The Detroit Auto Show dam is busting and the latest news to trickle through is that Honda is bringing an Accord Coupe Concept to show off. The concept will “reveal the styling direction” of the 2013 Accord, which – by the time it goes on sale in the fall of 2012 – will enter its ninth generation and 36th year of bringing harmony to people the world over.

Honda suggests the production car itself will have a “dynamic and aggressive profile,” which is something we’d like to see – perhaps recent doldrums have lit some adventurous fires. We won’t put money on it just yet, but when paired with baby brother Acura’s 2013 RDX and ILX and NSX concepts we expect the Honda playground to host some interesting toys. There’s a press release after the jump with a little more info.

Continue reading Honda bringing Accord Coupe concept to Detroit

Honda bringing Accord Coupe concept to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were all surprised when we arrived in Frankfurt a couple of months ago to find Land Rover there with not one, but two distinct versions of the DC100 concept: one hardtop and one open-air model. But when the LA Auto Show opens later this month, Land Rover is set to unveil a third version.

We don’t know how the LA show car will differ from the two we’ve already seen, or what body-style it will carry. But together with the assertion attributed to the company’s brand director that the next-generation Defender should appeal to “Californian surfer dude”, it is a strong indication that the production DC100 will be offered in North America.

That’s not who Land Rover will primarily target with the new model, however: the company aims to use the DC100 to get back in touch with its roots, marketing it to relief organizations and wilderness expeditions in the Third World.

Land Rover bringing updated DC100 Defender concept to LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford already debuted the Fiesta ST concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but if you recall, that show car was based on the three-door Fiesta that isn’t available here in the United States. Now, Ford is showing off a proper five-door version of the Fiesta ST, set to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in two weeks.

Ford still tells us that the Fiesta ST is purely a concept right now, but the fact that both three- and five-door variants of the concept have been made leads us to believe that we’ll eventually see a production version. What’s more, Ford’s own press release states, “The five-door Fiesta ST Concept shows the promise for a globally available performance model.” Here’s hoping.

Just like the three-door concept from Frankfurt, the five-door Fiesta ST is powered by Ford’s new 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder engine, good for 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Like its big brother, the Focus ST, the Fiesta ST concept uses a front-wheel-drive setup, with power being sent to the wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

Speaking of the Focus ST, we already saw the production car alongside the three-door Fiesta ST in Frankfurt, but Ford has announced that it will debut the left-hand-drive, North American-spec version of the car in Los Angeles, as well. The Focus ST is powered by Ford’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four, good for 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, and features amenities like Recaro seats, a performance-tuned suspension and upgraded wheels, tires and brakes.

See what the Fiesta ST concept looks like with an extra set of doors in our attached high-res image gallery, and follow the jump for Ford’s official release on the new concept.

Continue reading Ford bringing five-door Fiesta ST concept to LA Auto Show

Ford bringing five-door Fiesta ST concept to LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Mullin is nuts for classic French cars. His Mullin Automotive Museum is a beautiful shrine to a very specific period of automotive history. One particular vehicle in his collection is Jean Bugatti’s unfinished 1939 Type 64 Coupe. Jean was Ettore’s oldest son, and he died while test driving the Le Mans-winning Type 57 C. His Type 64 Coupe chassis never got the body that Bugatti hoped to have built for it… but Mr. Mullin is going to change that.

Using Jean Bugatti’s sketches as a guide, Mullin has partnered with Stewart Reed Design to develop a vision of what the car should look like. Now, that pair is joined by Mike Kleeves of Automobile Metal Shaping Company, which means that team officially have someone on their team capable of bringing this bit of conceptual art into the physical world.

For more on the Type 64, check out the up-close look at the car we experienced during a field trip to the Mullin Museum in 2010.

Photos copyright (C)2011 by Drew Phillips/AOL

[Source: Mullin Automotive Museum]

Continue reading Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life

Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki is hoping to jumpstart its slow-selling Kizashi with two concepts that will debut at the New York International Auto Show. Suzuki says that the cars will each feature a different “advanced propulsion system,” though they aren’t dropping many hints as to what that may mean.

Whatever it is, Suzuki’s New York show display will be advanced propulsion-themed, and all will become clear soon enough.

There aren’t any photos of the cars available yet, but Suzuki says one will be a “socially-conscious sedan,” while the other will be a rowdy tribute to Suzuki’s motorcycling heritage. We haven’t quite figured out what that means, either. Whatever the cars wind up looking like, Suzuki says it will debut them during its press conference at the show.

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2011 AOL

[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Suzuki bringing two Kizashi concepts to New York Auto Show

Suzuki bringing two Kizashi concepts to New York Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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