Hard as it might seem to believe from its decidedly more spartan packaging, the Smart ForTwo is made by the same people responsible for the Maybach limousine and countless Mercedes-Benz luxury automobiles. But as seems to be the craze these days, the Daimler city car division has teamed up with a British clothing label called Boxfresh for a substantially more luxurious version.

The special one-off starts with a Brabus-spec cabrio, packing 31 more horsepower than standard for 101 – not exactly earth-shattering output numbers here, but a lot for such a tiny car. Boxfresh has resprayed it in what looks like a matte gunmetal finish; the interior is swathed in a rather sumptuous-looking tan leather. A heavy twill canvas folding roof tops it all off.

As you can see from the many artful close-ups in our image gallery, the attention to detail looks immaculate. We dare not ask how much such a trim job cost. This is, after all, a one-off for the time being, with the commercially-available product of their collaboration set to be announced later this year.

One way or another, it’s not likely to make the jump Stateside – we just hope this isn’t what Brabus was hiding under the tarp in that video from last week.

Smart Fortwo gets the deluxe treatment from Boxfresh originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

The resurrection of my International Harvester 150 pickup is moving along at a pace that could be described as somewhere between glacial and imperceptible. That’s especially curious considering that the hulk has a rather ravenous appetite for time and money that’s only eclipsed by its affinity for defecating disappointment all over the garage floor. Needless to say, any time I look at the big IH right now, I’m filled with sensations typically associated with ipecac.

And homicide.

So when the good folks at Autemo offered to take a crack at rendering the butternut millstone into something close to my ultimate vision for the project, I was a little skeptical. It wasn’t that I doubted the site’s skills. Autemo is a gateway between enthusiasts and a global network of artists with a similar passion for vehicles. If you’ve got a laundry list of modifications in mind, the crew at Autemo can render them into photo-realistic images in a hurry so that you know exactly what they look like before you spend buckets of cash on parts. So far, the site has served up designs to over 250 clients.

But I’m a man of meager goals, especially when it comes down to this truck. The simple fact is that I’d pawn an organ or three just to be able to pilot the beast across town without having to worry about careening into oncoming traffic, erupting into a fireball or, most dreaded of all, have to be towed home by an inferior model pickup.

There is no greater shame.

That’s not to say that I don’t have a vision for what I’d do with the machine if I had more money than sense. Jack Davies, the founder of Autemo, urged me test his rendering abilities with whatever wants I could dream up no matter how specific. I set aside a solid afternoon for daydreaming and got to work.

Hit the jump to continue…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Renderings by Autemo.com

[Source: Autemo]

Continue reading Autemo gives the ’75 International 150 pickup the rendering treatment

Autemo gives the ’75 International 150 pickup the rendering treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

No related posts.

V8 Supercars RSS Media Releases Feed

No related posts.

General Motors is betting on the Chevrolet Cruze sedan to boost its small-car image and sales here in the United States. Overseas, however, GM will be offering the Cruze in an attractive five-door bodystyle, and a report from Australia’s Drive.com states that Holden‘s in-house HSV tuning department is considering a high-powered Cruze.

HSV doesn’t outright confirm that a performance Cruze is in the works, but the company has stated that it is strongly considering adding a four-cylinder model to its lineup and that the Cruze would be the “best option for showing progress.” If the HSV Cruze were to be produced, our bet is that it will be based on the new five-door hatch body style that we won’t get here in the States. This means the Volkswagen GTI and upcoming Ford Focus ST could have some seriously stiff competition from the likes of General Motors.

As for timing, don’t expect to see a HSV Cruze anytime soon – the tuning company’s current focus is making sure that its V8-powered cars have a solid, sustainable future. Still, news of a tuned-up Cruze certainly piques our interest, if only to be a lusted after piece of forbidden fruit.

[Source: Drive.com]

Report: Chevrolet Cruze could get the HSV treatment Down Under originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.