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Archive for the ‘Spy Shots and Rendering’ Category

The auto industry has had a lot of ‘what-ifs’ attached to it and if the pendulum would have swung the other way, you would think that the present make-up of the industry would be different.

One of these ‘what-ifs’ that we couldn’t escape asking concerns the legendary Lamborghini Miura and we’ve asked ourselves time and again,

“What if Lamborghini brought back the Miura in the present time? What kind of car would it be?”

Well, it may not have come straight from Lamborghini themselves, but at least one designer seems to have an idea as to what it should look like. His design concept, which he’s calling the “Lamborghini Miura Nuovo”, should give us an indication as to how one of history’s greatest cars should look when it’s reborn in 2010. Of course, this is nothing more than just a design rendering but given the original Miura’s mid-rear V12 engine, you would think that an engine like that, coupled with a timeless name like ‘Miura’, is sure to attract its fair share of attention.

Designer reveals new-look Lamborghini Miura Nuovo Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 09:00 EST.

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When rumors began circulating about a Ferrari 599 Hybrid concept model was in the pipeline, you could say that it piqued the curiosity of a lot of people within the automotive circle.

After all, for a while it seemed that the words ‘Ferrari’ and Hybrid’ went along as much as peanut butter and carrots. But since everybody has been jumping the hybrid bandwagon in recent times, we were prepared to give Ferrari the benefit of the doubt and wait to see if they did have a hybrid in the works.

Turns out, they actually do, after the first photos of the prototype 599 Hybrid made its way to the Internet recently.

Continued after the jump.

Leaked photos of the Ferrari 599 Hybrid originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 27 February 2010 18:30 EST.

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If there’s one car that has been kept close to its vest by its manufacturer this close to the Geneva Motor Show, the I.D.E.A. Institute’s Sofia hybrid sports sedan takes the whole cake.

While most automakers have started supplying us with teasers and first official photos of their entries to Geneva, the I.D.E.A. Institute has given us three CGI images of the car. That’s about it. Then again, beggars can’t be choosers so we’ll take these photos over nothing.

In addition to these renderings, the I.D.E.A. Institute did give us something to work with, saying that the concept car will be instantly recognizable through its “Italian styling and beauty”. Like we said, it’s better than nothing.

In any case, this is the second year in a row that the I.D.E.A. Institute has booked a ticket to Geneva after a long sabbatical, and if last year’s concept car – the ERA roadster – is any indication, then we might be in for another pleasant surprise from these fellows.

I.D.E.A. Institute releases CGI renderings of 'Sophia' sports hybrid concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 27 February 2010 17:30 EST.

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The suspense surrounding the much-anticipated debut of the 2011 Porsche Cayenne has taken another twist after two new photos of the new SUV were supposedly scanned from a French car magazine, “L’Auto Journal”.

This is the second time a photo of the new Cayenne was leaked after Porsche mistakenly put the model on their website only to take it down hours after realizing their mistake.

As far as these new photos of the 2011 Cayenne are concerned, they seem to draw a striking resemblance from the one that was put up in the Porsche website as well spy shots that have surfaced the Internet in the previous months.

Regardless of whether these photos are accurate or not will soon be irrelevant as the new Porsche SUV is set to make its world debut in a week’s time. Then again, it’s still worth the price of speculation, right?

New leaked images of 2011 Porsche Cayenne originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 24 February 2010 13:00 EST.

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The US market may know it by another name – the Kia Optima – but in other parts of the world, it goes by its other tag, the Kia Magentis, and according to the folks over at Kia, it’s officially bound for the New York Motor Show.

In addition to announcing the venue for the 2011 Magentis’ world debut, teaser sketches of the new Magentis were released. The car, at least as far as we’re concerned, looks a lot sharper and more streamlined than it’s big brother – and fellow new release – the 2011 Cadenza.

According to Kia, the 2011 Magentis will be longer and wider than its predecessor and as a result, will carry a significant increase in cabin space.

Following its debut in New York in April, the Magentis is scheduled for a US release later this year – possibly around fall – and with a Europe release in the spring of 2011.

Kia Magentis to make debut at the New York Auto Show originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 22 February 2010 11:00 EST.

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Ferrari is widely considered as one of the most technologically-advanced car brands in the world. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same thing for their auto-camouflaging skills.

About a week ago, spy shots of the new Ferrari 599 GTO was captured wearing nothing more than plastic wrappings in the front and rear bumper. To anyone who doesn’t know their brands, the car easily manifested itself as a Ferrari. But for those who know more than the average person, it was easy to point out that this was really the new Ferrari 599 GTO.

And now, much to our delight, a new set of spy photos of the 599 have been leaked only this time, it wasn’t just a red variant that was captured, but also a black and a blue 599 GTO too.

While the car is expected to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, us anxious types are having a hard time waiting that long so these new spy shots are about as refreshing a batch of photos as we’ve seen in a while.

New spy shots of Ferrari 599 GTO shown in three colors originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 22 February 2010 08:30 EST.

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First launched in 1996, the Jaguar XK Series will enter its third generation in 2013 (the first one, the X100, was sold between 1996 to 2006 and the second one, the X150, beginning in 2006).

According to AutoCar, the third generation XK will be built on a new lightweight aluminium-alloy chassis and will have on its sight the BMW 6-Series with the hopes of pouncing on its German counterpart.

The 2013 Jaguar XK will be offered with a new V6 diesel engine that delivers a total of 300 hp with the same level of torque as a V8 engine.

Since the design of the current generation XK didn’t have the overwhelmingly glowing support Jaguar was expecting, the brand decided to re-invent the next-generation car by taking some styling cues - yet keeping some unique characteristics of its own - from the current Jaguar XF model.

The 2013 XK will be offered in a coupe and a convertible version, the latter still being a soft-top roof model. The company’s main concern with the new generation XK will be to go from the current 10,000 to 12,000 units a year.

2013 Jaguar XK rendered originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 19 February 2010 07:00 EST.

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The Hennessey Venom GT was supposed to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show but recent reports that the American super car’s unveiling will be pushed back to a later date has certainly dampened a lot of people’s expectations going to Geneva.

Then again, it will only be for a few more months because word has it that the Venom GT has now been pegged for a July world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a US debut a month later at Monterey.

One thing’s for sure though; the car with a 1,000 horsepower twin-turbo engine is one of those cars that is sure to become – if it hasn’t already – one of those still-to-be revealed supercars that will be talked about in water coolers everywhere, regardless when it does make its debut.

But now that reports have said that Hennessey has decided on the Goodwood Festival of Speed to make the public unveiling of the Venom GT, it should douse the anxiety from all of those who were disappointed to know that the American super car won’t make it to Geneva.

It’s only a few more months; we can wait that long. Or at least some of us.

Hennessey GT to make world debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 19 February 2010 04:10 EST.

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In the understatement of the year – so far, at least - the Porsche Panamera has been a remarkable success for the folks of Stuttgart. Yet despite that, there’s talk that Porsche may just have yet another ace up their sleeve in the form of a new Porsche 928, which, if true, should give them a model that can line up pretty well against the Ferrari 599 GTB and the Aston Martin DB9.

And as with any other car that’s supposedly on the pipe line, a member of Teamspeed decided to do a rendering of a new 928 based on the Panamera, coupled with a few elements from the old 928. There’s still no confirmation from Porsche regarding the car so as of now, all of this is merely rendered speculation, no pun intended.

Check it out and see if it’s up to par to the high standards of the original Porsche 928.

Designer renders 'new' Porsche 928 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 18 February 2010 09:00 EST.

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We don’t know if the Pagani C9 is just a photogenic little supercar, but it seems to have taken quite a liking to being photographed before its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

We already saw the first set of spy photos of the C9 getting filled up with gas but while those pictures still left a lot to the imagination, this new set captures the new Pagani supercar up close and in the flesh, leaving no doubt that this most definitely is the C9.

What’s more, in addition to looking at as clear a set of photos as we can find, these spy shots also has photos of the car’s interior and, much to our delight, its Mercedes SLS AMG-inspired gullwing doors.

Despite being the successor of the Zonda, the Pagani C9 is expected to come with a smaller engine than that of its predecessor. The 7.3-liter AMG V12 engine of the Zonda won’t be found in the C9, but what you can expect is a still impressive 6.0-liter V12 twin-turbo engine. Besides, the supposedly modest engine of the C9 will be a lot lighter than that from the Zonda, which means that the total power output of little bro – somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 horsepower – will exceed that of the big brother.

Pagani C9 caught on camera again! originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 16:30 EST.

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Mercedes has yet to divulge information on the forthcoming S-Class except for some camouflaged mule shots of the car doing some road testing. So what do pistonheads with a running imagination and too much spare time on their hands do?

They make renderings, of course.

When compared to the 2010 S-Class, this particular rendering looks to have taken a more dynamic design approach – it is, after all, supposedly inspired by the Mercedes F700 concept from 2007 - complete with a re-tooled fascia and side panels that are more swooping than that of the 2010 model.

As far as the technical engine specs are concerned, this future S-Class will supposedly come with a number of engine variants, including a traditional petrol engine, a plug-in hybrid powertrain, and the modular V6 and V8 MoVe units. The new S-Class will also be a trailblazer of sorts for Mercedes as it is expected to be the first production car that offers an active pre-scan suspension system that automatically adjusts the car’s suspension depending on the road conditions it travels on.

For all intents and purposes, Mercedes’ new flagship sedan will be one car that should grab the world’s attention when it is eventually released. When that will be is still anyone’s guess, but rest assured, a lot of folks are already waiting with baited breath.

Next-generation Mercedes S-Class rendered originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 12:41 EST.

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In a lunch sponsored by Dodge at the Economic Club of Chicago just outside the Chicago Auto Show, the company unveiled a sketch of what could be a new compact car the brand is planning on creating in the future. Presented by Dodge head honcho and Chrysler Senior VP Ralph Giles, the sketch resembles a three-door compact hatchback whose sleek and swooping design has led to speculation that the car might show up at a future auto show as a new concept.

There are no further details as to what Dodge has in store for the concept so it’s anybody’s guess really as to when – or if – the potential compact car will be released in the future. Other than showing off the sketch of the car, Dodge is keeping their cards close to their vests on this one.

What we do know is that when Fiat took over Chrysler, one of the Italian auto giant’s first points of emphasis was to add a compact segment to a number of Chrysler-owned brands, most notably that of Dodge. Taking from this, we’re guessing that the sketch they showed at the Economic Club of Chicago will be the first of what promises to be many versions of the promised Dodge compact vehicle.

Dodge reveals sketch of new compact concept car during lunch meeting in Chicago originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 07:00 EST.

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With the Lamborghini Murcielago nearing the end of its exotic production run, the Italian automaker is already underway with plans to replace the current Murcielago with a new super car. Current rumors are saying that it will be called the Jota and should be launched sometime in 2012.

In accordance with traditional Lamborghini nomenclature, Ferrucho liked to name his creations after infamous fighting bulls. However, there is no connection to the rumored Jota name, but the name was used on a very select run of Miuras and Diablos that underwent a few race inspired upgrades. This latest rendering gives us a new idea as to what the upcoming super car might look like. What we do know is that the 2012 Jota will feature a host of lightweight aluminum body parts, making it much lighter than its predecessor and will be powered by a brand new V12 producing around 700 HP.

2012 Lamborghini Jota rendered originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 12:00 EST.

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The German automaker VW has only made one vehicle that they feel confident calling a sports car when they introduced the Volkswagen Corrado back in 1988 as a successor to the lightweight fun to drive Scirocco, and ever since the the sleek two door went the way of the dinosaurs in 1996, enthusiasts have been dreaming about the car’s return to the market. So when VW started showing off their IROC concept and eventual Scirocco street car, it only begged the question, what about a new Corrado?

The crew at Miranda Media certainly aren’t the first, but seem to have come up with the best rendering that we have seen so far with their take on a future Corrado. While we always figured the old SEAT Leon Cupra R would make a great base, their concept is a dynamic blend of the old model and progressive design with a little Golf R hidden underneath. The concept features a subtle rear spoiler that can raise automatically, just like the original, a set of lightweight alloy wheels, aggressively swept back headlamps and larger intakes in the front bumper.

Press release after the jump.

Volkswagen Corrado by Patrick Moczarsky originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 12 February 2010 11:00 EST.

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Last time we checked, camouflage is supposed to conceal you by mixing your shades to your surroundings. Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to be convinced that camouflage is also a good idea to attract attention to themselves.

This particular Ferrari 458 Italia does a good job drawing attention to itself, which if you think about, defeats the whole purpose of camouflaging. We’re not particularly excited about a camouflaged 458 Italia especially one where it resembles a cow more than anything else.

Then again, to each his own, and if the owner likes his piece of work supercar, then more power to him.

Camouflaged Ferrari 458 Italia draws attention to itself originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 12 February 2010 10:00 EST.

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The great thing about making conceptual studies of concept cars is that you get to see just how talented some of these young designers are. Using their styling skills and combining them with a strong grasp of the brand they’re designing, these young designers have created some of the most eye-pleasing concepts we’ve seen in a while.

One of them is Marouane Bembli, a 24-year old designer from Sweden who you might remember for also creating the Audi R10 V10 supercar concept a few months ago. This time, Bembli takes a crack at an Aston Martin Veloce, the supposed successor of the DB9 supercar.

Check out Bembli’s work and tell us what you think. As for us, we know a good design when we see one and this one’s pretty hot.

Marouane Bembli's Aston Martin Veloce concept design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 12 February 2010 09:30 EST.

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The Aston Martin V8 Vantage, one of which was caught testing a few days ago, looks like it was given a new facelift. If you’re familiar with the Vantage, then you’ll notice a number of modifications on this particular car, including a redesigned front-end bumper, new 10-spoke, 19-inch wheels, and the addition of a higher rear spoiler and rear diffuser.

In addition to the exterior modifications, the Vantage’s interior was also given make-over with a lightweight Kevlar and carbon seats, as well as a 1,000-watt B&O hi-fi system among the new features being included to the car.

Unfortunately, spy photos of this nature don’t involve any of us poking our heads underneath the hood of the Vantage. Unless we’re willing to get in some trouble, we’ll just wait for that information when Aston Martin is ready to give it to us.

Spy shots: Aston Martin Vantage undergoes facelift originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 11:30 EST.

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Of the four new teams that are scheduled to make their inaugural Formula One race in Bahrain, only one of them can say that they’ve been there and done that.

And after recent spy shots were taken at Silverstone, we can now definitely say that Lotus has returned to Formula One.

It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 15 years since Lotus was part of the F1 grid, but after seeing that unmistakable green and yellow coated F1 car that has long been synonymous with Lotus running some tests in Silverstone, there’s no denying now that one of the most successful F1 outfits in history has come back to, dare we say, restore its lost glory.

Lotus’ first test-run at Silverstone was emotional on a lot of levels for those involved in the team’s return to Formula One. Even Tony Fernandes, Lotus’ team principal, admitted that he got emotional after watching the car make its first test run around Silverstone. In this official Twitter feed, Fernandes said, "Shakedown started. Quite a few tears."

If a simple test-run in the middle of February could bring such emotion to a lot of people, you can imagine that it’s going to be a lot more emotional when Lotus lines up at the grid in Bahrain.

Lotus F1's 2010 Formula One car spied doing test runs in Silverstone originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 09:00 EST.

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Of the four new teams that are scheduled to make their inaugural Formula One race in Bahrain, only one of them can say that they’ve been there and done that.

And after recent spy shots were taken at Silverstone, we can now definitely say that Lotus has returned to Formula One.

It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 15 years since Lotus was part of the F1 grid, but after seeing that unmistakable green and yellow coated F1 car that has long been synonymous with Lotus running some tests in Silverstone, there’s no denying now that one of the most successful F1 outfits in history has come back to, dare we say, restore its lost glory.

Lotus’ first test-run at Silverstone was emotional on a lot of levels for those involved in the team’s return to Formula One. Even Tony Fernandes, Lotus’ team principal, admitted that he got emotional after watching the car make its first test run around Silverstone. In this official Twitter feed, Fernandes said, "Shakedown started. Quite a few tears."

If a simple test-run in the middle of February could bring such emotion to a lot of people, you can imagine that it’s going to be a lot more emotional when Lotus lines up at the grid in Bahrain.

Lotus F1's 2010 Formula One car spied doing test runs in Silverstone originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 09:00 EST.

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While the first SC is not even worth mentioning (at least not in terms of design) the second one proved to be a pretty strong player. It was the first luxury cabriolet with 2 + 2 seats and got to be known all over the world due to various rap clips . The Lexus design changed dramatically in 2005, when the beta "L-finesse" produced the magnificent second IS. The 2007 LS further pointed that the IS was no accident and Toyotas can also look stunning. We can now dare and dream at the third generation SC that could bring us the rough-sporty side of the "L-finesse" philosophy. . An increased wheelbase should be a must on the new car, that way it can have descent rear room, and a real chance against the competition.

Lexus SC rendered by avarvarii originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 31 January 2010 16:00 EST.

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