Autoblog

At this point, we've seen nearly every possible angle of Lamborghini's latest raging bull, the Estoque, with one rather large exception: the interior. As a four-door sedan, the compromises one naturally expects from the Italian motor company's supercars are wholly unacceptable in this application, so there is naturally a sense of luxury inside the Estoque that's missing from the Gallardo and Murcielago. We can also see large paddle shifters for the e-gear transmission that are yanked straight from the Gallardo and plenty of two-tone grey and creamy white leather covering most every surface. Plus, there's a whole lot more space now for such pleasure-inducers as a Blu-ray player, in-cabin television and, um, legroom. Still, it's clear that this is a concept cockpit that was likely rushed to deadline for the Paris Motor Show. The buttons in the cockpit are all hard black plastic, which is not exactly fitting for a sister brand of Audi, an automaker that arguably sets the gold standard for interiors by which others are judged. Take a look at the Estoque's interior for yourself in our gallery below.


[Source: Lamborghini]

The Paris Motor Show has given up its secrets, but that doesn't mean the teasing is over. Top Gear magazine has the story on the Aston Martin One-77, joined by what will probably be more tease-tastic renders. One thing that can be gleaned from the rendering on the TG microsite is the headlight layout, with an inner row of LEDs leading back to an array that includes at least one additional cluster of LEDs. The front end still looks a tad overwrought to us – and a little reminiscent of the GTbyCitroen – but we suppose we'll just have to get a copy of Top Gear before we vote with our thumbs.

[Source: Top Gear via Motor Gears]

There are a lot of big birthdays in the car industry this year, and the Citroen 2CV joins GM and Land Rover in the candle-blowing crowd. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the deux-say-vay, Hermes created a special version of a 1989 Citroen 2CV6 Special for the Paris Auto Show. If you saw the Bugatti Veryon by Hermes you know what to expect, with hand-stitched swathes of Hermes trademark gray-beige leather contrasted with white on the front and rear benches. Of course the Hermes treatment is worth as much as the car itself, but anything the 2CV lacks in luxury is more than made up for by character. Check out the press release after the jump and the gallery of high-res photos below.

Perhaps it isn't the most interesting live reveal that took place in Paris, but we managed to get a few shots of the new Fiat 500 by DIESEL anyway. Yes, there is an optional 75-horsepower 1.3 Multijet diesel engine, complete with a particulate filter to keep things squeaky clean, but that's not why it's called the DIESEL edition. That moniker comes from the Italian clothing company, which lends its name and the styling talents of DIESEL head designer with a head Lars Schwartz. Outside, the 500 is painted in your choice of Green DIESEL, Brown DIESEL or Black DIESEL. Name recognition much? Surely the most striking bit of kit is inside, where the seats are upholstered in denim with contrasting stitching. Fortunately, the look is much more upscale than that of the Levi's Gremlins and Jeans Beetles of the '70s. Proof is in our complete gallery below.

Click the image above for a high-res gallery of the Seat Exeo

Our Spanish colleagues tell us that the Iberians are none too happy about SEAT grabbing a previous generation A4 out of the garbage bin to make a new sedan. Never mind the opportunity to make an easy(-ier) profit – something that would have any automaker quaking with giddyness right now – the word "Exeo" right now translates as "It just ain't right!" Those of you who have seen the previous A4 won't be surprised by anything here, except perhaps the richness and quality of the suede interior. We can assure you it was impressive. The mirror housings are neat, too, but standard fare for SEAT. Based on the approval ratings of the old A4 by the time it retired, our guess is that new customers the Exeo is meant to attract won't be disappointed that they found their way to SEAT through these four doors. Check out the press release that makes the old new again after the jump, and our gallery of high-res photos below.

The Euro-only Toyota Avensis is reminiscent of the Lexus IS350 in the same way that you'd tell someone, "You kind of look like someone I know, but not really." It's the rising linear sideline, somewhat high and compact profile, and squared-off rear that do it. But that's from a full-on side profile and around the back. Move around the front and it really just looks like a Toyota. The raked grille and molded lips in the front bumper are unexpected, as is the subtle sexiness of the wagon. Designed in France, the new Avensis grows a little over its predecessor by 5 cm in length and width. Under the hood, possibilities include three new Valvematic gasoline engines, and two diesels, while cogs can be swapped with a 6-speed manual or the dual-mode, Multidrive S automatic. Check out the exhaustive press release after the jump, and the high-res gallery of photos below.

It's always fun to see the engineering behind hard top convertibles. The latest member of the breed comes from Lexus in the form of the 2009 IS250C. This new derivative of the IS250 sedan sports a three-piece aluminum roof that retracts in a "world's fastest" 20 seconds. Video proof of the event taking place has been released and we've embedded it after the break. The new 250C's most logical competitor comes from BMW, whose 3 Series convertible features a folding hard top of its very own. When the new Lexus goes on sale next summer in Europe, followed shortly thereafter in the United States, it will offer buyers a replacement for the expensive SC 430, which is set to make a graceful exit from the marketplace in short order.


[Source: Paultan]

Peugeot has been showing diesel hybrid concepts at auto shows for the past several years, and the latest is the new Prologue HYmotion4. Unlike the previous versions that were based on the 307 and 308 C-segment hatchbacks, the Prologue is an all-new vehicle. Also unlike the previous concepts that used a hybrid system where the engine and electric motor ran in parallel on the same axle, this one uses the company's new HYmotion4 system like the RC concept we showed you earlier today. And unlike the four-door coupe RC, the crossover-bodied Prologue flips the powertrain arrangement front to back. The CUV has a 163-hp 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel twisting the front wheels while a 27 kW motor sends torque to the rear axle. The combined output when both the diesel and motor are running is 200 hp with 221 lb-ft going to the front wheels and 148 lb-ft to the back. Like the RC concept, front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive modes are available. Since rear-drive is electric only and the motor output only 27 kW, that mode is only available up to 30 mph. The diesel engine up front sends power through an automated 6-speed manual gearbox that allows for manual shifting. Peugeot also claims the electric motor is activated during shifts to provide uninterrupted power flow and smoother operation. Whereas the RC concept uses lithium-ion batteries, the Prologue uses a cheaper nickel-metal hydride battery pack sitting under the rear seat. Altogether, the Prologue is claimed to achieve 57.4 mpg (U.S.) with carbon dioxide output of 109 g/km.


[Source: Peugeot]

The Chevrolet Cruze is three kinds of car: small, American and important. And with the state of General Motors, it isn't even the individual words that mean the most: it's whether The General can combine them into a reliable, fuel efficient and cost effective package. True, we don't get to drive these things while they're parked under the lights, but to have a seat in the Cruze is to imagine a GM that begs the question, "Where was all this before the meltdown?" The studio imagery we've seen so far translates nicely into real life, and the center console looks and feels substantial – in fact, it looks like it could be foreign – even if the silver mesh treatment in the show car was a bit much. The car has a compact yet full-bodied stance, and will probably look even better on the road in a color other than scarlet, and not under klieg lights. Spring of '09 will welcome this first Cruze variant to Europe, after which other regions will get it, as well as a probable hatchback and wagon. It will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that charts up to 140 hp and is said to return 40 mpg. Have a look at the high-res gallery of live shots below to get a better idea of what to expect when the Cruze goes on sale here in a couple years.

Ford's new Focus RS has made its second European debut and we've managed to snag some live shots of the new car on the stand. Covered in Ultra Green paint as it is, we could hardly miss it. The new hue is meant to be "a modern interpretation of the 1970's Ford Le Mans Green." In that case, perhaps it should be called Grabber Green? Powered by a turbocharged Duratec 2.5L five-cylinder producing about 300 horsepower and 325 ft-lbs of torque, the new Focus RS is the fastest European Ford ever produced and can hit 60 mph in under six seconds. Front-wheel drive was chosen in lieu of all-wheel as the Blue Oval's 'RevoKnuckle' front suspension system along with the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential is said to remove all traces of torque steer. Expect to see the new Focus RS in European dealerships sometime in 2009.