Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Peugeot

Peugeot has found a new home for its HYbrid4 technology that independently powers the front and rear wheels with two types of powertrains. It’s called through-the-road hybrid technology and it makes its latest appearance in the just-unveiled HR1 concept. According to Peugeot, The HR1 is part small city car, part SUV-ish beast and and part coupé – and it’s an aggressive little thing. To match the crowded city where it’s intended to be used, the HR1 uses scissor doors that open vertically – and the it’s is taller than you might expect, with the driver up high in a “dominant driving position.”

All this steroid-like aggression doesn’t extend to the powertrains, though, since the HR1 concept boasts numbers that are quite kind to the environment: 81 miles per gallon (64 mpg U.S.) and CO2 emissions of just 80 grams per kilometer. The frugality comes from a new, three-cylinder 1.2-liter THP 110 gas engine that is used to power the front wheels. In the back, the HYbrid4′s through-the-road hybrid powertrain uses a 37-bhp electric motor.

What is it about auto show halls that brings out this sort of magic? Yes, we know Peugeot is bringing a HYbrid4 3008 to market, but that car “only” gets 61.9 miles per gallon (U.S.) and spews a comparatively monstrous 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Full specs and a flowery press release after the jump, and we’ve got lots of high-res pictures in the gallery below.

[Source: Peugeot]

Continue reading Peugeot HR1 concept is latest to use through-the-road hybrid tech

Peugeot HR1 concept is latest to use through-the-road hybrid tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini

Surely, one of the most hotly anticipated releases at the 2010 Paris Motor Show would be the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept. After all, no automaker has teased the masses these last few weeks more than Lamborghini, and perhaps no single vehicle manufacturer is as beloved by the teenage boys lurking inside each one of us.

That said, any new Lambo is going to have big shoes to fill, with such classics as the Miura, Countach, Diablo and Murcielago, Gallardo and Reventon each holding its well-earned place in the annals of supercardom. Will the Sesto Elemento turn out to be yet another masterpiece from Italy? Too early to say, but we can still drool a bit over the live shots in our high-res image gallery below. Enjoy!

Live photos by Zach Bowman/Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Paris 2010: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept lights up the stage originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi

Here they are folks, the first live images we’ve managed to snap of the Audi Quattro Concept that’s currently being debuted at the Paris Motor Show. We expect to get much more closely acquainted with the machine over the next couple of days, but until then, take a gander at the machine that Audi crafted to celebrate 30 years of Quattro performance.

Keep in mind that this sucker is packing 408 horsepower from its turbocharged five-cylinder engine and routing all those ponies through a six-speed manual gearbox to all four wheels, making for a power-to-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI. See the rest of the details here. A fitting tribute, if we do say so ourselves.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Videos, Paris Motor Show, BMW, Luxury

The BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept appears to have separated the audience into camps called “OMG BMW what have you done?” and “OMG BMW is back!” If there are any of you left on the fence looking for a closer look before you sign up to one of those clubs, here are high-definition renderings of the concept without and within.

Of course, they’re still renderings so you can reserve final final judgement, but you’ll see how the exterior light elements work and get clues to interior details. We’re digging that glass roof in all kinds of ways. Follow the jump for the close-ups, and stay tuned for live coverage straight from the Paris Motor Show. Hat tip to Rob!

Continue reading Video: BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept rendered for your pleasure

Video: BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept rendered for your pleasure originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Design/Style

We’ve been speculating, applying the magnifying glass to spy shots and just plain wishing that the rumors were true. They are – Audi is set to debut the Quattro concept car at the Paris Motor Show in celebration of its famous all-wheel-drive system’s 30th anniversary. Drawing its inspiration from the original 1980 Audi Ur-Quattro and using some underpinnings from the current RS5, the Quattro concept features a shortened wheelbase, lower roofline and a sub-3,000 pound curb weight.

The original Ur-Quattro weighed in under 3,000 pounds and featured a turbocharged five-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual. Keeping in line with that spirit, the Quattro concept ditches the V8 and dual-clutch transmission from the RS5 in favor of a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Power output for the Quattro concept is rated at 408 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. All that energy is put to the ground through Audi’s famous quattro torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which in this case is setup with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split. The weight savings mixed with the power output create a vehicle with a power-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

Since this IS a modern Audi, it features stylish exterior features and a wonderful cabin space. The seats are leather-lined Sparco units that weight in at just 40 pounds apiece. The Quattro concept also makes use of the Audi MMI infotainment system. In this application, MMI includes a slew of screens useful for rally racing like classically-styled round gauges and a page for pace notes. On the outside, the Quattro concept boasts the signature Audi LED treatment, but this time it’s in the form of headlamps that adjust their direction both vertically and horizontally, as well as being able to open fully or close to a slit.

This is an exciting concept that pays homage to a true motoring classic. If Audi doesn’t find a way to put a version of this into production, we’re sure that four-ring fanboys around the world will storm Ingolstadt.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini

The doors still haven’t quite opened up at the Paris Motor Show and already the leakage has begun in full force. Yesterday we got a sneak peek at the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept, but the lone photo was small and grainy. Thankfully, the wait for real images is now over mere minutes before the car is officially unveiled at an evening event held by the Volkswagen Group in Paris as we speak. A total of five shots of the carbon-intensive supercar have just hit the interwebs, and they didn’t come from Lamborghini.

To put it mildly, we like what we see. As could be seen in the series of teasers officially let loose by the boys from Lamborghini, every single bit of the car has been fashioned from carbon fiber. Suitable, then, that the car has been named after the sixth element of the periodic table – Sesto Elemento literally means sixth element in Italian. Even the tailpipes have been fashioned from a sort of composite called Pyrosic that is able to withstand extremely high temperatures.

Those high exhaust temperatures will be exhaled by a V10 engine that’s putting out a stonkin’ 570 horsepower. With just 2,200 pounds of weight to move, the run to 60 will take less than 2.5 seconds. Check out our high-res image gallery below, and stay tuned for live shots of the Sesto Elemento from Paris as soon as we can get them.

*UPDATE: Full press release added after the break.

[Source: GT Spirit]

Continue reading Lamborghini Sesto Elemento photos come full circle right before Paris debut *UPDATE

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento photos come full circle right before Paris debut *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Technology, Jaguar, Design/Style, Electric

Jaguar has this to say about the genesis of the C-X75 Concept, which will be unveiled live tomorrow at the Paris Motor Show: “The aim was to produce not only the most innovative but also one of the most beautiful Jaguars ever; one which hints at an exciting evolution of the marque’s award-winning design language while paying homage to some of its most admired cars of years gone by.”

The result is the car you see above. The 2,970-pound C-X75 is “a range-extended electric supercar” that does the run from zero to 62 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. That happens courtesy of two 96-horsepower micro gas turbines that pump juice into a plug-in li-ion battery pack. That in turn powers four 195-horsepower electric motors – one at each wheel – for a total of 780 horsepower and 1,187 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is pegged at 205 mph, and the concept can theoretically run on just its batteries for 68 miles before the twin turbines kick in and extend the range to 560 miles. Think of it like the Volt, but with turbines instead of a gas engine and a helluva lot quicker and faster.

The body resting above all those electrons is aluminum, with swan doors allowing entry to the leather-lined cabin. The seats inside are fixed, with the steering wheel, instruments and pedals moving to accommodate the driver. Three high-res TFT screens present driver information, with readouts and displays switchable between all of the screens.

The C-X75 is a pure concept – there are no plans to make it. The point, rather, is to show what kind of Jaguar might exist were such a cat unchained from any production consideration. Yet, although we won’t see the beast in its entirety, we could see its fangs and claws on a production Jag in the future.

Follow the jump for Jaguar’s press release with all of the official info and have a closer look at the C-X75 concept in our high-res gallery of official photos while you wait for us to return with live photos from the show floor of the Paris Motor Show.

UPDATE: Video added after the jump.

[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Jaguar C-X75 range-extended electric supercar concept shows future styling hints

Jaguar C-X75 range-extended electric supercar concept shows future styling hints originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Performance, Aston Martin, Rumormill, Luxury

Breaking: Aston Martin prepares to revive the Lagonda.

News Now: Lagonda SUV ridiculed by entire industry, tucks tail and runs from auto show circuit.

We’ve seen concepts, heard rumors and waited patiently for hope that a revival of the Aston Martin Lagonda (just not necessarily in the form of an SUV…) would prove to be true. It seems that patience is paying off as new renderings of what may lie around the corner have just surfaced.

According to our Brit-friends at Auto Express, Aston Martin is preparing to unleash a Rapide-based Lagonda sedan with longer proportions and at least 500 horsepower from a 6.0-liter V12 engine. Also possible is the inclusion of start-stop tech and regenerative braking, designed to help the Lagonda reduce emissions and fuel consumption.

We’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled for any news on this potential range-topping super sedan. For now, head over to Auto Express for a better look at a rendering of a potential Aston Martin Lagonda. If it is indeed headed for production, expect it to arrive on our holiday wish list in 2014.

[Source: Auto Express via Daily Derbi]

Rendered Speculation: Aston Martin’s Lagonda sedan shapes up originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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