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Concepts

Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid concept

At the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Hyundai displayed a hybrid version of its Santa Fe small SUV. This hybrid powertrain uses a 2.4-liter gas engine complemented by a 40 horsepower electric motor that generates 151 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission delivers this combined power to the wheels. But the real innovation in Hyundai's hybrid system is the use of a 270 volt lithium polymer battery pack. Hyundai says that lithium polymer has greater energy density than lithium ion, can take more recharging cycles, and is cheaper to manufacture. In the Santa Fe Hybrid, this system returns … Read more

Photos: Small, premium concepts from the Paris Motor Show

Although we've seen a trend toward small cars at the Paris Motor Show from traditional economy car companies, entrants from BMW and Audi signify that the trend is important enough to interest these premium car companies. BMW showed off the X1 small SUV concept, while Audi came to the show with its A1 city car concept. Mini also enters a new small car at the show, but its concept is actually bigger that its current model line-up, showing Mini has nowhere to go but up.

Click here for photos of concepts by Audi, BMW, and Mini at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. … Read more

Photos: Saab 9-X Air concept

What happens when you let Scandinavians design a convertible? Well, for one, you end up with the very successful Saab 900 convertible, which launched in 1985. Saab has taken another shot at it with the 9-X Air, a concept vehicle unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show that uses a unique convertible soft top, plus quite a few other good concept car touches.

Click here for photos of the Saab 9-X Air concept at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

See all coverage of the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

Toyota finally plugs in the Prius

After much badgering by DIYers and energy activists, Toyota relented and built a plug-in version of its Prius hybrid, showing it off at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Noting that the Prius' hybrid system let it run on electricity only during low speed driving, a few DIYers hacked their Priuses to run longer and at higher speeds on electricity, keeping the batteries charged by plugging them in overnight and achieving over 100 mpg in some cases. For a long time, Toyota refused to acknowledge the benefits of plugging in, but now has seen the light, sort of.

The plug-in Prius … Read more

Suzuki shows off two fuel-cell vehicles

Suzuki showed off a couple of hydrogen-powered vehicles at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. One was based on the relatively new SX-4 model, and the other, in good Suzuki style, was a motorcycle concept called the Crosscage. Both vehicles use electric motors to drive their wheels, and fuel cells combining hydrogen and oxygen to generate the electricity to run those motors. Suzuki has previously built three fuel cell vehicles based on different models.

The base SX-4 is a small, all-wheel-drive car with an economical engine. As the current Suzuki FCV, it gets a 68 kilowatt motor which most likely only … Read more

New Honda Insight no Prius-killer

Although it may be a five-door hatchback, like Toyota's Prius, the Honda Insight concept, unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, probably won't significantly displace the Prius. This concept, set to unveil as a production vehicle at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and go on sale in the first half of 2009, uses Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system and, as such, is considered a mild hybrid, because it doesn't drive the car under electric power only. IMA integrates a small electric motor with the transmission, which provides extra boost when the car is accelerating, … Read more

Lamborghini builds a family wagon

Lamborghini owners must be aging, because the company just unveiled a concept four door at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. However, the Lamborghini Estate Estoque doesn't come with wood panels, instead showing design cues reminiscent of the Reventon, the limited production model unveiled at last year's Frankfurt auto show. This design language--using sharpened lines, black mesh air intakes, and LED exterior lights--looks to be the new direction for Lamborghini as it considers adding a third model to the existing Gallardo and Murcielago line-up.

Although, according to Lamborghini's news release, the Estoque could be used to take the … Read more

Mitsubishi Evo XXVIII: A car for 2025

We're not sure if "Evo" will be in the model name, but Mitsubishi released photos and specifications for its rally car of the future--2025 to be exact. Today, Mitsubishi is calling this concept the MMR25. It's an electric car, because there's no gas in 2025, and uses four in-wheel motors, plus eight supplemental motors for each wheel.

The details released don't make it clear how the eight extra motors work, but they apparently have something to do with the car being able to drive sideways, as the wheels can turn in any direction. According … Read more

Maserati's racing concept

Where other car companies build concepts with futuristic shapes that have to be towed onto the show floor, Maserati's new GranTurismo MC concept is built for speed. Maserati racing engineers have taken the GranTurismo S model and added various aerodynamic and ventilation touches to the bodywork without spoiling the fine Pininfarina styling. Maserati places air intakes on the hood and around the grille, and, at the same time, put vents behind the front wheels and at the rear of the car. The front and rear fenders are resized to accommodate a wider front track and the rear vents. Maserati … Read more