Skoda Confirms All-New Concept Car for the Geneva Motor Show

The presentation of an as-of-yet unnamed concept model will be the highlight of Skoda's Geneva Motor Show booth. For now, the Czech automaker is keeping the name and photos of the car to itself, but the company said that the study will reflect the brand's new design language that will be applied in the next generation of models.

In addition to the concept car, Skoda will also usher in its new corporate logo. "The traditional winged-arrow logo features a new spectrum of colours to look even more distinct and precise than ever before," the company said in a statement. Skoda noted that the new logo will be adopted across all communications, as well as dealers, adding that the design and layout of showrooms are also going to be "substantially modernized too".

The VW Group subsidiary said that the new concept model and logo design come after the company reported its best–ever sales result in 2010 delivering 762,000 vehicles, which represents an increase of 11.5% over 2009 when it sold 684,200 units. Skoda's next ambitious goal is to at least double its sales by 2018.

First Official Photos of Subaru's Rear-Wheel Drive Coupe Concept

Subaru has released the first-ever teaser picture of its eagerly anticipated rear-wheel drive sports car concept ahead of its debut at the 2011 Geneva motor show on March 1. Even though Subaru's original ghost sketch of the car shows only a darkened outline of the front end, we managed to significantly brighten up the photo through some photoshop trickery and reveal the coupe's shape in full detail. At least from this picture, the Subaru study appears to differ in styling from its Toyota FT-86 sibling sporting a more curvy and less angular design.

The Subaru variant will keep the same front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout as the FT-86, which will also be revealed in a more production ready form at the Geneva Salon. Power of course will be provided by Subaru's horizontally opposed boxer engine, but we'll have to wait until the Geneva Salon for more specific details.

On a side note, a couple of weeks ago the car was initially referred to as “Subaru Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Car Technology Concept”, but now, the Japanese automaker says it has changed the name to "BOXER Sports Car Architecture”.

The coupe concept will be joined in Geneva by the Impreza study that was first shown in LA last November and the Trezio, which is a re-badged version of the Toyota Verso-S mini MPV and will be offered in Europe with a 1.3-liter gasoline and 1.4-liter turbo diesel engine.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Lamborghini Slowly Unwraps Aventador LP700-4 by...Dressing it Up

The onslaught of official photos of Lamborghini's Murcielago replacement that may or may not be called Aventador LP700-4 continues today with the release of a single picture showing the V12-powered model's rolling chassis, complete with wheels and the driver's bucket sport seat.

Up until now, the Sant'Agata supercar maker has published information and photos of several components of the LP700-4 including the all-new 700HP 6.5-liter V12 engine, the Formula 1-inspired pushrod suspension and more recently, the carbon fiber monocoque chassis that tips the scales at an amazingly light 147.5 kg or 324 lbs. The full reveal is planned for next week at the Geneva Motor Show.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

New Smart ForSpeed Concept Hints at a New Look for Next ForTwo and ForFour

At next week's Geneva Motor Show, Smart will reveal a new concept model called the ForSpeed that signals a new design direction and hints at future products from Daimler's small car brand. The ForSpeed is a zero-emissions roadster model with a unique look that is powered by an electric motor.

In a similar fashion to Smart's 2001 Crossblade that was produced in a limited run of 2,000 units, the ForSpeed has no roof or side windows and it features a low wind deflector instead of a windscreen. However, unlike the Crossblade, the ForSpeed does get a pair of doors as well a fabric tonneau cover for weather protection.

While Smart has no immediate plans to produce the ForSpeed, key styling elements such as the headlamp and tail lamp designs with the outer rings illuminated by a LEDs as well as the more prominent front grille, will be carried over to future products including the next ForTwo series and the new five-door ForFour as the company plans to create a more distinct look for its cars to better compete with the Fiat 500 and the Mini.

On the inside, Smart's designers opted for a minimalistic look with separate round turbine-like instrument clusters for the driver and passenger. Whilst the driver gets a speedometer, the passenger's side features a smartphone that can be swiveled by up to 90 degrees in its holder and towards the driver so that the driver can also take a look at the display, which include a navigation system.

The open two-seater is motivated by a 40HP / 30kW electric motor installed at the rear. A button in the centre console activates a boost function which provides an extra 7HP /5 kW of power for a short time.

The electric motor is fed by a 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged at any conventional 220 Volt socket. The charging device is located in the third brake light behind the Smart logo. According to Smart, quick charging from 0 to 80 percent takes 45 minutes, while a fully charged battery offers a driving range of 84 miles or 134 kilometers

The ForSpeed concept accelerates from 0 to 37 mph (60 km/h) in 5.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 75 mph or 120 km/h.

We'll bring you more photos and details on the ForSpeed from the Geneva Show floors next week.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________