RideLust

Apparently bound and determined to make this break-up as nasty as possible, Ford has delivered one last parting shot to soon-to-be former subsidiary, Volvo, in the form of the new Ford Focus X Road. Unveiled this week at the 2009 AutoRAI in Amsterdam, the Ford Focus X Road is expected to hit dealer lots in the Netherlands in mid-summer 2009 as a blatant design rip-off of the Volvo XC70. Fortunately, as Ford is wont to do, the similarities between the Focus X Road and the XC70 are largely aesthetic, and although the Focus X Road appears to be an off-road ready wagon, it’s basically just a grocery getter with a suspension lift. Dubbed a “soft roader,” the Focus X Road features the same FWD layout as the standard Focus, but the ride height has been lifted to simulate an AWD all-terrain wagon – but wait, it gets even more mundane! Catering to the biofuel-savvy crowd, Ford saw fit to engineer the Focus X Road’s 125-hp 1.8L 4-cylinder engine to run off of either standard gasoline or enviro-friendly monkey piss E85, both of which are expected to yield excellent gas mileage. Read More…

Officially unveiled in concept form just a few weeks ago at the Geneva Motor Show, what is rumored to be a prototype version of the production-ready BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo has just been leaked via a short clip produced by BMW TV. Described as a Mercedes R-Class-fighter, the 5 Series GT is a sedan/hatchback multi-purpose vehicle mash-up that will be integrated into the design language of both the 5 Series line-up.

While we won’t go so far as to say that we love it, we will say that as far as XUV’s are concerned, we’d choose the 5 Series GT over the X3/X6 any day of the week. Of course, we are still a little wary of the GT’s “Progressive Activity Sedan” title and all the Yanni-listening and Crocs-wearing that it suggests, but we like its core design principles enough to extend it a tentative vote of confidence. Since all we’ve got to go on is a very rudimentary prototype, however, we’ll postpone delivering our official verdict until the final production variant is released. Check out the video after the jump Read More…

Scheduled to officially debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show in April, Acura’s new crossover concept vehicle gave us the digital equivalent of a cheap lap dance today with its appearance in 5 new teaser photos. Profiled in shadows (or, as we like to say, “the sober man’s beer goggles”), the only clear image we’re able to glean is that of the concept’s profile which, oddly enough, appears to be a little reminiscent of the 370Z. Since Acura’s press department is sitting on the official release for now, we aren’t able to confirm anything else about the new concept aside from the fact that it will be a 4-door, coupe-inspired XUV most likely intended to compete with the BMW X6.

Full gallery after the jump Read More…

If the Lagonda XUV concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show is any indication, there is a very valid, legitimate reason why Aston Martin laid the original Lagonda to rest – it’s ugly as sin. We’re usually predispositioned to enjoy any vehicle bearing the Aston Martin badge, but this is simply a bridge too far. Although we realize a major cornerstone of the Lagonda’s legacy was its “unique” design and cutting-edge technology, we refuse to believe that in the 20 year gap between the death of the original and the birth of the monster pictured above, Aston Martin couldn’t find a way to make the Lagonda at least marginally attractive. Utterly hideous Chrysler 300-reminiscent design aside, the Lagonda’s one redeeming virtue is found beneath the hood where Aston Martin claims they will place a V12. Power ratings for the 12-banger have yet to be disclosed, but to compensate for the incredibly lacking exterior, we expect the Lagonda to be capable of full flight.

Check out more photos after the jump Read More…

Dubbed a 5-seater “Multi-Purpose Vehicle,” the Kia No 3 Concept debuted at the Geneva Motor Show this week to a largely unenthusiastic crowd. There isn’t any specific reason we can give as to why Kia No 3 fails to generate a positive response from us, we just feel as though we’ve seen this before. With the green movement officially engulfing the market, auto manufacturers are engaged in a constant battle with one another to see who can produce the most urban, “progressive” vehicle. We’ve seen about as many huge glass roofs and SUV/sports coupe mash-ups to last us a lifetime, and we just can’t muster up the energy to feign interest in one more 130-hp go-kart.

Bottom line: it’s shiny, trendy, and we’re sure the gas mileage is fantastic. When it’s approved for production, we’re sure it’ll be offered at a very reasonable price. In five years, it’ll be as cool as your neighbor’s beat-up Sorento. Read More…

Today at the Geneva Motor show, Nissan unwrapped their newest segment-bending masterpiece, the Nissan Qazana XUV. Engineered as a hybrid cross-breed between an SUV and a sport coupe, Nissan claims the Qazana pulls heavy influence from the new 370Z, but all we see is a sanded-off Murano. What did impress us were the sporty 20″ wheels and the electronically-operated suicide doors, but we seriously doubt either of those features will actually make it to production. As far as the interior is concerned, the amber LED center stack set up is beginning to grow on us, but that upholstery has got to go. All that red leather is giving us flashbacks to the early days of our youth spent in the backseat of our aging, chain-smoking babysitter’s 1976 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe. Try as we might, we can’t look at the Qazana without being suddenly overcome with the scent of Kool Super Longs and talcum powder.See the nightmare for yourself after the jump Read More…

Although we personally are having difficulty feigning enthusiasm for it, we’re 80% sure the Dacia Duster crossover concept unveiled by Renault at the Geneva Motor Show this week is at least mildly important. Targeting the popular sporty-yet-environmentally-conscious crowd, the Duster XUV attempts to combine the allure of fuel-efficiency with the “robust” design of a sport utility vehicle. Equipped with a 1.5 dCi 105hp engine that emits just 139g of CO2/km, the Duster successfully achieves “fuel-sipper” status, and thanks to side air-intakes and a squat, ready-to-pounce stance, it also technically meets “sporty” criteria as well. Unfortunately, we can’t seem to assimilate the road warrior design with the puny engine, and despite our best efforts (we lie, they were half-assed), we just can’t generate any excitement for this weird little French rover. Read More…

Scheduled to debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show, the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo was outed a little earlier than anticipated when images captured at a closed event were leaked to the public. Initiating a little damage control, BMW released the official pre-production images of the 5-Series Gran Turismo as well as a lengthy press release.

Described as a “pre-production rendition” of BMW’s new segment-bending Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS), the Concept 5-Series GT is a design variant of both the next-gen 5 Series sedan and 5 Series wagon, intended to compete with the likes of the Mercedes R-Class. Ultimately aimed at extending a little hot-hatch lovin’ to the matching-L.L.Bean-parka-wearing, “uptown urban” segment, BMW is peddling the 5-Series GT as the ultimate Sport “Activity” Vehicle because, you know, calling it a Sport “Utility” Vehicle would just scream “middle class.”

Full gallery and press release after the jump Read More…

With no glossy studio photos or press release to accompany it, we think it’s safe to assume the pre-Geneva unvieling of the BMW Progressive Acitivity Sedan (PAS)/5-Series Concept GT (pictured above) was not intended for our unclean blogger’s eyes. Nevertheless, an enterprising young man at Spanish motor enthusiast site, CanalMotor, managed to get his hands on a few close-ups of the new PAS 5-Series GT and was kind enough to share them with the rest of the auto-blogging cult.

Although we’ll have to wait until the 5-Series GT’s actual debut next month for a few of the harder specs, we know already that the new concept hatchback is intended to serve a sneak peak into the future of the BMW lineup. Wearing a decidedly Volvo-like grin, the 5-Series Concept GT’s boxy front end will extend beyond the new luxury hatch and will be worn by both the 5-Series sedan and 5-Series wagon due for release in 2010.

Full gallery after the jump Read More…

Today, Nissan released new teaser images of the Nissan Qazana concept crossover that will be debuting in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Although the new batch of super close-ups only provides us with a clear shot of the left front headlight, Nissan’s vaguely worded descriptions coupled with an equally vague teaser sketch indicate the Qazana will most likely resemble a more sedan-influenced version of the Nissan Rouge. Intended to serve as glimpse into Nissan’s plans for future product designs, the Qazana’s “assertive and sporty” upper body will be given a slightly urban twist, featuring forward-opening rear doors engineered in the style of the ubiquitous “suicide doors.”

Intended to fill the void that will be left when production of the Nissan Micra ends, production of the Qazana will begin in 2010 at Nissan’s UK-based Sunderland plant. Read More…