A Tale of Two Concept Cars Two Years Later

With Citroen about to show its next stunning concept, the Numero 9, to the public next week at the Beijing Auto Show it seems appropriate to revisit a similar Citroen concept from two years ago. The Numero 9 is essentially a shooting-brake version of the equally stunning Metropolis Concept. Back when the Metropolis first came out I called it a better concept than the BMW Gran Coupe concept mainly because the Metropolis was a more radical concept than the BMW. Nearly two years later the Gran Coupe Concept has evolved into the 6 series Gran Coupe losing very little of its styling in the process. My fears about the Gran Coupe concept being watered down into production turned out to be largely unfounded. As expected, the Metropolis concept has yet to materialize into a production version. However there is hope that the Numero 9 will eventually join the DS lineup as its flagship. Two years ago I was praising Citroen for creating a concept for the sake of creating a concept and nothing else, yet now I am left wishing for Citroen to finally give me a production version of one of their awesome concepts.

Retro Inspired Concepts Worth a Second Chance

Some say that the auto industry is churning out retro inspired designs almost as often as Hollywood is doing remakes. Even if you believe that there are already too many retro inspired cars on the road today here are four retro concept cars from the recent past that should have made production. All four were released to much fan fare and publicity during their debuts and it can be argued that all but the Lamborghini would fill an empty slot in their manufacturer's portfolio. One would also argue that by not making production versions two of the automakers lost a chance to create a potentially iconic product.

Ford Bronco Concept (2004)

With the Jeep Wrangler enjoying a great sales renaissance amid high gas prices Ford might want to reconsider its 2004 Bronco concept. Featuring sharp boxy styling and compact dimensions of the first generation (1966-1977) Bronco the latest version would be a great Wrangler competitor. A lack of a truly capable off-road platform likely made the Bronco a tough case for production. 

Ford Interceptor Concept (2007)

While the Ford Taurus SHO is a capable performer in its own right enthusiasts are still clamoring for a true rear wheel drive performance sedan from Ford. Several years back Ford showed a concept of such a vehicle, a retro inspired Crown Victoria sized Ford Interceptor powered by a "Cammer" 5.0 V8. The Interceptor concept still looks great today yet its upright styling theme would clash heavily with the other sedans in the Ford lineup such as the Focus and the Fusion. Chances for a production Interceptor are slim as Ford has created a Taurus based Police Interceptor to replace the Crown Victoria in that duty.

Lamborghini Miura Concept (2006)

The 2006 Miura Concept designed by Walter de'Silva was simply a way to mark the fortieth anniversary of the original. de'Silva did such a great job of re-imagining the iconic Miura that there were numerous calls for a production version. However, as a company that sees itself on the cutting edge of automotive design Lamborghini is as anti retro as it gets. One can't fault Lamborghini for looking forward with amazing designs such as the Aventador.

Current Lamborghini Design is much different than the retro Miura concept. Click for More photos + photo source

Volkswagen Microbus / Bulli (2001/2011)

The Microbus concept from 2001 is a personal favorite and one that Volkswagen reportedly scrapped very close to production because of the rising Euro. Volkswagen's success with the New Beetle, particularly in the US, means that a retro van is not dead yet. A recent concept from last year fuels the fire that a Microbus inspired Volkswagen is around the corner once again. The inability of the Routan to make a significant dent in the minivan market hopefully has VW thinking of a more stylish alternative. With VW's new extremely versatile and cost efficient MQB platform nearly ready for prime time there might be a better business case this time around.

Is it really pain at the pump?

With nightly news continually telling us how painful every fill-up is, one would think that consumers would be quickly scared of vehicles with big fuel tanks and appetites. So far however higher gas prices have not slowed down light truck sales in the US with every full size pickup model in March outperforming its February results by a good margin even with gas up over half a dollar a gallon on average nationwide in that time period.

February in blue and March in Red

Click here for more Gas Price Data

Day Two at the New York Autoshow

Certainly the biggest news out of day two in New York was the debut of the 2013 Toyota Avalon. Much like Chevy with Impala the day before Toyota went with a more adventurous styling direction with the latest Avalon. Aiming to give the Avalon some "four door coupe" styling Toyota unwillingly made it look a bit like the last Hyundai Azera in the profile. Upfront a Camry grille is joined by a catfish/Ford Taurus SHO bumper. At the rear sharp lines and narrow taillights make it the best angle for the Avalon. All in all the latest Avalon receives a drastic new design breaking away from the familiar shape of the first three generations of Avalons. Inside the Avalon looks to feature a well appointed and ergonomic dashboard but the plastic around the navigation screen looks a bit out of place. Take a look below and see how the new Avalon looks for yourself. As always click on the photo to get a better look.

This angle reminds of the last generation Hyundai Azera

More from New York

This year's New York Autoshow is playing out quite well with a good amount of new introductions. Here are some highlights from day one including the new Viper, Acura RLX concept and the new Lexus ES.

The Dodge SRT Viper returns with a look reminiscent of the second generation and racy front end design that some are calling what the Ferrari F12 should have looked like. The 8.4 liter V10 is up to 640 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque while composite body panels shave weight. More power and less weight is always a great combination and best of all the Viper is returning to American Le Mans racing competition this year as well.

The Acura RLX foreshadows how a top of the line Acura sedan will look when it goes on sale later this year. The production version should look very similar as the recent ILX concept was an accurate depiction of the real ILX. The RL replacement doesn't address all of its predecessor's shortcomings but attempts to solve some. Design-wise the concept design gives a hint of the Subaru Legacy from the profile and the new Lexus GS in the roofline. The most exciting part of the concept is the all wheel drive hybrid setup (preview of what the NSX will have) that Acura says is good for 370 horsepower and 30 mpg in the city and highway. One electric motor is placed before the transmission while two electric motors provide torque vectoring of the rear wheels which promises some great handling prospects.

This angle reminds of a Subaru Legacy

And the roofline is a lot like on the new GS

The spy shots of the Lexus that circulated the web a while back didn't put the new ES in the best light but from the looks of things the ES is going to do alright with a design that aside from the forced new corporate grille is very pleasing to the eye.

New York Autoshow 2012: Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Impala

With less than a day until the New York Autoshow begins officially here are a couple more early photos of a pair of anticipated debuts, the new Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Impala. The newest Altima is certainly an evolution of the current one along with some new styling elements as seen on the Maxima and the Infiniti M. The overall design works quite well without any particular highlights or blemishes as on par for the segment. The biggest selling point for the new Altima is the promised 27/38 EPA fuel economy rating for the 2.5 four cylinder. On the other hand Chevrolet took a big leap forward with the Impala, giving the previous fleet queen some real styling. The jury is still out whether the new corporate Chevy front as seen on the Traverse is an improvement over what the new Malibu will wear.

2013 Lincoln MKZ Is Styled

With the latest Ford Fusion receiving unanimous praise for bringing high end styling to the mainstream sedan category, the upscale Lincoln MKZ sibling had big shoes to fill. The MKZ designers certainly dreamt big with the latest version resulting in a bold yet possibly polarizing design. Upfront small headlights are part of a restrained horizontal grille that is a step forward from recent baleen whale Lincoln designs. However, the new MKZ looks the best from the 3/4 angle rear as a thin full width LED bar  serves as the taillight while a compact trunk and a thick C-pillar gives the sedan great visual appeal. The rear fender design is excellent.  From the side the sedan has a set back design with a large rear window giving the impression of a hatchback such as the last generation Mazda 6 offered.

Smaller horizontal grille is a great improvement over recent Lincolns

From the profile the area around the C-pillar is a bit awkward

But the rear 3/4 design is excellent, the rear fender shape is amazing

Full width LED bar serves as the taillight

The large retractable glass roof is large

The interior is a huge upgrade over the current MKZ but looks much like the Fusion