Autoblog

So the Kia VG mule that has kept spy photographers busy the last few weeks has now been given a computer animated face and body. It's a nice looking ride, though has a surprising amount in common with the Hyundai Genesis... which means we also see, well, a lot of other cars in it. But that's not a bad thing, really, because the result is a tasty little creation, especially coming from Kia. The lines are a touch more forceful than those on the Genesis, which goes along with Kia being the sporting brand, or so they say. If the final version looks even close to this rendering, and they give it performance to match... well, then Kia will have taken a giant leap forward. Thanks for the tip, miha!

[Source: Kia World]

We're pretty excited about the upcoming rear-wheel-drive coupe from Hyundai, which you can probably tell by the myriad of posts we've written about it. Most have been spy shots of the car, which reveal very little about what the actual car may look like beyond its overall size and general proportions.

We happened upon this tiny rendering at the French site Caradisiac, and while our Google translation offers little explanation of what we're looking at exactly, we believe this could be an official rendering of the car from Hyundai, or maybe we just want it to be because it looks that damn good.

The details we've been able to glimpse from spy shots appear faithfully included in this rendering, particularly the wheels and the horizontal character line right behind the front wheels. While this certainly could be an unofficial render produced for a magazine or website, we're putting our money down on the chance that it's the real deal. Either way, if the car looks this good, we won't be disappointed.

[Source: Caradisiac]

When I was a kid, I used to sit in front of the computer and draw up concept cars on Microsoft Paint. It was, and still is, a very primitive application, but it was simple enough for me to use back in grade school. I even designed the graphics for a local ISP's website on MS Paint, but that was the extent of it.

Here's someone, meanwhile, with the know-how and the skills who decided to render a Lamborghini Murcielago, with considerable detail and skill, all on Microsoft Paint. What's more is that he captured the entire process on video and uploaded it to YouTube, from blank page to finished product. Someone with too much time on his hands? Probably, but his video has been making the rounds. And remember, if the time-lapse nine-minute video has you bored halfway through, think of how long it must have taken him in real time.

[Source: Jalopnik]

When Mercedes decided to aim for the entry-level luxury market in the U.S., the best they could come up with was the C230 Sport, which, because of an anemic powertrain and a high cost of ownership, never quite made it into primetime. In Europe, the A-class subcompact pseudo-minivan hasn't caught favor with as big a chunk of the populace as expected either, so with both those lessons learned, Merc is going back to the drawing board.

According to AutoZeitung, the M.B. boys are developing a compact hatch to rival the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series in the burgeoning compact-luxury class. The rendering, which can be viewed in full by clicking here, may be a close resemblance to what may make it to market at the turn of the decade. Drawing cues from the recently redesigned C-class, the A-class hatch has several distinctly Audi design elements, partnered with the new Mercedes grille. If coupled to the right combination of diesel- and petrol-powered engines, this could be a real success both in the U.S. and abroad.

An argument can be made that Mercedes shouldn't set its sights so low, again. But, if such a vehicle comes to fruition, we'll keep such judgments to ourselves – until we get to drive one.

[Source: AutoZeitung (Google-Translated)]