Perhaps the coolest car made by Citroen in the last few years is this DS4 Racing concept which previews a production version that most likely will be launched in early 2013 to rival the Renaultsport Megane and the Ford Focus ST. At the heart of this model is a 1.6-liter turbo engine that is capable of delivering no less than 256 hp which has been tuned by Citroen Racing.
Citroen DS4 Racing
Even though it offers 160 hp / liter, the French automaker says that the car has CO2 emissions of only 155 g/km. We don’t have any details regarding the economy and performance figures of the DS4 Racing but when the production version will come out, the car will probably be able to do the 0-62 mph sprint in less than 6 seconds, on its way to an electronically limited top speed of about 155 mph.
Citroen DS4 Racing
The chassis of the Citroen DS4 Racing has been lowered by 35mm, while the front and rear tracks are now considerably wider (55mm front / 75mm rear). It rides on big 19-inch alloys wrapped around in 235/40 tires. In addition, we notice a two-tone finish for the alloy wheels and the roof, while the concept is wearing a special matt grey paint.
The Japanese automaker Toyota has introduced at the Geneva Motor Show the FT-Bh concept which has just about the same size as the company’s Yaris model, measuring 3,985 mm long, 1,400 mm tall and 1,695 mm wide. It weighs only 1,732 lbs (786 kg) and has a wheelbase of 2,570 mm.
Toyota FT-Bh
The Toyota FT-Bh comes with a hybrid powertrain that consists of a small 1.0-liter, 2-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine and an electric motor which allows the car to return 111.9 mpg (134.5 mpg UK or 2.1 liters / 100 km) and have CO2 emissions of only 49 g/km. This hybrid powertrain is heavier in comparison to the 3-cylinder 1.0-liter engine used in the Yars so they lowered the curb weight of the FT-Bh by about 750 lbs (340 kg) by reconfiguring the chassis, electronics, interior trim and the bodyshell.
The Indian automaker Tata has revealed this year at the Geneva Motor Show the Megapixel concept which follows the footsteps of last year’s less impressive Pixel concept. Tata says that this is a 4-seater city-smart global REEV – range extended electric vehicle concept which manages to achieve a maximum range of 900 km. It can do this by using a single tank of fuel, a 13 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery, as well as a tiny single-cylinder 325cc gasoline range-extended power unit that has to recharge battery while the Megapixel is in motion.
Tata Megapixel
Thanks to this complicated hardware configuration, this concept from Tata has CO2 emissions of only 22 g/km and it manages to have a fuel economy of 100 km / liter. Another interesting feature of the Megapixel would have to be its drive system that consists of four independent electric motors installed on each of the four wheels. These motors are capable to drive in either direction, and they work together with the car’s front wheels that allow the vehicle to have a turning radius of just 2.8 meters.
Tata Megapixel
Some of the other technologies that Tata has included in this very interesting Megapixel concept would have to be support for induction pad charging and the HMI – advanced human machine interface touchscreen with which the driver has the possibility to adjust ventilation, temperature, performance and driving modes.
Tata Megapixel
In addition, also as interesting are the panoramic roof and the pillarless double sliding door system. The company didn’t say anything about the possibility of turning this concept into a production model. We’ll let you know if they’ll do.
Nissan Invitation concept heading to Geneva Motor Show
Nissan Invitation
The Japanese car manufacturer Nissan has revealed yesterday the Invitation concept which will be making its first public appearance next month at the Geneva Motor Show. With this B-segment vehicle the company wants to “preview a forthcoming mainstream model” that is scheduled to be launched next year in Europe. Sources inside the company have said that this will probably be the replacement for the Note model which is based on the Micra platform.
Nissan Invitation
Nissan is working on an ultra frugal version of the Invitation which will probably be motivated by a 1.0-liter superchargerd engine that it already available in the aforementioned Micra, an engine that has CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km.
Nissan Invitation
The concept you can see in these photos has been designed in Japan but the production version for the Europe market will be adapted at the company’s design center located in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. The car will come with “a refreshingly open cabin” and it is set to feature a bunch of equipment that you won’t see that often in this segment, like an Around View Monitor system that consists of four cameras which are capable of providing a “helicopter view” that will be quite useful for parallel parking and reversing the vehicle.
Nissan Invitation
This interesting concept also features the company’s Safety Child system that can interact with the driver of the car in order to keep him/her aware of what’s happening around the vehicle.
One of the many concepts that were revealed this week during the Frankfurt Motor Show is this SsangYong XIV-1. The car measures 4,140 mm in length, 1,830 in width and it is 1,590 mm tall, while the wheelbase is 2,600 mm. One of the cool features of this concept would have to be the opposite-opening rear doors that look great.
Ssangyong XIV-1 Concept
The car is motivated by a 1.6-liter gasoline engine or a 1.6-liter diesel, but unfortunately we don’t have any details about the specifications of these power units. We do know that SsangYong is seriously thinking about rolling out a production version out of this concept which should go head-to-head with other cars in the CUV segment, like the Land Rover Evoque.
One of the most radical vehicles unveiled this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show is Citroen’s Tubik. They drawn their inspiration for this model from the TUB and Type H light vans developed by the French automaker for more than four decades starting with 1939. The car measures 4,800 mm long, 2,080 mm wide and it is 2,050 mm tall. It has enough room to carry up to nine passengers that will sit across three rows of seats.
Citroen Tubik
The interior cabin benefits from an adjustable modular seating arrangement and it has been designed as a “lounge-style cocoon”, featuring a leather floor, felt seats and ambient lighting. Other than that, it sports a huge semi-circular TV screen as well as hi-def surround sound.
Citroen Tubik
The doors of the Citroen Tubik open along the entire side of the van in order to permit access to both the front and rear. The automaker says that the cockpit is based on a so-called “cyclotron” that groups the seats, steering wheel, pedal assembly and the head-up display in a cool circular arrangement. The driver of the vehicle is recognized via the fingerprint recognition system.
Citroen Tubik
The car is motivated by a 4WD drivetrain and is powered by PSA’s Hybrid4 technology that includes a diesel engine in the front and an electric motor that drives the back wheels. Speaking of the rims, they measure 22 inches and are wrapped around in low-resistance rubbers. The Tubik also has the company’s Hydractive suspension technology. Once the car reaches high speeds, it will automatically sit lower in order to improve the aerodynamics. Citroen mentioned that the van’s CO2 emissions are roughly the same as the ones of a regular sedan.
One of the many concepts revealed today at Frankfurt is the VW NILS, the automaker’s vision of personal urban mobility for the year 2030. It is a one-seat EV based on a F1-style layout with the driver in the middle and the powertrain in the rear, featuring an aluminum spaceframe that allows the car to have a curb weight of only 460 kg. The reason why VW chose this one-seat configuration is due to the fact that about 90% of commuters who travel by car do it without any passengers.
VW NILS Concept
The VW NILS concept measures 3040 mm long, 1390 mm wide and 1200 mm high, which makes it 500 mm shorter, 250 mm narrower and 280 mm lower in comparison to the company’s smallest car in the lineup at the moment which is the Up! Although its dimensions are limited, the German automaker says that the car is safe as just about any car out there.
It rides on a set of freestanding outboard alloys that measure 17 inches and features cool glass wing doors which manage to provide easy access even where there isn’t a lot of room. The “practical bootspace” is located above the rear-mounted powertrain.
VW NILS Concept
Driving the wheels in the back is an electric motor that generates 34 hp and 96 lb.-ft of torque and is powered by a 5.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that allows the car to be driven for up to 40 miles. It needs 11 seconds to do the 0-62 mph sprint, before reaching a maximum speed of 81 mph. Filling up the battery requires two hours which is quite decent.
Thanks to its low curb weight, the car doesn’t require power steering and VW says that it “drives like a sports car.” The front and rear feature a wishbone suspension.
At this year’s edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Technical University of Munich is going to reveal its MUTE concept which promises to be an affordable EV. The concept comes with a 10 kWh lithium-ion battery that motivates an electric motor with 22 hp (22 PS / 16.5 kW) that sends the power to the rear wheels through a torque vectoring differential.
TUM MUTE concept
With this setup, the TUM MUE can accelerate from 0-37 mph (0-60 km/h) in 6.8 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). Aside from the fact that the car has a curb weight of 1,100 lb (500 kg), there aren’t any details available, but full specs will be revealed this September. Stay tuned.
The French automaker Renault has unveiled this week its funky Frendzy concept, ahead of the car’s official debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show which will be organized this September. Basically, we are talking about a commercial vehicle that sports a canvas roof, along with a cool sliding rear passenger side door and a huge 37 inch digital display.
Renault Frendzy
Inside the very futuristic cabin we find the leather latticework seats, a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet that acts as the infotainment system, along with wood floors. The load floor in the back sports a retractable bench seat as well as “magnetic fixings”, giving the user the possibility to tie the cargo down without any difficulties.
The car is powered by a lithium-ion battery that sends juice to an electric motor which generates 59 hp (60 PS / 44 kW) and 167 lb.-ft (226 Nm) of torque. With a curb weight of 3,130 lb (1,420 kg), the Renault Frendzy is able to reach a maximum speed of 81 mph (130 km/h).
I must say that I’m not a big fan of motorcycles, but this Saline Bird Concept looks astonishing. This is a race motorbike created for the “Les Triplettes de Bonneville” and it features a compressed air engine that is fed by three air tanks that have a total capacity of 27 liters. (more…)
We saw lots of concepts this month in Geneva and one of them is the Mini Rocketman, conceived as a throwback to the original 1959 Mini. The concept measures only 3,419 mm long, 1,907 mm wide and 1,398 mm tall, making it worthy iteration of the original model.
Mini Rocketman Concept
Built on a carbon fiber space frame, we will probably not see a production version of this model very soon. However, we will most likely see the new infotainment system fitted to the Rocketman, a system that is capable of integrating smartphone functionality with a traveling Wi-Fi hot spot. This interesting concept also has an ambient lighting system that incorporates fiber optics into the glass roof.
They’ve integrated the taillights into the hoops while the brake lights along with the turn signals are projected onto the concept’s body.
Mini Rocketman Concept
In the months to come, Mini will roll out a roadster and coupe version of the Cooper, hoping that they will have the same success as they did last year when they managed to sell 234,000 units. Their latest model, the Countryman, was an instant hint and the German automaker already sold 23,000 units since September last year.
Toyota brought to this year’s Geneva show the iQ EV concept that although it is not ready to go into production, the automaker plans on introducing the tiny electric car to the market very soon after all the tests are completed. The car packs a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor that produces 63 hp (64 PS / 47 kW) and a 11 kWh lithium-ion battery that lies flat in the bed of the vehicle.
Toyota iQ EV Concept
This new battery layout developed by Toyota will not occupy the valuable cabin space, which is extremely crucial for a car of this size. The car can “sprint” from 0 to 60 mph in 14 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 78 mph (125.5 km/h).
Toyota iQ EV Concept
With the battery full, the Toyota iQ EV can be driven for up to 65 miles (105 km) and it features dual 100/200V AC and DC charging sockets. A DC quick charge station delivers 80% charge in only 15 minutes.
The Japanese automaker will start testing the car in Europe, United States and Japan later this year.
One of the many new concepts introduced this week in Geneva is the Bertone Jaguar B99. Design-wise, it borrowed some styling features of the Ford Interceptor concept and the previous generation XJ model. The B99 has an aluminum body and measures 4.5 m long, 1.95 m wide and is 1.35 m tall.
Bertone Jaguar B99
In front, you’ll notice the very aggressive fascia, the bold grille as well as the iconic “leaper” hood ornament. Although I’m not a big fan of the car’s design, I do love those “suicide” rear doors, something that I would like to see more often on production model cars. Out in the back, it echoes the front-end with a gloss-black “grille” and taillights that imitate the headlights.
Bertone Jaguar B99
The cabin is minimalist, yet very elegant at the same time. It has premium leather upholstery, a wood trim and various aluminum accents. It sports a full-length center console, a high-tech instrument cluster and rear tray tables.
Bertone Jaguar B99
The Bertone Jaguar B99 is a range-extended EV and packs a lithium-ion battery that sends power to two electric motors that provide a combined power output of 570 hp (578 PS / 425 kW). After the car’s battery is almost drained, a thermal engine acts as a generator in order to recharge it. The B99 can be driven for up to 62 miles (100 km) in electric mode and the range is extended to 435 miles (700 km) when the thermal engine is activated.
Bertone Jaguar B99 GT
Bertone also brought to Geneva the B99 GT, a GT2 racing version that comes with a wider body, a reduced ride height and sits on 19-inch lightweight rims wrapped around in Pirelli PZero race tires. Out in the back it sports a huge spoiler and it has a race-spec interior along with a revised powertrain that uses four electric motors, generating 972 hp (986 PS / 725 kW)!
The Nissan Esflow Sports Coupe Concept was unveiled yesterday at the 81st edition of the Geneva Motor Show and it is a car that uses the same EV technology that we saw on the company’s first zero emission production model, the highly-acclaimed (yet quite ugly) Leaf.
Nissan Esflow Sports Coupe Concept
The concept sports not one, but two electric motors that lay over the rear axle and a 24 kWh battery pack, like the one in the Leaf. Similar to the very cool 370Z, it has a two-seat layout. By combining a RWD with weight saving techniques, the concept is able to sprint to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and at the same time, offers almost 50% more driving range than the Leaf, which means that the drive would be able to do 150 miles before recharging the battery.
Nissan Esflow Sports Coupe Concept
The design of the Nissan Esflow Sports Coupe Concept incorporates a high belt line and a wrap-around windscreen. It has a unique body structure that is not only lighter, but also stronger. The company said that this concept is suited for a tech savvy, professional guy.
Nissan Esflow Sports Coupe Concept
However, we’ll have to wait a couple of years until Nissan will release a production version of this car which will most likely not be just as exciting as this one.
Post tags: Tags: concept, Green, nissan esflow sports coupe
The German automaker Volkswagen will bring this week to Geneva a new concept model named Bulli, which is a development of the Microbus study from 10 years ago. It will be a more compact car if we look at its dimensions: 3.99 meters long, 1.75 meters wide and 1.70 meters tall. It will have a 2.62 wheelbase and can accommodate six people, three in the front and three in the back (3+3).
Volkswagen Bulli
The 370-liters boot volume can be extended to 1,600 liters when the rear bench is folded. The VW Bulli can be turned into a camper van thanks to the seat system that can be transformed into a large reclining surface.
Volkswagen Bulli
In the center console, VW has installed a removable iPad that acts like an infotainment touchscreen, controlling various functions like the Bluetooth hands-free phone, media center and the navigation system.
Volkswagen Bulli
The Bulli has been fitted with an electric motor that is linked to a battery, allowing the concept to cover up to 185 miles (300 km) on a single charge. The output of this motor is 85 kW and the torque value is 199 lb.-ft (270 Nm), available instantly. The 40-kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged in less than an hour at an electric refueling station, according to the automaker.
Volkswagen Bulli
The Volkswagen Bulli is able to sprint to 60 mph in 11.5 seconds, onto a top speed of 87 mph (140 km/h). This concept can also incorporate traditional petrol and diesel power units, with displacements between 1.0 and 1.4-liter.
Volkswagen Bulli
The German manufacturer didn’t say anything about the possibility to start making the car, but admits it “”has the potential to establish a new, fifth brand of people carrier next to the Caddy, Touran, Sharan and its large counterpart – the Caravelle.”
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