Based on the latest generation of what the manufacturers claim is the “best large SUV platform available”, it will undergo a chassis-up rebuild, with a new, repackaged interior, carbon-composite body panels and additional performance.
Described as “the world’s first Super-SUV” and providing new levels of luxury, space and performance it will feature a limousine-like rear cabin, including twin reclining seats, iPads and a drinks chiller, giving customers the option of being chauffeured as well as driving.
The engineering team is led by Alastair Macqueen, who was responsible for the development of the Jaguar XJ220 supercar and has won the Le Mans 24-Hour race with both Jaguar and Bentley.
Ex-F1 driver, Johnny Herbert will have an active involvement in developing Eterniti vehicles as well as serving as an ambassador for the brand.
Eterniti is establishing a London hub featuring a showroom, car build and service center, and a separate atelier where customers can discuss their requirements and create a bespoke specification for their cars, which will be hand-built on site by British craftsmen and technicians. The London facilities will open later this year, with further showrooms in key international cities to follow from 2012.
The C-X16 Concept to be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show gives a compelling look at how Jaguar plans to make the sports car relevant in the 21st century. Its name, “One plus One,” could serve to designate seating—indeed the car is a 2-place coupe. Instead, I like to think One plus One as describing its propulsion system, a supercharged V-6 teamed with an electric motor operated in hybrid fashion akin to today’s Formula 1 KERS, Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems.
This and other technology are wrapped in stunning bodywork that defines an agenda for future Jaguar shapes as well as evoking the company’s past design ethos. Jaguar design director Ian Callum says the C-X16 is characterized by three “heartlines,” its front fender creases, sweeping roofline and rear haunches that wrap into the tail. To my eye, these possess a more pleasing unity than exhibited by several contemporary trendy designs that come to mind.
The interior of the C-X16, done up in Vermillion Red with black trim, continues the One plus One concept with dual regions for passenger and driver. The latter gets the best one, with controls and instrumentation suggesting both aeronautical ergonomics as well as classic Jaguar racing cars. Aspects of the interior convey what Jaguar calls a “secret until required” theme. Double vents for the climate control, for instance, deploy into sight only when needed; otherwise, the top of the dashboard remains as unadorned as possible.
To me, though, the most striking elements of the C-X16 are the ones completely out of view—components of its KERS-inspired propulsion system. The all-aluminum 3.0-liter V-6 is direct-injected, with a compression ratio of 10.5:1, Roots-supercharged and intercooled to the tune of 375 bhp and 332 lb.-ft. of torque. This V-6 is conceptually evolved from Jaguar’s AJ-V8 powerplant, both with dual overhead camshafts actuating 4 valves/cylinder. On an environmental note, the C-X16’s cylinder heads are fabricated from recycled aluminum (this being one of the elements more amenable to recycling).
The C-X16’s electric motor adds as much as 94 hp and 173 lb.-ft. to the gasoline engine’s output, available to the driver through a “Push to Pass” feature of a steering wheel button. The system also allows the car to operate in electric mode at speeds up to 50 mph at light pedal use. (more)
The Ford Evos Concept will appear at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show but Ford decided to give its impressive new concept an exclusive preview launch in Berlin this week. The sedan-coupe model, described by Ford as a fastback, had us swept off our feet. Digesting the kind of information released in these sorts of events is not easy but make no mistake - Ford means business with the Evos.
Not all aspects of the Evos Concept will make it to production, like the stunning doors for example, but the company describes this concept as its new global design language and we understand it possibly foreshadows some of what we might see on the new Ford Mondeo. The Evos Concept has a plug-in hybrid powertrain and new intuitive technologies to explore driver-oriented experiences.
Ford has been incredibly forward-thinking with this concept, designing it for future generations of drivers who are now currently 15 or 16 years old and are “digital natives” - that is people who have integrated technology and social networking into their lives seamlessly, with no disconnection between real and virtual realities. That makes this writer already over the hill for the Evos, but its innovative system is defined as a “cloud-connected lifestyle”. So how does it all work in the “real world”?
The onboard technologies memorise data on a server in information which can then be recalled to provide info on daily movements, appointments, weather, traffic and directions taken - even music which was being listened to in the house can now be continued in the car. When people who are attached to their vehicles feel like their car has got a soul, the Ford Evos takes things to a whole new level.
The car can effectively “get to know” its owner. Aside from the infotainment aspect of things, let’s say a husband and wife team drive the Evos. To revert stereotypes for a second, let us suppose the husband takes the kids to school, one of who suffers from car sickness, and the wife likes a sporty drive on the weekends to visit her friends. The Evos’ onboard intuitive technology system would actually be capable of detecting the driver and restoring suspension and drive settings, seat position or favourite music choices accordingly.
What Ford has done with the Evos is nothing short of turning our concept of driving experience and onboard entertainment on its head. The Evos concept goes from installing screens in the rear seats (remember they were doing this on aeroplanes years ago) to actually providing a lifestyle driving experience where how we use our cars becomes part of how we live our lives. It’s not just about getting from A to B but having a car that continues our personality and lifestyle and puts that into driving and going places in comfort and safety.
The Ford Evos Concept is a kind of cross between car, computer and robot considering that it would be capable of checking garage locks once parked, changing the waking-up alarm of a driver if an appointment is cancelled or even automatically updating the social networking status of the whereabouts of the owner. Ford wants to provide all of that, but still in a package that recognises that driving pleasure is the number one business of an automaker.
The philosophy Ford has pursued is to take that driving pleasure and enhance it. Like the revolution of the Smartphone in telephone use, the Ford Evos Concept is making the car part of your life. While the main purpose is still to get somewhere, Ford has decided that’s a limiting definition of how to use a car as the drive should be about what happens and how the driver feels between points A and B.
Recently we described the 2012 Porsche 911 and its first video as nice but predictable. Well, after this new official mega gallery of the Porsche 911 we’ve decided that a predictable thing of beauty is still beautiful. Is that the Grand Canyon in the background? Sorry, we didn’t notice for looking at the new interior.
Doubts about whether this is truly a new generation 911 are not particularly relevant on seeing the 991 wallpaper in this light. It looks like Porsche has done a damn fine job with its new icon and sometimes the difference between significant makeover and new generation is not so great. Call it what you will, the new Porsche 911 is lovely. We’ll have more live pics of the new 911 from the Frankfurt Motor Show.
