Archive for the 'Concept' Category
Kia Motors has taken the wraps off its KND-5 concept car.
Kia released the first official images of the near-luxury sedan concept car, code-named KND-5, ahead of its debut at the Seoul Motor Show 2009 which opens to the press on April 2.
KND-5 boasts a dynamic and balanced appearance that reflects the style of the near-luxury sedan VG (code name) which is scheduled to debut in Korea in late 2009.
VG will be Kia’s first near-luxury sedan and complete the automaker’s passenger car lineup along with the Lotze mid-sized sedan (known as ‘Optima’ or ‘Magentis’ in overseas markets) and Opirus luxury sedan (known as ‘Amanti’ in North America).
Based on the VG, the KND-5 features an exterior with a newly interpreted line and the striking LED headlamps of a luxury sedan.
The front of the car sports Kia’s family-look radiator grille which is based on a symbolic representation of a tiger’s roaring countenance. The 20-inch large-diameter alloy wheels enhance its aggressive yet refined image.
KND-5 employs the same color for its body on the door handles and has a powerful, muscular profile. The panorama sunroof extends seamlessly from the front windshield to contribute to its open and sleek facade.
The KND-5 measures 4,945mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,475mm high with a wheelbase of 2,845mm.
The concept car is outfitted with a 3.5L V6 Lambda engine.
Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President & COO, International Business Division, said, “The aggressive and sophisticated KND-5 exemplifies Kia’s futuristic design and values. As a concept car that presents the new direction of luxury sedan design, KND-5 will likely generate a lot of buzz at the Seoul Motor Show.”
The GTA Concept, the supersportcar manufactured by the Spanish company GTA Motor, has realized its last tests on track for its official launch in the last days of April, date on which it’s definitive name will be revealed.
A limited edition of 99 units of this car will be produced. Designed by the engineer director of GTA Motor, the valencian Sento Pallardo, it is characterized for the exclusivity of its look and its high perfomance.
The several tests realized until now have been a success. This supersport car will have a great performance, with an acceleration from 0 to 100 Km/h in under 3 seconds and a top speed of over 350 km/h, numbers that show its potential.
The experience in competition has been a key ingredient for the development of this car, that has five world patents. The chassis has been created combinating Kevlar, and carbon fibers as well as titanium. The engine is a V10 mounted in a longitudinal rear position and has 780 horsepower and 920 nm of torque. The car has a seven speed sequential- manual geabox, with the option of automatic system with paddle shift in the steering wheel.
The suspension has a double wishbone configuration with multiregulation shock absorbers to choose the ride hardness and the possibility to raise the bodywork.
The tires are the latest Pirelli Pzero wich measure 255/35 on a 19 wheel at the front and 335/35 on a 20 wheel at the rear. The wheels are manufactured exclusivity for this car.
The braking system contains ABS with 380mm diameter carbon ceramic ventilated disc brake system and 6 piston callipers manufactured by AP Racing. The glass panoramic roof gives it an open air feeling while being sporty and elegant. The roof has a patented system of interior lighting and liquid crystal shading.
The Project, directed by Domimngo Ochoa the GTA team manager, began three years ago and has reached distribution agreements with the most relevant dealers in the world. After the proyect was published one year ago the GTA Concept is now a reality.
The project represents a personal vision of a Lamborghini 2 seater super sports car.
The inspiration comes from nature, and especially the insect world. I began by studying the different types of exoskeletons or armor that certain insects have.
I sought to apply these type of organic forms and translate them into the style of the brand so that when you see the car, you have no doubt that it is a Lamborghini. This type of armored appearance is especially visible in the rear and top views.
The dimensions of the car are: 4300 mm length (same as the Gallardo), 1000 mm height and 2000 mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2650 mm. The body is carbonfiber and the car can use the same engine as the Gallardo.
The idea was to create a very extreme race oriented supercar with a style that introduces new soft and organic lines and integrates them into the geometrical style of Lamborghini.
As car manufacturers start to feel the economic pinch, they are looking to outsource more and more of their product development work to suppliers. That’s the view of Austrian-based Magna Steyr, best-known for its contract manufacturing for the likes of Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz.
The company is keen to show off its design and development capabilities, especially when it comes to electric vehicles. Magna Steyr already has a contract to help Ford develop an electric version of the Focus – and at Geneva it showed an entirely self-designed electric prototype, the Mila EV.
Magna Steyr describes the Mila EV as a “fully integrated electric vehicle platform which can be used by every OEM to realise their own products, drive and design strategies in the shortest time.”
The platform is fully engineered and can be built as pure battery-electric car, a hybrid, a natural gas-powered car or even a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. It’s designed to meet all crash testing standards, while the platform is flexible enough to be ‘right-sized’ to any customer OEM’s requirements.
Magna Steyr is hoping a manufacturer will buy the basic design “off the shelf” – which would allow it to get a fully engineered electric car into production far more quickly than if it were to start developing such a vehicle on its own.
The design is so flexible that Magna Steyr believes more than one manufacturer could build distinct cars on the same basic architecture, thus leveraging economies of scale which could be shared. And of course, Magna Steyr wants the contract to build the cars “With the proven Flex Plant concept, all versions can be made on one single production line,” said a spokesman.
The Geneva show car is a 4m-long five-door version, with a 67hp electric motor powered by Magna Steyr-developed lithium-ion batteries. It has an average charging time of 2.5 hours, and it has an ranges of up to 150km. Solar cells integrated in the glass roof provide additional energy generation, and the drag-inducing wing mirrors have been replaced by rear-view cameras.
