2013 Auto Shanghai->ke2470 – 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->ke44, Nissan->ke62, Maserati->ke51 and, of all brands, MG->ke56. 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
Supercars
2013 Bugatti Veyron Vitesse WRC Limited Edition
Bugatti has become about as annoying as Fiat, Mini and smart with retouching the same car and releasing it as a new model over and over again. But unlike Fiat, Mini and smart, Bugatti is, well, Bugatti. So, regardless of how sick and tired we are of seeing the deformed jelly bean that is the Veyron, we still drool over its monstrous power and neck-breaking acceleration. The WRC Limited Edition, which will be in Shanghai, is basically a Vitesse model with splotches of orange throughout. The only thing that really makes it mentionable is that it symbolizes Bugatti taking the crown as the fastest removable-top car – if you want to call a 12-inch-wide section of roof that unlatches a “removable top.”
We digress… The other thing that’s cool is the autographed door sills by the man that hung onto the steering wheel while the Bugatti got up to 254.04 mph on the world’s easiest track to go fast on. Also the exclusivity sets it apart, as only eight units will be built.
Reveal Date and Time:April 20th 1:00 p.m. (Shanghai time)
Reveal Location: Booth N110
Live Feed Link: None
2014 Lamborghini Aventador LP720-4 50° Anniversario
Lambo is showing up in China with several 50th anniversary models, but the Aventador model is the one we are most excited to see. It not only features a stunning new color that traditionalist will fall in love with, but it also features 720 horsepower – 20 more than the standard model – and a laid-out interior. Unfortunately, Lamborghini doesn’t want to share its birthday with too many people, as it will limited this model to only 100 units.
Reveal Date and Time: April 20th 12:30 p.m. (Shanghai time)
Reveal Location: Booth N112
Live Feed Link: None
The Icona Volcano is an intriguing concept, as it has yet to show off its full body to the public; only small teasers have been released. From the looks of the teasers, this supercar will definitely win over anyone who lays eyes upon it. Under the hood lies a V-12 engine that Ferrari’s former powertrain technical director designed. This powerplant combined with two electric motors will pump out 900 horsepower and get this bad-boy to 124 mph in only less than 10 seconds. At this point, that is all we know about it.
Reveal Date and Time: N/A
Reveal Location: N/A
Live Feed Link: N/A
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SUVs and Crossovers
2013 Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe Concept
The CrossBlue Coupe Concept is the follow-up model to the earlier-released CrossBlue Concept, which received pretty rave reviews. This X6 beater carries a pair of electric motors and a 3.0-liter TSI turbocharged V-6 engine that combine to pump out 409 horsepower. This is enough to get the crossover coupe to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.9 seconds and to a 146 mph top speed. On top of its quickness, the CrossBlue Coupe carries a fuel-consumption rate of just 3 liters/100 km (94.1 mpg) in the combined cycle. Though VW claims that this model will not be produced, we are still extremely excited to find out what this will bring in the future.
Reveal Date and Time: April 20th at 9:00 a.m.
Reveal Location: Booth W501
Live Feed Link: None
2015 Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA
Unlike the VW, we know this one is heading to production, but in Shanghai we will only see it as a concept. From the renderings that Mercedes released, this concept looks like it will be nothing short of bad-ass. The only downside is, well, it is just a concept. We can also argue that its 208-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine it rather unimpressive. The real Audi Q3 beat-down comes when the GLA45 AMG launches.
Reveal Date and Time: April 20th at 10:00 a.m.
Reveal Location: Booth E703
Live Feed Link: None
MG has been nearly unheard from for some time now, but it is making a comeback – at least trying to – in Shanghai. However, you won’t see the compact roadster like we are all used to. Nope, instead we get to see an all-new compact crossover SUV dubbed the MG CS Concept. We know about as much as you do about this upcoming concept, so we cannot go into details on what’s under the hood. We can say that on the outside it looks pretty sick.
Reveal Date and Time:N/A
Reveal Location: N/A
Live Feed Link: N/A
Luxury Cars
The Ghibli no doubt has the opportunity to be the show stealer. Sure, it is no surprise what it looks like, but we want to know what it is hiding under that hood. We do know that there are two V-6 engines—one diesel and one gasoline – but we don’t know if they are run-of-the-mill engines or crazy-tuned monsters. We hope for the latter and expect the former. Regardless of its powerplants, the Ghibli will definitely give the Jag XF and the Bimmer 5 Series something to look over their shoulders at. Plus, this model may be the one that propels Maserati into the upper-middle-class price range.
Reveal Date and Time: April 20th at 2:00 a.m. GMT (10 a.m. Shanghai time)
Reveal Location: Booth N118
Live Feed Link: www.ghibli.maserati.com
Family Cars and Sedans
The Friend-Me Concept only makes the list of what to look out for based on sheer curiosity. We know that this will have some weird connection to Facebook and will likely feature tons of tech gizmos and gadgets, but it’s likely not anything to get too excited about in terms of performance. It’ll be a cool novelty concept that will never see the light of day, but we are oddly attracted to it.
Reveal Date and Time: April 20th at 9:30 a.m. (Shaghai time)
Reveal Location: Booth E304
Live Feed Link: None