Friday, May 23, 2008

BMW 3-Series Sport Sedan Concept

Here’s yet another design proposal from an independent artist who wishes to capture our imagination. The BMW 3-Series Sport Sedan Concept is the work of Benedetto Bordone who graduated from Coventry University in 2005 and is currently a freelance Designer/Illustrator. The artist’s previous working experiences include BeeStudio Torino, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Honda Advanced Design.

With this proposal, Bordone wanted to explore a possible future design language for the Bavarian brand, and in particular for its core model, the ultra successful 3-Series sedan. "The car's surfaces are inspired by the torso of an athlete, to give an impression of lean muscle. The detailing of the grilles communicates precision and attention to details,” said Berdone. Our opinion? Overall, the design is a bit too complicated for our taste and we think that the front-end styling needs to be reworked from the beginning.






Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance Study

The usually articulate German folks over at Volkswagen revealed this mystery Golf GTI Performance Study at the annual GTI meeting at Wörther Lake in Austria without giving any information whatsoever apart from the car’s elusive name. We’ve no idea whether or not VW performed any performance upgrades on the GTI’s 2.0 TFSI engine, but they did fit it with Lambo style doors and an extreme wide bodykit along with a bi-color paintjob which is also continued in the cabin that features 2+1 seating.





Nissan GT-R Scale Model by Tamiya: A GT-R We Can All Afford


Even though the $70k that Nissan is asking for the all-new GT-R in the U.S. is a steal considering the car’s capabilities, how many of us have that kind of cash lying around? Well, Japanese model hobby manufacturer Tamiya has the next best thing: a 1/24 scale model of Nissan’s new supercar that will hit Japanese stores on Saturday May 24, 2008 with the rest of the world following shortly after. Prices in Japan are set at 3,990 Yen which is approximately $38.5 or €24.5.
Even though the $70k that Nissan is asking for the all-new GT-R in the U.S. is a steal considering the car’s capabilities, how many of us have that kind of cash lying around? Well, Japanese model hobby manufacturer Tamiya has the next best thing: a 1/24 scale model of Nissan’s new supercar that will hit Japanese stores on Saturday May 24, 2008 with the rest of the world following shortly after. Prices in Japan are set at 3,990 Yen which is approximately $38.5 or €24.5.








Marble Stone Audi S5


Looks like this Russia lad was in a hurry to turn his Audi S5 into an instant classic by applying a film imitating a marble stone. Well, either that or someone was quite handy with photoshop as you never know these days…





Thursday, May 22, 2008

VW Passat R36 Variant Styling Study Debuts at Worthersee Tour


Following in the footsteps of sister company Audi and the A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro, Volkswagen unveiled a concept version of its Passat R36 Variant model at the GTI Meet at Wörther Lake in Austria. While retaining its 300Hp naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 engine, the R36 Variant Study has been beefed up with the addition of 20-inch alloy wheels that come straight from the Touareg R-Line.

Moreover, all chrome parts of the standard version have been painted in the car’s "Moonlight Blue" color while the R36 looks more menacing thanks to its lowered suspension. Other changes include the 6-piston Brembo brake system and the sport exhaust with the large tailpipes.

The Passat R36’s interior has been enhanced with the addition of a set of bicolour Recaro bucket seats and a matching steering wheel along dark blue chrome trim on the dashboard and the doors.






Audi TT Clubsport Quattro: Pre-Production Model Revealed


This is Audi’s second iteration of the sporty TT Clubsport Quattro model that we first saw at last year’s Wörthersee Tour in Austria and from the looks of it, this is the actual model that will enter a small series production in the second half of the year. Just like the first TT Clubsport Quattro, this one too was unveiled at the Audi and VW enthusiast event “Wörthersee Tour” that takes place in Austria from May 21 to 25. Compared to last year’s concept, the roofless TT Clubsport Quattro has obtained a bigger windshield with thicker A-pillars, production-like mirrors, a slightly redesigned rear-bumper that houses what looks to be a fog light and larger safety bars. Inside, Audi’s designers removed the aluminum trim from the steering wheel (for safety reasons) which now hosts stereo controls while they also replaced the pedals and the S-Tronic gearbox with production parts.

Other than that, there are no differences with last year’s prototype with the relatively extreme TT Clubsport Quattro featuring a supped up version of Audi’s 2.0 TFSI engine that breaks the 300 Hp barrier combined with the dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox and a permanent all-wheel drive system.

The track was widened by 66 millimeters (2.60 inches) versus the production TT while stopping power is provided from the brake system from the new Audi TTS. Its ventilated discs measure 340 millimeters (13.39 inches) up front and 310 millimeters (12.20 inches) at the rear