Thursday, June 9, 2011

Subaru Impreza

Another follow up from an earlier teaser shot is this, the 2012 Subaru Impreza, which is making its debut at the NY auto show.

Digressing further from its infamous rally-bred history, the latest Impreza is being billed as the most economical AWD car for sale in the US market, and Subaru is also keen to stress the increased ride comfort and interior space of this model, which is claimed to offer unprecedented levels of refinement from an Impreza.

The cars exterior, however, does have some nostalgic references, with the bold arches said to 'emphasize its sporty roots and standard All-Wheel Drive performance'. The majority of the car preserves most of the 2010 L.A Auto Show concept car's design cues, with Subaru claiming that the 2012 Impreza aims to 'stand apart from mainstream compact models'.

Elsewhere, the car gains the a new hexagonal grille, a feature that Subaru is 'a keystone' to all future Subaru designs'. The Impreza's drawn back 'hawkeye' headlights, first featured on the Legacy, are also said to add to the cars sporting intent.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Chevrolet Malibu

Following on from our earlier report on the all-new 'gloabl' Chevrolet Malibu come these official images from Chevy.

The 2013 year model, is more than just a restyle of the outgoing model. Gaining inches in all dimensions, the Malibu also places a focus on aerodynamics to gain best in segment efficency.

The cars exterior is said to draw from the DNA of its more sporting relatives, the Corvette and Camaro - a feature most noticeable in the tail lamps of the Malibu. The car also adopts a wider stance, with broader shoulders and a more squat manner thanks to a shorter wheelbase and wider tracks.

Inside and the focus switches to a more refined theme, designed to create a more sophisticated feel to everyday driving. The interior has also increased in size, offering passengers four cubic feet of extra space over the outgoing model.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Alfa Romeo Zagato TZ3

Following on from the Villa D'Este Design Concept Award winning TZ3 Corsa, Zagato has announced the production of nine more TZ3 models.

Unlike the 8C based TZ3 Corsa, the new Stradale will be based upon a Dodge Viper ACR platform and V10 drivetrain, making it the 'first American Alfa Romeo' according to Zagato.

The car is said to be a tribute to Alfa Romeo and Zagato's street legal heritage, and continues the line of cars that ended with the S.Z. and R.Z. in the 90's.

The Stradale boasts a carbon fiber body like the Corsa as well as the 'Kamm-tail' layout, but the rest of the body is new; loosing the shooting brake style silhouette, whilst also sporting a new DRG and new glasshouse sections.

The TZ3 Stradale is a strictly limited run of just nine cars with three cars, commissioned by Alfa Romeo Zagato collector Martin kapp, with the first car being delivered to US based fellow collector, Eric King. Chassis numbers two and three are heading to Japan and Europe respectively.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Aston Martin V12

The new Aston Martin V12 Zagato has been unveiled ahead of its official debut at the Concorso d'Eleganza this weekend. This latest concept marks the revival Aston Martin's long-standing collaboration with the famed coachbuilder in the 50th anniversary year of the iconic DB4GT.

Based on the V12 Vantage, the Zagato model features the coachbuilder's defining 'double bubble' roof and a new handcrafted aluminum body, which was formed using an English wheel and traditionally crafted body bucks. Each front fender alone comprises seven separate pieces of aluminum, combined and then hand finished.

"The V12 Zagato is an elegant yet brutal design which reflects the great balance between race performance and pure Aston Martin style," said Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman. "The design team at Gaydon spent time refining the concept using a mixture of the latest computer based modeling techniques along with crafting traditional clay models to give a real world idea of proportion, stance and detail."

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

BMW 328 Hommage

BMW used Villa d'Este as the backdrop to unveil the 328 Hommage, a tribute to the historic 1930s Touring Coupe and highly successful road car that celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Based on the Vision ConnectedDrive, the 328 Hommage sports many ‘details derived from motor racing’ and is built using CFRP construction to keep overall weight down. Juxtaposing this are sumptuous leather and polished aluminum details. The ConnectedDrive’s DRG has been reworked to embrace an appearance that harks back to the original 328, adopting a dominant matte silver, double kidney grille and large single pod headlights. The leather bonnet straps, exposed tow hook and ‘crossed’ headlight glass are all further explicit references to the original's racing pedigree.

“With the BMW 328 Hommage, we wish to pay homage to the passion and inventiveness of the fathers of the BMW 328”, explains Karl Bäumer, CEO of BMW Group Classic. “They created an icon, which is considered a milestone in the history of the automobile.”