Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Saab Phoenix Concept
Saab Phoenix Concept
GENEVA -- Saab's Dutch chairman and CEO, Victor Muller, probably doesn't know and certainly doesn't care that to us, the Phoenix is a Pontiac compact from the '70s and '80s. He's named ex-Ferrari designer Jason Castriota's 9-3-sized concept hatchback coupe "Phoenix," a celebration of Saab's rising from the ashes of the GM sale. Cnmpany President Jan-Ake Jonsson called last week's celebration of the one-year anniversary of Saab's separation from General Motors "Independence Day."
The Phoenix seems too stylized to say much about Saab's design future under Castriota, whom Muller announced as his new chief designer, at last year's show. The Phoenix has much more surface tension than the Saab Aero concepts designed under GM. As good-looking as those Aeros were, they now look like the bubble-wrap the Phoenix came in. The car may be a bit busy, but it is gorgeous, and hints that if nothing else, Castriota plans to use early Saab raindrop shapes as a design theme. It has been designed as a 2+2 coupe. The tail, with its many LED taillamp bulbs, looks like something designed for Spyker. While there's no sign on the Saab stand of Muller's 9-2 design proposal, the Phoenix concept riffs off its raindrop shape. Castriota calls the design theme for a "sporty three-door hatch" the "aero-motional" aesthetic, and the inspiration for the 9-5 and 9-4x. The Phoenix has a 1.6-liter turbo four rated 200 horsepower, Saab's new "V" all-wheel-drive system developed with supplier American Axle, and a Google Android-based Icon infotainment system.
Muller has designated Phoenix as the name for Saab's flexible architecture, which debuts under the new 9-3 he promises for calendar 2012. The car started with GM's Epsilon platform, but Saab has made enough changes to call the platform its own, or Phoenix, and the new 9-3 "will show to you what an independent Saab organization can do."
Muller calls the coming Saabs, including the 9-5 SportKombi unveiled here, as "drivers cars" that will emphasize small-displacement, turbocharged engines. Muller has just sold his interest in, and Saab's connection to, Spyker, the independent sports carmaker that made it possible for Muller and his investors to buy Saab to Russian entrepreneur Viktor Antonov. Muller says he proposed the sale to Saab's board so the small sports carmaker could raise additional cash. If Muller and his board had held on to their interest in Spyker, he said, their shares would have been diluted to the point at which they would have lost control.
So automaker Muller has gone from being an automaker who made something like 300 cars in a full decade to an automaker who can build 80,000 per year. That's how many Saabs were sold worldwide in its first full year of independence. Eighty thousand per year, globally, would be total failure for most mainstream automakers. In its first year of independence, Saab has managed, one way or another, to stay out of the mainstream.
The Phoenix seems too stylized to say much about Saab's design future under Castriota, whom Muller announced as his new chief designer, at last year's show. The Phoenix has much more surface tension than the Saab Aero concepts designed under GM. As good-looking as those Aeros were, they now look like the bubble-wrap the Phoenix came in. The car may be a bit busy, but it is gorgeous, and hints that if nothing else, Castriota plans to use early Saab raindrop shapes as a design theme. It has been designed as a 2+2 coupe. The tail, with its many LED taillamp bulbs, looks like something designed for Spyker. While there's no sign on the Saab stand of Muller's 9-2 design proposal, the Phoenix concept riffs off its raindrop shape. Castriota calls the design theme for a "sporty three-door hatch" the "aero-motional" aesthetic, and the inspiration for the 9-5 and 9-4x. The Phoenix has a 1.6-liter turbo four rated 200 horsepower, Saab's new "V" all-wheel-drive system developed with supplier American Axle, and a Google Android-based Icon infotainment system.
Muller has designated Phoenix as the name for Saab's flexible architecture, which debuts under the new 9-3 he promises for calendar 2012. The car started with GM's Epsilon platform, but Saab has made enough changes to call the platform its own, or Phoenix, and the new 9-3 "will show to you what an independent Saab organization can do."
Muller calls the coming Saabs, including the 9-5 SportKombi unveiled here, as "drivers cars" that will emphasize small-displacement, turbocharged engines. Muller has just sold his interest in, and Saab's connection to, Spyker, the independent sports carmaker that made it possible for Muller and his investors to buy Saab to Russian entrepreneur Viktor Antonov. Muller says he proposed the sale to Saab's board so the small sports carmaker could raise additional cash. If Muller and his board had held on to their interest in Spyker, he said, their shares would have been diluted to the point at which they would have lost control.
So automaker Muller has gone from being an automaker who made something like 300 cars in a full decade to an automaker who can build 80,000 per year. That's how many Saabs were sold worldwide in its first full year of independence. Eighty thousand per year, globally, would be total failure for most mainstream automakers. In its first year of independence, Saab has managed, one way or another, to stay out of the mainstream.
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| Saab Phoenix Concept |
Saab 9-5 SportCombi
Saab 9-5 SportCombi
Saab 9-5 SportCombi
Saab 9-5 SportCombi
We're rather impressed with Saab's new 9-5 sedan, having sampled a number of them in various trim levels and expect similar of the SportCombi. It features the same chassis setup with Saab's DriveSense adaptive chassis control that allows the driver to switch between three chassis settings -- comfort, intelligent, and sport. Intelligent mode is actually intelligent as it learns your driving style and adapts to it. Saab's torque-vectoring, XWD all-wheel-drive system is also available along with adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, push-button starting, tri-zone climate control, and a heads-up display.
The interior carries over from the 9-5 sedan as well, which means it'll feature the same soft-touch materials and well-appointed seats as the sedan. Overall, we found the interior a very nice place to sit, if a bit dreary in all black -- lighter parchment and gray leather colors are available as well to lighten the mood.
Powertrains are another carry over from the 9-5 sedan, with a choice of a 2.0-liter, turbocharged I-4 or a turbo, 2.8-liter V-6. Both engines are more than adequate for the sedan, but we actually found the I-4 more to our liking because of the availability of a precise six-speed manual transmission and the absence of some 800 extra pounds on the V-6 models. Front-wheel-drive is standard -- along with the manual -- with the I-4 with all-wheel-drive available as an option. Saab's excellent, XWD all-wheel-drive is standard on V-6 models as is a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
As you've probably noticed, the only real difference then between the sedan and SportCobmi is bodystyle. The SportCombi features the same Aero X-inspired front-end styling as the sedan, just with a wagon-profile, complete with Saab's signature wraparound rear windshield, for added versatility. Replacing the trunk with a true wagon-style rear hatch means that total cargo capacity is around 56 cubic feet with the seats down and 19 cubic feet with the seats up. The sedan's trunk will swallow roughly 18 cubic feet worth of gear. Additionally, Saab has installed what it calls a smart tailgate, which allows owners' to select how far the tailgate will open, saving the hatch from opening too far when inside a parking garage.
Unlike a number of other automakers -- BMW and Volvo notably -- that have pulled out of the U.S. wagon market, Saab is bringing the 9-5 SportCombi to the U.S. It will launch this August, but a spokesperson said in reduced trim levels and likely only the top-of-the-line Aero version. If this holds true, it will only be offered with the 2.8-liter, turbocharged V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission -- unfortunate as we'd love to be able to row our own gears in a 9-5 wagon. Look for pricing and full model selection to be announced closer to the car's on sale date.
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| Saab 9-5 SportCombi |
Rolls-Royce 102EX Concept
Rolls-Royce 102EX Concept
Rolls-Royce 102EX Concept
The EX moniker - and the red RR badging - has been used by Rolls-Royce to distinguish what the company calls "experimental" models since 1919. And while Henry Royce started his career as an electrical engineer and Charles Rolls spoke favorably of electric vehicles before his death in1910, there's never been a Rolls-Royce as experimental as this Phantom electric vehicle.Rolls-Royce owners can easily afford to pay high gas guzzler taxes, aren't concerned about soaring fuel prices, and don't care whether London continues to exempt electric vehicles from its daily congestion charge. And in truth, with annual sales of less than 1000 vehicles the Phantom's contribution to global oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is an almost immeasurable fraction of that made by the 72 million cars and light trucks sold around the world last year.
But as the big, opulent Phantom is seen by some as a symbol of excess rather success, the 102EX is really more about symbolism than saving the planet. Ironically, an electric-powered Phantom makes a lot of sense, on several levels. First, the characteristics of an electric powertrain -- abundant low-end torque, plus unparalleled smoothness and silence -- have been the hallmarks of Rolls-Royce engines since the 1907 Silver Ghost. Second, most current Phantom owners don't actually drive their cars that far, averaging somewhere between 1000 and 2000 miles a year, according to Rolls-Royce communications director Richard Carter.
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| Rolls-Royce 102EX Concept |
Rolls-Royce 102EX Concept
Renault Captur Concept
Renault Captur Concept
Renault Captur Concept
Renault Captur Concept
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| Renault Captur Concept |
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| Renault Captur Concept |
Range Rover's upcoming Evoque may be to blame for much of the two-door crossover craze, but the Captur takes styling elements to a whole new level. The 'butterfly' doors would look at home on a supercar concept, while the low, flat hood and arched front fenders are clearly borrowed from sports car design textbooks. A wrap-around windscreen almost recalls Hyundai's Veloster, but expect the space-age translucent interior that uses reconfigurable ropes to dictate the shape and size of the cargo area to be toned down, should the Captur make production. The wildest feature may be the roof, which is actually a removable hardtop. Yes, the Captur can be driven as a convertible. The Captur's framework is carbon fiber, and 22-inch wheels are fitted.
Power comes from Renault's Energy dCi 160 twin-turbo diesel engine concept, which the French automaker says produces 160 horsepower from its 1.6 liters and is connected to a dual-clutch EDC gearbox. Renault's RX2 differential, a self-locking mechanical unit, is fitted to the front-wheel-drive Captur to transfer more power to the wheel with most grip. Captur is also fitted with Renault's Visio-System, a front-facing camera that monitors road conditions to provide driver assistance functions. The Captur can seat up to four people, with two full-size rear seats that can be folded out from the interior side panels.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Jaguar C-X75 Concept exclusive wallpaper
These exclusive Jaguar C-X75 Concept. It will involve direct transfer of advanced technologies, especially of lightweight materials and contraction methods that are vital for a car like this.
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