Geneva 2011: Mini Rocketman Concept misses the Earth so much, misses its wife

Mini's new space-age Rocketman Concept previews what the future of urban mobility could look like for the BMW sub-brand. It's slightly smaller than the current Cooper, and we're big fans of the dual-hinged doors that pivot outwards, complete with the sills. In fact, the whole concept strikes us as totally cool, and is further proof that Mini's cheekiness can be further evolved to new types of vehicles.

The Rocketman's interior uses a space-efficient three-plus-one seating arrangement, and we're told that the car is powered by a highly efficient powertrain capable of returning 78 miles per gallon on the U.S. cycle. Mini's new Connected infotainment system is displayed via three-dimensional graphics on the interactive speedometer screen, and there's even a steering wheel-mounted joystick to operate the whole slew of functions.

There's a whole host of clever features found within the Rocketman, but above all, the concept's design is what really stands out.

Geneva 2011: 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet pops its top, just can't stop

What you are looking at is a Volkswagen Golf with no roof. It is also the first roofless Golf that will be offered for public consumption (in Europe at least, it's probably not coming to America) since 2003.

There's not really much else to say... except maybe that its windshield is raked further back than that of its hatchback siblings and that its updated fascia now boasts LED running lamps. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! Concept previews MPV of the future in Geneva

Says Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of Volkswagen Group, "Italdesign is a figurehead of Italian design and engineering creativity. We have been working together closely in a spirit of partnership for many decades." In reality, that may be an understatement. After all, Giorgetto Giugiaro is credited with penning the original Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Scirocco – two classic shapes that went on to define the VW brand for the last few decades.

After a research study to determine what Volkswagen vehicles of the future may look like, Giugiaro (now owned by the Volkswagen Group) focused on two distinct concepts, one of which is the Go! that you see here (the other is the Tex, which we've already shown you). The design firm thinks of the Go! as a multi-purpose vehicle for urban areas, and as such, it measures just four-meters in length and runs solely on electricity using VW's proprietary Blue-e-motion EV technology. According to the automaker, the Go! is capable of traveling about 150 miles on electric power alone.

Like the Tex, the Go! concept uses VW's modular transverse architecture, which was designed to accomade a diverse range of powertrain options, including plug-ins, internal combustion engines and even hydrogen fuel cells. Despite the Go!'s relatively dimunitive exterior dimensions, its 106-inch wheelbase matches that of the larger Passat. The battery pack sits beneath the passenger compartment, covering the areas of both the front and rear-seat passengers.

VW and Giugiaro are keen to highlight the large glass area of the Go! concept. Such a configuration allows for plenty of natural light and offers maximum visibility. Interestingly, though, only the lower part of the glass is actually electrically lowered (have a look at the image gallery below to see what we mean), and the concept relies on video cameras to give the driver a view of his or her surroundings.

Other interesting design details include rear doors that push outwards and pull back parallel to the vehicle, a high seating position that caters to drivers who prefer the visibility of an SUV and the control panel that is placed at the base of the windshield, well back from its normal location behind the steering wheel. Want to know more? Feel free to click past the break to read VW's rather exhaustive press release, and be sure to peruse our high-res image gallery below.


[Source: Volkswagen]

Ford debuting B-pillarless B-Max in Geneva

The Ford S-Max and C-Max have a new little sibling, and its name is B-Max. Making its global debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the very compact minivan rides on the same platform as the Fiesta and is just 4.3-inches longer than that model's five-door hatchback. Aiding in the action of ingress/egress, the B-Max ditches B-pillars entirely so occupants can easily glide past the dual sliding rear doors.

Ford B-MaxThe B-pillar appears to be completely removed but are in fact integrated into the front and rear doors. When closed, the two work together and behave in the same manner as a traditional pillar.

Doors closed and occupants protected, forward motivation is provided courtesy of a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine, the latest and smallest of Ford's EcoBoost engine family. With the aid of Start/Stop technology, the EcoBoost engine should even better fuel economy than a similarly powerful four-cylinder engine.


For more information on the Ford B-Max, follow the jump and peruse the press release. And stay tuned to our live coverage of the Geneva Motor Show, as we'll bring back live images of the B-Max just as soon as we can.

[Source: Ford]

Land Rover promises Range_e plug-in diesel hybrid for Geneva

Land Rover Range_e plug-in diesel hybrid is heading to Geneva – Click above for high-res image gallery

Land Rover is gearing up for the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and it's bringing four new models to show off, one of which shows the automaker is thinking a bit more green: the Land Rover Range_e plug-in diesel hybrid.

Power for the electrified Range Rover Sport comes courtesy of a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 paired with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, as well as an electric motor. The Range_e's driving range is said to be nearly 700 miles and it can drive approximately 20 miles on electric power alone, which should be good enough to get the SUV into the heart of London.

Also getting the bright light auto show treatment are the luxurious Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition, Evoque in two and four-door guise and the 2011 Discovery/LR4 Landmark Edition. The Autobiography Ultimate is described as the most luxurious Land Rover ever produced and features yacht-inspired teak flooring and Apple iPad tablets for the rear passengers. The Evoque will be featured in a handful of trims that offer unique customization options for consumers. Finally, the limited-edition Landmark LR4 will be available in either a Black or a White theme with upscale interiors and unique color treatments.

[Source: Land Rover] 

Spy Shots: Subaru FT-86 spied again ahead of Geneva reveal

Subaru has already announced that it plans to debut its version of the rear-wheel-drive FT-86 concept at next month's Geneva Motor Show. It's safe to say that the joint venture between Toyota and Subaru is one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year, and while the vehicle that takes the stage in Switzerland will still be designated as a concept, it should give us a very good glimpse as to what's in store for the production car.

Our trusty spy photographers have caught Subaru's version of the sports car out testing, and while we've been quick to label the Toyobaru as a coupe, this latest set of photos suggests a hatchback configuration. There's still a small deck out back, though, so perhaps the term 'fastback' is more appropriately used in an instance like this (sort of like the Scion tC). Either way, the bodywork looks similar to evaluation mules we've seen periodically over the last couple of years, but it isn't known for certain if the bodywork shrouded in camouflage is production.

In any case, you can expect to see a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four under the hood, producing something like 260 horsepower. Subaru will break its all-wheel-drive-only mantra with this new car, as the automaker has confirmed that power will run solely to the rear wheels.

[Source: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company]

Officially Official: Mazda Minagi Concept headed to Geneva

Mazda has dropped the official details on the company's Minagi Concept. The sleek CUV is intended to give us all a little taste of exactly where Mazda's design is headed in the near future as well as show off the company's new Skyactiv drivetrain technologies. Mazda isn't telling us exactly what's under that sculpted hood other than to say that the Minagi gets its power from a Skyactiv engine and puts it to the ground via a Skyactiv transmission. In addition to those fuel-saving components, Mazda claims that the Minagi also uses a host of weight-saving tricks to boost fuel economy.

The concept wears the new Mazda design theme called Kodo, or soul of motion. From what we can see from the renderings, the look is a full galaxy ahead of the all smiles design the Japanese automaker is currently employing. We'll be interested to see how the lines translate to the real world when the concept shows up at this year's Geneva Motor Show in March.


[Source: Mazda]

Mitsubishi teases Concept Global Small ahead of Geneva debut

Mitsubishi has released the first image of the Concept Global Small, ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

While the name won't win awards for originality, the CGS features an attractive design with distinctive headlights, a sloping roofline, and flush door handles. Inside, efficient packaging ensures the cabin can comfortably seat five adults.

The CGS is technically a concept, possibly of the new Colt/Mirage, which will eventually go into production in March 2012. It will be built in Thailand and feature class-leading fuel efficiency as well as CO2 emissions "in the mid-90 g/km range."



Detailed specifications haven't been announced, but the production model will be powered by a 1.0- to 1.2-liter engine which is paired to a continually variable transmission (CVT). Furthermore, to maximize efficiency, the vehicle will have regenerative brakes and an engine start/stop system.
Source: Mitsubishi

New Audi Q5 Shapes Up

Take a look at the best pictures yet of Audi’s Q5 compact SUV. The German firm’s engineers are putting the finishing touches to the model ahead of its unveiling at next year’s Geneva Motor Show.

A rival to the BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander and forthcoming Mercedes MLK, the Audi is based on the same platform as the A5 coupé and next-generation A4. These pictures reveal that the Q5 takes its styling inspiration from the bigger Q7.
Inside, there will be enough room to carry five adults in comfort, while the cabin is derived from the new A5. The Q5 will have limited off-road ability, and all models will feature a raised ride height and quattro four-wheel drive as standard. But with a chassis tuned for on-road handling, it will be sporty and fun to drive.
Under the bonnet, the Q5 will be offered with 2.0-litre turbo and 3.2-litre V6 petrol engines, plus 2.0-litre and 3.0 litre TDI diesels. There is also the chance Audi will make a high-performance 4.2-litre V8-powered model.

When the Q5 goes on sale in mid-2008, the range will start from around ￡30,000.
It isn’t the only new Audi SUV on the way – our spies have snapped a Q7 flagship, too. This has a 500bhp 6.0-litre V12 TDI diesel, an aggressive nose with deep air intakes and should cover the 0-60mph sprint in 5.5 seconds.

The model will be revealed at the Frankfurt show next month.