Autoblog

Belgian official tells Brussels Motor Show to nix racy spokesmodels [w/poll]

Michael Harley — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Visitors to the upcoming Brussels Motor Show - which starts January 11, and is expected to draw some 350,000 visitors - will have to focus all of their attention on the vehicles this year, as event organizers have asked the automakers to keep the eye-candy "appropriately dressed" on the show's floor and exhibits.

Apparently, there were reports of lewd behavior (by male visitors, not the models) at last year's event. This prompted Joelle Milquet, Belgium's equal opportunities minister, to fire off a letter to Belgian car federation Febiac, the company behind the event. "A motor show is a place where you go with your family, we have to question the stereotypes we are passing on to children and young adults," Milquet wrote.

It seems that the spokesmodel's attire is coming under attack quite a bit these days. As you may recall, the Belgian minister's actions come on the heels of Chinese authorities chastising the Beijing Motor Show over its scantily clad models at its most recent event. Does this mean SEMA will eventually become a family-friendly event too?

What do you think - Should automakers stop bringing so-called booth professionals to auto shows?

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Belgian official tells Brussels Motor Show to nix racy spokesmodels [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And the winner for most congested European city is...

Noah Joseph — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe

The trouble with European cities is that most of them were laid out long before the advent of the automobile. Little wonder, then, that nearly all of them suffer from terrible traffic congestion. But which is the most jammed of all of them?

Brussels. The Belgian capital is also the seat of NATO, the European Union and countless other international organizations. And this year it's been rated as the most congested city in Europe. Traffic in the UK is hardly any better with three cities listed in the top 10 - second only to France, which features four.

The ratings were conducted by TomTom. The GPS company compiles data from individual units once they're connected to the internet for updates, and calculates how much time was spent citing in traffic jams. Big Daddy is watching, but at least he can give us some useful information once in a while.

And the winner for most congested European city is... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

Noah Joseph — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Land Rover, Misc. Auto Shows, Off-Road

Land Rover Defender X-Tech Limited Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Belgians may not be known as much for military prowess as, say, for beer or waffles - at least not since conquering the Congo, anyway - but Brussels is also the seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established as a united front against the Communist bloc, and still stands as one of the most formidable alliances of nations this side of the Star Wars empire. A perfect place, then, to unveil a paramilitary-type vehicle like the X-Tech Limited Edition.

Easily as tough as any Hummer or Jeep, the X-Tech is based on the Land Rover Defender - one of the most rock-solid rock-crawlers ever devised. It's available in either silver, three-door Defender 90 form or in five-door Defender 110 long wheelbase in olive green, both offset by black roof, wheel arches, interior and new "saw-tooth" alloys. Not a major upgrade on the standard model, but just enough to give it the attitude it deserves.

Unveiled at the Brussels Motorshow, the Defender X-Tech is unfortunately unavailable in the North American market, but you can dream by checking out the gallery below.

Gallery: Land Rover Defender X-Tech Limited Edition

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium

Muscles in Brussels: Land Rover launches Defender X-Tech edition in Belgium originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Ride: We check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h in Europe

Noah Joseph — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, Lexus, Luxury, Quick Spins

2011 Lexus CT 200h prototype - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota is no stranger to being first - Japanese luxury vehicles and hybrids chief among them. Although Acura may have launched earlier, Lexus remains the only Japanese luxury marque to market in Japan. And having launched in Europe shortly after America, Lexus was also the first to challenge the European heavyweights on their home turf, and with its LS and LFA, it remains the only non-European marque to compete at the top level.

Credit Toyota, as well, for popularizing hybrid technology, as it launched the Prius domestically as the first mass-produced gas-electric, whereupon it has dominated the market with successive generations. But where the Japanese auto giant has really stood apart is in the combination of both luxury and hybrid technology.

Recognizing the technology's popularity with upscale buyers, Lexus has carved out a niche in producing luxury hybrids. In fact, its lineup in many European markets is comprised exclusively of hybrids. The HS 250h launched late last year as the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid model and now Lexus is branching out again by electrifying territory previously uncharted by Japanese automakers: the premium hatchback segment. We flew out to Toyota's European headquarters to see how development of the new CT 200h has been coming along. Follow the jump to see what we found.

Gallery: First Ride: 2011 Lexus CT 200h

Continue reading First Ride: We check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h in Europe

First Ride: We check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brussels 2007: MINI makes The Other Ranch for Clubman debut

John Neff — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Mini, Misc. Auto Shows

click above for more pics of the The Other Ranch by MINI

Last year at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, MINI debuted the production version of its larger Clubman model and, as MINI's marketing agency is wont to do, created a spectacle with this installation called The Other Ranch. We've learned that it's gone on the road and been installed in Brussels for this year's European Motor Show. It's inspired by the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX where a man half-buried 10 old Cadillacs in the ground at the precise angle of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. The Other Ranch by MINI is comprised of four Clubmans and is so named because we're supposed to consider the new Clubman the "Other MINI". We didn't see The Other Ranch in Frankfurt while covering the show there, but this spectacle was too interesting not to share. Check out the pics in our gallery below and have fun coming up with captions for four Clubmans buried up to their windshields in dirt.

[Source: BMW]

%Gallery-14012

Brussels 2007: MINI makes The Other Ranch for Clubman debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brussels 2008: Invicta unveils revised S1 600 GT 2+2

Noah Joseph — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Misc. Auto Shows, UK

Click on the image above to view in high resolution

While our crew in Detroit was busy bringing you all the latest from the 2008 North American International Auto Show, across the pond the Belgians were holding the European Motor Show. And with all the major automakers putting on the ritz in Detroit, smaller manufacturers took center stage in Brussels.

One of the vehicles making its debut in Belgium was the Ivicta S1, a British-made GT that recently underwent some revisions. Whereas the previous version was strictly a two-seater, the revised interior on the new S1 now includes rear seats. A range of Ford-sourced V8s are available, with the top-of-the-line version producing 600 horsepower and capable of propelling the S1 600 to 60 mph in under four seconds. Invicta's engineers have moved the engine rearwards in the bay and sandwiched the fuel tank under the rear seats to improve the S1's balance, as well. The car's body is made from carbon-fiber, bonded to a tubular steel spaceframe chassis that optimizes rigidity and crashworthiness while keeping the car's weight down to 1,380kg.

Invicta originally began making cars in 1925 but closed in 1933, before the original S1 resurrected the name in 2002 at the Birmingham auto show. The company only makes one product, and only builds one per month.

[Source: Invicta via Motor Authority]

Gallery: Invicta S1

Brussels 2008: Invicta unveils revised S1 600 GT 2+2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi will begin to build compacts in Belgium

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:55:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Audi, Volkswagen

For several months, Volkswagen has been examining the options for their Brussels, Belgium assembly plant. Although the idea of closing the plant was floated at one point, VW decided to use the excess capacity by turning it over to their corporate sibling, Audi.

The deal will allow Audi to build A3s at the plant alongside a variety of VW models until the end of 2009. After that, Audi will take complete control of the plant, and have 100,000 additional units of capacity. This will help Audi achieve its goal of increasing production from 905,000 in 2006 to 1.5 million in 2015. In order to make the deal happen, the workers will have to agree to a series of work rule changes that will allow for cost reductions up to 20-percent.

The Audi press release is after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi will begin to build compacts in Belgium

Audi will begin to build compacts in Belgium originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super-rare Lamborghini finds a new home

Noah Joseph — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:26:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Auctions, Supercars, Lamborghini, Misc. Auto Shows

For the 1968 Brussels Motor Show, legendary design house Bertone took the wraps off of the Lamborghini Miura Roadster. The Miura, one of the earliest exotic supercars, was first unveiled at Turin in 1965 with a body designed by Nuccio Bertone, so who better than him to chop off the roof? Like other Lambo roadsters since, the Bertone Miura was really more of a targa, only while the modern-day Murcielago Roadster's roof might be a pain and a half to put up, at least it has a roof. Bertone's Miura Roadster never had one at all.

While the design was copied by many, only one authentic example was ever produced. The roadster version of the Miura never saw production, and the prototype was sold to a metal consortium as a publicity showcase. It changed hands several times since then, at one time joining the collection at the Boston Museum of Transportation. Now it's fallen into the hands of one lucky collector by the name of Adam Gordon, who recently purchased the prototype raging bull for an undisclosed sum. The New York real estate developer is undertaking a two-year restoration project to bring it back up to original spec.

You can bet Gordon paid big for this car, hailed as the rarest Lamborghini of all time, and will have spent even more by the time the restoration is complete.

[Source: Lamborghini Cars via German Car Blog]

Super-rare Lamborghini finds a new home originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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