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New Alfa Roadster Comes from Deal
I think this car is hot! Rumor and speculation say that Pininfarina’s 2010 Geneva auto show concept, the Alfa Romeo 2uettotanta, prompted Fiat to find a strategic alliance partner that would supply a small rear-drive platform for a 21st-century Duetto Spider. Mazda and Alfa Romeo have announced that a new, small Alfa roadster will be built off the next MX-5 Miata platform.
The next Mazda Miata is expected in the 2014 model year, while the Alfa, with unique sheetmetal, interior, and a Fiat-supplied engine, will go on sale in the ’15 model year.
Mini Acura NSX Could Become a Reality
Personally I love this idea, the car itself is gorgeous! While the stillborn, V-10-powered NSX was being developed, Honda was also working on a related and obscure project referred to internally as the Small NSX. At the time it was just one of several advanced R&D ideas sitting in the design room. Then the financial crisis hit, causing Honda to kill the NSX and shelve all other sports car projects. But Honda has since rebounded, and as we know, the NSX has been reborn as an all-wheel drive hybrid. Now we’re hearing the Small NSX may be back on the drawing board as well.
While the words “Small NSX” may conjure up visions of a successor to the S2000, our inside source tells us this is not the case, and that it will look much like a shrunken version of the big-boy NSX, something along the lines of the car you see in this artist’s impression. Our source also tells us that like the NSX, it will be equipped with a version of Honda’s SH-AWD system.
Next Gen GT-R May Be a Hybrid
This would be super–cool! The 2014 Nissan GT-R represents the fifth revision of the R35 series GT-R since its launch. We hear that at least two more updates to the present Godzilla are in the works and that the R35 will live on until at least 2015, though our source says it could be around until as late as 2017. The extended timeframe could be good news, as we’ve heard that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn only recently lit the green light to begin development of a new GT-R. So what’s next? Let the speculation begin!The most significant changes to the new GT-R will most likely be to its exterior design and engine. As you can see from this artist’s impression the next GT-R, the basic proportions should remain the same, while the headlights and aerodynamic package are likely to receive a big makeover in an effort to further maximize downforce and high-speed stability.
Like all automakers, Nissan is staring down the barrel of ever more stringent U.S. and European emissions regulations that will force it to continue to reduce CO2 output and improve fuel economy. According to our source, that means the next GT-R may have to employ “some electronic device” to help boost Godzilla’s mpg numbers.Nissan reportedly is looking at two potential options. The first is some kind of hybrid system. One possible future hint was the hybridized (and downsized to 3.7 liters) VR38DETT fitted to the Infiniti Essence concept car first seen at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show that produced an estimated 600 combined horsepower, though our source stresses that the Essence is not the next GT-R. Engineers are also evaluating a hybrid system similar to that of the Infiniti M35h. However, adding a hybrid system means bulking up the GT-R’s already substantial weight with motors and batteries, so unless designers can shave some 400 pounds off of the current car, a hybrid GT-R is likely to be problematic
Chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno hinted at a possible date for the next generation’s debut when he said his team’s entry in this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour race was to ensure the car had the performance, reliability, and endurance capabilities to “take the car up to 2017, when you can expect significant revisions.” As we left the circuit, Mizuno hinted that he and his team were already working on the next generation GT-R. But it was one of his talented younger cohorts who nodded a silent “yeah” when we suggested the next-generation coupe would be a hybrid. So, if nods are to be believed, then the all-important weight issue seems to have been solved. Now that’s good news.
By: Peter Lyon at www.motortrend.com
Audi’s New Hybrid Sport Quattro Concept Car
This car looks amazing! Audi’s Sport Quattro plug-in hybrid concept to be shown this week at the Frankfurt auto show generates 700 hp, yet has a fuel economy equivalent of 95 mpg, Audi says.
The company last week released pictures and details of the two-door concept, which is powered by a 4.0-liter V-8 gasoline engine and an electric motor and previews a possible technological flagship.
The concept has permanent four-wheel drive and is expected to go into limited production to form the centerpiece of Audi’s renewed 4wd focus after moves by Jaguar, BMW and Mercedes-Benz to increase the number of 4wd models in their lineups.
Audi says the concept can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds. It can travel 32 miles on electric power alone.
If Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler gives the go ahead, the Sport Quattro will go into limited production in late 2015 priced at about $150,000. The production version is expected to use a modified version of Audi’s modular longitudinal architecture.
Audi said the concept is unusually low-slung, with a height of 55 inches. Its wheelbase, at 110 inches, is similar to that of the A5. The car is a hatchback with a rear tailgate opening.
The concept was created to mark the 30th anniversary of the classic Sport Quattro that made its debut at the 1983 Frankfurt auto show as a homologation model for the World Rally Championship.
The Sport Quattro concept is Audi’s second attempt to resurrect the revered model after the smaller but similarly styled Quattro concept unveiled at the 2010 Paris auto show.
Audi says the Frankfurt concept’s top speed is 190 mph.
By: Paul McVeigh at www.autonews.com