Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept
Today's edition of "Concept Cars We'd Buy Right Now" comes to you courtesy of the Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept ($TBA). Based on Veedub's new modular transverse matrix platform, the Cross Coupe is actually smaller than the current Tiguan despite its muscular stance, and offers all-wheel-drive, a hybrid power system consisting of two electric motors and a turbocharged gas engine that's good for 262 hp and an electric range of up to 25 miles, 20-inch wheels, LED foglights, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with an oversized aluminum shift lever, and, of course, a touchscreen to monitor and control most vehicle functions. Arriving in dealerships (hopefully) sooner rather than later.
Nissan Juke-R
Sure, it's name leaves something to be desired — we've taken to calling it the "juker" for short — but the Nissan Juke-R ($TBA) is intriguing nonetheless. A one-off build, the Juke-R takes Nissan's smallish crossover and crams a 485 hp, twin-turbo V6 — taken from the GT-R, in case you were wondering — under its stunted hood, making for what are sure to be some striking track times, and adds to the flair with a matte black paint job, black rims, racing seats, and five-point harnesses. Not much more is known about the beast, other than the fact that you're unlikely to see it in the wild anytime soon.
Subaru BRZ STI Concept
Sure, it's still a work in progress, but we'd be more than happy to hop behind the wheel of the Subaru BRZ STI Concept ($TBA) as-is. Developed in collaboration with Toyota, the BRZ STi is a rear-wheel drive sports car, powered by a 2.0L Boxer four-cylinder engine and sporting a carbon fiber roof for reduced weight and a lower center of gravity, as well as a STi-designed lower front grille, hawk eye headlights, and fin-shaped fog lamps. Hit up the 2011 Los Angeles International Auto Show this weekend if you'd like to see it before it retreats back into the development labs, (possibly) never to be seen again.
1969 Holden Hurricane
Sometimes the future invented by the past is even more exciting than the one we're actually living. The 1969 Holden Hurricane ($TBA) is a perfect example. Originally unveiled at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show, this sleek ride featured a mid-mounted, 262hp V8 engine boasting advanced components such as the four-barrel carburetor, rear-wheel drive, a glorious fold-forward windshield assembly in lieu of doors, and "futuristic" features like electronic digital instrument displays, a radio with seek capability, automatic temperature control, a rear-vision camera, and a quasi-GPS system called the "Pathfinder". Come to think of it, that sounds an awful lot like the present — only most of our cars aren't this good looking.
Homage T-Shirts
Behold the awesome old school goodness of these vintage-printed, buttery-soft Homage T-Shirts. They turn back the clock with shout outs to eclectic moments and personalities in sports, music, politics and popular culture. From Bruce Lee to Larry Bird, the tees tell stories of triumph, individualism and hustle. Pay Homage.
1969 BMW Spicup
And you thought a matter of months was a long time to wait for a concept car to become real. The 1969 BMW Spicup ($TBA) has been hidden away for over 20 years — after nearly as many years of use — only recently rearing its futurism-from-the-past head at an auction. Features include a 2.8L SOHC straight-six engine, a retractable roof — novel for the time — designed by Enzo Cingolani, and a completely restored body and interior that replaces some... interesting design choices, such as rust-friendly untreated metal body panels and termite-attracting wooden bumpers.
Volkswagen Buggy Up Concept
VW has a knack for making fun cars, and the Volkswagen Buggy Up Concept ($TBA) is no exception. Based on the company's new Up! city car and inspired by the Beetle-based beach buggies of the '60s, the Buggy Up features a reinforced underbody, a roof-less and door-less exterior, neoprene-covered seats, a completely waterproof interior, and an iPod-powered infotainment system that pulls out to serve as a portable sound system. Sadly, there's no word yet on a production model, but you can put us down for one if/when it ever appears.
Mercedes-Benz F125 Concept
When you've been in business for 125 years — and spent many of them making arguably the world's finest production vehicles — you're allowed to "dream big" sometimes. Which helps to explain the Mercedes-Benz F125 Concept ($TBA). The F125 might just offer a glimpse of our motoring future, with its hybrid electric/hydrogen propulsion, e4MATIC all-wheel-drive, touch, speech, and gesture controls for the car's various functions, which you'll monitor on the 3D and projector-beam displays, fully-realized Internet integration, and enormous but lightweight gullwing doors that offer access to both the front and rear passenger compartments. Let's just hope it doesn't take another 125 years for something like this to hit the road.
Jaguar C-X16 Concept
Judging by its sleek, Aston Martin-ish form, you might think that the Jaguar C-X16 Concept ($TBA) was bound to become the company's new flagship speedster. You'd be wrong. Instead, the C-X16 is designed to compete with more affordable sporting coupes, but doesn't skimp on the performance, thanks to a supercharged, 3.0L V6 pumping out 376 horsepower that's paired with an eight-speed gearbox and an electric motor that's linked to a "Push to Pass" button on the steering wheel, boosting output another 92hp and allowing for a 0-62 time of just 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph. We're not sure when we might see it in production form, but we can guarantee it won't be soon enough. [Scouted by Stuart]
Ford Evos Concept
Sometimes concept cars are simply production model previews. The Ford Evos Concept ($TBA) is not one of them. This four-door, four-seat fastback operates on a lithium-ion plug-in hybrid powertrain, and apart from the strikingly sexy body and gullwing-style front and rear doors makes technology the focus, with features like a heart-rate monitoring seat, allergy-free interior, and the ability to communicate with the cloud and other wireless devices such as your cell phone, letting it perform crazy-future tasks like automatically playing the same music that you were just streaming at your house, heat or cool the interior to an ideal temperature before you get in the car by predicting when you're going to leave based on your calendar, automatically close the garage door and turn off lights as you pull out of the driveway, and tons of other Jetsons-ish tasks that are bound to make us even lazier.
Cadillac Ciel Concept
Ever watch an old period piece and yearn for the casual, oversized, four-seat convertibles of the early 20th century? Apparently so do the designers at Cadillac, as that seems to be the inspiration for the Cadillac Ciel Concept ($TBA). This elongated drop-top boasts a hybrid system pairing a lithium-ion battery with a twin-turbocharged, 3.6L V6, four full-sized doors with suicides in the rear, a polished aluminum windshield frame, an interior borne of body-colored panels, wood, and leather, 22-inch rims featuring brushed nickel plating overtop milled aluminum, carbon ceramic brake rotors, LED lighting elements, a power-assisted transmission shifter, heating and cooling features in all the seats, and tons of other features that recall a bygone era of simple luxury.
Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept
Own a piece of automotive design history by placing the winning bid on the Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept ($150,000-$200,000; auction). Based on the Ford GT and inspired by the 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe, this front-engine, two-seat fastback was one of only two such vehicles built, and features 12-spoke, 19-wheels, a distinctive Kamm tail with quad exhaust ports and vertical tail lamps, and an overall design that's futuristic but unmistakably Shelby. Unfortunately for those of you looking forward to driving it, this particular unit was a platform model, and therefore has no engine, drivetrain, or interior.
BMW i Series
We knew it was only a matter of time before BMW got into the electric car game, but we never thought the design of their first models would take the idea so literally. The BMW i Series ($TBA) includes two models that wouldn't be out of place in a sci-fi flick — the all-electric, rear-wheel drive i3 hatchback, which offers 170 hp, seating for four, a top speed of 93 mph, and a 0-60 time of under eight seconds, and the hybrid i8 coupe, which pairs an electric motor running the front wheels and a turbocharged three-cylinder powering the rears for all-wheel drive possibilities, limited range all-electric driving, a 0-60 time of under five seconds, and a perfect 50/50 weight distribution ratio. No word on whether the production models will be as... funky as the concepts.