Renault Koleos

By Ben Barry Motor Shows 28 September 2006 01:37 The lowdown Renault boss Carlos Ghosn today unveiled the latest fruits of the Renault/Nissan alliance at the Paris Motor Show: the Renault Koleos concept, the French firm’s first steps into soft-roader territory. Despite being a concept, the Koleos closely mirrors the production car. The Koleos is an incredibly important vehicle for Renault, taking it into the crossover 4x4 market, and being a key player in La Regie’s bid to release 26 cars by 2009 – ‘to rejuvenate, extend and revitalize our product range,’ according to Ghosn.

Cadillac Ciel concept

The Cadillac Ciel concept, a four-seat convertible, has just been revealed at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. "The Ciel is about the romance of the drive," says Clay Dean, global design director of Cadillac. "It emulates the great touring cars seen on the greens at Pebble Beach, but with a modern flair that projects Cadillac's vision for the future." Interior design manager Gael Buzyn says, "Simplicity and lightness ensure nothing distracts from the open driving experience, while the color and materials lend the feeling that the vehicle's environment blends with the surroundings." The four-door Cadillac Ciel concept was developed with a long, low proportion, reminiscent of classic automobiles, while the interior features Italian olive wood, machined aluminum and hand-tipped leather.

Audi outlines seven tech innovations

Audi has revealed details of seven new innovations being explored by its designers and engineers including electromobility, ultra-lightweight construction, networked mobility and lighting technology. Lighting design The team in charge of lighting design – an area in which the company is the current leader in terms of LED daytime running lights and headlights – and next up they plan on introducing OLED technology (Organic Light Emitting Diode) to its vehicle range. Only a few nanometers thick, this paste-like material spans the space between the anode and cathode, both of which are enveloped in an electrically conductive coating.