What you’re looking at is Kia’s latest bid to be ‘cool’.
It’s called the Provo and apparently, it’s pitched to be a rival to the wickedly fast Nissan Juke and the off-beat Mini Paceman.
Set to be shown at this week’s Geneva Motor Show, the funky concept is a precursor to Kia’s very real all-new, go-fast SUV.
No information was provided by Kia about the concept, with these images leaked via a Russian website.
Should it go into production, the Provo would be the second step in a bold new direction for Kia.
The Korean brand recently unveiled a new VW Golf GTI rival, called the Pro-Cee’d GT – which will also be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
Two days before its release to the media at this year’s Geneva motor show, Chevrolet has released official pictures of the convertible version of its new C7 Corvette Stingray.
Powered by the same 335kW/610Nm LT1 version of GM’s new Gen V small block V8, the drop-top will be available with a seven-speed manual or six-speed, paddle-shift auto transmission.
The convertible ‘Vette uses a strenghtened version of the new car’s all-aluminium frame, that Chevrolet claims is 57 percent stiffer and 45kg lighter than the one it replaces.
The famous Italian design house Pininfarina has paid tribute to its former head, Sergio Pininfarina, with a dramatic concept car to be displayed at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, starting this Thursday (07.03).
According to its makers the open top two-seater barchetta, “Renews the spirit of the extraordinary achievements born under Sergio Pininfarina’s guide, projecting them towards the future in the name of exclusivity, innovation and passion.”
Pininfarina was responsible for some of the most seminal shapes to ever wear the Ferrari shield, and many consider his master work to be the F40 supercar from the late 1980s .
Jeep has unveiled the latest version of its Cherokee SUV, and while Chrysler design chief, Ralph Gilles has defended it as strong and contemporary, others aren’t so sure.
That got the team at MOTOR magazine thinking about its all-time hit list of cars only their mothers could love.
The 82nd Geneva International Motor Show starts in the western Swiss city this Thursday (07.03), and alongside design and coachbuilding icons like Bertone and Pininfarina, Europe’s most outrageous tuning houses will be there in force.
Massive engines, monster aero kits and lavish interiors stand these extreme machines apart from the luxury performance crowd.
But they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this kind of automotive tailoring isn’t to everyone’s taste. Only individuals with a healthy ego, and substantial bank balance should apply.
For a preview showing of the fast lane stormers heading to Geneva, click through MOTOR magazine’s multi-image gallery.
Forget what you know about electric cars.
Land Rover has moved the goal posts.
In a world of city-friendly EVs, Land Rover has broken the mould and built a hard-core electric off-roader.
The iconic brand has replaced the standard diesel used in its Defender with a 70kW/330Nm electric motor, twinned with an electric battery which adds 27kWh.
The entire drivetrain is electric and packs enough charge for a range of more than 80kms.
That mightn’t sound like much, but Land Rover says its electric defender is good for more than eight hours of typical off-roading.
Recharging takes just four hours on a ‘fast charger’, or 10 hours on a portable charging device.
Land Rover insists the Electric Defender’s off-road capabilities remain the same, including its 800mm wading depth.
The company even says the EV Defender towed a 12-tonne road-train up a 13 degree gradient.
The Electric Defender retains Land Rover’s legendary four-wheel-drive system and differential, but does weigh around 100km/h more than the standard car.
Maximum torque is available instantly, eliminating the need for a standard gearbox. Instead a one-speed transmission feeds the power to all four wheels.
The Electric Defender will be shown at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.
Bored with the standard Mercedes-Benz SL65?
Then this bonkers offering from tuning company Brabus ought to scratch your itch.
It’s called the Brabus 800 Roadster, goes 350km/h and has enough power to pull the moon from orbit.
Brabus is infamous for turning already very fast Merc production cars into fire-breathing, torque-churning monsters, and this offering – based loosely on the standard SL65 – is no exception.
Set to be shown at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, the 800 Roadster produces a scarcely believable 588kW and 1419Nm – all through the rear wheels.
To save money on rubber, Brabus has helpfully limited torque to a slightly more manageable 1099Nm.
A new twin-turbo system is responsible for the boost in power, with the 800 Roaster’s 6.0-litre V12 churning out 125kW more than the stock SL65.
Other changes include a bespoke carbon fibre body kit, 20 inch wheels, a fully customised interior and a new exhaust system.
Four-time V8 Supercars champion Jamie Whincup has been burnt alive in a high-risk stunt for a magazine photo shoot.
Organised exclusively for Wheels magazine, Whincup was set on fire on the Gold Coast last month.
The 30-year-old racing hotshot escaped from the stunt unharmed, but did admit there were a few worrying moments.
“It was definitely one of the craziest things I’ve done,” he said. “When Wheels rang me to say they wanted to set me on fire I didn’t really know what to expect, but me being a young bloke, I’m happy to give anything a go. But things got pretty gnarly.”
“They actually set a stuntman on fire before me to show me that I wasn’t going to die. They said I might end up with a few burns but I wasn’t going to die. So that was a positive.”
“But actually doing something like this is a pretty extensive process. They’ve got this special gel called water gel that they completely covered me in. Like all over my body, in my ears and up my nose.”
“Then they sprayed me with petrol and lit me up.”
“I knew the flames were big but I couldn’t actually see them. There was a lot of heat on the back of my neck and the back of my head where the flames were pretty much directly on my skin.”
“Before long the back of my head was red hot, so I jumped on the floor, they hit my with the CO2 fire extinguisher and that was the end of my experience. But all in all it was very cool.”
Confirmed! Nissan will build the ultimate version of its ultimate road car – a Nismo GT-R.
Already one of the fastest accelerating cars in the world, Nissan today confirmed it would hand its insane GT-R over to its infamous tuning arm, Nismo.
The new car, which is tipped to be a hard core, heavily modified version of the stock GT-R, will be on sale within 12 months according to Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn.
No word yet, though, if it will come to Australia, with Nissan unable to confirm if the Nismo GT-R will reach our shores.
Currently the only Nismo GT-R on sale is the GT3 spec racing car.
The news comes as Nissan launches a ‘new era for Nismo’, which will see the famous performance brand play a greater role in more of Nissan’s cars.
“Nismo will bring new excitement to the Nissan portfolio with a broader range of affordable and innovative performance models for more markets and more people,” said Mr Ghosn.
“It would be unthinkable for us to develop a range of Nismo road cars without including the GT-R. The standard road car is a global supercar and the GT-R’s performance on track reflects the passion and talents of the Nismo team. The GT-R Nismo will be special and I can’t wait to drive it.”
The announcement, which took place at the official opening of Nismo’s new headquarters in Japan, also included the news that Nissan is poised to return to the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours in 2014 with an ‘all-new race car incorporating electric technology.’
“We will return to Le Mans with a vehicle that will act as a high-speed test bed in the harshest of environments for both our road car and race car electric vehicle technology,” said Mr Ghosn.
Melbourne will host the Australian Grand Prix for the next 50 years – if F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has his way.
Ecclestone will reportedly offer Melbourne an unprecedented 50 year extension to host the race when he travels to Australia next month.
It’s an extraordinary pledge from Ecclestone, with the proposed contract 10 times longer than that normally offered, and one that marks a surprising backflip from the British billionaire.
Ecclestone has previously been critical of the Melbourne GP, reportedly upset at the race’s refusal to become a night event to ensure prime time TV ratings in Europe.
Melbourne’s current contract to host the race expires in 2015.
It will be the first time in eight years Ecclestone has travelled to Australia, with the details of the long-term deal expected to be discussed with Australian Grand Prix chairman Ron Walker.
Should it go ahead, the proposed 50 year contract could cop heavy criticism. Each year the exorbitant costs of Melbourne’s GP makes headlines throughout the country, with last year’s race reportedly costing tax payers $56.7 million.
Melbourne has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996.
