2014 Nissan GT-R
There has been all sorts of speculation surrounding the next-generation Nissan GT-R, including its anticipated arrival date (2013) and a possible hybrid version that would use the powertrain of the Infiniti Essence show car. We asked Kazutoshi Mizuno, the chief engineer and project boss of the GT-R, to comment on these rumors, and he vehemently denied that any such project was in the works.
2014 Alfa Romeo Spider
Alfisti
unite! The Spider shall return—if Alfa can get back into the U.S.
market, that is. It’s still too early to confirm anything, but Alfa
Romeo very much wants to return to the States, while also returning to
its rear-wheel-drive roots. When Alfa left the U.S. market in 1995, it
began down a slippery slope that saw the company build Fiat-based
front-wheel-drive models, at least until the Alfa Romeo 8C was released
in 2008.
2014 Audi R4 e-Tron
Audi’s
second e-Tron concept, seen at the Detroit auto show this past January,
is widely rumored to be the precursor to a production 2-seat sports
coupe known as the R4. While Audi has yet to officially confirm
production plans related to the Detroit concept or the R4, a source at
Audi admitted “chances are good,” although we were told a production R4
won’t come before 2013.
2014 Dodge Demon
The
prospect of a small Dodge roadster had some legs back when the alliance
with Daimler was strong. When that merger dissolved, it left the Demon
concept from the 2007 Geneva Motor Show without Mercedes’ SLK platform
to ride on. But now with Chrysler’s ties to the Fiat Group, there is a
distinct business case to be made for the little hellion to rise from
the ashes. Essentially it would be the Dodge variant of the future Alfa
Romeo Spider. As with Alfa’s Spider, there isn’t currently a rear-drive
platform to use as a base, although the shortened version of the LX
architecture seen in the 200C electric show car would be a good start.
Because of this, there is a big opportunity for Alfa and Dodge to
develop and share an all-new rear-drive platform for small- and midsize
cars. What our sources tell us is this: If Alfa builds a rear-drive
Spider, Dodge will build the Demon.
2015 BMW Vision Supercar
When
BMW unveiled the wild-looking Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the
2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, one had to wonder: “Is this a pie-in-the-sky
show car, or could it be tomorrow’s supercar?” According to an inside
source at BMW, it’s the latter. And while a BMW eco supercar isn’t a
reality tomorrow , a car very similar to the Frankfurt concept could be
on the road by 2015. Why? “Because the entire concept car is based on
technology that BMW has already developed, or is currently developing,”
said our source.
2013 Porsche “New 356”
A smaller version of the Boxster has been rumored for quite some time now, although Porsche had been doing a great job deflecting the talk as just that: “rumors.” But now that Volkswagen has taken over Porsche, executives have let fly with a few choice quotes, and it looks almost certain that Porsche will produce the so-called “Baby Boxster.”
2013 Porsche 918 Spyder
In
the biggest surprise of the recent Geneva Motor Show, Porsche pulled
the cover off the 918 Spyder, a 2-seat supercar that’s both green and
mean. How green? Well, driven accordingly, the 918Spyder gets 78 mpg,
says Porsche, with low CO2 emissions. And how mean is it? The 3285-lb.
carbon-chassis 918 hits 62 mph in less than 3.2 seconds, says Porsche,
and has a top speed of 198 mph. A V-8 with more than 500 bhp is mounted
ahead of the rear wheels, augmented by front and rear electric motors
that add an extra 218 hp to the mix, fed by a lithium-ion battery pack.
2013 Chevrolet Corvette C7
The
future for America’s sports car sees the Corvette becoming lighter,
slicker and moderately more compact, powered by an equally powerful but
smaller V-8. This has been determined by the need to improve efficiency
according to government mandate, yet responding to consumers’ desires
for even greater performance. A list of priorities from the average
Corvette owner puts performance at the top, with fuel efficiency
somewhere just above the desire for rear seats and a better tow
rating.Had GM not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the next Corvette,
the C7, was going to be a mid-engine design. That plan, however, has
been put on hold, perhaps until the C8. In the meantime, the new C7 will
retain a front-engine design, but the car will lose weight while its
engine will become more effective at extracting energy from fuel
2012 Porsche 911
Shocking
news flash: The next update of Porsche’s iconic 911, scheduled to
arrive in 2011 as a 2012 model, won’t look drastically different from
the current car! Okay, not really a news flash, but apparently enough
changes will take place, specifically under the skin, that the 2012
model will be designated a 998 .Visually, the next 911 will sport
reworked headlights, a new front fascia, larger LED taillights, a new
rear bumper and an update to the speed-activated rear wing. Porsche is
keen to add performance and improve efficiency of the 911 through weight
savings and new engine technologies that increase horsepower while
reducing fuel consumption. We expect the Carrera will jump to about 360
bhp and the Carrera S to 400 bhp.
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster
Even
though the Mercedes SLS AMG will have only just hit dealers when you
read this, the engineers at AMG have been hard at work developing a
convertible version of the division’s first ground-up automobile.Of
course, the convertible top necessitates conventional doors in place of
the coupe’s gullwing setup, and the car’s curb weight should rise
slightly from the current 3573 lb. But performance will remain
exceptional, thanks to the SLS’s 563-bhp 6.2-liter V-8. We’ll see the
SLS Roadster in production form early next year, with a price expected
to be in excess of $200,000.
2013 Lotus Elise
It’s difficult to imagine that the Lotus Elise is nearing its 15th year in production, even if it has morphed into quite a different car than the one originally launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995.Although Lotus has just unveiled a light re-skin of the Elise for the 2011 model year, this is just a stopgap, as our sources tell us an all-new model is on the way soon, based on the Lotus Vertical Vehicle Architecture that underpins the Evora. After all, it doesn’t make economic sense to have two distinct chassis when the concept underlining VVA has the flexibility to tailor both wheelbase and tracks to suit whatever vehicle dimensions are chosen.
2013 Jaguar XE
March next year sees the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type’s unveiling at the Geneva Salon, so 2011 would be an ideal and emotionally charged launch pad for a 21st century successor. What’s more, Ratan Tata, chairman of the eponymously named group that now owns Jaguar, has publicly stated that he wants to see a smaller, less costly 2-seater.
2012 Mazda RX-7
There
was a time, not so long ago, when the name Mazda was synonymous with
the rotary engine. However, these days, what with lackluster sales of
the RX-8 and the success of the Mazda3, not to mention the continued
popularity of the MX-5 Miata, the Japanese company from Hiroshima is
better known for its efficient piston powerplants than its
Wankel.Despite reports that the RX-8 will be the last car to have a
rotary engine, we at R&T have received information directly from
Japanese Mazda execs that the death of the rotary has been greatly
exaggerated, and that the company is planning to introduce a new
rotary-powered car in the near future. Apparently, there’s a team of
engineers currently working on a drastically improved version of the
Renesis 2-rotor dubbed the 16X . Mazda U.S. had no comment on the
subject.
2012 Ferrari F70
Ferrari
has ambitious goals for its successor to the mighty Enzo: Rumored to be
called the F70, this mid-engine supercar will have to do nothing less
than substantially outperform the Enzo, while being considerably more
efficient to comply with ever-tougher emissions standards. As such, it
will have to do more with less. Less weight, less cylinders…but one
thing will be more: the price. It’s said that when the F70 goes on sale
in 2012, it could very well cost over $1 million.
Using knowledge
gleaned from its Formula 1 race machines, the FXX Enzo-based track car,
the FXX Mille-Chili lightweight concept, the 599XX track car and the 458
Italia road machine, Ferrari has much at its disposal. The Mille-Chili
from 2007 gave a clear indication of Ferrari’s new path to achieving
ultimate performance: a much lighter vehicle through greater use of
exotic materials such as carbon fiber. Incidentally, “mille chili”
refers to 1000 kilograms , the target weight for the F70.
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