debut Archives | Page 9 of 9

2012 Saab 9-4X confirmed for LA debut in November

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Crossover, Saab, Luxury

Saab 9-4X Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve been expecting this announcement to come sooner or later, though we didn’t exactly count on it coming from the LA Auto Show’s own Twitter page. But there it is anyway, straight from the horse’s mouth: “Saab has confirmed that the 9-4X Crossover will make its world debut at the LA Auto Show this Nov.”

We’re also expecting some sort of official word that the new crossover ‘ute, which will share its Theta Premium underpinnings with the Cadillac SRX, should hit the market sometime in the spring of 2011… perhaps around April.

While we’re on the subject of expectations, we’d also imagine that Saab will offer its premium crossover with the same powerplants as the recently released 9-5, which means we could see a 2.0-liter turbocharged four and a 2.8-liter turbocharged six, both likely mated with a six-speed automatic transmission and available all-wheel drive. We’ll apparently find out for sure soon enough.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept

[Source: LA Auto Show’s Twitter]

2012 Saab 9-4X confirmed for LA debut in November originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2012 Saab 9-4X confirmed for LA debut in November”

Leaked! 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS peeks out before official debut

Filed under: Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS leaked shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Whoops! The men and women in Stuttgart weren’t planning to unveil the new Mercedes-Benz CLS just yet, but the crew from eMercedesBenz snagged these leaked images showing the new four-door coupe in all its production-ready glory.

As expected, the new CLS takes a lot of its styling cues from Benz’s Shooting Break concept (they’re name, not ours) notably the upright grille and more aggressive front fascia. The sectioned-off headlamp design has also remained intact, and from these photo-realistic renderings, it looks like someone shot the CLS in the eyes with lemon juice. Still, we’re eager to see how this mix of LEDs looks out on the road at dusk. The CLS also uses the more shapely rear hips of the Shooting Break concept, rounding out the revised rear end. It’s certainly more stylish than the outgoing CLS, which says a lot.

Inside, the CLS continues to use its four-seat arrangement with a center console that extends the full length of the cabin, and we fully expect the overall refinement to fall somewhere between the E-Class and S-Class sedans. Plush stuff, we’re sure.

When the CLS launches, eMercedesBenz reports that a new 3.5-liter direct-injected V6 will be offered, as well as a twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 good for around 430 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Of course, an AMG version won’t be far behind with the all-new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 underhood.

Now that these leaked shots have hit the web, don’t be surprised if the official images and details are published in the very near future. Stay tuned for the full smattering, and in the meantime, scroll through the attached gallery to see the high-res leaked images.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS Leaked Shots

[Source: eMercedesBenz]

Leaked! 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS peeks out before official debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Leaked! 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS peeks out before official debut”

Monterey 2010: Morgan EvaGT makes debut at Pebble Beach

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Luxury

Morgan EvaGT – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Morgan Motor Company has been making new cars all along, but some people seem to have forgotten that fact as most of their “new” models looked a heckuva lot like their old models. That started to change with the introduction of their Aero cars a few years ago – and we predict the name “Morgan” will be a little more common once their latest concept hits showrooms. The company took the wraps off their new EvaGT in Pebble Beach on Sunday, right in front of the Pebble Beach Lodge on the concept lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. We had seen a partial sketch a few weeks ago, but holy wow is this car stunning in person. There’s a full press release after the jump and a gallery of high-res pics for you too, but the basic stats are these: It uses a 3.0-liter BMW straight six that produces 306 horsepower, a six-speed automatic or manual transmission, weighs just 2,755 pounds, gets 40 miles per gallon (Imperial) and can scoot from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Morgan EvaGT Live

[Source: The Morgan Motor Company]

Continue reading Monterey 2010: Morgan EvaGT makes debut at Pebble Beach

Monterey 2010: Morgan EvaGT makes debut at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Morgan EvaGT makes debut at Pebble Beach”

Monterey 2010: Perana Z-One makes U.S. debut

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Design/Style, Luxury

Perana Z-One – Click above for high-res image gallery

Monterey has seen its share of debuts and this year stays true to form. We’ve already seen the unveilings of the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, the new Boss 302 Mustang, the Infiniti G25, Jaguar XKR175, and McLaren MP4-12C. It doesn’t end there, either. Tucked among the exotica at Concorso Italiano was the new Zagato-styled, Hi-Tech-built and Superfomance-sold, Perana Z-One sports/GT.

It’s beautiful. And the build quality is exquisite. The panel gaps put all the high-priced Italian vehicles surrounding it to shame. The styling is definitely that of a European GT, a shape that holds its own in the company of an Alfa Romeo 8C, Aston Martin or a Ferrari 599. With that Corvette engine under its long nose, however, it’s reminiscent of classic Italian/Amercan collaborative sports car efforts from companies like DeTomaso, Iso and Bizzarrini.

We weren’t alone in being smitten by this new $100,000 sports car either. It was mobbed all day, even amidst the dazzling variety from the likes of Lamborghini and Maserati. We’re hoping to arrange some seat time on the Perana Z-One, but for moment, feast your eyes on the gallery below and you’ll understand why we see big things in this vehicle’s future.

Gallery: Perana Z-One

Monterey 2010: Perana Z-One makes U.S. debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Perana Z-One makes U.S. debut”

Monterey 2010: McLaren MP4-12C makes North American debut, ushers in new McLaren order

Filed under: Coupe, Performance

McLaren MP4-12C North American debut – Click above for high-res image gallery

With a burst of light and a swoosh of its car cover, the McLaren MP4-12C made its North American debut this evening in Pebble Beach. Gooding auctions unveiled the new supercar at its preview reception, the same locale that has seen the debuts of other significant vehicles from the past few years – namely the Rolls-Royce Hyperion and the Pininfarina P4/5. But tonight McLaren was definitely the star of the show. Besides giving Americans their first glimpse of its latest model, McLaren also talked a bit about the new company they are introducing to build and sell not just the MP4-12C, but a whole range of road vehicles.

This isn’t like the way things were done with the F1, where it was basically a special project inside the technical and racing operations…no, it’s a whole new passenger car company that will have an assortment of vehicles apparently. In fact, McLaren Automotive has already announced the list of 35 cities that will be hosting McLaren dealerships, and the rumor mill is in full swing telling us that a successor to the big-daddy F1 is in the cards for as early as 2012. The last bit of info we gleened from the presentation was that they seemed to talk a lot about their winning history in both Formula 1 and sports car racing and how they love to win. Perhaps a not-so-subtle hint that a racing version of the MP4-12C will be built? Makes sense to us. While we’re waiting for spy shots of that project, do yourself a favor and check out the hot new McLaren in our gallery below.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C North American debut

Monterey 2010: McLaren MP4-12C makes North American debut, ushers in new McLaren order originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: McLaren MP4-12C makes North American debut, ushers in new McLaren order”

Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport makes North American debut

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Bugatti

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Bugatti made big news last month when it unveiled the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The 1200-horsepower supercar smashed the production car speed record by reaching nearly 268 mph at the Volkswagen proving grounds, and it even made the fastest ever lap around the Top Gear test track in the hands of the Stig.

We’ve previously only seen pictures of just one Super Sport model – the record-setting car with the polarizing orange and black paint scheme – but now we know that the Bugatti factory has spewed out at least two examples. The Super Sport made its North American debut at the Quail Motorsports Gathering earlier today with gorgeous blue carbon fiber paint. We have to say we much prefer it over its counterpart.

We’ve heard the record-setting Super Sport is also in town and will be at Laguna Seca, so we’ll hopefully be able to bring you more photos of that car, and expect plenty more coverage from the Quail Motorsports Gathering throughout this weekend.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport makes North American debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport makes North American debut”

Lotus 125 track car to debut at Pebble Beach

Filed under: Performance, Lotus, Racing

Lotus Evora Cup Car

Lotus Evora Cup – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus will be more active than usual during next week’s festivities around the Monterey historic races and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Along with the North American Debuts of the Evora Cup race car (above) and Elise RGB edition, Lotus will give us the world debut of the 125 track car.

The new 125 will be unveiled at the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion at Laguna Seca this weekend and then reappear several times during the week at various events. Lotus hasn’t given any hints of what to expect from the 125 other than it will be the ultimate customer track and racing experience. Stay tuned next week as we’ll share all the details as soon as we have them.

Gallery: Lotus Evora Cup

Gallery: Lotus Elise SC and Exige S RGB Special Edition

[Source: Lotus]

Continue reading Lotus 125 track car to debut at Pebble Beach

Lotus 125 track car to debut at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Lotus 125 track car to debut at Pebble Beach”

Oft-rumored Nissan Murano convertible tipped to debut at LA Auto Show

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Crossover, Nissan, Rumormill

As much as we were hoping that it was nothing more than an elaborate internet hoax by a talented Photoshopper, we’re getting closer and closer to slotting this one away in the Silly But Apparently True file. According to Inside Line, the oft-rumored Nissan Murano convertible is indeed coming to an auto show near you, starting late this year at the LA Auto Show.

Yes, we’re serious. No, we’re not sure we get it either.

If there’s any truth to this rumor, we can expect the droptop crossover to hit the market as a 2012 model equipped with the same 3.5-liter V6 engine and continuously variable automatic transmission as the standard-issue Murano. The switchover to convertible status will reportedly include the removal of the rear doors and may even come with a Chrysler PT Cruiser-esque hoop that’s ostensibly there to boost rigidity and act as some sort of roll bar in the unlikely event of a tipover. We’re sure it’ll be just the thing for unstable homecoming queens come parade duty.

Gluttons for punishment are free to see the complete retina-roasting rendering here at Inside Line. Hey, don’t blame us… we warned you.

[Source: Inside Line]

Oft-rumored Nissan Murano convertible tipped to debut at LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Oft-rumored Nissan Murano convertible tipped to debut at LA Auto Show”

U.S. Spec Perana Z-One to debut at 2010 Concorso Italiano

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Luxury

Perana Z-One – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Zagato Perana Z-One debuted in Geneva in March of 2009, a custom-built, limited-production, Corvette-powered coupe with Italian styling by Zagato and slated to be built by South African manufacturing firm Hi-Tech. Up until now we weren’t sure the rolling masterpiece would ever be sold in the States, but we’ve finally received word that Superformance has been named the exclusive U.S. distributor and that the American version will debut at the Concorso Italiano event this August. Apparently there was strong enough demand from American buyers to allocate 99 units per year to sales in the Colonies.

The Perana will be priced “under $100,000” and can be ordered with either the 436-horsepower E-rod LS3 or the 505-horsepower LS7 from the Z06. Either will be backed by a six-speed manual transmission and a ZF limited slip differential. There will be an available brake upgrade and color choices inside and out, but other than that, the options list will be short. Not that the car will be lacking in amenities. The cockpit is swathed in leather and Alcantara, and a navigation-equipped infotainment system will be standard. Besides the anticipated performance capabilities of this 2,800-pound GT, owners get exclusivity and a body designed by the same crew that brought us the Maserati GS, Ferrari 575 GTZ, Spyker C12, Diatto Ottovu and Bentley GTZ. We’ll be sure to get as many pics as possible during our annual Monterey coverage next month. For now, check out the live and studio shots below.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Zagato Perana Z-One

Gallery: Zagato Perana Z-One

U.S. Spec Perana Z-One to debut at 2010 Concorso Italiano originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “U.S. Spec Perana Z-One to debut at 2010 Concorso Italiano”