Concepts

BMW builds luxury hybrid sedan

Following on the recent announcement by Mercedes-Benz of its mild hybrid sedan with lithium ion batteries, BMW announced its own mild hybrid sedan with lithium ion batteries.

Although it may sound like cutthroat competition, it's more conspiracy, as Daimler and BMW co-developed their hybrid components. And where Mercedes-Benz announced a production car, BMW is still at the concept stage with its Concept 7-series ActiveHybrid. But in keeping with its sport aspirations, the BMW shows no compromise in power, using a twin-turbo V-8 assisted by the mild hybrid system. The twin-turbo V-8 delivers 407 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, … Read more

2008 Paris Motor Show preview

The Mondial de l'Automobile (or Paris Motor Show) will be center stage for the unveiling of this year's most anticipated car and technology reveals. From supercars to superefficient cars, there will be something for everyone who loves cars in Paris this October.

Click here to view the 2008 Paris Motor Show preview.

See all coverage of the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

Chevy concept Orlando to debut in Paris

Having had success with the Malibu, Chevy reaches towards the East Coast to try its luck with Orlando. This new concept car, which incorporates design language seen in the Malibu and the production version of the Volt, will be shown at the Paris Motor Show. The Orlando is based on the same platform as the new compact Chevy Cruze, which also debuts in Paris, and shows the flexibility of that platform for small and large cars. Although GM doesn't use the term in its press release, the Orlando concept fits the crossover segment. The closest thing Chevy has previously … Read more

ConceptFascination hints at future of Mercedes E-Class

Fresh on the heels of the reveal of the C250 BlueEfficiency, Mercedes gives us a peek at the future of the E-Class with the ConceptFascination. As the name indicates, we are only looking at a concept. However, with the still handsome, but slightly dated looking, E-Class due for a refresh, we can expect at least the broad strokes of the concept to translate to production.

Under the hood, the ConceptFascination is powered by the same new 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that will be introduced on the C250 BlueEfficiency. Mercedes has already made public its intentions to use this engine … Read more

Mini's latest CUV concept to debut in Paris

The magic number for Mini's concept CUV (crossover utility vehicle) is four. Its new Mini's fourth body variant follows the Cooper, the Convertible, and the Clubman. It has four doors, four-wheel drive, four bucket seats, and is about 4 meters long. Perhaps this recurrence of the number four is a coincidence, or perhaps it's the work of an obsessive-compulsive Mini engineer. Whatever the case, Mini has revealed the first round of photos of its new Mini Crossover Concept, set to debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show in October.

The Crossover Concept packs SUV proportions into a … Read more

Mazda to show Kiyora concept, MX-5 face-lift in Paris

While Mazda waits on the cost of batteries to decrease before entering the hybrid/electric-vehicle market, the company is focusing on increasing the fuel economy of their standard internal combustion powered vehicles. The Kiyora concept, set to be officially revealed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, is a lightweight, urban compact concept car that showcases Mazda's developments in the area of efficiency.… Read more

The Hinterland 1: Electric tank-car of the future

Existing purely as sketches, renderings, and specs at this point, the Hinterland 1 electric car looks like one part tank, one part VW bus with a pinch of bullet train added for flavor. OK, maybe two parts tank, but we really like the Hinterland 1's hyper-futuristic aesthetic. Two models built on the same platform would be produced: the "Mini," a two-seater model, and the "Van," seating six. We think it's safe to assume that the images provided are of the "Van" model.

Despite its heavy looks, the bullet-like EV was designed with … Read more

Lotus leads across the ice

Lotus is known for making small, fast cars with Toyota engines, but the company's engineering department gets into all sorts of projects, with the Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) being one of the more novel.

Lotus designed this propeller-driven vehicle to lead the Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition, a scientific expedition which will chart the effects of global climate change while traveling from the west coast of Antarctica, over the South Pole, then north to McMurdo Station.

The CIV is 14.8-feet long by 14.8-feet wide and can run on bio-fuel. The vehicle was designed with a minimum of … Read more

Sneak peek at Aston Martin's One-77 supercar

Aston Martin has begun teasing its upcoming ultra-exclusive supercar, the One-77. Production is rumored to be limited to 77 units. From what we can see in the intentionally shadowy rendering, the One-77 looks like the offspring of the Aston Martin DBS and the Corvette ZR-1, both classic in proportion and purposefully muscular. Then again, all Astons look great, so that's to be expected.

Aston has been equally stingy with the drivetrain specs, but this early in development that too is to be expected. What Aston has told us is that the One-77 will start with a sophisticated carbon fiber … Read more

Segway, meet the Toyota Winglet

Toyota Motor on Friday showed off a new stand-up scooter that could one day be seen zipping alongside the Segway on the personal-transporter superhighway.

The "Winglet" has a body the size of an A3 sheet of paper that houses an electric motor, two wheels, and internal sensors that constantly monitor the rider's position and make adjustments in power to ensure stability.

A parallel link mechanism lets riders go forward, backward, and turn by shifting body weight, making the Winglet potentially useful for maneuvering in tight spaces or crowded urban environments.

Riders can cruise around at a leisurely … Read more