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Every year at the Detroit Auto Show, the Eyes on Design awards honors the best designs among production vehicles and concepts debuting that year. Unlike, say, the North American International Car and Truck of the Year awards, the only vehicles eligible for an Eyes on Design award are the ones that introduce themselves to the world – well, really just North America – in Detroit.

What’s particularly interesting is that the judges for these two awards (one for production vehicles and the other for concepts) are all active or retired designers themselves, so they know a little something about the topic. This year’s group includes, among others, Volkswagen head of design Walter de Silva, President and CEO of SRT Ralph Gilles, and GM Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn.

This year, the Eyes on Design awards were handed out to the 2013 Ford Fusion in the production category and the Lexus LF-LC in the concept category. The Fusion’s fellow finalists were the 2013 BMW 3 Series and 2013 Cadillac ATS, while the LF-LC eked out a W over the Chevrolet Tru 140S and Lincoln MKZ.

Ford Fusion, Lexus LF-LC win Eyes on Design awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think “supercar” and only a handful of countries are likely to come to mind. And most of them are in Europe: Italy, Great Britain, Germany… even Sweden and France have pitched in here and there with such notables as Koenigsegg and Bugatti. Consider examples like the Dodge Viper, Ford GT and Corvette ZR1 and you can deal America in on the action, and with vehicles like the Acura NSX, Nissan GT-R and Lexus LFA, Japan has lent its hand, too. But India?

The populous subcontinent may not be the first that comes to mind, but DC Design is eager to change that. The company has popped onto the scene here and there with its Rolls-Royce coachbuilds and dolled-up Tata Nanos, but is now preparing to step up to the big leagues with the vehicle you see teased here.

Set to be unveiled at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo (which is not, to our chagrin, a display of pastrami delivery trucks), DC’s first independent project is set to be powered by a forced-induction V6 engine sourced from Honda, delivering about 400 horsepower. Considering the low target weight of less than 3,500 pounds, that could prove more than enough. 30 lakh rupees (about ,000) is the target price, with production capped at 3,000 units per year.

DC Design previews India’s first supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Detroit Auto Show is right around the corner, now just a few weeks away. And with each approaching day, we get a clearer picture of what to expect when the doors open at Motown’s Cobo Hall on January 9.

Here we have our first glimpse at a new concept car which Lexus will be unveiling at the show. All we have to go on so far is the teaser image you see above (which you can click to view in high resolution) and a brief statement (after the jump), but from what we can tell it looks very aggressive, and rather sportscar-like.

Penned by Lexus’ Calty studio in Newport Beach, the concept is said to preview a bolder new design language for the Toyota luxury division. We’re sure to get more information and a better look as the show approaches, so watch this space for more and feel free to speculate in Comments.

Continue reading Lexus previews new design direction with Detroit-bound concept

Lexus previews new design direction with Detroit-bound concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen will unveil a new CUV concept at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this week. The Cross Coupe concept is the first vehicle, concept or otherwise, that we’ve seen ride on the company’s new modular transverse matrix architecture. More importantly, it may give us an indication of what to expect from the next generation of Volkswagen SUVs.

The Cross Coupe is smaller than the current Tiguan and offers a unique all-wheel-drive hybrid drivetrain with two electric motors (one for each axle) and a direct-injection, turbocharged gasoline engine. The system has a maximum output of 262 horsepower with the engine and one electric motor sharing propulsion duties up front, and a second 114-horsepower electric motor powering the rear axle when driving conditions require all-wheel drive.

Volkswagen managed to fold the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack into the transmission tunnel where the driveshaft would typically reside. This design allows for a low center of gravity and plenty of interior space, as well. VW says Cross Coupe weighs in at 3,854 pounds with a full tank of fuel. Even with all of that heft, it can travel up to 25 miles on pure electric power while dashing to 60 miles per hour in around seven seconds.

Follow the jump for the full press release and stay tuned for our coverage of the Cross Coupe’s live debut tomorrow at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Continue reading Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept hints at future SUV design

Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept hints at future SUV design originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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