Spy Shots: Is this 2012 Honda CR-V test mule packing a third row of seats?

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Honda

2012 Honda CR-V spy shot

2012 Honda CR-V spy shot – Click above for high-res image

While Honda may have to delay rolling out the successor to the current CR-V crossover, a shortage of parts resulting from the crisis in Japan doesn’t mean it isn’t still working on the project. And while we hadn’t seen any prototypes running before, we’ve now received our first glimpse.

The test mule in this solitary spy shot is wearing a bra over the front end and some taping around the hind quarters, but is otherwise fairly naked for all to see. So what are we looking at? Heavily revised styling for a start, with tail-lights that extend up the D-pillar like the current model but with a rather Volvo-like shape to them. Our intrepid auto spies also suggest the extended rear end could be making room for a third row of seats (wonder what that D-pillar tape job is hiding?), but from where we sit, it looks mighty cramped.

Beyond the design, we can expect a slightly more powerful and more efficient version of the current model’s 2.4-liter VTEC four. Expect production to begin in Ohio and Ontario before winter rolls back around.

Is this 2012 Honda CR-V test mule packing a third row of seats? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Koenigsegg Agera R heads to Geneva packing up to 1,115 hp… and a ski box

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg Agera R
Koenigsegg Agera R – Click above for high-res image gallery

When the Geneva Motor Show kicks off this week, the Lamborghini Aventador won’t be the only exotic sucking in journos like a tractor beam. The Koenigsegg Agera R is also making its global debut, wearing in a Speed Racer-inspired paint scheme (per the owner’s request) and packing so much power that you’d think an R2 unit would be a better co-pilot than, say, Chim-Chim.

Now, about that power – the Agera R’s 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 makes a ridiculous 1,115 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque on E85. Fill the tank with 95-octane gasoline instead of the biofuel, and figure on “only” around 940 horses and 811 lb-ft. The V8’s connected to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The driver harnesses that power from a lavishly appointed cockpit that meets all the hypercar techno-fantasy criteria.

The Agera R’s body panels are draped over a carbon fiber monocoque whose rigidity is such that a roof is not required. Hence, it’s a removable panel that can be stowed inside the car. The owner of the example being displayed in Geneva is a skier, so the car is outfitted with a custom carbon fiber roof box developed in conjunction with Thule. It’s a single-piece system that replaces the Agera R’s standard roof entirely; when you get to the mountain, you simply swap the ski-box roof for the standard roof (which is tucked away in the cargo compartment).

Other highlights of the Koenigsegg Agera R include Vortex Generating Rim (VGR) wheels whose spokes act as turbine vanes that help maximize downforce. They’re wrapped in Michelin rubber developed specifically for the Agera. Said tires are rated up to 260 mph, making them the highest-speed-rated tires in the world, according to Koenigsegg. As always, we’ll have a full team in Geneva next week to bring you full details and a live look at the Agera R. In the meantime, check out the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Koenigsegg Agera R

[Source: Koenigsegg]

Koenigsegg Agera R heads to Geneva packing up to 1,115 hp… and a ski box originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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