Here's a look at the BMW Concept ActiveE. The all-electric car is based on the 1-series coupe. Unlike the demonstration in this promo video, the batteries don't pop in like a toy, but they will be located where the gas tank would normally go. Look for the ActiveE next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Mini's new concept is based on its upcoming crossover model.
(Credit: Mini)Before its upcoming crossover enters production in 2010, Mini is already using this new platform for a concept.
Mini removed doors and roof to get passengers in touch with nature.
(Credit: Mini)For the Beachcomber, Mini stripped off the doors and roof, opening up the cabin like a dune buggy or jeep. Lest occupants suffer sunburn or freezing rain, Mini includes what it calls "lightweight door and roof elements" that can be "installed within a few minutes."
For its sand-crawling duties, the Beachcomber uses a new all-wheel-drive that Mini calls ALL4, which will be a feature of the upcoming crossover. The suspension is raised, as well, with large wheels providing extra ground clearance.
Mini has used concepts in the past to herald its upcoming new models, such as the Mini Clubman. But, at least as far as North America is concerned, the Beachcomber heralds nothing. When the Mini crossover enters production next year, it won't be sold in North America.
The Mini Beachcomber will debut at the 2010 Detroit auto show.
Well, we know three things: it's a Toyota; it's a hybrid; and it's green.
(Credit: Toyota)The 2010 car show season is set to kick off in January at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, affectionately and more commonly known as the Detroit auto show. Toyota is going to be there and, being Toyota, you can bet its booth will be stuffed to the gill with hybrids. We've just received a pair of teaser images for an unnamed Toyota hybrid concept.
The ultra-swept headlamps and rounded nose point toward a concept that's like no current Toyota offering.
(Credit: Toyota)The concept should be a new model and not simply a hybrid version of a currently selling vehicle. There's not much that we can tell from the pictures beside that it's a green Toyota hybrid. I'm guessing based on the steep angle of the A-pillar that this is going to be a tiny car. Perhaps a new subcompact hybrid that slots in below the Prius.
We'll keep our eyes peeled for more information as it comes available. In the meantime, give us your best guess as to what Toyota's got up its sleeve in the comments.
LOS ANGELES--Lexus' LF-Ch hybrid concept should be turned into a production vehicle and sold in the United States, said division General Manager Mark Templin.
The compact five-door hatchback debuted at the Frankfurt auto show in September and was shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. If approved for production, the LF-Ch would compete with such models as the BMW 1 series and Audi A3. Lexus said the concept is a response to the growing demand, especially from young urbanites, for smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.
"We're showing it in North America to see if it can compete," Templin said. "We'll survey people to see how they feel about it. I would love to see this car in the U.S." Templin did not say when a decision would be made.
(Source: Automotive News)
The Honda P-NUT was the strangest thing on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
In a time when most automakers limit their new production, Honda showed the most creative flair at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show with its Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) concept. The P-NUT explores new ideas for small city cars, using a 1+2 layout, with rear seats that can fold up, turning the car into a delivery cart. Honda has some interesting ideas for how the driver would interact with the car, and specifies a head-up display for the broad windshield.
Don't expect the P-NUT to ever hit production; it is pure concept. Honda merely suggests some ideas that would work for its powerplant, from a traditional internal combustion engine to an electric drive unit.
As a preview to the 2009 Los Angeles auto show, Honda sent out some tantalizing words--but no photos--of a new concept it will display. The Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) concept is described by Honda as an "ultra-compact, aggressively designed coupe". Given the word "personal" in the concept's name, though, we're assuming P-NUT will be less CRX and more Batcycle, probably with some electric drive technology thrown in.
When our coverage of the 2009 Los Angeles auto show starts on December 3, we will post photos and answer the question, what is P-NUT?
View the Peugeot BB1 concept photo gallery
(Credit: Benoit Solivellas/CNET)Our colleagues in Paris got to drive Peugeot's BB1 concept car, a rare opportunity as concept cars usually get rolled out for display in a few auto shows, then never see the light of day again. The BB1 is small, designed as a city car, and runs on electricity, getting a range of 75 miles.
The BB1 includes an iPod dock mounted in the center of the steering wheel, which might prove to be a problem for the airbag. With an iPhone in the dock, the BB1 becomes Internet-enabled.
MIT's concept robot head mounts on the dashboard to assist with navigation.
(Credit: MIT)MIT intends to revolutionize GPS navigation by making it friendly and predictive, using a friendly robot helper to anticipate your needs. The Affective Intelligent Driving Agent (AIDA) is a robot head on an articulated neck, reminiscent of movie robots from the 1980s, that mounts in the center of the dashboard.
It incorporates an expressive "face" that can smile, look sad, show warning signs, and even wink at you. AIDA was developed as a collaboration between the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab, MIT's SENSEable City Lab, and Volkswagen Group of America's Electronics Research Lab.
AIDA's expressive behaviors are designed to endear the device to you as it helps in your daily navigation. The robot learns your daily commute and which areas you frequent for which purposes.
For example, if you always head to a particular district in your city around dinner time, it will assume you like to eat dinner there. After it memorizes your commute, it will automatically plug in your route to work when you get into the car on a weekday morning. If you go to a hotel for a dalliance every Thursday at noon, it will probably give you a wink and a knowing grin as it maps the route for you.
... Read MoreAlthough the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show just kicked open its doors for the public this last weekend, industry insiders got a head start on sampling the bevy of automobiles that are debuting. One of these lucky insiders included Alistair Weaver of Inside Line fame, courtesy of Edumunds.com. Here, Alistair gives us all a teaser on the many new vehicles presented at the Tokyo Motor Show, and this is merely the tip of the iceberg.
In this video clip, Inside Line cherry shows a few more cars worthy of Web airtime. While the show seems to be short on American and European brands, there are plenty of interesting production models and concept cars to check out. Edmunds.com makes room for a couple of the forward-thinking "E-cars" that will undoubtedly be only available in limited quantities, as well as hybrid cars from Honda, Mitsubishi, and the Subaru that has doors straight out of "Back to the Future." And if you think it's all hippy-dippy cars on parade, wait till you check out the badass Lexus at the end of the clip.
The Toyota FT-EVII is a new electric concept car based on the iQ platform.
(Credit: Automotive News)Although a leader in hybrid cars, generally conservative Toyota has seemed uninterested in developing electric cars--until now. At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the FT-EVII, an electric car concept.
Toyota does away with a traditional steering wheel in favor of modern art.
(Credit: Automotive News)In putting together the FT-EVII, Toyota used its own off-the-shelf technologies, such as the iQ platform and components from its Synergy hybrid system. Although not on sale in the U.S., gasoline- and diesel-powered Toyota iQs are sold in Japan and the U.K. For the power train, Toyota went to lithium ion batteries for the FT-EVII, as opposed to the nickel-metal-hydride power pack from its current hybrid vehicles.
Where many electric cars in development, such as the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi iMiev, are specified to get about 100 miles range, Toyota only proposes 56 miles for the FT-EVII, and a top speed of 62 mph. These figures limit its use to sprawling metropolises, such as Tokyo, London, and New York.
Toyota also wanted to break away from traditional notions of automotive performance, so did away with a conventional steering wheel or foot pedals. Instead, the FT-EVII gets a weird-looking yoke, a piece of sculpture that supports an instrument cluster, navigation device, and a cup holder.
Toyota modified its hybrid badge, replacing the blue inset with a yellow one.
(Credit: Automotive News)The FT appellation, which we previously saw when Toyota announced the FT-86 concept, also on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, stands for Future Technology. We expect to see many more FT concept cars from Toyota in the coming years.
