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Honda Accord Coupe (2007): first official pictures
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 08 January 2007 04:07 Honda Accord Coupe: the lowdown Officially, this facelifted, two-door Accord is a concept. Unofficially, the next-generation coupe will go on sale in autumn 2007, as a 2008 model. It's a lot funkier than the bland Accord sedan, which will get this facelift at the same time, so it's not shown up by its cooler sibling.
Audi Q7 V12 TDi concept
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Ben Oliver Motor Shows 08 January 2007 04:15 A V12 diesel? You read that right; Audi has unveiled the first road car to be fitted with its Le Mans-winning V12 diesel engine. The Q7 V12 TDI is still officially a concept; Audi revealed the road-going version of its race engine at last year’s Paris motor show and hasn’t confirmed when it will go into production, but it will almost certainly be offered in both the Q7 and the A8.
Chrysler Nassau Concept (2007): first official pictures
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 08 January 2007 06:24 Chrysler Nassau Concept: the lowdown You're looking at Chrysler's new sampler for a shooting brake: the Nassau concept newly unveiled in Detroit. Design boss Trevor Creed heralded it as 'a new, more emotional Chrysler.' Although the same size as the mean-'n'-moody 300C saloon, the Nassau is designed to look smaller, with more delicate surface treatments, a subtler new eggcrate grille and a slimmer, more European hatchback rear end. The Nassau portrays more compact dimensions, despite rolling on huge 10-spoke, 22in alloy wheels.
Chrysler Nassau concept
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 08 January 2007 06:24 Chrysler Nassau Concept: the lowdown You're looking at Chrysler's new sampler for a shooting brake: the Nassau concept newly unveiled in Detroit. Design boss Trevor Creed heralded it as 'a new, more emotional Chrysler.' Although the same size as the mean-'n'-moody 300C saloon, the Nassau is designed to look smaller, with more delicate surface treatments, a subtler new eggcrate grille and a slimmer, more European hatchback rear end. The Nassau portrays more compact dimensions, despite rolling on huge 10-spoke, 22in alloy wheels.
Mitsubishi Prototype X concept (2007): first official pictures
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 08 January 2007 08:08 Oh no. Not another Evo X concept? Afraid so.
Lexus IS-F (2007): first official pictures
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Ben Oliver First Official Pictures 08 January 2007 09:22 So Lexus reckons it can do quick as well as quiet? The IS-F is the first in a series of F-badged performance cars with which Lexus hopes to take on Merc's AMG and BMW's M division. It was one of the few cars at Detroit that hadn't been seen before its unveil slot.
Nissan Bevel concept
Mon, 08 Jan 2007By Phil McNamara Motor Shows 08 January 2007 11:59 Nissan Bevel: the lowdown This is the Bevel, a concept car that makes a Swiss Army knife look one-dimensional. This versatile vehicle is more suitable for tradesmen than a van, has the interior flexibility of an MPV and looks that blend SUV- and people carrier-cues. Nissan's designers claim to have spotted a contemporary demographic – a group of 45-60-year-old males, who allegedly go bob-a-jobbing around the neighbourhoods helping others – and created a futuristic-looking van for these 'everyday heroes'.
Ford Sync
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 07 January 2007 02:59 So what's all this about then? Will my Ford run Windows now? Not quite.
Chevrolet Volt (2007): first official pictures
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Ben Oliver First Official Pictures 07 January 2007 03:24 Don't tell me – it's another me-too green car concept that's too expensive and complex to ever be made… Not quite. For a start it's an entirely new concept, and important enough to be General Motor's biggest news from the Detroit show. An electric motor drives the front wheels.
Chevrolet Volt concept
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Ben Oliver Motor Shows 07 January 2007 03:24 Don't tell me – it's another me-too green car concept that's too expensive and complex to ever be made… Not quite. For a start it's an entirely new concept, and important enough to be General Motor's biggest news from the Detroit show. An electric motor drives the front wheels.
Chrysler Grand Voyager
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 07 January 2007 04:15 What's this, the Chrysler Town & Country? I thought you said it was the new Voyager? It is.
Chrysler Voyager (2007): first official pictures
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 07 January 2007 04:15 What's this, the Chrysler Town & Country? I thought you said it was the new Voyager? It is.
Ford Airstream concept
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Phil McNamara Motor Shows 07 January 2007 05:36 Ford Airstream: the lowdown Ford today unveiled the Airstream, a thoroughly American alternative to the S-Max crossover MPV sold in Europe. A collaboration with iconic trailer maker Airstream, the Airstream is a concept car that runs on hydrogen fuel cell power, cossets passengers in a flexible and luxurious cabin and looks exceptionally cool. 'Crossovers are the fastest growing segment of the market,' said Ford design supremo J Mays, unveiling the car in Detroit (above).
Ford Airstream concept (2007): first official pictures
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 07 January 2007 05:36 Ford Airstream: the lowdown Ford today unveiled the Airstream, a thoroughly American alternative to the S-Max crossover MPV sold in Europe. A collaboration with iconic trailer maker Airstream, the Airstream is a concept car that runs on hydrogen fuel cell power, cossets passengers in a flexible and luxurious cabin and looks exceptionally cool. 'Crossovers are the fastest growing segment of the market,' said Ford design supremo J Mays, unveiling the car in Detroit (above).
Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept (2007): first pictures of the new NSX
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 07 January 2007 07:25 Acura ASC: the lowdown Honda has given a huge hint about its NSX supercar replacement with this Advanced Sports Car Concept. Honda president Takeo Fukui unveiled the supercar in Detroit, and revealed key details of the production car. It will run a V10 engine, mounted in the nose, and turning all four wheels.
Toyota Tundra
Sun, 07 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 07 January 2007 08:15 Toyota Tundra: the lowdown Big, isn't it? The press conference at Detroit to unveil the new Tundra pick-up was littered with phrases beginning with 'biggest', 'most' and 'heaviest'. Welcome to the US truck market, where the ability to lug, tow and carry are more important than creature comforts or looks.
Starting Out: Portfolio Development
Fri, 05 Jan 2007Setting out your portfolio can seem like an endless task; as soon as you finish one, it's time to start over with the latest stuff, a cycle that often continues beyond design school. To give you a few pointers on how to go about it, Car Design News spoke with agents from recruiting agencies and designers in America and Europe for advice. First and foremost: the content. For young designers, high sketching skill is paramount -and lots of it.
Subaru's new supermini
Fri, 05 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 05 January 2007 02:52 Subaru is preparing a rebadged Daihatsu Sirion to slot beneath the Impreza in its range - and the new 'mini could be on sale as early as the end of this year. Toyota, Daihatsu's parent company, bought a 9% shareholding in Subaru's parent company in 2005. So the Daihatsu Sirion 1.0 is an obvious donor car; its £7500 starting price and 57mpg stretch the Subaru range down to a whole new budget marketplace.
Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept: first official pictures
Fri, 05 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 05 January 2007 12:10 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible: the lowdown GM will slide the covers off this Chevy Camaro Convertible at the Detroit Motor Show at the weekend - and this is one concept that'll definitely go into production. Last year's Camaro coupe has already been given the nod for sales in two years' time, and this soft-top will join the stable later in 2009. The size is identical to the coupe, but the - bright chromed - windscreen mounting is slightly different to accommodate the hood.
KTM Crossbow (2007): first official pictures
Thu, 04 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 January 2007 10:10 KTM Crossbow: the lowdown The world's biggest off-road motorbike manufacturer, KTM, is branching out into extreme sports cars. These first sketches of the Crossbow reveal Austria's answer to the Ariel Atom: a flyweight two-seater powered by a 220bhp Audi engine. 'It's a kind of Lotus Super Seven for the 21st century,' KTM's engineering boss told CAR Online.
Ford Transit XXL (2007): first official pictures
Thu, 04 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 January 2007 10:59 Ford Transit XXL: the lowdown White van man has a new toy, and it's a big one: Ford's Transit XXL. Stretching the tape measure to 7.4m long, it's as long as two regular Transit Tourneo models and has limo-style legroom for seven builders. There are a few more creature comforts than in most Transits, too: captain's armchairs with individual DVD screens and games consoles, and leather trim throughout.
Vauxhall Corsa VXR (2007): first official pictures
Wed, 03 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 03 January 2007 00:01 Vauxhall Corsa VXR: the lowdown Vauxhall will unleash its hottest-ever supermini in March: the 190bhp Corsa VXR. In keeping with the UK-only VXR branding, the hot hatch will be spruced up with a butch bodykit, a series of chassis tweaks and a turbocharged version of Vauxhall's 1.6-litre engine. Vauxhall's previous sporting superminis have left us lukewarm, but this latest one promises some fireworks in the engine department: the company quotes 0-62mph in just 6.8sec, and it tops out at 140mph.
Jaguar C-XF concept car (2007) first pictures
Wed, 03 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 03 January 2007 10:15 Is the Jaguar C-XF really the new S-type? Pretty much. Think of it as the 2008 S-type plus 30% show sparkle and you're pretty much there.
TVR goes off the rails
Tue, 02 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 02 January 2007 03:25 British sportscar manufacturer TVR is fighting for survival after crashing into administration over Christmas. Blackpool Automotive Ltd, TVR's manufacturing arm, has stopped building cars at the Blackpool HQ, its home since 1947. Around 250 members of staff stayed at home this week, waiting to discover their fate.
Lincoln MKR concept
Tue, 02 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 02 January 2007 11:49 Lincoln MKR Concept: the lowdown Lincoln will slide the wraps off its answer to the Mercedes CLS at the Detroit Motor Show next week: this luxurious and wedgy MKR concept. It’s the work of ex-Volvo British designer Peter Horbury, who now heads Ford’s Amercian design division, and hints at how Lincolns will look in the years ahead: the Viking-hat grille is straddled by pencil-thin LED headlights, while the flanks of the car are notably uncluttered. Don’t expect to see the 21-inch wheels and ‘Lincoln star’ patterns in the tyre treads on production cars any time soon, though.
Ford Interceptor (2007): first official pictures
Tue, 02 Jan 2007By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 02 January 2007 12:51 Ford Interceptor Concept: the lowdown What do you get if you take the iconic Ford Mustang and mix in a four-door saloon with a large dollop of attitude? Ford has tried just that and come up with the Interceptor concept, due to bow in at the Detroit Motor Show next week. Conceived along the lines of the Chrysler 300C, this is a four-door you'd be happy to drive, unlike many of Ford's recent saloons.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe
Mon, 01 Jan 2007Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will unveil its new Phantom Drophead Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show on Sunday 7 January. A number of features first seen on 100EX, the experimental concept shown by Rolls-Royce in 2004, have been engineered into the new Phantom Drophead Coupe. Two of the most visually striking of these are the brushed steel bonnet and A-pillar and the teak decking for the rear hood cover.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe (2006): first official pictures
Sat, 30 Dec 2006By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 30 December 2006 12:40 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe: the lowdown Rolls-Royce today reveals the first pictures of its new, £300,000 convertible, the Phantom Drophead Coupé. It's a very grand name for a very grand motor car. The Phantom Drophead Coupe will be unveiled at the Detroit auto show on 7 January, but over the next five pages we will give you the lowdown on Rolls' first drop-top since the Corniche, which met its maker in 2002.
Mazda Ryuga concept
Fri, 22 Dec 2006Mazda North America has released a sketch of its Mazda Ryuga concept to be shown at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The Mazda Ryuga builds on Mazda's design language 'flow,' most recently seen in the Nagare concept shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Ryuga is Japanese for "gracious flow," and makes use of 'rich fabrics, engineered fits and hidden details,' according to Mazda.
Mercedes Ocean Drive concept (2006): first official pictures
Thu, 21 Dec 2006By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 21 December 2006 09:16 Oh my God. What have they done to the S-Class? It's a good question.