Luxgen Neora EV Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Luxgen is making a splash at the Shanghai Motor Show with the world debut of its Neora EV sedan shown here. Sporting a 48 kW induction motor, Luxgen says the car's electric powertrain will push the four-door to 60 miles per hour in an impressive 6.5 seconds. That may not be lightning quick, but it's plenty rapid enough - even by internal combustion standards. To make matters more intriguing, Luxgen says the Neora should be able to go around 250 miles on a single charge. When the juice runs out, the company claims you can have the Neora's battery back to 80 percent within an hour, meaning you shouldn't have to worry too much about longer journeys.
Inside, there's a full-length glass roof to let in natural light and an LED-screen rear-seat entertainment system. Up front, Luxgen has installed a head-up display to keep the driver's eyes on the road while he keeps tabs on the infotainment system.
There's no telling how much of the Neora's shape will make production, but Luxgen says the car will set the design language for its upcoming offerings. Though the Neora is carrying around a raft of forward-looking tech wizardry, the car's overall shape looks like it could be a production sedan with just a few tweaks.
Even so, the Taiwanese automaker is noticeably quiet about a production schedule and doesn't give any indication when its future offerings might surface.
Gallery: Luxgen Neora EV Concept
Continue reading Luxgen shows Neora EV concept in Shanghai
You never know what you'll find cruising the halls of the Shanghai Motor Show. China Car Times has discovered a true oddity of automotive evolution - the Beijing Auto T60 Sedan. What's so curious about this particular four-door? As you may recall, BAIC recently got its hands on the old Saab 9-3 platform, and word on the web is that the automaker was itching to prove that it can hone aging bones into an attractive vehicle. The result is the T60. According to the Chinese automaker, the concept will reach production by 2012.
According to CCT, the T60 received a warm welcome from the auto show crowd. Though the vehicle makes use of design elements lifted from Volvo, Honda and Lexus, the overall effect is attractive enough and as far from the aging 9-3 as you can get. Head over to China Car Times to see the full monty and to check out a complete gallery of the T60 concept.
Subaru XV Concept - Click above to view high-res image gallery
At the 2011 New York Auto Show, we asked Dominic Infante, Subaru's U.S. product manager, about the XV Concept revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show. "It's probably not for us," he said, "but we're looking at it. And if it did come, it probably wouldn't be called Outback Sport."
That's because the Outback Sport is an anomaly in Subaru's U.S. line-up that the brand's marketing arm would like to correct - an Outback in name only, it is actually based on the Impreza platform. But it sells so well, Infante says, "that the sales guys don't want them to change anything. They're like, 'Don't mess it up.'"
What do you think? Should Subaru bring a production version of the XV to the States, or is it too much like the Outback Sport to matter? Make yourself heard in our poll below.
Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport special edition for Shanghai - Click above for high-res image gallery
With a virtually endless array of color combinations available, there's really no reason any two examples of the Bugatti Veyron should ever be the same. And these latest two are no exception.
Unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show this week, this pair of Veyrons feature unique color and trim combinations to make them stand out even from this rarefied crowd.
On one hand, we have a Grand Sport - the convertible version of the Veyron - trimmed out in matte white with blue carbon fiber, with a complementing blue interior with white stitching. On the other we have a Super Sport - the record-breaking 1,100-horsepower version of the Veyron - decked out in black lacquered carbon fiber and a cream interior.
Both stand as (very quickly) rolling testaments to the rather Orwellian notion that while every Veyron is special, some are more special than others. Scope 'em out in the gallery below and follow the jump for the full details in the press release.
Gallery: Bugatti Veyron specials at 2011 Shanghai Motor Show
Continue reading Bugatti unveils a pair of special Veyrons in Shanghai
2012 Kia K2 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Kia has launched a new small-car assault on the Chinese market with the introduction of the 2012 K2 at this year's Shanghai Motor Show. Based on the company's Rio, the K2 will be offered in both four-door and five-door configurations and should compete with other premium small-car offerings in the market. Kia says the vehicle is the latest in the company's efforts to better match products with local market tastes, and that the K2 was specifically designed inside and out for Chinese buyers. That means that the vehicle wears a new set of headlights and a slightly-altered grille among a few other minor aesthetic adjustments outside.
Under the hood, the Chinese take on the Rio rocks a variety of drivetrain options, including a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 107 horsepower or a 1.6-liter four-pot with 123 ponies. Both a manual and an automatic transmission option are available for both lumps, though Kia hasn't said how many gears are on hand.
Kia says that the company will begin producing the four-door K2 this July at a new facility in Jiangsu province. Five-door production will get under way the following month. Hit the jump for the press release, and stay tuned for the official launch of the U.S.-market Rio that's coming in very short order.
Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!
Autoblog Podcast #226 features Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Dan Roth and AOL Autos Editor-in-Chief David Kiley. We start with the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle and then talk about the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. Staying with the auto show theme, we talk about the Buick Envision that has shown up in Shanghai. Your feedback in our Q&A module winds us up, and we've embedded that in the post below, as well. Thanks for listening, we'll see you next week!
Autoblog Podcast #226: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, New York and Shanghai Auto Shows
2012 Volkswagen Beetle
2013 Chevrolet Malibu
Buick Envision Concept
In the Autoblog Garage:
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
2011 Dodge Avenger Heat
Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman
Guest: David Kiley
Runtime: 01:23:12
Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
Audi A3 e-tron Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Audi rolled out yet another e-tron concept alongside the new Q3 in Shanghai, and what it lacks in power, it makes up for with efficiency, fuel economy... and weight.
The original A3 sedan concept that bowed in Geneva came packing a modified version of the TT RS' turbocharged five-cylinder, outputting over 400 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. This etron variant - based on the RS3 hatch - ditches the five-pot in favor of a turbo'd and direct-injected 1.4-liter four-cylinder that brings 211 horsepower to the party, and combined with another 27 ponies pulled from the 20kW electric motor, can propel the A3 etron to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds before topping out at 143 mph.
A seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic transmission is the only drivetrain component carried over from the concept's RS3 roots, but combined with lithium-ion battery pack stored in the trunk, Audi claims the e-tron can putt along for up to 34 miles on electric power alone thanks to the plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
The suspension carries over, with a MacPherson design up front and a four-link independent rear end, along with 20-inch wheels wrapped in 245/30 R20 rubber at all four corners. The square setup would indicate that the e-tron is all-wheel-drive, but Audi doesn't give any specifics on how power finds its way to the ground.
The exterior is a dead-ringer for the original A3 concept, albeit e-tronified with a new grille and bumper framed by a carbon fiber-reinforced frame, aluminum hood, trunk and doors. However, the weight savings is largely nullified by the battery weight in the boot, increasing the curb weight to 3,792 - nearly 400 pounds more than the original.
Inside, it's typical concept car flare partnered with Audi's next-generation MMI system complete with a UMTS module to provide wireless internet, WLAN hotspot functionality and Google mapping and POI search.
A toned-down version of the A3 sedan is due to hit the market late next year, and if Audi intends to stick to its electrified roadmap, we could see an e-tron variant arrive by 2013 at the earliest. Full details in the press blast below the fold.
Gallery: Audi A3 etron Concept
Continue reading Audi A3 e-tron concept debuts in Shanghai [w/video]
2012 Volkswagen Beetle - Click above to view video after the jump
Volkswagen teased its vastly redesigned 2012 Beetle during the Super Bowl this year, with a spot featuring a black beetle outrunning all the other bugs in the forest. At the end, VW gave us a look at the silhouette of the reshaped Beetle, but that was it. Now, the video has been recut to show the public the all-new Beetle in full regalia.
The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle was unveiled publicly for the first time this week, simultaneously debuting at the New York Auto Show, the Shanghai Motor Show and in Berlin. Though the car looks like a slightly reshaped version of the outgoing New Beetle, the real changes are under the car's skin.
In an apparent attempt to get away from the cutesy image the New Beetle has gained since it went on sale in 1998, VW completely threw out the old design and started from scratch. The result is a longer, wider and more spacious Beetle, which VW says hearkens back to the car's rugged, fun to drive, utilitarian origins.
Added to that, VW tried to make the car more masculine, adding a 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter four cylinder, bigger wheels and a Fender sound system. Click past the jump to see the reedited commercial.
Continue reading Video: VW updates Black Betty Beetle commercial
If you want a Rolls-Royce Ghost but the current model isn't quite big enough, or you can't stomach the idea of driving yourself to and from the country club, Rolls has you covered. The company just pulled the wrapper off the 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase at the Shanghai Motor Show today.
The latest addition to the Ghost lineup is 170mm, or about 6.7 inches, longer than the standard car, making it the perfect barge for those who want to be driven. If being chauffeured isn't your style, Rolls-Royce promises the Ghost Extended Wheelbase will be just as satisfying to drive as the smaller version, despite its added length and extra girth.
For people in the back, there's a new panoramic sunroof to bathe the interior in natural light, and plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy the view. The Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase will be sold in very limited numbers for the rest of 2011, with full production beginning in 2012. Price, naturally, goes unmentioned.
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz Concept A appears to be, quite literally, all show and no go. At its big debut at the Shanghai Motor Show, the car eschewed its 200-horsepower BlueEfficiency powerplant in favor of a four-suitpower unit, courtesy of Mercedes brass. After a star-studded introduction, including a version of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes-Benz" by rapper David Banner and English pop singers Estelle and Daley, the car broke down before hitting the stage.
That made for a seriously awkward few seconds, as four Mercedes execs, dressed to the nines in designer suits, had to push the car onto the stage. That embarrassing spectacle put a bit of a damper on the hype surrounding the highly-anticipated premium compact.
The 2011 Concept A is likely to donate around 85 percent of its styling to the 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which is slated to debut next year. There's even talk of a 350-horsepower AMG version sometime thereafter. We have to admit we're excited to meet the all-new A-Class, but that's based on the assumption that it will move under its own power. Top tip, Pieter!
