo Bike after the jump. For more information visit the Jopo website.
2010 Hennessey Z700 based on Corvette ZR1
Never ones to stand idly by and let others do their work, the venerable gearheads at Hennessey Performance Engineering have really created something special here. These tuners from Texas, best known for their mindblowing twin-turbo Viper setups and other jaw-dropping creations, have put together a tuner package that would make even the most ardent Corvette fan blush. Their ZR1-based Z700 puts out over 700bhp, thanks to severely upgraded superchargers and newly fabricated intake and exhaust systems. To gain every advantage on the journey to 60mph and beyond, HPE has lightened the car by over 60lbs and increased downforce dramatically via a new front splitter and rear spoiler. The results take America’s favorite supercar-beater and turns it into a supercar in its own right: 60mph comes in just 2.9 seconds and the Z700 hits 100 in a scant 6.4; the quarter mile is accomplished in 10.6 seconds. Of course, Hennessey throws in a full day of professional training on how to keep the rear wheels planted, and for $207,150 we expect nothing less.
More images after the jump.
James Pearse Limited Edition Cruisers
Beach Cruisers, that ol’ signal of casual cool, date from the sands of mid-century Southern California, so it’s only fitting that they get a stylistic upgrade courtesy of another sunny weather fixture–designer James Perse. Pearse, best known for celebrity-attracting (Gyllenhaal, Affleck, DiCaprio) casual Malibu-appropriate clothing, gives the cruiser a few handlebar and frame tweaks, as well as a wicked matte paint job, thus creating a bike as fitting for leisurely city driving as it is for the beach. The Custom Built Vintage-Style Beach Cruiser, made with a steel frame, billet aluminum stem, and hand-aged leather seat and grips, is limited edition, and available only at James Perse boutiques.
See more colorways of the bike after the jump.
2010 Jaguar XKR Goodwood Special
Not one to be pushed to the side at this year’s Goodwood Festival, the chaps from Coventry put together this special edition XKR to keep a few stares away from the competition. Don’t stare too long though, or your eyes may be scarred for life by the lime green paint job or orange decals. Get past the paint job, and the real purpose of the XKR is clear: the supercharged 5-liter V8 displaces 530bhp, up from the tire-melting 510 that comes with the stock vehicle. The lowered suspension over 21-inch alloys gives it a great stance, and the reworked exhaust undoubtedly gives the Jag better vocals. While we may be getting a glimpse of an R-type version, most seem to think this is a one-off and will not make it to production.
More images of the 2010 Jaguar XKR Goodwood Special after the jump.
Gemballa Mirage GT – Matt Edition
We’re not sure whether they mean Matt or “Matte,” but this flat black paint job and blue Alcantar trim on the Gemballa Mirage GT (you can link to our old post on the Gemballa Mirage GT Carbon here) look stellar. Performance specs are the same overpowering 670bhp (and corresponding 3.7 second 0-60 time), but the car looks more forboding than its high-gloss brethren. The sharp blue interior is a nice contrast to the no-nonsense paint job, and is literally wrapped throughout the car, even on the ceiling, door sills, and seat inserts. Expect the Matt Edition to cost in excess of €300,000.
See more of the Gembala Mirage GT Matt Edition after the jump.
The BauBike
This is seriously cool. Perhaps, you don’t find it “cool,” but it’s undoubtedly interesting from a design standpoint. The BauBike is inspired by Bauhaus design which is premised around combinding geometric shapes such as squares and triangles. The clean lines and raw materials give to an industrial look of the bike that successfully fuses design and art.
The open-end piece above the back wheel, offers the possibility to customize the function of the bike to whatever need you may have. The different accessories can be placed in the tube and can easily be changed if needed.
For purchases, visit the BauBike website and contact by e-mail.
See more images after the jump.
