Kia is the next manufacturer in a long list to start to produce some eco-friendly concept cars. They have already released some pictures of their recent concept and have explained that the debut launch is not too far away. They have chosen to use the Paris Motor Show that is in October as the main debut for the vehicle.

According to Kia, the new Pop concept is likely to change the way that people think about eco-friendly vehicles and in particular, the Kia brand itself. The press day on the 30th of September is likely to be where people can get a much more in depth peak at the new concept. Kia has already suggested that the concept will utilize a three seat structure. Along side this it will be using electric motor setup, setting it up to be extremely eco friendly.

 Like many of the concept cars these days, this has been designed as an extremely small city vehicle. At only 3 meters in length, it is one of the smallest vehicles that they develop. They have already suggested that it will be a zero emissions car, which is obviously a good thing. The creative design that Kia has brought to the new “Pop” concept is extremely unique.

They have managed to incorporate the likes of a panoramic roof along side LED tail lights which is going to give it that extra bit of presence on the road. The Kia brand is drastically changing the way their range is perceived by the end user. Effectively, they are going towards what all manufacturers should be doing, which is to produce vehicles that have a minimal impact on the environment.

They are certainly trying hard to achieve this, with the Pop concept being the third eco-friendly development that they have revealed in 2010 alone! In fact, Kia has already suggested the way their company is going. A spokesman for the company has already suggested that they are looking towards producing cars that are small and eco-friendly.

They are certainly sticking to their word, going on to say that they hope to release a hybrid by the end of the year in the USA. The new Pop concept does look like it has a lot of functionality behind it, but Kia may have problems. It seems like they are one step behind manufacturers such as Toyota, a company that has already released similar models.

It seems like yesterday we were talking about the exciting release from Jaguar; the 75th anniversary Platinum Concept car. For now though, we can assume that the hype behind that concept has been lost, thanks to Jaguar and their latest press release.

In recent news, we discovered that they are launching an armored version of its current popular model; the XJ Luxury Saloon. According to Jaguar, the development of this vehicle has been going on for quite some time, and it has come to a point where they feel they are ready to start to push it further.

So what sort of protection can the new armored XJ Luxury Saloon offer? Well, according to Jaguar, this vehicle will now incorporate B7 levels of ballistic protection, something that is not really found in an every day car. So – what is the great thing about this development? People on the outside will find it extremely hard to determine whether the armored vehicle is a standard XJ Luxury Saloon, so it does not draw attention to the people inside!

For people expecting to be driving through a war zone, this might be the most comfortable way to do it! Passengers will be treated to under floor grenade protection and if that is not enough, the vehicle is constructed with a Kevlar backing on the steels and an inner cell that has been modified and armored.

Whilst this does add extra weight to the vehicle, it is not likely that the driver will notice. After all, Jaguar is implementing the popular 5.0 liter V8 engine that they use in the standard XJ (long wheel base). We were worried that the handling would be compromised, but Jaguar has promised that this has also been altered.

Jaguar will be offering buyers a few things with the purchase of the new XJ Luxury Saloon. The first will be a security consultant. They will be able to help the buyer pluck out any extra features they require, ensuring the car is exactly what they need. Along side this, Jaguar is offering all buyers a three years/50,000 mile warranty, in case anything should go wrong. Of course, a lot of things are likely to make this warranty void – like grenade explosions for instance!

Hyundai unveiled one of their latest developments at the Geneva Motor Show this year. The concept car takes on the aerodynamic structures that can be seen with most of their other vehicles, showing their levels of innovative behavior lately and how it is increasing.

The new concept car from Hyundai has been labeled the i-flow. Whilst the exact specs of the new vehicle are not released, it is obvious that the main function for this vehicle will be for it to be economically friendly. It features an extremely unique, yet sleek design, yet all of the design features contribute to its small impact on the environment.

From the very beginning, the idea behind this concept was to produce a vehicle with as little emissions as possible. It seems that Hyundai has managed to achieve many of their goals, with figures such as 85 g/km CO2 emissions surfacing recently. The i-flow is far from ready, but it seems that Hyundai are serious about taking the development of this vehicle a lot further.

One thing to take note of is this; this is the first Hybrid that features a diesel engine. Previously, hybrids have featured petrol engines, which tend to offer much less in the way of MPG and generally consume more emissions. The roof is the place where the majority of the energy is gathered, using technologically advanced solar cells.

Everything about this vehicle is innovative, with Hyundai covering every single aspect of an eco-friendly design. Everything from the solar panel roof, right through to the incorporation of a thermo electric generator helps to make this the car it is. In fact, the likes of these additions, means that the vehicle can see reductions in fuel economy of up to 5% in some cases.

The great thing is that a lot of the energy that has been used can be recovered fairly easily. The vehicle uses around 125 watts at 40mph, which is a minimal amount anyway. The fact is, we find it amazing how the i-flow concept car can re-coup up to half of this energy back using the on board thermo generator!

Whilst the development of the vehicle is Hyundai’s doing, there are a lot of companies that have taken part in the development. In fact, the likes of BASF Coatings have played as significant part in helping to create the next generation vehicle for daily commutes; the Hyundai i-flow.

With another Transformers movie also comes another great looking muscle car, this time around we get the Corvette Stingray Concept from the 2nd movie… only this time it’s a convertible!

Set to appear in the 3rd edition of the hit Transformers movie series (due for release in July 2011) in this convertible guise, this example yet again shows just how great car designers can make a car look when they have no restrictions set up on them by the bosses.

This Corvette Stingray convertible looks superb, and is sure to be a hit with all fans of the Corvette, and of course Transformers, we can only hope, along with all the other fans, that somehow some of this Corvette Stingray’s design cues make it through to a production model sometime in the future, it sure would make an awesome sight cruising down the highway and we are already salivating at the thought of something that looks like this actually being available in the showrooms.

Of course GM have given us no clues on when, or indeed if, this car or anything like it will ever be put into production, and our guess is most likely some styling elements from this Corvette Stingray Concept may may make it through to a production model someday, but the entire package is sadly never likely to be put together for the masses, but then who knows… they may one day surprise us.

It is an unfortunate reality that many concept cars that enthusiasts look forward to hitting production, actually never make it! This was something that was expected of the BMW Grand Coupe, which was one of the most intriguing concepts to roll out of the BMW factory.

Luckily for BMW enthusiasts, Klaus Draege, the current chief of development has confirmed that it will eventually enter production. It made its official debut as a concept at the 2010 Beijing Motor Show. Since then, BMW has been working hard to ensure that many of the final touches have been made and it is nearing being ready for production.

BMW had a smart concept in mind; a sport based four door coupe, to fill a gap in their current range. According to their recent press releases, the vehicle will be on sale and in the hands of the consumer by 2012, with pre-orders being taken even sooner than this.

For this to happen, BMW needs to step on the gas with their other developments. These include the two-door 6-Series coupe and convertible, both of which are scheduled to hit dealerships throughout 2011. If they do manage to pull that off, then it seems the foundations for the Grand Coupe release date in 2012 will become even stronger.

So what sort of competition is BMW going have? The reality is that their competitors have really beaten them to it, with their equivalent vehicles already on sale. These include the likes of Mercedes-Benz with their CLS, Audi with their A7 Sport back and of course, Porsche, with their Panamera.

In terms of where the Grand Coupe will sit in the BMW range, the company has already made this quite clear. They will be looking to produce a vehicle that shows some basic characteristics of the current 6 series. Although this is the case, BMW has already stressed that it will not be using the 6 Series label, so the Grand Coupe will be unique in the range.

So who are they looking to sell to? Essentially, BMW are looking to produce a vehicle that suits people looking at a 7 series, giving them even more options. The two options they will eventually have means that BMW has a much better chance of getting a sale, rather than consumers going for a brand that they are in competition with.

BMW are looking to price the Grand Coupe slightly above the current RRP of the 6 series, which is currently $93,560.

Jaguar has been working hard to keep their premium image recently, but is still looking to increase sales in a market that is showing a downward slope. They have been working on a range of concepts in an effort to penetrate larger segments of the car industry and it looks like they hope their new concept will help them do exactly what.

The Pebble Beach concours d’elegance is a place for manufacturers to show off their best developments of the year, which is exactly what Jaguar managed to do. They introduced the XJ Platinum Concept to the world for the first time. This vehicle will essentially mark their 75th anniversary and Jaguar has suggested it will be produced on a bespoke basis.

The first thing that is likely to catch petrol heads attention is what lies beneath the bonnet. Jaguar has selected the Supercharged 5.0 liter V8 as their weapon of choice. This unit will produce a massive 464bhp.

In addition to the impressive engine specifications, Jaguar has worked on the styling slightly. The new concept shows off lower side trim, giving it a much more aggressive look. These additions are complimented by the fact that they have incorporated huge 22 inch wheels.

The interior of the new concept is just as spectacular as the exterior. It uses the likes of pearlescent white air vents and bespoke stitching on all the seats and headlining. Like all Jaguar’s, this instantly feels like a car of class and will certainly have an appropriate price tag attached.

The Platinum Concept was the brain child of the head designer in the firm; Giles Taylor. He mentioned that Jaguar has been working towards developing something that incorporates a sporting style alongside their premium image, and it seems like the XJ75 has a happy medium of both.

The sleek exterior shows off the premium brand that Jaguar is. Alongside this, the sporty additions like the wheels and lower trim mentioned above make it stand out from the rest of their developments to date. This is not to say this is going to be the ideal track car, but it certainly will give owners a much more exciting driving experience, compared to the laid back cruisers that are usually offered by the firm.