Showing posts with label Geneva Motor Show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geneva Motor Show. Show all posts

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Geneva Motor Show : Koenigsegg Agera



Talk about a super way to kick off the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. And yes, we intend the pun. We all know and love the Koenigsegg CCX, but it's getting a bit long in the tooth, at least as far as supercars go. Introduced to the world at large at (no surprise) 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the Swedish rocket has wowed enthusiasts for the past five years. But that was then-and in the case of biofuled, 1,100 horsepower monster CCXR, then was a few months ago-the Agera is now.

Designed to stay ahead of the hypercar curve, the Agera can be thought of as an evolution of the CCX. If the previous Koenigsegg had any flaw, it was its slabby, just kinda... there looks. The Agera changes that, with a much more sculpted, almost pinched front end. We find it much more attractive than the CCX, but as always, judge for yourself. Other design highlights include the wheels that generate a vortex in order to better suck hot air away from the brakes. You've also got the oval doughnut taillights, the doughnut part meaning that hot air escapes the engine bay via holes in the taillights. Pretty cool, no?

Of course, what we really care about is what lies under the Agera's carbon fiber skin. It's the same 4.7-liter built-in-house Koenigsegg V8 from the CCX, but with a twist. Unlike the dual-superchargers found on the CCX, the Agera's engine gets twin-turbos. Power is typically bonkers, with 910 hp at 7,250 rpm. Though the real story might be the force-inducted torque. Are you sitting down? 738 pound-feet of the stuff is available from 2,680 rpm to 6,170 rpm, with a torque peak of 811 lb-ft. Also, we should point out that the Agera weighs 2,832 pounds.

The (manufacturer claimed) numbers are equally head spinning. Zero to sixty miles an hour takes 3.1 seconds, 0-124 mph happens in 13.7 seconds and the top speed is somewhere north of 245 miles per hour. The top speed might be (slightly) down from the CCXR (supposedly that beast can go faster than 250 mph) but check out the road-holding. Koenigsegg is claiming that the Agera can pull 1.6 g. Holy Swedish moly, man.

Geneva Motor Show : The Porsche 918 Spyder



We hate to go back to the well-used well on this one but we have no choice: The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept is even hotter in person than it is in photos. About the size of a Boxster, it's a little wider and a lot meaner. Underneath all that sharkness you get a 500-horsepower V8 in addition to 218 overall horsepower from the two axle-mounted electric motors. And that will get you to 60 in 3.2 lickety-split seconds as well along with the feelgood factor of 94 mph. How badly do we want this car made? Have a read of the press release after the jump and the gallery of high-res photos below while we think about it.

Geneva Motor Show : 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid




Porsche's got a lot on the Cayenne line, and having had a look at the new Hybrid and Turbo variants we don't believe they have anything to worry about. The Hybrid is the first from the automaker, but will be just one of five Cayenne trims on offer, and gets you 23-percent better mileage for what is sure to be a hefty premium. Overall system horsepower is 380 horsepower, yet often times you won't even notice it because you'll be "sailing," which is when the drivetrain is decoupled from the engine and happens at speeds up to 97 mph. Follow the jump for the skinny, and check them both out – as well as that curvaceous interior in the Hybrid – in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Geneva Motor Show :Citroen Survolt

Citroen Survolt Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Of all the automakers in the world – and by the world, we mean the world outside the United States – Citroen's design arguably runs the gamut more than any other's. On the one hand, you've got cheap, compact and quirky hatchbacks like the comically named Revolte concept revealed in Frankfurt half a year back. On the other, you've got the GTbyCitroen, an extreme exotic supercar concept, now slated for limited production. In between lies a gorge as big as, well, France itself. But the chevron-emblazoned automaker has bridged the divide this year in Geneva with an intriguing concept called the Survolt.

Not digging the Revolte/GT comparo? Think Bugatti Veyron meets Chevy Volt, circa "Hackers". Beneath the compact sportscar shape, splattered with more neon graphics than "Tron", lies an all-electric powertrain. Citroen's provided little in the way of details regarding the propulsion, but you can read more esoteric prose about the design in the press release after the jump. Better yet, check it out for yourself in the gallery of live shots from the Geneva show floor below, and the studio shots in the gallery below that.

Geneva Motor Show : Nissan Juke



Nissan won't have its official press conference for a few hours, but we've already snagged these shots of the production Juke, an oddly styled smaller-than-you-think crossover that's poised to hit North America for 2011. In person, the Juke is perhaps less bizarre than one might think, with the exuberance of its alien face reined in with comparatively modest alloy wheels, traditional doors and Volvo C30-like taillamps. If you're wondering where the Juke fits into the Nissan lineup that already has the Murano, Rogue and the Qashqai, this vehicle is markedly smaller than the Murano and actually appears smaller than the Rogue.

The interior is pure Nissan, though it looks like the Japanese automaker has put a few more dollars into some of its interior plastics and materials than it has in the past. In particular, the new HVAC controls have a crisp and colorful display, and the transmission tunnel has a quasi motorcycle-tank look about it.

For Europe, the Juke is available with a pair of 1.6-liter gasoline engines in either normally aspirated or turbocharged direct-injected form, as well as a 1.5-liter diesel, the latter of which is unlikely to make it to North America. The compact CUV will be made in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations, the latter being a newly developed torque-vectoring system dubbed ALL-Mode 4x4-i that is capable of splitting power 50:50 from front-to-rear as well as side-to-side.

We expect to see the Juke make its North American debut in New York. While you're waiting, check out our high-res galleries below and the official press release after the jump.

Geneva Motor Show :2011 Mazda5



Mazda's Nagare design theme has infiltrated nearly every model in its lineup, with only a few lone hold-outs. Here in Geneva, one of the last unmolested models has finally gone under the knife and the result is the 2011 Mazda 5.

In addition to the new smiling fascia, five-point grille, deeper chin spoiler and flared front fenders, the new 5 gets a trio of dramatic, wave-live character lines sweeping from the front door and terminating into the deeply drawn rear tailamps. The combination ditches the somewhat anonymous profile of the previous model, it's just a shame the rear looks disproportionately top heavy.

The interior gets a quick once over, with thicker, wider seats, power sliding doors and a reworked center stack, with the standard seven seats carrying over and the new 2.5-liter four-cylinder from the new Mazda3 finding its way underhood when it hits the States later this year.

Friday, 26 February 2010

2010 Geneva Motor Show : Hispano Suiza



If you've never heard of Hispano Suiza, you're not alone. The Spanish automaker hasn't been producing its own vehicles since World War II and later returned to its aerospace roots in the 1950s, merged with another firm in 2005 and had a few prototypes running around a few years back (the oft forgotten Mazels). But that's the past and this is apparently the automaker's future: A rebodied Audi R8 V10 packing a supercharger and the possibility of a hybrid system.

According to AutoBild, the Hispano Suiza's return will take place at next week's Geneva Motor Show, with the introduction of this €700,000 coupe. As you'd expect from a hastily resurrected marque, the details are as shady as the renderings in the gallery below, with Hispano Suiza claiming that the 750-horsepower R8-based show car is good for a run to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds (grip is obviously an issue) and a top speed of 205 mph. There's also a talk of an additional 150 hp from a hybrid drive system, with the ability to travel on electricity along for an unspecified range. Skeptical? Of course, but we're looking forward to seeing it in person in less than a week.

2010 Geneva Motor Show: 2010 Techart GTStreet R


The 2010 Geneva Motor Show is just days away, and the list of vehicle debuts is seemingly never ending. Last week Techart announced that they would be bringing their modified 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo, and today the German tuner previewed two more new cars that will debut at the show.

The first is an all-new version of the GTStreet R model. Based on the 2010 911 Turbo, the GTStreet R is about serious performance. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six produces 660 horsepower and 635 pound-feet of torque, and Techart claims a 0-100 km/h time of 3.5 seconds as well as a top speed of 214 mph. Providing the looks to go with the power is an aggressive aerodynamic kit that includes an adjustable rear spoiler and carbon fiber rear diffuser and front splitter.

The second vehicle is the Concept One, a design study based around the Porsche Panamera. Unlike the GTStreet R, the Concept One is less about go (although it does have a 550 horsepower twin-turbo V8) and more about go. The exterior features a full body kit as well as 22-inch forged wheels. The inside is upholstered in a striking white and cocoa leather complimented by phosphor green stitching. Even Techart calls it "unusual personalization." You can check out both cars in the high-res galleries below and get more info after the jump.

2010 Geneva Motor Show: BMW Concept 5 Series ActiveHybrid




BMW is expanding its hybrid lineup down the model range to the recently introduced 5 Series sedan with a new concept that debuts Monday at the Geneva Motor Show. The new Concept 5 Series ActiveHybrid will likely transition to a production model sometime in 2011. This will be the third different hybrid powertrain variant introduced by BMW following the two-mode system in the ActiveHybrid X6 and the mild hybrid system in the AcitveHybrid 7 Series.

The 5 Series uses a new derivative of the modular mild hybrid system from the larger 7. The 15 kilowatt electric motor from the 7 has been upgraded to a full 40 kW for the smaller sedan. That will allow the hybrid 5 Series to function as a full hybrid, operating in electric-only mode at city speeds. Unlike the twin-turbo V8 used in the earlier hybrids, the 5 uses the 300-horsepower twin-scroll turbo inline-six available in the 535i. A clutch between the engine and motor allows them to be disengaged for electric drive.

A larger battery pack than the 7 Series Hybrid is mounted in the trunk, but BMW has not yet specified if the 5 is using a nickel metal hydride battery like the X6 or a lithium battery like the 7. Chances are it will be the latter in order to minimize intrusion on the cargo capacity.

BMW has incorporated a variety of new strategies into the hybrid control, such as monitoring the navigation route to anticipate what is coming up and to make maximum use of the electric drive. At this point, BMW is not giving specifics on the efficiency of the new hybrid except to say that it should improve on the standard model by more than 10 percent.

Saturday, 11 April 2009

Geneva Motor Show 2009

Gigapan images of 2009 Geneva Motor Show What the hell is a gigapan image? It's an image used taking a robotic device that takes a bunch of little images and stitches them together to make one giant, high-resolution image. You may remember seeing the gigapan image of President Obama's inauguration speech back in January. That same technology was recently used by the folks at image engineers to take some interesting photos of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show this past week. If you're not part of the automotive press, you've probably never seen what a show floor looks like beyond the small windows we give you in our coverage of production vehicles and concepts that are unveiled there. These images, one of the show floor and one of the Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire, reveal an angle of the show that you've likely not seen before. We've also embedded a time lapse video of the action that takes place at the Geneva Motor Show after the jump. These three bits of media are a great way to bring our coverage of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show to a close. Hope you enjoyed it.

Geneva Motor Show 2009 Car Review: Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept






Historically, Rolls-Royce has somewhat smugly declined to quote horsepower numbers, utilizing amusingly evasive language like "entirely sufficient" to describe its engines' power outputs. Perhaps a sign of the times, Rolls is now being a bit more forthcoming about details for its upcoming "baby" RR4 model, including approximate horsepower numbers.The company has disclosed that the RR4 will be powered by a new, 6.6-liter turbocharged V12 engine that gives "upwards of 500bhp." Further, it will route that prodigious output through a ZF transmission with no less than eight forward ratios. Despite its ability to generate big power figures, Rolls says that one important drivetrain figure will be smaller than any other Rolls on the market: C02 output.The news came from CEO Tom Purves himself at a New York press event for the 200EX, where the Geneva concept car is making its first stop on a world tour designed to get prospective clients in the car and booking orders for the production RR4 version. The BMW-owned British automaker has long been famous for its peerless interiors and isolated ride, but Purves promises that the RR4 will bring with it a new emphasis on driving entertainment: "... we have consciously engineered this car to be more involving and dynamic for those owners around the world that will wish to drive it themselves."While we don't expect Porsche Cayman-baiting dynamics, we look forward to seeing what the company views as more involved driving dynamics when the car starts rolling out the front doors of its Goodwood production facility. Official press release after the jump.

2009 Geneva Motor Show : Aston Martin Lagonda Concept



When Aston Martin took the veil off its Lagonda concept last month in Geneva, some were surprised to find a crossover-utility vehicle sitting in front of them. So you might be forgiven for assuming that when the reborn Lagonda eventually comes to market, it would take the same form. Especially since reports have already surfaced on the platform it will use. But according to new reports, the serial Lagonda will be anything but.With the production model not expected to hit the market until 2012, Aston's got enough time on its hands to start over, which may not be such a bad idea considering the decidedly chilly reception the crossover concept was treated to at its Geneva Motor Show debut. A second concept Lagonda is tipped to be in the works, likely in sedan form, so stay tuned.