Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Kia's rolled out a string of concepts over the past 12 months, foreshadowing a new generation of stylish and--presumably--affordable models it has in the works. These have included standouts such as 2011’s GT and the funky Provo and Cross GT crossovers from earlier this year.Considering this cadence, it should come as no surprise that the Korean automaker has prepped a new concept for next month’s 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.Teased in two official renderings, the new concept is described as a dramatically-styled subcompact that may see production. The concept not only hints at the styling of Kia’s future small cars but is also said to showcase the use of different materials. Although there are no firm plans for production, the concept’s unveiling in Frankfurt will be used to gauge potential customer response for a future showroom model, Kia tells us, adding that the concept has been created in Europe with European tastes and expectations very much in mind.www.motorauthority.com 

Audi has created a futuristic vehicle for the upcoming movie Ender’s Game, which is due in cinemas later this year and is based on the 1985 novel of the same name. The end result is the Audi fleet shuttle quattro, pictured above, which the automaker says was designed so that it would blend easily into the world of the science fiction feature film.Audi hasn’t revealed any specs for the car but says it combines futuristic design with groundbreaking technology. We should note that a physical Audi fleet shuttle quattro does not exist at the moment, and it doesn’t look like there are plans to build one.Looking at these design sketches, it’s clear the car’s inspiration comes from another movie car developed by Audi. That other car is the Audi RSQ concept from 2004, which featured in the movie I, Robot. Both feature wheels enclosed by the body, a streamlined shape and rear-opening scissor doors. “Designing the Audi fleet shuttle quattro was similar to customising a tailor-made suit,” Frank Rimili, chief designer for the film project, said in a statement. “We were ultimately able to perfectly project our design philosophy into the fictional world of the movie.” Ender’s Game, which stars Harrison Ford, is scheduled to hit cinemas late this year.www.motorauthority.com  

Toyota will present a new concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show next month that the automaker has confirmed will showcase its hybrid technology from its race-winning Le Mans prototypes in a road car platform. Along with the announcement, Toyota released the first of three teaser images, which depicts the new badge for the automaker’s future performance-oriented hybrid cars.As opposed to the stylised S used on its Hybrid Synergy Drive badge, the new badge is dominated by a stylised R. The letter has become synonymous with racing and we’re left in no doubt of that fact thanks to the subtle checkered flag integrated with the design. All we know is that the concept debuting in Frankfurt will feature this badge and be called the Toyota Hybrid-R. The automaker isn’t saying whether the Hybrid-R previews a future production model but Toyota has long been rumoured to be working on a new hybrid sports car to serve as a successor to its Supra. The rumours heightened when Toyota confirmed plans to develop a new sports car platform with BMW, so perhaps this is what the Hybrid-R concept foreshadows.Furthermore, Toyota has stated in the past that its hybrid Le Mans program, initiated in 2012, would help hone its road car technology. The current 2013-spec Toyota TS030 Hybrid prototype features a 395kW 3.4-litre V8, which is paired to an electric motor powered by a super capacitor-based energy storage system, delivering another 224kW of boost.While Toyota’s production hybrids are expected to stick with batteries for the foreseeable future, engineers have been closely following the development of the TS030 Hybrid in order to improve energy recovery capability, and it's likely this that will primarily benefit Toyota's future production hybrids.We’ll be seeing two more teasers before the reveal of the new Toyota Hybrid-R concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show on September 10.www.motorauthority.com 

Mini will celebrate the 107th anniversary of the birth of Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the original Mini, by unveiling the third generation of the modern MINI, the 2014 Cooper, at a special ceremony at the car’s plant in Oxford, England. That special ceremony will take place on November 18, after which Mini will make simultaneous presentations at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show and 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 20. We don’t have to wait until then to see the car, however. In addition to our numerous spy shots, of both the Cooper and sportier Cooper S, Mini has already previewed the new car’s design with its Mini Vision concept that’s set for a debut on September 10 at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. Key design elements expected for the 2014 Mini Cooper include a hexagonal radiator grille (inspired by the one on the 1959 original), ring-shaped daytime running lights integrated with the headlights, and jewel-like tail-lights. Completely new engines and a new platform will feature as well, and for the first time BMW models will share the Mini's technologies. Sales of the 2014 Mini Cooper are expected to start overseas early next year, and arrive here just a few months later. Just like its predecessor, the new Mini will be produced in Oxford in the UK. The oncoming start of production and the November 18 reveal will mark additional highlights in a jubilee year for the Oxford plant, where automobiles have been built for more than 100 years. www.motorauthority.com  

The new i3 electric hatch isn’t the only i-badged BMW we’ll be seeing this year; another is a new i8 plug-in hybrid sports car that will not only top the i range of cars but also serve as BMW’s flagship. We were given our first taste of the i8 four years ago, when BMW rolled out its Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.Since then we’ve seen the concept’s design revised, a convertible Spyder unveiled, and numerous prototype versions testing around the globe. Soon, we’ll see the production i8 revealed, as BMW has confirmed the car’s appearance at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in just over a month.In a lead up to its debut, BMW has provided details on the car’s technology and specifications. As we already know, the i8 features a sophisticated drivetrain that pairs a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with an electric motor.The engine is used to drive the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission while the electric motor powers the front pair via an integrated two-stage auto ‘box. However, both power sources can work together to form a through-the-road all-wheel-drive setup.The engine develops a peak 170kW while the electric motor rates in at 96kW. Maximum system output is 266kW and 570Nm, which is said to be enough for 0-100km/h acceleration in under 4.5 seconds -- and that, friends, is Porsche 911 Carrera territory. Like most BMWs, top speed of the i8 will be governed to 250km/h.On electric power alone, top speed is limited to 120km/h and BMW predicts a driving range of 35km. On a mix of electric-only and hybrid modes, BMW says i8 owners can expect a fuel economy of around 2.5L/100km for the Euro-measured combined cycle.BATTERY PACKRunning down the centre of the floor is an “energy tunnel” that houses a lithium-ion battery. It has a liquid cooling system and can be recharged at home using an ordinary power socket. In the U.S., a full recharge takes approximately 3.5 hours from a conventional 120-volt, 12-amp household socket. Importantly, charging can also be done on the run using regenerative forces.DRIVETRAINThe i8's sophisticated drivetrain is housed in what BMW calls the “Drive” module, a lightweight aluminium structure that also houses the electronic control units, suspension components, and structural and crash protection components. The suspension consists of a double-track control arm front axle and a five-link rear axle, all made of aluminium. Electromechanical power steering and electronically operated dampers are also fitted. The wheels are forged aluminium and measure in at 20 inches across.WEIGHT AND BALANCEBy attaching all of these technical components to the Drive module, the i8 benefits from a very low centre of gravity (the lowest of any BMW) and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.Mounted on top is the “Life” module, which is essentially the passenger cell. This section is comprised primarily of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic in order to keep strength and rigidity high but weight low. The savings from this design offset the additional weight of the electric motor and battery, giving the i8 a curb weight of less than 3,285 pounds. If it had stuck with conventional steel, BMW says the i8 would weigh around 50 per cent more.DESIGNOther innovations for the i8 include the use of chemically-hardened glass similar to Gorilla Glass used for smartphones. Some of the glass on the i8 is just 0.7 of a millimetre thick, yet it still provides the sound-deadening one would expect in a luxury car. The exterior of the i8 stretches close to 4694mm in length, has a width of 1951mm and a height of just 1280mm. The car has a drag coefficient (Cd value) of just 0.26 and inside there is generous 2+2 seating.TECHNOLOGYFor the driver, selection of power sources is done intelligently via computer control. BMW’s typical linear acceleration is said to be maintained even at higher speeds since the interplay between the two power sources absorbs any power flow interruptions when shifting gears.Using the gear selector, the driver can either select position D for full automatic mode or can switch to SPORT mode. SPORT mode offers manual gear selection and at the same time switches to very sporty drive and suspension settings. Power is also split between the front and rear axles to aid handling. On entering a corner, for example, the power split is biased towards the rear wheels to improve turning precision.The Driving Experience Control switch on the centre console offers a choice of two settings: COMFORT and ECO PRO. On starting, COMFORT mode is activated, which offers a balance between sporty performance and fuel efficiency. ECO PRO minimizes power loss through items like the air conditioner and maximises regenerative forces. The driving range in the COMFORT setting is around 499km but hitting ECO PRO can boost this by around 20 per cent.That's all BMW is telling us for now, but we should have the full details soon. Following its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show early next month, the i8 will hit European showrooms later in the year and should be on sale in the U.S. next spring.www.motorauthority.com 

It may be wearing STI badges, but the car featured here isn’t the fabled BRZ STI we were all hoping for when teaser images of an STI-badged BRZ appeared on Subaru’s website over the weekend. This car is actually a concept that previews some mild performance upgrades developed by STI for the BRZ.The upgrades are a mixture of new and old items and are expected to be offered for sale later in the year. They are grouped under the lesser tS moniker, which is short for “tuned by STI,” and thus don’t represent the upgrades one might expect on a fully-fledged STI model.Subaru has previously launched tS versions of the Legacy and Forester, though none of these have been offered in the Australia and it’s possible the BRZ tS won’t be coming either. To make matters worse, it looks like the previous BRZ prototype testing at the Nürburgring, thought to be a BRZ STI, is simply this BRZ tS. So what upgrades does the BRZ tS bring to the table? Some of them have been previously launched for the BRZ overseas. These include a sporty body kit consisting of a front spoiler, side sills, rear diffuser and trunk lid spoiler. Other items previously shown include 17-inch light alloy wheels, a coil spring set, a sports muffler, adjustable strut tower bar for the front suspension, and a few interior bits and pieces. As enthusiast site 7tune points out, the production version of the BRZ tS will be offered in two different grades: a standard grade and a more upmarket GT grade. The standard grade gets most of the upgrades already mentioned. Opting for the GT grade adds items like the oversized carbon fiber rear wing, the light alloy wheels, Recaro seats, grille inserts, an uprated driveshaft, Bilstein suspension and Brembo  brakes. Production will be limited to 500 units, split evenly between the standard and GT grades. Unfortunately, power from the car’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine remains capped at 149 kilowatts. As previously reported, Subaru is considering more extreme performance upgrades for the BRZ but is likely to reserve these for a later in the car’s product cycle.www.motorauthority.com 

Smart’s third-generation Fortwo is a year behind schedule, which means it might be some time still until we see the car finally unveiled. To keep interest alive, Smart will reportedly unveil a pair of concepts previewing the design at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show next month.One will be for the new Fortwo while the second will preview a new Forfour. The Forfour, as you may have guessed by its name, is a four-seat version of the Fortwo. It was launched alongside the first-generation Fortwo but never spawned a successor. The latest concepts will more closely resemble the new Smarts than the previous Forstars concept shown in 2012.Underpinning them and the eventual production models they will spawn will be the new platform jointly developed by Smart and alliance partner Renault (the French automaker will use it for its next-generation Twingo). The new platform will be flexible enough to spawn a variety of models including a high-riding crossover, reports Autocar.This larger Smart will target the MINI Countryman, though it is expected to come exclusively with a rear-engine, rear-drive layout. This configuration is said to be a signature of the Smart brand and won’t be changing, at least with the coming generation. Spy shots of both the new Fortwo and new Forfour have surfaced, though they only show test mules in an early stage of development. A debut is likely to take place next year.www.motorauthority.com  

Last week, Spanish authorities arrested eight individuals for running a supercar replica business, where mostly fake Ferraris were built using humble Toyota parts and then sold for upwards of 40,000 euros (approximately $60,000).We have no doubt the people buying the fake cars knew they were fake, but as Ferrari points out, this wasn’t like a reproduction of fine art but just forgeries pure and simple. The practice, says the automaker, is akin to those “fake Hermès bags sold in the streets.”While most fans of the Prancing Horse are unlikely to be fooled by the replicas, to the casual observer we wouldn’t be surprised if the cars were believed to be the real deal.Don’t agree? Just take a quick look at this video from the Spanish National Police, which was posted up on World Car Fans. It shows just a handful of the 19 replicas that were seized last week (17 Ferraris and two Aston Martins) and shows just how deceptive the cars actually were.Not only are the cars’ styling and proportions accurate, their exhausts have been tuned to sound like a genuine supercar. Our only question now is: Who were actually buying the cars?www.motorauthority.com 

It was only a year ago that Porsche was celebrating two million Facebook fans, which it marked by unveiling a special Cayman S decked out with a portrait of each of its fans.Since then, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart has gone on to surpass five million fans and to celebrate it asked each of them to help design a unique 911 Carrera 4S.Porsche has now revealed its ‘crowd-sourced’ 911 Carrera 4S and is running a competition that will enable one of its fans the chance to travel to the Silverstone race track in the UK and drive the car. Nine scale models of the car are also available for the runners-up.Later, all Porsche enthusiasts will be experience the car as it will remain at the Porsche Experience Center at Silverstone, though they will have to make their own way to the track.The special 911 is based on a 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and features a unique exterior color called Aquablaumetallic developed by the Porsche Exclusive department. The car also features 20-inch Carrera S wheels finished in white, an Aerokit package, custom door sills and a dash plaque inscribed with the message “Personally built by 5 Million Porsche Fans.”Porsche isn’t unique in its appreciation of its fans. Aston Martin previously built a special DB9 to mark one million fans and Ferrari released a humorous video when it attained ten million fans.www.motorauthority.com 

Subaru’s performance arm STI has published the first images of its highly-anticipated BRZ tuning effort, and in the process has sent the rumour mill into overdrive. Though none of the all-important specs were released, we do have some clues as to what to expect.The STI badges on the front grille and fender vent confirm we’re looking at the latest creation from the men and women at Subaru Technica International.However, the two teasers published were each named “BRZ tS teaser,” suggesting we’re not looking at a fully-fledged STI model but simply an enhanced version. The tS moniker is short for “tuned by STI” and has previously been applied to regular Subaru models fitted with STI upgrades.Along with the images, Subaru published the tagline “Purity of Handling.” This ties in with previous reports that claimed STI’s upgrades for the BRZ in this initial round of tuning will be minimal, consisting mainly of aerodynamic mods, lowered suspension and a new wheel and tire package.Our own spy shots of an alleged BRZ STI model testing at the Nürburgring showed just this, a prototype fitted with STI enhancements already offered for the BRZ in select markets.Hopefully we’ll see some power mods, as the 149 kilowatt output of the stock BRZ is definitely in need of an upgrade. A high-flow exhaust system on the spied prototype suggests some breathing mods, but forget about any form of forced induction. Subaru is considering a turbocharger for the BRZ but is likely to reserve this for a later version.Subaru plans to reveal its BRZ STI soon, suggesting we’ll see the car at an upcoming major international auto show. The Japanese automaker has confirmed a world premiere for the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, the site of the debut of the original BRZ STI concept car back in 2011, though we could see the automaker hold out for a debut at its home event, the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, taking place that same month. Stay tuned for an update.www.motorauthority.com