concept shown at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show

was an unusual little car. We don't want to get our hopes up about production (especially since we'd probably never get it in America anyway), but the Regina will return to the spotlight at the Geneva Motor Show

with some tweaks that have us wondering if Suzuki

plans to actually build the French-looking runabout. Despite its bold styling, the Regina's drivetrain seems plausible enough; it's powered by a conventional three-cylinder gasoline engine.

The Regina will apparently be renamed G70 when it's shown in Switzerland. Tokyo publicity for the car centered around the five-door as "an idea for a 1,600-pound sedan that gets 75 miles per gallon." Suzuki has officially pegged the weight of the G70 at 730 kg, or 1,606 pounds. The "70" in the name likely comes from its 70g/km of carbon emissions, but Suzuki hasn't divulged its numbers yet. Follow the jump

for a press release on the G70 concept.

Continue reading Suzuki Regina concept renamed G70, production version coming?

Suzuki Regina concept renamed G70, production version coming?

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

Infiniti

has named its electric concept car headed for next month's Geneva Motor Show

the EMERG-E. The company says that its showcar will be a coupe powered by a 1.2-liter gasoline engine with a range-extending electric motor. The powerplant will be mounted amidships for superior weight distribution, and the Japanese automaker promises the concept will offer impressive performance.

Infiniti has released very few details beyond saying the car's pure-electric range will be "respectable." The vehicle also promises zero-emission driving in most urban settings, so there's a good chance the concept will show off some advanced charging tech as well. The automaker is intent on making us wait until the vehicle's full unveil in Geneva before it drops any more clues, though a few more teaser images have surfaced to whet our appetite. Check them out in our gallery below.

Infiniti names Geneva-bound range-extended sports car concept EMERG-E

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

The on-again, off-again Volkswagen BlueSport

roadster is, well, on again according to EVO Magazine. The publication reportedly spoke with Uli Hackenberg, head of engineering with Volkswagen

, who said the company's dealers are mistaken when they say there won't be a market for a vehicle like the BlueSport. Hakenberg said that the rise of hardware like the Toyota GT 86

and Subaru BRZ

, alongside the upcoming next-generation Mazda MX-5

suggests buyers are once again willing to put down cash on an entry-level sports car. Throw in the fact that the dollar is regaining strength and European vehicles start to look even more competitive in the Land of the Free. Despite this, recent reports have indicated that the BlueSport's planned sibling at Porsche

has been delayed

, and its other planned sibling, the Audi R4

, is understood to have been canceled back in May

.

As a result, Volkswagen is reportedly going to ask its dealers to once again gauge demand for a mid-engine convertible. The roadster will need to see sales estimates of at least 50,000 units worldwide in order to get the go-ahead from corporate. Even if that happens, it will likely be a good three years before we see the production model touch down. Maestro, cue up the sad trombone if you would be so kind.

Volkswagen BlueSport roadster still on-track after all?

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

Things are shaping up nicely for next week's Chicago Auto Show

, key among them this new Kia

concept called Track'ster. Riffing on the Korean automaker's hit Soul

compact, the Track'ster keeps much of the small car's boxy style, but turns the wick up considerably by scrubbing the rear doors, fitting a gaping front end, substituting massive showcar wheels and dramatically lowering the right height.

This isn't the first time Kia

has toyed with the idea of a Soul spinoff - at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show

, it presented the Soul'ster

, a rough-and-tumble concept vehicle with a small pickup bed. Thanks to a strong response from the public, the Soul'ster was understood to be under consideration for production, but its hopes reportedly fizzled due to the economic meltdown

.

Despite being on the market since 2008, the Soul continues to pick up momentum in chunks. Thanks in part to a refresh for 2012 that addresses hopes for more powerful drivetrains, the Soul has emerged as one of Kia's best sellers - last month, it was only slightly outdistanced by the Optima

midsize sedan, and it's outpacing Sorrento

, which was Kia's best-seller last year.

Will Kia finally pull the trigger on a Soul variant? We should know more after the Track'ster makes the show circuit rounds.

Kia renders Track'ster concept for Chicago

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

Love it or hate it, the automotive industry of today is not lacking for its exercises in reviving old nameplates. The trend ranges from Mini

to Maybach

, from Dodge Dart

to Dodge Challenger

. And the French are certainly not immune. Citroën

revived its fabled DS

moniker for a range of premium hatchbacks, and Renault

- most of all - has been mulling bringing back the Alpine

for years now.

Arguably just as central to Renault's performance heritage as the recently revived Gordini

line, Alpine made mid-engined sportscars with Renault mechanicals starting in the 1950s and discontinued four decades later. Its most famous model, however, was the A110 (pictured above), which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. And if a new report from Autocar is accurate, Renault has no intention of letting the occasion slip by unnoticed.

In fact, the French automaker is reportedly planning an Alpine concept car to unveil at the Paris Motor Show

next fall. But the question remains whether there's any production potential with such a concept. The French are known for producing some rather intriguing show cars - sportscars in particular - that never seem to get very far from the show stand, from the GTbyCitroën

to the Renault DeZir

.

Whether Renault can make the business case - without the North American market, at that - to take on the sports car establishment remains to be seen, but having the Nissan

product bin to raid certainly couldn't hurt.

Renault planning 50th anniversary Alpine tribute concept for Paris

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

One very unusual electric car

has debuted in Brussels. The Hiriko EV uses a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, though that's not the most interesting aspect of the vehicle. According to The Telegraph, the Hiriko uses an interesting rear suspension design that allows the vehicle to fold up, rotating the cabin vertically, to take up less space while parking. The partnership behind the vehicle say the car consumes approximately one third the parking space of a Smart ForTwo

. Occupants enter from a single front door, and the Hiriko ditches the traditional steering wheel in favor of a joystick.

The vehicle is set to begin production in Spain

next year, and the partnership behind the vehicle's development aims to use several European and American cities as testbeds for the bubble machine. The two-seater has been co-developed by a collection of Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the MIT

media lab (you may remember the concept, from 2007

). A total of 20 test vehicles are currently being built, and each vehicle is said to cost $16,253 to manufacture. No final price tag has been set, nor are there solid details on range, power or charge times.

Hiriko folding electric car headed for production

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

The Mini Rocketman

(we'll spare you the Elton John lyrics) was one of our favorite concepts from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show

. Sure, the name is silly, but this pint-sized concept showed what could be in store for an even more mini Mini

. A smarter Smart

, if you will. However, a new report from CAR states that the entry-level Mini project has allegedly been canned. The Rocketman as we know it has been grounded.

The reason? CAR reports that it would be a costly endeavor to develop the Rocketman to meet street-legal specifications; specifically, handling, stability and crash standards. The concept only measures in at 134.6 inches long - a full 12 inches shorter than a standard Cooper

hatchback, and while Mini insiders said that a production version could come as early as 2016, there are now no plans to offer a vehicle smaller than the current Cooper.

Mini Rocketman reportedly canned

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

Last Summer Toyota

showed off its Window to the World

technology created in partnership with the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. It turned a rear window into an augmented-reality screen that would keep kids interested in something other than asking "Are we there yet?" Now General Motors

has showed off a similar bit of kit called Windows of Opportunity, developed with the Bezalel School of Art and Design in Israel.

GM's Windows concept is aimed just as much at kids as adults. The team came up with four different apps that provided interactivity ranging from a virtual take on drawing on foggy windows to checking what was on other augmented windows on cars around the world. We're probably a long way from seeing something like this in production, but you know you can look forward to the day when your kid monitors your driving style from his child seat. Follow the jump

for the full press release and a short video on GM's new tech.

Continue reading GM latest to explore turning rear windows into screens

GM latest to explore turning rear windows into screens

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.

The Geneva Motor Show

never fails to deliver when it comes to concept cars. Unveiled alongside the latest production models, concepts represent a way for automakers to showcase where their heads are at and where they want to be going in the future. But it's not always automakers that present the concepts. Sometimes they come from design houses like Pininfarina

.

These independent styling studios and engineering firms have come into some trouble lately as the automakers that used to contract their services for a variety of applications are increasingly relying on in-house departments. But Pininfarina has been resilient. Where others have closed, Pininfarina soldiers on. And this is its latest design.

Called the Cambiano after the town in which the company is based, this design study was first teased with a solitary cropped frontal image

released on Facebook. Now a little over a week later, Pininfarina has released two more, showing part of the side in profile and the top from above. We'll have to wait a little longer to see more, but from what we've seen so far, the Cambiano has our interests suitably piqued.

Pininfarina Cambiano concept comes into focus with two more images

originally appeared on Autoblog

on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

.