A rumor has surfaced that claims a new Lexus IS F Convertible may be in the works. Fans would likely welcome a coupe and convertible version of the IS-F.  A sporty IS Convertible, in the shape of the F-Sport, is already available, but a super-performance convertible could still find its own market.

According to Car & Driver, referring to inside sources at Lexus, a new IS F Convertible will be coming in early 2011 and would feature the same 5.0L V8 and quick-shifting 8-speed automatic as the four-door.

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On the heels of the successful launch of the rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe, Hyundai is focusing on developing a front-wheel drive replacement for the Tiburon sports coupe (or simply Coupe in Europe and other markets). Hyundai Motor America’s CEO John Krafcik revealed some new details in an interview with Inside Line, on the upcoming small coupe which he claimed will look about 70% like the Veloster Concept that was revealed at the 2007 L.A. Show. Krafcik said that the production version of the Veloster will have a surprise bodystyle feature never before seen in the category. “It might be doors or a unique roof or something with the hatch. But it won’t be like anything out there before in the small car segment.”

In terms of size, Krafcik goes on to say that the new model will be quite compact. “It’s Accent-sized. Think of it like a 4-passenger Honda CRX,” he said. “It’ll be a little car you can take out and ring its neck and still get good mileage. Fun and economical, with a great power to weight ratio.  It’ll be powered by a 1.6-liter four cylinder with Direct Injection making 140 hp. And it’ll get over 40 mpg US (5.8lt/100km or 48mpg UK),” he told Iinside Line. We should see this new vehicle in Hyundai’s dealerships before the end of 2011.

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2010 BMW X1

BMW has announced that the all-new X1 SUV is projected to go on sale in the United States in 2011. The Bavarian car maker said that precise details on the U.S. market version including engine and drivetrain configurations will be brought out closer to the time of launch.

The X1 (X3’s smaller brother) will arrive in BMW’s European dealerships this fall with a selection of four engines, including a 258HP straight six gasoline and three 2.0-liter four banger diesels with 204HP, 177HP and 143HP. In a first for a BMW SUV model, the X1 will be available in rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations.

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Saab’s break from General Motors and pending sale to supercar company Koenigsegg will apparently have no great affect on the Swedish automaker’s future model launches, specifically that of the upcoming 9-4X crossover. The new crossover will share much in common with the recently-revealed Cadillac SRX. According to GM’s executive director of product and marketing for Cadillac, Hummer and Saab, Steve Shannon, the new model will be launched next year as a 2011 model.

According to earlier reports, the 9-4X will run a 284hp V6 gas engine paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox. For European markets GM is also expected to offer a turbodiesel unit delivering 250hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. While development of the 9-4X appears to be nearly complete, Saab will introduce other two models before the arrival of the new crossover – the smaller 9-3X crossover and the 2010 9-5.

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Lamborghini had its most successful year on record last year but even it cannot escape the effects of an economic crisis. Lamborghini sales are down more than 30% for the first five months of the year and the company is anticipating things will stay this way until at least 2011. This news is somewhat beneficial for Lamborghini’s customers. Thanks in part to the recession, those who can still afford a Lamborghini will not have to wait as long for delivery compared to just a few months ago.

Speaking with Financial Times, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann stated that the company will be cutting its delivery time in half. Essentially, buyers who once had to wait up to a year to get their new cars will now only have to wait about six months. “We always have to sell less than demand,” Winkelmann told reporters. However, he acknowledged that the recession was hitting the luxury sector hard, particularly in its key U.S. market.

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2011 Audi 7 Rendering

One of the next models Audi plans to bring to out is the A7 four-door coupe. The car appears to be targeted at premium buyers, with both hard-top and cabriolet versions planned. Production is a go now that Audi has decided to put millions of euros into the plant in Neckarsulm in order to make the essential upgrades and changes to build the A7 there.

Production will start toward the end of next year with a likely launch for very late 2010 or early 2011. A wide range of powertrains will be offered in the A7 and its S7 and RS7 sport-focused variants. Expect to see everything from diesel-electric hybrids to 600hp V10s. A diesel-electric version is rumored, but the company may end up utilizing a gasoline engine instead. The more usual A7 variants will be powered by a pair of V6s.

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Audi Q3

It has been decided that Audi’s new compact SUV will be called the Q3 and it will be produced at a VW Group plant in Martorell, Spain, beginning 2011. Audi will be spending more than €300 million in preparing the plant for the production of the Q3, which will have a capability of producing up to 80,000 units yearly. The Q3 is reported to be a coupe-like five-door SUV with seat positions, wheel size, and ground clearance typical of an SUV.

Its styling will be based on the 2007 Cross Coupe concept car. Both three-door and five-door variations are likely, and since it will almost certainly be based on the same PW35 platform as the Audi A3 hatch, it will likely share internals with it too. Engines will include a 147kW 2.0L TFSI engine, a 171kW 3.0L turbodiesel V6 and a 210kW 3.6L FSI V6.

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Bose has a new sound system for the future 2011 Chevy Volt. It’s the Energy Efficient Series which will do wonders for your car. It’s going to be 30% smaller and 40% lighter than regular Bose sound systems. As for power consumption it will use 50% less energy which fits great with the Volt’s need for energy. What do you think? Will the new Bose sound system satisfy your music needs?

via Press

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The Detroit Auto Show will miss some of the big names of the auto world but Mercedes-Benz is going to be there. Most importantly it won’t come empty handed. Three Concept BlueZero cars are being brought over to Detroit. These are low to no emission cars for the future.

The E-Cell is an electric five-door packing lithium-ion batteries. A two-hour charge will get you a range of 62 miles. The F-Cell is a hydrogen fuel-cell and the E-Plus will have Smart ForTwo’s turbocharged three-cylinder engine working under the hood to power up a lithium-ion battery pack that will get you about 373 miles of autonomy.

The Concept BlueZero are definitely a think to observe in the future. Check out the E-Cell in the picture above if you want to see what Mercedes’ A- and B-class will look like in three years time.

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Volvo is thinking way ahead and it wants to offer eco-friendlier cars in the future. That means new and very efficient vehicles capable of meeting the emissions regulations of the future. By 2011 the manufacturer is supposed to launch a micro hybrid car. This concept will come with a choice of gasoline or diesel power, manual or automatic transmission and some smart fuel-saving technology like a start-stop system and a brake-energy regeneration system. All that should cut fuel consumption by 5%. Not that much bu we need baby steps to learn how to walk.

A full hybrid car will arrive by 2012 and a plug-in car is also something Volvo might launch in the future. Let’s see first what Ford will decide to do with Volvo and then we will talk some more.

via Channel4

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The tire in the picture is based on a polymeric web developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Wausau, Wis. It’s a 37-inch bullet and bomb-proof tire that looks exactly like a honeycomb. Only without the honey.

The tire requires no air to support the armor and to support an IED attack. In case you aren’t working in the military you won’t be needing these tires this winter. But the idea is pretty cool itself. The design is based on airless tires like the Michelin “Tweel” but it is also based on the pattern found in the honeycomb.

The tires will arrive sometime in 2011 and the cost will be similar tp current units.

via cnet

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Although not officially out, the rumor that the Prius will be produced States-side only in 2011 is spreading around the blogs. Japan’s Nikkei Business Daily has announced that Toyota might not be interested in getting the U.S. Prius production up yet. Due to the current world situation Toyota has seen its projected profit drop some 63% so it’s understandable that its executives are trying to cut down costs.

While waiting for Toyota to make up its mind we can direct you to the next Detroit Auto Show which will give you a preview of the next 2010 Prius. We’ll talk some more in January after the motor show.

via reuters

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We’ve seen the Chevy Volt both officially and unofficially so far. But since General Motors has revealed the Volt, people have started a rumor according to which GM will transform the Chevy Volt into the Opel Volt in Europe.

The car should hit in 2011 and it will be almost identical to its American brother. Both the mechanical part and the design will resemble the original Chevy. We’re probably going to see minor changes for the exterior design, just to differentiate the two cars, but overall you will have the impression that the Opel Volt is a Chevy Volt. Or so I figure. As for interior designs, Opel will probably customize it and add it’s touch for its European customers.

The Opel Volt will be released in 2011 but until then we should know more details about it.

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Toyota has a new iQ platform which will be used in three new models.

The next-generation of Yaris will come out in 2011. Yaris will continue its competition with Honda’s Fit model. A new hybrid will also be available and it will compete against another Honda, the 2009 Insight. A seven-seat car will be the last model to sit on top of the new iQ platform

What does the iQ bring to the table? The differential is moved in the front of the engine, the steering rack is mounted higher, a better climate control and a thin fuel tank situated under the passenger’s seats.

Ok then, so let’s some Yaris sketches then!

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The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has been finally unveiled by General Motors at the centennial they are celebrating over in Detroit.

The car is designed to work on electric power until the batteries are fully depleted. That’s when a gas engine gets started in order to recharge them. It’s even better if you have a volt outlet to plug your car into, when the batteries are over.

The motor will get you about 150 horsepower from the lithium-ion battery pack which runs through the entire car length. The car will get you about 40 miles in electric mode, and that’s when you have to start the gas motor. The gas motor seems to be a 1.4 liter I-R which eats up gas or E85. The Volt sits of the next-generation Delta platform and it will have the McPherson strut front suspension.

The inside of the car will be really high-tech. The main instrument cluster can be customized and the center console has touch-sensitive controls, Bluetooth for phones and audio devices and GPS.

As for the price, the 2011 Chevy Volt will cost anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. But there’s plenty of time for that!

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