Archive for the ‘Concept Cars’ Category
Herbert Diess warns battery-cars could cost jobs – and may not be as clean as promised.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Oct.16, 2018
VW boss Herbert Diess, left,helps unveil the VW BUDD-e and eGolf Touch electric concepts.
When the U.S. economy collapsed a decade ago two of the three Detroit-based automakers plunged into bankruptcy, surviving only with the help of a massive federal bailout – and that’s the fate that could be facing the German auto industry, as well, the CEO of Volkswagen warned today.
The country’s powerful auto industry faces a 50:50 chance of suffering the same fate that nearly destroyed Detroit’s Big Three manufacturers, Herbert Diess said during a supplier conference in Wolkfsburg VW’s home town.
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“From today’s point of view the chances are perhaps 50-50 that the German auto industry will still belong among the global elite in 10 years’ time,” said Diess, who was appointed VW’s chief executive earlier this year, following a senior management shake-up.
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Tags: auto news, car news, detroit bankruptcy, diesel cars, electric cars, german auto industry, german auto industry collapse, herbert diess, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volkswagen news, vw bankruptcy, vw diesel, vw electric, vw news
Posted in Audi, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Concept Cars, Daimler, Diesel, EVs, Earnings, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Financials, Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Investors, Lawsuits/Legal, Markets, Mercedes, Porsche, Sales, Sales, Technology, Trends, Volkswagen | 3 Comments »
Autonomous ride-sharing concept would target only the most elite customers.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Oct.04, 2018
Renault designers must have been given the freedom to indulge themselves with the EZ-Ultimo concept shown in Paris.
Only the French could have gone to market with vehicles like the DS9 and the 2CV – the deux chevaux, as it was better known. And only the French could have rolled out some of the wild and crazy concepts that populated this year’s Paris Motor Show.
As the media days wrap up, the public will be treated to the retro-futuristic Peugeot e-Legend concept, as well as the DS E-Tense, an electric supercar. But easily one of the most talked-about cars at an otherwise light Paris show was also one of the strangest, Renault’s EZ-Ultimo, which has alternately been compared to the Batmobile and “a rolling palace.”
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But the best way to think about this fully driverless prototype is the marriage of a personal jet and a ride-share vehicle – one that is completely autonomous. (more…)
Tags: Renault EZ-Ultimo Concept, Renault EZ-Ultimo driverless concept, Renault continues EZ family of concepts, Renault's over-the-top autonomous concept, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, paris motor show, paul a. eisenstein, renault news, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advertising, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, Concept Cars, Designers, Driverless Vehicles, Europe, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Paris, Personalities, Renault, Ride-Sharing, Technology | Comments Off
Mercedes, BMW leading a smaller-than-usual show.
by tdb on Oct.01, 2018
Media days are winding down at the Mondial de l’Automobile, or for non-French speakers, the Paris Motor Show. We’re continuing to scour the show looking for breaking news and back-room stories, bringing you news on the latest models and changing perspectives. So be certain to check back often at TheDetroitBureau.com.
Here is the latest news:
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Tags: 2018 Mondial de l’Automobile, 2018 Paris Motor Show, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advertising, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, Concept Cars, Designers, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Events, Executives, Hybrids, Infotainment, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Paris, Personalities, Product Reveals, Safety, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology | Comments Off
Audi, BMW, Mercedes among the headliners at Mondial de l’Automobile.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Oct.01, 2018
Audi is ready to take on the industry leader, Tesla, with the all-new e-tron, which will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show.
It may be the City of Lights but things will be a little darker at the 2018 Mondial de l’Automobile. Otherwise known as the Paris Motor Show, it’s been hit by the same industry retrenchment that has hammered other major shows, including Detroit and Chicago during the last several years.
Among the manufacturers who’ll sit things out for 2018 are Ford, Infiniti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Subaru, Volkswagen and Volvo, as well as several Fiat Chrysler brands. And several other carmakers are expected to downsize their presence when the show begins with the annual two-day media preview on Tuesday.
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That said, it will just allow the spotlight to shine more brightly on those brands that have decided to stick with Paris this year. Among the most prominent previews on the docket will be debuts at the BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari stands. And while some of its Volkswagen Group siblings will be notably absent, Audi will retain a high-profile presence with three important public unveilings. (more…)
Tags: 2018 Mondial de l’Automobile, 2018 Paris Motor Show, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, automakers at 2018 Paris Motor Show, new auto show, paris car show, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advertising, Asia Pacific, Audi, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, China, Concept Cars, Designers, EVs, Europe, Events, Executives, Ferrari, Lexus, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, NAFTA, Paris, Personalities, Peugeot, Product Reveals, Sales, South America, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Toyota, U.S./North America, VinFast | Comments Off
Virtual testing can only take you so far.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Sep.25, 2018
Much of the initial development work for the Mercedes-AMG Project One was done digitally.
There’s a race underway to see who can do the better, faster job of putting Formula One technology on the road, and Daimler AG wants us to know it’s getting close, providing a handful of images showing off a prototype of the new Mercedes-AMG Project One hypercar undergoing track testing.
Which track? Could it be the legendary Nurburgring? That’s a reasonable guess considering it isn’t all that far away from the company’s Stuttgart headquarters but, for now, the automaker is only hinting that prototypes are being driven on “closed-off test grounds. However, because of their characteristic F1 sound they are hard to keep from the public.”
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The Project One, which actually looks more like a Le Mans prototype than a Formula One racer, has been generating buzz for several years, though we only got a look at a complete mock-up at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.
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Tags: amg project one, amg project one pic, auto news, car news, hypercar pic, mercedes amg project one pic, mercedes hypercar, mercedes news, mercedes project one, mercedes-AMG project one, mercedes-amg news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, First Look, Frankfurt, Hybrids, Lamborghini, Luxury Vehicles, Mercedes, Motorsports, Muscle Cars, Sales, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology | Comments Off
British marque hopes to repeat Ferrari’s success.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Sep.21, 2018
Aston has released a preliminary sketch of its third hypercar, the 003, which it hopes to have in production in 2021.
Aston Martin, the carmaker best known for its relationship with cinema spy 007, has laid out key details of its upcoming IPO while also releasing a preliminary sketch of the hypercar it’s calling 003 that it hopes will drive some of its future success.
Spun off by Ford Motor Co. in 2007, Aston struggled to avoid an eighth bankruptcy during the depths of the Great Recession, but its fortunes have skyrocketed over the last few years, a period coinciding with the arrival of CEO Andy Palmer and the subsequent commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars in new capital from its key investors.
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The IPO will go off next month on the London Stock Exchange, Palmer announced, declaring that it “will provide investors with a fitting opportunity to participate in our future success.”
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Tags: Aston Martin IPO, andy palmer, aston dbx, aston hypercar, aston martin, aston martin 003, aston martin news, aston martin valkyrie, astondb11, auto news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Aston Martin, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Daimler, Detroit, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Executives, Ferrari, Financials, First Look, Geneva, Hybrids, Investors, Lamborghini, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, Monthly Results, Personalities, SUVs, Sales, Sales, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Trends | Comments Off
New vehicle is Mercedes' glimpse into future mobility.
by Michael Strong on Sep.10, 2018
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Vision Urbanetic concept. Shown here as a people mover, it's the company's take on future mobility.
Mercedes-Benz looked into the future to find ways to move people and things efficiently and quietly around cities and developed the Vision Urbanetic concept, which uses an electric powertrain and configurable bodies to do exactly that.
The result is a self-driving, electrically powered chassis that can take different switchable bodies for people moving or goods transport. As a ride-sharing vehicle, Vision Urbanetic can accommodate up to 12 passengers, while the cargo module can carry up to ten EPAL pallets.
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The interior cargo space is about 12.5 feet long while the entire vehicle is nearly 17 feet long. The vehicle can be incorporated into an IT infrastructure that analyzes in real time the supply and demand within a defined area. (more…)
Tags: Mercedes autonomous people mover, Mercedes self-driving cargo hauler, Mercedes self-driving future, Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, mercedes news, michael strong, new urban transport Mercedes, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, Concept Cars, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, Ride-Sharing, Sales, Technology, U.S./North America | Comments Off
Autonomous, electric, the concept will let travelers do “what they want to do.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Sep.05, 2018
The Volvo 360c Concept is designed to let an owner travel in Business Jet-style comfort.
Flying is glamorous, or so the airlines would have you believe, but ask anyone who has had to deal with security lines, crowded cabins and inevitable delays and you’ll get an entirely different picture.
That’s where something like the Volvo 360c might offer a pleasant alternative. While the industry has focused on using driverless vehicles to replace conventional taxicabs, the self-driving concept from Volvo has long-distance travelers in mind. Billed as “the future of autonomous travel,” the 360c is designed to skip the lines and deliver the sort of experience you might expect flying on a private jet.
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“Domestic air travel sounds great when you buy your ticket, but it really isn’t,” said Mårten Levenstam, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Volvo Cars, adding that “The 360c represents what could be a whole new take on the industry.”
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Tags: Jaguar I-Pace, auto news, autonomous car, car news, concept car, driverless car, mercedes-benz f 015, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volv driverless, volvo 360c, volvo autonomous, volvo concept, volvo electric, volvo news
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, Concept Cars, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, First Look, Jaguar, Luxury Vehicles, Mercedes, Ride-Sharing, Safety, Safety, Technology, Technology, Volvo | Comments Off
“Mystic Details,” says terse news release.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Aug.27, 2018
What might Mercedes mean by "Mystic Details"? Could it reference the distinctive accent lights expected to show up on the production EQ C crossover.
These days, we’ve become used to receiving terse news releases from automakers teasing upcoming product launches, but the one we just received from Mercedes-Benz all but reaches the limits of brevity, with just two words accompanying this image: “Mystic Details.”
While we’re not sure what the word, mystic, references, the odds seem to favor the pic being a close-up of headlight and grille details on the new Mercedes-EQ C battery-electric vehicle that will make its debut on September 4th, the first in an all-new sub-brand the German automaker will be fleshing out over the next few years.
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Roughly the size of today’s Mercedes-Benz GLC, the EQ C will be company’s first long-range all-electric model, essentially a competitor for the Tesla Model Y crossover that is still a few years away from production. It will be followed soon after by a production version of the Mercedes EQA Concept that was revealed in June.
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Tags: auto news, car news, electric cuv, electric suv, german battery-car, mercedes electric, mercedes eqc, mercedes mystic detail, mercedes news, mercedes tesla, mercedes-eq, mercedes-eq c, paul eisenstein, tesla model y, thedetroitbureau.paul a. eisenstein
Posted in Audi, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Chevrolet, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, First Look, Frankfurt, Jaguar, Luxury Vehicles, Mercedes, Product Reveals, SUVs, Sales, Technology, Tesla, Trends | Comments Off
EQ Silver Arrow draws inspiration from racers past.
by Michael Strong on Aug.26, 2018
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its EQ Silver Arrow concept to the crowed at the Pebble Beach Concours.
With seemingly most of the automotive world focused on the Monterey Peninsula at this time of the year, automakers are introducing some of their latest innovations at or near the Pebble Beach Concours.
Mercedes-Benz is the latest to do with its new EQ Silver Arrow concept car.The one-seater EQ Silver Arrow is an homage to the successful record-breaking W 125 car from 1937.
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Although the company has no real plans to roll out a new version of the Arrow, the company does described the concept as an “emotional signpost to the future of design.” So as is often the case for the Monterey Car Week concepts, expect to see some of what makes the concept so impressive to show up in some form in the EQ electric brand Mercedes plans to bring to market in the next year or so. (more…)
Tags: Mercedes EQ design concept, Mercedes EQ line-up, Mercedes electric vehicle concept, Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, mercedes news, michael strong, new Mercedes electric vehicle design, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Mercedes, Pebble Beach Concours, Technology | Comments Off
