Yamaha Big Bear 250 Gas Tank on 2040-parts.com

Kia GT concept (2011) at Frankfurt motor show

When CAR visited Kia’s Korean test facility in Namyang back in April 2011, there were several clues to suggest the company was looking into some kind of high-performance saloon: we saw an M3 and a Nissan GT-R in the car park, plus a senior engineer told us that he and the team often pondered what it would be like to build a – very specific this – V6 turbo, rear-wheel drive sports coupe. Board members, meanwhile, suggested we wait until the 2011 Frankfurt motor show to see what performance treats they had planned. Well, here’s the first glimpse of what all those clues could mean: the Kia GT.

New Smart ForTwo and ForFour set for 2014 unveil

Mercedes-Benz's struggling Smart city car division is seeking to add a new dimension to the urban driving experience with its third-generation ForTwo, currently undergoing the final phase of a three-year test and development program ahead of a planned unveiling mid next year. Set for North American launch in 2015, the ultra-compact two-seat hatchback represents a fresh chapter in operations for Smart, which has recently gained greater independence from parent company Mercedes-Benz as its boss, Annette Winkler, attempts to stem years of financial losses after almost a decade of rebuilding following its short-lived joint venture with Mitsubishi. The new ForTwo, known internally as project C453, has been developed in a joint engineering program with the upcoming second-generation ForFour and its sister car, the third-generation Renault Twingo.

Nissan BladeGlider EV, IDx Freeflow and IDx Nismo at Tokyo Motor Show 2013

Not content with unveiling the Nismo version of its GT-R supercar at the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan also showed three new concepts covering motorsport style, modern design and their latest dramatic electric vehicle thinking. Time to meet the triangular-shaped, three-seat BladeGlider EV, the denim-seated IDx Freeflow and the stylishly go-faster IDx Nismo. Remember a black Nissan motorsport creation called the DeltaWing that graced the 2012 Le Mans 24?