Concept Cars
Motorsport | LF-A V10 in 24 Hours Nürburgring
Lexus has announced that their LF-A V10 concept-car will participate in the 36th annual 24 Hours Nürburgring endurance race (May 22-25 in Germany). The racing-edition will have the required safety modifications including a roll cage and fuel tank. Knowledge gained from the race will be used by the LF-A’s engineering teams in further development.
Motorsport News (Source: Lexus via CarScoop)
PRESS | Buick Invicta Luxury Sedan Concept
Buick Evolves Global Design Inspiration Into Invicta Show Car
The sleek Buick Invicta show car revealed here in conjunction with Auto China 2008 is Buick’s strongest statement yet of its deliberately international plans. The four-door midsize sedan with a coupe-like roofline presents bold direction for Buick’s new generation of vehicles in the world’s two biggest automotive markets – the United States and China.
Invicta has evolved from Buick concepts such as the 2004 Velite convertible and 2007 Riviera coupe, both of which received accolades for their thoroughly modern adaptation of classic Buick themes. Invicta was designed collaboratively by GM centers of expertise in Warren, Mich. and Shanghai, China. The name, which is Latin for “invincible,” returns to Buick after a 45-year hiatus in the United States.
“Buick’s global appeal created an opportunity for GM Design Centers to elevate our collaboration to new levels. Using our virtual reality centers in Warren and Shanghai, designers fused the best ideas from both cultures during the development of the Invicta,” said Edward T. Welburn, vice president, General Motors Global Design. “The result will set a new design standard for Buick, and it couldn’t have been achieved by one studio working in isolation. The Invicta represents another significant design milestone in Buick’s history.”
Invicta is powered by Buick’s first direct injection turbocharged engine, a four-cylinder powerplant that produces 250 horsepower (186 kW) and 220 lb-ft (298 Nm) of torque. The engine is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission for maximum fuel efficiency.
Modern, sleek exterior
Invicta’s designers drew inspiration from the Riviera concept. Invicta features modern and sleek proportions with exterior lines that flow uninterrupted around the vehicle. For example, Invicta’s cat-eye headlamps transition into the Buick heritage-inspired sweepspear design cue, which flows seamlessly along the body sides and merges into the taillamps. Similarly, one can trace the top of the headlamp casing to the roofline and the rear of the vehicle without interruptions.
As with Riviera, Invicta features short overhangs with wheels pushed out to the corners for a well-planted stance. The overall appearance is sleek, thanks in part to a sweeping, low roofline and a front windshield that has an aggressive rake.
Up front, the Buick tri-shield is prominently displayed inside the Velite-inspired chrome vertical waterfall grille. Polished aluminum surrounding the headlamps, portholes, around the D-pillar and along the lower side of the vehicle on the lower doors accentuates the overall exterior design. Reminiscent of a number of historic Buick models, Invicta’s portholes – three per side – are located on the hood rather than on the front quarter panels.
Invicta’s wheelbase and high belt line give the vehicle more substantial proportions while visually reinforcing its premium appearance. Invicta’s 20-inch polished aluminum wheels feature a milled Buick tri-shield in the center cap.
To signal its premium attributes while enhancing the vehicle’s sleek proportions, Invicta’s exterior is draped in a sumptuous AluStone color. Its warm beige tone contains wafer-thin flakes of aluminum that reflect light to emit a liquid gold appearance.
Flowing, crafted interior
The focus and attention to seamless transitions carry over inside Invicta. The doors merge to become one with the instrument panel, which morphs into the center console.
The wrap-around design of the interior and fluid design provide a spacious cabin for all passengers, especially those seated in the back of the vehicle. At nearly 100 cubic feet of interior space, Invicta delivers large-car comfort in a mid-size sedan. The sense of roominess is further accentuated by a full glass roof, which allows all passengers to enjoy the sights, day or night.
Invicta also showcases a high level of interior craftsmanship while creating an environment that is soothing, quiet, comfortable and inviting for all passengers.
The blending of premium materials – such as wood trim and polished aluminum accents, soft aniline leather, supple suede-like material and soothing Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting technology – encase passengers in Buick luxury.
Beyond its sumptuous appearance, Buick created a show car for the senses. Authentic French seam stitching on the soft-touch instrument panel pad, door panels and steering wheel invites touch. Buttons, switches and door pulls are crafted to deliver a tactile quality experience. Soft and soothing Ice Blue ambient LED lighting on the instrument panel, around the central vehicle function controls, along the console and center storage, and in the front footwells provoke visual sophistication. Two discriminating “spotlights” also accent the center point of the front and rear seats.
Buick introduced the Invicta in North America as a production vehicle in 1959. The Invicta show car is the first time the nameplate has appeared on a Buick in China.
PRESS RELEASE (Source: Buick via CarScoop)
For Sale | 1954 Mercury XM 800 Concept
The Ford Mercury XM 800 Concept first made its debut at the 1954 Chicago Auto Show. This is a truly legendary concept-car designed by John Najjar (1962 Mustang I Concept). Ford donated this particular car to the University of Michigan’s Automotive Engineering Lab back in 1957 and after the school closed it was sold to a private individual.
Thanks to CarScoop for bringing this auction to our attention!
SALE UPDATE (Source: CarScoop)
Auto Gallery | The Kleemann GTK
Photo Update (Source: Kleemann)
PRESS | From Moscow to Ulaanbaatar
Porsche competes with improved Cayenne S Transsyberia
Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, will again contest the Transsyberia Rally this year. Already at its debut in 2007, the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia proved its speed and excellent offroad qualities on the way from Moscow to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Three Cayenne S Transsyberia finished in the top three positions. For this year’s edition of the Transsyberia Rally from 11th to 25th July, Porsche optimised the small series in several areas. The modified components are offered to customer teams around the world as a conversion kit.
In the modifications to the Cayenne S Transsyberia, primary importance was given to further improving the offroad capabilities and optimising the suspension set-up. The 2008-spec of the successful long distance racer features a stronger and newly-formed sump-guard. The front and rear panels were modified to allow a larger angle of driving slope. An all-terrain offroad tyre from BFGoodrich in the 265/65 R18 R dimension increases the ground clearance by 30 millimetres. Compared to last year, the higher and stronger side walls offer better protection against tyre damage. The air suspension was retuned based on the experiences of the 2007 Transsyberia Rally. The standard shock absorbers were replaced with special rally shocks. Particularly on the fast, bumpy sections, the vehicle’s handling is substantially smoother than the 2007 version. Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which features two active anti-roll bars to almost completely eliminate body sway in bends, was adapted to withstand the special demands of a marathon rally.
The Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia is equipped with a massive safety cage, with two bucket seats and six-point harnesses for driver and co-driver. The standard 4.8-litre normally-aspirated engine with direct fuel injection delivers 385 hp (283 kW). The weight-reduced sports exhaust system gives the Cayenne S Transsyberia a particularly powerful sound. For optimal acceleration, the six-speed automatic gearbox of the Cayenne S was combined with shorter final drive ratio of the Cayenne GTS. The transmission management was taken from the standard model and optimised for all-terrain purposes.
Like all other models in the Cayenne range, the Cayenne S Transsyberia features the permanent all-wheel-drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM), which feeds 62 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels and 38 percent to the front. The multiple-plate clutch, operated by an electric motor and controlled electronically, varies the distribution of power as a function of driving conditions, if necessary feeding as much as 100 percent of the engine’s power completely to the front or rear. The map-controlled longitudinal lock and the differential lock on the rear axle respond not only to lack of traction on the front or rear wheels, but also benefit from sensors measuring the speed of the vehicle, its lateral acceleration, the steering angle and the position of the accelerator pedal. In this way, PTM is able to consistently calculate the degree of lock required on the two axles and distribute the power required to the axles. The PTM software underwent optimisation compared to its 2007 predecessor. A fitted transverse lock further enhances the offroad capabilities of the Cayenne S Transsyberia and is also available in the standard model as part of the optional Offroad Technology Package.
All Cayenne S Transsyberia are fitted, as standard equipment, with a navigation system that also enables teams to plan their route offroad and is controlled by the co-driver. Additionally, the glove compartment is replaced with a Tripmaster computer enabling the co-pilot to exactly scrutinize the route between navigation points. All of the control units are positioned within the water-tight interior, and all electric lines and wires have been installed in new positions. To prevent water from entering the car, the body and doors have been sealed up to the height of the side windows. The maximum depth when crossing rivers and streams is approximately 78 centimetres or almost 31″.
The air intake for the engine is positioned above the hood. With a snorkel the air intake can be moved to roof height, ensuring that the front wave generated when crossing water is not able to enter the intake manifold. The regular foot-operated parking brake is replaced by a handbrake enabling the driver to intentionally oversteer the vehicle in a tight bend. Four additional headlights are mounted on the roof. For particularly difficult terrain and to assist in salvaging other vehicles, the Cayenne S Transsyberia comes with a winch easy to fit when needed and stored in the luggage compartment.
As standard equipment, the vehicle includes two fire extinguishers, two sandbags, two full-size spare wheels, and two transport boxes for tools. Also included are two two-man tents, two heat-insulated blankets, four lashing belts, a nine-metre long salvage belt complete with tackle, a folding spade, a folding saw, an axe, a manually operated and adjustable headlamp, four towing bar openings and a Hazet toolkit.
PRESS RELEASE (Source: Porsche via Autoblog)
