Alfa Romeo’s chief Luca de Meo revealed there will be a Cabrio version of the newly launched MiTo and a crossover model based on the 159 platform set to be revealed in 2010.
The company is negotiating with makers like Jaguar on a rear drive solution for the coming 169 and also the for the future small car the company will cooperate with BMW.
Also in 2010 there will be an open-top version of the Mito as well as a small sedan based on the Fiat Grande Punto. A roadster as well as a 2+2 seater cabriolet are up to the final decisions. Under the hood of the future Mito there will be a 1.4-liter turbo gas engine that delivers 155 hp and a 1.6-liter diesel with 120 hp. Also a 230 hp 1.8-liter turbo gas engine is planed for the GTA version.
So will any of these cars be a part of the Fiat brand’s return to the U.S.? When we know, you’ll know.
Back in March, BMW announced plans for a new small city car, called "Project i" placed below the 1-Series. Today AutoBild revealed a first rendering that shows what the smallest BMW may look like. Power may come from an electric engine, but its more likely that an engine from a BMW motorcycle will be used in the little car. BMW plans to make the future i-car a global model and sale 100,000 units a year.
With Lexus’ LF-A on a long delay, the Japanese luxury carmaker needs a new coupe/convertible to keep a sporting image. Lexus has announced it will go on with his plans about a coupe-cabriolet version of its IS-F sporty sedan. Like the SC, which will be dropped in 2011, the IS-F coupe-cabrio will feature a folding hardtop. The car will compete with models like Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes CLK.
Lexus will unveil the new model in 2009. It will be first sold on the US market. Under the hood there will likely be a V6 engine, but a V8 is still a possibility. Another rumor is that there may be a lightweight version of the IS-F in the pipeline.
It seems that McLaren has second thoughts about its future supercar and it sending back to the drawing board for a redesign. The chief of the new design team will be Frank Stephenson, the former BMW, Mini, Fiat and Ferrari designer that will join McLaren Automotive to redesign the family of supercars that McLaren plans to put into production in 2009.
According to AutoCar the P11 will be very different from the first images that have surfaced in the middle of last year. The P11 is also rumored to get an open-top and a GTR version that is supposed to be powered by a 600bhp-plus V10.
The P11 was supposed to be launched later this year, possibly at Paris, or early next year at Geneva. Those dates are now have likely been delayed to later in 2009 or early 2010.<
Mazda is preparing to launch the next generation MX-5, a model that will feature a radical rethink. “The next MX-5 needs to be a big step,” said Mazda’s Chief designer Lauren Van den Acker. “The last one was too conservative and we can’t do another car like that. We need to make it more dramatic and give it some balls.”
The next MX-5 will make its debut in 2012, and Mazda wants it to be a no-nonsense small rear-drive roadster. Expect the new one to be lighter and more fuel-efficient than the current model.
For the 2008 Paris Auto Show Mazda is preparing a small facelift of current MX-5. The MazdaSpeed version will be dropped.
Cadillac needs to trim its weight and its profile. It’s line-up is filled with cars that could be considered "gas hogs". But there is good news for Cadillac and GM, the high-mileage Volt technology likely will filter over to Cadillac. This is good for Cadillac’s gas milage, and it also gives GM a premium place to park the expensive hybrid technology.
This is also good for Cadillac’s line because many of its new projects seem to be put "on hold". Right now, the one car that was supposed to replace both the DTS and STS is no longer on deck, and so both cars will solider on. While other big-engined cars such as the XLR and Escalade have somewhat uncertain futures. The only car that still seems to be on track is a new small one that will slot under the CTS.
It’s starting to seem like supercar makers see the path to riches will be paved with four doors. Aston Martin will have the Rapide, Porsche the Panamera, and now a new contender comes from an unlikely source. Swedish supercar maker, Koenigsegg is looking to launch its own sedan by 2011. A sneak peak should be available when a concept version is revealed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
The four-door model has been in development for the past two years. It will drop the engine found on the CCX in favor of a new V8 with 700bhp. It will be built entirely out of carbon fiber – but is not based on the same architecture as the CCX.
According to Andreas Petre, Koenigsegg’s Dubai manager, the future model will have a top speed of over 215 mph. "The four-door will be slightly cheaper than the CCX, and we hope to build 70-80 cars a year," Petre said. The U.S. is expected to account for 50 percent of sales, with Asia taking 30 percent, and the Middle East 20 percent.
With all of these "super-sedans" on the horizon, it looks like at least one of the companies may finally have a chance to succeed where the Bugatti EB 218 (pre-Volkswagen) could not get off the ground.
Mercedes wants to make sure that those who need to downsize their cars don’t have to miss their SUVs. That’s why future A-Class and B-Class will have multiple versions, including (according to AutoCar) a small soft-roader, provisionally called BLK. It is supposed to be launched in 2011 and set to compete with models like the forthcoming BMW X1 and Land Rover LRX.
The BLK will be based on the B-Class and will be offered as a four-wheel drive model. It should have a range of four-cylinder direct-injection gas and diesel engines, sized between 1.6 liters and 2.2 liters.
Chevrolet released today the first official images of the Colbalt replacement called the Cruze. General Motors hopes that this will be its next world-car, and that is evident considering it will make its official debut away from home at the Paris Auto Show in October. Sales also begin in Europe in March 2009, but the car isn’t scheduled to arrive in the U.S. until 2010.
The Chevrolet Cobalt was a great leap forward from the stale Cavalier, and now the Cruze will be great leap in quality from the Colbalt, possibly giving Chevy a real contender in the small car game. In the U.S., GM the Cruze will likely be powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged, direct-injection 1.4-liter that could deliver up to 40 mpg in highway driving.
Press release after the jump.
>> read 2011 Chevrolet Cruze – official photos Picture Gallery
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Peugeot uses the designation "RC" to show where it will be taking its designers in the future. This latest car is certainly falls under this catagory considering the actual name is "RC..." Just like the Peugeot RC concept cars of 2002 and the 908 RC of two years ago, this RC is the future of Peugeot. Although darkness distorts these pictures, the car’s long hood and sloping roofline are still clearly visible.
Powered by a 313 hp gas/electric hybrid engine delivering CO2 emissions of 109 g/km in the combined cycle or ZERO in electric mode. According to Peugeot, "the RC… is an accessible and versatile car, with four doors, four seats and a highly innovative hybrid architecture”.
It believes the eco-efficient RC... is a car that combines the combining respect for the environment with driving pleasure.
We expect more details about the car to be coming soon before the official viewing at the Paris Auto Show in October.
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