The BMW 5 Series hasn't had a full redesign since 2004, and Inside Line learned today that a fully revamped 5 Series sedan and wagon will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. Most likely, then, we're talking about the 2011 BMW 5 Series. That's a current 5 Series sedan pictured here just for reference.
Look for an overhauled 6 Series coupe and convertible one year after that.
Photo: Fox Syndication
No, this is not an actual picture. But yes, you better believe that a open-top version of the 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia coupe is coming soon.
With the official debut of the coupe slated for next month's 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, figure the Italia Spyder will follow roughly 3-6 months later. The 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March is a good bet.
Like the coupe, the spider will use a 4.5-liter V8 that produces 570-horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. A 7-speed dual clutch transmission will handle the shifts. Not sure if it will retain the coupe's 202 mph top speed though.
IL News: Early Look Ferrari 458 Italia Spider
Photo: Fox Syndication
Photos by Scott Jacobs
The paint on the Infiniti Essence concept car looks pretty close to molten metal, like a Super Silver Nissan GT-R with 100 more coats of paint. It makes the car vulnerable to almost everything, and anyone who touches the car has to wear special white gloves. The paint, and various other non-production-spec adhesives, also makes the Essence very heat-sensitive, so it will ride to Pebble Beach in a climate-controlled truck.
First, though, it has to come off its pallet. The logistics staff deploys the pallet's built-in ramps (one for each wheel), which enable the Essence's caretaker, Nissan's Andy Parkin, to ease it down the ramp. Controls within the car allow Parkin to raise the front suspension 1.6 inches and the rear 1 inch to the improve the Infiniti's none-too-favorable breakover angle.
Parkin removes his shoes before getting behind the wheel of the Essence, but the one-off concept car starts right up.
More photos after the jump.
Continue reading Infiniti Essence Arrives in Los Angeles, Part 2: Don't Touch the Car.
Photos by Scott Jacobs
Remember the Infiniti Essence? It was the stunning, 592-horsepower concept car from this year's Geneva auto show that had everybody asking, "Is this Infiniti's GT-R?"
We still don't know the answer, but we do know that late last week, the Infiniti Essence arrived in the United States for the very first time -- it's headed to Pebble Beach for the Concours d'Elegance. Inside Line was in Torrance, California, for the official "uncrating." And we have video and photos.
Infiniti had a special crate built just for the Essence, because, well, it had to. At over 77 inches wide (about 3 inches wider than a GT-R), this car won't fit in a standard shipping container. So the Essence travels in its own enormous steel case, and because it's a multi-million-dollar one-off concept, that case is loaded onto a cargo plane rather than an ocean freighter.
It sounds like a lavish existence, but when the Essence shows up in Torrance, all we see is a big gray box strapped down to a flat bed attached to an old International cab. It looks vulnerable. And getting the crate off the truck won't be easy.
Follow the jump for video and more photos.
Continue reading Infiniti Essence Arrives in Los Angeles, Part 1: It Has Its Own Crate.
BMW officials told Inside Line that the future of the 5 Series wagon may be in jeopardy in the U.S. It's never been a strong seller, with fewer than 400 sold this year so far, and with the introduction of the upcoming 5 Series GT imminent, BMW may cut out the wagon entirely to clear some space in the lineup.
No official decision has been made, but we would be surprised if the wagon makes it another year. Seems a shame too, as it looks much better than that GT thing.
Among all the chatter about the upcoming Koenigsegg/Saab tie up was a report in a Swedish newspaper confirming the eventual production of the Quant electric concept first shown at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show.
Like most concepts at the Geneva show, the Quant concept was light on hard numbers but big on promises. Koenigsegg said the Quant had over 500-hp, a range of 310 miles and a recharge time of just 20 minutes. Sounds great, but we're guessing the production model will be somewhat less powerful, have less range and require more than a short nap to fully recharge.
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Just last week I said that our long-term Audi S5 was a little short on power. Here's one possible solution.
The 2009 Audi AS5-R by Abt Sportsline bolts up a twin-screw supercharger that helps to deliver a much healthier 503-horsepower. There's also 457 pound-feet of torque available, so the stock S5's softness off the line should is cured. At least that's what contributor Matt Davis says after a drive in the German countryside. We hope Audi has something similar in mind for the RS5.
First Drive: 2009 Audi AS5-R by Sportsline
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans will cost substantially less than their 2009 counterparts according to a report in Automotive News. In order to bring the new sedans closer to its traditional transaction prices, Mercedes-Benz reduced the base price of the E350 sedan by $4,600 to $49,475. The base E550 sedan gets a $5,400 price cut to $57,175.
The new 2010 E-Class Coupes, which replace the current CLK Coupes, get only minor reductions in price. The base E350 coupe will start at $48,925 while the E550 coupe will start at $55,525.
A diesel-powered E350 sedan is slated to arrive next March followed by a wagon in June and a convertible around the same time.
After far too many "teasers" of its upcoming supercar, Aston Martin will finally unveil a complete One-77 Concept at the Concorso d'Eleganza on the shores of Lake Como, Italy.
The all-aluminum sports car most recently appeared at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, but only its stripped-down chassis and an exterior styling buck were on display. Aston Martin promises a complete interior and running drivetrain this time around.
Power will come from a 7.3-liter V12 with at least 700 horsepower, says Aston Martin. A paddle-shifted sequential transmission will handle the shifting. Aston expects a 0-60-mph time of around 3.5 seconds and a top speed over 200 mph.
An alert Autoblog reader snagged photos of what looks to be Hyundai's crossover concept due at next week's New York Auto Show. Strangely enough, it appears as though the two-door crossover is parked on a city street, mostly like in the midst of a photo shoot.
The two-door vehicle looks a bit like the old Izusu Vehicross, although there are also some similarities to the HED-6 (above) shown at the Geneva Auto Show. The gullwing doors are clearly for show, but we hear Hyundai does plan to produce a production version of the New York concept vehicle sometime next year.
Teased at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show in the Essence concept, Infiniti's hybrid drivetrain will make its production debut in the M sedan next year. The system will combine a V6 and an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Inside Line News: Infiniti M Hybrid Coming Next Year
After showing the 200EX concept in Geneva, Rolls-Royce is now trickling out details on the production version of its upcoming sedan.
Power will come from an all-new turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 with over 500-horsepower. The engine is unique to Rolls-Royce and will use an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF.
According to Rolls-Royce CEO Tom Purves, "RR4 will deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience to owners, so expect peerless comfort and build quality. However, we have consciously engineered this car to be more involving and dynamic for those owners around the world that will wish to drive it themselves."
Last month, it looked like Audi was still considering sales of the compact A1 hatchback in the U.S. Spokesmen for the German manufacturer would neither confirm nor deny a decision at the time.
Now a report from the 2009 Geneva Auto Show sounds a little more definite. Speaking with Automotive News, Global Sales and Marketing Chief Peter Schwarzenbauer said that Audi is working on brand awareness right now, so small cars are not a priority.
He went on to say that American consumers aren't ready for small cars with big price tags. As for Mini and Smart, Schwarzenbauer said their volumes are still relatively small. "I'm not so sure yet we really see a trend to small cars in the United States," he said.
We've heard rumors of this before and now it sounds official, at least according to Automotive News. The industry trade paper reported today that Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen Group of America's CEO, said to expect two Polo models in 2011, a sedan and a four-door hatchback.
Although Volkswagen showed an all-new Polo at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, it's not the same model we'll get here. Jacoby said the U.S. version will be taller and ride on a longer wheelbase, increased which would make Polo about the same size as a Honda Fit. The goal is to price the Polo between $13,000 and $15,000 according to Jacoby.
Geneva Auto Show: Volkswagen Polo
Yep, even with all-wheel drive, the high-powered Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 can get sideways.
Of course, having pro drifter Samuel Hubinette at the wheel certainly helps.
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