We knew that Honda was going to present a concept at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. What we didn’t prepare for was what the Japanese automaker actually showed.
The vehicle, called the Concept M, is an MPV prototype that sure looks like it’s pissed off at the rest of the world. We can’t even begin to tell you just how bad we want to see this concept hit production in the future while keeping the design qualities that made it look completely incredible.
The front profile of the Concept M is the complete achievement in this design. Check out the headlight design and you’ll notice that it’s the same configuration Honda used on the 2012 NSX Conceptsupercar. That, in itself, is already a winner in our books.
Then you move on to the enormous front grille, which by the looks of it, was designed to terrorize the rear view mirrors of cars in front of it. The intakes are equally imposing and provide even more aggression to one of the most radically designed concept MPVs we’ve seen in quite some time. The rear, meanwhile, is a little more subdued but still has some aggressive details of its own, particularly what looks like a huge chrome bumper guards.
Honda says that the Concept M is a preview concept of a future MPV that will be launched in China soon, "offering the attributes of a passenger car while adding new value through the realization of a comfortable and spacious cabin".
To that, we say "can’t wait!"
Click past the jump to read Honda’s short press release about the Concept M
German automaker, Volkswagen, is presenting quite a roster of vehicles at the Shanghai Auto Show. One of them, though, already has a dealership future. It’s also has a name that should catch a lot of peoples’ attention.
This is the Volkswagen iBeetle.
In case you’re wondering why there’s an "i" in front of "Beetle", that’s because the iBeetle comes with a unique feature that no other Volkswagen has ever had. It’s the first VW to carry a newly developed docking station and a special iPhone application.
Oh, ok.
Honestly, a lot of people were probably expecting a whole lot more for a Beetle with an "i" prefix of sorts. So it’s got a docking station that you can put your iPhone into and take advantage of all its capabilities? Not exactly the kind of iCar we were all thinking Apple collaborate on.
But once you dive into what the iBeetle is fully capable of, you’ll understand why Volkswagen is pretty excited about this model.
Click past the jump to read more about the Volkswagen iBeetle
The first rumors about a new Maserati sedan placed under the current Quattroporte appeared at the beginning of 2010, but after a couple of months of heating up the air waves, the new car fell by the wayside while everyone made room for the new Audis, Ferraris, and such. Now, with just two weeks before the car’s official debut in Shanghai, Maserati has dropped the first details on its latest addition to the lineup.
Based on the same platform as the new generation Quattroporte, the new Ghibli sedan features a sportier character when compared to its big brother. Also, unlike previous rumors, for the new Ghibli, Maserati will only use two V-6 engines, while the V-8 engine used in the Quattroporte won’t be used.
Maserati revealed nothing on the car’s price just yet, but considering the new Ghibli will play a significant role in Maserati’s growth plan to sell 50,000 cars per year, we expect the price to be kept somewhere in the $70k area.
UPDATE 04/21/2013: Maserati has unveiled more official details on the new Ghibli sedan at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. Unfortunately, no additional images were released yet.
Hit the jump to read more about the future Maserati Ghibili.
British manufacturer MG hasn’t put anything on the market for quite some time now, but it looks like the company is preparing a big comeback. The company will unveil the CS Concept later this month at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. The concept is designed to slot into the compact SUV sector and will likely see production at some point.
The concept has been specially designed to attract younger buyers, so it features a distinctive, sporty style and youthful appearance, but in the same time it can be immediately recognized as an MG model.
The concept received newly designed headlights with a multi-faceted ‘shard’ structure which refract light in different colors and shapes from the side. Still, it is pretty easy to recognize the new CS concept, thanks to the iconic MG’s trademark octagon from the front.
Full details on the new MG CS Concept will be unveiled during its official debut in Shanghai.
Hit the jump for the press release.
Update 4/20/2013: MG has released three new images of the upcoming MG CS Concept, but they don’t reveal anything new except that they are far more realistic than the sketches we saw earlier. You can see these images in the Gallery.
Press days for the 2013 New York Auto Show are over, so now it’s time to move our attention to the next show on the docket: Auto Shanghai 2013 set to start on April 20. In the Big Apple, Nissan unveiled the hybrid version for the Nissan Pathfinder and the company will bring an all-new concept car called Friend-ME to China.
All the information we have on the new concept up to this point is a teaser image that reveals an innovative set of headlights and Nissan’s announcement that the new Friend-ME will feature a unique center console that allows "Four Seats, One Mind Connectivity" - equal information sharing among all aboard.
According to Nissan, the new Friend-ME is "designed for the vibrant, young generation in China, one of most exciting segments in the fastest-growing automobile markets in the world."
Alongside the new Friend-ME concept, Nissan will also display 20 new models in Shanghai.
Updated 04/20/2013: Nissan has officially unveiled the Friend-ME Concept. See all of the details after the jump.
The Shangha Auto Show’s media day has officially kicked off and one of the most anticipated models of the show has broken cover: the Icona Vucano. Unfortunately, Icona didn’t reveal much more of the car than its exterior and the fact that it will come in two variants: street and racing.
In all, we think Icona has hit a homerun with the Vulcano, but it still has its minor issues. One of the glaring issues is whether it will be a reality or just another dream that fades away. You see, it takes a ton of money to build a concept like this and we would not be shocked to hear that Icona simply doesn’t have the capital to build production models.
Regardless of whether it ever hits the streets or not, the Icona Vulcano concept is sure to be the talk of Shanghai for the next few weeks.
UPDATE 4/20/2013: This review has been updated with official images and details on the Vulcano Concept.
Click past the jump to read all about the Icona Vulcano Concept.
2013 Auto Shanghai – aka Shanghai Auto Show – kicks off tomorrow and it looks like we are in for a pretty decent showing, Typically, the Shanghai Auto show is a lower tier show, which means it brings a smattering of cool cars, but mostly focuses on Asia-only models. This year looks to be much of the same, but it will have a few really cool cars hitting the floor at the Shanghai New International Expo.
The biggest waves will be made by Lamborghini, Nissan, Maserati and, of all brands, MG. With the show only a little over a day away, we will outline for you the models to keep an eye out for and what we expect to see when their respective makers unveil them.
Stay tuned for full coverage of the show.
Read all about these upcoming models and find out which ones will likely impress us after the jump
One of the biggest surprises on the German public roads this week was an Alpina version of the 2014 6-Series GranCoupe. As you can see, the model is wearing camouflage only in the parts rumored to be updated, because as usual, Alpina is preparing the biggest updates under the hood.
As you can see from these spy shots, Alpina will use a 650i version for its project. While in the standard version the 4.4-liter V-8 engine delivers a total of 450 horsepower, Alpina is rumored to add at least an extra 100 horsepower. We expect this extra power to significantly improve the car’s current 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 4.6 seconds.
Next to the engine upgrades, Alpina will also offer a few styling changes, an updated interior and.a new set of wheels, of course.
Expect the new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe by Alpina to be unveiled in September at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Hit the jump to read more about the BMW 6-Series GranCoupe by Alpina.
When Faralli & Mazzanti announced the first details on the Evantra back in 2012, it announced the supercar would make its world debut at the 2013 Top Marques Monaco. F&M held its promise and delivered the Evantra with great improvements, including a V-8 engine in place of the original 3.5 liter flat-six engine.
If you were wondering what "Evantra" stands for, Mazzanti explains that its name comes from the ancient Etruscan language and represents an object unique, eternal and exclusive. It also was the name of the Goddess of immortality for the Etruscan people.
When compared to the six-cylinder version, the V-8 version received a new rear wing and a series of inserts made in carbon fiber or brushed aluminum. For the interior, the company added a new roll cage made in chrome.
As initially promised, the Evantra V8 will be sold in very limited qualities.
Hit the jump to read more on the Mazzanti Evantra V8.
Back in 1913, four Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts were writing history at the Austrian Alpine Trials - the most arduous test of automotive endurance at the time. The four cars managed to travel over 1,820 miles, proving once again that Rolls Royce was indeed developing the best cars in the world.
This year, as a celebration to the event’s centenary, Rolls Royce has prepared an Alpine Trial Centenary Collection that takes inspiration from the 1913 Alpine Trials cars. The first car to be unveiled will be a special Ghost and we are going to see it at Auto China 2013.
The new Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary Edition is painted in the same blue used for James Radley’s Silver Ghost. The blue is be combined with a distinct black grille and wheels also inspired by the classic car.
The car’s cabin is also inspired by the Alpine Trials cars: the clock displays the stages of the rally and timings and it features a very nice "Alpine Trial Centenary" logo. As usual, each element of the interior is meticulously handcrafted by Rolls Royce engineers.
