Subaru BRZ STI Concept

Subaru’s rear-drive BRZ takes shape with this STI, but it may not have a turbo.

 It’s about time Subaru started revealing some BRZ sheet metal, as we’ve been watching Toyota hog the limelight for over a year with the FT-86 and Scion FR-S concept cars. All the while, Subaru showed us only engine and suspension mockups. Although the BRZ STI is technically a concept, the production BRZ won’t look much different when it makes its debut soon at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Of all the concepts shown thus far, I like the original Toyota FT-86 concept and this BRZ STI the best.

At 166.7 inches long with a 101.2-in.wheelbase, the BRZ competes with the VW Golf and Honda Civic in overall size, but is rear drive. What’s more the 2+2 seating arrangement means the weekend racer can put an extra set of wheels in the back.

The base Subaru is expected to be equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-4, perhaps with as much as 200 bhp. Subaru says the STI won’t have a turbocharger, but we have our doubts. The concept shown here at Los Angles features a staggered tire setup with 215/45R-18s in front and 225/45R-18s out back. Autocrossers hope that a 255/40-17 can fit without needing to roll a fender, as is the case on the Honda S2000.

The quad exhaust tips seem like overkill for a naturally aspirated engine, and may be proof that Subaru is pulling our leg about the STI being naturally aspirated. Let’s hope so. If the car has about 200 bhp, that drag-inducing wing and diffuser won’t make much sense. The weight reducing carbon-fiber roof helps reduce the car’s center of gravity, but engineers say the BRZ’s CG is already lower than a Porsche Boxster’s.

 The quad exhaust tips seem like overkill for a naturally aspirated engine, and may be proof that Subaru is pulling our leg about the STI being naturally aspirated. Let’s hope so. If the car has about 200 bhp, that drag-inducing wing and diffuser won’t make much sense. The weight reducing carbon-fiber roof helps reduce the car’s center of gravity, but engineers say the BRZ’s CG is already lower than a Porsche Boxster’s.

If Subaru is not going to squeeze the engine with turbo boost, I hope the production BRZ weighs less than a Miata. We eagerly await the news.

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Porsche 918 Spyder and 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder Pricing Announced - News

0–60 mph in 3.1 seconds, 199-mph top speed and will run Nürburgring in under 7 minutes, 30 seconds? The Porsche hybrid you really want. By Carter Jung

With so much anticipation built up around the 918 concept cars—wantonly brandishing the Spyder and RSR race trim in the show circuit—Porsche would have been borderline unscrupulous not to bring the sexy hybrid into production. As it turns out, Porsche will build the supercar in its Spyder trim, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque and all. Except for the presence of a new roof (manually operated with removable panels that can be stowed in the front luggage compartment.

But before you rush to put down a deposit, the 918 Spyder is a bit more expensive than a 911. Listed at $845,000, it’s the equivalent of four and an eighth 911 Speedsters. But don’t let the numbers deter you, there’s so much more than fuzzy math to the 918. Take, for instance, its output. With a maximum estimated at 718 hp, it comes courtesy of a midship 500-bhp V-8 and two electric motors both good for 218 hp. Mounted on the front and rear axles, the electric motors act independently and endow the 918 with variable all-wheel drive.

Hybrid Powertrain, Supercar Performance
Fitted with a 7-speed twin-clutch gearbox, the 918 Spyder has some lofty performance targets: 0–60 mph in 3.1 seconds, a 199-mph top speed and the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes, 30 seconds—that’s 2 sec. quicker than the Carrera GT. And don’t forget, these numbers are for a plug-in hybrid. Porsche is throwing out efficiency figures of 94 mpg and 16 miles of range solely on its lithium-ion batteries.

Limited to 918 units, production for the 918 Spyder doesn’t start until September 18, 2013. Think 2013 holidays, if you’re well behaved. For the impatient types, there’s the 918 Spyder-edition 911 to hold you over.

911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder

Photos: Porsche 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder >>

 
If you can’t wait until late 2013, Porsche is placating buyers of the 918 Spyder by offering them an exclusive opportunity to purchase an “Edition 918 Spyder” 911. Based on the 530-bhp 911 Turbo S, the special-edition Porsche has carbon-fiber trim inside and out, plus upgraded leather, badging and the exterior colors of the 918, including the use of Acid Green on the brake calipers, illuminated sill plates, interior stitching and instrument cluster needles. Also limited to 918 units, the 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder will be available in Coupe ($160,700) and Cabriolet ($172,100) forms, making this one very expensive dealer option.

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BMW i8 Concept - 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

A plug-in hybrid sports coupe from BMW.
If you feel like you’ve seen this car before, it’s because it’s an evolution of the Vision Dynamic Concept shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The i8, though, is different, and when we learned about the new “i” sub-brand in July, BMW did not tell us the car would have laser-diode headlamps. The use of “laser” and “headlamps” in the same sentence may seem incongruous, but that’s what the i8 Concept really has. We believe the production version of the i8 will be a 2015 model. It’s not a pure electric like its i3 Concept sibling; it’s an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid. The electric motor from the rear of the i3 will power the front axle of the i8. At the rear is a high-performance 1.5-liter 3-cylinder combustion engine producing 220 bhp and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. This transversely mounted inline-3 is part of a new modular engine family that will replace the current generation of 4- and 6-cylinders. It’s not a huge departure for BMW though, featuring an aluminum block, dual Vanos, Valvetronic, direct-injection and turbocharging. Astute readers may have noticed that this 3-cylinder is half of a 3.0-liter inline-6. Look for a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder as well in the Z4 and new 1 Series.

As a plug-in hybrid, the i8 has a 7.2-kWh battery similar to that of the i3, and it runs down the spine of the car in what would normally be the transmission tunnel. This stiffens the chassis, but limits seating to a 2+2 configuration. The large doors of the i8 Concept swing up to allow easy access to the rear seats. In pure-electric mode, the i8 can travel up to 20 miles without invoking the gasoline engine. For maximum performance, however, the gasoline engine is needed. A high-power alternator on the engine means that all four wheels provide regenerative braking and the best possible efficiency. A full charge of the battery will take less than 2 hours using 220V.

With an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, the i8 can be thought of as a super sports car of tomorrow. The combined power output of 349 hp is said to be enough to propel the roughly 3300-lb. coupe to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. And in normal driving, the i8 should be capable of around 80 mpg.

So what about those laser headlamps? BMW says laser diodes are more efficient, and that the engineers “hope to have this latest cutting-edge technology in production in just a few years’ time.” BMW also said the laser headlights will provide “a basis for completely new lighting functions for further enhanced safety and comfort.” What the Bavarian company means by this, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Lamborghini Aventador Roadster 2013

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster

The 2012 Geneva Auto Show looks set to host the unveiling of a new roadster version of the Lamborghini Aventador, the V-12-powered supercar that sits atop the company’s potent lineup. During our test drive of the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, we called the car “downright devilish in performance,” but with the refined driving manners of an Audi sedan 
Sunshine, 691 Horsepower
 
Lamborghini hasn’t released any official photos of the 2013 Aventador Roadster, and we don’t want to wait until the Geneva show in March to see the car. Thus, we offer these computer-generated images, which give us a very close approximation to how the car will look on the stand in Switzerland. With the exception of the detachable roof, most everything should carry over from the hardtop. That means you’ll get the same ferocious 691-bhp 6.5-liter V-12 engine, coupled to a 7-speed single-clutch ISR gearbox and all-wheel drive.

2013 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster

In the standard LP700-4, this powertrain propels the mid-engine Aventador 2-seater to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The factory claimed top speed is 217 mph. The Roadster should be able to match these prodigious performance figures, given the care and attention Lamborghini will undoubtedly pay to keeping weight low. The car’s carbon-fiber tub weighs in at only 325 lb. Look for the Roadster to use lightweight materials in both its roof and any additional body reinforcements that might be needed.
The price, like those performance stats, is going to reside in the stratosphere. With the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 coupe starting at $387,000, it’s likely the new Roadster will hit $400,000

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Exclusive: Lexus LF-LC Concept - Automotive Design

The most difficult part about building a car for the future is not engineering. Given adequate resources and commitment, tackling a car’s performance, quality and reliability issues really boils down to just a mechanical procedure— albeit extensive—where the goals are clearly understood and measured. It is a “hard” science challenge because it can be achieved with meticulous processes, checked off one by one. If a new car doesn’t meet the criteria, go back and try again. Today, the car engineering development process has become so standardized that even the least expensive models are meeting impressive performance, quality and reliability benchmarks.

So what is the Holy Grail in building the car of the future?

It’s all about styling—the soul of a car.

Styling is the “soft” science of trying to understand what connects with the always-evolving taste of the consumer. And because there are no clear pathways to find the answer, it is a far greater challenge to meet than engineering. No matter how sophisticated the car design process or how modern the tools, very few manufacturers can claim to execute styling successfully and consistently.

Computers help to speed up the design process.

Since its birth in 1989, Lexus’ focus on the “hard” science of quality and reliability has been impressive. Even though it has some sporty models in its portfolio, the premium Japanese automaker is still mostly known for building luxury cars better known for quality than performance. On top of that, these products fall short in executing a styling language that appeals to the consumer’s passion for automobiles—the “soft” science. Let’s face it, buying a car is a very emotional decision. Ultimately, it is a personal statement expressed on the road. No matter how great a car performs, or how problem free it may be, looks count...a lot.

The spindle grille is to be Lexus’ signature on all future models.

Lexus realizes the seriousness of its “boring car” reputation and is intent to change the course. On the eve of the 2012 North American International Auto Show, we had an exclusive, behind-the-scenes peek at the new Lexus LF-LC concept car, a core from which all future Lexus models may draw inspiration.

Profile of the LF-LC under studio lighting.

Kevin Hunter, president of Calty Design Research, noted that they were given a clean sheet of paper to design the LF-LC. The mission was to come up with a new 2+2 hybrid coupe concept to redefine Lexus’ future design language. Only a few written attributes were given as criteria: avant-garde beauty, originality, driving joy and unequaled technology. No wonder the Calty team, including Ian Cartabiano (see Ampersand for interview) and Edward Lee for exterior, and William Chergosky and Ben Chang for interior, was excited to work on this rare project. In fact, the designers were also told specifically by the president and CEO of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, to make sure the concept must have the “wow” factor.

The work on the LF-LC began in May 2010. As with any car design, the folks at Calty looked for inspiration. And they found it in nature, in the form of a tree leaf for its complex shape but also its flexibility to be sculpted into various flowing forms. The result is the stunning LF-LC concept, a car that captures the simplicity and the smooth-flowing nature of a tree leaf; yet a more thorough look reveals an intricate network of details not unlike what you would discover when you examine that same leaf close up.

 Ian Cartabiano, Studio Design Manager (Lexus LF-LC exterior lead) 

The face of LF-LC incorporates elements of the Lexus spindle grille that also appears on the recently introduced GS. Each L-shaped headlight contains three LED projectors that resemble forward-looking camera lenses. The pointed snout set off by large vertical air scoops that flank the grille, plus the ribbon-like fender surfaces bending and folding aft, are some of the elements of the strong front-end treatment. In profile, the LF-LC has a muscular lean-back stance delineated by a simple flowing roofline that’s cantilevered at the A-pillar to give an airy feel to the passenger cabin. Large air scoops are nestled inside the wide rear fenders. And around the back, the Lexus spindle outline is repeated with bold character lines in the fascia, capped with taillights designed with depth to simulate the appearance of a jet engine with its afterburners on. Thin, vertical fog lamps fall from the edge of the taillights and nicely complement the stacked quad exhaust pipes.

 The LF-LC’s floating roofline cantilevered at the A-pillar can be

best viewed from this angle. 

Inside the LF-LC, the tumbling ribbon surface theme is seen again on the dash, surrounding the passengers on the door panels and down the center console. The front and the rear seats are highly sculpted and wrapped in rich smooth leather, their inner surfaces accentuated with suede and contrasting stitching. The steering wheel is race-inspired with integrated controls. The multi-layer digital instrument cluster houses an analog-style tachometer as well as transparent OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) displays that show other vital information. Two 12.3-in. LCD screens form the infotainment center, controlled by a touchscreen Techboard on the center console. On the Techboard, every action is duplicated and traced on the LCD screens so you won’t have to look down and be distracted from driving. Behind the Techboard is a leather-skinned gear selector. Overall, the interior’s leaf-like ribbon surfaces not only create an open cabin feel, but also wrap the driver and the passengers snugly in their respective spaces.

Will the LF-LC concept add the necessary “soft” science— the soul—to Lexus’ future car design? Will it help Lexus stay competitive with premium European automakers? Maybe, if it is warmly received at Detroit and the design leads to consistency. Without this, Lexus can spoil its own chances.

Lexus has tried for a more distinctive look in the past— witness the first-generation SC coupe (1990s), the second generation GS sedan (mid-1990s to mid-2000s) and the recent LFA supercar. But when you look at the rest of the brand’s lineup, namely the ES, IS, HS, RX, GX and LS, there are no strong styling statements made.

Lexus LF-LC Concept interior has a race-inspired steering wheel with integrated controls. 

So the challenge for Lexus is not the lack of exciting new design ideas, but one of absolute commitment to execute the styling language consistently across the entire model line. Building a spectacular one-off LF-LC concept is impressive. But the real measure of success lies in the translation of the LF-LC’s spirit and soul into all future Lexus models.

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