The Suzuki Regina 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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We can’t tell you how many times we’ve each been asked about concept cars, “Why can’t I buy one of those?” Well you can. Not often, mind you, and not cheaply. But every once in a while, one of those glitzy concepts you see on a show stand comes up for sale. And now, it’s time to grab your checkbooks.

The show car (or truck, to be precise) you see here was the centerpiece of the Ford display at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show. Dubbed the F-150 Lightning Rod, it takes the formula employed by the SVT Lightning to a more stylized extent, with a chopped roofline and raked windshield, flush-fitted neon head- and tail-lights, and a minimalist interior. The whole package is finished in metallic red with a tribal tattoo motif. A 5.4-liter SOHC V8 sat under the hood, mated to a four-speed automatic. The 21-inch aluminum wheels wear tires whose tread is cut to match the tattoo pattern.

This unique concept truck is expected to fetch around ,000 when it crosses the block at the RM Auctions event in Arizona next week, but while it’s in proper running condition, it isn’t certified to drive on public streets. Check it out the listing after the jump and browse the attached photo gallery.

Continue reading 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions

2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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