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Video: 2014 Lotus Elite loses its roof

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Videos, Lotus, Design/Style, Luxury

2014 Lotus Elite goes topless - Click above to watch video after the jump

Lotus made quite a splash at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The automaker grabbed the spotlight by showing off five new concept vehicles. One of the proposed cars is the Lotus Elite, a 2+2 grand tourer powered by a 611-horsepower, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine borrowed from the Lexus IS-F. One surprising detail for this Lotus is its weight. The Elite tips the scales at 3,600 pounds, which is a mammoth sum for anything carrying the company badge. The reason for much of that extra weight may lie in the roof, as the Elite is fitted with a retractable folding hard-top.

Losing the roof creates a whole new perspective for both the driver and people gawking at the car as it passes by. The dramatic lines get a visual boost with the top stowed, since the eye has fewer places to wander. The result is an attractive grand touring car that aims to rival similar offerings from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin, even if it is a heavyweight by Colin Chapman's standards.

You can let some virtual wind blow through your hair by watching a new Lotus Elite video clip posted after the jump.

Gallery: Lotus Elite Concept

Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Elite Concept

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Lotus]

Continue reading Video: 2014 Lotus Elite loses its roof

Video: 2014 Lotus Elite loses its roof originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe is a worthy companion

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, New Car Reviews, Luxury

2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

Marketing does funny things. Recently the word "coupe" has been rendered null and void of meaning by crafty marketing types behind cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLS, BMW X6 and Volkswagen CC, while the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo has sucked every last ounce of truth, honesty and passion from the term "Gran Turismo." It's now just advertising flim-flam. The BMW 8 Series was a grand tourer. The 535i Gran Turismo? We hear it's very practical...

We mention co-opting of the terms "coupe" and "Gran Turismo" because marketers pulled a similar stunt back in the early '70s with the phrase "Personal Luxury Car." Some cars did fit the definition well (roughly, a luxury coupe exists where practicality and efficiency are traded in favor of style, plush and image), others did not. For example, in the U.S. where we like our luxury by the yard, a 1971 Buick Riviera is a perfect example of a personal luxury car. An AMC Matador Brougham complete with Oleg Cassini interior isn't. Regardless of reality, by 1973 every car with two doors and faux-vinyl seats got tagged with the PLC label. As such, the phrase "personal luxury car" became meaningless.

Apropos of all that, Mercedes-Benz was kind enough to let us test its two-door version of its new W212 E-Class, the 2010 E350 Coupe. The new model marks the first time in three generations that Mercedes has offered a coupe version of what's generally considered to be its sauerbraten und spätzle. You'd have to go back to Bill Clinton's first term (that's pre-Lewinsky) to find the two-door W124 E-Class. Obviously, the B-pillarless two-door qualifies as a coupe, but a personal luxury car? Or, dare we say it, a GT?

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe

Continue reading Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe is a worthy companion

Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe is a worthy companion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Next Tesla Roadster aims at 911 Turbo with AWD and usable space

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Green

Tesla Roadster - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Electric drivetrain aside, the Tesla Roadster isn't the most practical sports car on the market. Like its Lotus counterpart, the Roadster is lacking space for both passengers and parcel, something Tesla CEO Elon Musk is all-too-happy to admit. But as you'd expect from the plucky upstart and its confident chief executive, Tesla has big plans to expand beyond the Roadster and Model S sedan, and it's got the Porsche 911 in its sights.

Although we've known for some time that Tesla plans to base future models on the Model S platform - ranging from a base model to a full-fledged GT - the automaker's been tight-lipped about the specifics of future sports cars. However, Musk let it slip during an interview that a 911 Turbo shares a space in his garage with a Roadster, and he loves its ability to schlep the kiddies to school in its diminutive back seats. Inspired, Musk said that the next Tesla sports car would be a 2+2, boasting 10% more room for rear-seat passengers and 50% more trunk space than the 911, along with all-wheel drive. Additionally, the Model S' flat architecture means that styling won't be completely influenced by the drivetrain, allowing for "greater functionality with avant garde, aggressive" styling. Although this new coupe's future is largely dependent on the success of the Model S, if Tesla can keep the lights on and continue R&D, we might see the GT as early as 2012 or 2013.

Gallery: Jason Calacanis' Tesla Roadster

[Source: WebRidesTV]

REPORT: Next Tesla Roadster aims at 911 Turbo with AWD and usable space originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2009: Consider The Show Stopped - Infiniti rolls out its Essence on a grand scale

Chris Paukert — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:05:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Green, Technology, Videos, Infiniti

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Infiniti Essence Concept

Infiniti is looking to make a big splash as it enters the European market at an unfortunate economic moment, and not much can tug at the heartstrings of the continent's populace like a high-powered, sexy coupe with a green soul. With the Essence concept, Nissan's upscale brand has delivered in a big way. The sultry cab-backwards coupe is nothing if not dramatically indulgent in its scale (it's a commanding 4.7-meters long), and the rear-drive, gas-electric hybrid is something to behold in the metal, with elements that recall other coupes (the Fisker Karma comes to mind), but a look all its own.

Powered by a twin-turbo, direct-injection 3.7-liter V6 and a new electric drive design dubbed "3D Motor", the Essence yields a combined 592 brake horsepower (434 via internal-combustion, 158 brake horsepower via the lithium-ion backed disc-shaped electric motor).

The very unjapanese scale of the Essence yields a more Nippon-influenced interior for two, including an attractive driver-oriented "cocoon" that features a flat-bottomed steering wheel, hand-painted wood designed to look like Japanese laquerware and eccentricities like asymmetrical seat seams that mimic the way 'Japanese men and women tie their kimonos." Presumably, said kimonos fit nicely in the bespoke Louis Vuitton luggage (made more accessible via a powered trunk shelf).

Click on the jump to watch a video of the Essence in motion, as well specs and a press release including details on the coupe's next-generation Safety Shield side collision prevention and back-up collision prevention technology.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Infiniti Essence

Gallery: Infiniti Essence Concept

Continue reading Geneva 2009: Consider The Show Stopped - Infiniti rolls out its Essence on a grand scale

Geneva 2009: Consider The Show Stopped - Infiniti rolls out its Essence on a grand scale originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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