With less than three months separating us from the official debut of the Lotus Eagle at the 2008 London Motor Show, Car has been able to procure a few more details about Lotus' new 2+2. The latest crop of spy shots shows the Eagle still wearing its form-obscuring camo, but viewed in profile, it's looking more Elise-like than before. The fender terminates into a ducktail spoiler, similar to that on the Elise/Exige, and the doors seem to stretch further back then previously thought to aid ingress and egress into the cramped confines of the rear seats. According to Car, the two back seats are only suitable for children nine years old and younger, or "flexible friends desperate for a lift back from the pub."
Motivation is still expected to come from a Toyota-sourced V6, likely the 3,458 cc found in the U.S.-market Camry, pushing out 262 hp and 248 lb.-ft. of torque to either a six-speed manual or some kind of automatic (!) gearbox complete with paddle shifters.
The Colin Chapman philosophy will be well represented with the Eagle, with extensive use of aluminum in the body structure and an incredibly rigid architecture that will be shored up with a carbon fiber roof. Braking duties will be handled by 350 mm cross-drilled rotors in front, mashed by AP-sourced Lotus four-pot calipers.
Production will begin late in 2008 with sales beginning in the spring of next year. Pricing is expected to start at £45,000 in the UK, slotting in nicely between the Elise and forthcoming Esprit replacement, and sales in the U.S. should begin shortly thereafter.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Insignia.
After a few leaks and an assortment of GM-sponsored "spy shots," the Opel Insignia is here. Take note. Aimed to compete in Europe with the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Mazda6 and Citroen C5, the Insignia is set to replace the aging Vectra and could come Stateside sporting a Saturn badge.
The sleeker, sexier Insignia takes a few cues from the GTC concept that helped to inspire the new sedan, with a taut fascia, muscular stance and deeply drawn side blades that extend from the front fenders to run parallel with the side sills. The old V-bar has been nixed in favor of a wider grille, complimented by a pair of intake ducts and the new Vauxhall logo. "Smart" headlights feature daytime running lamps standard and there will be an option for LED lighting on higher-spec models. The rear is sufficiently swoopy, with a tapered tail and smooth haunches, while the rear badge plays double duty as adornment and trunk release button.
The Insignia is 21 cm longer and five cm wider than the Vectra it replaces, and legroom shouldn't be an issue since the Insignia gets an additional 35 mm tacked onto its wheelbase. Three models will be available, including the standard saloon (above), a hatchback and a wagon.
Power is provided by a choice of three diesels or four gasoline-powered engines, with the former producing anywhere between 110 hp to 160 hp, and the latter putting out 115 hp from the standard four-cylinder or 260 hp from the range-topping V6. Power is channeled to either the front or all four wheels through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. A VXR model is likely to be revealed sometime next year.
The Opel Insignia will be available for a meet and greet at the London Motor Show this July and will hit showrooms in the UK this October.
The arrival of the production version of the Focus RS won't be happening until 2009, but during the London Motor Show in July, we'll get our first glimpse of Ford's newest road rocket. Top Gear conjured up some unofficial renderings of what the new RS would look like based on the teaser image that was released earlier this year, and by all accounts, it's mix of restrained aggression and planted purposefulness hits all the right spots and leaves us even more frustrated that we won't be seeing it here in the States.
As for output, informed speculation still pegs the RS as making around 280-300 hp from its turbocharged, inline five-cylinder and sending that grunt to the front wheels. Ford has decided to opt out of equipping the RS with an all-wheel-drive system – something that may prove problematic if it still wants to compete with the Evo and STI – but Ford is assuring enthusiasts that a semi-active limited-slip differential will keep torque steer in check.
Could premium small cars be the next hot segment? Things appear to be heating up with the MINI being joined by the Volvo C30 and word of another Swede stepping into the fray. Saab will unveil its Delta platform-based 9-1 at the 2008 London Motor Show and it will be available for purchase in late 2009. Nondefinitive descriptors provided by Saab assure us that the 9-1 will be dramatically styled with an iconic shape. There had been some attention paid to a high-roof small CUV idea, but Saab asserts the 9-1 will be sporty in that Saab way, though it will have the functionality younger buyers are looking for.
Rather than pile on to the CUV segment, Saab could cash in some retro love and still make a very Saaby and useful car that doesn't put on truck airs. The Saab 99 of the 1970s could provide some inspiration for the 9-1, resulting in a car that doesn't occupy a lot of space, but can swallow a refrigerator. Look to the 9-3X and 9X for hints about what the car might actually look like.
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!
If you went to the recent British Motor Show, save your ticket stubs -- that may be the last "British Motor Show" ever. The Car Connection reports that the show's organizers may be changing the name of the event to the London Motor Show, consistent with most of the world's major auto shows which are named by the city they're held in, such as Tokyo, Paris, Frankfurt, New York and Chicago. The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the major exception to that rule.
The premiere of the London Motor Show will take place for the show's next run in summer of 2008. The main issue with the change is that the event's former rival was also called the London Motor Show, which tanked thanks to a lack of manufacturer support.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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)
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)
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.
Like a proud parent after a track meet, Aston knows that endurance races are as much about finishing as they are about winning. This would explain why the company is planning to put into limited production the exact same car that completed the recent 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The actual race car finished 24th overall at Nürburgring amidst a field of dedicated racing machines. That's quite an accomplishment considering Aston's entry was completely stock except for a safety cage, special fuel tank and fire system, a racing seat and built-in air jacks. The Nürburgring Vantage V8 will be identical to the car that competed at the actual Ring in June, which means customers will be able to drive their car to the track and on the track, just like Aston did with the actual race car. Aston has not said how many it will produce, nor what the Nurburgring Vantage V8 will cost, but considering the modifications aren't that extensive we're being told it shouldn't be much more than the standard production car's price of £82,800.
With less than three months separating us from the official debut of the Lotus Eagle at the 2008 London Motor Show, Car has been able to procure a few more details about Lotus' new 2+2. The latest crop of spy shots shows the Eagle still wearing its form-obscuring camo, but viewed in profile, it's looking more Elise-like than before. The fender terminates into a ducktail spoiler, similar to that on the Elise/Exige, and the doors seem to stretch further back then previously thought to aid ingress and egress into the cramped confines of the rear seats. According to Car, the two back seats are only suitable for children nine years old and younger, or "flexible friends desperate for a lift back from the pub."
Tragedy at LeMons: Send love and a little bit more
Officially Official: New Ferrari California exposed!
Tweaked 2009 Ford Focus Coupe debuts
Subaru Exiga heading to production, teaser leaks out
VIDEO: Danica Patrick hits crew member on pit lane at Indy
Future Classic: 1984 Chrysler Minivans
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
Project Track Slut, Part One: Pick a weapon on the cheap
By the Numbers: April 2008
_thumbnail.jpg "Lamborghini Reventon unboxed in Las Vegas")
