Borrowing heavily from the Ford Explorer, the new Disco concept is a mass of softened edges, and fuel economy boosting curves. With a C-pillar that vaguely resembles the 1st generation Mercedes M-Class, Land Rover is playing quite conservative and while a rounded Discovery is a nascent concept, the design language shown here is an evolution of what we have already seen on the newer Range Rover.
Click here for more news on the Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept
The concept is not smoke and mirrors, and not only is Land Rover experimenting with an invisible hood, but they are also experimenting with semi-autonomous remote control of the car. Though the system is limited to very low speeds, the intent is to allow the operator to hook trailers up in an easier fashion and to negotiate off road challenges that require external spotting.
For more information, check out the press release after the jump.
-By: Sawyer Sutton
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20% stiffer than the fixed-head previous generation C6 Z06, the convertible version of America’s sports car is no longer just designed to draw 11s on the pavement, bite you if you don’t drive it on the track, and fold in half under the twist found in the 625 bhp and 635 ft-lbs from the car’s 6.2 liter supercharged LT4 V8, which can be hooked up to an 8-speed automatic or a 7 speed manual with automatic rev matching.
Though the power may be straightforward, the strengthening and weight savings may not be. The body is a beautiful hodge podge of carbon fiber and sheetmetal. The frame is aluminum, and somehow GM saves weight even though there is lots of sound deadening and a glass backlight for the convertible top. At the moment, there are no plans for a ZR1 or other OEM power upgrades; on the handling and appearance end, a Z07 package is available, which includes Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, and adjustable front and rear aerodynamics. For more information, check out the press release after the jump.
-By: Sawyer Sutton
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Yes, this is the Chevrolet version of the Buick Encore, and no we are not joking that it’s coming over to the US. Like a stoner at a cannoli buffet, GM has been overcome with indecision as to where to sell this car. Now that it’s here at the New York International Auto Show, GM has confirmed that the Gamma-based crossover is coming Stateside.
Weighing in at just over 2,800 lbs with 16-inch steelies and front wheel drive, the base LS model comes with cloth seats and the 1.4 liter 140 horsepower four cylinder engine, which is the only powertrain offered, though at a penalty of 400 lbs, an all wheel drive system can be fitted. With optional 4G LTE data plans, Siri Eyes Free, backup cameras, full leather, 18 inch wheels, and keyless entry, the Trax may start near $20,000 ($5K south of the Buick’s base price) and will have to fight off the Buick, the Kia Soul, Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke, and Jeep Renegade. Though 0-60 happens in 9.1 seconds, that, I suspect is not the point here. If you want one, they will be available at the end of 2014. Check out the press release after the jump for further information.
-By: Sawyer Sutton
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Back in the earlier aughts, Jeep coughed up a pipe dream of repackaging the cheap and cheerful Dodge Caliber as a Jeep product. Sold as the Compass, this entry-level model bit at the ankles of the Nissan Rogue before it was born and caused Jeep enthusiasts to writhe in pain. Though the 2015 Renegade may or may not be deserving of the heritage indicated (this name referred to an upgraded copy of the CJ5 and CJ7 Jeeps of the 70s and 80s), it packs a higher level of effort than the Compass.
For starters, there’s a low range option with a 20:1 crawl ratio as part of the automatic transmission and 4 wheel drive system, Jeep makes a Trailhawk version, which they have designated “Trail Rated” for what it is worth, and the car gets a 30.5/25.7/34.3 approach/breakover/departure angles. Standard equipment includes a manual transmission and a 2.4 liter Fiat Tigershark four cylinder engine and an available Fiat Multijet II diesel engine that cranks towing capacity up to 3,300 lbs. The options list also includes a 9-speed automatic for those tricky grocery-getting adventures.
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People movers are appliances, dull at best and downright irritating when they don’t work properly. The new Sedona pledges to be none of those things, though in a climate riddled with crossovers, this sort of approach is a survival tactic. Can you fit a 4×8 sheet of plywood in it? That may be the standard by which American minivans are judged, but in the Kia, life is a bit more upmarket than that on the copy pictured here.
Up front, there’s a new 3.3 liter, direct injected V6 (276 bhp/248 ft-lbs) (likely the only port in this storm) mated to a 6-speed automatic and in the middle are optional captain’s chairs, which slide back, recline and offer lower leg rests. Kia continues the discussion of luxury by borrowing the leather from their flagship K900 sedan for the top of the line SXL trim. A 60/40 split bench serves as the third row and the kid-friendly options don’t stop there. As part of further attempts to make their autos safer, Kia is offering parental controls for the car, which come in the form of Geo Fencing, Curfew Alert, Driver Score and Speed Alert. These new nannies are just for the Sedona at the moment, but it would not surprise us if they made their way into other Kias too if the company deems it economically attractive.
For more information, check out the press release after the jump.
-By: Sawyer Sutton
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We can’t help but get a bit sentimental too. 40 years is a long time, especially in the life of a car. VW has managed to keep the aesthetics fresh with their entry level hatch that, on paper is a Beetle successor, but has never really served that purpose. For many and most models, 8 years is a pretty good rule of thumb; VW has managed to liven things up a bit more frequently than that, offering 7 versions instead of 5 in that time period.
Interestingly, VW has supplied only current Golfs at their display here at NYIAS, unlike Mazda, who happen to be celebrating their 25th anniversary of the MX-5. For more information, check out the press release after the jump.
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It could be following its foremothers’ footsteps as well, or instead. Aimed at folks willing to spend 30 or 40 large on a 5-seater SUV that’s not a Pathfinder, Nissan has not broken new ground with the all new Murano crossover, but they are offering an appropriately updated product. Power comes from a 3.5 liter DOHC V6 plugged into an XTronic CVT transmission.
Nissan is not advertising any particularly new features, and much of the switchgear while not looking outdated, fails to color outside the lines. There is an 11-speaker Bose sound system, an 8-inch infotainment touch screen interface, and the option of AWD or FWD for each of the trim levels (S, SV, SL, and Platinum). For a few more tidbits, check out the press release after the jump.
-By: Sawyer Sutton
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Germany publication Auto und Sport reported stumbled upon some interior photo leaks of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, which is due to debut at the Paris Auto Show this year.
Supposedly a mix between the SL and the SLS AMG, the new AMG GT is also destined to be a direct competitor to the Porsche 911 and the Jaguar F-Type. Interior wise, the AMG GT looks to host some fine touches like soft leather aplenty, Alcantara, carbon fiber, and aluminum trimmings.
A new touch-sensitive COMAND controller looks to be a part of the package along with AMG’s drive selector modes.
The new AMG GT will supposedly get the brand’s latest 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 good for 520hp with a lesser variant expected to make 480hp.
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
Ford is doing it big for their 50th anniversary and to celebrate, Ford will be reliving a major moment of theirs.
In 1964, when Ford revealed the Mustang for the world to see, they propped one up on top of the Empire State Building in New York City. Roughly 50 years later, Ford is repeating the stunt and has thus, shared exactly how they planned to do it.
Big helicopter? Giant crane? Superman? Teleporting? By chopping one up.
Find out how in the video after the jump.
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This shouldn’t come to any surprise…but Nissan will be discontinuing the ill-fated Murano CrossCabriolet once the new, completely redesigned 2015 model launches.
AutoBlog got the scoop after exclusively speaking with Nissan’s sources in a recent inquiry about their Pontiac Aztek moment.
“There is no plan for a next-generation Murano CC,” was the response.
And while the CrossCabriolet won’t be missed by too many, AutoBlog’s Chris Paukert did make a valid point–that cars which “make a point of coloring outside the lines are too rare in this business.”
Sort of reminds us that experimentation doesn’t really happen all too often on the production level.
Source: AutoBlog
