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The Chevrolet Concept Mini-Cars: Cutting Fresh Trax

At the 2007 New York Auto Show,GM, apparently in collaboration with Jam Master Jay, introduced three new sub-compact concept cars: the Chevrolet Beat, Groove, and Trax. Chevrolet has asserted that the 3 mini concept cars were “designed to be more stylish than the Aveo”…but the jury is still out.

Although admittedly not so ugly as to inspire gastrointestinal reaction, the mini cars are an acquired taste. The Groove and the Trax are of a very similar design, definitely reminiscent of the ill-fated Scion XA, but the Beat strikes a particularly sour note(ouch, sorry, no pun intended) as it appears to be the Toyota Prius: Honey I Shrunk The Design Plans edition.

Perhaps as a nod to this obvious character trait/flaw, executives at Chevrolet announced that the Beat will see European production by 2009 – but won’t ever set its little rubber feet on American soil.

So what can Uncle Sam expect? By 2011, either the Groove or the Trax – Chevrolet isn’t ready to reveal their final decision yet - but my money is on the Trax.

Of the three, The Chevrolet Trax is the most “rugged” [and I use the term very loosely] and has been described as a micro SUV. A four-door hatchback, the Trax features 1.0L, 3 cylinder engine and, depending on how adventurous the consumer is feeling, will be available in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Although it’s boxy, sport design will probably work wonders softening the blow of the die-hard SUV enthusiast forced to downsize, the Trax is not a replacement for a good old-fashioned truck. According to a delusional marketing department, however, Chevy says they’re hoping to push the Trax towards “active urban city dwellers who like to go off-road on weekends.” Off-roading? Where? The unpaved parking lot?

Still, the bigger, stronger Trax seems the only one in the trio that a Chevy, known for its stereotypically American cars, could ever have any success marketing.
The other contender, the Groove, appeared to be ill-suited for the American market after line 1 of the press release. According to Chevy, the Groove’s narrow, slightly-chunky exterior and overall styling is aimed at inspiring a sense of “funkastalgia.” What does this look like, a disco? Pass.

The Designer of the Century’s 5 Most Beautiful Cars

Giorgetto Giugiaro is a very important person; probably the most important person that no one’s ever heard of. He’s the car designer of the century, and he’s responsible for some of the most beautiful and influential vehicles of all time.

Here are his 5 most beautiful creations:

1. The Iso Grifo – 1963

There were actually two body styles for the early Iso Grifo, the A3/L (the one pictured above) and the A3/C, and they were both designed by Giugiaro when he was only 25 years old. The A3/C was the sleek competition version that looked almost like a lighter Ford GT40, and the A3/L was the more aggressive street version, with the mean brow and front end that inspired the American muscle cars later on in the decade.

2. Fiat 850 Spyder - 1965

A tiny little car with a tiny little engine. Grossly underpowered compared to the other 4 cars on the list, but still important because of the straight, clean lines and really simple elegance of the car.

Where do you think the Mazda Miata’s styling comes from?

3. DeTomaso Mangusta - 1966

The Mangusta was slightly more accessible than the Vallelunga before it and better quality than the Pantera after it. It’s DeTomaso’s coolest car, and one of my favorite cars of all time. It looks like it’s going to take off and attack an impala and go eat it in a tree or something. It’s a monster car.

4. Maserati Ghibli - 1966

Anything Giugiaro did for Maserati was solid gold, but the Ghibli was the best. This car was the European version of the C4 Corvette, nearly 20 years before that Corvette was designed. Again, Giugiaro was ahead of his time with a beautiful, really clean body style. It looks fast just sitting there.

5. Lotus Esprit - 1972

This is the big one. Giugiaro designed the concept for the Lotus Esprit in 1972 and it went into production in 1976. The Lotus Esprit wasn’t just another angular sports car, this was the first angular sports car. Nothing looked like this before 1976, and everything looks like it after. Any sports car built today, you can still see the influence of the Lotus Esprit. The Ferrari Testarossa, the Lamborghini Countach, the Diablo, basically all modern Lamborghini’s, and just about all of those modern high level sports cars can trace their design linage to the 1976 Lotus Esprit, and so, to Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Geneva 2008: Audi’s Q7 V12 TDI Looks Show Quaility and Showroom Ready!

AudiQ7-2a.jpg picture by willfusion

While most industry executives are tossing hybrid systems and electric motors at their engineers to squeeze into their cars Audi’s sports minded leaders must have said, “I think we can fit four more cylinders on that engine!”
Coming to the Geneva Auto Show later this week will be Audi’s introduction of the all new Q7 V12 TDI Quattro in all its might and gloss. If there was room to squeeze an “R” or and “S” schematically in the name Audi should have done it, because they have done everything else to this sports flavored SUV. You are looking at a 500-hp 6.0 liter V12 that will be chewing up the pavement with 758-ft.lbs of torque. If zero-to-sixty is your thing the Audi Q7 V12 puts that in a the sportscar range of 5.5 seconds. This is no average soccer parents SUV. However, at just under 20 mpg and with special emissions controls the Q7 already meets the next level of fuel standards.

The flash and dash on the Audi Q7 V12 TDI is not limited to the performance sector as the interior comes with all the leather trimmings and aluminum stripping a buyer could want. With black leather along the dash, the tops of the doors and roof of the Q7 and leather on the seats the occupants are literally folded up in a cocoon of leather opulence. However, this cocoon comes with a glass roof view that opens up the skyline to cloud watchers (driver excluded). …Press Release and Photo Gallery to follow… (more…)

2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ARC comes out of hiding ahead of LA Auto Show Debut

vipersrt10arc-1.jpg picture by willfusion

The new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ARC is ready to revive the good old days of racing when your track car was also the car that got you to and from the race. The Viper SRT10 seemed ready enough for anything with its 8.4 Liter V10 pumping out 600 horses and 560 ft.lbs of torque, but the SRT gurus at Dodge thought differently. They have found the means to reduce the over-all weight of the SRT10 by 40 pounds, or 80 pounds if you buy the audio delete package, and have increased down force, improved breaking and simplified racing setup adjustments to make the Viper SRT10 ARC track ready. The race inspired Viper SRT10 ARC will be on display growling from its pedestal at the Los Angeles Auto Show that runs from Nov. 16th through the 25th.

All of the race ready provisions of the Viper SRT10 ARC are the result of and to validate the Dodge SRT core vision:
“Deliver benchmark performance at the lowest price, and deliver it with absolute integrity and credibility.” (more…)

Fisker to bring 100mpg Plug-in Hybrid Sedan to Detroit

Fisker’s variant of the Plug-in Hybrid appears to be the most striking and elegant yet, but we will know for certain when it is unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit this January. Fisker, in their partnership with Quantum Technologies, have designed and are testing a very special car with some intriguing numbers. In All-Electric mode the Fisker Sedan will achieve 50 miles; which is what they have determined to be an average work commute. While in hybrid mode, which has an option between diesel or gasoline, the car has a range of about 600 miles. So do not worry if your daily commute is 75 miles because this car will just sip on a bit of fuel to carry you the rest of the way… so they say.

New technologies do not come cheap, though, and the Fisker will be no exception. (more…)

Latest Cars News Blog

The Chevrolet Concept Mini-Cars: Cutting Fresh Trax

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