Future Chevrolet Corvette, CUV Teased In TV Show Clip?

In a recent episode of Americarna on the Velocity channel, Ray Evernham has a quick chat with Ed Welburn, global vice president of design for General Motors, to see some of what it takes to bring vehicle design concepts to the real world. The clip is remarkable in that it shows the inner workings of how GM develops its future cars and concept vehicles, but if you look close, there might also be a few sneak peeks to enjoy.

First, Welburn shows a full-scale clay model of what looks to be a small crossover, and the interesting part of this is that you can just barely make out the existence of a Chevrolet bowtie on the wheels. It would appear that this model is inspired by a sketch - some of which can be seen on the wall at around the 1:17 mark. Could this be the next-gen Chevy Equinox?

The true highlight of the video comes when Welburn gets to designer Christine Park, who says she's working on the design of a "Chevy sports car." There are a few different vehicle designs visible on her computer monitor, but the one that sticks out the most is the yellow vehicle wearing the signature crossed flag emblem of the Corvette on its nose. The short nose and vented hood could very well be the oft-rumored, mid-engined Corvette named "Zora." Of course, the Corvette's chief engineer, Tadge Juechter, recently denied rumored of this car's existence.

Continue reading to learn more about the Chevrolet Corvette "Zora" ZR1.

Future Chevrolet Corvette, CUV Teased In TV Show Clip? originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 16 March 2015 16:00 EST.

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MINI ALL4 Racing

A total of eight MINI ALL4 Racing cars will compete in one of the longest and most challenging off-road events in the world: the Dakar Rally.

Originally hosted in 1979, the annual event is classified as a "rally raid" - that is, a long distance, cross-country marathon run held over the course of several days. The Dakar is composed of hundreds of racers in a variety of classes wielding motorcycles, quads, trucks, and cars. It's a grueling, two-week journey over thousands of miles of rough terrain; an epic test of both mechanical fortitude and human will. Simply finishing the event is a monumental accomplishment.

The original event was a race between Paris, France, and Dakar, Senegal, but organizers moved to South America in 2009 citing security concerns. However, the new location is no less punishing, as the upcoming rally will cover some 9,000 kilometers of dunes, mud, sand, rocks, gravel, and extreme altitudes across Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia.

If you think this sounds like the wrong event for a MINI, you're incorrect. High-performance versions of the plucky vehicle have a streak going with three consecutive victories between 2012 and 2014. For the 2015 event taking place in early January, a total of eight MINI entrants will attempt to maintain the championship.

"Even with the most outstanding preparation, the Dakar remains a tremendous adventure with unforeseeable challenges and highly demanding tasks that all participants will have to master in order to succeed," said Jochen Goller, Senior Vice President at MINI, in a press release. "With this in mind, we are more than pleased to enter the 2015 Dakar Rally with a professional, experienced team in our strategic partners of the X-raid Team, a highly competitive driver line-up and a proven winner in the Mini ALL4 Racing."

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 MINI ALL4 Racing.

MINI ALL4 Racing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 15 November 2014 23:00 EST.

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BMW X1 M Sport sDrive28i

Posted on 08.5.2013 16:00 by Tom Burkart

The BMW X1 is a fantastic addition to the Bimmer range, as well as to the TopSpeed Garage. During our week testing the M Sport X1 sDrive28i, the car won many friends with its driving environment, striking new-BMW styling crispness and a truly sports-car-like agility versus the larger X3.

The X1 is offered stateside in three trim levels across the turbo four-cylinder 28i and turbo six-cylinder 35i powerplants, with xDrive available across the range. The test car's X1 sDrive28i pairs the base engine with the top M Sport trim level at the top, bringing a beautiful body-color bumper treatment absent from the cheaper 'Sport' and 'X-line' trim packs. The M Sport option also includes a variety of other tasty upgrades, including sports leather seats and handsome special paint and wheel options.

The X1 fills such a successful gap in the entry-level BMW offering that it even caught Audi and Mercedes-Benz flatfooted, with their GLA250 and Audi Q3 competitors still at least a year from reaching American buyers.

The X1 certainly doesn't have the small premium crossover market to itself, but does carve a unique niche with few pretend off-road aspirations and a decidedly performance focus to its V-rated, 18-inch Pirelli's.

This road-going bias helps the X1 to be an agile and playful companion on any stretch of pavement, with a 60 mph sprint just above 6 seconds for both rear- and all-wheel-drive 28i four-cylinders and down to the low 5's for the potent X1 xDrive35i.

All this with a base price just above $30,000 means the X1 is the first affordable BMW entry for crossover shoppers, considering the Acura RDX or the Mini Cooper Countryman.

The full TopSpeed Garage drive review is past the jump, and takes a close look at the coolest performance options and features of the practical but sporty X1 sDrive28i M Sport.

BMW X1 M Sport sDrive28i originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 5 August 2013 16:00 EST.

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Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE - Driven

The Outlander Sport joined Mitsubishi's lineup in 2011, and save for a mild tweak to the continuously variable transmission, it hasn't changed much since. When it debuted, the Outlander Sport was essentially a smaller version of the larger Outlander model. That all ended in 2014, when Mitsubishi completely revised the front end of the bigger Outlander model and left the Sport model to carry the sportier, Lancer-inspired grille. Heading into 2014, the Outlander Sport gains a few extra goodies, including new steering wheel-mounted controls and HD radio on the range-topping SE model.

I once loved Mitsubishi models. You had the Eclipse, Lancer Evo and the 3000GT to do the sporty stuff in, a few SUVs to do the heavy hauling with, and a slew of sedans and hatchbacks to do your A-to-B driving. Well, now Mitsubishi is due to lose the Evo, the 3000GT is long gone, and the Eclipse is gone, leaving the lineup rather bare.

Last year I had the chance to drive the 2014 Outlander, and I came away a little disappointed in what it offered. Now I am getting the chance to drive the range-topping 2014 Outlander Sport SE. Can this compact SUV fare any better than its big brother did?

Click past the jump to read my review on the 2014 Outlander Sport SE to find out.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE - Driven originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 26 June 2014 18:00 EST.

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How Ferrari Could Make Billions and Kill Itself in Five Quick Years

Ferrari will have five new cars to release in the next five years. And that number doesn't include special editions, one-offs or anything like that. Doesn't that sound super amazing?!

Well it does sound cool, but the news is not as big as it sounds. Ferrari has been on a yearly update schedule for quite a while now. That is simply their main business plan. Every year we get a revised model, and every four years, that model gets a heavy update. So we had things like the 599 GTB that became the 599 GTO. For the current lineup, we got the California, then the 458, the FF came after that, and now we have the F12 Berlinetta. Then the cycle began its repeat with this year's California T, the first major refresh. Next year should see a faster, modified version of the 458 arrive.

Ferrari is also still enforcing its 7,000-car maximum production limit, so there won't be any more available than there already are. I think the really big takeaway from the announcement was the fact that Ferrari said they are still exclusively using V-8 and V-12 engines. There were rumors of something like a forced induction V-6 in a potential 458 update, so those are now basically dead. Ferrari also is not going to heavily invest into hybrid systems until the tech reaches a level they deem satisfactory.

As cool as the announcement of a new lineup of Ferrari's seems, it's actually just business as usual.

But what if Ferrari didn't do business as usual? What if Ferrari decided it wanted to dramatically increase sales, and didn't care so much about its brand prestige and message? It worked wonders for Porsche with models like the Cayenne.

Hit the break to see our self-destructing, five-year Ferrari plan; brand prestige be damned.

How Ferrari Could Make Billions and Kill Itself in Five Quick Years originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 12 May 2014 13:00 EST.

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Kia Sorento "Justice League" by West Coast Customs

Posted on 07.18.2013 12:00 by Justin Cupler

The San Diego Comic-Con opened up today and what better way to celebrate it than with a comic book-inspired ride? Well, Kia was happy to deliver the goods by way of a Justice League-inspired 2013 Sorento that took a whopping 10 months to complete.

For those that don't know, the Justice League first appeared in The Brave and Beautiful issue No. 28, which was put on shelves in 1960. The original seven members of the famed comic book team were Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter, but many characters came and went through the years. This Sorento features all of the original characters with the exception of the lesser-known Martian Manhunter - in his place is more mainstream Cyborg - painted on each side of the vehicle by West Coast Customs. Each of the characters on this Sorento also had their own individual customized Kia and you can see each one by clicking on each name above.

Up front, the hood features a "Justice League" decal and nothing else, giving the crossover a clean, but still custom, look from the front end. The Kia also received blacked-out upper and lower grilles.

On the inside, the customization continues. West Coast Customs reupholstered all three rows of seats with one character's colors and logo on each seat. Up front, the driver's seat features the Superman logo and red piping, and the passenger's seat features a batman logo on the headrest and gold piping. The three center-row seats features Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash logos with their respective colored piping. Finally, the third row of seats feature Aquaman and Cyborg logos with piping to match.

Also customized are the door panels, which feature comic strips on the upper inserts and color-coordinated piping, and the center console with its comic-strip covering.

What's more, is that you can buy this custom rig on Ebay and bidding runs from today through July 27th here. The profits from the auction will go to help the We Can Be Heros campaign, which helps feed starving families in the Horn of Africa. So, not only can you own an awesome ride, but you also help a great cause, it's a win-win situation.

The customization is based on a Sorento EX with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that puts down 276 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque.

Click past the jump to read more about the Justice League Sorento.

Kia Sorento "Justice League" by West Coast Customs originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 18 July 2013 12:00 EST.

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Chevrolet Captiva Sport

Posted on 07.18.2013 17:00 by Tom Burkart

In the 2014 Chevrolet Captiva Sport's senior yearbook, the standard headshot would have been replaced by a blank "No Photo Available." This commercial vehicle sits in the fleet-only section of Chevy's U.S. lineup. These models major on sale price and fuel mileage - but typically include few tech or luxury features and zero trendy styling.

The opposite of trendy, the Captiva Sport is eerily familiar on all American roads. By george! It is the stillborn, second-gen Saturn Vue in a bowtie grille! Additional fender flares and chrome accents appear where there were once maroon Saturn badges.

Reviving this car is a special treatment within General Motors, and only replicated with the (also fleet-only) Chevy Caprice PPV that started life as the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. What this distinction means for the Captiva Sport is that the vehicles have to be delivered directly to a commercial operator, thereby skipping the local retailer in favor of bulk orders.

The Captiva Sport's big news for 2014 is an updated infotainment unit that now offers Chevrolet MyLink touchscreen audio and mobile connectivity.

The Captiva Sport is therefore a work car for people who might otherwise be in a Malibu Classic (yes, it existed..) or a Cruze - neither of which have AWD winter traction.

The larger Chevrolet Equinox is also on the fleet books for virtually identical list prices. How do they compare?

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, the only autobahn-tested AWD crossover in the Chevrolet's American commercial fleet lineup.

Chevrolet Captiva Sport originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 18 July 2013 17:00 EST.

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2014 Jeep Cherokee Ad Unearths Your Inner Childhood

Posted on 11.2.2013 12:00 by Mark McNabb

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Ah, the boundless joys of childhood. Freedom and possibilities that stretched as far as the neighborhood streets, as fast as your bicycle would ride them, and as a wide as your orange-peel smile in the school cafeteria. Jeep's new Built Free ad campaign aims to unearth those youthful feelings from under the mundane grind of adulthood with the slogan, "You're still here. And you're still you. The horizons haven't gone anywhere."

The commercial for the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee ditches the numbers-filled, technical approach to selling in favor of a strictly lifestyle angle, with Chrysler saying the technical stuff will come later.

"The return of Jeep Cherokee and the Built Free campaign serves as a reminder that we can fulfill our daily responsibilities and still follow our innate desire to explore new and different experiences," says Olivier Francois, Chrysler's Chief Marketing Officer. "The Jeep brand has a rich history steeped in the unrelenting pursuit of freedom."

The ad started airing Oct. 28th on all the major television networks and is the first in a long line of advertisements for the new crossover. Print, online, and even movie theater spots will follow, including Ben Stiller's latest, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Jeep began marketing the Cherokee this summer with a unique digital campaign "Tales from the Trailhawk," an online video series showcasing the crossover's 4x4 capabilities. The video series follows the Cherokee through the many off-road obstacles it faced while earning its "Trail Rated" badge, including traction, articulation, maneuverability, ground clearance, and water fording.

The Cherokee may be trail-rated, but now can finally be considered dealer-rated, as it officially makes it way into dealer showrooms. The Cherokee's launch was delayed by two months due to last-minute updates to the engine management software. The Cherokee has a base starting price of $22,995, excluding tax, title, and destination.

Click past the jump for more about the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee

2014 Jeep Cherokee Ad Unearths Your Inner Childhood originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 2 November 2013 12:00 EST.

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Mini John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Dakar Winner

Posted on 03.1.2013 17:00 by Simona

Mini has unveiled a special-edition John Cooper Works Countryman to celebrate the company’s huge success their triumph in the Dakar Rally 2013 where Stephane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret have driven their MINI ALL4 Racing to overall victory. This new special edition, dubbed the ALL4 Dakar Winner, will be limited to only 11 units - a tribute to Peterhansel's 11 Dakar wins and it will be sold exclusively in Peterhansel's home country of France.

On the exterior, this special edition uses the same colors seen on the MINI ALL4 Racing: a matte-black body combined with special bright-green racing stripes. The exterior will be distinguished by Dakar Rally winner’s logo and the Peterhansel’s signature on the bonnet. As with any other special edition, the new John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Dakar Winner received new 19-inch light-alloy wheels in Cross-Spoke Crusher design.

On the interior, the same black used on the exterior is combined with green contrast stitching on the gearshift lever gaiter and floor mats and, green stripes on the center console. Each unit will also be further identified by a special-edition logo and with the serial number placed above the glove compartment.

There is no mention of performance upgrades, so we can only assume that this special edition retains the same 211-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that is good for 221 pound-feet of peak torque. This sprints the JCW Countryman to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds.

2014 Acura MDX Prototype Teased Before Detroit Debut

Posted on 12.12.2012 15:00 by Simona Filed under: Acura | Detroit Auto Show | crossover | Acura MDX | utility vehicle | 2013 | Cars | Car News

Acura has been testing the next-generation MDX for quite some time now, but the official debut of the production version is still months away. Before we have the chance to see it on the market, Acura will debut the first prototype version in January 2013 at the Detroit Auto Show.

The first teaser image, which Acura revealed today, shows that the prototype version will be feature a new "Aero Sculpture" design language that will affect both form and function. Expect the prototype's alluring proportions with smooth, arching body lines to be carried over in the production version.

Acura offered no details on the new MDX's powertrain, but rumors say it will be powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers a total of 310 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque. There are also rumors about a hybrid powertrain which will combine a V-6 engine with three electric motors.

Full details on the 2014 Acura MDX prototype will be unveiled during the company's press conference in Detroit. Stay tuned!

2014 Acura MDX Prototype Teased Before Detroit Debut originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 12 December 2012 15:00 EST.

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Nissan Juke Nismo "The Dark Knight Rises"

Posted on 12.1.2012 06:00 by Kirby Garlitos Filed under: Nissan | concept cars | crossover | special editions | Nissan Juke | Cars | Car Reviews | Nissan

Straight from the Cross Promotion 101 handbook comes this one-off project car from Nissan and Warner Bros., celebrating the UK release of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster movie, "The Dark Knight Rises" on DVD and Blu-Ray.

As only Nissan can, the Japanese automaker decided to build a one-off Juke Nismo crossover solely to promote the new DVD and Blu-Ray. Appropriately enough, the crossover is called The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo.

The crossover features plenty of Batman-inspired details, something that you should expect from a car promoting The Caped Crusader. Matte-black paint was used to give the Juke Nismo a Batmobile-like appearance. A shark fin antenna was also installed in lieu of the traditional set-up on the Juke, and aluminum bat badges have been plastered in various parts of the Juke Nismo, including the front grille and the tailgate. Rounding out the exterior modifications is a set of 18-inch gloss-black alloy wheels with red detailing.

Moving to the interior, Nissan gave it a Batman-inspired look, beginning with Bat logos on the kick plates. Reflective Bat badges on the suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats' headrests pays homage to the inspiration for the one-off project car. The puddle lights in the door mirrors are particularly cool because they project the Bat symbol on the floor area by the doors. The same setup can be found on the uplighter, projecting the same Bat symbol on the headlining.

Unfortunately, the Juke Nismo Dark Knight Rises will neither be sold nor be sent off to the auction block. The question of how to get it has yet to be answered, although expect the Juke Nismo Dark Knight Rises to be a prize in some sort of competition down the road.

Based on the new Nissan Juke Nismo, which goes on sale in the UK in January 2013, The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo features the same 200PS (197-horsepower) 1.6-liter turbocharged engine driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, giving it a 0 to 62mph (0 to 100 km/h) time of 7.8 seconds. It also gets a Nismo body kit and upgraded suspension.

Land Rover Range Rover LRGT Concept

Posted on 10.8.2012 02:00 by Justin Cupler Filed under: Landrover | suv | industry news | crossover | Landrover RangeRover | luxury cars | utility vehicle | 2012 | design study | Cars | Car Reviews | Landrover

When Thibault Devauze was just an intern at Land Rover, he was handed a big job of designing a crossover SUV to rival the likes of the X6 and the Bentley Continental GTC — an eclectic set of rivals, huh? The project had only a few real rules: make it luxurious, make it a coupe, price it above 100K, and give it the biggest, baddest engine that Land Rover had to offer.

With these guidelines and the base chassis of the Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Devauze came up with the LRGT Concept. After six weeks of designing and sketching, Devauze and two modelers came up with the first ever CAD images of his brainchild. Since then, he has used that model to come up with final results of the concept that, according to his claims, are still on the table at Land Rover.

This model is pegged to sit at the top of Land Rover's Range Rover lineup. It boasts Lad-Rover's famed front end with a slight twist, as it rakes rearward more than most current Land Rover SUVs, sans the Evoque. As you stretch over its shallow-raked, hood you come to a roofline that dives into the back end of the crossover. Around the back end you get a pair of circular taillights that cap off a sleek rump and pair of oblong tail pipes are integrated in with the rear bumper.

From the side profile, you find an awesome reverse-wedge design that just seems to fit perfectly with the sharp upper beltline and the massive pair of doors designed to replace the typical 4-door SUV setup.

The driving force under the hood of this massive 4,850 mm (190 -inch) long x 1,995 mm (78-inch) wide x 1,510 mm (59-inch) wide 2,095 kg (4,618-pound) crossover is Land Rover's supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine that pumps out 540 PS (532 horsepower) and 725 Nm (534 pound-feet) of torque.

From the looks of it, this appears to be the big brother of the Evoque, but we'll find out in the coming years if this is a production concept or just another one that will be filed away for future model design.

Subaru Forester

Posted on 09.25.2012 18:00 by Simona Filed under: Subaru | suv | crossover | Subaru Forester | future cars | utility vehicle | 2014 | Cars | Car Reviews | Subaru

The Subaru Forester was introduced to the market in 1997 and during its three generations, it has received a mid-range amount of sales. In August 2012, it was raking in a YTD figure of 50,505 units sold, well behind the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V with 176,927 and 191,113, respectively. It goes without saying that the Forester needs a little something to spike those sales and get that money rolling in for Subaru. The company is responding to this need by preparing the SUV’s fourth generation, seen here in these leaked images. The Subaru Forester will be unveiled in Japan in mid-November with sales beginning in 2013 for Europe and 2014 in the US.

The 2014 Forester will be built on a revised version of the Impreza platform and will therefore grow in its dimensions: It will be 35 mm longer (4,595 mm), 15 mm taller (1,795 mm). and 20 mm wider (1,695 mm). The wheelbase will also be extended to 2,640 mm so rear passengers will enjoy a larger interior space. The exterior of the 2014 Forester will look almost identical to its predecessor, while the interior will be fixed up to look more like the interior form the new Impreza.

In terms of power, Subaru will offer a choice of two engines for the Japanese market: a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter unit that delivers a total of 146 HP and a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine with 276 HP. US customers will get a 2.5 liter boxer engine with an output of 173 HP and 174 lb.-ft. of torque.

More details on the 2014 Subaru Forester will be revealed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Subaru Forester originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 18:00 EST.

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