Bollore and Pininfarina target fall 2010 launch for Bluecar EV
Filed under: EV/Plug-in
Pininfarina B0 concept, the basis for the Bluecar – Click above for high-res image gallery
The car that we first saw as the B0 concept a year ago at the Geneva Motor Show could be on the market by the fall of this year. The electric commuter car has been jointly developed by the French Bollore Group and Italian design studio Pininfarina and is apparently still on track.
Bollore has built two lithium ion battery plants in France with a combined capacity of 30,000 30 kilowatt-hour battery packs. Bollore will supply the packs for cars to be assembled in Italy by Pininfarina. The partners plan to offer the cars to rental agencies first before making them available for retail sales. Pininfarina CEO Silvio Angori expects to build 2,000 examples of the Bluecar by the end of next year. The Bollore batteries are based on lithium metal polymer construction, similar to the LG Chem batteries used by Hyundai and General Motors.
Gallery: Pininfarina B0
2010 Geneva: The Cars We’re Looking Forward to Driving
It’s been a good Geneva Show. The somber mood of last year has definitely changed for the better. Business is still tough, but many automakers are recording improved sales, and, importantly, starting to make some money. But best of all, it’s a show jammed with interesting and desirable machinery we just can’t wait to get our hands on. So here, in no particular order, are the Geneva cars we’re most looking forward to driving…
Peekaboo: Cadillac CTS-V Wagon spied in L.A.?
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Performance, Wagon, Cadillac, GM
Well, it sure looks like it. All credit for this one goes to one Aaron P., who emailed the following to us:
So I was walking down Grand Avenue in Downtown LA, and they were shooting a Caddy commercial. There was a covered car, which I thought was the CTS Coupe, but the wind blew off the cover and there was a CTS-V Wagon. I only had time to snag this pic before they put the cover back on but you can see the wagon lines. I hope that means its coming cause that would be an amazing car.
Hmm. Seems like Aaron got awfully close for this pic, a curiously *perfect* upskirt teaser, but regardless of the circumstances behind it, reports of the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon being given the green light date back to September of last year. It’s basically been a guessing game of which show will provide the backdrop for its formal unveiling.
With New York the sole remaining major show on the U.S. circuit this year, and Bob Lutz’s retirement scheduled to begin exactly one month after that, we’ll bet our whole chip stack that El Generalissimo Roberto Maximo goes out with a bang, introducing the CTS-V Sport Wagon at the Javits Center, because the car in the above photo is most definitely a wagon, that is most definitely the “V” badge, and those are the correct wheels. Very badass, indeed.
Report: GM builds 100,000th Chevrolet Camaro
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet
2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS – Click above for high-res image gallery
No matter which side of the Mustang/Camaro divide you fall on there’s no arguing that Chevrolet’s reborn entrant in the pony car wars has been a hit. It’s been less than a year since production of the 2010 Camaro began at General Motors’ Oshawa assembly and the 100,000th example rolled off the line this week. The milestone car was reportedly an inferno orange SS.
Ever since last June, the Camaro has been outselling its chief rival,, the Mustang, despite the Mustang’s refresh at around the time of the Camaro launch. Ford, however, left out one important aspect in the 2010 redesign, the powertrains. That oversight has been addressed for the 2011 model year, and the Ford vs. Chevy battle begins anew next month. That’s when 2011 Mustangs will start rolling off the line with power on par with the Camaro, along with the significantly better interiors that carry over from 2010. We’ll be watching this horse race very carefully over the rest of this year. Hat tip to Henry!
Report: Saab deal helps put Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris back on track
Filed under: Performance, SUV, GM, Saab, Spyker, Luxury
Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re all well aware that the recently sealed deal between Spyker and General Motors means good things for the ailing Saab brand – in fact, without Spyker’s eleventh-hour intervention, the Swedish automaker would have been lost to the annals of history. Apparently, though, the Saab tie-up means good things for Spyker, too.
Believe it or not, it was four years ago that Spyker first showed off its Peking-to-Paris luxury SUV at the Geneva Motor Show, and now company head Victor Muller has reportedly announced that the monster ‘ute is back on track. Not surprisingly, the finalized handshake with The General is partly to thank for the reinvigorated D12 program.
Consider the years of technical expertise that Spyker gained when it brought Saab on board, not to mention the additional production capability and manpower. It remains to be seen what powertrain Spyker will choose for its hulking SUV, but previous rumors had a supercharged mill from Cadillac underhood. We shall see.
[Source: Autocar] Read more…
Honda City: Specifications
Honda City: Features/Colours
Honda City Specifications
Price: Rs 7,94,000/- to Rs 9,58,000/- (ex-showroom New Delhi)
Variants: E MT/S MT/V MT/ V AT
Conqueror II: Hamann builds second rendition of Range Rover Sport
Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover, Luxury
Hamann Conqueror II – Click above for high-res image gallery
There were so many debuts at the Geneva Motor Show this year that a few new cars were bound to slip through the cracks. We happened to miss this custom Range Rover Sport from Hamann, probably because the 670 horsepower Tycoon Evo M was sharing the same stand. Named the Conqueror II, it follows up on Hamann’s first take of the Range Rover Sport that debuted a few years ago.
Benefiting from the RR Sport Supercharged’s new 5.0-liter V8, the Conqueror II packs 560 horsepower and 506 lb-ft torque thanks to a revised engine management system and a sport exhaust. The exterior gets the full Hamann treatment, with a full body kit, carbon fiber hood, LED running lights and forged 23-inch wheels. Interior modifications are relatively subtle (the snakeskin seats in Conqueror I are thankfully absent) and include the usual stuff like embriodered mats, plus aluminum and carbon fiber accents. Hit the jump for full details, and high-res photos can be found in the gallery below.
