New Cars: Golf/Jetta Variant

A rather disappointing end to one of the longest gestation periods ever (this car has been on and off for more than 3 years now). Where has VWs effortless style gone? The rear looks ungainly, as though it's taken from a Fiat Palio or something like that. It's neither classy-looking like the Golf IV Variant, nor as chic-looking as the current Passat's. It's as though VW wanted to ram home the point this car is meant to be utilitarian, which is weird given the previous-gen Golf sold as much on style as on practicality.

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

Eye Candy: Lamborghini Gallardo re-imagined

Just to finish off today's posts, I found this amazing Lambo Gallardo-based design. Not sure about the front, but the profile looks smoother and more elegant (more like the Murcielago, actually), but it's the end that's the real killer - it looks really mean!

[source: Ugur Sahin design]

Upcoming Cars: Fiat Grand Punto Abarth

The chops itself is pretty bad, but I like the design - with the Panda 100 HP, Fiat looks to be really on a roll!

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

Other: Upcoming Knight Rider movie

Haven't heard anything about this movie yet, but... is that an early 1990s Honda concept car? And it'll come out in 2008? Weird...

Upcoming Cars: BMW X6 chop from Huckfeldt

Not a big fan, looks too much like the regular X5.

[source: Auto Bild]

Upcoming Cars: US Honda Accord

They must really want to make the Accord more distinctive, because to put this front on one of US's bestselling car is very risque. Hope it pays off for them - I am far from amused

[source: thehollywoodextra.com]

Upcoming Cars: more Lotus Esprit spypics

Looks better, at least from the back - I like that the rear overhang is longer than the usual F430/Gallardo standard.

Concept Cars: KIA Excee'd cabriolet concept

Looks stunning! Nice to see an old-fashioned cabriolet in a market which is overrun with big-butt folding hardtop Coupe-Cabriolets. With the Procee'd (the 3-door concept on which the Excee'd is based) already looking a lot like Audi's A3, this might actually be a fairly accurate preview of what Audi's upcoming A3 cabriolet will look like :) I just wish they did not have to "blandify" the gorgeous detailing so much for production!

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

Upcoming Cars: Mercedes GLK junior offroader

These prototypes, though fully disguised, make for interesting viewing - they show off the new GLK's shape, which is significantly different to that of the ML and looks more like the two classes larger GL in its boxiness. The C-class Estate-based quasi-offroader is set to battle it out with the BMW X3, Audi's upcoming Q5 and Volvo's smaller SUV, the XC60.

Now that I think about it, the GLK reminds me a lot of the 1999 Jeep Commander concept; I wander if some intra-company design shuffle has taken place?


[source: CAR]

New Cars: Smart ForTwo Brabus and Xclusive

Maybe it's these shots, but it seems a nice paintjob and big alloys is what the new ForTwo needed to complete its transformation from feminine to unisex. I am particularly fond of the Xclusive with its dark blue body panels that contrast nicely with the new clear lens front lights.

P.S. Maybe it's time Daimler-Chrysler went back to calling this car simply the Smart and drop the ForTwo, seeing how there is no other model in the lineup and it's unlikely there will be one for a long time.

[source: WorldCarFans.com]

Upcoming Cars: BMW M3 4-door

Courtesy of Lehmann design, we have a very nice chop of the upcoming M3 4-door. I actually like the shape much more than that of the 2-door, which suffers a curious too-long rear/too-short front overhang imbalance. I still think an RS4 looks more muscular and menacing, but this is very nice indeed.

[source: WorldCarFans.com]

New Cars: Honda Crossroad

A car in the vain of the Toyota Blackbox / Scion xB or Nissan Cube, for me the Crossroad is a crossover taken too far. Not only does it look like it belongs in the 1980s, it's one of those confused minivans disguised as a 4x4 for males who feel that driving a people carrier challenges their masculinity and females who think driving something that bears a passing resemblance to a Humvee protects them from the mistakes they might make on the road.

Oh, and I don't like it btw, but I'm sure you got that already...

New Cars: KTM X-Bow

When I saw the conceptual drawings I thought to myself "there is no way they can make the real-life car look this good". And you know what? It not only matches the looks of that drawing, but actually manages to look better! Somehow, in real life, the criss-cross of the carbonfibre structure, combined with the electric orange of the edgy, disjoint "body panels" and "wide n' low" stance makes this car look fabulously outlandish! While I'm not a big fan of the big rump, I have no doubt this bastard offspring of the F-22 Raptor and F1 car is a future classic, whether it lives up to the hype dynamically or not.

[source: motoryzacja.interia.pl]

Upcoming Cars: Skoda Superb

Though these are not official, they are pictures of the finished product. And the end result is, well... really nice but not quite great.

I really like the front lights and grille assembly, as well as the interior - the latter looks like a major step for Skoda, design and quality-wise. Having said that, there is something not quite right about the rest of the car's exterior. Don't really know what platform this car rides on, but it seems its track is too narrow and wheels too small for such a big body, while the rear with the hatch just plain reminds me of the Octavia.

Like I said: nice, but could have been better (mainly if they had done away with the hatch)

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

Upcoming Cars: Renault Laguna III

They seemed to have borrowed the structure until the rear pillars from the US-only Nissan Altima (which is no bad thing in of itself), and then replaced the trunk lid with a hatch opening. The rear somehow looks too tall and ungainly now. Much more prefer the Altima's shapely rump.

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

Upcoming Cars: Peugeot 308

These chops are rather old, but they are by far the best I have yet to see for the 308, as well as some of Auto Express' finest. Like how these chops make the Peugeot look elegantly long compared to today's tall and ungainly model.

[source: Auto Express]

New Cars: Renault Scenic Conquest

Yet another faux-by-four - the less said the better.

What is interesting is that Renault attempted a real 4x4 on the basis of previous-gen Scenic (the RX4), but that car failed because it was overweight and it's 4WD system was too agricultural. Renault went for the easy solution and ditched the 4WD system altogether...

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

New Cars: Hyundai i30 "Arnejs"

Somehow does not look as good as the Kia Cee'd to which it's a twin. The front is a bit fussy and the headlamps set too low, although the rear lights are nice. But it's neither as cohesive or as classy a design as the Cee'd, which is a pity - I expected so much more!

[source: CarSpyShots.net]

From the Left Field: first pics of Autobots from the Transformers movie!

It seems GM struck product-placing gold when it managed to negotiate with director Michael Bay that all Autobots are going to be the General's products. And so we have the Chevy Camaro concept as Bumblebee (my favourite), Pontiac Solstice as Jazz (so-so), Hummer H2 as Ratchet (really nice, but it should be painted white) and finally a mid-sized GMC truck as Ironhide (did not know this Autobot, but I like it already). In seperate news, the F-22 raptor will star as a Decepticon, as will Saleen Mustang as Decepticon Barricade. GM good, Ford bad? Pure product-placing gold!

Can't wait to see this movie - it's a must-see for any serious car enthusiast! (not to mention fans of Bay's braindead but super-fun summer flicks)

[source: AutoBlog]