Turbo

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Jeep, Lotus, Rumormill

We’ve cherrypicked some questions for discussion out of the last weeks news, but hit up our interactive Q&A box below and query the podcast team with your own question. Even if you don’t have your own question, you can vote on which questions deserve our attention the most. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #196, which we’ll record tonight, can be found below. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #196

• Lotus Elite
• Ranger finally dies
• BMW 6 Series
  
• 2011 Challenger details
• Jeep Pickup
• Chrysler 200 Tease

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #196 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Lotus

As brilliant as its chassis dynamics are, Lotus has been in need of a design revolution for some time now. And now you’re looking at it. These are the first images and details released on the much anticipated new Lotus Elite, set to be unveiled in a little over a week from now at the rapidly approaching Paris Motor Show.

You can plainly see from the photos that the Elite marks a styling departure from the language spoken by the likes of the Elise and Evora. This svelte GT’s lines represent what recently hired designer Donato Coco has planned for future Lotus vehicles, and comes wrapped around a front/mid-engined 2+2 shape. The show car actually showcases a retractable hardtop – a first for Lotus and a potential shocker to company founder Colin Chapman’s ethos of extreme weight savings, the car tipping the scales at 1650 kg (3600 lbs).

Underneath that front hood sits a version of the 5.0-liter V8 from the Lexus IS F, coupled to unique automatic transmission with optional integrated hybrid boost. With a massive 611 horsepower on tap, Lotus estimates 0-62 mph times in a scant 3.6 seconds (give or take) and its 315 km/h (195 mph) top speed should be enough to propel it into the supercar leagues. The car you see here is a conceptual preview of the production model, slated to hit the market in 2014 with an approximate £115,000 (0k) price tag.

Follow the jump for the full press release, check out the initial images in the gallery below and watch this space for more as we set sail for the Port de Versailles next week.

[Source: Lotus]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Lotus Elite shows the way forward with slick new GT

Paris Preview: Lotus Elite shows the way forward with slick new GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Citroën

French couture, as is widely known, is at the very height of fashion. French cars, well…less so. But Citroën is hard at work to fix that and capitalize on potential synergies within its own homeland. Its new DS line of premium vehicles is doing much to bridge that gap, as are concepts like the Metropolis and the GQbyCitroën. Now the French automaker has teamed up with a sportswear powerhouse to develop a new show car set to debut on its home turf in Paris next week.

The product of collaboration with tennis-wear giant Lacoste, Citroën’s latest concept takes the alligator brand’s slogan “un peu d’air sur terre” (“a little air on the ground”) to heart with an open buggy-like design ready to, according to Citroën, transports its “passengers to a lighter, fresher world.” And what does that entail, exactly? No roof, no doors and a collapsible windshield, apparently, taking cues from classic Jeeps, but in a more, how you say, avant garde form.

Powering those jumbo golf-ball wheels is a compact three-cylinder gasoline engine that Citroen figures should be plenty to propel the compact vehicle along in joie de vivre bliss. Beyond that, we’ll let the French designers’ work speak for itself, so take a stroll through the Louvre-like gallery of high-resolution images below for a closer look, or follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Citroën]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Citroën puts un peu d’air sur terre with Lacoste concept

Paris Preview: Citroën puts un peu d’air sur terre with Lacoste concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Lamborghini

A few years back, Lamborghini made big promises that it would have a new debut at every major international auto show, every year. That seemed like a big bite to chew for a company with essentially two models in its line-up, but the exotic carmaker from Sant’Agata has managed to keep up brilliantly.

Now, hot on the heels of reports indicating that the Raging Bull marque is preparing to unveil not one, but two new debuts at the upcoming Paris Motor Show comes the third in a series of teasers released by the company in anticipation. The question, then, is which we’re looking at.

Well, for starters, it’s quite clear that this is the dashboard of the car in question. And a nifty dashboard it looks indeed. But of which car? Given that the last teaser clearly showed a ten-cylinder engine, our guess is that it’s not the highly anticipated replacement for the Murcielago, tentatively dubbed Jota, since that would presumably carry twelve cylinders. So your guess is as good as ours, but one way or another, we’ll be finding out next week at the Port de Versailles, so stay tuned.

[Source: Lamborghini]

Lamborghini releases third teaser on the road to Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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