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Smart ForSpeed concept revealed before Geneva debut

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Smart, Electric

Smart ForSpeed Concept

Smart Forspeed – Click above for high-res image gallery

Not every future Smart model is in trouble of vanishing – some will never see the light of production. To wit, Daimler’s minicar maker is bringing an all-electric, roofless version of the Smart ForTwo to the Geneva Motor Show, and the Forspeed concept looks surprisingly similar to the the Smart Speedster we got a peek at a few weeks ago.

Overall, the Forspeed echos the Smart Crossblade that was made in limited numbers in the early 2000s. Just to emphasize that the Forspeed is a pure concept, it comes equipped with some interesting taillights, no external door handles and since it’s sans-roof, there’s a toneau cover that can either coat the entire interior or just the passenger side if you get caught in the rain.

The Forspeed’s 41-hp electric motor can yawn the car all the way up to 37 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds and provide a top speed of 75 mph. That’s not excatly “speedy” as the name implys, but the boost button you see on the dash offers another seven ponies. More important is the ED part of the clumsy “ForspeED” name; it refers to the Electric Drive powertrain that we also find in the Fortwo ED. At least the concept hits 37 mph a second sooner than the standard Fortwo ED.

The range for the Forspeed is estimated to be 85 miles, with an 80-percent charge possible in 45 minutes. This is most likley under DC fast charging conditions, but we’re not sure. We’ll make sure to get more info when we’re on the ground in Geneva.

Gallery: Smart ForSpeed Concept

[Source: Autocar, Car And Driver]

Smart ForSpeed concept revealed before Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wiesmann promises new Spyder model for Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, MISC

Wiesmann MF4 Roadster

Wiesmann MF4 Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Niche manufacturers rarely offer more than a single model line. In Wiesmann’s case, that line consists of the GT, with its various BMW-sourced propulsion options, and its Roadster counterpart (pictured above). But like fellow German exoticar maker Gumpert, Wiesmann will roll into Geneva with a new model for our consideration: the Weismann Spyder.

Few details are available at this point, but the Wiesmann Spyder will be stripped down, lacking even doors or a windscreen. We assume it’ll be based on the current Roadster, but Weismann stresses that it has not yet approved the Spyder model for production, and is bringing it to Geneva to gauge public opinion. We’ll be watching, and you can follow the jump for the official statement.

Gallery: Wiesmann Roadster MF4

[Source: Wiesmann]

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Wiesmann promises new Spyder model for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Saab

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition

The Saab 9-3 Independence Edition (based on the Aero Convertible) marks the day, February 23, one year ago when Saab left the General Motors corporate org chart to once again become an independent automaker (inasmuch as it can be called that, since it’s still owned by Spyker). Expected to debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, the Saab 9-3 Independence Edition has leaked onto the web a little early.

Unique Independence Edition touches include a new color called Sunset Red and special 18″ wheels. Meanwhile, the interior gets parchment leather seats with an orange stripe down the middle, an orange needle on the turbo guage, a Super Sport steering wheel and an assortment of other interior bits from Saab specialist Hirsch. The best part, though, is that the 9-3 Independence Edition also gets the 220-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four from the Saab 9-5.

Enamored? Try not to be, because with only 366 individually-numbered examples to be sold worldwide, the likelihood of getting your hands on one is pretty slim indeed. Thanks for the tip, Knape!

[Source: SaabsUnited]

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Extra-hot Jaguar XKR caught ahead of Geneva debut

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar

spy shots: jaguar xkr and super xk-r xk-e

Spy Shots: Jaguar XKR-based prototypes wander the English countryside – Click above for high-res image gallery

Jaguar testers have just been caught running around the British countryside with a pair of camouflaged XK coupes. One looks to be the upcoming facelifted XKR, while the other appears to be a mysterious – and as-yet unnamed – more powerful XKR variant.

Rumor has it that this super XKR could be named the XK-E in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jaguar’s legendary E-Type. We really only know two things about it at the moment: it’s based off the 530-horsepower XKR Goodwood Special, and we’re dying to see it in Jaguar’s booth at the upcoming 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Jaguar XKR and Super XKR

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: Extra-hot Jaguar XKR caught ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Elise Club Racer is stripped-out, Geneva-bound hotness

Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Lotus

Lotus Elise Club Racer

Lotus Elise Club Racer – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus, the automaker that defines what it means to “add lightness,” has created an even more stripped-out version of its already flyweight Elise. Called the Club Racer, this lighter two-seater will make its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show next month.

The Elise Club Racer is a full 52 pounds lighter than the standard car, and Lotus achieved this by removing the noise insulation and using a motorsport-derived lightweight battery. This might not seem like an enormous weight savings, but when you consider that the base Elise already weighs in under the 2,000-pound mark, even a small weight reduction is noticeable.

To make the Club Racer even more special, Lotus has fitted a sport setting for the car’s Dymanic Performance Management (DPM) system. This advanced driving aid allows less-experienced drivers to feel at the top of their game, and can be completely shut off for the more experienced enthusiasts.

Look for the Elise Club Racer to go on sale in the near future, priced from £27,500 ($44,590 based on current exchange rates). Currently, it’s unclear whether or not the Club Racer will be available in the United States, but we should have more details after the car’s official debut in Geneva in just a few weeks. For now, follow the jump to read the official press release.

Gallery: Lotus Elise Club Racer

Lotus Elise Club Racer

[Source: Lotus]

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Lotus Elise Club Racer is stripped-out, Geneva-bound hotness originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Yaris HSD concept to bow in Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Toyota

Toyota Yaris HSD Concept

Toyota has announced that the company will be showing off a new concept at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. The Japanese stalwart has big plans for the B-segment in the near future, and those include bringing a full hybrid system to some of the smallest cars on the road, and we’ll all get a glimpse into how the automaker plans to do that with the Yaris HSD Concept. Details are remarkably murky at the moment, and while we’d love to be able to tell you all about the vehicle’s drivetrain and fuel economy, it looks like we’ll just have to wait until the vehicle gets its official unveil next month.

The Japanese automaker is hoping to bring hybrid efficiency to the most popular segment in Europe, though the Yaris HSD will have to show off some pretty incredible fuel economy numbers and performance to match in order to best the small-displacement diesel mainstays of the market across The Pond.

Toyota will also show off the seven-seat Prius+ at the show. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota Yaris HSD concept to bow in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bertone B 99 concept for Jaguar leaks out ahead of Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar, Design/Style

Bertone B 99 concept – Click above for high-res image

Opinions have been split over Jaguar’s latest design phase. Some are enamored of the company’s modern styling on the likes of the latest XF and XJ sedans, while others lament the demise of the company’s classic lines. What very well might be called for, then, is an outside alternative. And judging from the leaked images above, it looks like we’re about to get exactly that at the fast-approaching Geneva Motor Show.

The B 99 concept sedan above is apparently Bertone’s take on what a modern Jag should look like, and according to the rumors circulating around with it, it takes the form of the potential BMW 3 Series rival in Coventry’s pipeline. It isn’t immediately known how much the design house and the automaker have been working together on this concept, or what, if any chances for production something like this has, but it will likely appear on Bertone’s stand and be one of the main talking points of the whole show.

Gallery: Bertone B99 concept for Jaguar

[Source: AutoBild]

Bertone B 99 concept for Jaguar leaks out ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai Sonata Wagon? Comely i40 revealed ahead of Geneva debut

Filed under: Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hyundai

Hyundai i40

Hyundai i40 – Click above for high-res image gallery

In advance of its debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai has released the first pictures and details of its new i40 wagon. Developed at Hyundai’s European facility in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the i40 is to be launched in Europe in wagon form before the sedan follows later in the year.

Showcasing Hyundai’s latest design language, the i40 packs numerous features you’d normally expect to see on a higher-end products – like Hyundai’s own Genesis and Equus models, for example. Included in the package are features like heated and reclining front and rear seats and an intelligent de-mist system that automatically keeps the windshield fog-free.

The question of relevance for North American consumers, however, is whether the i40 makes it Stateside as a wagon counterpart to the Sonata sedan. We know that both a majority of our readers and a few key folks at Hyundai of America want it, but we’ll have to wait and see if everyone gets their wish. In the meantime, you can check out the pair of images in the gallery below and scope out the specs in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Hyundai i40

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai Sonata Wagon? Comely i40 revealed ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rinspeed BamBoo frolics in the sunshine ahead of Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Specialty, Design/Style, Electric

Rinspeed Bamboo concept

The Rinspeed BamBoo enjoys the summer sun – Click above for high-res image gallery

Rinspeed BamBoo Rinspeed has unleashed a mammoth collection of photos featuring its upcoming BamBoo. We eagerly await spying this grown-up golf-cart (their words) in person at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The photos are heavy on the stylized portrayal of wealthy youth enjoying a summer in Saint-Tropez, yet they reveal little of what’s under the BamBoo’s skin.

We do know that its German-made 54-kW electric motor will allow speeds of up to 75 miles per hour and that its battery (unknown chemistry) offers 65 miles of range. What’s more, it appears that there may be a bicycle or two taking up residence in the rear cargo area. Tech junkies will surely appreciate the included seven-inch (Android-powered?) tablet computer.

The photos are fun to look at (get a load of the inflatable roof that also serves as a beach blanket) and help give us an idea of what to expect when we finally train our own lenses on the real-life version of the BamBoo. In the meantime, feel free to check out the press release after the break.

Gallery: Rinspeed BamBoo

[Source: Rinspeed]

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Rinspeed BamBoo frolics in the sunshine ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Subaru FT-86 spied again ahead of Geneva reveal

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Subaru, Toyota

Subaru FT-86 spy shots

Subaru FT-86 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Subaru has already announced that it plans to debut its version of the rear-wheel-drive FT-86 concept at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. It’s safe to say that the joint venture between Toyota and Subaru is one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year, and while the vehicle that takes the stage in Switzerland will still be designated as a concept, it should give us a very good glimpse as to what’s in store for the production car.

Our trusty spy photographers have caught Subaru’s version of the sports car out testing, and while we’ve been quick to label the Toyobaru as a coupe, this latest set of photos suggests a hatchback configuration. There’s still a small deck out back, though, so perhaps the term ‘fastback’ is more appropriately used in an instance like this (sort of like the Scion tC). Either way, the bodywork looks similar to evaluation mules we’ve seen periodically over the last couple of years, but it isn’t known for certain if the bodywork shrouded in camouflage is production.

In any case, you can expect to see a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four under the hood, producing something like 260 horsepower. Subaru will break its all-wheel-drive-only mantra with this new car, as the automaker has confirmed that power will run solely to the rear wheels. See the latest set of spy shots for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Subaru FT-86

Spy Shots: Subaru FT-86

[Source: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: Subaru FT-86 spied again ahead of Geneva reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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