Concept Cars

The great thing about Ford is that they constantly look to the future and are always developing their range to keep up with the times. This is likely to be evident when we visit The Paris Motor Show. Whilst this is the big launch for a lot of manufacturers, Ford has suggested that their big launch will be at the Swiss Expo instead.

Ford has already confirmed that they will be debuting one of their most popular developments at the Paris Show though; the Ford Focus. This new model will be in full European Spec and can be seen by consumers in full production trim. Better still; consumers will be able to feast their eyes on the all new ST model.

It seems that Ford has managed to plan big appearances at all the major shows, including the likes of Geneva. Next years Geneva Show will be a big reckoning day for the car manufacturing giant, as they release their newly designed and slightly modified Fiesta model, possibly their most popular vehicle in their whole range.

According to Ford, the changes that will be made will be kept to a bare minimum; which we feel is ideal, bearing in mind its current popularity. The design will be slightly modified to incorporate some newly styled bumpers along side the likes of LED lights will run in the day time. A quick look at the S-MAX and the Mondeo will see that the inspiration for the new design has been taken from there.

A quick lift of the bonnet will give anyone a shock. Ford will be incorporating their new direct injection system which will be helped along by the aid of a turbo charged EcoBoost engine.

Back on the Fiesta side of things, it will incorporate a fairly standard 90bhp 1.0 engine. This being said, they are considering the inclusion of a 1.6 liter performance engine, much like the current Zetec S, although this has not yet been confirmed.

Ford has had a long hard think about its Fusion range and has decided that it is time for a change. The Fusion will now be labeled as the B-MAX and will be a combination of the current Fiesta, alongside an MPV. Of course, the aim here is to attract customers will the functionality and practicality side of things.

Among the most popular and prestigious events of the year is the LA Auto Show, which takes place in November. This year is likely to be bigger and better than ever, with many car manufacturers hoping to wow the crowds with their latest eco-friendly developments and high value for money products.

One manufacturer will be looking to do exactly that is Hyundai, as they will be debuting one of their most recent concept cars. The Korean car manufacturer has already stressed how important it is for them to reach a goal of hitting 50mpg for all their vehicles and this concept is likely to be one step closer towards that mark.

Here is the thing; John Krafcik, the company CEO, is making some extremely competitive claims to the general public. A recent announcement suggested that Hyundai would average 50mpg across its whole range by 2025.

The claims may be taken with a slight pinch of salt though. Whilst the company does offer the best fleet in terms of averages, they are still far from the 50mpg mark. In fact, their current 30mpg average means that they have a huge task ahead of them.

Everything seems to be just rumors at the moment, but possibilities are endless for Hyundai. They could be developing a whole new concept, or they could be looking to release their Blue-Will Concept. This concept is likely to be one that could easily be competitive with the Toyota Prius.

According to Hyundai, this new hybrid is likely to produce some extremely impressive figures. It will incorporate a 1.6 liter engine, which will pump out 152bhp. This will be accompanied by a 100kW electric engine which incorporates a lithium-polymer battery pack. Together, they will create a mpg figure in excess of 100, whilst the standard mode will still produce an impressive 50mpg.

The problem for Hyundai is this; they have nothing like this already in production. Their current concept may well be able to keep the likes of the Prius on its toes, but without it going to dealerships and point of sale, there is no chance that Hyundai can be considered anywhere near on Toyotas’ level.

A lot of hype has been surrounding the car manufacturer, Lotus. It is not a common occurrence that they incorporate upgrades to their range, let alone introduce a new model altogether. That being said, that is exactly what has happened recently.

Lotus is making sure that they put their print on the Pebble Beach when they arrive with their completely new concept. They will be there for the debut launch of their new 125 Race Car, which should spark the production development of it.

Although the details are still sketchy, Lotus has suggested that they will produce just 25 examples of their new concept. The concept will be unique in comparison to anything they have done before and of course, to anything that is currently on the market.

The 125 Race Car, will be exactly that, coming in an F1 style format. The specification that has been released so far, does justify the $1,000,000 price tag that is be expected to be linked to the concept. In fact, if these specifications are true, then Lotus should sell out on pre-orders alone.

The 3.5-liter 650BHP Cosworth GPV8 will be slightly detuned, as the power there is really not needed. This will provide drivers with a redline figure of 10,300rpm, making for an excellent driving experience.

Obviously one of the most important things here is the weight. This has been one of the main focuses for Lotus and they have done well; keeping the weight to just over 1,400lbs.

Here is the good thing; it has one over on a normal F1 car. A normal F1 car will require a rebuild every single race, where as the Lotus 125 Race Car will need a rebuild every 2,800 miles. Whilst the cost of the rebuild will not be cheap, if a consumer can afford the race car, they are likely to be able to afford the rebuild as well!

As previously mentioned, the launch will be at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. According to reports, driver training from professionals is likely to be included in the $1,000,000 price tag!

Lotus will not be the only ones fighting for attention here though. Hundreds of manufacturers visit here every year flashing their latest developments and concepts to the public!

Eco-friendly vehicles have been increasing in popularity over the last few years. That being said, short term popularity has decreased as gasoline in the US declined in price, to below $4 per gallon. This is bad news for small car manufacturers, including the likes of Smart, who pride themselves on saving money on fuel for their consumers.

This has had a knock on effect for the Smart ForTwo, which has seen a decline in sales. That being said, Toyota is already preparing the launch of its rival vehicle for 2011, the Scion iQ. The new iQ will be hitting US dealers in March next year.

Whilst the details have been few and far between, the Scion iQ was originally revealed as a concept car. The New York Auto Show was the venue Toyota chose to use as their outlet to intrigue customers, which seems to have worked. The interest seems to be there, so Toyota brought the production model to the 2010 show.

There have been doubts that Toyota is even ready to take the Scion iQ into production, but Toyota have confirmed otherwise. Scion VP, Jack Hollis, has already assured interested parties at a recent press release that they are still on target to hit the scheduled production launch date.

It is quite obvious what Toyota has based their new development on; the Smart ForTwo. That being said, the new Scion iQ does offer consumers so much more than the ForTwo ever could.

There were some problems with the original development, mainly in the gearbox department. Test drivers found that the combination of the gearbox and engine did not work together well and gave an extremely uncomfortable ride.

As one of the worse features of the car, Toyota has managed to change it ready for the production model. They have incorporated a continuously variable transmission, which offers much more consistent acceleration, increasing ride comfort.
 
So what can consumers expect from the 2011 Scion iQ? Well, they can expect a reasonable priced mini car, weighing in at just $11,990 for the entry level vehicle. Fuel economy should be in the same ball park as the ForTwo, hitting around 33mpg in the city, whilst highway driving should achieve around 41mpg.

Safety has also been improved, with the iQ now incorporating a rear window air cushion to protect passengers in the rear in case of an accident. Only time will tell whether the iQ is as popular as the ForTwo.

xLamborghini are not exactly a company that develop concept cars on a daily basis, so when they do, there are always going to be plenty of people interested. It seems that the company has been struggling recently, so plans to develop the Lamborghini Estoque concept car have taken a front seat in their development department.

Originally Lamborghini introduced the concept as something that could be the basis for one of their new vehicles. It was the Maris Motor Show in 2008 that was the occasion for their launch but since then, nothing has really materialized. It seems that the Italian car maker did not have any serious plans regarding the production of the vehicle, but all this might have changed.

Lamborghini has suggested that it may take a positive step forward in the development of the Estoque. In fact, these steps could mean that they get some kind of production plan in place fairly soon and it could be that we see it on our roads before long.

For many people, it does come as a slight surprise. A lot of manufacturers develop concepts are developed, but hardly any of them make it to production – instead they just fade out over time. The last sign on interest in the Estoque was back in 2009, but nothing has been mentioned since.

Here is the unique thing about the Estoque; it will have four doors in comparison to the two doors all the other models have. What this means is that the Italian sports car manufacturer will be rivaling the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide as well as Maserati Quattroporte. That being said, it will also be the rival to the likes of the Porsche Panamera.

Lamborghini is a manufacturer that is not necessarily used to large scale production, opting for a more bespoke approach. That being said, they are looking to increase sales in their range as an overall, and this is likely to help. The main problem for the Italian manufacturer will be keeping costs down to rival its competitors.

Of course, the popularity of the new vehicle is likely to be put down to its quality of build along side its functionality. As long as Lamborghini can deliver a cool mixture of the two, then they have a fighting chance of competing with other manufacturers offering similar vehicles.

Land Rover has not exactly been looked upon as the most fuel efficient and eco friendly vehicle, especially in comparison to a lot of other brands. That being said, since Tata Motors has taken over Jaguar-Land Rover, there have been a lot of positive changes. The company has taken drastic steps to ensure that the vehicles still hold their character, but also so that they are competitive in terms of being eco friendly.

Tata Motors started a recent announcement by explaining the new vehicles in the Jaguar range. They will be introducing a new estate vehicle, new entry level model and also a new Roadster to go alongside the current range. That is not all though, as there has been some activity on the Range Rover front.

Tata will also be developing the current Range Rover Fleet, not to mention the development of a completely new concept. The new variation of Range Rovers will include the new Sports Utility Vehicle Concept, which goes by the name of the Range Rover Evoque.

Both brands will see their ranges modified and will increase in size, with fuel efficiency being the main focus. A lot of the new fuel efficient vehicles will be hybrids that run on a duel fuel. This will be seen as an eco-friendly move by Jaguar-Land Rover, but in reality, it makes the running costs of such a big vehicle, a lot more affordable.

The reality is, there is a lot of interest in the development of Jaguar and Land Rover in the likes of China and India, which are both big markets. By introducing a range of eco-friendly vehicles, Jaguar-Land Rover are drastically increasing their target audience and will hopefully increase their market penetration in these areas.

So – why are Tata focusing on China so much? Here is the reality; China is the 3rd largest overseas market for Jaguar-Land Rover, yet there their market penetration is small. China is a fast developing country and with each day that goes past, more and more cars are being sold.

Not many people realize it, but a lot of concept cars start here. Look at 2009, where sales of vehicles grew a massive 48%, in comparison to a lot of other countries that decreased their sales figures!

The reality is, the development of the Range Rover Evoque could be great news for the Tata Motors team.