Car Trends Magazine

NO OFFICIAL information given yet, but by the looks of it, Hyundai’s HED-2 Genus concept could be the base for the next generation Elantra.

Technorati Tags: Hyundai, HED-2, Genus, Concept, Geneva

APX Concept by Lotus Engineering
LOTUS will present an all new concept at the at the 76th International Motorshow at Geneva. Created using Lotus Engineering's revolutionary Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA), and designed by Lotus Design, the APX also features a new 3.0 litre supercharged V6 producing 300hp. The British company noted that the APX concept is not indicating a strategic direction of Lotus Cars; but a brilliant demonstration of VVA, the skills of the team from Lotus Engineering and what is regarded as the future of niche vehicle manufacture.
Technorati Tags: Lotus,, APX,, Concept,, Geneva

IED- “Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin”, a well established car design school, will be presenting a concept car, for the third consecutive year, at the Geneva Motor Show. The Haizea concept is a car designed by its students in Transportation Design. The students, led by Hernan Charalambopoulos, Course Coordinator and Head of IED Automotive, came up with a concept car that highlights the brand's sporting essence
The full scale model (length 4.965 mm, width 1.935 mm, height 1.420mm & wheelbase 2.720 mm) has been developed around a frame devised in such a way as to provide the utmost level of both active and passive safety. The mechanical parts of the rear wheel drive engine are housed in a central-rear position, and together with the addition of two electric motors placed above the front wheels, an excellent compromise in terms of distribution of weight, traction and mass has been reached.
The passenger compartment, designed around a central chassis developed lengthwise and to which the seats and the instrumentation panel are anchored, absorbs energy in case of a head on collision and provides the structure with both an aesthetic and a functional purpose, not just a load bearing one. This particular chassis structure, “dressed” externally in such a way as to highlight the vehicles architectural values, plays on the asymmetrical disposition of the vehicle’s masses in order to induce a strong sense of movement in the viewer. This movement recreates a feeling of speed thus arousing the sensation of an encounter with a wind (Haizea: “wind”, in the Basque language).

Technorati Tags: Lancia,, geneva,, cocnept,, Haizea, ,, IED

BASED on the American, Saturn Sky, Opel’s proposition in the popular compact roadster category revives the famous GT name of the 60’s. In Europe, the GT will be offered with a 2.0 Turbo Ecotec engine that produces 260 hp, enabling the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 6,0 sec while the top speed exceeds 230 km/h. In the near future the range will be enriched with more engines from Opel so as to compete with its main rival, the Mazda MX5 aka Miata. According to Opel, the GT will be available in spring 2007.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
A great name doesn’t have to be long. Indeed, for many automobile fans, the Opel GT is the cult sports car of the 1970s. Now the legendary name is making a comeback in the form of a stunning two-seat roadster that could also make automobile history. Opel will present the all-new GT to the international public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show (March 2 to 12, 2006). With exciting, sharply-cut lines, rear-wheel drive, and a potent four-cylinder turbo engine with gasoline direct injection, the new sports car echoes the successful concept of the original GT, which was built between 1968 and 1973.
“The GT is a powerful addition to our range of attractive niche products, and thereby further enhances the appeal of the Opel brand”, says Carl-Peter Forster, President of GM Europe. “The Tigra, the Astra TwinTop, and the new GT mean that we will have three very different models, all of which deliver top-down driving excitement. Moreover, the GT is a perfect example of how GM uses and applies its worldwide resources for the good of the individual brands.”
The new Opel GT is fun to drive thanks to its front engine and rear-wheel drive, which together ensure a balanced weight distribution, and its 260-hp 2.0-liter ECOTEC turbo engine with gasoline direct injection. This accelerates the new GT from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds, and enables a maximum speed of over 230 km/h.
Another fun factor is the fabric roof, which folds down to provide open-air enjoyment denied to the owners of the first GT. The roof disappears completely beneath a cover, further underlining the GT’s sporty silhouette with short overhangs and widely spaced 18-inch wheels.
The development of the new Opel GT is an excellent example of transcontinental collaboration within GM. The design was inspired by the VX Lightning concept car, which was conceived by the GM Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, England in May 2003 for the 100^th anniversary of the Vauxhall brand. The new GT will be built in Wilmington/Delaware, in the USA, where its sister models, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky, are also produced. The Opel GT is scheduled to hit the markets in spring 2007.
The original Opel GT owed much to the USA – in several respects. Its breathtaking lines were inspired by a new American design style, the so-called “coke bottle shape”, which also defined the Corvette Stingray. Furthermore, two thirds of all Opel GT cars built have been exported to the United States.

Technorati Tags: Opel, GT, Roadster, 2007, Geneva

NISSAN AT THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW 2006

Nissan Europe will present two innovative concept cars at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The most significant of the two is the world premiere of the Terranaut, a 4x4 vehicle which give us clues for the next X-Trail SUV. The Pivo on the other hand, is a battery-powered city car, which was first seen at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2005 and its making its European premier in Geneva

The Terranaut was conceived to serve as a mobile working environment for scientists, geologists, archaeologists or other adventurers who travel to the most challenging environments on the planet either for their work – or pleasure.
Its cabin is designed to accommodate three people – a driver, a passenger and, in the rear, where a scientist or specialist is well served with a computer console, as well as communication and analysis equipment to support them in their work.
A creation of London-based Nissan Design Europe, the overriding theme behind the concept is one of function. Project leader Felipe Roo Clefas, Assistant Chief Designer, NDE, says: “Terranaut has been designed for observation and communication in all four corners of the world.”
To accommodate the laboratory area within the cabin, the co-pilot’s side of the car has just one door, while the other side has a pair of swing doors and no central B-pillar. By hinging the doors at the front and rear respectively, ingress and egress is made easy.
Nineteen-inch wheels are covered by tyres specially constructed for Terranaut by Goodyear. Puncture proof, they function as conventional road tyres when the vehicle is being driven on metalled roads but, by changing air pressure, transform themselves into chunky off-road tyres.
Inside the vehicle, the spherical science laboratory dominates the entire cabin area behind the two front seats. A single revolving seat with an integrated computer keyboard is situated beneath the glass roof dome and gives the scientist complete 360-degree access to the various workstations found in Terranaut.
Technorati Tags: Nissan, Terranaut, , SUV, Geneva