Ram Goes Big, Really Big with New Long-Hauler Concept Truck

The Chrysler Group claims, “they don’t get much bigger” than its new Ram Long-Hauler Concept truck and at a whopping 24 feet (about 7.3 meters) long, who can blame them? Based on a Class 5 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab, the monstrous Long Hauler rides on an extended wheelbase measuring 197.4-in. (5,014mm) in length, which is more than enough to fit a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (191.7-in)!

The concept truck is also 79.1 inches tall and tips the scales at an environmentally…unfriendly 9,300 lbs (4,218 kg), or close to 2.5-times as much as a Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan. Ram says the Long-Hauler has a maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating of 37,500 lbs (16,783 kg).

Read more »

Peugeot's EX1 Concept Breaks the Electric Car Record on the Nurburgring

It's not very often we hear about an electric car taking on the fearsome Nurburgring-Nordschleife track. A concept version of an EV is an even rarer sight on the “Green Hell”, but that's exactly what Peugeot did as it put the EX1 design study at work on the world's toughest circuit.

It wasn't just a pleasure ride, however, since Peugeot visited the ‘Ring to break the lap record for electric cars. And it did, with driver Stéphane Caillet lapping the 20.8-kilometer (12.92-mile) long track in 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds, at an average speed of 138,324 km/h (85.95 mph), in “very unfavorable weather conditions”, according to the French automaker. The previous lap record set by an electric car belonged to the Mini E racer, which lapped the German track last year in 9 minutes and 51.45 seconds.

Read more »

VIDEO: Geely’s McCar Bundles Four Seats and a Scooter in a Mini Package

At the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, Chinese automaker Geely displayed an interesting concept car called McCar, whose funny name reportedly stands for “Magic car” and “Motorcycle Car” , and has nothing to do with the famous chain of fast-food restaurants – unless you take into consideration the fact that there is a folding electric scooter sandwiched between the rear seats of the car… Read more »

Porsche Engineering Celebrates 80th Anniversary with Special Museum Exhibition

Porsche has been making sports cars for more than sixty years, but the historic roots of the brand go further back to 1931, when Ferdinand Porsche founded and registered an engineering design bureau in Stuttgart. Up until 1948, when Ferry Porsche built the first Porsche automobile (the legendary Type 356), the design bureau offered engineering services to important companies around the world. Read more »

Report: Renault Captur to Spawn two Production Models within the next two Years

It seems Renault's funky Captur concept that premiered in Geneva won't remain just another design study, as the French automaker is planning to build two production models inspired by the small crossover, according company insiders quoted by Autocar. The first version will be a small five-door crossover similar in size to the Nissan Juke, with which it will share the platform. Read more »

In the Backseat with Serene: Hot Host Takes us for a Spin Around the 2011 New York Auto Show

Even though it may sound blatantly stereotypical to say that the majority of men like hot cars and women, well, deep inside we all know it’s true. Therefore, we can’t blame the organizers of the 2011 New York Auto Show for trying to combine the two to promote the event to the public, or at least to the social media-active male population.

If you’re still with us and haven’t followed the jump to enjoy the clips, allow us to introduce Serene; the attractive and playful female host of the 2011 New York Auto Show’s “After Dark” video series.

Serene takes us for a tour around the Jacob Javits Center, while also asking questions of the sort, “Which car has the best backseat for...ya know...backseat fun?”. Feel free to enlighten Serene with your answers in the comments section after the jump…

Read more »

Taiwan’s Luxgen Shows Off Neora EV Concept Sedan in Shanghai

Among the many world premieres hosted at the Auto Shanghai 2011 (April 21-28) is a new concept model for an all-electric sedan from Taiwanese automaker Luxgen. Called the Neora, the study is meant to demonstrate the firm’s technological prowess as well as to preview a future design language.

The plug-in four-door sedan concept is propelled by an electric motor with 180kW or 241-horsepower that drives the front wheels. According to Luxgen, the Neora tips the scales at 1,600 kg or 3,527 pounds and is capable of completing the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in just 6.5 seconds en route to a top speed of 250 km/h (155mph). The electric motor is fed through a 48 kWh lithium-ion battery set, which is said to offer a driving range of around 400 kilometers or 248 miles on a single charge.

Read more »

VIDEO: Scion Walks us Around the New FR-S Sports Coupe Concept

Toyota’s North American subsidiary, Scion, surprised us today at the opening of the 2011 New York Auto Show with the world premiere of its new FR-S sports coupe concept. We say ‘surprised’ not because we weren’t expecting a Scion-badged Toyota FT-86 to make its appearance in the Big Apple, but because of its refined design that made us forget about the FT-86 II concept we saw less than two months ago at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Read more »

2011 New York Auto Show Debuts: A to Z Guide [Updated]

This year, the New York International Auto Show takes place between April 22 and May 1, coinciding with China's Shanghai Auto Show (April 21 – 28). Even though the Shanghai show is growing in importance, the Big Apple plays host to several world premieres including the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the 2012 Subaru Impreza in both sedan and hatchback forms, the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, just to mention a few.

Read more »

Mercedes Debuts Striking A-Class Concept in New York, Confirms Production Version for North America

Following a world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz showed off its dynamic A-Class concept to the crowds of New York, and confirmed that the production model will head to North America.

In Europe, the production A-Class will launch next year. As for the US, Autonews reported that Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars, would not specify a time frame vaguely stating that the A-Class would arrive “some time in this decade.”

Read more »

2011 NYIAS: Lexus CT 200h Supercharged to 300 Horses

Making its debut at the Big Apple is a concept for a high-performance version of the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hatchback conceived and executed in partnership with Fox Marketing.

Starting with a production CT 200h, the tuner modified the 1.8-liter gasoline engine by adding an Eaton supercharger along with a Climax Racing intake manifold and a Yonaka air to water intercooler among other upgrades to push output to an estimated 300HP. Additionally, Fox Marketing said it has boosted the factory batter power, but did not provide further details.

Read more »

2011 New York Auto Show Live Coverage: Walk Around the Motor Show Floor with us

Welcome to Carscoop’s coverage of the 2011 New York International Auto Show, which we'll be covering live from the show floor thanks to the brilliance of modern technology and a little of your much appreciated patience. Like our trip to the Tokyo Auto Salon, we'll be bringing you photos of all the new models, the ladies, and live pics as we walk around the show.

For the truly live updates, simply check out the window (unlike Tokyo, uploads should be much more fluid), while higher-res "live" photos will appear as soon as we manage to peel ourselves away from the metal and get plugged back into the computer. Also like Tokyo, we'll be doing our best to keep up with comments and requests, so feel free to get involved as we take you along with us.

Read more »

2011 NYIAS: New Scion FR-S Concept Brings Sexy Back to the FT-86

The most hotly anticipated model of the New York Auto Show, Scion’s version of the Toyota FT-86 sports coupe concept, finally made its world premiere today. The study is named FR-S, which stands for ‘Front-Engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport’, though we prefer the definition given by Jack Hollis, Scion vice president, during the New York Show presentation.

“FR-S stands for Front-engine… Rear-wheel drive… Sport. Pretty simple. I personally believe it should stand for Friggin’ Really Sweet… but the legal department at Toyota was NOT feeling the same way,” said Hollis.

The first thing most readers will notice about the FR-S is the refined design compared to the latest concept version of the Toyota FT-86, shown in Geneva this past March. Though it’s hard to pinpoint all the changes without having the cars side by side, the photos reveal a tweaked front end with revamped headlamps and a different bumper design without the aftermarket like add-on LED strips.

Read more »

Nissan Leaf NISMO RC: Purpose Built Track Racer Debuts at New York Auto Show [Updated Gallery]

There has been a lot of conversation lately about electric cars and racing, with some even talking about introducing the technology into the F1 stage. Nissan, on its part, has a lot to gain in terms of awareness given the brands focus on the development of dedicated electric vehicles like the Leaf.

With this in mind, the Japanese carmaker developed a purpose-built prototype racer loosely based on the production Leaf that will receive its first public outing at the 2011 New York International Auto Show . Compared to the production model, the Lead NISMO RC (for Racing Competition), does away with the rear doors, rear seat, trunk, audio system, navigation, carpeting and other amenities, while gaining a mid-ship location for the battery pack, electric motor and inverter.

Read more »

Suzuki Kizashi Apex Turbo Concept Packs More than 275HP

Joining the Kizashi EcoCharge Concept at the New York Auto Show is a second prototype version of Suzuki’s sedan model called the Kizashi Apex Concept. While the EcoCharge hybrid is all about improving fuel economy, the Apex version concentrates purely on the performance aspect of the build while also showcasing the link between Suzuki's automotive division and its championship-winning motorcycles.

Read more »

New Suzuki Kizashi EcoCharge Concept Previews Hybrid Version

Since Toyota launched the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius in 1997 (because let’s face it, Toyota was the one that made hybrids a household name), more and more automakers are following in the Japanese automaker’s footsteps. Oddly enough , Suzuki isn’t one them, at least not until now as the carmaker has expressed its intention to launch a hybrid version of the Kizashi sedan in the very near future.

Read more »

Shanghai Auto Show: Nissan's 190HP Compact Sport Concept

Nissan unveiled a new design study called Compact Sport Concept at the Shanghai Auto Show. The prototype three-door hatchback is the work of Nissan's global design center in Japan and the brand's Beijing design studio in China. According to the Japanese automaker, the Compact Sport Concept is designed “for young customers in emerging countries”.

Despite the lack of information, it appears that the aggressively styled concept is loosely based on the Micra, as it borrows several elements from Nissan's supermini including the headlight and the two-part grille designs. The hot hatch sports a heavily-sculpted bodywork, with bulged wheel arches, massive bumpers and a windshield that wraps around the center part of the roof.

Read more »

Shanghai Auto Show: New BMW M5 and 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid Concepts

At this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China, BMW rolled out two concept versions of the current F10 5-Series, the M5 sport sedan and the LWB Plug-in Hybrid, both of which will enter production.

Read more »

Infiniti Teases New JX 7-Seater Premium Crossover, will go on Sale in 2012

Infiniti is planning to enter new territories by introducing an all-new 7-seater luxury crossover designated the JX. Teased here in a blurry sketch, the mid-size model will be shown in concept form at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this August, and in production guise at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, before going on sale in the U.S. in spring 2012 as a 2013 model.

“The all-new Infiniti JX crossover will allow us to continue to expand the Infiniti brand’s presence in the Americas,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas.

Read more »

Subaru XV Concept is a High-Riding Impreza Crossover

We’re going to see both the four- and five-door versions of the all-new 2012 Impreza at the New York Auto Show this week, but at the Shanghai motor show, Subaru lifted the wraps off a concept version of the hatchback model in a crossover guise. Named the XV Concept, the study essentially offers us our first glimpse at the successor of the North American market Impreza Outback Sport as well as the Impreza XV that is offered in Japan.

The lime-green XV Concept combines Subaru’s all-wheel drive system with a jacked up suspension and an array of SUV-like styling cues. The five-door model measures 4,450mm in length, 1,800mm in width and 1,620 mm in height sporting a 2,635mm long wheelbase. It is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine linked to a CVT.

Read more »