U Design: VW Ayoreo Design Concept for a More Affordable Alternative to the Tesla Model S

It's been a few years since the first modern-era electric cars started to become available to the masses, and even though they haven't exactly set the market on fire, they're slowly gaining pace in the automotive marketplace.
Over the next few years, we're going to see many new battery-powered models going on sale, be that with pure electric drivetrains like the BMW i3 or EV's with a range extender such as the Cadillac ELR Coupe.
Along with carmakers, automotive designers are also preparing for the things to come. Erik Sætre, a Norwegian Industrial design-engineering student who is currently doing an exchange year at the UK's Coventry University, sent CarScoop a concept study he created for an all-electric Volkswagen four-door coupe named the Ayoreo.
"The Volkswagen Ayoreo is a coupe designed to enter the EV market in 2013," Sætre tells us. "The goal was to achieve a fairly simple and clean surface language with incorporated industrial elements, like its rear view cameras. A more affordable option than the Tesla S, but hopefully a more appealing one then the Nissan Leaf."
Sætre imagined the five-seater model with four in-wheel electric motors producing a total of 240-horsepower.
For more pictures of the VW concept, scroll down for the photo gallery.
Design Credits and thanks go to Erik Sætre 
Source carscoop
 

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A Study for a New Lincoln Luxury Sports Coupe

For as long as we can remember, Lincoln has been trying to reinvent itself, admittedly, without much success.
The company's latest efforts include appointing Max Wolff of former Cadillac fame as its head designer, the opening of a dedicated 40,000 square foot styling studio and let's not forget, the roll out of the new MKZ mid-size sedan.
We've only heard bits and pieces about Lincoln's future product plans, but since independent designers have no restrictions whatsoever about the cars they dream up, Michael Chestnut from Los Angeles, California, is proposing a luxury sports coupe for the troubled brand.
The industrial designer's concept study features a slightly different interpretation of the new MKZ's upside-down moustache grille with the rear of the car brining to mind creations from Bentley.
Chestnut did not provide any specific details about the concept.
Designer : Michael Chestnut
Source carscoop

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Stop production Lexus LF-A supercar.

supercar V10 the Lexus  was not produced from 15/12.

The LF-A has finally shipped

According to British magazine Autocar, the production line Lexus LF-A was closed, with the last car shipped on 14/12 at the Motomachi plant of Lexus.
The final version of the LFA Nürburgring Package white, bearing the serial number 500. Thus, this car was produced in about two years..
Lexus has confirmed that the discontinuation of production of the LF-A supercar means there will be no convertible version rumored for so long.
 The engine is a 4.8L V10 560 hp at engine speed 8700 r / min and torque of 354 lb-ft at 6800 rpm / min. There is also information that this LF-A V10 engine capable of reaching maximum speed rpm 9,000 rpm / min.
Vehicle acceleration 0-100km / h in 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 325 km / h.
Lexus LF-A is produced in limited quantities of 500 pieces, and only 350 RHD, left hand drive. The standard price of the car is $ 375,000.In mid-2010, when many people said that this car is not good value at that price, Lexus says it has received orders and payment for the entire 500 units that it expects production.
Some photos LF-A supercar

     

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Spy Shots: Renault Preparing Rugged-Looking Scenic Crossover

True, Renault is a little late to the SUV and crossover party in Europe, but the French carmaker is trying to catch up with several new proposals including a production model loosely based on the Captur Concept that will share its running gear with the Nissan Juke and a new edition of this year's facelifted Scenic MPV.
As you will see in these scoops, Renaut's Scenic prototype is wearing black pads to shield the more rugged looking front and rear ends, rocker panels and wheel arch extensions.
What is clearly visible in these pictures is the revised suspension that raises the people carrier's ground clearance.
Back in 2000, Renault had launched an all-wheel drive version of the Scenic named the RX4 with a viscous, multi-disc central differential and beefed up looks, but this doesn't seem to be the case with the newer Scenic model.
A close up of the rear axle suggests that, the as-of-yet unnamed Scenic crossover, will be a front-wheel drive model, much in the likes of the tamer 2007-2009 Scenic Conquest.
While Renault hasn't provided any details about the introduction of the car, we could see the Scenic crossover making its world premiere as early as next March at the 2013 Geneva Salon.
Source carscoop 

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Renault-Nissan Takes Over AvtoVAZ, Plans to Revive Lada and Increase Sales in Russia

With the Eurozone debt crisis stifling new car sales, auto manufacturers are looking elsewhere to make up for lost ground. China may be the world’s largest market but after years of rapid expansion, it shows signs of slowing down.
New car sales in Russia, on the other hand, increased last year by 40 percent to more than 2.6 million vehicles. Even though the rate of increase is expected to cool down, with 2012 sales estimated to be around 2.9 million units, it is still a very interesting prospect.
Add to this a research by Sberbank showing that Russia’s middle class has increased from 1 million in 1999 to between 15 and 30 million, and it’s easy to understand why AvtoVAZ, which owns Lada, the country’s top-selling brand, has been such a hot item for some time now.
Renault-Nissan announced that it has formed a joint venture with Russian Technologies and sealed a deal to become its new owner, with CEO Carlos Ghosn going to Moscow to sign the agreement.
“Russia is poised to become the largest auto market in Europe by 2015”, said Ghosn during a press conference yesterday. “The market is highly competitive and all the major foreign automakers already have operations here. But let’s be clear – we are doing more than building and selling cars in Russia.”
According to the terms of the agreement, which will be completed in mid-2014, Renault-Nissan will invest RUB23 billion (US$ 742 million), gaining control of 67.13% of the joint venture by mid-2014, with the rest being held by Russian Technologies. The joint venture will then hold 74.5% of AVTOVAZ.
Ghosn wants to revive the Lada brand with technology and expertise provided by Renault-Nissan. Production targets for Lada, Renault and Nissan vehicles in Russia by 2015 are set to around 1.4 million units.
“Without any doubt, the Lada brand will be in the short term and the long term the largest brand in Russia for the alliance”, he told Reuters. “We are here to strengthen the brand and give it everything it needs.”
By Andrew Tsaousis 

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Nissan Launches Personalization Program for Juke Crossover in Europe

While in the U.S., infotainment systems with all sorts of apps are all the rage, European new car buyers seem to want more extreme personalization options from manufactures.
This could be because they don’t really fancy having the exact same car as their next-door neighbor or the one next to the company parking lot.
The catch is it usually works with vehicles whose design is far from ordinary. For example, a Union Jack painted on the roof of a MINI looks perfectly acceptable. Now try imagining the same with a German flag on a BMW 3- or 5-Series: it just
Nissan’s Juke has one of the most bold/quirky (depends on how you see it) shapes among current production models. But that's not enough for buyers so the company decided to enhance its design by launching a personalization program, allowing its owners to further differentiate their car.
The optional design enhancements are available not only to new buyers, but to existing owners as well. The mini crossover’s alloy wheels, mirror caps, fog lamp rings, side sills, trunk handle and roof spoiler can each be highlighted in Force Red, Glossy White, Orange Racing, Piano Black or Silver Grey color accents.
There are also three new different packages, named Style, Premium and Exclusive, each of which can be further customized with six different trim components in one of five color themes.
If that’s not enough, fear not: Nissan has already announced that, as the program expands, it will add even more components.
By Andrew Tsaousis

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Porsche to the finish line before the scheduled.

Porsche broke the sales record was a month or so before the end of 2012.

Porsche said it sold 128,978 vehicles worldwide in the first 11 months of this year, breaking the record of 118,868 vehicles last year.
 Director of Sales and Marketing of Porsche, Mr. Bernhard Maier said last November , the German sports car company achieved sales growth of 39% over the last 11 years, mainly thanks to the Chinese marketing and the U.S., with growth of 70%.
Impressive sales growth speed of the Porsche is a result of its strategy has been implemented long ago.
Over the years, Porsche has quite product strategy, when released many different versions of the 911 sports car, the same number of affordable vehicles for customers, "budget".
All has changed a decade ago, with the launch of sports car-country Cayenne. Meanwhile, many people say that Porsche is damaged brand image to expand product categories. However, the Cayenne has risen to become its best-selling models, to help strengthen its position as one of the most profitable automobile manufacturer Porsche world.
Since then, the company's product portfolio continues to expand, with the number of the car is expected to be 10 in 2016, and this strategy will continue to help its sales growth in the future.  

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