Audi Prologue Concept Imagined as a Convertible

Rumor has it that Audi will build an A9 luxury coupe based on the Prologue Concept, which has recently been unveiled in a new color with an autonomous driving technology and a hybrid powertrain.

Another Render from the Land of Never-Ever Going to Happen: Chrysler 300 Ute

Now this is what we call thinking out of the box; it’s useless and unrealistic, yes, but this Chrysler 300 ute looks quite cool. Don’t take it too seriously – it’s just a bit of fun put together by Theophilus Chin.

Peugeot 408 Rendered - In a Kizashi Sort Of Way...

Even though the current Peugeot 407 isn't due for replacement until 2010, French car magazine L'Auto Journal has come up with a new set of renderings of the mid-size model's successor that will almost certainly be called 408. We must admit that, rabbit-tooth grille aside, the 408 shown in these scans looks pretty sharp. And why shouldn't it as the artist apparently used the Suzuki Kizashi 3 sport sedan concept that made a splash at last April's New York Auto Show as a canvas for the 408... -Continued


But come to think of it, after seeing that the Peugeot Kizashi looks quite good on paper, we'd like to propose an idea: since Suzuki seems to have outright diluted the Kizashi's styling on the forthcoming production version (click here for details) how about if Peugeot took the original concept and applied a little bit of magic to create the 408?





Via: Forum Peugeot

Allegedly Official Audi A5 Cabrio, A5 Sportback, A7 and A8 Sketches Appear on the web

Unless Audi has some sort of top secret website that it is only known to a couple of journalists around the world and has somehow escaped our attention -you'll be the judge of that, we're obliged to treat these teaser sketches depicting the German firm's future models which first appeared on the Dutch site Autoweek, either as a leak or as non official. Just for the record, Autoweek vaguely states "there are sketches of future Audi models around the web" - whatever that means. -Continued
In any case, the grayscale sketches showcase Audi's future portfolio including the 2009 A5 Cabriolet and its 5-door hatchback-coupe sibling called the A5 Sportback, the 2011 A7 four-dour coupe which is based on the A6 platform and will compete against Merc's CLS along with the next generation 2010 A8 luxury sedan.

Related Story:

• Audi's 2008-2010 Product Plan
  

Via: Autoweek.nl

Kia Soul Rendering Speculations: Three-Door and Convertible Variants

A Kia fan has whipped up a couple of computer generated renderings based on the Korean automaker's newest proposition in the sub-compact segment, the Soul which was recently revealed at the Paris motorshow. Kia-World forum member Kevin created a rather convincing three-door variant as well as a less inspiring soft-top convertible version of the Soul. -Continued


Despite the fact that Kia has not announced plans to offer any additional versions of the Soul other than the five-door hatchback that will go on sale in Europe next February followed by North America in April 2009, we wouldn't be surprised if the Korean firm actually presents a three-door variant of its so-called "Urban Crossover" in the near future.

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Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: Kia-World

New Nissan 370Z - Best Scoop Picture Yet?

In less than a week's time and, in particular, on Wednesday, 29 October, Nissan is expected to lift the veil of its all-new 370Z with the release of the first official pictures of the sports coupe. Since four days in internet time is like an eternity we thought we'd share this scanned picture from the latest issue of the Japanese car magazine Carmode that was sent to us by our loyal reader Tim. We're not sure if the 370Z in the shot above has been scooped without any camouflage or if it has been lightly photoshopped, but fact is that, from what we've seen floating around the net, it gives us a pretty accurate picture of the sports coupe. -Continued

The successor to the 350Z which has been benchmarked against the Porsche Cayman and the next generation BMW Z4 just to mention a few, will make its first public appearance at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 19 November 2008.

While Nissan has adopted the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of mentality for its new sports car, nevertheless the 370Z will boast a more powerful 3.7-liter V6 engine -same as the one used in the Infiniti G37- with power channeled through a 7-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox, as well as a shorter wheelbase for better handling and a significantly improved interior.

Related Stories (Click on the links):

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• Video: Nissan 370Z First Drive
  
• Nissan 370Z Stars in Need For Speed Undercover Video Game
  

Kudos to Tim (once again) for the picture - Source: Carmode

SEMA-ized 2010 Camaro Black Teaser Shots

The new 2010 Camaro will be without any doubt one of the star attractions at next month's SEMA show in Las Vegas. Chevy is expected to unveil several tricked out Camaros including the aptly named 'Black' that you see pictured above in the teaser sketch released today by Chevrolet. The company has yet to release any details whatsoever, but as you can see from the pics the Camaro Black will feature among other upgrades a full bodykit and a new set of alloy wheels. Skip the jump to see the rest of the pics. -Continued

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Volkswagen SP-2 Concept Revives VW's 1970s Brazilian Coupe

The revival of the Scirocco nameplate in VW's portfolio seems to have inspired designer Marcelo Rosa to create a modern interpretation of another Volkswagen coupe, the relatively unknown SP-2 which was built in Brazil from 1972 through 1976. The SP-2 that was named after the initials of the German firm's plant in Sao Paulo was developed by Volkswagen's Brazilian arm exclusively for the South American market. -Continued

Based on the underpinnings of the Type 3 (called Variant in Brazil), the two-seater coupe was powered by a rear-mounted, 4-cylinder boxer engine developing an output of 65PS that offered the SP-2 a top speed of 161 km/h or 100 mph. Despite its unique looks, the SP2's mundane powerplant ultimately resulted to its demise in 1976 after selling a little over 10,000 units, several hundreds of which managed to find their way into Europe.

Now, if VW ever decided to resurrect the SP-2 basing it on the all-new Scirocco, Marcelo Rosa's design exercise seems like a pretty good point to start off from. What do you think?

Via: Motorpasion

Lexus LF SS Concept by Jin Hee Kim

Lately there seems to be an abundance of concept proposals all over the net from independent designers -professional or amateur. The most recent one to fall upon our hands is the Lexus LF SS which is a somewhat futuristic study for a next-generation Lexus GS created by Jin Hee Kim. According to the designer, while the premium sports sedan concept features the same wheelbase length as the current GS, the two vehicles differ significantly in their styling, drivetrain and packaging. -Continued

Jin Hee Kim supports that the LF SS has been designed to accommodate a hybrid drivetrain that comprises a V8 petrol engine and an electric motor backed up by a dye-sensitized solar cell which is a relatively new type of low-cost solar cells.

Taken as a whole, we'd say that Jin Hee Kim's styling proposal for the new GS ain't so bad but if we had a say in it, we'd tell him to completely rework the concept's front end as it looks like a swollen belly about to burst.

Via: diseno-art