Autoblog

During an interview with BusinessCar, Hyundai UK's head Tony Whitehorn finally confirmed what's been rumored for going on a year: the automaker's new RWD coupe will replace the Tiburon. The coupe will take about 50- to 60-percent of the styling cues originally debuted on the Veloster concept and is set to make its world debut at the London Motor Show in July of 2008.

When the as-of-yet unnamed coupe goes on sale, expect power to be provided by the automaker's 260 HP 3.8-liter V6, with the possibility of a two-liter turbocharged mill finding its way underhood. Whitehorn goes on to eschew rumors of a V8 powerplant, as well as hybrid and diesel options. Doh!

[Source: BusinessCar via Motor Authority]

Well, you can't accuse Citroën of taking a conservative approach at this year's British Motor Show. The automaker has its full lineup on display, including some new special edition models and a few attention-grabbing show cars and concepts

The fuel-sipping (60 mpg!) C1 city car is well-represented, with special editions bowing in the form of the C1 Airplay and C1 Rhythm, and a garish new show car called the C-P1NK. The C1 Rhythm is a C1 3-door that benefits from a healthy infusion of additional standard equipment. Appearance-wise, there are no changes -- it looks like a regular C1.

The C1 Airplay, on the other hand, loosens up a bit. Available in black or red, the interior features either high-gloss red or chrome accents on the gauge rims, door panels, and shifter. (The exterior paint finish selection determines which cabin trim package is used.). In addition to those detail enhancements, the Airplay gets equipped with a 1GB iPod nano and dash-mounted dock. If you want to further personalize the car's look, the body can also be dressed up with optional side decals, but we're not so sure that's a great idea. The C1 has plenty of style as is -- no need to fix what isn't broken.

Finally, the C-P1NK is a pure show car that really assaults the senses. Fitted with an aero kit and a nice set of alloys, it takes its namesake color scheme and really runs with it. Not only is the bodywork finished in a garishly hot "passion pink," but it's also covered with custom airbrush designs on the hood and side panels. In back, the exhaust outlets are heart-shaped.

(Additional info and photos after the jump)

[Source: Citroën]

An unlikely visitor made the trip from Japan to London for the British Motor Show. Joining the rest of Mitsubishi's lineup at ExCeL is one of Mitsubishi's "i" kei cars. Mitsubishi UK is in the final stages of a feasability study as to whether or not there's a market for the "i" in Britain.

The automaker is conducting surveys nationwaide to gauge demand, and if you're in London, you can make your voice heard at the Mitsu stand as well. In Japan, the "i" is equipped with a 600cc MIVEC DOHC 3-cylinder engine that's good for 64 horsepower. It's mated to either a 2WD or AWD drivetrain. Current speculation is that if the "i" is exported to the UK, it'll use that powerplant and be a 2WD-only vehicle.

Given that small city cars are very practical and popular in Europe, and that the "i" is a uniquely stylish little car, there's probably a good chance that our British friends will be seeing them on local roadways in due time.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Mitsubishi]

UPDATE 1


Barabus Sports Car Ltd. (not to be confused with Brabus, the Mercedes-Benz tuner) has been working on a 1005-bhp supercar for the past ten years. Now that's dedication. It's being unveiled at the British Motor Show in London this week, but we were getting impatient waiting for pics. A quick email to Barabus resulted in these pictures of the hyper exotic sports car that's powered by a 6.0L V8 with twin turbochargers and dual intercoolers. We were told by the company its website should be ready by tomorrow, at which time there should be a lot more information on this potential Veyron killer.

(More pics can be found after the jump, for additional live shots visit PaulTan.org)

[Source: Barabus]

UPDATE 1: added live shot of rear view

The Honda Racing F1 car is made up of 3,200 individual parts, and if you go the the British International Motor Show this week or next, you'll be able to see every single one. Literally.

That's because Dutch artist Paul Veroude has seemingly worked magic with his exhibit called "View Suspended," in which each and every part of the car is suspended from above, creating a living exploded technical diagram. As awed as we are by the photographs of the display, we can only imagine how impressive it looks in person. Everything down to the smallest little screw is hanging in suspended animation.

Manufacturers always strive to have interesting displays at autoshows, whether they be safety demonstrations, cutaways, or other imaginative ploys to generate visitor interest. With "View Suspended," it's a safe bet that Honda will be capturing the attention and imagination of every single person who walks by it. It's just that cool.

Click on any photo to enlarge it. It's the best way to get a sense of the painstaking effort and incredible attention to detail that went into this piece.

(Additional photos, info after the jump)

[Source: Honda]

This week at the British Motor Show, Arash Farboud unveiled a mockup of his company's future supercar, the AF10. Farboud says he'll have a running prototype of the £170,000 exotic early next year. The shape you see here, however, has already been wind tunnel tested, so what you see is likely very close to the AF10's final form. Of the shape Farboud says, "If you're at a set of traffic lights and an Enzo, Carrera GT, Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg and McLaren SLR all pull up, the AF10 should not look out of place."

The carbon fiber sports car will be powered a 7.0-liter Corvette Z06 engine hooked up with a six-speed Graziano transmission and be capable of 200+ mph. The rest of the car's development will now be done out in the open, with Farboud releasing details and accepting feedback on his supercar along the way.

[Source: PistonHeads]

We brought you initial pics and details last week, and today, SEAT made it all official in London where factory Touring Car drivers James Thompson (WTCC) and Jason Plato (BTCC) pulled the checkered cover off the all-new Leon Cupra.

To refresh your memories, the Cupra is the latest tasty morsel from the Spanish automaker. The stylish hatch has VW's 2.0T FSI four-banger lurking underhood, tuned to produce 240 horsepower. So equipped, it makes the run from 0-62 in 6.4 seconds, topping out at an impressive 153 mph. Somehow through all this the Cupra (if you resist the urge to drop the hammer all the time) can average over 30mpg in fuel consumption along the way.

Distinguishable by its curvy body, tough aero kit, and 18" wheels, the Cupra also creates an inviting driving environment for it's pilot and passengers, with sport seats, contrast stitching, and a slick variation on the already-excellent VW-sourced dash and instrument cluster.

We wish we could get it here!

(Additional info and photos after the jump)

[Source: SEAT]

Lexus has unveiled a special U.K. market-only version of its GS300 sedan called simply, the GS300 Limited Edition. Based on the GS300 SE, the Limited Edition adds 18-inch five-spoke wheels, a rear decklid spoiler, extended side skirts and a front spoiler. Inside the cabin, Lexus adds grey perforated leather upholstery, dark wood accents and custom designed floor mats (woo-hoo!). There's also the full smattering of options that's too long to list here, but includes a DVD nav system, Bluetooth, HID headlamps and much more. The exterior is painted in Aleutian Grey metallic, while the interior of the Limited Edition is finished in Grampian Grey. Power comes from the brand's 245-bhp 3.0-liter V6 that will lead the Limited Edition from "naught" to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds. As with Jaguar's XJR Portfolio, the Lexus GS300 is just for the Brits and only 250 will be built for a price of £37,350.

(A full press release from Lexus can be found after the jump)

[Source: Lexus]

The Jaguar XJR Portfolio is a direct descendant of the Concept Eight show car that was unveiled at the 2004 New York auto show and the Super V8 Porfolio based on the long-wheelbase XJR. Think of the XJR Portfolio as a standard-wheelbase version of the Super V8 Portfolio. As such, it maintains the visual cues of the Super V8 Portfolio that include the aluminum power vents, 20-inch Callisto alloy wheels and menacing Midnight black paint. It will be powered by the XJR's 400-bhp supercharged 4.2-liter V8 and gears will change hands thanks to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission. 60 mph will be achieved in a cool 5.0 seconds flat. The Jaguar XKR Portfolio is for the U.K. market only though, and as such only 100 examples will be produced for a street price of £62,040.

(More high-resolution shots and Jaguar's press release after the jump)

[Source: Jaguar]

After a driver team led by Dr. Ulrich Bez drove a production-standard V8 Vantage to a top-25 finish at this year's Nurburgring 24 Hours, Aston Martin engineers kicked off another demonstration of the Vantage's endurance.

To commemorate the milestone of 30,000 cars produced, Aston Martin staffers were invited to spend a day in Germany, where day and night, the car would be driven on the Autobahn and local roads with the goal of accumulating 30,000 miles in 30 days. Providing support to the effort was Aston's new German dealership, Moll Sportwagen.

True to the form shown by the Nurburgring Vantage, the Project 30,000 car accomplished its mission. Now signed by every employee who took part in the 30-day thrashing, it is on display with the Nurburgring car at the British Motor Show.

These overt demonstrations of the Vantage's robustness continue to make us wonder how long it'll be until Aston Martin decides to go all the way and field a car in the Le Mans / ALMS GT2 class. Given the success the DBR9 is having, there's no reason to believe a Le Mans Vantage wouldn't wreak havoc as well.

(Additional info after the jump)

Source: Aston Martin