Cadillac Ciel Concept debuts at Pebble Beach

Cadillac Ciel Concept

Cadillac Ciel Interior Designs

The Japanese aren’t the only automakers making some significant debuts at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. General Motors showed up with a surprising and exciting new concept called the Ciel. The Cadillac Ciel Concept celebrates Caddy’s historical grandeur, as well as a celebration of open-air motoring.

“Large, expressive luxury is innate to Cadillac and the Ciel recalls that heritage, while suggesting where the brand can go in the future,” said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. “Authentic luxury is driven by experiences, not just products, and Ciel is about the experience of the journey.”

The Cadillac Ciel concept is a four-door, four passenger convertible with a longitudinally mounted front engine and sits on an all-wheel-drive architecture.

Power comes from a 3.6L V6 engine with twin turbochargers (DOHC, continuously variable valve timing and direct injection). The engine is good for 425-hp and a peak torque of 430 lb-ft and is mated to a hybrid transmission with low-speed all-electric drive.

Any plans for producing the Cadillac Ciel Concept? Not yet and we highly doubt it’ll ever see the light of day.

2013 Dodge Viper

Dodge is doing a pretty good job keeping any and all secrets for the next generation Dodge Viper’s exterior look at bay and, quite frankly, we’ve grown tired of waiting. Yes, we got a sneak peek at the front of the car on a mule testing the engine components, but to see an idea of what the entire car will look like, we put our artists to work.

Ralph Gilles, head of Chrysler’s design, has said that "there won’t be a part of the car that’s untouched." They can say what they want about the entire car getting made over, but our sights are set on the long hood housing a yet-to-be-unveiled powerhouse engine. The recent spy shots taken of the new Viper had a big air intake in the front bumper and what looks to be three air intakes in the hood. A need for cool air can only translate into a fiery engine and we are twitching at the thought of what it could be.

The first rumors surrounded the engine choice suggested the Viper would get a new direct-injection 8.4-liter V10 engine that would deliver around 700HP. Then, European magazines were talking about a V8 engine with an output of 500 HP for an entry level version. The latest ripples in the rumor pond are flowing towards a variation of Chrysler’s new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 with some form of forced induction. This new engine will also be available with stability control, a feature never before seen on their high-performance car.

To say we’re excited for the unveiling of the 2013 Dodge Viper would be an understatement. Unfortunately, Dodge has plans of its own and our impatience isn’t going to deter them from their path. We’ll just have to keeps our eyes and ears perked up for any and all information available.

2011 Chevy Cruze

They're here! The first official pics of the 2011 Chevy Cruze have been released by General Motors, and we're not ashamed to say it – we like it. Of course, we're comparing it to the current small car in GM's lineup, the Cobalt, so the bar is pretty low. That said, GM's new small car takes the split-grille motif made famous by the Malibu and makes it more interesting with sharp creases rather than rounded corners. The front end features headlights that extend up and "point" to the A-pillars, and a strong character line running the length of the vehicle sits below a concave bend that sweeps up to meet the windows. 

GM claims that fit and finish of the Cruze will be world class for a small car, and that its interior will use "grained surfaces, soft-touch materials and low gloss trim panels" to improve its perceived quality. Unfortunately, no shots of the interior were provided, but you can catch a glimpse in this rear 3/4 shot.The Cruze will be a global car, and as such it's going on sale in Europe first. It will makes its global debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, where European customers will be the first to check it out in person before it goes on sale in March 2009 overseas. It will be available at launch with a 112-hp 1.6L engine, a 140-hp 1.8L and a 150-hp 2.0L turbodiesel. The North American version will likely get GM's upcoming direct injected 1.4L four-cylinder. The Cruze will also offer a five-speed manual and GM's first application of a six-speed automatic in a small car. The kicker? The 2011 Chevy Cruze will be built at GM's plant in Lordstown, OH where the current Cobalt and Pontiac G5 are built. Though it'll be built right in our own backyard, the Cruze reportedly won't be available in the U.S. for at least a year or two.

2011 Honda Brio Launched

It was rumoured to be unveiled in India this month, but, our Asian neighbour got the first chance to grab Honda Brio hatchback. The small car was launched officially yesterday in Thailand with starting price of 399,900 Baht (around Rs. 6 lakh). Honda Brio is expected to make its India debut very soon with price tag of Rs. 4.5 lakh. The concept model of Brio was unveiled  at 2010 Thailand International Motor Expo.

Honda Brio is available in the Thai market in two versions, the S and the V, with both versions featuring a five-speed manual transmission, and the V is also available with a CVT transmission, making for three variants in all. Both version are equipped with 1.2-litre 4 cylinder SOHC engine churning out 90bhp at 6000rpm and 11.21kgm at 4800rpm.

2011 Honda CR-Z Α Black Label Edition

Honda has launched a special edition CR-Z "α · Black label (Alpha Black Label)" on the Japanese market. This model comes equipped with alloy wheels and a black interior, among other improvements. It will be offered in seven different exterior colors and will be priced from 2,510,000 yen or about $32,000 at the current exchange rates.

Honda has opted for a black interior in order to create a sense of deep calm and advanced quality black-themed coordination (front seats, door linings, meter visor and the shift boot). The model is also equipped with 16" lightweight aluminum-coated wheels painted in metallic pewter gray.

Nothing has changed under the hood so the hybrid CR-Z will still come with an IMA hybrid system made up of a 1.5 Liter gas burning engine combined with an electric motor. The electric motor provides an additional 14 HP for a grand total of 124 HP and 131 lb-ft of torque.

2012 Honda CR-V Concept

The lead-up to the highly anticipated launch of the next generation Honda CR-V is now in full swing after the Japanese automaker unveiled the very first photo of the 2012 CR-V Concept. The photo hints at what could possibly be the next generation model of Honda’s popular crossover.

Specific details of the 2012 CR-V are still being kept under wraps - with a car this popular, it’s a smart move to build up the anticipation slowly. What we do know is a few details, including a front-wheel-drive set-up for most of the available versions with the all-wheel-drive variant set to come as an added option.

As for the powertrain, it is expected that the US market CR-V will carry a 2.4-liter four-cylinder iVTEC engine that delivers 180 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 161 lb/ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, which is the same as the 2011 model. Europe-bound model could carry a 2.2-liter iDTEC diesel engine that produces 165 horsepower.

The expectations for the 2012 CR-V are understandably high considering the brand’s global popularity and its standing as one of the top-selling crossovers in the world. For their part, Honda seems to be up to the challenge, declaring that the new design for the crossover will set a new standard for the class.

2012 Volkswagen Up

The Volkswagen Up! makes no bones about what it is and what it isn’t. What it isn’t is a thoroughbred car that will satisfy all your speed thrills. What it is, however, is a smiling, fun-loving, economical city car that will net you plenty of mileage and provide state-of-the-art technology for compact vehicles.

Built in numerous concept forms over the past couple of years, the Volkswagen Up! has finally been given the production green light, and its getting ready to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

For the production version, Volkswagen will be offering the Up! in three different trim versions with "take up!" being the entry level version, "move up!" being the comfort-oriented version, and "high up" being the top-of-the-line version with two special edition models of the "high up!" - "up! black" and "up! white" - scheduled to be introduced when the car officially makes its official launch at the end of the year.

For now, you can check out all the details about the Volkswagen Up! leading up to its debut in Frankfurt next month.