Filed under: Coupe , Tokyo Motor Show , Nissan , Motorcycle , Specialty , Alternative Fuel Nissan Land Glider Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery Concept cars tend to push the boundaries of what is and isn't possible with a four-wheeled vehicle. Such is the case with the Nissan Land Glider -- a 47-inch cross between a motorcycle and a car, with an enclosed cabin, a glass canopy and passenger compartment that leans into turns for added stability -- going on display this week at the Tokyo Motor Show . Usually, such far-out-there concepts make the auto show circuit before being abandoned somewhere in the corner of a dark, dingy warehouse, but perhaps not this one. According to Automotive News , there are some inside the Japanese automaker that suggest the fully electric car could slot into the company's upmarket Infiniti lineup, possibly even making it to the United States. If that happens, the Land Glider may be a single-seater, as the concept's single rear passenger perch may not make it through safety testing. We'd be pretty surprised to see a production Infiniti Land Glider that keeps the concept's unique layout, but it certainly wouldn't be the only strange-looking eco-friendly automobile to hit the market. We'll see... Gallery: Nissan Land Glider Concept [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd] REPORT: Nissan Land Glider could come to the States as an Infiniti originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Performance , UK , MISC Noble M15 - Click above for high-res image gallery Lee Noble may be known best for his eponymous sportscar firm, but the British designer has experience that extends beyond the small company that bears his name. Before forming Noble Automotive, he penned such greats as the Ascari Ecosse and the record-setting Ultima GTR, to say nothing of the Rossion Q1 and Salica GT spawned from his design. Now he's sold his company and is going it alone once again with a new initiative, details of which have just begun to emerge. The guru of small-batch supercars has yet to give his new project a name, but you can expect the format to follow the same formula as his previous works. That means a lightweight, mid-engine frame with a minimum of electronic nannies. Like the Noble M12, it will be built in South Africa, and like the newer Noble M600 , it will incorporate a Graziano six-speed manual. But Lee says he wants to learn from what he calls previous mistakes and keep production numbers low, amounting to a maximum of 100 units each year. Beyond that, Lee says his new project will offer between 400 and 650 horsepower, weigh less than 1200 kg (2,645 pounds) and cost no more than

First Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Golf evolves the German hatchback Is the new VW Golf MkV1 enough to woo hatch-averse Americans out of their sedans and into something with an added helping of practicality? We trek over to its Wolfsburg birthplace to find out. Chrysler previews four Mopar SEMA concepts for on- and off-road mastery The performance-partsgasm at SEMA may be down on fuel this year because of the state of the economy, but that isn't stopping the Chrysler Group from unveiling four concepts based its most aftermarket friendly models. Mansory previews aggressive aftermarket program for Porsche Panamera Mansory isn't one to shy away from the controversial, so it's no surprise that they've turned their attention to Porsche's not-so-traditional Panamera. Other news of import Massa charges that Alonso knew about Piquet crash plan Men can't help but enjoy fast cars - it's that testosterone thing again Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition announced [w/VIDEO] Harley-Davidson kills off Buell , will sell stake in MV Agusta [w/VIDEO] Only one buyer has returned a GM vehicle under new 60-day guarantee; transaction prices up $8k Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 10.15.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Hybrid , Technology , Chevrolet , Alternative Fuel Chevy Volts on 1,200 mile drive - Click above for high-res image gallery Yesterday, we had an opportunity to chat with Chevrolet Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah as he rode through the hills of West Virginia during a development drive. On Tuesday, a fleet of eight pre-production (a.k.a. IVER) Volts set out from the company's Milford Proving Ground in Michigan on three day, 1,200 mile jaunt through Ohio, Pennsylvannia, Maryland, West Virginia and back. This event is known in General Motors' engineering process as a "65-Percent Drive" and as it implies it's one of a series of milestones on the road to production. The 65% roughly corresponds to the minimum level of completeness of development of all the hardware, and more specifically, the software. At this point, many of the systems are in fact approaching 90-100% complete. Over the next several months, 70, 80, 90 and 100 percent drives will follow on the way to production launch a year from now. Read on to find out what we learned from Farah. Gallery: Chevrolet Volt 65% drive Continue reading Catching up with Chevrolet's 1,200-mile pre-production Volt fleet drive Catching up with Chevrolet's 1,200-mile pre-production Volt fleet drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Performance , Japan , Tokyo Motor Show , Toyota Toyota FT-86 Concept - Click above for image gallery We're eagerly awaiting our first live encounter with the Toyota FT-86 Concept next week at the Tokyo Motor Show . But before we endure the long flight over the Pacific, the crew at the freshly hosted FT-86 Club has scrounged up a bevy of live shots of Toyota's new coupe in the studio. The more we see, the more we like. And these detail images give us a clearer view of the subtle design elements that make the reborn Hachiroku so damn appealing. We're particularly partial to the straked vents aft of the front wheels that tie in with the rest of the coupe's triangular elements, and plenty of carbon fiber detailing on the door handles, side mirrors, wheels and rear diffuser doesn't hurt, either. The interior remains show-car wacky (the zippered slot for the DVD player is pure silliness, but we're digging it), but the overall aesthetic strikes us as eerily production ready -- save our favorite feature, the A-pillars bisected by a piece of glass to aid visibility while sliding sideways (similar to Volvo's 2001 SCC concept). Here's hoping the FT-86 makes it from the show stand to the sales floor unscathed and delivers the driving dynamics to finally bring Toyota back from the brink. Gallery: Toyota FT-86 Concept in the Studio [Source: FT-86Club ] Toyota FT-86 Concept gets shot in the studio originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Performance , Porsche , Middle East , Design/Style Porsche supercar design by Emil Baddal - Click above for high-res image gallery With the 911 looking largely the same for the past 46 years, the Cayenne looking the way that it does, and the new Panamera greeted with mixed reviews (at best), it should come as no surprise that there are others interested in taking a crack at designing the next Porsche. Especially since the next one down the wind tunnel could very well be a roadgoing supercar based on the RS Spyder prototype racer to succeed the Carrera GT... one of the best Porsche design in decades. What you see here is the vision of Iranian designer Emil Baddal, who appears to have blended some unmistakable Zuffenhausen DNA with a sort of Veyron-esque profile. Which isn't so far fetched when you consider that Porsche and Bugatti now fall under the same umbrella. Baddal hasn't issued any theoretical powertrain specifications to go with his design, so we'll just have to imagine them on our own. Have a look in the gallery, follow the link to Baddal's other designs, and let us know what you think in the comments section below. Gallery: Porsche supercar design by Emil Baddal [Source: Emil Baddal on Designerspace via CarScoop ] Porsche's next supercar, as envisioned by an Iranian designer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Classics , Performance , Aston Martin , Bentley , Bugatti , Cadillac , Chrysler , Ford , Jaguar , Lamborghini , Lincoln , Maybach , Mercedes-Benz , Porsche , Rolls-Royce , Misc. Auto Shows , Ferrari , Specialty , Luxury 27th Concours d'Elegance at the St. Regis, Dana Point - Click above for high-res image gallery For its 27th iteration, Orange County's most prestigious classic car show returned to the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, and finally dropped the "Newport Beach" from its name. No longer would it be known as the Newport Beach Concours d'Elegance, instead adopting the Concours d'Elegance at the St. Regis moniker. The title may have changed, but the quality of the entrants hasn't. Still benefiting the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag Hospital and the CSP Assessment and Treatment Services Center , the field of classic cars at this concours was once again stunning. This year's featured marque was Mercedes-Benz, and the automaker was represented by some truly spectacular models, aided in no small part by the show's proximity to the Mercedes Classic Car Center, the factory-backed restoration shop for vintage Mercedes vehicles. Besides the beautiful Benzes, the roughly 3,000 attendees got to see about 300 other classic and exotic vehicles spread out around the St.

Filed under: Concept Cars , Tokyo Motor Show , Hatchback , Suzuki , Motorcycle , Alternative Fuel In addition to the plug-in series hybrid version of the Swift subcompact hatchback that Suzuki will display at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show , the Japanese company will also be bringing along three separate concepts powered by fuel cells. First up is the SX4-FCV, which uses an 80 kW hydrogen fuel cell stack supplied by longtime partner GM paired with a Suzuki-designed hydrogen storage tank that compresses the gas at 10,000 psi. A lightweight capacitor reportedly takes the place of the more common battery pack and helps smooth out the flow of electrons to the 68 kW electric motor and aids in regenerative braking. Road testing is currently underway of the SX4-FCV in Japan. Next on the list is a version of Suzuki's popular Burgman scooter that's propelled by an electric motor that gets its power from a small hydrogen fuel cell from Intelligent Energy and the first 700-bar storage tank in the motorcycle world. The final fuel cell-powered concept from Suzuki is a personal mobility vehicle called the MIO that uses easily replaceable methanol fuel cell cartridges in lieu of batteries that should theoretically allow for unlimited range. Check out all three concepts in our gallery below and hit the jump for the press release. Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Suzuki Fuel Cell Concepts Continue reading Tokyo 2009: Suzuki previews three fuel cell concepts Tokyo 2009: Suzuki previews three fuel cell concepts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Japan , Tokyo Motor Show , Toyota Toyota FT-86 Concept - Click above for a high-res image gallery Toyota's President Akio Toyoda has said the automaker is in desperate need of an excitement injection, and here's the first dose: the Toyota FT-86 Concept. Inspired by the Corolla-based AE86 sports coupe of the '80s, the FT-86 concept was designed by the automaker's ED2 styling studio in France and bears a remarkable resemblance to the FT-HS concept shown at the Detroit Auto Show several years back. Since it's a "concept," Toyota hasn't divulged much about the FT-86 yet, but we do know it's powered by a Subaru-derived 2.0-liter boxer four sending power to the rear wheels. Toyota focused on keeping the weight down to improve handling and, according to one source, the platform is unique to the concept. The engine sits lower in the engine bay to aid aerodynamics while keeping the center of gravity in check, and the overall dimensions of Toyota's new 2+2 are 163.78 inches long and 69.29 inches wide, with a wheelbase of 101.18 inches. After the FT-86 bows in concept form at the Tokyo Motor Show next month, the production model will be shown sometime next year with sales beginning sometime in late 2011 carrying a sticker price somewhere north of $20,000. Gallery: Toyota FT-86 Concept [Source: Toyota] Continue reading Toyko 2009 Preview: Toyota FT-86 Concept brings back the Hachiroku Toyko 2009 Preview: Toyota FT-86 Concept brings back the Hachiroku originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Spy Photos , Coupe , Performance , Europe Global economic meltdown? What global economic meltdown? There's always room for another supercar to join the ranks lustworthy rides, right? At least one company in the U.K. seems to think so, and its first model, the Aspira F620, has been spotted out and about by the chaps at PistonHeads. Power will reportedly come courtesy of GM's ubiquitous 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine, in this case bolstered with upgraded camshafts to put out 538 horsepower. That capable engine is mounted amidships and sends power out back through a six-speed Graziano gearbox. Top speed is listed at 209 miles per hour, and we're sure the run to sixty will be dispatched in no time flat. According to PH, the Aspira is based on a kit car platform from U.S.-based Race Car Replicas. It sports a pretty slinky lookin' supercar shape to be sure, and the company hopes to move ten cars per year at