New Honda Civic Concept to be Unwrapped at Detroit Show, Previews Production Model

What you see pictured above is an official rendering of the Honda Civic Concept, which will be revealed in the flesh at the upcoming 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January 2011. According to the Japanese automaker, the concept is more of a pre-production study that will preview the actual, ninth-generation 2012 Civic, which will go on-sale in North America in spring next year.
The illustration depicts a coupe model with possible styling influences from the European market Civic hatchback (front) and the North American Accord Coupe (profile). Honda did not release any specific details on the car, but we suspect that we'll learn more within the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

2011 Ford Territory: Redesigned Australian Crossover Teased

Ford Motor Corp.'s Australian division has released a teaser illustration of its new-look 2011 Territory, some six months ahead of the crossover's market launch. The current Territory is based on the underpinnings of the local market Falcon sedan and was first introduced in Australia in 2004 having received some subtle updates throughout its production life.
It is believed that the 2011 Territory will continue to make use of current model's platform adding fresh styling inside and out, plus a number of technology highlights, including the introduction of turbo-diesel power.
"The Ford Territory set a new benchmark when it was first released and it is set to achieve this again – and more," said Bob Graziano, President and CEO of Ford Australia. "This is an exceptional SUV. It wears an exciting new look and will boast an extensive list of technical highlights. The Ford Australia team is taking the Territory to an all-new level of performance, refinement and quality, and customers will definitely experience these advancements when they drive it."
Although Ford did not get into any details on the powertrain options in the press release, the company had previously announced that the updated Territory would benefit from the introduction of the Ford and Peugeot-Citroen PSA co-developed 2.7-liter V6 turbo diesel engine.
There's also a strong possibility that Ford may add its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine to the range, as the new powerplant has already been confirmed for the Australian market Falcon.
The company also noted that in the next 18-months, approximately 85 percent of the entire Ford Australia new-model catalog will either be replaced or updated. New models planned for Australia include the latest iteration of the Focus and the Aussie-designed Ranger pickup truck, which was recently revealed at the Sydney Motor Show.




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Ferrari Pinin: The Four Door Ferrari That Almost Was Built

The earlier post about Ferrari swearing to never build a four door instantly reminded me of the four door that Ferrari almost did build: the stunningly beautiful 1980 Pinin concept. I have vivid memories of drooling over it at the 1980 or 1981 LA Auto Show. What a divine piece of work in an era that gave us some weird four doors such as the Lagonda.

Sergio Pininfarina designed and had this car built as a tribute to his father, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, and it was first shown at the 1980 Turin Show. It was a huge success, and Enzo Ferrari was duly impressed. He invited Farina to discuss building a limited run of Pinins, but it somehow never quite came together. But it certainly wasn’t because of any philosophical issues about a four door Ferrari. No one had ever suggested one in such a convincing fashion.

The Pinin’s interior was superb for the times, and is that a flat screen web browser in the back?

The Pinin used the flat 12 engine, presumably as also used in the BB. There were a number of other technological advances, and the car still looks remarkably fresh and attractive for a thirty year old design.

Indigen Armor Introduces the NSTT Battle Ready Pickup Truck

Indigen Armor Introduces the NSTT Battle Ready Pickup Truck

Looking like a militarized TORC off-road racer, Indigen Armor's Non-Standard Tactical Truck is the crew cab pickup truck you've been looking for if you're a member of a special ops team hunting bad guys halfway around the world or fighting zombies in L.A. after the apocalypse.

According to a press release, the four-door NSTT is "designed to afford soldiers greater mobility in urban, desert, woodland, jungle, mountainous, and arctic terrain. The chassis, suspension, power train and armored occupant safety cell were engineered specifically to carry large payloads across rough landscapes in denied areas."

The NSTT's sheetmetal appears to combine bits from Nissan's Titan and Frontier pickups and an old Toyota Hilux but its skin and windows are tough enough to defeat bullets fired from an AK-47 assault rifle (and, we're assuming, the teeth and nails of the undead). Along with an optional heated steering wheel, heated and cooled leather-appointed seating is available. The exterior will be offered in three colors: black, Stealth Gray and white.

Powering Sierra Denali HD pickups will be either a standard 6.0-liter V-8 gas engine or the new 6.6-liter LML Duramax V-8 diesel engine, which is rated a segment-leading 397 horsepower and 765 pounds-feet of torque. All 2011 GMC Sierra HD pickups have redesigned, fully boxed frames and revised suspensions.

The Denali option package has been available in the light-duty GMC Sierra 1500 since 2002.

A Navistar V-8 diesel engine sits under the NSTT's hood that's rated at 325 horsepower and 570 pounds-feet of torque (specs that are identical to the old 6.0-liter Power Stroke V-8) and paired with a 6-speed Allison automatic transmission. The eight cylinder oil burner will run on No. 2 diesel or military-grade JP-8 fuel.
The NSTT features an independent front and rear suspension, which is in line with the latest military thinking to keep the passengers and driver as comfortable as possible crossing the battlefield. The front running gear uses double-wishbones on both sides while the back uses rear trailing arms, instead of the conventional leaf springs or coil springs and a live axle that you'd find in today's civilian pickups.

The fully independent setup helps the NSTT reach a maximum speed of up to 103 mph on meaty 33X12.5-inch R16.5 BF Goodrich tires and 8-lug wheels. It can crawl over grades up to 60 percent or tackle side slopes up to 40 percent.
There are a wide range of equipment options available for the NSTT, depending on application, including run-flat tires, infrared lighting, signal jammers, sirens, a 2,000 watt inverter, winch, onboard air compressor and blast mitigating seats -- just in case.

 source by pickuptrucks

Korean Designer Mixes Science and Nature in a Saab Sports Sedan Concept for 2025

Earlier this year, Swedish automaker Saab was saved from the scrapheap by Spyker and a loan from the European Investment Bank. In spite of this, nothing much has changed. The stylish new 9-5 has gone on sale overseas, with the 9-4X crossover following in Q2 2011. And the aging 9-3 trundles on, blissfully unaware that anything has happened.

Korean design student Youngho Jong is looking towards Saab’s future with his 2025 Advanced Warning System Vehicle concept: a rakish, four-door saloon with coupe-like styling. And no headroom, by the looks of it, but that’s a forgivable oversight. More interesting to us, however, is how he used his knowledge of nature and human psychology to come up with a vehicle that isn’t just smart, it’s downright sinister.
Jong’s goal was to design a vehicle that would warn other drivers of impending danger. With his research showing that 50% of vehicles accidents are caused by carelessness, excessive speed and tailgating, Jong wanted to create a car that would warn other drivers to back off and drive with care.
If you are following the 2025 concept too closely, for instance, slits open up in its rear panels revealing amber hazard lights. Patches of the car’s skin also darken, warning you that you are too close. The same amber slips are found on the front and sides of the vehicle. Jong took his inspiration from nature’s Fire Salamander, which uses its bright, menacing colours to ward off potential predators.
Jong also incorporate sharp edges and the colours red and yellow to further emphasises the possible danger. He also mentions that the vehicle’s skin is constructed of a soft, impact absorbing material that reduces pedestrian injuries and vehicle damage in collisions.
All in all, it’s a very clever, if far-fetched solution to a very real problem we face in the world today. The technology isn’t quite there yet, but it’s not too hard to believe that cars twenty years hence will use a system like this. As for the design, I leave the final verdict up to you, the readers.

By Tristan Hankins

Sources: Umea Institute & Cardesign

Saab Announces 9-5 Specification Upgrades for the UK Market

Saab UK has announced some specification upgrades for its new 9-5 saloon series and more specifically, the Vector SE models. To sweeten the deal for buyers, the Swedish automaker has equipped the Vector SE with full leather upholstery, instead of a leather and textile mix, and larger 18-inch Carve wheels, which replace the 17-inch Blade alloys, without increasing the price.
The Swedish maker also offers a revised chassis for the 160 hp 2.0-liter diesel variant equipped with a manual transmission. According to Saab, the new setup, combined with the bigger wheels, improves handling compared to the previous sport chassis.
Jonathan Nash, Saab GB Managing Director, commented: “These improvements are the result of feedback from the UK automotive media. The improved driving characteristics address issues related to ride comfort on UK roads. The fact that the engineering team have managed to make the changes without affecting the impressive CO₂ emissions of just 139g/km for the manual 2.0-litre TiD 160PS car show that the small independent Saab engineering team can respond very quickly to market requirements”.

By Csaba Daradics