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For a while, the future of Saab looked glum. Thankfully, the fine folks at Koenigsegg have scooped up the Scandinavian automaker and now the future doesn't look so bad. The current 9-5 was a mess of General Motors influence on an aging platform and the end result was really quite bad, but from the details and images that we have on the new 9-5, it looks like Saab might be back in the game again.

Right off the bat, it's easy to see that the new 9-5 looks very, very different from anything we've seen out of Saab lately. A lot of the styling cues were inspired by the Aero X concept. Most interestingly, the entire glasshouse portion of the car is designed in a wraparound style with the painted roof panel not carrying over to the A-pillar. That aside, the whole car is filled with nice little design cues, and even though the headlight fixtures are still surrounded by strips of chrome, it's not nearly as horrible as on the last-generation car. Yeesh.

As for power, Saab is offering a wide range of powerplants for the Global marketplace. For America, we can expect that the 300-horsepower, 2.8-liter turbocharged six (sound familiar, Cadillac SRX?) will make it over, mated to Saab's XWD all-wheel drive system. A smaller, 1.6-liter turbo (180 horsepower) sounds reasonable for our shores, too, but nothing has been confirmed at this time.

For the full details, click through the post to read Saab's official press release.

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Sign us up for one of these. Like the Mini Coupe Concept that debuted long before the lights were turned on at the Frankfurt Show, the Mini Roadster adds a bit of sleek style to the cheeky Mini line, especially since the convertible has always looked a little hairdresser-y to us.

The two seat configuration of the Roadster cuts out the Mini Convertible's rear seats, but we don't think your grocery bags will mind too much. Removing the back people-holders means that trunk cargo capacity swells from 5.7 to 8.8 cubic feet with a more substantial rear opening.

Hey, Mini -- ditch the convertible and bring the Roadster Concept to production. Your friends at Winding Road will thank you kindly. For the full details, click through the post to read Mini's press release.

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Rolls-Royce showed the full production version of its new, slightly smaller than Phantom, limousine today—the 2011 Ghost.

Small is certainly a relative term here, as the Ghost is still roughly the same size as a BMW 7-Series. It won’t want for power either, as its 6.6-liter V-12 engine is capable of 563 brake horsepower and a stifling 575 pound-feet of twist. That output is enough to launch the Roller to 60 miles per hour in just 4.7 seconds, while not spilling the cocktails of the passengers in back.

In terms of styling, Rolls hasn’t strayed too far from the imposing visage of the larger Phantom, with the same square face and clean lines found on the Ghost. On the inside, passengers will benefit from a foolishly long list of luxury options, with the classic picnic tables and door-housed umbrellas not forgotten on the baby Rolls.

Scroll down below to read the full story of the 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost, or take a closer look in our gallery of images above.

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What's not to love about the Audi R8? Well, besides the R-tronic transmission. This is one of  the sexiest supercars that we've been able to get our hands on, and Audi has now upped the ante on its R8 hotness by removing the roof. The R8 Spyder will be hitting our shores next year in 5.2 V-10 guise, and we're already planning our summer drive routes for this exotic droptop.

The mid-mounted 5.2-liter V-10 isn't anything new to the R8, but the dynamics of the roadster should be very different. Cutting off the roof adds an additional 476 pounds to the R8's weight, but even so, the topless R8 will sprint to 62 miles per hour in just 4.1 seconds. It's hard to make a slow car when there's 525 horsepower on tap at all times.

Consider our interest piqued. You can read the full press release by clicking through the post, and be sure to scroll through our image gallery above for the complete set of photos.

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Peugeot has brought its concept of an innovative, electrically powered city car to the Frankfurt show this year, and hasn’t spared one ounce of cheeky French design, or choking EV hyperbole.

We’re not trying to be too cynical here, but anytime a press release talks of a concept car representing, “liberty, optimism – even ‘altruism’,” we’re forced to pause just a little.

That said, BB1’s robot bulldog styling, tiny form factor, and nearly 75-mile range are not without some serious upside. Perhaps even more amazing is the claim that this tiny car will seat four adults. Four very small, very friendly adults (and all wearing green shirts, apparently).

Read on about the Peugeot BB1 Concept in the full press release below.

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The Volkswagen E-Up! Concept is only a few days old now, but VW is already making a big statement and calling it the "Beetle of the 21st Century." No, it's not a homage back to any sort of retro vehicle, and instead uses Volkswagen's latest design language that we've seen in production form on the Golf and Scirocco. The automaker hopes that the E-Up! will be its small car of the future, better serving the needs of buyers who would originally shop the New Beetle.

As the big capital E in its name would suggest, the E-Up! is powered by a completely electric motor, producing 54 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque, all running to the front wheels. Not that any eco-drivers will be worried about this, but 0-60 sprints should happen in 11.3 seconds and the E-Up! will top out at a maximum speed of 84 miles per hour.

Inside, the E-Up! benefits from a unique three-plus-one seating concept derived from the original Up! concept shown a few years back. This layout means that the driver and two side passengers will have optimum seating positions with the extra space behind the driver used for cargo capacity. Interesting stuff, no?

Will the E-Up! make it to production? We hope so. And if VW wants this to be the Beetle for our future, they'd better get moving. Click through the post for all of the nitty gritty details.

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Ford has taken the occasion of the Frankfurt Motor Show to announce that it would bring the newest version of its heretofore European-only C-Max people mover to North American shores in 2011.

The seven-seater Grand C-Max (not to be confused with juicemaker Odwalla’s C-Monster) looks to be an attractive, and relatively small form factor minivan for Ford, and a model that is likely to perform a good sight better than the companies last mommy-wagon, the Freestar.

Grand C-Max offers easy access to its rear seats with a center pass-through, as well as the option of rocking an innovative “2+2+2” seating configuration when only six passengers need be accommodated. Find the full story in the Ford press release, below.

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It's been talked about for years now, but here it is - the absolutely, 100 percent, production-ready version of Aston Martin's new Rapide four-door. Naturally, this car comes to market at a very interesting time, what with the Porsche Panamera just having hit the pavement. Even so, the Rapide takes all of the traditional Aston Martin values of sportiness, luxury, and style, and offers it in more of a traditional Grand Touring package. It's Aston's family car.

The Rapide's interior is standard Aston fare up front, but the rear seats are a whole new design, featuring two individual sport seats are on hand rather than a traditional bench. Each rear occupant is allowed their own HVAC system, and optional entertainment systems keep those spoiled little brats happy on long drives.

To keep the driver entertained, Aston has fitted its 6.0-liter V-12 under the hood, producing 470 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. This means 0-60 runs should happen in about 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 188 miles per hour. The only transmission available will be Aston's latest Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic, sending the power to the rear two wheels, which will be wrapped in twenty-inch rubber.

Let's hope this one doesn't follow the Lagonda's footsteps. Click through the post to read the full press release with more details and specifications.

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Lamborghini’s droptop Reventón will be joining the fight for the coolest supercar at Frankfurt, battling with fantastic metal from Mercedes-Benz (SLS AMG), Ferrari (458 Italia), and McLaren (MP4-12C) for eyeballs.

The Reventón Roadster will have both the show and the go to match its coupe stable mate, with the same stealthy, fighter jet-inspired bodywork cladding a muscular, 650-horsepower, 6.5-liter V-12 engine. Lamborghini sights a top speed of 205 miles per hour, and a 0-60 time of a scant 3.4 mph. The price will be fairly spectacular too, with the Italian automaker asking 1.1 million Euro ($1.6) apiece for the each of the 20 Reventón Roadsters it plans to build. For that money you can get one in any color you like, as long as it's Reventón Grey.

If history is any indication, the new super Lambo should be sold out before most people know it exists—the Reventón coupe was gone almost immediately after its Frankfurt launch in 2007. Get ‘em while they’re hot.

Read on below for the full Lamborghini press release, or have a closer look at the Reventón Roadster in our gallery above.

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Audi, like other German automakers, has long trumpeted that diesel power is the way of the future, and we've seen examples like the R8 V-12 TDI concept to prove this point.

Not anymore. The first images of Audi's all-electric e-Tron concept have leaked onto the web, and the car will make its official debut at the Frankfurt show this week. It's no secret that this car shares most of its construction with the R8 supercar, though overall aerodynamics have been improved -- fitting of a MPG-happy electricity sipper.

We'll have the full details later this week, but in the meantime, scroll through our gallery of images above to see the e-Tron from all angles.

+ Autoblog: Frankfurt Preview: Audi e-Tron electric supercar gets early web unveil

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Though it never really took off as much as we would have hoped, the Volkswagen R32 hot hatch was one hell of fun little whip for good country roads. And though the new Golf (so long, Rabbit) isn't even available at U.S. dealerships yet, we already have the first images and information about the upcoming Golf R20 -- the next Vee-Dub sports hatch set for our soil.

According to World Car Fans, the R20 will be powered by a pumped-up version of the famous 2.0-liter turbo four, expected to produce 265 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. (Audi TTS, anyone?) Like the R32, the R20 will still run its power to the ground via all-wheel drive and a choice of either the six-speed manual or DSG transmissions. 0-60 times are expected to be around 6.5 seconds (6.4 for the DSG), which isn't terribly impressive, but we'll see what really happens when the R20's tires hit the pavement.

We'll have more up-to-date information when the car is officially revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but for now, click through our gallery of images above to see the R20 in all its glory.

+ World Car Fans: VW Golf R Uncovered Ahead of Frankfurt Debut (via Autoblog)

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While the full list of details and specs have yet to be released, we now have a full set of production images for the much-anticipated Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG gullwing supercar which will make its world premiere at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show.

We're pretty excited to get some review time with the SLS, especially since we've grown to love the AMG 6.2-liter V-8 in many other iterations over the years. The SLS will be a true performer, boasting 563 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, meaning this car will be good for 0-60 runs of just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 197 miles per hour.

Stay tuned for the full details next week.

+ Autoblog: Pics Aplenty: Floodgates unleashed on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

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It seemed a bit strange when luxury marque Lincoln entered into the subcompact segment with the C Concept at this year's Detroit Auto Show, but now Lexus is throwing their hand into the ring in the form of the LF-Ch Concept. This hybrid five-door will officially debut to the world next week in Frankfurt and will make its North American debut later this year in Los Angeles.

The design of the LF-Ch may lead you to believe that it's an athletic little performer, but there's an honest-to-goodness hybrid powertrain under that hood. While Lexus hasn't released the exact details, only saying that this concept is "powered by the latest generation of Lexus Hybrid Drive technology. A drive mode-switch allows the driver to select between four modes: Normal, Eco, and EV plus a Sport mode that amplifies throttle response for the most enthusiastic drivers." Sounds like the new HS250h to us.

And even if it is just a funky new body on the HS drivetrain, that's okay with us. It's sharp, has a sleek interior, and we really hope it comes to production. The world could stand to have more small hybrids in the automotive fleet. Click through the post to read Lexus' full press release.

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Just like the larger C70 convertible, Volvo's funky C30 hatchback will receive a funky new front end for the 2010 model year. The revised hatch will make its official debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, but we've got the official images and details ahead of time.

Obviously, the new nose takes its design cues from Volvo's new styling language first seen on the XC60 crossover. The larger headlamps, more curvy grille, and larger foglamp surrounds give it a more robust appearance, though as with the XC60 and C70, we think it'll only prove to be a love/hate relationship with enthusiasts.

What else is new for 2010? Not much. The rear styling stays the same, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and we can look forward to seeing a few more paint options, as well as a sport package which lowers the C30's ride height by ten millimeters, quickens the steering ratio, and offers stiffened brushings, dampers, and stabilizer bars.

Click through the post for the official press release.

We recently showed you images and details of the Mini Coupe Concept that will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, we have the above video to offer, featuring head of design Gert Hildebrand, which provides more information about the tiny, tiny performer.

Enjoy.

+ NextAutos: 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show Preview
+ NextAutos: Frankfurt Preview: Mini’s Two-Seater Coupe Concept Promises Performance

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Caption:

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

 

+ NextAutos: Mercedes-Benz Offers Glimpse of SLS AMG Gullwing

+ NextAutos: Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG at the Nürburgring

+ NextAutos: Spy Shots: Four Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs Stop By to Steal Mazda’s Thunder 

 

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The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show is almost upon us. That’s probably why we can’t sit still in our chairs. Press days are September 15 and 16, so stay tuned as loads of images and information come our way.

In order to prepare you, the above gallery lists the cars we expect to see at this year’s show in Frankfurt. Each photo has accompanying links to more coverage of each vehicle, so be sure to click through for details and images.

Hooray, cars!

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Volvo C70 Photos, Details Show Up Ahead Of Frankfurt Debut

Volvo has released photos and details of the C70 convertible ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show this month. With a new nose, headlamps, LED taillights, and instrument panel, the C70 takes a lot of design cues from the S60 concept we fell in love with at the Detroit show in January. It also features a slick three-piece hard top that, when in place, increases torsional rigidity 15 percent.

Propelling the C70 is Volvo’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, which provides 227 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque.

We think that the C70’s aggressive new look is a step in the right direction. We were stunned by the looks of the S60 concept, and that design language translates well to the convertible. That isn’t to say, however, that we don’t miss the boxy image of old.

We wouldn't mind some performance updates, but we'll wait to drive it to pass judgement.

Click through the gallery above to see what awaits us at Frankfurt, or scroll down for the press release from Volvo.

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Saab has let slip a load of information regarding the new 9-5 it’s slated to show to the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, including a new set of photos of the car.

The attractive new 9-5, building as ever from the company’s darling Aero X concept car, is being touted by Saab as the, “Start of a new era for our brand.” That’s an Era that Saab will need to be profitable, if it hopes to survive its divorce from General Motors into the next decade.

The 9-5 will offer a 2.0-liter turbo four, natch, when it launches to dealers, as well as a 2.0-liter diesel burner. The top of the line car will be powered by a 2.8-liter V-6 turbo good for 300 horsepower, along with the application of Saab’s Haldex-based XWD all-wheel drive system. Read on below for the full details (as we know them now) and stay tuned for the rest of the story when the car hits in Frankfurt.

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In honor of the automaker’s 50th birthday, Mini introduced its newest concept, the Mini Coupé, ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The two-seater features the same 1.6-liter turbocharged engine as the John Cooper Works, which produces 211 horsepower and 192 pound feet of torque, with the Overboost function offering a brief moment of up to 206 pound-feet of torque. In the even more lightweight coupe, it promises to offer outstanding performance, if the JCW is any indication.

Mini promises that folks who love the utility of the liftgate of the standard Cooper shouldn’t be too disappointed, as the coupe offers a wide-opening tailgate that, thanks to the lack of rear seats, opens to an 8.8 cubic-foot cargo space, accessible to the passengers via a lockable opening in the bulkhead.

If this concept makes it to production, we have little reason to doubt it would be a great driver’s car. And while it might take some of us a while to warm up to the styling, it will definitely be unique. Plus it didn’t take folk long to get used to Mini’s already unusual design language.

See the Mini Coupé Concept in the gallery above, or scroll down for the accompanying press release.

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We love the Maserati GranTurismo. We love convertibles. So then, it's pretty safe to assume that this new car -- the Maserati GranCabrio -- will find its affection amongst our staff, as well.

Set for an official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the GranCabrio takes Maserati's already hot GranTurismo coupe a step further by removing the conventional roof in favor of a soft top, but still keeping the car in a proper two-plus-two configuration. As for power, Maserati's 433-horsepower, 4.7-liter V-8 (from the GranTurismo S) is standard fare, mated to a ZF six-speed automatic. Look for this car to hit dealers next Spring.

There aren't a whole lot of scrumptious details, but click through the post to read Maserati's own words about the GranCabrio.