Jaguar C-X16 Clay Model exhibited at the Clerkenwell Design Week
A clay model of the Jaguar C-X16 has been exhibited at the Clerkenwell Design Week in London. This life-size version of the concept car was created by a number of artists and sculptures to reveal the artistic side of its design. This is a very original way for the iconic British carmaker to promote their achievement throughout the years.
“Jaguar is one of the most technologically advanced companies in the field of product development but we still believe in the sense of artistry - said Julian Thomson, Advanced Design
Director of Jaguar Cars - Emotional connections are at the heart of our vehicles and the traditional process of working with clay with some of the best sculptors in the world allows us to refine them into the purest surfaces.”
During the event the C-X16 will be joined by other three sculptures based on the E-type and C-X75 models. Jaguar will also display the unique XJ13 created in 1966, an XFR and an XKR-S. The exhibition is being held from today to May 24th.
Continue reading: Jaguar C-X16 Clay Model exhibited at the Clerkenwell Design Week
Audi R8 restyling: new spy shots with no camouflage
Here are the first photos picturing the upcoming Audi R8 facelift without any camouflage. The upgraded vesion of the popular German sportscar will come with a pretty renewed front end that includes re-designed front bumper and hexagon shaped grille (which is actually pretty reminiscent of what we have seen on the Audi R8 e-tron prototype last month) as well as new headlights with LED technology. The rear lights layout has been revised too, while the exhaust pipes get a new shape close to the one we are used to see on the GT version.
As for the powertrain, the 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission will be the only option, with the old 6-speed R-tronic sequential gearbox that won’t be available even as an extra anymore. As for the engine, the current 4.2 litre V8 4.2 should maintain its 430 hp output, whereas the V10 will deliver something like 540 hp. The new Audi R8 is supposed to hit the showrooms by the end of the current year.
Skoda Rapid: spy shots
More spy shots coming in from the Nurburgring, and this time around it’s the Skoda Rapid’s turn. The pictured prototype sports a few decals around the front and rear lights to hide the new shapes, and they also tried the same trick with the shape of the rear door. Nice try guys, but it didn’t quite work out the way they expected.
Initially the Rapid will be introduced as a hatchback, while a station wagon version is also in the works. As for the powertrain, the model should make use of the latest VW developments in terms of engines and gearboxes. The Skoda Rapid should be officially unveiled at the next 2012 Paris Motor Show.
Kia Sorento Facelift: spy shots
It seems like most manufacturers have chosen this time of the year to flock at the Nurburgring and test their future models. The latest bunch of spy shots we received features the mule of the Kia Sorento facelift, caught on camera while lapping at the mighty Nordschleife. However, its heavy cammo doesn’t allow us to see much of the model: we can see the front end will use newly designed head lamps (although their actual shape is not that clear) while the tail lights seem to use a different layout as well.
Given the amount of camouflage used to cover the rear section, we assume that that part is the one that will be affected the most by the restyling. As for the engine range adopted by the revamped SUV from the Korean carmaker, no official news are currently available.
Porsche 911 GT3: spy shots
The new Porsche 911 GT3 is basically ready. This new set of spy-shots we just received shows us a cammo-free prototype that sports a couple of elements we were not completely aware of before: both front bumper and rear wing are decidedly more well-defined than we expected, while in the middle of the rear fascia we find a pair of mufflers placed right below the number plate. All this surely adds up to the fierce look of the car, that looks definitely more athletic than the standard 991.
The 991 GT3 should be equipped with the already known 3.8-litre 6-cylinder boxer engine but with a special 450 hp configuration, that would be 50 hp more than the Carrera S and 15 hp more than the 997 GT3: all this power should allow the model to thrash the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in less than 4 secs. At the moment, the kind of transmission that will equip the final versione of the 911 GT3 is still unclear.
Acura MDX model year 2014: spy shots
Here are some spy shots of the new Acura MDX being test driven in the Nurburgring area, Germany. The next generation of Acura MDX will have the same two engines of the RLX: the standard V6 unit and a new model featuring the Acura Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive ™ system that will also be offered on the supercar Acura NSX. The car will be launched in late 2013 as model year 2014.
Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible: spy shots
We just received a bunch of quite revealing spy shots showing the eagerly awaited next generation Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible with very little camouflage and - for the first time - with its top open. The new cabrio variant of the 911 (991 mark) is expected to debut by the end of the year as a 2013 model, but no official confirmation on the matter has been released by the German carmaker.
In the same fashion, there aren’t many details available as for which kind of engine will equip the new model. However, it is rumored that it will end up being a 3.8-litre horizontally opposed 6-cylinder unit with a tri-turbo setup that should be able to deliver something like 520 hp, and that will be mated to the well known 7-speed PDK dual clutch automatic transmission.
Aesthetically, this set of pics doesn’t say much more about the model than what we were able to see with the last two set of sneaky images we had seen, the ones taken during the car’s winter testing (check them out by clicking here and here), showcasing the new air outlets placed at the sides of the bumper, the two pairs of re-designed mufflers, the mobile rear wing and the new engine cover.
View the full Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible spy shots photo gallery
New Range Rover: more spy shots
The official debut of the new Range Rover is getting closer and closer, as this last set of spy shots confirms: the pictured mule in fact looks more like a pre-production car going out for a spin than some prototype still well into its testing stage, and we are pretty sure that the final version of the car will not be that different from what we can see in these pics (fancy paintjob aside, of course).
The heavy cladding hiding all the lines and details that we had seen in the previous spy shots are gone, now there are only light stickers giving most of the details such as the new head lights, air intakes and so on. We can also notice that the engine hood is more rounded than before, and that the grille is more upright.
The new Range Rover will be both lighter and more fuel efficient than the current one due to the new aluminum platform (a modified version of the one used to create the Jaguar XJ) as well as the extensive use of lightweight materials. Rumor has it that the next Range Rover will be about 3-400 kg lighter than the current version of the car.
View the full New Range Rover spy shots photo gallery
Skoda Citigo Rally @ Wörthersee Tour
The following pics show the Skoda Citigo Rally, concept car displayed during the Wörthersee Tour, Austria. The look of the small city car has been turned aggressive with a series of aesthetic updates, such as a new front-end with a large squared air intake sporting the name Skoda on it.
The Rally Citigo also boasts oversized fenders, new smaller rear view mirrors and a central roof-mounted air intake. To complete the rally look 18-inch OZ white alloy wheels, wrapped in low-profile sports tyres. The interior features a full-roll cage and Sparco sports seats.
Currently no official information about the engine has been released, yet. We do expect a more powerful engine than the 1.0-litre three-cylinder with 75 hp mounted on the standard version, as this unit does not comply with any FIA approved category.
BMW 4-Series Coupè: new rendering
New rendering of the upcoming BMW 3-Series Coupe F32, which will soon pick up the 4-Series badge. The marketing strategy to assign a new name to the model is due to the desire of BMW to reposition his best-selling coupe up: this might be the reason why prices have slightly been increase compared to the previous model.
According to tradition the new Coupe should go on sale about a year after the debut of the saloon variant and will feature modified lights and a slightly reviewed design. The restyle also include a reinterpretation of the “double kidney” grille, which extend as far as the dual headlights, forming a continuous optical unit. The 3-Series Coupe F32 will also share both chassis and mechanic set-up with the saloon version of the car: petrol and diesel engines with turbocharging and a choice of 4 and 6-cylinder engine ranging between 2 and 3 litres.
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