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Project Kahn’s silver Jeep Wrangler looks ready for urban assault, not much else

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Jeep

Project Kahn silver Jeep Wrangler

Silver Jeep Wrangler by Project Kahn – Click above for image gallery

The last time a Jeep looked this at home in Europe, it was helping American forces liberate the old world from Nazi occupation. But that was another era. Europe is a new place today – necessity having mandated the rebuilding of so many bombed-out cities – but the Jeep Wrangler (or the older Civilian Jeeps in their various incarnations) has remained a constant. So the people at Project Kahn evidently thought it was about due for a modern makeover.

Kahn’s silver Jeep Wrangler is more about the whole than the sum of its parts, but to get it there, Kahn and company dropped the suspension, fitted 20″ wheels, retrofitted the interior and, apparently, gave it a proper respray. The result (that is, an off-road workhorse with a dropped suspension and oversize rims) sits at just about the opposite end of the spectrum from the recently-announced Mopar JK-8 Independence kit, and may make about as much sense as the proverbial screen door on a submarine. That said, we’ve got to admit it looks the business… whatever business that might be. See for yourself in the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Project Kahn silver Jeep Wrangler

[Source: Project Kahn]

Project Kahn’s silver Jeep Wrangler looks ready for urban assault, not much else originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Smart ForSpeed Concept is urban green toplessness

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

Smart Forspeed Concept

Smart ForSpeed Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Here we have the none-too-speedy Smart ForSpeed concept. Well, perhaps that’s not quite fair, as the diminutive Smart actually is plenty quick enough for its intended mission, which is to say it’s fully capable of jetting between urban skyscrapers while dodging taxi cabs and pedestrians.

Want hard numbers? Smart claims the roofless ForSpeed can hit (a seemingly arbitrary) 37 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds on its way up to a top speed of 75 mph. Perhaps more importantly, Smart estimates its little electric mobile unit has a range of 85 miles per charge and that an 80-percent charge is possible in just 45 minutes.

Naturally, there’s a whole press release of details that can be found after the break, along with a high-res image gallery of live photos below.

Gallery: Smart Forspeed Concept: Geneva 2011

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Geneva 2011: Smart ForSpeed Concept is urban green toplessness originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2011: Hyundai Curb Concept is a small crossover for the urban scene

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Crossover, Hyundai

Hyundai Curb Concept in Detroit

Hyundai Curb Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai’s Curb concept moves the automaker’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language in a more youthful direction. While we’ve seen plenty of urbanized concepts and production vehicles that use the traditional box-like design pioneered by the original Scion xB, Hyundai chose to create something substantially more curvaceous and sleek. “We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink’s truck,” Hyundai’s designer, Jason Brown, says.

The basis for the Curb’s powertrain is Hyundai’s new 1.6-liter Gamma inline-four, though the addition of a turbocharger means output is boosted to around 175 horsepower. Combined with a dual-clutch transmission, the Curb is efficient enough to achieve around 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. That power runs to the ground through a large set of 22-inch five-spoke wheels wrapped in Michelin tires with a custom saffron-colored tread pattern. Funky, yes, but definitely fitting for an urban concept car.

Other forward-thinking exterior design elements include exhaust vents that open to reveal a bike rack, a pop-up roof rack and a third rear access door for easier ingress and egress to the rear seats.

The interior features a large acrylic screen that allows information to be passed between all of the passengers inside the Curb, and a heads-up display provided by Continental shows navigation information as well as screens for the cameras used in place of side mirrors. Saffron interior accents compliment the tire tread, and three-holded A-pillars increase the driver’s cornering visibility. Hyundai’s new Blue Link technology is used to keep owners connected with their electronic systems at all times, as well.

It’s all very funky and hip, and we’d like to see this sort of design come to live as a sub-Tucson urban utility vehicle. Follow the jump for Hyundai’s official press release and stay tuned for live images direct from the Detroit show floor.

Gallery: Hyundai Curb Concept: Detroit 2011

Hyundai Curb Concept

Gallery: Hyundai Curb Concept

Hyundai Curb Concept

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Hyundai Curb Concept is a small crossover for the urban scene

Detroit 2011: Hyundai Curb Concept is a small crossover for the urban scene originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: Cadillac unwraps Urban Luxury Concept

Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

One could be excused for thinking that the definition of urban luxury might be the Cadillac Escalade, but apparently the hive mind at General Motors’ most luxurious division have other thoughts on the subject. In fact, it seems Cadillac is thinking the exact opposite. To wit, take a gander at the Urban Luxury Concept that’s being debuted at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

As would seem appropriate for a car intended for urban confines, this Caddy concept features rather small exterior dimensions, but the automaker claims that it’s large inside with seating for four occupants. Wheelbase comes in at a hair over 97 inches and overall length measures 151 inches. Width is listed at 68.1 inches and height at just under 57 inches.

Ingress and egress takes place through a pair of scissor doors that extend outward and rotate forward when opened – supposedly a boon for tight urban parking spaces. The rest of the exterior carries the brand’s Art and Science motif to new levels and could sort of be described as a Smart Fortwo or Aston Martin Cygnet drawn with nothing but a straight edge. We wouldn’t call it pretty, but striking would certainly be an apt descriptor.

Interior space is recovered by the lack of the expected gauges and control surfaces. Instead, we have projectors and a slew of capacitive touch screens that glow Tanzanite blueish-purple. There’s a hide-away right-hand touch pad and the back of the folding passenger seat converts into an Orbit Baby SmartHub.

Power comes from a 1.0-liter turbocharged three cylinder engine (perhaps the unit that was originally planned for the Chevy Volt?) that makes up part of a hybrid drivetrain. GM claims the system would provide a completely theoretical 56 miles per gallon in the city and 65 mpg on the highway.

To get the full story of the Urban Luxury Concept, you really need to take a look at our high-res image gallery below, and you’ll also find the complete press release after the break.

Gallery: LA 2010: Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

LA 2010: Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

[Source: Cadillac]

Continue reading LA 2010: Cadillac unwraps Urban Luxury Concept

LA 2010: Cadillac unwraps Urban Luxury Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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