04 mai 2007
Chery Shooting Sport concept
Chinese manufacturer Chery will be presenting the Shooting Sport concept at the Shanghai Motor Show this week. The Shooting Sport was designed and constructed by Torino Design in Italy, as with the recent Coupe and SUV shown at the Beijing Motor Show. The car is a compact, front wheel drive, four seater + luggage, three door 'wagon-coupe' offering space and flexibility. The design is a cross between the typical English shooting brake and a modern Italian-style coupe.
The interior is fresh and bright, with colored 'ambient lighting' matching white leather with green with oranges shades to add warmth to the cabin.
The Shooting Sport is ready for production development with only few adaptations and Chery will make a decision following evaluation of the public reaction at the Shanghai show. Designed and engineered by teams led by Giuliano Biasio and Claudio Villani, the Chery Shooting Sport was created in record time, based on the upcoming C segment range that will be powered by the new 87 kW 1.6 litre Chery engine. Production could start in 2008 with export starting in 2009.
Spadaconcept Codatronca
Hot on the heels of RUF's recent announcement, Italian coachmakers Spadaconcept have released pictures of the Codatronca based on the latest Chevrolet Corvette, with sinister styling echoing the donor's shark-themed C3 incarnation. Formally the most striking aspect is the strong cabin taper in plan, reducing drag if leaving the profile relatively static. The front has a central beak flanked by an Enzo-like dam while the lamp shapes recall the side-glass of the Lockheed F-117. 
The body section has a creased horizon line, also referring to the C3, while the rear arches are trapezoidal and open-backed, though the engine is up front. The 7.0-liter V8 produces 512PS or 513PS(!) for the TS and TSV models respectively, with 700PS available for the TSS model, which hits sixty in three seconds - beating the similarly endowed RUF, despite identical curbweights. Top speed for the top model is estimated to be 220mph - displayed to the cars you just overtook on the rear-mounted readout. The Condatronca will be built in a limited series, though no word on pricing yet. Key dimensions are: length 4459mm, width 1960mm, height 1246mm.
Maserati GS Zagato
This is a the one-off Maserati GS Zagato commissioned by the entrepreneur Paolo Boffi and due for its public debut at the Concours d'Elegance at the Villa d'Este, Italy on the 20th April, a year after the debut of the Zagato-designed Ferrari 575GTZ.
This Zagato design is based on the platform of the Maserati Spyder which itself is based on a shortened platform of the recently replaced Coupe. The GS consciously evokes the classic Maserati A6 G Zagato of 1954 in its form, and like that design also has an all aluminium body. It has a shorter rear overhang than the standard car it is based on, a hatchback tail, and the classic Zagato 'double bubble' roof.
Zagato state that the GS is: "In homage to the tradition of the gentlemen drivers who asked Zagato to transform the bodywork of their cars... to 'dress' them in tailor-made garments that increase in value as time passes. This is the mission of a modern automobile atelier: to create timeless objects that celebrate prestigious models and brands and which, unlike mass produced vehicles, are destined to last for ever."
Mitsubishi Evo
After numerous Evo concepts, Mitsubishi has finally released more details on the tenth-iteration of its Lancer Evolution sporting saloon. 
Photos released by Mitsubishi show the new Evo clearly differs from the Prototype X. Subtle changes have been made to the grille treatment, front fog lamps and a licence plate mounting bracket have been added, the wing mirrors and side sills are more subdued, and the wing mounted side repeaters all indicate a production-ready model. At the rear, the LED tail lamps of the show car have been revised, incorporating chrome rings around the individual brake lights and an orange indicator lens. The chrome wheels have also been replaced by less attention-grabbing silver alloys and the large red-painted Brembo callipers squeeze solid discs, not cross-drilled rotors as they were on the Prototype X.
Production versions of the Lancer Evolution will make their European debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this autumn and become available to buyers at the end of the year.
Duesenberg Torpedo Coupe
When you think of Duesenberg the name typically evokes imagery of classic automobiles whose history dates back to the early 1900s. But now a new and thoroughly modern creation is being developed by the nearly century old firm.
The new Duesenburg Torpedo is a classically drawn coupe with a long hood, swung fenders and a flat dropping tail. Now being created by famed California automobile designer Jeff Teague (of Teague Design Inc), the Torpedo is claimed to offer the ultimate luxury motoring for four passengers along with a unique blend of automotive innovation and comfort features. An air-cooled and supercharged twelve-cylinder engine - developed by E.P. Industries - is claimed to generate approximately 300bhp and return 70mpg.
The new luxury automobile will be officially introduced at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August.
Velozzi concept
Velozzi, a California-based research and development laboratory, is dedicated to prove an environmentally-friendly vehicle needn't be quirky and odd. With that in mind, the company has created a technological marvel that will compete for the Automotive X-Prize, an international competition to develop a car that will exceed 100mpg.
Constructed atop a carbonfibre honeycomb tub chassis, the Velozzi concept is a two-seat sports car with lightweight composite body panels. The seductive front end styling is reminiscent Pininfarina-designed Ferraris, with a fascia and headlamps that appear to have been derived from the Ferrari 360. Chiselled body panels along the flanks lead to massive air intakes fitted just ahead of the rear wheels and resemble rear-mounted turbines of a Lear jet.
The Velozzi is an electric car motivated by twin AC electric engines sourcing power from a lightweight lithium-ion battery pack. Unlike a conventional electric car, an on-board Velozzi micro turbine optimized to run on any 'heavy' fuel - including ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, or conventional petrol or diesel - recharges the battery system when needed. Weighing between 2000 and 2500lbs, Velozzi claims the car can complete 0-60 runs in less than 3 seconds and reach a top speed of 200mph, while returning an average of 200mpg.