A concept car is a car prototype made to showcase a new vehicle’s styling, technology, and overall design before production. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.
Infiniti has just entered the European market. So while its a respected brand in North America, it has some catching up to do on the other side of the Atlantic. That’s why Nissan’s premium brand has teamed up with a fashion icon to head to Geneva and convince Europe that it is a top tier brand.
We don’t have any great details on the car Infiniti will bring to the auto show on March 3rd. All we know right now is than it will be called "Essence", and it will have custom baggage made by Louis Vuitton.
Yeah, we don’t find luggage all the interesting either. If it wasn’t for the curvy teaser photo that Infiniti revealed, we may have even skipped the story. Will Infiniti make an interesting enough car that we’ll be willing to blog about luggage again? Find out next month.
BMW revealed today two new videos of the concept 5-Series GT that will make its debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show. The design of the 5-Series GT seems to combine some elements of BMW’s X6 and 7-Series, and provides a good preview of the entire line of BMW’s next generation 5-Series.
The staff at Rinspeed must just sit around all day and think about ways to be different. What else can explain a bunch of people who look at a Lotus Elise and say, "That looks like the perfect submarine!" But the SQuba was at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, so how is Rinspeed going to top that this year? How about an electric car that changes its shape for the number of passengers.
The car starts out as a single seater for best aerodynamics, and will expand to carry two more passengers when needed. Rinspeed has built the set up so that the rear end containing the extra seats will "pop up" and only create the extra drag when necessary. The iChange also has no doors. The entire electrically powered roof section tilts forward to allow passengers to board. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds because the car only measures 1.03 meters (3.4 feet) in height. Another “different” feature is that the car does not have a key. Instead the car an Apple iPhone will is used for access as well as many other important vehicle functions.
The iChange is powered by an electric motor those energy comes from lithium-ion batteries that are available in two different stack configurations for short and long-distance driving. The electric motor produces 201 hp, capable of propelling the car to a top speed of 136 mph and a 0 to 60 mph sprint in four seconds. This kind of performance can be achieved because Rinspeed is using the six-speed transmission out of an established performer, the Subaru WRX.
BMW released today the first details on the Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo, the preview version of the future Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS). World debut will be made in just a few weeks at the Geneva Motor Show.
The sound you hear right now is the collective sigh of relief from the automotive world. BMW is trying to build a vehicle designed for multiple purposes, which meant it was possibly going to be a hodge-podge of automotive elements that could make this GT the next Frankenstein. Instead the 5-Series GT is a tasteful mixture of BMW’s X6 and 7-Series. If you’re a fan of outgoing designer Chris Bangle, then the GT may be a wet dream.
Function is the largest purpose of this car. BMW emphasized this in its teaser video. The 5-Series GT has an interior that designed to move to maximize cargo space or maximize interior space.
BMW did not released any technical specifications, including available engines, but we imagine it will stay pretty close to the next generation 5-Series line. Stay tuned Geneva is just around the corner. When we know more, you’ll know more.
More details and pics in the press release after the jump
The concept will be a character called “Sideswipe” in the new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie. General Motors says the design is not only influenced by the original Stingray race car, introduced in 1959, but also draws on Corvette heritage cues from other generations. “Sideswipe represents an exercise in exploration for the Corvette,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design. “By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives.”
There is no information on the engine because there isn’t one. Right now this retro Stingray is little more than a styling model. But this is obviously cool enough that with a little hope, and a lot of money, my show some of GM’s future.
