Concept cars at the Japan Auto Show 2011

Automakers unveiled futuristic concepts such as rechargeable sports cars at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Tata Pixel, a cool city car concept

 

 

 

The Tata Pixel, with ‘Zero Turn’ drive and an innovative diamond-shaped door system, is a city car concept for Europe from Tata Motors.

The Tata Pixel also introduces “My Tata Connect” -- the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors for its new generation programmes.

 

 

Audi Reveals Urban Concept Car

 

Audi has released more detailed images of the Audi Urban Concept it plans to reveal to the public for the first time at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

The Audi urban concept has a sleek body. The wheels are free-standing, their surrounding protective plates feature blinking strips of LED lights.

An Icon of Progress – the BMW i8 Concept.

The emotional design of the BMW i8 Concept ensures its qualities are clear for all to see. Its dynamic proportions give the BMW i8 Concept the appearance of surging forward before it even turns a wheel and lend visual form to its extraordinary performance.

The sporting character continues into the interior. Boasting a driver-focused environment unmatched by any BMW Group vehicle before it, the BMW i8 Concept immerses the driver fully in the unique driving experience. The BMW i8 Concept is the sports car for a new generation – pure, emotional and sustainable.
The design of the BMW i8 Concept is as special as the car's overall concept embodying the perfect synthesis of technology and aesthetic allure. Its sweeping lines and flat silhouette lend the vehicle a strikingly dynamic appearance even when standing still. A large, transparent greenhouse lends the exterior an extraordinary feeling of lightness and highlights the exceptional efficiency of this vehicle concept. Short front and rear overhangs round off the sporting overall impression. Despite its dynamic appearance, the 2+2-seater can accommodate four people, giving it a high degree of everyday practicality.
As with the BMW i3 Concept, layering again serves as the central design element of the interior and exterior. The individual vehicle components are also clearly visible from the outside, the black and transparent Life module clearly setting itself apart from the silver-coloured body components around it. This layering approach lends the BMW i8 Concept an extremely technical and cutting-edge appeal.

Dynamic side view.
Taut surfaces and precise edges form an extremely sculptural and organic surface structure. The precise lines along its flanks and BMW i "stream flow" also give the BMW i8 Concept a strong sense of powering forward even when it is standing still. The BMW i8 Concept's doors swing upwards like wings to provide an undeniably emotional and sporting allure. Below the doors, the silver-coloured layer moulds the car's flanks into a powerful wedge shape, opening out from the door sills towards the rear. A blue flourish accentuates the dynamic presence of the sills. Together, the bonnet and door sill sculpting emphasise the BMW i8 Concept's forward-surging stance, and their smooth lines imbue the car with a touch of lightness.
Striking front end.
The BMW i8 Concept also displays its dynamic sports car persona when viewed from the front. A number of different levels interact with one another in the design of the front end, while the expressive surface treatment exudes dynamic verve and advertises the car's sporting potential. The full-LED headlights of the BMW i8 Concept are designed as two U-shaped configurations.
A black, semi-transparent "V" rises out of the bonnet just behind the kidney grille, opening out towards the windscreen and guiding the eye to the electric motor below. The "V" also offers the first glimpse of the CFRP module and extends back towards the rear like a black band to provide a visual connection between the different sections of the car.
Sporty rear end.
Similarly to the front end, the rear of the car is also very low, horizontal and sculptural in design. The silver-coloured side sections form a striking vertical frame around the rear of the car, with a precise line extending out to the sides enjoying particular prominence. In its centre the silver-coloured and blue-framed rear diffuser is a wider and lower interpretation of the version on the BMW i3 Concept, adding a distinct sporting flavour to its relationship with its stablemate.
At the rear, the car's exceptional sporting credentials are also expressed in width-accentuating lines, three-dimensional air outlets and "floating" tail lights with air through-flow. The tail lights, which also have a distinct horizontal design, are integrated into the upper layer of the rear and share the signature U-shape of the BMW i light concept.

Purpose-built interior.
The transparent surfaces in the doors and roof give the exterior and interior design of the BMW i8 Concept the appearance of merging into one another. The colour concept and underlying structure of the BMW i8 Concept interior closely mimic those of the BMW i3 Concept. Here again, the Porcelain White support structure, black technical level and comfort section with Mocha Brown leather are split into three different layers. The arrangement of the air vents, control panels and displays also betrays the car's family ties to its BMW i3 Concept sibling. Overall, however, these features have a more sporting character and are geared much more clearly towards the driver. Indeed, a level of driver focus beyond that of any BMW Group vehicle before it allows the BMW i8 Concept to immerse the driver fully in the unique experience behind the wheel. Driver-relevant functions such as the gearshift lever, start-stop button and parking brake are arranged around the driver on the centre console and are graphically strongly geared towards the driving seat as well. The three-dimensional displays are extremely clear and flash up the relevant information for the driving situation at hand. At the same time, occupants in the BMW i8 Concept sit in a highly integrated position low down in the car and are separated by the battery running lengthways through the interior. This longitudinal bisection of the cabin underlines the sporting and forward-looking character of the BMW i8 Concept interior.
Optimum information.
The freestanding information display in the dash is joined by an equally large display taking the role of the instrument cluster. Designing the central instruments in this way enables driver-relevant information to be conveyed in a three-dimensional and high-resolution format. In keeping with BMW i style, the displays are premium, modern and purist. Depending on the driving mode, the two drive systems are depicted by a pair of ellipses, which supply information on their operation at any given time. Other information – such as the available range and fuel level – can be found here, too.

iDrive

More functions, fewer buttons: the iDrive system puts everything at your fingertips.

The main task of a vehicle control system is to support the driver. With iDrive, BMW has opened up a new development in driver orientation and vehicle control, enabling you to control all kinds of different functions through just a few instruments in new, logical arrangement.
The small number of control elements really crucial to driving, plus the most frequently used functions, are positioned around and on the steering wheel. These include indicators, windscreen wipers, headlight controls and basic sound system and communication controls. As the driver, you never need to take your hands from the wheel. Key driving data such as speed and navigation directions are presented in your line of sight, on the Info Display or the Head-Up Display.
Most other functions - from the air conditioner and navigation settings to BMW Assist and suspension settings - are activated through the Controller: a single turn-and-push dial in the centre console. It enables intuitive operation in a precise dialogue with the Control Display in the upper middle section of the instrument panel. The Controller can be used with just one hand, and offers haptic feedback so you can use it without even looking at it.
A second Controller in the rear of the cabin enables rear passengers to use the entertainment, comfort, multimedia and navigation systems if desired.

All-new Mazda3 - Prepare for exhilaration

The eagerly anticipated New Mazda3 made its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 19 November. California was honoured with a first look at the 4-door sedan version of this landmark sports compact. It wasn't until 3 December that the 5-door hatchback burst onto the global stage, at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy.

The all-new Mazda3's bold new look - strikingly sporty and aggressive - is what future Mazda cars will have to live up to and every feature of the all-new Mazda3 attests to the precision and dedication of Mazda's engineers.

The quiet, refined yet stimulating ride was perfected through thousands of miles on the test track and on real roads. The rewarding performance and reassuring safety were tweaked under extremes of temperature, altitude and speed to provide a car that will stimulate your senses like never before.

Inside, the dynamic-feeling cockpit provides an impressive range of technology literally at your fingertips. And there's advanced engine technology too, with a choice of powerful engines that are economically and environmentally responsible.

The all-new Mazda3 is the most stunning expression yet of Mazda's next-generation design. Soon you'll see for yourself just how exhilarating it is.


Just Watch this space

Airy concept from Mitsubishi

Given the strong emphasis on green technology at the Detroit Motor Show, it's highly likely that we can expect the same from the Geneva Show in March. The latest sneak preview comes in the form of Mitsubishi's excessively titled i MiEV Sport Air concept.

The first part of the show car's name indicates that it is based on Mitsubishi's diminutive 'i' city car, while 'MiEV' stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle.

A powerful lithium-ion battery pack nestles within the floorpan of the concept, which aids packaging, but also lowers the car's centre of gravity to help to provide it with better dynamics - that's where the Sport bit comes in.

Mitsubishi wants electric cars to be portrayed as sexy and fun to drive, so the Geneva concept takes the form of a teardrop-shaped two-seat coupé.

The final touch - as denoted by the 'Air' in the name - is an open-top Mitsubishi calls the 'clear cutaway'.

Whether this concept will ever see the light of a Mitsubishi showroom is unclear, though the Japanese company has already begun to sell electric versions of its more conventional 'i' car.