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28/02/2011 | By: Colum Wood

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Mazda has yet to confirm any details on its new Minagi SportCross concept and that’s because you’re not supposed to see it until tomorrow.

Captured on display inside the Geneva Auto Show ahead of its world premiere, the Minagi shares the stage with the Japanese automaker’s new Shinari Concept, which is undeniably the design inspiration for this compact crossover.

Rumored to eventually come to market at the CX-5, slotting in under the CX-7 in Mazda’s current lineup, power could come from the same 2.0-liter direct-injection SkyActiv 4-cylinder engine found under the hood of the 2012 Mazda3. Set to get as much as 40-mpg in the Mazda3 compact, the CX-5 sport cross should deliver nearly as much with a solid 163-hp under the hood.

We’ll wait official word from Mazda, with the reveal set to take place tomorrow (Tuesday, March 1st) at the Geneva Auto Show.

GALLERY: Mazda Minagi Concept

Mazda Minagi 02.jpgMazda Minagi 03.jpgMazda Minagi 04.jpgMazda Minagi 05.jpgMazda Minagi 06.jpgMazda Minagi 07.jpg

28/02/2011 | By: Derek Kreindler

As if Bentley needed yet another excuse to launch a special edition of their Continental GT line, the Continental Supersports Ice Speed Record edition will debut at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show. The model, released in a 100 unit production run, will commemorate Finnish rally hero Juha Kankkunen’s record setting 202 mph blast on ice in an E85 powered Conti.

A new intake, intercooler and exhaust system help the turbocharged 12-cylinder motor pump out 631 horsepower and rocket to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. E85 can be run as a “green” alternative fuel, and buyers will also be swaddled in the finest hides available. Check back tomorrow for live pictures.

28/02/2011 | By: Colum Wood

Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 02.jpg

Described by Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman as “a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology,” the new Aventador LP700-4 has now officially been revealed as the successor to the famed Murcielago.

Rising from the level of an exotic to a true supercar, the LP makes 700-hp from a V12 engine, powering a machine built almost entirely of carbon fiber, while using a racecar-style pushrod suspension, the company’s impressive AWD system, as well as a compact and emotional ISR single-clutch gearbox.

The monstrously large machine is now 6-inches longer than the car it replaces while being just fractions of an inch less wide. Yet for all its amazing attributes, the carbon fiber monocoque chassis is perhaps the most astounding, allowing the Aventador to weigh just under 3,500 lbs in its dry weight form.

While the chassis is revolutionary, the design itself is somewhat evolutionary, a development of the fighter-jet looks we first saw with the Reventon. The Aventador takes cues from that car as well as from the Estoque sedan concept, and retains the scissor doors that Lambos have become famous for. Another stylistic item, that’s also very functional, is the exterior vents on the car that open and close depending on when (and how much) cooling is needed.

As mentioned, power comes from a 6.5-liter V12 engine, with a total of 700-hp on tap, as well as 509 lb-ft, and when combined with AWD propels the new Lambo flagship to 62-mph in a mere 2.9 seconds.

Part of that speed it also attributable to what Lambo calls its Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) transmission, which can swap gears in just 50 ms in a special Corsa mode, delivering a more impressive shift feel than a double-clutch unit while also weighing significantly less.

Inside it’s pure luxury with a new TFT-LCD screen for the dash instead of analog instruments. It even features what Lamborghini terms a “Drive Select Mode System” that allows the driver to adjust vehicle settings (including engine, transmission, differential, steering and stability control) to one of three pre-determined setups: Strada, Sport and Corsa.

With the first deliveries set to occur late this Summer, the Aventador has an understandably exotic price tag: $379,700.

Check back for live photos of the Aventador LP700-4 Tuesday, March 1st and see all of AutoGuide’s 2011 Geneva Auto Show coverage here.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

 Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 07.jpgLamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 05.jpgLamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 12.jpgLamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 10.jpgLamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 06.jpgLamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 07.jpg

See after the jump for video of the Aventador unveiling:

Continue Reading…

28/02/2011 | By: Derek Kreindler

BMW VisionConnected Drive 01.JPG

Before the official opening, we managed to get some live shots of the BMW VisionConnected Drive. Although BMW hasn’t announced any details beyond a cryptically worded statement, reading “The design and technology of this spectacular roadster are aimed at making the vehicle an integral part of a networked world,” the car looks absolutely awesome in the flesh.

Check back Tuesday for full details as the Geneva Auto Show gets underway.

GALLERY: BMW VisionConnected Drive

BMW VisionConnected Drive 01.JPGBMW VisionConnected Drive 04.JPGBMW VisionConnected Drive 05.JPGBMW VisionConnected Drive 06.JPGBMW VisionConnected Drive 07.JPGBMW VisionConnected Drive 08.JPG

28/02/2011 | By: Colum Wood

Koenigsegg Agera R 11.JPG

Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg has found a way to make 1,115 horsepower look even more impressive than it sounds, (well, sounds to say anyway), thanks to a matte-white and exposed dry carbon body.

We’ve acquired these shots of the latest Koenigsegg, the Agera R, on display at the Geneva Auto Show a day ahead of its world premiere. But it’s what’s underneath that body that really matters.

Known for supercharged V8s, the modern Koenigseggs use turbocharged versions, with this specific model pumping out 1,115-hp and 885 lb-ft of torque. That’s only if you’re burning E85, however, and with 95 octane it produces ‘just’ 940-hp.

No yet on the display car, an earlier press release noted it would appear with a carbon fiber ski box made by Thule. Why? Probably because Thule paid them to, or because the owner of the car probably also owns Thule. Who really cares?

Check out all the pics in the gallery below.

GALLERY: Koenigsegg Agera R

Koenigsegg Agera R 01.JPGKoenigsegg Agera R 05.JPGKoenigsegg Agera R 06.JPGKoenigsegg Agera R 10.JPGKoenigsegg Agera R 08.JPGKoenigsegg Agera R 03.JPG

28/02/2011 | By: Derek Kreindler

While the pictures above show a regular Audi R8, the four-ring brand is working on a new supercar, codenamed the NF, that uses a vast amount of carbon fiber in the vehicles construction to help shed serious weight.

Audi previewed the vehicle at a private event in Germany, but security was extremely tight, and only a rendering of the passenger compartment was shown. Furthermore, cameras were explicitly banned. Audi did have on hand a prototype R8 with a carbon fiber roof and floor pan, as well as a crash tested model that was made of a similar construction, but only photos of the intact prototype have surfaced.

The NF is expected to bow in 2014 as part of an on-going program within Audi to expand the use of lightweight materials across their lineup. The R8 Spyder already uses a carbon fiber engine cover, while the E-Tron will introduce features like a carbon fiber roof. At that point, the NF, if it exists, will then debut with substantial structural elements made of the lightweight material.

28/02/2011 | By: Colum Wood

Subaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 04.JPG

Subaru has given us a first glimpse at its version of the FT-86/Toyobaru with one major surprise – the proclaimed rear-drive sports car is actually all-wheel drive.

Sharing a chassis with Toyota’s FT-86, the car was repeatedly rumored to use only a rear-drive system; strange indeed considering it has been adapted from the AWD Legacy.

On display at the Geneva Auto Show a day ahead of it’s official debut, we were disappointed that the architecture was not filled out with some stunning sheetmetal, but this revelation is far more important and certain to appease Suby fans around the globe.

As though the driveshaft weren’t enough, on a display plaque next to a scale model of the architecture it goes so far as to call the vehicle a “rear-wheel drive sports car” and then in the very next sentence states that it features “Subaru’s signature Symmetrical AWD system.” No wonder we were confused.

UPDATE: Upon inspection the vehicle, it most certainly does not have front driveshafts and is a RWD platform, leaving only the question as to why Subaru’s plaque says it does. Sorry to get your hopes up, you fans of Symmetrical AWD.

GALLERY: Subaru Boxer Sports Car Architecture

Subaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 02.JPGSubaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 05.JPGSubaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 07.JPGSubaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 11.JPGSubaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 13.JPGSubaru Sports Car Boxer Architecture 12.JPG

28/02/2011 | By: Derek Kreindler

Mazda Minagi 01.JPG

Mazda‘s Minagi concept, a vehicle that will doubtlessly be seen on the roads as the Mazda CX-5, got its first reveal today, even if only half the vehicle was visible. Check back tomorrow for more detailed pictures as the car gets official reveal at the Geneva Auto Show.

GALLERY: Mazda Minagi Concept

Mazda Minagi 01.JPGMazda Minagi 02.JPGMazda Minagi 04.JPGMazda Minagi 05.JPG

See video of the Minagi after the jump:

Continue Reading…

28/02/2011 | By: Colum Wood

Ferrari FF 06.JPG

Ferrari has already shown its new FF model, releasing press photos, some incredible video, and more recently debuting the car at a private event in Maranello. Set to make it’s more public world premiere tomorrow at the Geneva Auto Show, we’ve managed to gather a few teaser snap shots of the Prancing Horse’s first-ever AWD car on the show floor.

Complete details are not yet available, but we do know the important bits, like the 6.3-liter V12 engine that makes 651-hp and 504 ft lbs of torque. Combined with Ferrari’s 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and that new AWD system, the FF can hit 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds.

The FF also get’s Ferrari’s HELE (High Emotion, Low Emission) setup, which is designed to cut emissions and includes a start-stop system for the big V12 engine.

Look for more details and plenty more photos from the reveal Tuesday, March 1st.

GALLERY: Ferrari FF Teased

Ferrari FF 05.JPGFerrari FF 06.JPGFerrari FF 01.JPGFerrari FF 04.JPGFerrari FF 02.JPGFerrari FF 03.JPG

28/02/2011 | By: Derek Kreindler

Nissan Esflow 01.JPG

Nissan‘s striking ESFLOW concept, which has been teased in renderings online, finally appeared in the flesh ahead of the official opening of the Geneva Auto Show on Monday.

With a range of 150 miles and an estimated 0-60 time of 5 seconds, the ESFLOW is the kind of electric car we can support. Considering that much of the technology is based on the Nissan Leaf electric car, the ESFLOW is a plausible addition to the Nissan brand in the near future.

Gallery: Nissan ESFLOW Concept

Nissan Esflow 01.JPGNissan Esflow 02.JPGNissan Esflow 05.JPGNissan Esflow 07.JPGNissan Esflow 06.JPG