Showing posts with label Car Concept. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Car Concept. Show all posts

Saturday, August 7, 2010

2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept

2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Front And Side2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Front And Side

2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Section Front  Angle2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Section Front Angle

2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Front Section2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Front Section

2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Rear Section 2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Rear Section

2010 Citroen Metropolis Concept - Rear Angle

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2 liter V6 hybrid

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272 hp + 55 hp

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(from Citroen Press Release) CITROEN METROPOLIS, A CONCEPT CAR FOR CHINA

Citroen is today revealing the style lines of Metropolis, a new concept car that pays homage to China’s extraordinary development. Metropolis will be on show at the French pavilion at the Shanghai World’s Fair from 1 May to 31 October 2010.

A sleek limousine with harmonious lines, Metropolis is a reference to the grandeur, avant-gardism and vitality of the country’s great megalopolises with their undeniable magnetic attraction. To better address the local needs in this full-growth market, the concept car was designed 100% by Citroën’s international design team based in Shanghai since 2008.

A true artistic creation, Metropolis resituates the codes of luxury and attraction in the Marque’s universe of Créative Technologie. Citroen’s history is studded with high-end vehicles that have made their mark on automotive progress over the last 90 years. World’s Fair visitors will thus be treated to an “automotive work of art”, one that fits in perfectly with the “Sensual City” theme of the French pavilion. Metropolis is the result of the highest creative standards and technological smarts, evidenced in the Hydractive suspension system and plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The Shanghai World Fair is an opportunity for the brand to reassert its international character and show once again, after 20 years in China, the importance it gives to the needs and expectations of this market. China has become the world’s largest automotive market and Citroën’s second biggest market. The Marque enjoyed a record year in the country in 2009, with deliveries up by more than 57%

Metropolis, the ultimate in luxury

With its three-volume body styling – essential in the Chinese market – Metropolis expresses a vision of creative and sophisticated luxury through its imposing stature (5.30 m long, 2 m wide and 1.40 m high), which also serves to reflect the ambition and scale of the country to which it pays homage.
The spectacular and muscular body styling is draped in a flowing robe in a subtle “Pearl Silk” hue, the intensity of which changes according to the light to reveal generous curves and ultra-honed detailing.
Like a “Chinese vestal” such as Xian Nu, the styling language of Metropolis blends smooth surfaces, taut lines and sensual curves, together with special touches like the beautifully shaped front wing that emphasises the powerful, tapering silhouette.

Extending far back along the body, the chromed detailing on the upper part of the side windows serves to stretch the cabin lengthwise while safeguarding the intimacy of the rear passengers. The “origami” quarter-light appears to float in the air and, in a nod to the DS, also houses a light source.

The front end of Metropolis clearly expresses the store of power lurking behind the consummately wrought kiteshaped grille. The streamlined headlamps on either side have an imperious and steely regard, lending the whole a natural air of authority.

At the back, Metropolis artfully balances width and stability while boasting a taut and aerodynamic shape. The flowing lines are enhanced by the concave rear window combined with the shape of the boot, which features an active spoiler. The innovative “slatted boomerang” lights composed of layered segments add the crowning touch to the rear of the vehicle.

The interior design is inspired by fans and Chinese string instruments like the gu-zheng. In China, these are the attributes of a cultivated and refined person. The cabin is made up of superposed strata, creating a setting in which luxury is expressed in a new, “orientalised” approach. Luxury onboard the concept car is of the expressive kind.

Metropolis combines grandeur, stability and refinement with creativity, technology and quality. These words accurately express a blend of Chinese and French sensibilities. And Citroën’s new concept car is an expression of China’s ambition.

Metropolis and avant-garde technology

Metropolis balances urban responsibility and driving pleasure with its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. And to get the most out of these on-road capabilities, it is also fitted with Hydractive suspension – a Citroën hallmark that meets expectations on ride comfort worldwide, and in China in particular. This system maintains a constant vehicle attitude for better aerodynamics and, hence, fewer CO2 emissions.

With its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, Metropolis can run in several modes:

-- full electric: at start-up, in town at low speeds and when decelerating, with an electric motor developing a continuous 55 bhp (40 kW) and peaking at 95 bhp (70 kW);
-- in thermal combustion mode: at steady speeds on roads and motorways when the engine achieves maximum efficiency, with a V6 2-litre petrol engine developing a continuous 272 bhp (200 kW) and 375 Nm.
-- with the two engines combined:

• during acceleration for extra power (“overboost” function), with the car developing maximum power of 460 bhp (345 kW) and 430 Nm of torque.
• in four-wheel drive mode for extra grip when needed. The drivetrain combines driving pleasure, with impressive on-road performance, and environmental respect, with a considerable reduction of emissions. At 70 g/km, CO2 emissions are just one fifth those of a conventional drivetrain with equivalent performance (4-litre V8 engine).

This was achieved through:

-- optimisation of the petrol engine
-- a 7-speed, dual-clutch electronic gearbox
-- hybridisation
-- hybrid drivertrain operating strategies that work to continuously reduce CO2 emissions

Thursday, August 5, 2010

BMW 4-Door CLS Rival

MW 4-Door CLS Rival
It’s rare for BMW to be caught napping. But the German firm has only just given the green light to its stunning four-door Gran Coupe, which will take aim at the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes CLS and Audi A7.

Product development chief Klaus Draeger announced the decision at BMW’s Design Night in Munich, where the Gran Coupe concept made its European debut.

The car will be positioned in the range close to the new 6-Series, and aimed both at those who would like a more practical version of the 6-Series two-door, and at owners considering a 7-Series, but who prefer to drive themselves.

Styled by BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk, the Gran Coupe doesn’t have a hatchback like the Audi or Porsche. Instead, the firm has opted for a saloon bodystyle, which is preferred in the Chinese market, where this car is expected to be well received.

Buyers will have to wait until 2012 for the Gran Coupe to debut. It will share the same engines and front end styling as the new 6-Series, which debuts next year. So expect the usual 3.0-litre six cylinder petrol and diesel units, as well as a version of the 4.4-litre V8 found in the X5 M.

A hybrid version is currently being considered. Draeger said, “Since we use the same drive architecture as the Five, Six and Seven, we are able to bring a hybrid version.”

Thursday, July 22, 2010

2011 BMW Alpina B7

In today's consolidated and homogenized global auto industry, Alpina is an odd duck. Based in the southern German town of Buchloe, not far from Munich, the company started taking form back in 1961, when a German entrepreneur called Burkard Bovenspielen began to diversify the family typewriter company into an activity he was more passionate about—making high-performance automobile components. By the late 1980s, the company had focused on its current business: modifying BMWs (BMW:GR) to improve their performance and reselling them through BMW dealers. Mercedes' AMG division has similar roots, the difference being that founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht sold AMG to Mercedes in the 1990s, while Alpina remained independent.

2011 BMW Alpina B7
I recently test-drove the 2011 BMW Alpina B7, which hit dealerships in May and is the only Alpina model sold in the U.S. It's quite a car. If you've ever wondered why there's no high-performance "M" version of the 7 Series, as there is of most other BMW models, it may be because of Alpina. The B7 lineup consists of extensively retooled and upgraded versions of the BMW 750i, the long-wheel-base 750Li, and the all-wheel-drive versions of those vehicles. Alpinas are not only quicker and sportier but offer smoother riding than the equivalent BMW production models. They're also among the most exclusive cars on the market: Alpina expects to sell only around 1,000 B7s annually, about 400 of them in the U.S.

Alpina makes extensive mechanical modifications to the 7 Series. For starters, BMW's 4.4-liter V8 engine is significantly tweaked, with enlarged turbos, high-performance pistons, reinforced cylinder heads, and other modifications that raise horsepower to 500 and torque to 516 ft./lbs. (up from 400 hp. and 450 ft./lbs. of torque for the BMW 750i). Cooling capacity is dramatically expanded, the engine fan is enlarged and the rear differential has a shell made of cast iron, rather than aluminum, to improve heat transfer. Enlarged brakes are added, as are big, beautiful 21-in. spoked wheels clad with Michelin performance tires. Special front and rear spoilers and a new front fascia are added, too.

The car's springs are stiffened and the chassis lowered a fraction of an inch closer to the road. BMW's electronic suspension system is reconfigured to emphasize the difference between the "comfort," "normal," and "sport" settings. BMW's six-speed automatic transmission is beefed up and sport-tuned via Alpina's proprietary shift controls.

In width, length, interior space, and luggage capacity, the B7 is comparable to an equivalent BMW (which is to say the B7 is roomy and has a 14-cu.-ft. trunk). The classic paint job is a metallic Alpina blue, but the B7 is also offered in all the colors the 7 Series comes in.

The Alpina comes with all of a BMW's standard safety gear, including a full complement of air bags and stability and traction control. Fuel economy is similar, too. The B7 is rated to get 15 miles-per-gallon in the city and 21 on the highway. (City mileage drops to 14 with all-wheel drive.) That's about the same as the 2011 BMW 750i, which is rated at 15/22 with rear-wheel drive, and 14/20 with all-wheel drive.

Not surprisingly, however, an Alpina is considerably pricier than a comparable BMW. The B7 starts out at about $124,000, including destination and gas-guzzler taxes—about $40,000 more than a 2011 BMW 750i. Add $3,000 to the B7's price for all-wheel drive and $3,900 for a long wheel base. However, the B7 comes packed with around $14,000 worth of standard equipment that is optional on a comparable BMW (heads-up display, premium sound system, full leather interior, and so forth), reducing the real price premium.