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.

Peugeot are not exactly known for their luxurious or even sporty cars. That being said, they are looking to try their hand at what they consider a gap in the market. Instead of developing what they are known for, traditional family cars, they are looking to get involved in a different part of the market – expensive sports car.

So what ammunition are they bringing to try and fend off competitors? They are currently developing something that the media are labeling the H1. This is likely to be based on the SR1 sports car, something that is still looked on as mechanical brilliance and is only likely to become even more popular over the coming months.

The SR1 has styling that has never been seen before. It offers people looking to get a sports car an alternative to some of the better known and premium brands, catching a glimpse of driving freedom for a fraction of the cost. According to recent reports, the new SR1 concept is likely to be some what of a high rider; this will eventually be what is now known as the H1.

The vehicle has already been under extensive development and is far from finished. That being said, it certainly does not mean that Peugeot will be holding it back from the public. According to the design boss at Peugeot (Gilles Vidal), they will be revealing the new concept car at the Paris Motor Show. Of course, there is not a more prestige event in the motoring calendar, so it certainly makes sense.

So what can the public expect? It is quite obvious where the basis for the styling came from; the 207. That being said, Peugeot have gone one better here and really pulled out all the stops developing a truly beautiful concept vehicle.

Like most of the concepts this time of year, the actual mechanics have not been laid out in full. That being said, Peugeot has suggested that it will be incorporating the diesel hybrid, which is still under extensive development itself. PSA Peugeot-Citroën is looking to make this a concept car that no one will forget.

What the design team has suggested is that the look for Peugeot is likely to change. This is not just in relation to this concept car, but also to the rest of their range. From now on they are likely to be a lot sleeker in comparison to previous models, smaller rather than the bulky appearance they presently have.

Vauxhall have been hard at work, developing the next generation range of vehicles in addition to their current range. Their latest development is in the form of the GTC concept car. The car is likely to have its worldwide debut at the Paris Motor Show which is scheduled to take place this October.

Whilst the design and mechanics of the vehicle provided by Vauxhall are fairly vague, it has given the media a sneak peak into the future. Most people involved in the industry have come to the assumption that this is possibly what the new Astra Sport Hatch is going to be based in – sleek, yet still holding its sporty charm.

Sneak peaks and spy shots have been circulating the web, but no official photographs of the new GTC concept car have yet been released. That being said, we can all come to the conclusion that it is in fact a modified and futuristic version of the current Vauxhall Astra. With that in mind, Vauxhall will have the usual competition on their hands, in the form of the Renault Megane Coupe.

Vauxhall are set to have an extremely busy few months ahead of them. Whilst the focus is currently on the GTC concept car, there are plenty of other developments in the pipeline. In fact, one development that is completed is the Astra Sports Tourer. This vehicle has already had its sale date set and will be leaving showrooms with their new owners some time in October 2010.

Built in the UK, it soon becomes apparent that this has been designed as a passenger vehicle. In comparison to previous models, it has a lot more space and is designed in a much more efficient manner. Bear in mind that this vehicle boasts luggage space of over 1,500 liters, with the seats down of course.

The Paris Motor Show is likely to be an exciting event for Vauxhall overall. A range of new models will be on show, some of which have been under development for years, others which have simply seen minor modifications.

One of the focal points for Vauxhall this year was the further development of the ecoFLEX models. They are now scattered throughout the Vauxhall range, in an effort for Vauxhall to come across as a eco-friendly brand.

Like all concept cars, more details related to the Vauxhall GTC concept and Vauxhalls intentions are likely to become apparent closer to the time of the Paris Motor Show.