Audi Q2 concept headed for Paris, production model not until 2015

The Audi Q2 may soon be the smallest member of Audi's Q family, and a report in Autocar indicates that the company is taking no risks with its feature set. Charged with taking on the Mini Countryman and Nisssan Juke, Audi is giving the Q2 the kinds of looks and options it believes will stand up to established and popular competition.

Looks-wise that means a design said to grab elements from both the Quattro concept of 2010 and the Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept shown at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, sized between the A1 and A3 in length and about as wide as the Q3. We earlier mentioned two four-cylinder engines in the offing, but speculation is that there will actually be five – two gasoline and three diesel – ranging from a 120-horsepower 1.4-liter petrol engine to a 180-hp 2.0-liter diesel engine. A range-topping option will be the S model with a 225-hp version of the 2.0-liter gasoline unit. Buyers will apparently have the choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission, and front- or all-wheel drive.

The "high-quality interior" and exterior are said to get Mini-esque personalization options, and green features like stop/start will keep it frugal. Final bodystyles are still being decided, but we'll see a two-door concept at the Paris Motor Show later this year, with the final version penciled in for the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG 2.0 turbo good for crazy 185 HP per liter

We have just joined the journalist hordes in Affalterbach for some early peeks at AMG's imminent future, and the downsizing trend is really catching on, even here with Mercedes-Benz and its traditionally big-engined high-performance arm.

The biggest news was the smallest news: a really hot-looking high-performance A-Class model dubbed A45 AMG that will take it to the soon-to-be tested BMW M135i and future Audi RS3. Specific numbers are not out, but engine bosses tell us to expect around 370 hp and 300 pound-feet of torque. The engine is all-new: a twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0-liter called M133 and based loosely on the Daimler 2.0-liter turbocharged unit. If those figures are accurate, that would mean the M133 has the greatest true series-production power-per-liter rating in the world. This is the first AMG engine not built at Affalterbach, but at Daimler's state-of-the-art four-cylinder assembly plant at Kölleda, but the "one man, one engine" approach remains unscathed.

Word has it that the United States and Canada most likely will not get this wee AMG, but we hear this same powertrain with strengthened seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will come to us in a four-door CLA 45 AMG version, and possibly also in a smaller crossover vehicle based on the modular chassis beneath the A- and B- Class ranges.

Official pics from this early peak-a-boo at HQ come out only after we leave, but we just got hold of these spy photos that show the car with very little left to the imagination. Best example of what we're talking about is the main show car unveiled at this past March's Geneva motor show – the A 250 Sport with the full AMG treatment pictured here.

Of what little we could divulge from the stone-faced Teutons, these little 45 AMGs will all come with all-wheel drive, and we don't intend a full-on 4Matic treatment. It is aidsed instead by a hang-on rear differential. But you can switch off completely the ESP and have a solid Sport rear bias. The challenge for all this dynamically will be the projected 60-percent of total weight resting over the front axle, 60 percent of around 3,300 pounds.

Redline on the tach is currently shown at 6,300 rpm, so we'll almost certainly be wishing it were left to go higher when we test it. The center transmission lever of all AMG models is there as well, which is a much finer interface for us than the civilian trim steering column lever-ette.

AMG folks say that there is a good chance that there will also be an optional Driver Package that will let the top speed go to 174 miles per hour versus the stock 155 mph. Pricing is said to be competitive with a BMW M135i or where an RS3 could end up. AMG is planning that from creating the three versions of the new compact lineup – hatch, sedan, and crossover – by 2017 and the 50^th anniversary of AMG that total annual volumes will climb from today's 20,000+ units to 30,000+. 

via: Mercedes-Benz

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Toyota displays family-oriented Camatte concept at toy show

 

Toyota is out to spur a passion for cars in young families with its new Camatte Concept. Unveiled at the 2012 International Tokyo Toy Show, the vehicle features a number of interchangeable body panels that can easily be swapped for different colors or styles.

The concept seats three in a unique triangular configuration that Toyota says is designed to facilitate communication between parents behind the wheel and children in the back. But that's not the only kid-friendly aspect. The Camatte also features configurable pedals, which can allow a child to develop driving skills while a parent takes care of important tasks like steering and braking.

Clearly, this sucker isn't headed to production, and that's a shame. We love the bare-bones utilitarianism of the design, and the open-wheel front is enough to garner a smile from us as well. It's almost as if Toyota decided to bring the Volkswagen Kubelwagen into the modern age. Check out the quick breakdown video below for yourself.

Via: Toyota via World Car Fans

 

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Rheinmetall Defense outfits Volkswagen Amarok for world conquest

What good is a truck if it can't be used to invade your neighbors? Not much good. Not much good at all, say the armament experts at Rheinmetall Defense.

At the recent Eurosatory defense expo in Paris – consider it the Geneva Motor Show of military hardware – Rheinmetall unveiled its conversion options for the Volkswagen Amarok, transforming the four-door short-bed civilian pickup truck into a Light Multi-Purpose Vehicle for military applications.

The options list includes a reinforced suspension, advanced communications systems and an automated, motorized turret for a machine gun or grenade launcher. (The actual firearms are another, matter, of course.) Military and paramilitary buyers can order theirs with a variety of engines ranging up to 177 horsepower, with either six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions.

Somehow, we're guessing that even if this Volkswagen does show up in Canada as is being discussed, we don't see our neighbors to the north getting these sorts of optional extras. 

via: Autobild

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PGO Shows e-Hemera Hybrid

Not may people know of PGO, but they are a small and independent French car manufacturer - a rare thing these days. They are best known for their Hemera sports car - an automobile which looks very much like a Porsche 356 - in a very neo-retro kind of way.

Apart from the 1960s inspired styling, people who have driven it say it’s actually a very fun little car to drive, with its very low weight of under 1 ton, and 140 hp 2.0-liter engine. Now though, they’re moving into the future with a hybrid version of their Hemera. It features a 15kWh battery pack which is good for around 90 km (50 miles) of all electric range, which is replenished by a two-cylinder range extender which is powered by E85 ethanol, instead of gasoline.

With the car still using the standard Hemera’s 5-cog manual gearbox in combination with the electric motor, the results should be interesting to see.

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FWD BMW 1 Series expected at Paris Motor Show

So here it is: Autocar reports that we'll see the first front-drive BMW at the Paris Motor Show this September, in concept form. It will likely be called the 1 Series GT, and the report says it will debut in late 2014. The car will share a platform with the forthcoming Mini redesign, as well as the turbo 1.5-liter three-cylinder Mini engine that's basically half of a BMW 3.0-liter inline six.

Boo. Wasn't there something in the 1990 German Reunification treaty about BMW never making front-drive cars? Well there should have been.

Of course, we've known that BMW has planned to throw away what last bit of brand purity it still retains since early 2010, when its chairman announced as much. And we know the reasoning: The front-drive, entry-level Bimmers are for the customers too dumb to know any better. But that doesn't mean we have to like it, even if BMW says it will still build the larger, rear-wheel-drive cars that have made the brand so special for decades.

We will thus cling to the hope that this concept is just an elaborate marketing trick to drive sales of the current 1 Series. 

via: Autocar

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New Kia cee’d Making UK Motor Show Debut

At the 2012 edition of the Motorexpo, the brand new Kia cee’d hatchback will be available for test drives, the Korean automaker has announced.

The show will get underway on June 11th. The car has been available already since the beginning of the month and comes with a starting price of £14,395 OTR.

The engine range for the car starts with the 1.4-liter unit with 89 bhp, and the 1.6-liter unit with 126 bhp, and two petrol units, also a 1.4 and a 1.6-liter, with 98 bhp and 133 bhp respectively, all available with to either a six-speed manual or a dual clutch auto.

The car is offered in 5 different trim levels, all coming with decent kit and very simple denominations: 1,2,3,4 and 4 Tech.

The standard ‘1’ trim level includes air-con, front electric windows and mirrors, DRLs, cooled glove box, and iPod and Bluetooth connectivity.

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GM to make Trax for Holden

In mid-May, General Motors announced it would bring the Chevrolet Trax to the Paris Motor Show this fall. The tiny crossover shares nearly everything with North America's Buick Encore and the previously revealed Opel/Vauxhall Mokka, but there's an important fourth variant we haven't heard about until today – one for Holden.

The General has now confirmed that the Trax will also be produced for its Australian outpost, with Holden's Director of Powertrain Engineering, Simon Cassin saying, "Holden is well recognised within the GM world for our expertise in engine and transmission calibration and we are very pleased to be involved in the development of this important vehicle."

The Holden Trax, which arrives in OZ next year, looks all but unchanged from the chunky cute ute version wearing a Bowtie. Judging by the newly released rendering shown above, everything from the headlamps to the side mirrors and fog lamp trim is unchanged. The only clear difference? Substituting the now-trademark split portal Chevrolet grille for a chrome-browed single frame unit wearing a prominent Holden badge.

GM's own data suggests that the small SUV segment continues to explode in Australia, just as it has here in North America, with sales up 57.3 percent year to date over 2011, and it's clearly aiming to take a piece of that growing pie with the new Trax. 

Via: General Motors

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Chinese take majority stake in German tuner Carlsson

 

It is clear that the Chinese appetite for luxury cars with monumental power and imperial luxury has barely begun, so automakers are positioning themselves to make sure they can provide a growing supply. Zhongsheng Group Holdings, owners of a dealer group that includes Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus showrooms, has taken a 70-percent stake in German tuner Carlsson according to a report in Reuters, and it has plans for its new purchase that offer enormous potential.

Saying that off-the-rack luxury cars have sold so well in major cities that they feel "like driving a Camry in Los Angeles," the Zhongsheng CEO is one of the new faces in the exotic customization segment. He plans to open a number of retail outlets for Carlsson, to use Carlsson to design bodykits and accessories for marques that his company sells, and to build a factory in China for local assembly.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. However, Reuters notes that Mercedes-Benz has officially approved the deal, which means warranties will still be honored for Carlsson customers everywhere. 

Via: Reuters

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Lamborghini Parade Lap at Blancpain Race Series Silverstone UK

This weekend the Blancpain Race Series was gathered at the Silverstone, the UK home of Formula 1 racing, showing mainly Lamborghini Super Trofeo race cars, among many other racers, sport cars and supercars. 

During the event Lamborghini owners were granted access out on track and were invited to participate in a parade lap. YouTube member Munchgt was at the event and made a series pictures and a video for you to check out below.

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2013 Ford F-150 debuts with slight enhancements

Ford officially took the wraps off the 2013 Ford F-150 this morning in Waco, Texas.

While not a dramatic overhaul, the new F-150, which arrives later this year, includes a number of enhancements, including new grilles that are part of a fully made-over front facia, giving the pickup a closer family resemblance to the Super Duty. Ford has also added high-intensity discharge headlamps as an option for 2013. There will also be some new 18- and 20-inch wheel choices, as well as the addition of MyFord Touch inside the cab of the F-150.

The incremental changes to Ford's top-selling F-Series is one way the automaker keeps its pickups fresh, Doug Scott, head of Ford truck marketing marketing, told Autoblog. Instead of waiting for the next scheduled refreshing, Ford pushes new features into vehicles whenever they are available. Last year, Ford overhauled its powertrain options for the F-150, adding two V6 options.

Truck buyers appear to like Ford's approach. For the past 13 months, more than half of all F-150s sold have had either a 3.7-liter V6 or Ford's well-received 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 under their hoods.

Full-size pickups represent the fourth-largest segment in the United States, and Scott said the company thinks it could grow into the third-largest segment in the coming years. "We're tracking 1.6 million truck sales this year (for the segment)," Scott said. "For our longer-term projections, 2 million is not out of the question."

For the full details on the refreshed F-150, scroll down for the official press release, and check out the new features for yourself in the high-res image gallery above. 

Via: Ford

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