Forty-Tude
Inspired by the 1968 Bizzarrini Manta concept, the Quaranta represents 40 years of Italdesign Giugiaro, and has innovations from various prototypes. The wedge shape sheaths a 1+3 cabin, with the driver seated front-center, with two adults and a child right behind. Following them is a battery array, followed by a 268 bhp Toyota V6 petrol. Electronic four-wheel drive eliminates the transmission and gives the 4x4 sportscar a flat floor. The roof is all solar panels – enough to recharge the batteries and power the cabin gizmos. The minimalism reminds you that Italdesign Guigiaro is very good at what they do. Quaranta? Means forty.
Red
Stand up, ladies and gentlemen, the occasion demands it. You’d think Audi only needed to paint an R8 red, add some chrome and highlights. But no, the minor stampede and major commotion at Geneva was caused by this R8, which wore that brilliant red paint, and a Le Mans going variable geometry twin turbo piezo-electric common rail 5934cc diesel V12 making 500 bhp (down 150 bhp from the race engine). More importantly, it claimed a whopping 101 kgm (at 1,750 rpm, upto 3,000 rpm)! Bow to the world’s first diesel supercar. The rumbling diesel takes 4.2 seconds to 100 kph and the top speed is 300+ kph. As in, almost the same as the V8 petrol. This car is also Euro-6 compliant and Audi goes so far as to say, not quiet either. A loud, clean, green supercar that burns diesel and is red in colour? What’s that concept thing dangling at the end of the moniker, Audi You gotta make this, come on...
Vida Boca
Seat’s Bocanegra concept looks good. Which is good news, because it sets the tone for the replacement of its Ibiza, which is due shortly. The Bocanegra (‘Black Mouth’) looks menacing, if not completely fresh. The buzz is that the production Ibiza will only get some of the bells-whistles off the Boca’ (Bengalis, please stop sniggering about that shortened name. Be nice, now) and most of the sheet metal is production spec. This means that the Ibiza is about get an aggro new form at its debut at Madrid later in the year. The new Ibiza looks ready for it, but will it get an R32-style motor? Fingers crossed.
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