Arturo Arino�s Reptile Brings the Lightweight Roadster into the 21st Century

If the KTM X-Bow and Ariel Atom have taught us anything, it is that simple, stripped-down cars with go-kart like handling and supercar performance are the shiz. With that in mind, Mexican industrial designer Arturo Arino presents us with the Reptile, an imaginary hybrid racer that can also be driven on the streets.

Equipped with a 2.7 L Wankel rotary producing a theoretical 700 hp (552 kW) at 9,000 rpm, a 4-pole electric induction motor and regenerative braking to recharge the batteries, this lightweight / topless roadster epitomizes the long held motoring philosophy that, �less is more�.

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From China for China: BMW Teams up with Brilliance to Create 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid Sedan

BMW has teamed up with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new plug-in hybrid model based on the long wheelbase version of the local market 5 Series Sedan, which is available exclusively in China. The prototype model will receive its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 later this month.

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Mercedes Brings Sexy to the Compact Segment with New Concept A-Class, will be Revealed in Shanghai

Mercedes-Benz plans to show up at this month�s Shanghai Auto Show with a brand new concept for a spectacular looking A-Class model. While the Concept A-Class is just what its name says it is � a prototype study - it�s also a very good indication of where the company plans to take its BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 rival with the presentation of the next generation model that is scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

For starters, Mercedes is giving up the minivan-like silhouette of the current A-Class for a more dramatic and sporty looking two-box profile with a long bonnet and a low roof-line. The concept�s exterior design details are heavily influenced by Stuttgart�s most recent prototypes such as the CLS Shooting Brake and especially the F800.

Aside from the new nose with a prominent Mercedes grille, the three-door Concept A-Class also features concave surfaces with sweeping lines throughout the body.

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Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Turned Into a Sport Ute

Inspired by BMW�s costly but cool April Fool�s Day E92 M3 Pickup Truck, autocarsp reader L il-k Amaru drew up a similar design proposal based on the Bavarian sport model�s alter-ego from Stuttgart, the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe. Take a look at both renderings after the jump and tell us what you think about Merc concept as well as the ute category in general in the comments section below. Read more �

Lexus Teases the LF-Gh Hybrid Concept ahead of NYIAS World Premiere

Toyota's luxury brand Lexus released the first official teaser shots of the new LF-Gh hybrid concept car, which will make its world debut at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show (April 22 � May 11). The name of the concept stands for Lexus Future Grand Touring Hybrid, and according to the Japanese company, the LF-Gh �sets out to redefine the premium grand touring sedan.�

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Suzuki to Unveil Two New Concept Versions of Kizashi at the New York Auto Show

Suzuki�s stand at this month�s 2011 New York International Auto Show will feature two brand new concepts cars, both based on the Kizashi sedan. In the Japanese automaker�s own words, the first study will be a �stylish and socially-conscious sedan propelled by a newly-developed advanced powertrain�, while the second concept will be a �wildly-schemed and amped up homage to Suzuki�s iconic motorcycle heritage�. Read more �

Video Tour of the Unmade BMW M Cars Including the M3 Tourer and Compact, Ur-Roadster and M5 Cabriolet

It is by far, the most sacred place for a BMW M fan. We�re talking about the BMW M Division�s underground facility where the company stores copies of all the production cars and prototypes it has ever built, including a variety of never before seen in public vehicles. In a surprising but much welcomed move, the German automaker recently opened the doors of the special M garage to the members of the press and select enthusiasts revealing an array of models that most had only heard about.

We already brought you a video of the wild M8 Coupe with the 580-horsepower V12 engine that was eventually used on the McLaren F1, but now we have several videos showcasing the entire lineup of M cars.

These include the E46 M3 Touring (BMW for station wagon), the E36 M3 Compact powered by the same 321HP straight-six from the M3 Coupe of the time, the E34 M5 Cabriolet with open-top seating for four, an M3 powered E30 ute and possibly the strangest creation yet, the so called Ur-Roadster. The latter is said to have been developed after the Z1 with power being delivered by the E30 M3�s 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine.

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Renault-Samsung Shows SM7 Pre-Production Concept

After last month's teaser sketch, Renault's Korean subsidiary Samsung unveiled the SM7 Concept at the Seoul Motor Show. In essence, it�s a pre-production design study that previews the next generation of Renault Samsung's flagship model, the SM7.

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BMW M8: Video Walkaround of the Wildest 8-Series Powered by the Same V12 in the McLaren F1

If there�s one BMW M car that should have been built, that�s without doubt the M8. Instead, the Bavarians gave us the diluted 850CSi that was powered by a modified version of the 850i�s V12 engine with an incre00ased displacement of 5.6-liters pushing out 380-horsepower.

Last week, BMW opened up the doors of its special M car garage to the press revealing a variety of unmade prototype models including the much talked about M8. The high-performance version of the 8-Series sported a bespoke V12 engine that later on found its way under the hood of the iconic McLaren F1. The twelve-cylinder unit was built around two six-cylinder engines sourced from the M3 of the era (E36) producing somewhere around 580-horsepower.

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Jeep to Show Six New Vehicles at Moab Easter Safari

At the upcoming 45th annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari event that takes place in Utah from April 16-24, the Chrysler Group will display six new vehicles, including two Jeep Wrangler concepts. The company revealed two teaser sketches of the Jeep Wrangler �Renegade� and �Pork Chop� editions, which are modified versions of the standard Wrangler. Further details are to be released closer to the event. Read more �

2012 BMW M5 Concept: First Photos Out in the Open

In a move that certainly won�t leave BMW officials happy, pictures of the 2012 M5 Concept from a preview event held in Germany prior to the car�s world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show in China later this month, leaked onto the internet.

As with most BMW concepts of the sort, the new M5 study is 99 per cent production ready, so don�t expect to see anything different when the sports saloon make its premiere in production guise later this year, possibly at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Artist Envisions a New Take on the Lotus Caterham 7

Much in the same way as Morgan�s pre-Supersports models, the Lotus / Caterham 7 has remained relatively unchanged throughout its long life. A lightweight body with no fixed doors or roof, a flat windscreen, exposed front wheels and a four cylinder motor embody the Seven�s design and engineering philosophy.

Diseno-Art has drawn up a nice design study in the form of the �New 7�, a vehicle designed to expand and complement the existing range of 7-badged vehicles.

With larger proportions and more refinement than the archaic (yet still beautiful) lines of the current generation, the New 7 is designed to be uniquely tailored to each customer�s needs and offer a high level of customer service while still holding to the brand�s philosophy of lightweight, simple and fun.

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Stunning Chevrolet Mi-ray Roadster Concept Premieres at Seoul Motor Show

GM's Korean subsidiary lifted the wraps off the Mi-ray hybrid roadster concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show today, as a tribute to Chevrolet's 100th anniversary this year. The aggressive-looking Mi-ray (which means �future� in Korean) was developed by the GM Advanced Design Studio in Seoul and pays homage to the bow-tie brand's sports car heritage.

The roadster uses styling cues from Chevy's 1963 Monza SS and the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder, but also from aircrafts, with its aerodynamic fuselage being reminiscent of modern jet fighters. Elements like the scissor-doors, the pronounced wheel-arches and the sharp front bumper add further drama to the Mi-ray's appearance.

The car's bodywork is made of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced plastics, while the turbine-shaped wheels (20-inch front/21-inch rear) are made of aluminum-carbon fiber composite.

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Kia Unveils Naimo EV Concept at Seoul Motor Show

Making its world premiere today at the at the Seoul Motor Show, is Kia�s Naimo electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a B-segment sized concept car that will serve as a test-bed for the company's EV technology. Penned by Kia's international design team in Seoul, the car takes its name from the Korean word �Ne-mo�, which is pronounced �Neh-mo� and means �square shape.

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New Hyundai Blue2 Fuel Cell Concept Debuts at Seoul Motor Show

The 2011 Seoul Motor Show that runs in South Korea from March 31 to April 10 plays host to the world premiere of the all-new Hyundai Blue2 concept study. The name �Blue2�, which is read �Blue square�, is a combination of Hyundai�s sub eco-brand �Blue Drive� and the number `2� from H2, the symbol for hydrogen gas.

Codenamed HND-6, the prototype is Hyundai�s first sedan-style Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). The four-door saloon is powered by a fuel cell electric system that delivers a stack power of 90kW or 121HP and fuel economy of 34.9km/l (of hydrogen, of course), which is equal to 82mpg US and 2.9lt/100km. The concept is also equipped with low-resistance tires and alloy wheels which are designed to improve aerodynamic performance.

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Buick Envision Concept SUV Heads to Shanghai Auto Show

A new Buick concept model called the Envision will make its global debut at the Shanghai Auto Show on April 18. Jointly developed by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), the Envision is a crossover model designed for the Chinese market, although the company points out the vehicle incorporates Buick's "dynamic, fluid, quiet and comfortable" styling language.

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Two Years the Wiser: Marouane Bembli Retackles his Audi R10 Design Study

Back in November of 2009, then 23yo Swedish industrial design student Marouane Bembli brought us an impressive design study for a proposed halo model for Audi to sit above the R8. With its sharp lines, centralized cockpit and Rolls-Royce Phantom rivalling proportions, the R10 was a pretty if unlikely proposal for a next generation Audi supercar.

Now, two years older and presumably a little wiser, Bembli has once again tackled the R10 in what I call the R10 v2.0. Though the concept of a low roofed, widebody coupe with a mid-mounted V10 remains the same, Bembli�s new-for-2011 R10 features a more aggressive front-end treatment, larger rear view mirrors and cabin windows and the addition of fighter jet-inspire side intakes.

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Ford and Top Gear Australia Revive Mad Max Interceptor with a Pair of Concepts

More than 30 years after George Miller's original Mad Max film starring Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky hit the screens turning both the American-born Australian actor and his jet-black Ford Falcon XB GT351 coupe-based Interceptor into movie icons, Ford�s local division in partnership with Top Gear Australia magazine, has revealed two concept studies for a modern day Interceptor.

The company formed a group of designers led by chief designer of passenger cars for the Asia, Pacific and Africa region, Todd Willing. The team created several of studies that paid tribute to the styling cues from the original XB Coupe Interceptor, but ultimately, only two made the cut. The winning designs were penned by Nima Nourian and Simon Brook.

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Volvo C30 Electric Undergoes Harsh Winter Testing in the Extreme North

One of the major fears consumers have regarding electric vehicles, besides range anxiety, is how these cars are going to function in rough weather conditions. We all know batteries are sensitive to extreme temperatures, which can affect their capacity of storing electricity.

This is why Volvo is trying out its C30 Electric model in the north of Sweden, inside the Arctic Circle. Temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius are something normal in this part of the world, so Volvo engineers want to ensure the battery-powered car runs smoothly even in harsh environments.

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Chrysler Teases 2011MY 300, 200 and Town & Country �S� Concepts at LX Spring Festival

Chrysler found the perfect opportunity to preview its upcoming range of �S� models at the 6th Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, California this past weekend. The Detroit automaker showed off the �S� trimmed 2011MY 300 sedan, 200 Convertible and Town & Country in concept forms, though all three models are scheduled to enter production later this year starting with the 200 this spring.

According to Chrysler, the �S� treatment is a cosmetic package designed to appeal to younger customers that want something more �edgy� in terms of style. On the 300, this translates to a bespoke gunmetal finish, a new front grille, smoked headlamps and taillights, beefier alloy wheels in a unique design, a boot lid spoiler and if we�re not mistaken (since Chrysler has not released any official details), a lowered suspension. The interior also receives a makeover with red leather seats sporting the �S� logo and bespoke trim.

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