>> UPDATED STORY: a second Land Rover Defender concept has been unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt show. Read about it here.
The new Land Rover DC100 concept car, ready for a 2011 Frankfurt motor show arrival - points to the company's planned replacement for the Defender 4x4.
Land Rover has now confirmed officially that it'll launch a successor to the Defender in 2015, and the DC100 provides plenty of clues to what we could expect.
So the Land Rover DC100 is the new Defender?
Hang on a minute. Not quite. Land Rover today kicks off a process of deciphering what a Defender should stand for in the new millennium.
The current Defender has changed little for decades, and dwindling sales suggest that Gaydon needs to reinvent the hardcore 4x4 DNA to keep it relevant in these carbon-crunched times.
Insiders suggest that Land Rover must keep the honesty and purity of the Defender, so it appeals to core markets such as the agricultural and country communities, as well as rescue services and third-world buyers.
But how should it stretch up to appeal to car owners more used to creature comforts? That is the challenge that Land Rover faces.
The DC100 is one interpretation for how a future Defender could look. It's short, squat and modern. Are we alone in spotting a hint of Skoda Yeti in the side profile and glass treatment?
At the front, there is a new chopped-circle headlamp graphic, and a fresh design to the Land Rover honeycomb grille. The mud-plugging photo suggests that Land Rover will make sure the DC100 and future Defenders can cope with the brown stuff as well as before.
Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern on the DC100
'Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide,' he said. 'This isn't a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.'
John Edwards, global brand director Land Rover, added: 'Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market.
'We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalise the details of the new vehicle. One thing's for sure, it's going to be an exciting journey, and we can't wait to get going.'
Thứ Ba, 28 tháng 2, 2012
Jaguar C-X16 sports car (2011) at Frankfurt motor show
When is a concept car not a concept car? When it’s a ‘production concept’, to use Jaguar’s oft-repeated description at the unveiling of the new Jag C-X16 coupe at the Frankfurt motor show today.
Officially the two-seat, supercharged V6 coupe hasn’t got the green light. Unofficially this is the R version of a production car which is almost certain to be in showrooms in 2013.
Interviewing the bosses behind the Jaguar C-X16 concept car
‘For technical feasibility, we now know where we stand,’ Jaguar’s global brand director Adrian Hallmark told CAR Online. According to Hallmark, every element – from side impact safety to a nose that meets pedestrian protection – conforms with production car regulations. Aside from carbonfibre seats which are too thin to accommodate side airbags. For now.
‘We could have cliniced it quietly, but we’ve chosen to show it loudly at Frankfurt,’ said Hallmark. ‘The whole world has been speculating that Jaguar’s going to build a Boxster competitor. No, we are not going to build a £35,000 sports car.’ Instead the C-X16 is gunning for base 911s.
Jag C-X16: target 911
‘It’s as quick as a 911, it’s priced between Cayman and 911. We will attack the market that we don’t with the XK,’ said Hallmark. Set to cost from £55,000 to £75,000, the C-X16 is a little shorter and wider than the [997] 911 Carrera – and it's fractionally quicker.
The 375bhp supercharged V6 can power the C-X16 from standstill to 62mph in 4.4sec. Hallmark says the car games would feel much more darty and agile than the grand touring character of Jaguar’s existing XK.
The hybrid bit
The concept’s drivetrain incorporates a KERS-style electric motor, which delivers a 173lb ft slug of torque for 10-second overtaking bursts. Thanks to Jaguar’s trademark aluminium monocoque construction, the C-X16 weighs 1600kg, with the KERS system adding up to 150kg of that mass. Combined fuel consumption is a claimed 41mpg.
Officially the two-seat, supercharged V6 coupe hasn’t got the green light. Unofficially this is the R version of a production car which is almost certain to be in showrooms in 2013.
Interviewing the bosses behind the Jaguar C-X16 concept car
‘For technical feasibility, we now know where we stand,’ Jaguar’s global brand director Adrian Hallmark told CAR Online. According to Hallmark, every element – from side impact safety to a nose that meets pedestrian protection – conforms with production car regulations. Aside from carbonfibre seats which are too thin to accommodate side airbags. For now.
‘We could have cliniced it quietly, but we’ve chosen to show it loudly at Frankfurt,’ said Hallmark. ‘The whole world has been speculating that Jaguar’s going to build a Boxster competitor. No, we are not going to build a £35,000 sports car.’ Instead the C-X16 is gunning for base 911s.
Jag C-X16: target 911
‘It’s as quick as a 911, it’s priced between Cayman and 911. We will attack the market that we don’t with the XK,’ said Hallmark. Set to cost from £55,000 to £75,000, the C-X16 is a little shorter and wider than the [997] 911 Carrera – and it's fractionally quicker.
The 375bhp supercharged V6 can power the C-X16 from standstill to 62mph in 4.4sec. Hallmark says the car games would feel much more darty and agile than the grand touring character of Jaguar’s existing XK.
The hybrid bit
The concept’s drivetrain incorporates a KERS-style electric motor, which delivers a 173lb ft slug of torque for 10-second overtaking bursts. Thanks to Jaguar’s trademark aluminium monocoque construction, the C-X16 weighs 1600kg, with the KERS system adding up to 150kg of that mass. Combined fuel consumption is a claimed 41mpg.
Lotus Evora GTE, Elise S (2012) at Frankfurt motor show
Having staid the executioner's blade from above the Evora and delayed its Elan replacement until at least 2016, Lotus is now pushing ahead with a new range of Evoras. Unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show was the most powerful Evora (and road-going Lotus) ever, the GTE, and a revised Evora and Evora S.
So how much power does the Lotus Evora GTE have?
At least 438bhp from its tuned 3.5-litre V6. Lotus originally intended to build just 25 Evora GTEs for the Asian market, but as they sold out quickly, the harder, faster Evora will now be built and sold around the world. 'The response to this model in China has been so incredible, within days we had sold out with 114 orders,' said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. 'In response we decided that the only logical step from a business perspective was to increase production and widen our reach'.
Besides the extra power there's a automated manual AMT gearbox, lightweight forged centre-lock alloy wheels, and Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres. And with carbonfibre used for the Recaro bucket seats, the more aggressive front and rear bumpers, the big rear wing and the doors, the kerbweight is 105kg less than a standard Evora.
What about the other Evoras?
A raft of model year updates for 2012. Lotus is well aware that the Evora's fit and finish wasn't up to scratch, so that's what it has been improving. They're ushered in at the same time as the supercharged 345bhp Evora S gains the ISP automatic transmission as an option - it was previously only available on the standard Evora. Other tweaks see the Sport Pack now coming as standard on the S, along with cross-drilled brakes and a new active exhaust.
Anything else from Lotus?
Yes, a new Elise S and Elise SPS. Emissions regulations killed off all but the 1.6-litre Elise at the end of 2012, but now there's a new 217bhp Elise S that uses a supercharged 1.8-litre engine. It's cleaner and more fuel efficient than the old Elise SC.
And if you're a bit odd and hate changing gear yourself in a back-to-basics sports car, you can now spec the base Elise with Serial Precision Shift (SPS), a fancy name for an automated manual transmission.
>> Click 'Add your comment' below and let us know what you think of the new Lotus Evora GTE and Lotus Elise S
So how much power does the Lotus Evora GTE have?
At least 438bhp from its tuned 3.5-litre V6. Lotus originally intended to build just 25 Evora GTEs for the Asian market, but as they sold out quickly, the harder, faster Evora will now be built and sold around the world. 'The response to this model in China has been so incredible, within days we had sold out with 114 orders,' said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. 'In response we decided that the only logical step from a business perspective was to increase production and widen our reach'.
Besides the extra power there's a automated manual AMT gearbox, lightweight forged centre-lock alloy wheels, and Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres. And with carbonfibre used for the Recaro bucket seats, the more aggressive front and rear bumpers, the big rear wing and the doors, the kerbweight is 105kg less than a standard Evora.
What about the other Evoras?
A raft of model year updates for 2012. Lotus is well aware that the Evora's fit and finish wasn't up to scratch, so that's what it has been improving. They're ushered in at the same time as the supercharged 345bhp Evora S gains the ISP automatic transmission as an option - it was previously only available on the standard Evora. Other tweaks see the Sport Pack now coming as standard on the S, along with cross-drilled brakes and a new active exhaust.
Anything else from Lotus?
Yes, a new Elise S and Elise SPS. Emissions regulations killed off all but the 1.6-litre Elise at the end of 2012, but now there's a new 217bhp Elise S that uses a supercharged 1.8-litre engine. It's cleaner and more fuel efficient than the old Elise SC.
And if you're a bit odd and hate changing gear yourself in a back-to-basics sports car, you can now spec the base Elise with Serial Precision Shift (SPS), a fancy name for an automated manual transmission.
>> Click 'Add your comment' below and let us know what you think of the new Lotus Evora GTE and Lotus Elise S
Mercedes F125 concept (2011) at Frankfurt motor show
Mercedes today unveiled the F125 concept car - a car bearing the three-pointed star's F name to demark it as a tech testbed, and the 125 to mark Merc's 125th anniversary in this four-wheeled business.
It's a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, and Merc claims a punchy 1000km (620-mile) range. But the scientists here are proud of the cutting edge lithium sulphur batteries, used to store energy created by the fuel-cell. They can be recharged over an induction plate too.
So is the Mercedes F125 what we'll be driving next year? The new S-class in drag?
Hold your horses! Merc admits this is 'two steps ahead', typically a car for say 2025.
'With the F125 we want to show that large, comfortable and safe saloon cars have an excellent future, partly because they are able to operate with no emissions,' said Thomas Weber, R&D boss at Merc.
Like BMW's i cars, the F125 is a ground-up design, whose lightweight body has been built purposefully to store hydrogen. This is no mere road car, tweaked to suit its new powerplant.
It's made from a mix of materials that sounds more periodic table than production ready: there's carbonfibre, aluminium, composite reinforced plastics and strong, lightweight steels. It's strong enough to host a pair of dramatic gullwing doors, giving easy access to the four seats on offer.
And what about these new lithium sulphur batteries. Bit eggy, are they?
Ha! The new chemical set-up allows a high specific energy density of 350Wh per kilogram, says Merc. That means they can store enough power, and recharge quickly enough, to power a new e4Matic all-wheel drive set-up.
Sounds to us like the Mercedes F125 is a car games we'll be hearing plenty more about in the coming years. Just check out the spec sheet:
Length (mm) 4998
Width (mm) 1980
Height (mm) 1430
Wheelbase (mm) 3333
Boot capacity (l) 470
Wheels 7 ½ JX 23
Tyres 245/35 R 23
Peak output of rear motors (kW/hp) each approx. 100/136
Torque of rear motors (Nm) each approx. 200
Peak output of front motors (kW/hp) each approx. 50/68
Torque (front motors) (Nm) each approx. 75
Total sustained output (kW/hp) 170/231
Total peak output (kW/hp) 230/313
Wheel torque (Nm) 3440
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s) 4.9*
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) 3.2*
Top speed (km/h) 220*
Hydrogen consumption (kg/100 km) 0.79**
CO2 comb. (g/km min./max.) 0
Total range acc. to NEDC (km) 1000
Capacity of solid H2 reservoir (kg) approx. 7.5
It's a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, and Merc claims a punchy 1000km (620-mile) range. But the scientists here are proud of the cutting edge lithium sulphur batteries, used to store energy created by the fuel-cell. They can be recharged over an induction plate too.
So is the Mercedes F125 what we'll be driving next year? The new S-class in drag?
Hold your horses! Merc admits this is 'two steps ahead', typically a car for say 2025.
'With the F125 we want to show that large, comfortable and safe saloon cars have an excellent future, partly because they are able to operate with no emissions,' said Thomas Weber, R&D boss at Merc.
Like BMW's i cars, the F125 is a ground-up design, whose lightweight body has been built purposefully to store hydrogen. This is no mere road car, tweaked to suit its new powerplant.
It's made from a mix of materials that sounds more periodic table than production ready: there's carbonfibre, aluminium, composite reinforced plastics and strong, lightweight steels. It's strong enough to host a pair of dramatic gullwing doors, giving easy access to the four seats on offer.
And what about these new lithium sulphur batteries. Bit eggy, are they?
Ha! The new chemical set-up allows a high specific energy density of 350Wh per kilogram, says Merc. That means they can store enough power, and recharge quickly enough, to power a new e4Matic all-wheel drive set-up.
Sounds to us like the Mercedes F125 is a car games we'll be hearing plenty more about in the coming years. Just check out the spec sheet:
Length (mm) 4998
Width (mm) 1980
Height (mm) 1430
Wheelbase (mm) 3333
Boot capacity (l) 470
Wheels 7 ½ JX 23
Tyres 245/35 R 23
Peak output of rear motors (kW/hp) each approx. 100/136
Torque of rear motors (Nm) each approx. 200
Peak output of front motors (kW/hp) each approx. 50/68
Torque (front motors) (Nm) each approx. 75
Total sustained output (kW/hp) 170/231
Total peak output (kW/hp) 230/313
Wheel torque (Nm) 3440
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s) 4.9*
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) 3.2*
Top speed (km/h) 220*
Hydrogen consumption (kg/100 km) 0.79**
CO2 comb. (g/km min./max.) 0
Total range acc. to NEDC (km) 1000
Capacity of solid H2 reservoir (kg) approx. 7.5
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