Auto News 5

The 25th Salão Internacional do Automovel is the largest auto show in Latin America, with 30 global brands displaying more than 400 models clearly indicating the increasing importance of this burgeoning automotive market. Highlights include the Fiat FCC2 concept, the Chevrolet GPiX concept and the Renault Sand'up concept.

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Chrysler introduced soccer moms to the minivan over twenty-five years ago, and now Chrysler is once again leading the people-carrier market with the Chrysler Town & Country EV. This seven-passenger vehicle is a modern gas-electric hybrid version of the standard Town & Country. Full story...

It looks like the Smart Fortwo will have another car to worry about. Scion has announced that it will debut a new micro-subcompact concept at next month’s New York auto show. Full story...

Scion will unveil a micro-subcompact concept car at the 2009 New York International Auto Show. The concept reflects Scion's youthful image and represents a new segment for the brand aimed toward the growing urbanization trend. Full story...

Boston, MA - Terrafugia, Inc., a game-changing aircraft company, announced today the first flight of its Transition(R) Roadable Aircraft Proof of Concept. Often referred to as a "flying car", the Transition(R) is a two-seat aircraft designed to take off and land at local airports and drive on any road. Transforming from plane to car takes the pilot less than 30 seconds. Full story...

Three future Mustang classics will be auctioned off at the seventh annual Barrett-Jackson event April 9-11 in Palm Beach, Fla. Full story...
Check out AmericanMuscle.com and their large selection of Mustang License Plates.

One of the last things we expect to see is a Mini towing around a 22-foot Airstream trailer, but that's exactly what will be on display in Milan, Italy, at the Salone del Mobile show in April. Full story...

Munich. Airstream Inc. and MINI have teamed up to offer the best in both design and functionality with a one-off MINI Cooper S Clubman and Airstream creation designed by Republic of Fritz Hansen. The concept will be presented for the first time at the INTERNI DESIGN ENERGIES exhibition in the courtyards of Università degli Studi di Milano during the upcoming world-renowned Salone del Mobile show in Milan. The exhibition will be open each day from Tuesday 21 to Thursday 30 April from 10:00 a.m. until midnight. Full story...

Land Rover will put its striking LRX concept car, first displayed at the 2008 Detroit auto show, into production with the help of a $37.1 million grant from the British government. Full story...

Land Rover will put its striking LRX concept car, first displayed at the 2008 Detroit auto show, into production with the help of a $37.1 million grant from the British government. Full story...

Land Rover will put its striking LRX concept car, first displayed at the 2008 Detroit auto show, into production with the help of a $37.1 million grant from the British government. Full story...

Design firm Pininfarina has demonstrated just how serious its plan to become an independent car maker is. It used the Geneva show stands to pull the wraps off its new supermini – the BO concept, now badged BlueCar.

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The British government has confirmed that a grant offer of up to GBP27m is to be made available to Land Rover for the production of an all-new car based on the LRX compact crossover concept. Full story...

Design concept takes its inspiration from insects.

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Design concept takes its inspiration from insects

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The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited EV is the off-road electric utility vehicle recently announced from Chrysler. Although the Wrangler Unlimited EV is only fitted with rear-wheel-drive, Chrysler has announced that the electric-drive technology can be applied to all four wheels. Full story...

The 79th Geneva Motor Show has opened its doors to the media preview days. Concept car highlights include the Nissan Qazana, Infiniti Essence, Ford Iosis Max, Dacia Duster, Frazer-Nash Namir by Giugiaro,  BMW 5 Series GT, Rolls-Royce 200EX and Aston Martin Lagonda. Production debuts include the new Volkswagen Polo, Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe, Peugeot 3008 and Toyota Verso.

We will have ongoing reports of the most significant debuts in our show Highlights, with in-depth Design Reviews and an extensive Photo Gallery of our own images coming soon. Until then, be sure to check out our Photo Galleries section for all the press images of the new cars on show...

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This neat city car concept hides a secret under the skin, which could help automakers develop lighter and more compact electric cars. Full story...

Dacia, Renault's Romanian budget brand, launched its first-ever concept car at Geneva, an innovative leisure vehicle that revives the Duster nameplate. Full story...

2011 Chevy Volt - From Show Car to Showroom

Practical considerations reshape the Chevy Volt.

The 2007 Chevrolet Volt concept dazzled, even more than General Motors expected. For 2010 production, however, it has to use existing component sets, which naturally make the Volt more mainstream and cheaper to build. The changes also give the car lower drag, more cabin space, and a tighter turning circle. The designer of both vehicles, Bob Boniface, says that concept cars are "not a contract with the general public" and that the commercial product is a much better car. We tend to agree with him. Polarizing design can impress but lose sales. GM needs this car to succeed. So do we all.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Concept Car to Production - Automobile Magazine

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