Archive for the ‘Concept Cars’ Category
CT4-V and CT5-V to debut next week. Could electrification by the future of the V-Series?
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.24, 2019
The original Cadillac CTS-V was tested on a variety of different tracks, including Germany's Nurburgring, as well as Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.
Fifteen years after Cadillac introduced its first V-Series model, two more performance offerings are set to make their debut next week, the automaker has confirmed.
What’s unusual about the coming news is that Caddy will use a preview in Detroit to reveal the all-new CT4 sedan in V-Series trim first, with the base model set to follow later, reversing its normal approach. The event also will see the introduction of a V-version of Caddy’s mid-range sedan, the new CT5-V, that effectively replaces the old CTS-V that kicked off the performance program when it debuted in 2004.
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“From the very beginning, Cadillac’s V-Series represented the ultimate expression of our design, technology and performance,” said GM President Mark Reuss, ahead of the two introductions. “It introduced an entirely new breed of performance-minded customers to Cadillac showrooms and helped transform the brand’s traditional image into one with different facets for customers’ varying driving tastes.”
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Tags: BMW, Caddy v-series, Cadillac, Cadillac EV, Mark Reuss, caddy, caddy ev, cadillac ct4-v, cadillac ct5-v, cadillac cts-v, cadillac v-series, electrification, luxury performance car, mercedes amg, mercedes-Benz, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance cars, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Alfa Romeo, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Cadillac, Concept Cars, Coupes, Crossovers/CUVs, Detroit, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Ferrari, First Look, Ford, Hybrids, Luxury Vehicles, Maserati, Mercedes, Motorsports, Product Reveals, SUVs, Sales, Sales, Sedans, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Tesla, Trends | 1 Comment »
Even autonomous vehicles will occasionally crash.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.20, 2019
Mercedes-Benz is rolling out its ESF 2019 to show off the semi-autonomous concept car.
The new Mercedes-Benz ESF 2019 started life out as just another midsize crossover, but the familiar GLE has undergone an array of modifications that could significantly improve the safety of passengers and pedestrians, the German automaker says.
These include changes to airbags, seatbelts and a child safety seat meant to make them more effective in a crash, as well as a steering wheel and pedals that retract when the ESF is operating in autonomous mode, and even an outside communications system meant to signal pedestrians and bicyclists what the vehicle is going to do next. There’s even a built-in robot that pops out of the back of the vehicle to warn oncoming traffic in the event of a crash.
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Some of the more than a dozen different innovations “are very close to series production,” said Ola Kallenius, the Daimler AG Executive Board member overseeing Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, though others “look well into the future.” (more…)
Tags: Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes ESF 2019 Concept, Mercedes concept comes to Frankfurt, Mercedes semi-autonomous concept car, Mercedes unveils new ESF concept, Mercedes' super safe concept car, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, mercedes news, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, China, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Europe, Executives, Frankfurt, Markets, Mercedes, NAFTA, Personalities, Safety, Semi-autonomous Driving, South America, Technology, U.S./North America | Comments Off
Genesis will drop Tau V-8 when new G80 debuts this autumn.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.20, 2019
The next version of the Genesis G80 will come to market without its familiar Tau V-8.
Way back in the late 1970s, when twin oil shocks and the then-new Corporate Average Fuel Economy mandate forced automakers to start focusing on energy efficiency, conventional wisdom had it that the V-8 would soon vanish. It didn’t quite work out that way and the engine of choice for many performance and heavy-duty vehicles has remained surprisingly robust.
But as global emissions and mileage regulations continue to tighten, the V-8 appears, once again, to be an endangered species, and the Hyundai Motor Group is the latest getting ready to throw in the towel.
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The Korean carmaker’s luxury brand Genesis plans to abandon its 5.0-liter Tau V-8 when it rolls out new versions of its two biggest sedans, according to the marque’s CEO. That phase-out will begin later this year with the launch of a new version of the G80.
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Tags: BMW, Cadillac, auto news, bmw v8, cadillac v8, car news, death of v8, genesis dropping v-8, genesis essentia, genesis g80, genesis g90, genesis rimac, hyundai rimac, mercedes, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volvo
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Cadillac, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Ford, Fuel Economy, Genesis, Hybrids, Hyundai, Kia, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, New York, Pickups, Product Reveals, Regulatory, SUVs, Sales, Sedans, Super Cars, Technology, Trends | Comments Off
SOWO show cars highlight options for both performance and off-road fans.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.17, 2019
VW shows off its SOWO "enthusiast fleet."
Volkswagen has long had a history of rolling out some of its most creative niche products and concept cars at the annual Worthersee gathering in Austria. It has expanded that tradition by adding what it calls the SOWO event on Hutchinson Island in Savannah, Georgia.
Short for “Southern Worthersee,” the big gathering aims to entice VW fans this time around with seven concept vehicles featuring what it calls “sport performance add-ons and visual enhancements.”
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Considering the shift in global markets, and especially the U.S., from sedans, coupes and hatchbacks to SUVs, CUVs and other light trucks, it should surprise no one that this year’s crop of concepts includes versions of the latest Tiguan and Atlas crossover-utility vehicles. But Volkswagen traditionalists shouldn’t be disappointed, either, the automaker rolling out customized versions of the Golf, Jetta and new Arteon, as well. (more…)
Tags: Southern Worthersee, TheDetroitBureau.com., VW at SOWO, VW sport concepts, Volkswagen concept cars, Volkswagen sport vehicle concepts, Worthersee-style concepts, auto news, new VW concepts SOWO, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, vw news
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, Coupes, Crossovers/CUVs, Designers, Events, Executives, Markets, Personalities, SUVs, Sales, Sales, Sedans, Sports Cars, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | Comments Off
Croatian company positions itself as a major supplier of electrification technology and components.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.14, 2019
Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac celebrates with Hyundai's Euisun Chung their new alliance.
Alliances and joint ventures are becoming as much the norm as the exception in today’s auto industry, but Hyundai Motor Group just entered a particularly strange-bedfellow sort of relationship, investing nearly $90 million in Rimac, the Croatian manufacturer of battery-electric supercars.
The Korean parent of the Hyundai and Kia brands will not only invest 80 million euros in Rimac Automobili but also establish a technology partnership that will put some high-performance electric vehicles in their future line-ups, as well.
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“Rimac is an innovative company with outstanding capabilities in high-performance electric vehicles,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. “Its startup roots and abundant experience collaborating with automakers combined with technological prowess makes Rimac the ideal partner for us. We look forward to collaborating with Rimac on our road to Clean Mobility.”
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Tags: BEV, Porsche Taycan, auto news, car news, concept two, electric hypercar, electric vehicle, hypercar, hyundai news, kia news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, porsche news, rimac, rimac concept one, rimac electric, rimac hyundai, rimac kia, rimac porsche, thedetroitburea
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Financials, Fuel Economy, Geneva, Hybrids, Hyundai, Investors, Kia, Luxury Vehicles, Motorsports, Muscle Cars, Porsche, Sales, Sales, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Trends, Volkswagen | Comments Off
Could be called Tusker in U.S. market.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.14, 2019
Kia's teaser images aren't entirely production ready, as the mirrors and large wheels suggest.
At the Seoul Motor Show in March Kia unveiled two concept vehicles hinting at how it plans to bookmark its SUV line-up. Now, it’s offering a pair of renderings that appear to show what the smaller of the two Korean concepts will actually look like in production.
The “new global small SUV” was indeed, “inspired by the 2019 Kia SP Signature Concept,” Kia confirmed in a news release this morning. But it left plenty of other questions unanswered, including the name it will give the new offering and the precise timing of its global roll-out.
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“We have created a car which stands out everywhere, from the city to the countryside,” said Byung Chul Juh, head of styling for the Kia brand, adding that it will offer “a wide range of features and technologies that are universally suited to younger buyers in markets around the world.”
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Tags: auto news, car news, hyundai venue, kia Seoul, kia cuv, kia global suv, kia news, kia signature, kia small suv, kia suv, kia suv tease, kia tusker, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, First Look, Hyundai, Infotainment, Kia, Los Angeles, Markets, New York, Product Reveals, SUVs, Sales, Spy Shots, Trends, U.S./North America | Comments Off
Company credited with inventing the I.C. engine is helping to put it to rest, says environmental group.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.13, 2019
Mercedes revealed the U.S. version of its first long-range EV, the EQC Edition 1886, in NY last month.
The automaker that effectively brought the internal combustion engine to life appears ready to drive a nail into its coffin.
Daimler AG, the parent of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands says it expects plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, accounting for fully 50% of its sales by 2030, with a goal to go completely “carbon neutral” by 2039.
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“One of the defining issues is how we address our CO2 footprint,” Ola Kallenius, Daimler’s next CEO, said during a conference in its headquarters city of Stuttgart on Monday morning.
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Tags: Ola Kallenius, auto news, battery car, car news, daimler ambition2039, daimler electric, daimler news, dieter zetsche, electric vehicle, mercedes electric mercedes battery, mercedes eqc edition 1886, mercedes news, mercedes-benz eqc, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, China, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Daimler, Diesel, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Europe, Executives, Financials, First Look, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, New York, Personalities, Product Reveals, Regulatory, SUVs, Sales, Sales, Sedans, Smart, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | Comments Off
Are sports car fines likely to debate its merits? Probably, but the new Supra was well worth the wait.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.12, 2019
The 2020 Supra was born of an unusual collaboration between Toyota and BMW.
It’s easy to feel intimidated at Summit Point Motorsports Park. The Shenandoah Circuit is an undulating, 2-mile course that sends you ping-ponging from one blind corner to another, rising and falling over the rocky West Virginia landscape. But it was as close to perfect a place to get my first ride in the all-new 2020 Toyota Supra as I could imagine.
It’s been 21-years since the last Toyota to wear that badge appeared in U.S. showrooms. Rumors of Supra’s revival have been circulating ever since. We got a hint that something really might be in the works five years ago when the Japanese automaker revealed the striking FT-1 concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
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The show car was anything but the sort of plain vanilla product Toyota has become known for, it’s long nose and sweeping roofline embodying the “passion” that Akio Toyoda has been crying out for since being named Toyota president and CEO in 2009. But the question was whether the Japanese automaker would actually ever put the FT-1 into production. Coming up with an answer became even more iffy in the years that followed, as new car buyers around the world began to migrate from sedans, coupes and sports car to SUVs, CUVs and pickups.
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Tags: 2020 Toyota Supra, 2020 toyota supra review, auto news, bmw news, bmw z4, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, sport car, sports car, sports car review, thedetroitbureau, toyota bmw, toyota news, toyota supra
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Classic Cars, Concept Cars, Convertibles, Coupes, Detroit, Executives, First Drive, First Look, Infotainment, Markets, Motorsports, Personalities, Porsche, Reviews, Sales, Sports Cars, Technology, Toyota, Trends, U.S./North America | Comments Off
I-6 engine to power new product line off “Large Architecture” platform.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.10, 2019
Mazda is finishing up a "Large Architecture," like the one that underpinned the 2017 Vision Coupe Concept.
For such a small company, Mazda has had a history of coming up with lots of creative powertrain technology, from its original rotaries to the latest Skyactiv-X that manages to combine some of the best attributes of a diesel and a gas engine. Now, it appears, the Hiroshima-based manufacturer is busy working on an inline-six design that could be powered both by gas and diesel.
Considering the size and design of Mazda’s current line-up, that might seem an odd choice, however. With the exception of the MX-5 Miata, the automaker’s products have been designed to use shorter powertrains that work in a transverse, or east-west, configuration, rather than the longitudinal, or north-south, layout that would be required with a longer inline-six engine.
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That would suggest that Mazda has another surprise coming, and it appears to be a production car based on what is being referred to as the “Large Architecture,” a platform that could be used for a bigger product than any in the current portfolio. And that immediately brings to mind Mazda’s recent Vision Coupe Concept.
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Tags: Tokyo Motor Show, auto news, car news, mazda amati, mazda i6, mazda inline-six, mazda news, mazda skyactiv-d, mazda skyactiv-x, mazda vision coupe concept, mazdi luxury, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Concept Cars, Coupes, Crossovers/CUVs, Diesel, Jaguar, Land Rover, Luxury Vehicles, Mazda, Mercedes, SUVs, Sales, Sedans, Technology, Tokyo, Toyota, Trends | Comments Off
The upcoming “Mustang-inspired,” all-electric SUV will “reconceptualize’ the way cars are designed.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.09, 2019
Ford is counting on its "Mustang-inspired," long-range electric SUV, codenamed Mach1, to help it plug into the emerging BEV market.
Ford Motor Co. will launch its “Mustang-inspired,” crossover later this year, its first long-range battery-electric vehicle, and CEO Jim Hackett told shareholders that while the EV market has been slow to build momentum, “When it happens you want to be there.”
Hackett focused a lot of his energy on describing the automaker’s electrification plans during Ford’s first “virtual” shareholders meeting on Thursday, clearly hoping to build support for a program in which it plans to invest $11 billion by 2022, more than double what Hackett’s predecessor, Mark Fields, had committed to spend by 2020. All told, Ford has laid out plans to roll out 40 hybrids, plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs.
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The question is whether there will be a market for those vehicles, especially when considering the generally tepid response for earlier Ford battery-based models like the C-Max Energi, a PHEV, and the Ford Focus Electric, a BEV. (more…)
Tags: BEV, Ford electric, Jaguar I-Pace, Porsche Taycan, auto news, battery car, car news, electric vehicle, ford battery suv, ford electrification, ford long-range ev, ford mach one, ford mustang, ford news, jim hackett, mercedes eqc, mustang-inspired SUV, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, vw id3
Posted in Audi, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Chevrolet, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Detroit, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Executives, Ford, Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Investors, Los Angeles, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, Muscle Cars, Personalities, Pickups, Porsche, Regulatory, Rivian, SUVs, Sales, Technology, Tesla, Trends, U.S./North America | Comments Off
