Autoblog

We just told you about Bob Lutz' comments that the Saturn Astra is too expensive and not making any money in the U.S., but that may change when the next iteration arrives. Of course, the next Astra will debut in Europe first as an Opel (and Vauxhall in the UK), but we suspect that GM will offer it in the U.S. again, especially if the automaker can build it locally so that it's not dogged by a weak currency exchange like the current model. Though not scheduled to debut until late next year at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the fourth-gen Astra is making an appearance today in a couple of sketches released by General Motors Europe. The design is said to take direct inspiration from the new Insignia, which itself will become the next-gen Saturn Aura. The all-new Astra will be based on the Delta II platform with vehicles like the Chevy Cruze and Volt and feature a new range of fuel efficient engines, clever packaging solutions and trick technology like the Insignia's Front Camera System that recognizes road signs. Check out the sneak peeks in our gallery below.


[Source: GM]

The BMW Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS or possibly V5) is on its way, whether the world wants it or needs it. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the 5-series based sedan will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, and is expected to be very reminiscent of the recently released X6, with plummeting C- and D-pillars, a hatchback, a higher ride height (think Audi's Allroad) and measuring in at approximately 4.9 meters (192 inches), about an inch longer than the X6. There's no indication about which markets the PAS will be sold in when it arrives in late 2009 or early 2010, but it's safe to assume that the success of the X6 will be a factor in the PAS' distribution.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Autotelegraaf via Egmcartech]

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Suzuki is said to be unveiling the Kizashi 3 at next week's New York Auto Show, so we thought we'd refresh our memories about the Manga-styled Kizashi 1 and 2 concepts we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show and Tokyo Motor Show. There's still no information about what powertrain (we've heard talk of a V8) or platform any car derived from the Kizashi concepts would ride upon, but we like where Suzuki's going with the idea. We expect that the Kizashi 3 may be nearly production-feasible, from what Suzuki has to say. Does this mean there's a sports sedan in the offing for Suzuki? Possibly. Or not. For a taste of what it might be like to see one of these cars actually out in the wild, we've turned up some videos of the concepts riding around in a digital world, posted after the jump.

Click to view in our high-resolution image gallery

If you were born on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, the Trabant should need no introduction. Ditto if you're a U2 fan. The notorious little sedan, nicknamed "Trabi", was made in East Germany and exported around the world, mostly inside the communist bloc. Not exactly the most ideal candidate for resurrection, but while it may not be as fondly remembered as the original Fiat 500, Volkswagen Beetle or the Mini, the Trabi has a cult following and has been featured in countless movies and video games. U2 featured the Trabi on its Zoo TV tour in the early '90s, and one hangs from the ceiling in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

At the last Frankfurt Motor Show, a German model-carmaker showed a mockup of what a re-born Trabi might look like to gauge public reaction. Herpa secured the rights to use the name, and has now announced a deal with IndiKar, an automotive components manufacturer based in Saxony (where the original Trabant was made) to build it. Herpa and IndiKar hope to have a full-size concept ready to show by the next Frankfurt show, which doesn't roll around until the Fall of the Berlin Wall 2009. In the meantime, Herpa is putting a toy version on the market to be unveiled at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg in February.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Herpa via World Car Fans]

When the BMW X6 concept was revealed in Frankfurt in September, we had mixed reactions to its oversized hatchback proportions. BMW made no bones about the fact that the sleek CUV was close to its production reality, and after seeing the motion pictures on YouTube, we tend to believe them. Video of the freshly-unveiled X6 in production trim is sitting out there for everyone to see, and from what we can tell, it's almost a dead-ringer to its Frankfurt forefather. As the scribes over at Carscoop pointed out, the b and c-pillars are now predictably visible, the side view mirrors are now larger, and the tail pipes have been modified. The high-end crossover shown in the video carries XxDrive35d badging, which means an oil-burner sits underhood. On the other hand, the start-up audio in the video sounds decidedly petrol-powered.

It's difficult to say if an expensive, less practical four-seat crossover from any other automaker would be a hit in the US, but BMW buyers tend to snap up whatever the Bavarian automaker dishes out. We look forward to taking in the X6 in Detroit next month. The complete video is available after the jump.

[Source: Carscoop]

Daimler's not taking the close resemblance of a Chinese minicar to a smart fortwo lightly. The German automaker has gotten a court order forbidding Martin Motors, the European distributor for China's Shuanghuan Automobile, from displaying the Shuanghuan Noble at the upcoming Bologna Auto Show. This is the second time Daimler has blocked the Noble from being displayed, having taken similar action at the Frankfurt show.

Martin Motors is calling the Noble the Bubble in Europe, since there's already another Noble. Martin contends that the Bubble is not a copy of the fortwo, citing the four seats and front engine configuration among the differentiating details. Martin Motors has also demanded in Italian courts that Daimler prove its exclusive rights to the design of the smart. If a resolution can be reached, the Bubble will go on sale for about $10,000 euros across Europe. The resemblance is striking, but copying the look isn't the same as cribbing the underlying engineering. We haven't had the opportunity to crawl over, under, or through the Bubble, so we can't comment on whether it's better or worse than the smart, but from the looks of things in the video we've posted after the jump, the Bubble is hardly a premium vehicle. Shuanghuan also sells the CEO, a midsize SUV that borrows an awful lot from the BMW X5's looks. The appearance similarities between Shuanghuan's vehicles and those of well respected competitors may not help the Chinese automaker avoid having its European sales bubble burst.

Check the jump to see a video of the Noble/Bubble in action.

More shots from Autoblog China.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

We're back with Autoblog Podcast #77, and it's a Frankfurt-recap extravaganza. We discuss our favorite picks, as well as touching on some of the numerous highlights from the monster-sized show. We got a glimpse of the Jaguar XF in person, and it's better in person, but can it save Jaguar? BMW unveiled the X6, it's own AMC Spirit ripoff, not to be left behind by the Audi Cross Coupe Quattro from Shanghai. We continue on about exotic sheetmetal from Brabus, Schnitzer, Bentley, and Aston Martin, to name a few. On the more mundane tip, the Mazda 6 rocked, the Aveo was ugly, the Journey landed on its face, and could we please, please knock it off with the front quarter panel vents? After Alex's speed-round wrapup, we discuss a solitary piece of non-Frankfurt news, the Jeep J8. Yes, it's awesome, no, you can't buy one. Damn, that's stupid, Chrysler. Onward!

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Click the image above for more high-res shots of the Lamborghini Reventón

It's fast, it's rare, and it costs one million euros to own. The Reventón may well be the Lamborghini to end all Lamborghini's, but with only 20 copies ever scheduled to see their way through the assembly process, it may be too exclusive for its own good. Either way, 650 HP and 0-60 in 3.4, and slap you in the face styling are enough to keep enthusiasts of all ages up at night. The Reventón may be 20 copies exclusive, and none of us may ever see one on public roads, but that doesn't mean it isn't all over YouTube. Hit the jump to see 1:41 of a fast cut montage all about Lamborghini's one million euro baby.

click the above image to view more random, funny and cool stuff from Frankfurt

We're still not finished with our posts from Frankfurt, but thought we would end this weekend with a collection of our most random, funny and cool shots from the show floor. We call it the Huffenpuff Edition, named after Frankfurt's central train station, or Hauptbahnhof in German, past which we rode on our way to the show every day and whose name we could never pronounce.

We've got a nice sized gallery chock full of the back of Bob Lutz's head, a pewter Lexus LS460, the world's biggest Fiat 500, a Mercedes CLS Wagon, smart car rollerskates, and more. Check out all the Huffenpuff Edition pics in our gallery below, complete with captions to help explain the insanity.

Click the image above for more shots of the Carlsson Aigner CK65 Eau Rouge.

Random Benz tunage? Frankfurt's got more than you can shake a schnitzel at. But the only reason we snapped off a few shots of this particular CK was because of its two-tone hue, even though it is a subtle rip on the Veyron. Only after we got back and started going through some of our overlooked photos did we realized that this particular M-B was something a bit more special.

The Carlsson Aigner CK65 Eau Rouge is the product of a collaborative effort between the German tuning house and Etienne Aigner, a high-end leather purveyor. As you can imagine, the interior appointments are luxurious to a fault, with acres of dyed dead cow, Alcantara and wood lining every conceivable surface. What lies beneath though is far more compelling.

A turbocharged V12, aided by everything from new intercoolers to some heavy ECU tuning, produces over 700 HP and 800 lb.-ft. of torque, making the CL capable of a blast to 60 in 3.9 seconds. Ultra-light aluminum wheels, sized 21x9-inches in front and 21x10.5-inches in the rear, are wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ZR 21 tires, reducing unsprung mass by a full 50-percent at all four corners.

There are more mods than we can mention, so Carlsson's press release is posted after the jump. And you can check out a gallery of live and press pics below.