Looking for a nicer way to transport your lawnmower? Us too. Touring Superleggera, a Milan, Italy-based design house/coach-builder, has just the thing for you: The Bentley Continental Flying Star.
The company will unveil the station wagon-ized Continental GT at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in early March. It anticipates building 20 Flying Star shooting brakes for sale. Predictably, each of these will feature "unique specifications and details to the owner's desire." Our desires call for built-in child-safety seats and a cargo area with tie downs and rubber mats.
All Flying Stars get an alloy power tailgate, hand-crafted steel rear fenders and aluminum door skins. They can be had with either the standard 6.0-liter W12 making 560 horsepower or a GTC Speed version which delivers 610 horsepower. We're going to need the 610. Judging by the teaser image, all Flying Stars will be black and have no wheels.
Touring would like to point out that shooting brake conversions are part of its "genetic heritage" that includes the Lamborghini-based 1966 Flying Star II prototype (pictured here). We think the Bentley Flying Star will look better.
Categories: Bentley,Concept Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Wagons
Volvo is finally giving its S60 sedan a redesign, and the production 2011 S60 debuts in a few weeks at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. The new S60 goes on sale in the U.S. later this fall, and it will start out with a 300-hp version of the T6 powerplant (a 3.0-liter inline-6 with a twin-scroll turbo), plus all-wheel drive. Later on, there will be front-drive and five-cylinder-turbo models as well.
You can read full details and see 4 dozen pics in our auto show write-up. Here we bring you three videos. You can see the 2011 Volvo S60 on the move, then watch it crash into a barrier and then see a demo of Volvo's leading-edge Pedestrian Detection technology that debuts on the car.
2010 Geneva Auto Show: 2011 Volvo S60
Continue reading Videos: 2011 Volvo S60.
Categories: Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Sedans,Volvo
The latest installment in the never-ending story of the sportscar that will never die, the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo S is exactly what you might expect. It's essentially a slightly higher spec version of the standard 911 Turbo for those buyers who think the "standard" Turbo just isn't enough.
This time around, the 911 Turbo S features a 530-horsepower version of Porsche's 3.8-liter flat six. Not impressed? Then consider that it also puts out 516 pound-feet of torque and does so without any decrease in mileage, or so says Porsche.
The Turbo S will come with Porsche's PDK dual clutch transmission only which shouldn't be a problem as Porsche says it's good for a 0-60mph sprint of 3.3 seconds so equipped. It also comes standard with carbon ceramic brake discs, so stopping should be much of a problem either. Top speed is 195mph if you're into that sort of thing.
Available in either coupe of convertible bodystyle, the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo S goes on sale in May. If you have to ask the price, it's not for you.
2010 Geneva Auto Show
Categories: Convertibles,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Luxury Cars,Porsche,Sports Cars
The camouflage is starting to thin out as the 2011 Audi A1 gets closer to its official debut. Like the Mercedes-Benz B-Class we showed you yesterday, the Audi A1 is a small hatchback that has been considered for the U.S. market but will likely remain in Europe.
Like Mercedes-Benz, Audi is wary of getting spread too thin in the American market. If the A1 were to come in at the bottom around say $24-25K, the brand would stretch from there all the way to $155K for the R8 V10. That's quite a spread.
It begs the question: Do you consider Audi and Mercedes-Benz to be pure luxury brands only? Or would you consider an Audi or Mercedes that was priced more like a mainstream brand like Ford or Honda?
Categories: Audi,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Hatchbacks,Luxury Cars,Spy Photos
Subaru announced today that it will show a new production version of the Impreza at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. Called the Subaru Impreza XV, it will be offered with Subaru's boxer diesel four-cylinder (or a gas engine) and go on sale in Europe this summer.
The engine meets the Euro 5 standard, but don't start getting hopeful about a diesel Impreza, or a diesel anything else, coming to the United States. Subaru would need to contract with an AdBlue system supplier and then figure out how to still make money on the car.
Based on the current five-door hatchback, the Subaru Impreza XV is said to offer "crossover styling" with special detailing on the fascia and wheel arches, plus a standard roof rack. So it could be a diesel Outback Sport then. Which means it probably won't be pretty.
Not that we know for sure, though. Subaru has released no photos of the XV hatch, just a couple computer renderings of its Geneva booth layout. As you can see, the Impreza XV will share the stage with the Hybrid Tourer unveiled in Tokyo.
Categories: Diesels,Geneva Motor Show,Hatchbacks,Subaru
Kia continues its dramatic design makeover with the all-new 2011 Sportage SUV. Slated for a world debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show next month, this compact SUV is lower, longer and wider than the current model.
No other details were released, but it's safe to assume it will have four-cylinder power and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Worldwide sales are expected to start late this year.
Continue reading 2011 Kia Sportage Headed for 2010 Geneva Auto Show.
Categories: Crossovers,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Kia,SUVs
Photo Illustration by Nick Wilcox, automotiverenderings.blogspot.com
So now that the 2011 BMW 5 Series is out in the open, it's time to move on to the really good stuff. We're referring to the next BMW M5, of course, you know the one we spotted on the Nurburgring late last year?
Now that we know the final shape of the standard model it's not too hard to fill out the details on the Motorsport-tuned M5. Unlike the M3, the M5 is always a bit more subtle. A deeper front air dam, extended side skirting and four pipes out back are the obvious cues along with lightweight wheels and a quarter-panel badging.
The big inlets up front are needed to feed the twin-turbo power plant that will reside under the hood. We received confirmation on that one from a BMW executive last year, so the only real question at this point is the final output. The 4.4-liter V8 will be the same motor used in the current X5/X6M models, so the M5 is guaranteed at least 555 horsepower. And the chances of BMW leaving it at that are slim, so something more in the range of 570-590 horses is a good bet.
Various rumors have also indicated that BMW is considering some type of electric assist for this M5 e.g. a production KERS system of sorts. That may have changed in the last year or so now that BMW is no longer participating in Formula 1. We asked our sources inside BMW anyway and they didn't have much to say. So either it's not going to happen or it hasn't been fully approved at this point.
One thing that is for certain is the use of BMW's M Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) in place of the current SMG setup. It could gain a gear over the M3's seven-speed setup, but either way it will be a huge upgrade over the single-clutch SMG.
Given that the standard 2011 BMW 5 Series is scheduled for its debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, don't expect to see the 2012 M5 until either late this year or early in 2011.
Categories: BMW,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Luxury Cars,Sedans
As usual the U.S. market is a few steps behind when it comes to Mazda. This refreshed version of the Mazda6 is headed for a debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March. The Japanese get to sample it even earlier as it's just gone on sale in Japan as the Atenza.
Other than a few minor styling updates, the biggest news emerging from this update is the installation of Mazda's new "Sky G" a new four-cylinder engine which delivers both improved mileage and lower emissions. No word yet when the U.S. will get in on the action, but it shouldn't be long.
UPDATE: Mazda officials confirmed that the new DISI 2.0-liter engine is not part of the Sky-G engine family.
Categories: Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Mazda,Sedans,Wagons
A report in the British magazine Autocar notes that Mini is already close to giving the go ahead to a John Cooper Works version of the Cooper Countryman revealed yesterday.
When asked whether such a vehicle was in the works, Mini's general manager in the U.K., Jochen Goller, responded, ""It's definitely under consideration," he said. "JCW has been a big success and we'll look at doing it again here."
Mini official announcement of the Countryman already noted that various JCW parts would be offered as stand alone options.
Autocar
First Look: 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman
Categories: Aston Martin,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,MINI
The next-generation Mazda5 was unveiled on the internet today prior to its auto show debut in Geneva in March. As you can see, the configuration of Mazda's small van hasn't changed much, but it's styling now incorporates some of the "Nagare flow" language from Mazda's various concepts.
It's still a 7-seater and has sliding doors on both sides. The European version will feature a direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 1.8-liter base engine, both available with a six-speed manual. Expect to see the 2.0-liter in U.S. version with both manual and automatic transmissions.
Categories: Geneva Motor Show,Mazda,Minivans
After yesterday's leak, Mini decided to just go ahead and let the rest of the information out on the upcoming Countryman four-door. None of the info will surprise anybody that has been following the Countryman's development.
Yes, it offers optional all-wheel drive called ALL4. There's no two-speed transfer case or anything serious like that, just a electrohydraulic differential that splits power between the front and rear wheels.
The U.S. engine lineup hasn't been announced yet, but judging from the European lineup our Countryman will probably offer the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder options as the current Mini lineup. One notable change is the addition of full variable valve timing which bumps the horsepower numbers up a bit.
The normally aspirated engine is rated at 121-horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque while the turbocharged engine now generates 181-horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Both will come with a six-speed manual transmission standard. A six-speed automatic is optional.
All Countryman's will come standard with bucket seats in back that both recline and slide forward and backward. A bench seat will be optional along with a panorama roof and a full-length center console. A sport suspension, wheels up to 19-inches in diameter and various John Cooper Works pieces will also be on the options list.
Categories: Coupes,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,MINI
Yesterday Mitsubishi announced that it would unveil the ASX crossover at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in early March. It's a compact utility vehicle that's set to go on sale next month in Japan as the RVR.
In years past, a vehicle like the ASX/RVR would have had little chance of making its way to the U.S., but tougher fuel economy rules are forcing automakers to reconsider their lineups. So it came as no surprise when a report out of Japan said Mitsubishi was considering sales of the ASX/RVR in the U.S. Sources in Japan subsequently confirmed the rumors and told us it would not only come to the U.S., but it would be sold under the Outlander Sport name.
We couldn't dig out any additional details, but we're guessing the Outlander Sport will stick with four-cylinder power only. Hopefully, the Sport moniker will guarantee something interesting in the way of turbocharging or suspension tuning. Don't hold your breath though, this is a fuel economy play more than anything else.
Categories: Crossovers,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Mitsubishi
Audi's marketing machine is clearly firing on all cylinders these days. The latest evidence? A reader's choice award from U.K. magazine What Car? for the Audi A1 subcompact hatchback.
You see, the Audi A1 has yet to be shown in production form, so all those kooky Brits voted the Audi A1 the "most exciting car of 2010" before they've even seen the vehicle. According to the editor of What Car?, "Although we haven't seen the finished car yet, a new, small car with an Audi badge on the nose can't fail to succeed."
So there you have it, Audi hatchbacks are now the big banks of the automotive world -- they cannot fail.
Categories: Audi,Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Hatchbacks,Luxury Cars
According to UK magazine AutoExpress, these are official pictures of the Mini Countryman or Crossman, whatever. It's scheduled for an official debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in early March, but these pics reveal pretty much all you need to know.
All the drivetrain hardware will carryover form the current Mini range except for the all-wheel drive system. As you can see, it's not a true off-roader, more like an all-season compact utility vehicle.
AutoExpress
Categories: Future Vehicles,Geneva Motor Show,Hatchbacks,MINI,Spy Photos
The Evora Cup doesn't have much relevance to you unless you're going to move to Europe and race in Lotus' 2010 GT4 manufacturer series. Actually, though, with a prize fund of "at least 100,000 euros," maybe you should look into it if you have some skill.
Full details on the Lotus Evora Cup car won't be released until the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March, but already we know it will have an enlarged 4.0-liter version of the Toyota 2GR-FE V6 with dry-sump oiling.
Lotus estimates the mid-mounted V6 will develop about 400 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and about 295 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 rpm. Redline will be 7,250 rpm. The Cup car is supposed to weigh under 1,200 kg (~ 2,645 pounds). The transmission will be a Cima 6-speed dog box with paddle shifters.
The car will have an aero package with a carbon fiber front splitter, diffuser and rear wing developed by Dallara. Running gear will include adjustable dampers and more serious brakes with two-piece aluminum rotors, and six-piston calipers up front and 2-pots in back.
First Drive: 2010 Lotus Evora
Categories: Geneva Motor Show,Lotus,Motorsports,Sports Cars
Touring would like to point out that shooting brake conversions are part of its "genetic heritage" that includes the Lamborghini-based 1966 Flying Star II prototype (pictured here). We think the Bentley Flying Star will look better.
