Born From Jets

2006 Saab Aero-X Concept

This car would've saved Saab if they had given it a chance. This is the Saab Aero-X, and although it was made 5 years ago, it's still one of the best looking concept cars I've ever seen. Saab has always used the phrase "Born from Jets" to emphasize their cars as being precise, powerful, and refined for the common man's take. And this car? No exception. Especially, when you get into the cockpit.

Rising Roof

Supercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C, or the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG always provide the driver with a fancy way of getting into his car. When it comes to the Aventador or the McLaren, there are scissor doors that fold up rather than out. When it comes to the SLS, those enticing Gullwing doors makes it look like its flying. Even some luxury cars like the Rolls-Royce Ghost or the Phantom provide the driver/passenger with suicide doors to make people realize that he is a man of power. Saab want their drivers to feel like their flying, and they go by doing so with the Aero-X. You see, instead of the doors folding up, opening out, or going straight up, the whole roof plus the doors open and move towards the nose of the car, making it easy and fascinating for a driver to get in. And when you're in, the cabin seals shut, and you take off. It's like being in an F-15 Fighter Jet.

Concept Car Showroom

Now since it's inspired by a Jets, you would imagine that the Aero-X would be very fast, and it is. Under the hood is a 2.8-liter Twin-Turbocharged V6 that runs on E85 Ethanol producing 400 horsepower. 0 to 60 is done in 4.9 seconds and it will go on to a top speed of 155 MPH. The power from the jet-like engine is sent to all 4-wheels through a 7-speed sequential manual transmission operated from flappy paddles on the steering wheel. So yeah, it's a fast, good-looking, common man's sports car. And it would've made Saab drivers more exciting as well.

The Front Face

Alas, Saab refused point blank to put this road rocket into production. Why? It wasn't their cheap priority. Pity, it would've saved their company. Now, it's going bust with Spyker being sold to U.S. firms. If the Aero-X were to be sold as a production car now, it would've saved Saab from totat destruction. Why? Everyone loves a cool sports car, and Saab was becoming a reputable manufacturer with unique drivers driving them now. Unfortunately, all we can do now is dream. Dream that one day, this car will show up at an auction for us to at least drive it. Anyway, the Aero-X: built from Jets.

DTM Revival

2012 BMW M3 DTM Concept 

I honestly haven't heard the term DTM in a very long time. If you've never heard of this term ever, it stands for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters which is German for German Touring Car Championship. In the recent years, the cars used were mostly the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Audi TT, the Opel Astra, and the Audi A4. But, back then, when the sport was really big, BMW and Alfa Romeo were in the mix with the M3 and the 156 making the sport exciting and breathtaking. Well, BMW wants to bring the excitement back as they've recently unveiled the all new M3 E92 DTM Concept Racer. The car harnesses the same 4.0-liter 480 horsepower V8 engine used in the ALMS racing M3 GT and the FIA GT3 racing Z4. The top speed is believed to be at 186 MPH with a 0 to 60 of 3 seconds flat. It would be interesting to see how it stacks up against it's competitors from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The drivers of this car? A Brit (Andy Priaulx) and a Brazilian (Augusto Farfus). The 2012 season of DTM should be quite exciting now.

Dear NASA, Your New Moon Rover is Here

2012 Chevy Colorado Rally Concept

If NASA wrote to Chevy to have this truck on the moon, I would be delighted. This is the new Chevy Colorado Rally Concept, a more rugged version of the new Colorado which was revealed in Bangkok, China not too long ago. As you can see, this truck's ready for anything you can possibly through at it, whether it be dirt, snow, rocks, or even trees. Under the hood of this rugged 4-door soldier is a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine which Chevy claims will last longer the most diesel engines. And if that's not enough, they've tossed in some custom long-travel suspension and 4 305/60R18 BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires to make sure that this truck keeps going. Nonetheless, this is still a rally concept. So, inside you'll find race bucket seats with 5-point harnesses. So, while one driver is adjusting tire pressure and suspension, the other will be enjoying the fresh air from the cut vents in the acrylic windows. Or, maybe dirt. Maybe, even mud. No matter. As for me, this truck isn't just meant for off-roading or dune rallying. This truck's ready for the moon.

Mad Hatch

2012 VW Golf GTI Reifnitz Concept

If you thought the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro was the craziest thing to ever come out of VW AG, well, think again. In honor of the German way, VW cooked up this very hot GTI at GTI-Wörthersee. Named after Reifnitz, the lakeside town in which the festival was held, this special concept tuner features a Stage III Turbo Kit and intercooler from APR Performance. Mix that with sport-tuned exhaust from RSC Performance, and you've got the most powerful front-wheel drive Golf GTI ever devised with 370 brake horsepower, 160 more than what the standard GTI puts down. To make this car even cooler, VW added a wide-body aero kit with a twin-vented hood, some Herbie-like Blue and Red racing stripes with some white backdrop in the middle, a race-inspired interior with some Alcantara racing buckets mixed with some blue and red stripes, a racing roll-cage for the race driver's edge, and some iconic 20-inch Alpine White Mesh rims just for the looks. This is by far the coolest Golf GTI I've ever come across. Why didn't EA put this in NFS World along with the A1 Clubsport? 

An Audi Full of Suprises (Part II)

2012 Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro Concept (Need For Speed World)

I told you guys I'd test it! So earlier today, I went online to see why this car's become the main buzz of NFS World. Well, it seems that while Audi was making this crazy compact monster, Need For Speed managed to contact them and settle an agreement in having that car be an ultra exclusive item in the game. So far, it still is. No other game has pitched in to get it. Anyway, when it was finished and unveiled behind closed doors, NFS went over to Germany to do their 3D rendering, performance inputs, and detailing to bring this car into the virtual world, and voilà! The Audi A1 Clubsport came into existence and everyone is happy, both online and offline. As a general car, it actually is quite good. It handles well thanks to its Quattro all-wheel drive system. As a racer, it's quite phenomenal! The car handles corners with ease and turns on dime, instantly. It's quite uncanny when you think about it because, genuinely, a compact car with a big heavy engine in the front combined with front-wheel drive would be the recipe for one massive accident. So, luckily Audi fitted this car with all-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive in order to cooperate with a 2.5-liter 500 horsepower turbo-5 engine. So, in the end, I did some races, cruised for a while, and took some pictures with it. You, yourself can drive it now if you have a computer and the game installed. From now til June 4, you can drive it around NFS World, but for 3,500 Speedboost, you can drive it until the day you die, or your account gets hacked, whichever comes first. I'd go with the second one because, as you see here, you can customize it with performance parts and visual upgrades. Check out the video below to see how Audi and NFS got along. I'll have a video of my encounter with the car very soon.

An Audi Full of Suprises

2012 Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro Concept

Imagine putting a 7.0-liter 500 horsepower V8 engine in your Mini Cooper S. You'd probably crash it after two minutes, wouldn't you? Sometimes, big engines and small cars don't mix. So, what do you do? Induction! Grab some turbochargers, put them in a small engine, and spool that baby up. That's exactly would Audi did here with this very unique A1. It has the same 2.5-liter turbo-5 that the Audi TT-RS has, but the turbo has been spooled to its peak producing, what makes no difference, 500 horsepower! And, since the power is distributed to all four wheels thanks to the car's Quattro all-wheel drive system, it will do 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than the Audi R8 5.2 FSI Coupe. Top speed, however, stays limited to 155 MPH. This might not be the most brilliant of small cars, but let's be honest. A 500 horsepower turbocharged engine in car as small as a Mini? That's insane. Audi claims that this is a concept car, but in reality it is a one-off which will be sold to one happy, crazy German. Audi have no plans of putting this thing on sale to the public, but, if you have a computer, there is a way for you to test drive this crazy compact car.

2012 Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro Concept (Need For Speed: World)

Audi and Need For Speed have teamed up to make the beginning of June sort of memorable for all you NFS World players. From June 1 to June 4, you'll be able to rent the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro for free. For the first time ever, you'll be able to outrun cops through tight squeezes, beat your opponents by using shortcuts, or even become a city road rat with this crazy car. I'll be online tomorrow to test it out and see if its good. 

Transforming Muscle

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Bumblebee (Courtesy of Jalopnik)

When it comes to saving the world from the Decepticons, no manufacturer does it better than Chevrolet. Bumblebee and Sideswipe are back for Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon, and both cars were on display in Royal Oak, Michigan undisguised. Bumblebee's taken a more ZL1-ish look with the new bumpers, hood vents, massive rims, and rear spoiler. He's ready to pound some medal into some Decepticons.

2012 Chevy Corvette Stingray Convertible Sideswipe Concept (Courtesy of Jalopnik)

Sideswipe, on the other hand, has taken a much more relaxed stance, but he still looks quite as aggressive. He's received some new headlights, a carbon fiber wing, and some 21-inch KMC chrome wheels. Not to mention, he took his top off, so even when he's smashing Decepticon heads, he's enjoying the summertime. So there you are: the autobot muscle cars are ready for battle. Will they be victorious? Find out July 1 when Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon races into theaters.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Mad Merc to the Rescue!!

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Emergency Medical Concept

Make way!! The Emergency Medical Vehicle is coming in, and does it look hot today! Mercedes-Benz has just announced that they will ship an SLS AMG to the EMT service in Germany. The one-off emergency supercar will include some traditional livery, an emergency light bar, and some of the latest communications technology. Of course, any EMT will feel right at home with something fast. Let's not forget that this is the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 car in the world with a 6.2-liter 563 horsepower AMG V8 engine. It will do 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 198 MPH. So, if you're stuck in a can or are in a serious medical condition, don't worry! The SLS is on the job!

Baby Merc

2011 Mercedes-Benz Concept A

You thought the C-Class was the baby of the Merc family? Hah! Think again. Say hello to the future of compact cars: the Mercedes-Benz Concept A. The A-Class has been a popular compact over in Europe and Mercedes-Benz is now ready to ship this car over here. You can see that the car borrows some styling from the new CLS and some from the R-Class even. But, most of the swoopy lines are Concept A standard. Under the hood is Mercedes' own 2.0-liter 210 horsepower BlueEfficiency turbodiesel engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission with the power going straight to the front wheels, making this Mercedes' first front-Wheel drive car ever to be shipped to the States in a while. Other than power and style, this car boasts luxury in every word. Inside the seats are leather and have been fitted for comfort. There are also safety systems destined to be the first of its kind to debut. For example, if you pair the Adaptive Brake Assist with Mercedes' new radar-based collision-detection system, you'll have fewer chances of rear ending your new A-Class. This car will hit both Shanghai and New York this week so you'll have two chances to see it live. For me, only one chance since I prefer driving in my Rover than flying in a Boeing. But anyway, other than its compact form, this car looks fantastic. I hope the production version looks as good as this.

Take This, Ugly School Bus!

2011 Superbus Concept

This one goes out to all you kids, even you Muhlenberg Shuttle dudes out there. Do you ever hate it when it takes a century for the bus to arrive at your stop? It could be because your bus driver is terrible or the bus itself is the slowest moving thing on the planet. I'll place my bets on the bus, because honestly, for a transportation vehicle that's supposed to get you to school on time, it's not doing a very good job. Also, how about a different color for once? Yellow's been on every single school bus since, what, the 1940's? It's boring now! We need somethin' new. Luckily, there is somethin' new. Debuting at the Dubai UITP (L’Union internationale des transports publics) Mobility and City Transport Expo, it's the SUPERBUS!! You know everything is always way better when the word SUPER is attached to it, like Superman, Superball, or even Supercar. Well, here's what happens when combine it with the word bus. It's 49ft. long, 8ft. wide, 5ft. tall, has 16 gullwing doors, and can seat 23 passengers. It's a heavy thing, though, tipping the scales at 10.5 tons (21,000 lb.). But, at least it will be quieter as the bus is powered by a lithium-ion battery that sends power to a massive electric motor that packs 805 horsepower. That's about as much as a Koenigsegg CCX. Because of this much power, it will easily hit 155 MPH with a 0 to 60 time of about 6.0 seconds. And, as you can tell, it's low to the ground, swoopy, and very aerodynamic, so it's better in the corners then the sloppy-handcrafted junk you call a bus. So far, the company that's been working on this concept bus are currently making a deal with Dubai to have it as a public transportation vehicle. If everything goes well, it might hit the streets in 2015, then later in the rest of the world.

The Future of Luxury and Green

2012 Lexus LF-Gh Hybrid Concept

Lexus is always up to something futuristic. This time, they've decided to introduce to the world the future of luxury and efficiency. This is what they've come up with, the LF-Gh Hybrid Concept. Looks like an LS600h, doesn't it? They might incorporate some features from this concept car to future luxurious hybrids in their line. The name LF-Gh stands for Lexus Future Grand Touring Hybrid and is supposed to represent where Lexus will be going with their Hybrid Technology. Not much info on the performance since this is merely a concept car, but Lexus does say that this car will help produce less emissions while providing exquisite luxury. As design goes, this car looks rather nice. Those small LED Headlamps are similar to those on the LS600h. If you go around the back, you can see that the taillamps have been designed to emphasize that "Lexussy" feel, hence the lights resemble small L's. The car itself rides on 20-inch rims and front grille looks rather aggressive. Kengo Matsumoto, the general manager of Toyota's Lexus Design Division, had this to say about the LF-Gh:

"For this concept, Lexus designers studied characteristics that are often considered contradictory and difficult to execute together. The captivating design of the LF-Gh concept examines the possibility of balancing what are normally opposing qualities, such as style and functionality." - Kango Matsumoto

So, there you are: the future of Lexus as we know it. The car will make its official debut in New York at the International Auto Show, and I will be there to check the car out personally.

2012 BMW Concept M5 (Photos)

[Source: BMW & AutoBlog]

German Rocket

2012 BMW Concept M5 F10

The original German rocket has returned with more power and a new face. Say hello to the all new BMW M5. The old 5.0-liter 500 horsepower V10 has been ditched for an all new 4.4-liter 580 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine. BMW says it will do 0 to 60 in just about 4.2 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. With the limiter off, BMW project it will hit over 190 MPH. It will be quite exciting to see just how high the engine revs in the new F10. The old E60 revs all the way to 8,000 RPMs. Anyway, the car also features BMW's new 7-speed M DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission) with Drivelogic to modify shift behavior and speed. Combine that with Auto-Start-Stop functionality and you've got a car that produces 25% less emissions than the old V10 E60. BMW didn't say much about the interior. In fact you can't even see through the blacked-out windows, even at the showroom in Germany. Looks like we're gonna have to wait til September when the production model gets revealed. As for now, the Concept M5 will hit the Shanghai Motor Show this month. What BMW did tell me is that they've gone back to the drawing board with this car, really churning out the beef and granite to produce a true monster. It looks good. I hope performs as well as it looks. Check out the car's big reveal below.

Breaking News: BMW Takes the Covers Off!

2012 BMW Concept M5 F10 (Courtesy of Jalopnik)

You've waited a lifetime for it, and now it's here. BMW have finally pulled the covers off the BMW M5. All those close to real renderings can be compared to the real thing. This is Germany's top sports saloon. Ok, enough monologuing. Time to get down to business. This thing packs close to 600 horsepower from a 4.4-liter Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine. It's gone through some insane testing in the Alps, on German roads, and, of course, on the Nürburgring. It packs all those performance braun, and yet can still seat 3 kids, a wife or girlfriend, and yourself. Note that this is just a concept car, but don't deny the look. Some of BMW's concept cars, like the Concept 6 back in the beginning of the year and concept M3 a few years back, tend to look exactly the same when production time comes. BMW has already slated this car to make its production debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Get Ready for that. Check back here for official photos or check Jalopnik for their take on the car.

[Source: Jalopnik]

April Fools from BMW

2012 BMW M3 Pickup

So, if you thought that I was fooling about the M3 Pickup truck, here's some REAL pictures of the car in REAL life. It's still BMW's April Fools joke, but the car is REAL. BMW claims that it's the fastest pickup in the world, even faster than the Dodge Ram SRT-10. The Ram will go up to 155 MPH. This topped out on the Nürburgring at 186 MPH. The 414 horsepower 4.4-liter V8 engine really does wonders for this truck. And, since it's 110 lb. than the regular M3 convertible, it will make much quicker turns. What's also interesting is that BMW actually put this truck in a wind tunnel and found out that it has the same drag coefficient of the M3 Coupe. And it gets better. You can drive this as a targa; the roof can be taken off, shedding another 44 lb. off the truck. So, it works, it looks cool, and it might the best M3 BMW has ever made. It's a shame that it will never be on public roads. But, BMW has told me that it will serve as the workshop transport vehicle for the M-Division. At least they found some use for it. Oh, and one other thing. You see that car under the wraps right behind the M3 Pickup? That's the 2012 BMW M5 F10 Concept. You've all been waiting for that, and BMW specifically said that they would not break their promise of showing that car to you today. Stay Tuned!

Chrysler 300 S Concept (Photos)

[Source: Chrysler, WorldCarFans]

S stands for Sporty

2012 Chrysler 300 S Custom Concept

Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" campaign continues with the unveiling of some sporty sedans. Here's one of them, the 300 S Concept. Think of it as a sportier version of the 300 C. The car gets sportier alloy rims, a new grille, tinted headlights, sporty trim, and a trunk-mounted spoiler. Inside, the leather seats are red with some white stitching in-between. It looks pretty good. No word on when this car will come out, but Chrysler has told me that they're going to launch this along with other S models later this year. Check out the pics on the blog and on my Facebook page to get a better glimpse of the car.

De Tomaso Returns!

2012 De Tomaso SLS Concept

De Tomaso has been gone since 2002, and it was one of the most famous and most luxurious manufacturers in all of Italy, right behind Ferrari. The Pantera was there most famous model. Elvis had one and it was a very powerful and fast car. Well, I'm here today to tell you Italians and you guys that De Tomaso is back with more Italian Luxury. They're starting off with this, the SLS Concept Study (not to confuse you with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG). Now if you are a beemer fan, you may be looking at this and saying, "Hang on. This is just a 5-series GT with BMW crossed and De Tomaso written in crayon." You're right. De Tomaso did take a 5-series GT and added their own blend of Italian luxury and German science. Only this is much higher and looks more like a SUV/crossover than just a grand-tourer. The car will come with two engines: a 300 horsepower V6 and 550 horsepower V8, both engines sending power to all four wheels. Anyway, what De Tomaso has done is they've created a big, bulgy, humpback whale, and we're supposed to look at it like it's a good thing. But, that's my opinion. If you stand at the other end of the table and actually like this car, check it out more this week at Geneva.