It is impossible not to notice that more and more companies are developing special editions for the Chinese market. And if Lamborghini has the Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce China Limited Edition, then it seems Spyker is welcome to bring the C8 Laviolette Special Edition for China to the Shanghai Auto Show. The company is already accepting orders and have announced a price of 4.8 million yuan, or about $735,000 at the current exchange rates.
The Spyker C8 Laviolette Special Edition for China will feature an orange body combined with a red, white, and blue flag decoration. The vehicle’s body and external parts, such as mirrors, beautiful inlets, and wheels, are all constructed from the best aluminum material.
Now that those minor aesthetic features have been taken care, we move on to the most impressive feature of this special edition: the 4.2-liter V8 engine. This engine has been tuned to deliver a total of 500 HP, up from the usual 400 HP. It is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Rolls Royce has made history with the unveiling of the new Ghost Extended Wheelbase at the Shanghai Auto Show. This is the first time the company has chosen China as a world debut venue, setting aside any doubts that the country is moving on up in the automotive segment. Upon unveiling the new car, CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said, "This latest Rolls-Royce is a model of outstanding design and unrivaled luxury. Ghost Extended Wheelbase delivers all the poise and dynamism enjoyed by discerning Ghost owners, with the indulgent experience of an extended wheelbase car. It is the very best of both worlds."
Compared to a standard Ghost model, the new Extended Wheelbase version features a 170 mm increase in its wheelbase. This extension is also evident in the back seat where the wheelbase enlargement has led to an increase in the rear cabin space. The new version has also received a panoramic sunroof.
Under the hood, Rolls Royce has kept the usual 6.6 liter twin turbo charged V12 engine that delivers a total of 563hp and 575 lbs-ft of torque at just 1,500rpm. The extra dimension hasn’t diminished the rate the Ghost sprints to 60 mph, so expect the same five seconds time.
The new Rolls Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase will be available in only limited numbers for 2011 until full production begins in 2012.
Volvo has come to the Shanghai Auto Show with an elegantly wacky concept sedan that makes us cock our head to one side and say, "Hmmm." At first glance, their new concept looks to be sleek, elegant, and modern, all of the ingredients for a phenomenal new sedan. Once you take closer look, one element of the new design stands out like a sore thumb: that crazy front grill.
The Volvo Universe Concept previews a large, luxurious sedan with "a new human-centric design language that honors the beautiful lines of classic Volvo models." We don’t know exactly where this hypnotic type grill fits in, but the idea behind the design of the Universe is to combine contemporary design elements like the coupe-like roofline and the solid rear with design cues from classic models of the past. Again, where that insane grill comes in is simply beyond our imagination.
On the interior, the new Universe concept was designed to combine a driver-oriented dashboard with comfort and luxury for the rear passengers. This was accomplished by intuitive controls and a touch-screen that actually comes forward to greet the hand of the driver as he approaches it. The rear of the Universe Concept gets ultra-comfortable seats, classic forms, materials, and textures.
"Just like fine luxury goods, this design feels handcrafted and durable enough to stand the test of time," says Peter Horbury, Vice President Design at Volvo Car Corporation. "We will compete with the best with our special kind of Scandinavian Design. It is unmatched in performance and technology, but without superficiality or complication."
Subaru has unveiled the new XV Concept at the Shanghai Motor Show. The concept comes with a totally new design and is equipped with Subaru’s renowned Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel Drive) system. Power will come from the latest generation Boxer engines. The XV previews the company’s next generation of crossover and combines the SUV practicality with a fashionable form.
The XV’s new design language will be defined by the word "Protren" - a word that combines "Professional tool" and "Trendy design" that can be easily translated into the fact that XV will integrate both "authentic functionality as a professional tool" and "urban and stylish design".
The Subaru XV Concept is a design concept car that defines a new generation of crossover vehicle, blending exceptional SUV practicality with a fashionable form. It was specifically designed for customers who are looking for a vehicle offering looks, benefits, and a packaging that stretches beyond those from the populated crowd of existing crossover models. At its heart is the core theme of "Enjoyment and Peace of mind", and a promise to deliver, in line with Subaru’s new brand statement, "Confidence in Motion".
UPDATE 04/19/2011: This review has been updated with the official images and specs on the concept. Hit the jump to read more about it.
General Motors has unveiled the Envision at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. While the concept itself won’t be put into production, the company says it "represents a convergence of future ideas and technology for Buick in the market."
The Envision Concept was developed by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), and according to GM, integrates global design with local aesthetics for the China market, adhering to Buick’s "dynamic, fluid, quiet and comfortable" design essence.
The Envision has inherited Buick design DNA and taken the Buick global design language to a new height. It makes a significant statement for Buick styling and technology, and will influence upcoming models from the brand," said Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design.
And, in trend with all the latest concept cars, the Envision incorporates GM’s world-leading PHEV plug-in hybrid system.
Updated 04/18/2011: This review has been updated with the official images and details on the new Buick Envision Concept. Hit the jump to read the full details.
You’ll never confuse Geely for being an automaker that evokes first-name basis, but the fact remains that these guys wouldn’t be here if they didn’t know what they were doing. And if we do say so ourselves, these guys from China aren’t ones to take a backseat when it comes to their hometown auto show in Shanghai.
The Chinese automaker has released the first pictures of their new coupe sports car, the Gleagle GS-CC. Aesthetically speaking, we’re very impressed with the design of the car, especially the interior, which comes with what looks to be a sporty and aggressive design to go along with high-quality materials. Even the exterior looks good with the only exception being that drainage-looking grille that seems completely out of place not just in the Gleagle GS-CC, but in the entire auto industry for that matter.
Unfortunately, the good vibes of the car’s overall design don’t take away from the underwhelming powertrain under the car’s hood. We don’t know about the rest of you, but a car that’s as sporty looking as the GS-CC should have a more powerful engine than the 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder it has under its hood. That engine only translates to about 127 horsepower, which is a disappointing number considering that it’s a car that looks more powerful than it actually is.
Citroen has set its path in motion for the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show with a teaser image of the third model in the DS line-up, next to the DS3 and DS4. The Citroen DS5 will make its debut at the Shanghai International Motor Show on April 20, 2011, but first, the company will be presenting their new model on Citroën’s Facebook page on April 18, 2011 at 10:30am Paris time (so about 4:30pm Eastern time).
The DS5 is described as "the manifestation of its finest expertise. A daring and sculptural creation, the DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, namely bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement, while implementing the best in Citroën technology."
Next to an impressive exterior design, the DS5 is also the first Citroen model to feature HYbrid4 diesel hybrid technology, providing enhanced performance and class leading environmental credentials.
Updated 04/18/2011: This review has been updated with the official images and details. Hit the jump to read more about the new Citroen DS5.
UPDATE 10/05/11: Citroen has officially unveiled the first official promo video for the DS5. In addition to the a brief walk-around the car and some driving footage, there’s also a brief introduction on the technology and heritage of the car. Check it out by clicking on the photo above.
It seems that Peugeot has caught itself a little SUV concept bug over the past few months. If you recall, the French automaker unveiled the HR1 last September at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Now it looks like they’ve got another concept SUV in the works, one that’s scheduled to debut at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month.
Called the SXC Concept, the hybrid crossover concept is being touted as a China-exclusive model, which is probably the reason why it’s debuting at the Shanghai Motor Show.
Details are still minimal at this point, but it looks like the SXC Concept was created using the same styling cues and language found in a number of Peugeot’s other concepts, specifically the HR1. From what we’ve gathered, it looks like the SXC will measure 4.870 x 2.035 x 1.610 meters, big dimensions for a crossover. On top of that, there have been spy photos of the car that features a ’floating’ grille, sharp headlights similar to the HR1, boomerang-style taillights, and rounded off by a set of 22" wide alloy wheels
As for the powertrain, the car is being touted as having a 1.6-liter THP engine that produces 218 horsepower with an electric motor that adds another 95 horsepower for a total of 313 horsepower.
All these details are still subject to speculation until the car is officially unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for that to happen.
With just a few days before its official debut at the Shanghai Auto Show, Audi’s has unveiled the official details on their smallest SUV in the line-up, the Q3. At least the smallest at the moment, as it will be followed by the Q1 in the future years.
The Audi Q3 weights 3,307 lbs and measures 4.39 meters in 14.4 ft, 6.0 ft in width, and 5.25 ft in height, while the luggage compartment offers 16.24 to 48.2 cu ft of capacity. The Q3 will be available with all the latest technologies, including the MMI navigation plus – a hard drive navigation system – and the Bose surround sound system, with handsomely illuminated woofers up front.
Customers will have the chance to choose from three engines: one TDI and two TFSI units, with power ranging from 140 HP to 211 HP. A new diesel engine will be offered at a later date and will deliver an impressive fuel economy of 45.23 US mpg.
In Germany sales will begin in June at a price of 29,900 euro, or about $43,000 at the current exchange rates.
Updated 04/13/2011: This review has been updated with the official details and images on the car. Hit the jump to read more about the Q3.
We don’t know if this came as a result of those leaked photos that surfaced a couple of days ago, but we’re certainly not complaining. The BMW M5 Concept will be making its official debut at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month, but BMW is pre-empting the car’s launch by releasing the first set of details of the new M5 Concept, together with a slew of photos and the official preview video.
Despite technically being labeled as a concept car, the 2012 M5 Concept is expected to become the precursor to the production version that will be introduced later in the year, possibly at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
BMW was kind enough to give us a pretty good idea of what to expect with the car’s exterior design language. It would’ve been more awesome if they shared the interior of the car as well as the official performance specs, but then again, what kind of suspense will be left if they tossed all their eggs in the same basket?
At the very least, we’ll have something to look forward to from BMW when the Shanghai Motor Show arrives.
UPDATE 04/12/2011: BMW has unveiled a new video of the M5 Concept that shows one of the six lucky fans selected to see the BMW Concept M5 at the BMW M headquarter discussing the vehicle. The lucky winners also got a chance to take a look in the BMW M garage, together with BMW M president, Dr. Kay Segler.
