Volkswagen New Beetle Limousine!

While a standard New Beetle won’t get you much attention these days, a Limo Bug on the other hand will certainly raise an eyebrow or two. Sure you see Hummer and Lincoln limos every day, but how many times have seen a stretched bug? The specific Bug'a'Limo is based on a 1999 2.0-liter Beetle GLS and it can seat 5 to 6 passengers in the rear (excluding the two seats up front). The rear passengers get all sorts of treats like a cd player, a mini TV and a small bar area along with an electric hatch / divider that seals off the back from the driver. -Continued after the jump





















Link: eBay

Hummer H3 GT V8 By GeigerCars

Here’s another “subtlety” transformed Hummer vehicle by the German based car tuner, GeigerCars. Using the V8 powered H3 Alpha as a base, Geiger equipped the American SUV with an optics package that includes blue race-stripes, humongous 23-inch alloy wheels in massive 305/35 23R tires and tinted windows / indicators. Buyers can also opt for 24-inch alloy wheels, but it looks already silly enough so we’d avoid it if we were you. For the interior, Geiger offers carbon-fibre trim along with leather sport seats and a multimedia system with monitors incorporated in the front headrests. -Continued after the jump

We can’t figure out why, but Geiger equips the Hummer H3 GT with an engine tuning kit that raises the V8’s maximum performance to 300 Hp. That’s just a mere 5 Hp more than the standard 5.3-liter V8 unit’s output. To complement the 5Hp power boost (…) the German tuner provides a sport suspension, which lowers the ride height of the SUV.



Via: Motorpasion , Source: GeigerCars

Audi Virtuea Quattro: 2007 Design LA

Audi’s design proposal for mobile transportation in 2057 is quite simple; the Virtuea Quattro concept a single-seater, hydrogen-powered pod that’s equipped with a interactive holographic interface. That means the driver can “dress” the exterior of the vehicle with one of the countless holographic images stored in the car’s computer. Damn, why didn’t someone at Subaru thought of that when they were developing the Impreza… -Press release and images after the jump

Audi Virtuea Quattro

It’s the year 2057 and Audi continues to revolutionize through technology, offering a hydrogen-powered vehicle that combines artificial intelligence with avenues of self expression.

This single-seat, autonomous driving machine functions as a solid unit at its core, while providing a myriad of possible holographic exteriors stored in a library and accessible through the vehicle’s interactive holographic interface.

Virtuea’s holographic exterior provides a variety of possibilities, allowing the driver to select from the most innovative designs from one minute to the next. The vehicles image can now be proudly displayed without environmental impact, as no physical materials are needed regardless of size.

Audi takes pride in introducing personal transportation that combines passion with intelligence, which not only positively affects the environment but your life as well.

Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California

Design Team: Heather Shaw, Jae Min, Mattijs Van Tuijl, Karl Strahlendorf & Christian Schoen

BMW 1-Series Coupe US Brochure

The guys who’re completely addicted to the BMW 1-Series have obtained the U.S. brochure for bimmer’s compact Coupe which will be available in the N. American market in 128i and 135i guises (click here for the high-res image gallery). Apparently, the most interesting sections of the brochure concern the equipment and color list. However, what caught our attention was the spec paper as BMW announces that the automatic versions weigh a couple of hundred of pounds more than their manual-gearbox siblings. Guess that’s what you get with preliminary specs. -Brochure scans after the jump

Source: 1Addicts , Via: Jalopnik

New Lexus IS-F Video At The Fuji Speedway


This video is from an event that Lexus held at the Fuji Speedway in Japan in the beginning of October. Set to go on sale in Japan on December 25, the JDM version of the IS-F is powered by a 5.0L V8 engine developing 311kW or 417 Hp at 6,600 rpm and a maximum torque of 372 ft-lb or 505 Nm at 5,200 rpm. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission and according to Lexus, the IS-F sprints from 0 to 100km/h (62 mph) in less than 4.9 seconds and goes all the way to a governed top speed of 270km/h – 168mph. European and US sales are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2008. (Click here for the Lexus IS-F Laguna Seca Video)

The Chevy Volt: GM Answers (Almost) All of Your Questions

“The Chevy Volt” paid Boston a visit this week, interior and all. While at the “Volt Event”, which is hitting 3 other major cities in the U.S. (Miami, L.A and San Francisco), I had the opportunity to bring our readers’ questions and concerns about the new electric car to the engineers and designers that were in attendance.

In 1996, per direct orders from Mr. Lutz himself, the design team for the Volt began frantically sketching drawings of what will hopefully, one day, become a hallmark vehicle for General Motors. Bob Boniface, the Design Director of the Volt (father of the Camaro design) told us that GM’s main priority right now is to tie up the loose ends in terms of design and engineering and put this car into production sometime in 2011. Bob and his team meet twice a week, every week, with Bob Lutz to go over last minute ideas and production details. So for those of you that are anxious to see this on the road, don’t worry, it’s closer than it’s ever been. -Continued after the jump

For those of you that are more concerned with the design and overall logistics of the vehicle there’s good news and not so good news. There were many floating rumours about the battery life and whether Volt buyers would have to cash in some coin for an extra battery but it’s guaranteed to last 10 years and will probably be leased through GM.

But just to clarify confusion, here’s how it works. The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110 volt outlet for 6 hours a day. When the lithium battery is charged, the Volt will deliver 40 miles or pure electric range regardless of speed. When the battery runs out, the three cylinder turbo charged engine spins at a constant speed to create electricity and replenish the battery which in turn increases the fuel economy and range. The theory behind the engineering in terms of fuel conservation is that if you live with in 30 miles of work (60 miles round trip) and charged your battery every night or during the day, you would get about 150 miles per gallon.

The Volt concept uses a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine which is designed to run on E85, a blend of 15 percent gas and 85 percent ethanol. With E85, fuel economy of 150 mpg using gasoline would translate into more than 525 miles per petroleum gallon. But if you forget to charge the vehicle or go away on a vacation far from home, the Volt would still get 50 mpg by using the engine to convert gasoline into electricity and extend its range up to 640 miles, more than double that of today’s conventional vehicles. Chevy is also playing around with “variant” systems such as the Volt with hydrogen powered fuel cell and diesel engines, which drive the generator to create electricity using biodiesel (for our European friends).

So I must admit, its capabilities are very cool. But let’s talk design for a bit. According to GM, “the Chevrolet Volt’s athletic design challenges the notion that an environmentally conscious vehicle can’t be beautiful and possess an aesthetic spirit that matches its driving characteristics.” But we’re skeptical, especially since about 4 different people at the event told us that even though “the production model won’t look exactly like concept model, you’ll be able to recognize it as the Volt if you see it driving down the street.” For me, this raises a red flag. If GM can just get the design aspect right on this car they can hit a home run just like they did with the Camaro and Corvette. Hopefully, they’ll take the kinetic idea that the concept exhibits and incorporate it into the production model casting away the typical “boxy” style GM cars are so well known for. (Pictures: Daniella & GM)

Posted by Daniella