Autoblog

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.

[Source: Peugeot]

It is our sincere hope that this rendering is as far off the mark as we think it is. The scary part is that if you look at the teaser and then flip back to this shot, the elements actually seem to match up. The horror. That big venty nose on an Aston? We sure hope this chop winds up being the product of a photoshop artist with bad taste. We'll lose all respect for Aston Martin if it ends up making an Attack Mode GT, even if it does pack a V12 and accelerate fast enough to catch a sprinting Chuck Norris.

[Source: TTAC]

Another British track tool is going up against the drool-worthy Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow and the Lotus Elise. The Jetstream SC250 is styled by Brian Rossi, the same man behind the retro-tastic modern Ford Thunderbird, and although it's not exactly pretty, the SC250's wedge-shaped bodywork is sure to produce a good bit of downforce. Sitting over the rear axle is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger cribbed from the euro-only Astra VXR, giving the SC250 the same front/rear weight distribution as the aforementioned Elise. That spells good things for the handling, as do the wide rubber patches at each corner. Reading over the first road test at Autocar and watching the video posted after the break, those who get behind the wheel quickly forget the controversial styling. However, until we get a chance in the cockpit, this one's taking a distinct back-seat to the Atom.

[Source: Autocar]

click for some high-res pics

In the category for best misuse of hydraulics, this car definitely takes the trophy. There were a couple of honorable mentions but nothing quite as extreme as this example. The S10 with the 30-degree starboard list might have been in the running had it demonstrated the ability to this sort of dog-next-to-a-fire-hydrant maneuver, but it was rather pedestrian by comparison. Plus, this one is all sparkly-shiny! I suppose if you're going to add this much bling to your car's normally unseen undercarriage, just have to show it off.

Click above for a gallery of the Citroen C6 Office

Citroën and Intersection magazine have integrated KITT-like visual style with a number of in-car distractions to create the C6 Office, a rolling style project aimed at European business overlords. It'll make its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, a favorite the yacht-and-helo set it's meant to appeal to. From there, it'll head to Paris Fashion Week for another go-round before the bourgeoisie, ultimately trickling down to the rabble at the Paris Motor Show in October.

The variety of partners involved in the creation include Blackberry and Kenwood on the technical side, while Krug champagne and swanky food store Fauchon ensure that backseat wheeler-dealers stay drunk and well-fed. Alcantara appears to adorn everything above the beltline inside and a "Black Shadow" finish covers the exterior surfaces, from the grillework down to the Parotech wheels. We'll bring you live shots of the C6 Office in October when we see it along with the rest of the filthy peasants in Paris.


[Source: Citroën via Zercustoms]

Click image above for high-res gallery from Concorso Italiano 2008

The festivities continue around the Monterey Peninsula. We've already shown you pics from Gordon McCall's party and from the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance, but today's coverage picks up an Italian accent. The Concorso Italiano is one of the largest annual gatherings of all things Italian, be it music, cuisine, fashion, tourism, and of course cars. Previously held at the nearby Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Monterey Bay, this year's gathering took place at the Marina municipal airstrip. Just like the past 20-something years, this year's Concorso brought out some stunning examples of Italy's finest, cars designed with passione and intended to be driven con brio. And just like in previous years, a few non-Italian cars that bring that same driving thrill were invited in for the party.

While the tarmac didn't offer the same soft picnic grove as the golf course, the organizers tried their best to make up for it with plenty of shady tents to visit filled with vendors, food and fun. Concorso has always been more laid back than some of the other judged events during the week, and even with the slightly more rigid airport setting there was still a feeling that you were at more of a car club meet than a genuine concours. Check out the gallery by clicking one of the images here and you'll hopefully see what we mean. The usual Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Alfas were joined by a bunch of Lancias, DeTomasos, Fiats, and a smattering of "others" that included German, Japanese, American, and British cars. Our favorite stop was the supercar lineup that featured two MC12s, two Veyrons, an Enzo and an F50. We even spotted Valentino Balboni, Adam Corolla and Jay Leno while we were there. Click away and enjoy.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the smart fortwo Limited 2.

A very limited car is now available in a new limited edition. The smart fortwo Limited 2 is the sequel to the 2006 original. The only significant mechanical change from a regular passion Coupe or Cabrio is the addition of six-spoke alloys with 15-inch rubber. The rest of what makes this city car "limited" is cosmetic. The pale blue metallic paint changes color depending on the angle of the light and the interior is swathed in a cognac brown leather meant to impart luxury on this tiny machine. If all that isn't enough, buyers can add electric power steering, an upgraded audio system and locking glove box. The 71-hp three-cylinder engine retains a 59 mpg highway mileage rating. The Limited 2 coupe has a starting price of $18,363 while the open top model pushes that to $22,100. Those prices both seem a tad steep for a car of such limited capability. UK buyers can pick one up while they last after Labor day.

All the details are available in the press release below the fold.

One of the hottest Jags to roll out of Coventry isn't coming to our shores. The highly-tuned 420-hp Jaguar XKR-S sports coupe features stiffer springs, firmer dampers, thicker anti-roll bars, quickened steering, and lighter forged 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in performance rubber. Aerodynamic changes, including a new rear spoiler, reduce lift up front by 60 percent, and 17 percent at the rear, while overall drag drops by three percent. The supercharged V8 is unchanged. Limited to a run of just 200 cars, Jaguar North America doesn't feel it can run head-to-head with the likes of tuned Porsches and other sports cars in the States so the automaker is limiting sales to just Germany and Britain. What? You don't think we can handle it?

[Source: Autoweek]

Click above for a gallery of the Veno.

Apparently, dreaming up a new design for a rarefied vehicle is too difficult for Veno Automotive, a Polish spinoff of UK-based Heros Capital Ltd. Rather than relying on design experts, with their fancy degrees and engineering knowledge, the company cribbed the Lamborghini Reventon so closely that we predict flying lawsuits.

Veno's car not only looks like a Lamborghini, the company claims it will perform like one, too. Underpinning the bodywork is supposedly a chassis that can make use of more than 1,000 horsepower. Coupe or convertible flavors are planned, with a low yearly volume of about 15. Carbon fiber will make up the bodywork, carbon-ceramic brakes are part of the package and there's an array of tech like night vision and an on-board computer with internet access. Power will initially come from Audi's 4.2 liter V8 in various levels of tune, and the company suggests that it will be able to wrest some LS9s from General Motors, a claim that's as plausible as space aliens at the White House. If V8s don't whet your appetite, there's also some idle chatter about an electric version. Our impression is that this car is just talk right now, and the pictures of the office look staged to some degree, so while the story is making the rounds, we wouldn't get our hopes up for anything real.


[Source: Carscoop]

As Alfa Romeo prepares to launch its next all-new model, dubbed the 149, test mules have been spotted, details have come into focus and speculations have been rendered.

The five-door hatchback will join the MiTo in replacing the aging 147. Sources suggest that the 149 moniker could be dropped before the car is unveiled next year, only a few telling months after the Volkswagen Golf VI is due for its debut. Borrowing styling cues from the 8C Competizione and MiTo, the Alfa 149 is expected it to include a new three-arm rear suspension and Alfa's trick Q2 differential, with the eventual availability of Q4 all-wheel-drive remaining a question mark. Diesel and gasoline engines are anticipated to range between 120 and 250 horsepower, and the 149 is tipped to be complying with the upcoming six-star EuroNCAP safety rating, and more tellingly, new U.S. crash requirements as well.

Some still maintain that the Alfa hatch will be based on the same platform that underpins the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, although Alfa representatives have asserted that the 149 will spearhead its own unique platform. Either way, the platform could underpin the replacement for the 159 sedan and wagon, as well as the replacements for the Brera and Spider, while Alfa executives continue to deliberate over the possibility of a crossover model as well.

[Sources: Autocar and Projetto 940]