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Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Peugeot RC...

With the semi-annual auto salon returning to Paris this fall, you can expect France's major automakers to make a big splash this year. Peugeot is preparing to unveil a new concept car, and has given us a bit of a heads-up in the form of a few images and some teasingly cryptic details.

With the name of the actual car not yet released, Peugeot is referring to the show car as the RC, adopting the same thematic nomenclature as the RC Spade and RC Diamond concepts from 2002 and the 908RC concept sedan from the last Paris Motor Show in 2006. Like those concepts, this one is not meant to directly preview a production car in the pipeline. However, it does foreshadow Peugeot's new design direction. The four-door concept's styling melds smooth flowing lines and sharp creases to make for a stunning shape, and moves the huge lion emblem farther south, not unlike the Audi R8's grille. The echoes of Ingolstadt aren't new for Peugeot, with many asserting that the 308 RC Z borrowed too heavily from the Audi TT. As for propulsion, Peugeot insists that "respect for the environment and driving pleasure can be compatible", and so have fitted the RC with an unspecified hybrid powertrain producing a maximum of 313 hp and emitting only 109 g/km of CO2 in gasoline mode and, of course, zero in electric.

Check out the press release after the jump and the gallery below to view the teaser shots of the upcoming Peugeot hybrid concept, and stay tuned as we close in on the Paris show for more details.

Gallery: Peugeot RC... concept

Continue reading Paris '08 Preview: Peugeot teases with RC... hybrid concept

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Click image above for a high-res gallery of concepts from Pebble Beach

The Pebble Beach Concours has something for every car enthusiast, even if classic cars aren't your thing. Every year we take the time to tear ourselves away from the fairway and head up to the front of the lodge where the concept car lawn showcases some of the latest show cars. Many of the cars made their debut at the Detroit Auto Show this year including Chrysler's green concepts, the Jeep Renegade, Dodge ZEO, and Chrysler ecoVoyager. GM brought out the Cadillac CTS Coupe and the Buick Invicta, Lexus showed off the LF-A Roadster, and Mercedes-Benz displayed the F700 that debuted in Frankfurt. Other featured cars included the Pininfarina Hyperion, Lamborghini Reventon and Gallardo LP560-4, Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport and Spyker C8 Aileron. Enjoy the high resolution gallery below.

Gallery: 2008 Pebble Beach Concept Car Lawn

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Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Pininfarina RR Hyperion

Spend enough time roaming the streets of Rome and you're likely to encounter a fair share of people who fancy themselves more Catholic than the Pope. No wonder, then, that the Italians have now tried to out-Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce, presenting a one-off drop-top Drophead that endeavors to embody an even greater presence than the Phantom cabrio itself.

The Pininfarina Hyperion was unveiled just this past weekend at Pebble Beach, and our man Drew was on hand to bring you the best shots of the one-off coachbuilt special from the show stand as it was unveiled and from the fairway where it was displayed in all its glory. But just in case you didn't get enough, Pininfarina has released ten more high-res shots of its one-off Roller for your viewing pleasure. Click on the top gallery to view the new factory shots, and on the two galleries after the jump to see the Hyperion in Monterey.

Gallery: Pininfarina Rolls-Royce Hyperion

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: Pininfarina Rolls-Royce Hyperion

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Gallery: Lexus Nuaero concept

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Click above for high-res gallery of the featured Lamborghinis at Pebble

While Pebble Beach is perhaps best known as a place to honor classic American and European cars, sports cars have always held a special place in the hearts of the Concours committee and judges. With 45 years under its belt, Lamborghini is certainly deserving of a special place on both counts. As a featured marque here at Pebble, Lamborghini was extremely well represented with a selection of exquisite rare examples. Nine vehicles were on display being judged by 40-year test pilot Valentino Balboni among others.

The lineup of seldom-seen Lambos included the earliest known Lamborghini 350GT, the earliest known Miura, the earliest Miura SV, the Miura Roadster fresh from a yearlong restoration that swapped its army green paint for the correct blue metalflake, a 350GTS, 350GTZ by Zagato, an early LP400 Countach, and three one-off concepts - the 1990 P140, 1996 Raptor, and the Gallardo Concept S. A truly spectacular selection of models representing the fabled Italian marque. Check out the gallery below and follow the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Lamborghini at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours

Continue reading Monterey 2008: Lamborghini featured at Pebble Beach

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Click image above for high-res gallery of Motorama Cars from Pebble

Along with the 20+ liter class, the Lancias, Lamborghinis and Ferrari California Spiders, GM's Motorama cars were among the featured groups at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this year. For those of a certain age, the Motorama cars were some of the wildest dream cars ever created. GM created a traveling road show of concepts that went from town to town. These vehicles were styled by some of the greatest names in the design biz and have had a lasting impact on many that followed. The cars themselves explored design themes that stretched the imagination and incorporated some of the latest, greatest technology of the day. Some were used for a year or two to show people the possibilities, and then were discarded like yesterday's newspaper. Others were outright destroyed because they were never designed to be drivable. Thanks to at least one dedicated fan, their remains were salvaged and the cars rebuilt when possible. To help celebrate GM's 100th anniversary, Pebble gathered them together to show them off once again. Many look spectacular but a couple still need some TLC. Check out the press release after the jump and the full gallery below.

Gallery: GM Motorama Dream Cars at Pebble

Continue reading Monterey 2008: GM's Motorama cars at Pebble Beach

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Gallery: Citroen C6 Office

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Gallery: Woodward 2008: Advanced Heldo Concept

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Gallery: Veno Reventon ripoff

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Luxury sport-utes and yachts go together like champagne and strawberries. The good folk at the Volkswagen Group know that, which is why they came up with the VW Touareg North Sails and Audi Q7 V12 TDI Coastline concepts. But the British aren't about to leave all the wet n' wild fun to ze Germans, so they're cooking up a few sailing-themed SUVs of their own.

In cooperation with Land Rover, luxury yacht broker Edmiston has commissioned seven of the world's top yacht designers to participate in the Superyacht Range Rover Design Competition. The results of the design regatta will be put to sea (figuratively speaking) at the Monaco Yacht Show next month, at which point the obscenely wealthy may place orders for these bespoke SUVs at prices ranging from $300,000 to $1.2 million.

[Source: CarScoop]

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Gallery: Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle

Continue reading Lotus develops Concept Ice Vehicle for Antarctic expedition

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Click above to view more of the Dimora Natalia SLS 2

Of all the bits of vaporware out there that never seem to get any closer to reality, the DiMora has to be one of our favorites. The sheer ambition of it all involves independently developing and producing a $2 million super-sedan that would, we're sure, make the likes of Bugatti and Maybach seem downright ordinary. But first it would have to actually get built, and all we've seen to date are computer images and announcements on component and technical partnerships.

The latest to join the immaterial spec sheet of the fictitious DiMora Natalia SLS 2 (don't ask what happened to the SLS 1) is Barotex. The Californian company is developing a new material, similar to carbon fiber, but made out of volcanic rock. Complementing the Volcano V16 engine that would power the Natalia were it ever to be built, Barotex offers lightweight yet extremely rigid and flame-retardant construction. As for which seems more fantastic - the DiMora itself or the lava-based fiber that would form its body and frame - we'll leave that up to you. Press release after the jump.

Gallery: DiMora Motorcar Natalia SLS 2

Continue reading The latest from DiMora: supersedan to use volcanic rock-based Barotex fiber

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Click to view more of the Pininfarina Hyperion

As we count down to this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, one of the most highly anticipated concept cars scheduled to make its debut there has popped up a bit early. Based on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, the Pininfarina Hyperion has been commissioned by one lucky and presumably very wealthy customer. The unique creation does away with the rear seats and moves the front ones, along with the swept windscreen, back by 400 mm. If you can believe it, a gun rack has been fitted in front of the cabin (yeah, we're serious), while famed watchmaker Girard Perregaux has crafted a special tourbillon timepiece for the Hyperion that can be removed from its wrist-strap and mounted in the dashboard. Meanwhile, word has it that Rolls-Royce could be collaborating with Zagato or Bertone on another special model as well.

This, of course, is the first new vehicle from the Italian design firm to be unveiled since the untimely death of Andrea Pininfarina. Stay tuned for live shots of the Hyperion after its unveiling in five days. In the meantime, click on the thumbnails below to view new images of the concept, along with the original teaser sketch.

Gallery: Pininfarina Rolls-Royce Hyperion

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Click to view a gallery of the Lamborghini Zagato Raptor

If you thought the Lamborghini Reventon was as exclusive as Bolognese supercars get, feast your eyes on the Zagato Raptor. The one-off concept car unveiled at the 1996 Geneva show took on the insurmountable task of supplanting the Diablo (on which it's based) on the bedroom walls of enthusiastic children worldwide.

The concept car borrowed its mechanics from the Diablo VT, but while it retained the Lambo's 492-hp V12, in a gesture to insanity it did away with the traction control and ABS. The design, which Zagato appears to have echoed with the Spyker C12 concept, features the carrozzeria's signature double-bubble roof that tilts up with the doors not unlike the canopy on Pininfarina's Maserati Birdcage or Giugiaro's Quaranta concepts. The Raptor was developed in conjunction with Swiss sledding champion Alain Wicki (yes, he has his own Wikipedia entry), and while public reception was hot, the car was never put into production. All that remains is this one original show car, which is now going up for auction at Pebble Beach by the auctioneers at the Blackhawk Collection.

Check out the images in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Jonathon!

Gallery: Lamborghini Zagato Raptor

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Gallery: Local Motors Rally Fighter

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Only months ago Bertone, one of the most famous design houses in Europe, looked like it was about to go under. The company had lost all its contracts, had a big operation to sustain, and went into bankruptcy protection. But like a phoenix from the ashes, Bertone is re-emerging, more streamlined and ready to get back to business. The manufacturing division, heavy with overhead, was stripped away from the styling studio, which is still owned by the Bertone family but operated independently. And its new business development director is keen to get the design house back on track.

Among the steps Bertone is considering is to open up additional field offices away from Italy to get in on the local action. The company is in the process of setting up shop in China, and has its eyes set on India and Detroit next. To mark its resurgence, Bertone is also considering putting the BAT 11 into limited production. The Alfa 8C-based concept car was shown near the Geneva show last March after conflicting reports of its cancellation, and is now headlining the Meadow Brook Concours d'Eleance. The vehicle was originally built as a one-off for our friend Gary Kaberle, but if Bertone can get enough orders in place beforehand, the company would consider a small run of 25-50 examples. In the meantime, it's going to focus on rebuilding its reputation and on the 20 design projects it currently has under way for automakers in Europe and China, as well as shipyards and aerospace companies.

Gallery: Bertone BAT 11 concept

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

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The automotive web lit up this weekend with speculation over a mysterious Ferrari photographed running development laps around the Fiorano test track.. While some suggest this could be the successor to either the F430 or the Enzo, observers were confused by the complete lack of any apparent effort to disguise the car's bodywork. The latest reports now indicate that the vehicle in question is a one-off rebodied F430 custom made by Italian design house Fioravanti for what must be an incredibly wealthy customer.

The emergence of the purported Fioravanti F430 follows similar creations from Pininfarina, Giugiaro and Zagato (and reportedly soon from Touring) as well as the announcement of Ferrari's program to offer discerning (and financially unlimited) clients with custom models. The criteria call for leaving certain elements - including the crash structures and the running gear - intact, but apart from that it's open season. The Fioravanti take on the F430 includes a mildly re-sculpted front end, a heavily-modified rear section and an extensive remolding of many body panels in lightweight (and costly) carbon fiber. The vehicle looks about ready for delivery, so we hope we might get a chance for an up-close view at the upcoming Paris show in October.

[Sources: Italiaspeed and Autoblog.nl]

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Click to view the SPD Alfa 169 design proposals

Alfa Romeo is hard at work on a replacement for the 166, the flagship sedan which debuted in 1998 and was discontinued last year. The students at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, however, seem to have gotten fed up of waiting around for Alfa Romeo to unveil the new car, so they've come up with a few proposals of their own.

Well, not exactly. The transportation design course was carried out under the auspices of the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and the watchful eye of Fiat Group design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti. So they had a good chance of getting the automaker's attention. (Next year's masters program at the SPD, meanwhile, is being conducted in conjunction with Lamborghini.) Nine projects - carried out by students from Korea, Slovakia, Romania, Turkey, South Africa, Russia, Brazil, the United States and Italy - were presented, but we'll have to see which elements find their way into the final product. In the meantime, you can check out a few of the choice models in the gallery below.

Gallery: SPD Alfa 169 designs

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