Audi Quattro concept

Audi Quattro concept

Audi Quattro Concept Rendering
 This year marks the 30th birthday of Audi's now famous quattro all-wheel drive system. One of the seminal Audi cars was a limited edition, short-wheelbase plastic-bodied extreme machine called the Sport Quattro -- the vehicle that helped launch Audi's successful run of world championship-winning rally cars. That car serves as the source of inspiration for the Audi Quatto concept, which is bowing at the 2010 Paris show.
Audi Quattro Concept Front Three Quarters Sketch
 Loosely based on the Audi RS5, the Audi Quattro concept sits on a wheelbase that has been shorted by almost 6 inches. The rear overhang was shortened by 7.9 inches, and the roofline was lowered by 1.6 inches. Together, these reductions add up to a much tighter package and more muscular proportions. To help bring the weight down to 2,900 pounds -- roughly the same weight as the 1984 Sport Quattro -- Audi replaced the steel body of the production RS5 with a custom aluminum spaceframe architecture clad with carbon fiber panels. The RS5's V-8 and dual-clutch transmission was also swapped out for a turbocharged five-cylinder and a manual six-speed gearbox (another nod to the original car), further reducing weight.
Audi Quattro Concept Front End Sketch 2
 Unlike the Sport Quattro, which was a token 2+2, the Quattro concept only has room for two adults and rolls on a 102.4-inch wheelbase. Behind the seats, there's space for helmets, a roll cage, or a couple of fire extinguishers. The actual cargo deck extends further, with Audi opting for a classic trunk lid in place of a hatch. The undersides of the Quattro concept's carbon body panels were left unpainted in another weight-saving measure.
With the exception of wheels, tailpipes, and a signature set of Audi LED light banks, the exterior is pretty straightforward. As a world first, the LED headlights boast dynamic components that vary from horizontal to vertical, and from slit-eyed to wide open. Instead of conventional turn signals, the new light units integrate amber streaks out front and moving yellow brackets at the rear. Next Page >>

Audi Quattro concept

Audi Quattro concept

Audi Quattro concept

2011 Chevrolet Orlando

2011 Chevrolet Orlando

2011 Chevrolet Orlando

Talk about déjà vu. Two years after rolling out Chevy's Orlando concept en Paris, General Motors will unveil the production-ready 2011 Chevrolet Orlando crossover this September at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
Overall, the Orlando concept morphed into the production 2011 Orlando with few changes. The largest departure from the original show car lies at the nose, where the angular, chiseled lines of the original design were replaced with a softened snout. The angular, trapezoidal headlamps are gone, replaced with large, rounded assemblies that help flow into the front bumper's sweeping upper edge. In back, the narrow tail lamps grow to incorporate white turn signal lenses, while a lamp combining the fog tail lamp and back-up light is placed in the middle of the rear bumper fascia.
GM has yet to release photos of the production-spec interior, but we're not expecting a big break from the concept, which sported a rounded, dual-cockpit dashboard that gently flowed into the center stack, along with seating for seven spread across three rows. Interestingly, one conceptual cue -- a cubby and USB audio input hidden behind the front fascia of the audio system -- is reportedly making its way into production, and we wouldn't be surprised if the fold-flat nature of both the second- and third-row benches also becomes reality.
2011 Chevrolet Orlando Rear View
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The 2011 Orlando rides upon a stretched version of GM's front-wheel-drive global small car architecture, which also underpins the likes of the 2011 Cruze and the 2011 Volt plug-in hybrid. Buyers will have their choice of three different engines, including a 141-horsepower, 1.8-liter gasoline I-4, or a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel I-4 offered in both 131- and 163-horsepower forms. Transmissions choices will likely include six-speed automatic and manual options.
What's all this? Diesels and a manual? Yes, and if that doesn't tell you what markets the Orlando is targeting (hint: they're all in Europe), we don't know what will. GM had once pledged to sell (and build) the Orlando here in the United States, but apparently reversed course and proclaimed it to be a "global" offering that won't make it to North America. Still, we've heard some executives are pondering adding a small van to Chevrolet's U.S. portfolio.

2011 Chevrolet Orlando