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With its poised, confident presence, the mere look of the GLK-Class leaves one in no doubt about its intent to conquer the premium compact-SUV segment. All while displaying unmistakable echoes of the G-Class, the forefather of the Mercedes-Benz SUV family. As Head of Design, Gordon Wagener, remarks: “Combining the puristic design of our style icon, the G-Class, with the latest Mercedes-Benz design idiom makes the GLK a model with genuine character.”

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertibles, Honda, Misc. Auto Shows

The London Motor Show opens up on July 22nd and with it, comes a new concept from Honda, the Open Study Model or OSM. The lightweight, two-seater, open-air sports car is another design study by Honda that attempts to blend performance and sustainable motoring into a comprehensive package. Designed by Honda’s R&D center in Offenbach, Germany, the OSM is a vehicle in the same environmentally friendly vein as the CR-Z concept unveiled in Tokyo last year, considered to be a low emissions alternative to the traditional sports coupe.

The CR-Z is still slated to be released sometime next year, but Honda insists that the OSM is strictly a design study and is not confirmed for production. However, as OSM (read: awesome) as it may be, it’s not the next S2000, according to Honda spokesperson Steve Kirk.

This creative, limo hot rod or hot rod limo, was surprised in California. It can be elsewhere than in town hot rod design?
The concept is interesting and even nice … but if the rain starts?

Hot Rod Limo

Citroen introduced the first pictures and information with the new C3 Picasso, a model which will start on the market this year.
Citroen’s new generation of the model C3 and chose to do so in a way particularly May. The French have now presented a new mono-volume based C3, which they called C3 Picasso and you’ll see, exhibited at Auto Salon in Paris in the autumn.
C3 Picasso certainly attracts attention because of design, one very personal - if the right can say. The style adopted by Citroen dealings with the fact that the current generation C3 was preferred in particular women and likely the new model will target mainly the same. However, the car does not look bad at all and promises great practical advantages.
On launching (the beginning of 2009), C3 Picasso will be offered with 2 gas propeller (1.4 liters - 95 HP and 1.6 liters - 120 CP) and a HDi turbo diesel, 1.6 liters, in two versions of power: 90 HP and 110 HP.
In Paris it seems that will be presented and the new generation C3 (the hatchback), which will probably notice about the same design, with the sales to debut at the beginning of next year.

Citroen C3 Picasso

Two graduates from Romanian industrial design, Andrei Avarvarii and Adrian Vasiliu, have presented a project for construction of a sports car BMW Z0 for the next decade working with hydrogen and has zero emissions of CO2, according auto.cz.
Stocks fuels become increasingly smaller, and their prices have risen. Therefore, the two Romanian deemed ideal for their car would be a 1.6 liter engine and 147 kW (200 HP) to work with hydrogen. Internal combustion engine will have zero emissions of CO2, and the model name here Z0.
BMW Z0 having a weight of 450 kg, can reach 100 km / h in less than 4 seconds and can reach a maximum speed of around 220 km / h.
The two designers say that such a car could appear on the market over 10 years, because the development of hydrogen engines for serial production will take much more.

BMW cars for the future

How will the future cars look like? It is a question to which each of us, the passionate cars, we thought many times. Automotive evolve and should be somehow to handle as many constraints: low fuel consumption, to find other sources of energy, constant limiting emissions of pollutants, in proportion to use increasingly higher recyclable materials.
It is clear that these constraints will change the way in which a car show, the way in which a driver feels, the way they go and sensations they cause. And yet, until now at least, we can not make a clear idea about what we drive (or will lead us) in the future. There are electric cars, but they do not seem at all prepared to offer - for now - the same advantages as cars with classic propulsion. There are also hybrid cars, but they do not sell, except in very small quantities and are truly less polluting and more economical only on some markets, due to traffic conditions.
Volkswagen tries to imagine how will show cars over 20 years, from now on; or better say the year 2028 cars. The Germans have created a special website www.volkswagen2028.com, which we propose to imagine us “relationship” that we could have with a car at that time. Volkswagen engineers their pictures interactive car, which “thinks” critical situations, avoids traffic bottlenecks and increases the degree of comfort and accessibility.

Volkswagen Cars in 2028

Special for this site, Volkswagen designers have imagined three concepts, which the German manufacturer associates them with the possible range of Volkswagen models at that time. It is “one”, “ego” and “room”.
“One is a model with a single place, practically, for transport quickly and efficiently,” ego “is like a sports car with two seats, and” room “plays the role of the family car.
I’ll do you? How realistic are these interpretations? There’s too close for the year 2028 also kind of car?

The head of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, said the German publication Welt am Sonntag that emissions of polluting machines brand will drop by 40% until 2012, and the cars will be easier and could use and hybrid technologies in the future. “We work in a Ferrari to use alternative sources of energy and will be based on what we do now in Formula 1,” said di Montezemolo. He referred to the KERS system (Kinetic Energy Recycling System), which will be used in Formula 1 in the year. The energy stored by the new technology can be used to improve acceleration or taking the curves.
Montezemolo held to stress that a hybrid Ferrari will not lose anything in the sports specific brand, and the first such hybrid cars will not appear soon for 2015.
To reduce emissions, Italians could choose to go to something smaller engines and more efficient, and the V12 and V8 engines today might be replaced, even partially, V6 engine.

Ferrari thinks hybrid!

It comes against the backdrop of draft EU authorities to limit CO2 emissions of auto manufacturers to levels unthinkable, especially for manufacturers of sports cars which by definition have powerful engines and emissions several times higher than cars of the city. For example, if the most “green” cars on the market of CO2 emissions under 100 g / km, the model Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the value is approaching 500 g / km.

Riding on a high wave of demand for more fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota is planning to produce a new hybrid-only model to the tune of 100,000 units a year. The planned hybrid will be Toyota’s second dedicated hybrid model after the popular Prius. While the Prius features a 1.5 liter gasoline engine, the new hybrid model will feature a 2 to 2.5 liter engine. It will join the ranks of other hybrid models in Toyota’s lineup including the Prius, Camry Hybrid, and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will also offer a rebadged version of it under the luxury brand Lexus, which is also currently producing a line of hybrid vehicles such as the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid and the RX Hybrid.

In the face of the current shaky state of the auto industry, Chrysler could try to increase profitability and improve stability by retiring some models while adding value to existing mid-range trims. This means a possible realignment of the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring lines. In its plan dubbed ‘Fight Back’, Chrysler might cut the top trim levels of the Avenger and Sebring, while some of their features might be shifted to previously mid-range models.

Some of the key changes in the plan include eschewing the 3.5L V6 for a more efficient four-cylinder. This could improve fuel efficiency by as much as 4 mpg to 30 mpg. That’s hefty savings of up to 15%. Combining better features such as navigation, upholstery and entertainment options with a more efficient powertrain could make a more attractive package with improved value. Still, it remains to be seen whether Chrysler’s vehicle models can improve their competitiveness against other better-selling cars from the likes of Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

Just days ahead of its planned debut, the new Camaro in production trim was revealed in a series of leaked photos on the internet. The pictures showing the production car in red as well as one interior shot were posted by CarTribe, a UK car site.

The new Camaro will be available in standard US-market models LS, LT and SS with a hint at a fourth trim level. The car will be fitted with 6-speed manual and auto transmissions. To improve fuel economy, the Camaro will feature a fuel-efficient 296hp (220kW) 3.6-liter V6 and 416hp (310kW) 6.2-liter V8 engines. The Camaro will also boast of a fully independent suspension and stability control.

Check out some serious eye candy (click on image to enlarge):

Via Motor Authority