Youngman (owner of Saab) and Proton finalising new SUV
TheAutoInsider: Youngman, the fledgling Chinese car maker that together with Chinese car dealer giant Pang Da purchased Saab last week for the sume of 100 million Euros, is putting the finishing touches to a new SUV.
Pictured here wearing disguise as it undergoes testing in and around Beijing, the new car has been developed by Malaysian car maker Proton, parent company of Lotus, with which Youngman has close links. Youngman sells Proton models in China under the Youngman-Lotus name.
The new SUV, which may get an airing in concept car guise at the upcoming Guangzhou auto show, is rumoured to draw on the Lotus APX concept first wheeled out at the 2006 Geneva auto show.
Pictured here wearing disguise as it undergoes testing in and around Beijing, the new car has been developed by Malaysian car maker Proton, parent company of Lotus, with which Youngman has close links. Youngman sells Proton models in China under the Youngman-Lotus name.
The new SUV, which may get an airing in concept car guise at the upcoming Guangzhou auto show, is rumoured to draw on the Lotus APX concept first wheeled out at the 2006 Geneva auto show.
Mercedes-Benz and BYD to deubt new joint venture electric car in April
TheAutoInsider: Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and its Chinese based joint venture partner BYD plan to unveil their new electric car at next year's Beijing auto show shortly before the new car goes on sale in China.
Computer generated renderings of the five door hatchback, which is based on the underpinnings of the old first generation B-class, were first made public in a patent application earlier this year.
Computer generated renderings of the five door hatchback, which is based on the underpinnings of the old first generation B-class, were first made public in a patent application earlier this year.
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| Mercedes-Benz and BYD's joint venture electric car |
Saab: Big investment promised by new Chinese owners
TheAutoInsider: The company handling Saab's bankrupcy proceedings, Guy Lofalk, has announced the new owners of the troubled Swedish car maker, China based Youngman and Pang Da, have promised investments totalling 610 million Euros through 2012.
The much needed cash injection will be used in the development of new Saab models, including the long awaited replacement for today's 9-3 pictured below for the first time.
The investment comes on top of the 50 million Euros Youngman and Pang Da have promised to once again get production at Saab's Trollhatten plant up and running. Saab has also secured 63 million Euros in loans from the European Investment Bank.
The much needed cash injection will be used in the development of new Saab models, including the long awaited replacement for today's 9-3 pictured below for the first time.
The investment comes on top of the 50 million Euros Youngman and Pang Da have promised to once again get production at Saab's Trollhatten plant up and running. Saab has also secured 63 million Euros in loans from the European Investment Bank.
Mini Roadster revealed
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| Mini Roadster (click to enlarge) |
TheAutoInsider: Mini has pulled the wraps off its new Roadster, two years after it made its debut as a concept at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
The two seat open offers the same range of 1.6-litre four-cylinder gasoline engines as the recent introduced Coupe, with which it shares its styling.
They include a naturally aspirated 121bhp unit in the Cooper along with twin-scroll turbocharged versions kicking out 181bhp in the Cooper S and 208bhp in the range topping John Cooper Works models.
Mini quotes 0-62mph and top speed figures of 9.2sec and 124mph, 7.0sec and 141mph and 6.5sec and 147mph respectively in manual form.
European buyers will also get a 2.0-litre four-cylinder common rail diesel unit that endows the Cooper SD with 141bhp. It takes 8.1sec for the 0-62mph sprint, has a 131mph top speed and boasts an impressive 52.2mpg in manual form.
Alongside the standard six-speed manual 'box, the Mini Roadster also comes with an optional six-speed auto.
BMW turning its back on Germany
TheAutoInsider: BMW has indicated it is loosing interest in Germany as a prime production base. In an interview with Automotive News Europe, key BMW officials confirmed the company is planning to move more production outside its homeland. At present 56 per cent of BMW's total production hails from Germany - down from 70 per cent in 2002. With plans to further ramp up production in both China and North America, BMW could soon produce more cars outside Germany than it does at home - 31 Oct, 2001.
Official pictures: Opel Zafira Tourer concept
After Opel first revealed the Zafira Tourer as a hologram in a picture also featuring its design boss Mark Adams, the German arm of General Motors has now released these series of real pictures of the new concept.
Lamborghini Aventador leaks ahead of Geneva reveal
Pictures of the Lamborghini Aventador, replacement for the Murcielago, have found their way onto the internet, five days before an official unveiling in Geneva.
Volkswagen's Geneva concepts revealed by Italdesign patent applications
Official hi-res pictures: Smart Forspeed
Mercedes-Benz's city car division, Smart, has whipped the wraps off an electric powered concept car called the Forspeed.
The new two seater, prematurely revealed in a series of patent images last month, recalls the look of the company's earlier Crossblade, complete with a cut down windscreen and domes behind the cabin.
Unlike that car, however, Smart says the Forspeed is not intended for production. Instead it is said to provide a glimpse at the sort of styling Mercedes-Benz design team is considering for the third-generation of the Fortwo coupe and its open top sibling, the Fortwo convertible, due in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Power for the ForSpeed comes from an upgraded version of the Fortwo ED's plug-in electric system that uses a 40bhp motor in combination with a lithium ion battery pack. It's claimed to hit 37mph (60km/h) in 5.5sec and boasts a range of 84miles (135km) between recharges.
The new two seater, prematurely revealed in a series of patent images last month, recalls the look of the company's earlier Crossblade, complete with a cut down windscreen and domes behind the cabin.
Unlike that car, however, Smart says the Forspeed is not intended for production. Instead it is said to provide a glimpse at the sort of styling Mercedes-Benz design team is considering for the third-generation of the Fortwo coupe and its open top sibling, the Fortwo convertible, due in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Power for the ForSpeed comes from an upgraded version of the Fortwo ED's plug-in electric system that uses a 40bhp motor in combination with a lithium ion battery pack. It's claimed to hit 37mph (60km/h) in 5.5sec and boasts a range of 84miles (135km) between recharges.
Bertone's Jaguar concept leaks out ahead of Geneva show
AutoBild, the perennial embargo busting weekly magazine from Germany, has disregarded Bertone's conditions on pictures of its new Jaguar concept by publishing them ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
See story below for details.
See story below for details.
Official pictures: Hyundai i40
Hyundai has lifted the veil on its new i40 in a series of official pictures prior to it making its world debut at the Geneva auto show. More info soon . . .
Bertone concept to preview new small Jaguar
Bertone is planning to pull the covers off a contemporary styled Jaguar sedan concept at the Geneva auto show.
The new car, called the B99 and previewed in this early teaser picture released by Bertone today, sets the scene for a new entry level Jaguar model recently referred to by Jaguar boss, Carl-Peter Forster, in an interview with European media.
Known internally under the codename X760, the new small Jaguar has been conceived to take on the Audi A4, BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class with a unique rear-wheel drive platform and the choice of both four- and six-cylinder engines.
More info as it comes to hand . .
The new car, called the B99 and previewed in this early teaser picture released by Bertone today, sets the scene for a new entry level Jaguar model recently referred to by Jaguar boss, Carl-Peter Forster, in an interview with European media.
Known internally under the codename X760, the new small Jaguar has been conceived to take on the Audi A4, BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class with a unique rear-wheel drive platform and the choice of both four- and six-cylinder engines.
More info as it comes to hand . .
Electric Boxster! Porsche testing zero emission roadster
Porsche has revealed the first of what it says will be up to three plug in electric Boxster prototypes.
Created as part of an electric mobility program being overseen by the city of Stuttgart in Germany, the zero emission roadster is powered by a pair of electric motors mounted in the space usually taken up the Boxster’s horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine.
Together they produce a total of 241bhp.
Electric energy is provided by a bank of lithium-ion batteries boasting a combined capacity of 29kWh.
Further details as they come to hand . . .
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