The first set of spy photos of the 2011 Freelander 2 by Land Rover hit the world wide web yesterday. The vehicle is pretty much wrapped but the pictures will still give car enthusiasts an idea of the direction the carmaker is taking.
The LR2 will be getting a refreshed front fascia with the prototype having a new grilled under heavy camouflage, reshaped bumper, and possibly LED lights.
The colors of the side mirrors matching the color of the vehicle will be a nice touch for those purchasing the Freelander as a luxury item instead of having the look of rugged, black plastic. The rims are also heavily covered by tape in the pictures, it makes us wonder if they are hiding some elements in between the spokes.
There is still the awkward rear bumper but we maybe we can expect some changes with the design of the rear door that is covered by tarp on the spy photos.
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The newest trend in the automotive business is to go hybrid. Everyone’s very concerned about the environment and boosting power at the cost of high emission levels is no longer cool anymore. The Japanese manufacturer Nissan knows this only too well. This is why Nissan is reinventing its classic Fairlady Z and is now developing a hybrid version of the car.
Nissan will be working with Daimler on this project, and with the concept in the works, news has it that the Nissan hybrid will make use of the Mercedes-Benz hybrid system. Aside from the electric powertrain, the Fairlady Z can also have a diesel engine also developed by Daimler, but this is still being considered and no formal announcements about the concept has been made.
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According to reports, something’s brewing in General Motor Corp’s assembly line. Apparently, the first batch of preproduction 2012 Opel Ampera has just been built. The coming months are looking at more pre-production Amperas rolling off the assembly line of GM’s Warren, Michigan plant.
Before you get too excited, though, hold off that trip to the dealer. Note that these are pre-production models, and they will not be sold to the public just yet. They still need to undergo a lot of testing so that the car manufacturer can finalize the software development stage of the vehicles. Producers will also be busy making final adjustments to the Ampera’s controls. These final tweaks are necessary to make this baby road-safe and optimized by 2012.
When interviewed, Andrew Farah, Ampera’s Vehicle Chief Engineer, said that GM is “right on target”. This car should be ready for the European market by late next year. Although he did say that there are still a lot of work left to be done on the vehicle, the pre-production line is already a significant accomplishment for all the teams who have been pouring their efforts on the car.
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French carmaker Citroen unveils a new concept car fitting the bill of a compact sports vehicle. The follow up to the 2008 concept GTbyCitroen is a product of collaboration with fashion publication GQ magazine. The design is aimed to bull’s eye the ultimate gentleman ride.
The designers from Citroen responded to the briefing of the editors from GQ, reviewed the theme of the grand tourer, injected some design elements of Citroen, and the GQbyCITROEN was born from the drawing boards into a concept car.
The design lines of the GQbyCitroen features the sculpted front, rounded tail end, and concave windscreen on the rear. The cabin is really spacious, very futuristic, and comfortable.
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The R-Class struggled to live up to the expectations of the Mercedes-Benz brand reporting dismal sales figures since its release. The German carmaker though is not giving up on its Grand Sport Tourer and is planning to make it better so consumers can take notice.
The R-Class design was slightly modified to prepare for a better run in 2007. Mercedes-Benz is planning another facelift for its 2011 R-Class model. It seems that the company is planning a more extensive makeover for the R-Class and some of the industry’s spy photographers have spotted an R-Class testing the roads in Germany.
The vehicle started its run in 2005 when it was officially unveiled to the public during the auto show in New York. The first facelift was done in 2007, about two years after its debut, primarily aimed at improving its appeal to their market segment. The car manufacturer added some variants of the R-Class to the lineup including a rear wheel drive and a seven-seater. Other than these configurations, the R-Class was basically untouched.
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The new Infiniti EX35 gets a bunch of new features but still starts at $33,800 like the 2009 model. It is a very attractive deal for a sport cross over in the luxury segment of the market.
The 2010 EX35 gives consumers sets of packages to choose from with a pimped out Bose set up, air purification system, and climate control. The new navigation system incorporates XM NavWeather, streaming audio, and the restaurant guide from Zagat.
The new member of the fleet gets the Infiniti standard heated side mirrors and auto power headlights. The entry-level RWD EX35 also gets heated front seats. Occupants can do Bluetooth enabled hands free mobile phone calls for the Journey line up. The 2010 EXs go with a better USB port for the iPod while those with the Bose entertainment system come with a 2 Gig hard drive where you can store all the music files.
The EX35 AWD has a sticker price of $35,200. The rear drive journey has a barcode for $36,000 while its all wheel drive version sells for $37,400.
The 2010 EX model continues to have their impressive leather interiors going well with a long list of features like RearView Monitor, coat hanger for the driver’s seat, and power aided folding second row seats.
The new Infiniti EX35 sports a 3.5L V6 engine with an output of 297 horsepower. It is coupled with a 5-speed auto transmission.
Anxious can be a term used to describe the atmosphere formed by the new ownership of Jaguar in 2008. The market wondered what will Jaguar be like under Tata Motors’ helm, and Tata proved that it has plans to keep the brand running smoothly against its competitions.
Every car manufacturer got a fair share of the knockout punch of the recent recession. Jaguar, like other car makers, plans to get up on its feet by next year. Jaguar plans to do it by launching a roadster.
Previously, Tata Motors insiders confirmed that a roadster is on their design boards and is on early stages of development. Reports confirmed that the production of the car will miss its original due date set for 2011. The extra time buys time for Jaguar to inject to the market a plug-in hybrid variant of the roadster. The powerplant of this unit will be a combination of a 3-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor dependent on lithium ion battery packs.
The British government has extended its help to Jaguar so it can develop new technologies which focus on lower emission and higher fuel efficiency. There is also news that Jaguar is planning to make a hybrid for the upcoming XJ saloon flagship.
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The LR2 will be getting a refreshed front fascia with the prototype having a new grilled under heavy camouflage, reshaped bumper, and possibly LED lights.
