With the launch of the all-new Swift in other markets, we’ve heard rumors that Suzuki will eventually bring the small hatchback back to North America, and if this concept makes it to production, we’ll really be crossing our fingers.

Revealed well ahead of its planned official debut at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show, the Suzuki Swift R Concept takes inspiration from (where else) the GSX-R bikes. It sports an aggressive body kit, big fender flares and some larger and wider tires. To go along with there there’s a custom suspension.

No official engine specs have been released, but the Swift R is expected to be powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder making around 180-hp. Better yet, this little front-driver hot-hatch is also expected to get a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission – just one of the many ways Suzuki is benefiting from it’s tie-up with Volkswagen.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on this hot-hatch when we get it, but with the Beijing Auto Show not until April of next year, we’ll be waiting a while.

Having been to BYD Auto’s facilities in Shenzhen, China, we have witnessed first-hand the development stages of China’s new-age automotive manufacturers. What was most entertaining was how BYD Auto blatantly copies well-established auto manufacturers when it comes to the styling of its vehicles. In fact, one of the vehicles they had displayed in their museum was a clear replica of a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.

Universally mocked for outright copying products, China’s auto industry has come to earn a deservedly bad rep over the decades.

New to the pack is Chinese automotive manufacturer Huatai (or better known as Hawtai in English) with its B35 SUV. With the Beijing Auto Show opening last week, lots of surprises are pouring out from Mainland China, the latest being these photos of the B35 SUV. There is quite the blend of styling throughout the car, noticeably screaming Porsche Cayenne with a hint of Audi, Bentley and maybe even Jaguar and subtle Maserati. Based on the images, it looks like the SUV will be powered with a 1.8T – possibly a diesel, as Hautai is known for.

We’re more curious as to how well this vehicle will actually perform on the streets, especially when it comes to safety. It’s really hard to argue though how quickly China is rising in the automotive market and how it could be shaping things to come over the next decade or so. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some Chinese automobiles prowling our streets over the next few years. But for now we’ll just continue to point and giggle while we await for something original to come out of China.

GALLERY: Huatai B35

BMW will bring its Gran Coupe concept to life, its first foray into the “four door coupe” segment currently en vouge with German manufacturers.

BMW has yet to decide on a name for the car (“…we don’t know what to call it yet,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s head of design), but the revival of the famous 8-series nameplate is a possibility. The concept indicates that the design of the Gran Coupe is almost finalized, and the dashing looks will carry an appropriately premium price tag as well.

While BMW has made a big effort to promote their MegaCity electric car project, the Gran Coupe represents a 180 degree shift away from a small, eco-friendly urban vehicle, as BMW looks for a flagship to join the 6-series two-door coupe and the 7-series luxury sedan.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito criticized the “complacent” nature of his company at the Beijing Auto Show, taking aim at poor sales figures, a lack of product direction and a need to focus on improving the company’s hybrid systems.

Honda’s market share slid by 0.4 percent, with Ito citing the disappointing sales of the Insight hybrid as a particular sore spot. In Insight has been pitched as an alternative to the Prius, but poor reviews, lower fuel economy numbers and the lack of cachet surrounding the vehicle has seen the Insight get trounced in the sales race, with Toyota selling 5 times as many Prius hybrids.

The most surprising part of this candid interview was Ito’s admission that “It’s possible we grew complacent about the good performance of the Accord, Civic and CR-V.”  The Accord recently lost a major Car and Driver comparison test to the Hyundai Sonata, while the CR-V faces stiff competition from a growing segment, including Hyundai’s new Tucson. Ito also cited Hyundai as a major threat, and said that Honda must change its course to compete with the Korean giant. “The biggest problem is we’re not selling the value of our products. We have to improve the performance of our products as well.”

Ito also announced plans for a new hybrid system for large cars, involving two large electric motors, one which charges the battery, the other which gives the gasoline engine a power boost. The system will be used on an upcoming Acura hybrid, as well as minivans and mid-size cars.

Honda has traditionally resisted a number of technologies employed by its competitors, including turbochargers, rear-wheel drive and V8 engines, and stuck to their formula of light-weight, efficient and practical vehicles. But Ito’s comments could indicate that the “Honda way” is beginning to falter, and some new direction is needed at the venerable Japanese firm.

[Source: Automotive News]

Cadillac‘s Converj electric car, reported to be dead, has made an appearance at his year’s Beijing Auto Show, sparking speculation that the opulent alternative fuel vehicle is still alive and kicking.

The Converj, which mates the Chevrolet Volt’s electric powertrain with the features and amenities of a Cadillac, can travel about 40 miles on electric power alone, and then uses a gasoline motor for propulsion. The car can be plugged in to recharge its batteries as well. And did we mention it looks awesome?

While Bloomberg had reported in March of this year that GM had decided against producing the Converj, its Beijing appearance suggests that their may be renewed interest for the luxury hybrid. So pass the rumor along: the ConverJ isn’t dead yet.

GALLERY: Cadillac Converj

The Beijing Auto Show has brought a slate of new releases from companies like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley, but the most opulent and outrageous vehicle is a homegrown Chinese product.

The Hongqi may look like a poor imitation of a Rolls Royce, but the Hongqi Limo is a serious car in its own right. At 21 feet long, the Hongqi is a whale of a car, requiring a V12 engine producing 405 horsepower to help the vehicle move. Soundproofing is said to be so good that the cabin is dead silent. One can only assume that armor plating and other security measures befitting of the Chinese Head of State add further mass to an already portly vehicle.

It’s unlikely that the Hongqi will ever reach our shores, but you can buy one in China for a cool $1.1 million, a significant sum by North American standards, but all the more astonishing when you factor in that the average income for a city-dwelling Chinese citizen is closer to $5,000 per year.

GALLERY: Hongqi Limo

[Source: Cars UK and Hongquiche]

BMW chose the Beijing Auto Show as the venue to unveil its new Concept Gran Coupe – which by all accounts appears to be a near-production rival to the Porsche Panamera. Using BMW’s coupe-like stylings to design a 4-door, this new concept isn’t nearly as dramatic as the Concept CS, which debuted back in 2007. In fact, it looks more like the current 6 Series stretched into a sedan.

The aim with this concept, says BMW, is to show that the brand is capable of building a high-performance vehicle with space for more than just two people. The length of the concept is roughly 196.4-inches, about 4-inches longer than the current 5 Series. It’s also lower than the 5 Series by roughly two inches at just 55-inches, giving it a low center of gravity.

BMW won’t specifically say anything about sending the Gran Coupe from concept to production, but judging from the production-ready look, we’d say it will be in dealerships sooner than you’d expect. Plus, it’s not hard to read between the lines when BMW’s press releases sates quite clearly that the Concept Gran Coupe was designed to, “illustrate the aspiration of the brand BMW to build 4-door high-performance coupes with the sportiest proportions and the most elegant design.”

As more production details leak out, we’re eager to see if BMW really intends to take on the Panamera or if the Gran Coupe is more of a Mercedes CLS fighter.

GALLERY: BMW Concept Gran Coupe

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Like many high-end automakers displaying at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, Lamborghini has decided to unveil a special edition model exclusively for the Chinese market. Lambo chose its flagship model, the Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, dubbing it the “China Limited Edition” and has delivered it with a stunning new paint scheme and interior trim changes. Just 10 LP670-4 SV China Limited Edition models will be offered to a growing number of Lambo enthusiasts in the world’s most populous country.

Like the other 350 LP670-4 SV models, the Chinese Edition gets a massive 6.5-liter V12 engine with 670-hp and 487 ft-lbs of torque enabling a 0-62 mph sprint of just 3.2 seconds. It also gets the same lighter body, weighing 220 lbs less than the standard LP640.

Special “Chinese Edition” trim items include the orange stripe down the length of the gray-painted car, which Lambo says symbolizes an erupting volcano. In addition, every vehicle will get a numbered plaque with the badge of the owner engraved on it.

Lamborghini has already had considerable success in the Chinese marketplace and with limited edition models like this it is showing an increased enthusiasm for the future. “Last year, Automobili Lamborghini achieved 11 percent growth in China,” said CEO Stephan Winkelmann at a press conference for the debut of the LP670-4 SV Chinese Edition at the Beijing Auto Show. “At the beginning of this week on 20th of April, we have launched our seventh Automobili Lamborghini China dealership in Shenzhen. The inauguration of our eighth showroom in Xiamen will come soon. It is our pleasure that we can share our passion for Lamborghini with China’s super sports car drivers, collectors and fans.”

And in a nod to a bright future, Winkelman also commented on Automobili Lamborghini’s, “unwavering commitment to China and the development of a super sports car culture here.”

GALLERY: Lamborghini Murcélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce China Limited Edition

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

If you’re like us, you probably forgot all about Maybach when you saw the new interior of the Audi A8L, set to debut at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show. Apparently the folks at Maybach were equally impressed and have decided to “refresh” their current lineup for next year. You’d think that “refresh” would mean the platform has been upgraded so it no longer rides on an 11-year old S-Class chassis, but unfortunately, we aren’t so lucky.

Production will continue on the 57, 57S, 62 and 62S limousines with a handful of cosmetic, interior, and electronics tweaks to justify the undoubtedly astronomical price tag. All models get new grilles, including a different grill for ‘S’ models, and additional sound dampening to keep road noise down. ‘S’ models also get a few extra ponies squeezed out of the V12, now up to 630-hp.

Inside, passengers get a divider to separate themselves from their drivers, and optional 19-inch monitors in back instead of the standard 9.5-inch units, wireless internet, quilted leather, Swarovski Crystal trim, plus an optional perfume atomizer from the Zeppelin. Of course technology has been improved, with available wireless internet now available.

The updates to the Maybach lineup are minimal in a halfassed attempt to maintain some interest in the models before Mercedes admits its mistake and eliminates the brand by 2014.

GALLERY: 2011 Maybach Models

China is now Bentley’s third largest market, having sold 421 cars there in 2009. Now, the British luxury marque is launching yet another special edition of its Continental GT. Dubbed the “Design Series China” edition, the car, which is set to debut at the Beijing Auto Show Friday features an exterior wing badge, door sill plates and a dash plaque bearing the “Design Series China” label, while customers can pick from a selection of exclusive exterior paint and a three-tone leather interior.

Also making its debut is the Flying Spur Speed China, which features a special comfort tuned suspension, a quieter exhaust system, similar badging to the Continental GT and the addition of the Bentley logo on the C-Pillars.

Pricing details have yet to be announced, but if you have to ask…

GALLERY: Bentley Design Series China Edition

GALLERY: Bentley Flying Spur Speed China

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…