Maserati Kubang crossover unveiled at Frankfurt Motor Show


Italian luxury carmaker Maserati has confirmed their intentions of joining the crossover four-wheel-drive bandwagon with the debut of Maserati Kubang concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Kubang concept, which is in its second iteration, first one being the one that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2003, will be a high-end “sport-luxury” SUV aiming to provide supreme driving pleasure and a luxury atmosphere. While the Kubang’s engine, which shall be mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, is set to be developed by Ferrari, expect this Maserati SUV to borrow some basic 4×4 juice from its Fiat-owned sister brand Jeep; and rumours are that this may even roll out from the same plant as the Jeep Grand Cherokee since it will share the same platform.

There is no word on any specific details of the Kubang, nor there is any confirmation on when the Kubang shall go into production. And whether it really can roll in with a bang remains to be seen.

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Maserati Kubang SUV: Super luxury vehicles belie gloomy outlook

  • Lamborghini's racy Gallardo, Maserati's concept SUV and the new hardtop Ferrari 458 Spider on display at the Frankfurt Auto Show immediately dispel any gloom emanating from the European Central Bank tower across town where bankers are trying to salvage Europe's single currency.

    The super luxury automakers are coming out in force — pledging higher sales and offering ever sexier models despite growing economic uncertainty.

    Maserati showed off its new sport luxury SUV Kubang, which it plans to start building in 2013, completing a range that currently includes the GranTurismo four-door sedan and the QuattroPorte two-door coupe. Maseratihas also announced plans to add a small sedan to the lineup.

    Maserati CEO Harald Wester's goal is to produce 20,000 of the SUVs a year in an ambitious bid to boostMaserati's worldwide sales to 40,000 by 2014, from 6,400 in 2010.


BMW Motorrad Concept e - Web Exclusive Design concept for a BMW electro-scooter. Read more: http://www.europeancarweb.com/news/epcp_1109_bmw_motorrad

Bmw Motorrad Concept E
Individual mobility is increasingly defined in terms of sustainability. The BMW Group has taken on the challenges of a rapidly changing world and is now developing serial production solutions to meet the mobility needs of the future. As an integrated part of the BMW Group, BMW Motorrad is also addressing issues of individual single-track mobility and future customer needs. In this connection, BMW Motorrad is expanding its business activities to include a new facet: that of "Urban Mobility".

Building on almost 90 years of experienced in the field of motorized two-wheel vehicles, BMW Motorrad is drawing on the conceptual benefits of single-track vehicles to develop innovative solutions, adding a new dimension to the area of urban commuting.

Before the end of this year, BMW Motorrad will establish its new

Bmw Motorrad Concept E
"Urban Mobility" area with two premium vehicles in the maxi scooter segment. The BMW maxi scooters combine the functionality of a scooter with the riding pleasure of a motorcycle. Both vehicles are powered by high-performance and efficient 2-cylinder combustion engines.

Based on the BMW Group's sustainability strategy, BMW Motorrad aims to put a premium offer on the market in the area of electromobility in the foreseeable future. At the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA), BMW will be presenting its design concept in this area for the first time: "BMW Concept e".

Visionary design for a new drive concept.

Bmw Motorrad Concept E Rear
The design study BMW Concept e embodies the vision of an electrically powered scooter made by BMW Motorrad. Increasing limitations in traffic space, growing traffic density as well as both ecological and economical challenges give rise to new demands in the area of private transport in the major conurbation areas in particular. An e-scooter with sustainable technological solutions and the aesthetic design of the Concept e provides a response to these changing urban mobility needs.

At the IAA in Frankfurt, BMW i presents visionary vehicles which are individually tailored to their respective purpose - the BMW i3 Concept and the

BMW i8 Concept. They have a completely new "LifeDrive Architecture" specially developed for electrical drive and radically different from conventional vehicle construction. With its fascinating overall concept, the BMW i8 Concept with plug-in hybrid drive is the vision of a sustainable sports car come true. The BMW i3 Concept is the automobile with consistently sustainable design, conceived specifically for an urban setting.

With its Concept e, BMW Motorrad shows how attractive and fascinating the interpretation of the theme of electrical drive on two wheels can be in terms of design, while at the same time attracting attention to its new business area "Urban Mobility".

Concept e - a vision with a future.

Bmw Motorrad Concept E Front
The Concept e is a vision: BMW Motorrad designers have developed the style and shaping of the e-scooter of the future - electric, digital, dynamic. The designers deliberately allowed themselves plenty of freedom so as to be able to strike out new, creative paths in the design of components and surfaces.

The shaping and precision achieved reflect the core values of BMW Motorrad: emotion, dynamic performance and innovation. At the same time, the purist, clear design, coloring and choice of materials instantly suggest a clean, efficient yet agile single-track vehicle which allows one to move effortlessly through city traffic.

So the design concept study Concept e is more than just an idea for a new vehicle. In addition to technical functionality and quality, the BMW Motorrad designers attach importance to an emotional dialogue between rider and vehicle. Their basic premise is that a vehicle has to do more than just function - it has to arouse the rider's emotions, too. It has to inspire the rider again and again, as well as reflect its specific technological features.

So in the case of the Concept e, the main aim was to translate the special character of electric drive technology to the vehicle's outward appearance.

The Concept e is the conceptual blueprint of a scooter able to set new standards with innovative premium electrical drive and provide a sound alternative form of mobility suitable for everyday use in the dense traffic of the constantly expanding conurbation areas and cities of the world today.

BMW i3 and i8 concepts feature new LifeDrive platform

These are the BMW i3 and the i8 Concepts, the two members of the new BMW i family that BMW previewed last week at Messe Frankfurt. The BMW i3 was originally known as the BMW Megacity Vehicle, and it will be BMW’s first series-produced all-electric vehicle, and you’ll see the i8 sports car in the upcoming Mission Impossible movie.

BMW started off the BMW M sub brand for high performance versions of its cars. The company had to evolve with times, and with the rise of the popularity of the SUV came the BMW X brand along with xDrive.

Now as the world continues to change with the times and the idea of mobility continues to evolve – BMW has responded with the creation of a sub-brand which meets the changing needs of customers head-on: BMW i. BMW i is all visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design, and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.

“The purpose-oriented and sustainable mobility solutions from BMW i mark the dawn of a new era in personal mobility for the automotive industry,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing.

The BMW i brand started off as a think tank called project i back in 2007. BMW had set project i up to explore sustainable mobility solutions, intended to generate a transfer of expertise into both the company as a whole, as well as future vehicle projects.

Quite interestingly, the sustainability goals extended way beyond just the vehicles themselves. The development engineers focused on the entire value chain – not just the end result products. Every parts-related process, technology, supplier – they’ve all been required to contribute to the sustainability rating of the products. The goal is to reduce resources consumption and emissions per vehicle produced by 30 per cent over 2006 levels by 2012.

But the i3 (and the i8) are not “conversion” cars. Their chassis architecture was built from ground up to house an electric drive train. While in a combustion engine car it might make sense for the engine to be up front with the gearbox, the petrol tank at the rear and etc, this might not be the best way to house the components necessary for an electric drive.

Electric drive components place totally different demands on a vehicle when it comes to installation space and cannot be integrated into that vehicle without adding weight and compromising interior and boot space.


These are the BMW i3 and the i8 Concepts, the two members of the new BMW i family that BMW previewed last week at Messe Frankfurt. The BMW i3 was originally known as the BMW Megacity Vehicle, and it will be BMW’s first series-produced all-electric vehicle, and you’ll see the i8 sports car in the upcoming Mission Impossible movie.

BMW started off the BMW M sub brand for high performance versions of its cars. The company had to evolve with times, and with the rise of the popularity of the SUV came the BMW X brand along with xDrive.

Now as the world continues to change with the times and the idea of mobility continues to evolve – BMW has responded with the creation of a sub-brand which meets the changing needs of customers head-on: BMW i. BMW i is all visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design, and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.

“The purpose-oriented and sustainable mobility solutions from BMW i mark the dawn of a new era in personal mobility for the automotive industry,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing.

The BMW i brand started off as a think tank called project i back in 2007. BMW had set project i up to explore sustainable mobility solutions, intended to generate a transfer of expertise into both the company as a whole, as well as future vehicle projects.

Quite interestingly, the sustainability goals extended way beyond just the vehicles themselves. The development engineers focused on the entire value chain – not just the end result products. Every parts-related process, technology, supplier – they’ve all been required to contribute to the sustainability rating of the products. The goal is to reduce resources consumption and emissions per vehicle produced by 30 per cent over 2006 levels by 2012.

Anyway, let’s look at the two concept cars. First up – the BMW i3 concept, previously known as the BMW Megacity Vehicle. It is the BMW Group’s first all-electric car intended for series production, focused on the mobility challenges of ultra urban areas. BMW is not the first to the end of the line in the race to start selling a production EV – there are already other cars on sale such as the Nissan LEAF, but this is a premium EV.

It kinda looks like a typical hatchback, and you can even imagine perhaps that space in front of the passenger cell where the combustion engine might be in a conventional car might house the i3′s electric motor.

But the i3 (and the i8) are not “conversion” cars. Their chassis architecture was built from ground up to house an electric drive train. While in a combustion engine car it might make sense for the engine to be up front with the gearbox, the petrol tank at the rear and etc, this might not be the best way to house the components necessary for an electric drive.

Electric drive components place totally different demands on a vehicle when it comes to installation space and cannot be integrated into that vehicle without adding weight and compromising interior and boot space.

Because of a chassis designed for a combustion engine, many of these “conversion EVs” have lots of restrictions and compromises because of the legacy architecture they are based on, and sometimes the cars end up having an odd weight distribution, or a very heavy weight. The MINI E is an example of a conversion electric car – a regular MINI chassis converted to use batteries. BMW says the i3 is much lighter than the MINI E because it was designed from ground up as an electric car. The 1-Series was also ‘converted’ into the BMW ActiveE Concept.

Enter BMW’s LifeDrive architecture, which is built from ground up for electric car construction. It’s divided into two parts – the Life module which contains the ‘life’ or the passengers, and the Drive module which contains the drive equipment like the engine, electric motor and batteries. These modules are said to be separate, independent functional units.

The Drive module houses the vehicle’s suspension, battery, drive system, and structural and crash functions into a construction made mainly from aluminum. The secure arrangement of the battery in the Drive module gives the vehicle a very low centre of gravity and optimum weight distribution.

The passengers sit in the Life module, consisting of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The use of CFRP ensures the Life module is remarkably light, helping counter the weight of the other components, thus helping achieve better range and power.

You might worry about the idea of something that has the word “plastic” on it surrounding you and protecting you on the highway. Like the cockpit of a F1 car, the CFRP passenger cell provides an extremely strong survival area. While regular metal chassis constructions require the addition of large energy absorption zones, special deformation elements in the CFRP structure allow large amounts of energy to be absorbed in an amazingly small area.

With the drive components located in the Drive module, there is no centre tunnel running through the passenger compartment. This allows, if necessary, the left and right seats in a row to be connected with each other by a continuous seat surface, which allows for a relatively more comfortable entry and exit via the front passenger side of the car and means you can park one side of your car up close to walls, for example.

All of this sounds very high tech but it actually kinda reminds me of the old way of constructing cars – body on frame instead of unibody, a technique still used today in most pick-up trucks.

Although both the i3 and the i8 are based on the LifeDrive architecture, the geometric implementation of the concept differs in the two models, having been adapted to suit their different usages. The BMW i3 Concept features a horizontal-split variant of the LifeDrive platform optimised to accommodate the car’s electric drive system.

Here, the Life module is simply mounted on top of the Drive module. The 170hp/250Nm compact (smaller than a typical internal combustion engine, and 40% smaller than the MINI E’s motor) motor is mounted at the rear axle, while the rest of the space in the Life module contains a large battery to provide the electric-only i3 Concept a longer range. The battery is penned in by aluminium profiles, which protect it from external impacts. Crash-active structures in front and behind it provide the necessary energy absorption in the event of a front- or rear-end collision.

An integrated liquid cooling system keeps the battery at its optimal operating temperature at all times, which helps to significantly boost the performance and life expectancy of the cells. The climate/heating system cools the fluid circulating in the battery housing via a heat exchanger. Because the cooling system of an electric car is different, there’s really no need for a radiator grille at the front, so to improve aerodynamics, the i3 is designed with no air vents at the front – the kidney grille is decorative.

The battery can be fully recharged in six hours at a standard power socket. If a high-speed charger is used, an 80 per cent charge can be achieved in just one hour. The i3′s electric motor via a single speed transmission gearbox takes it from 0 to 60km/h in under 4 seconds. It hits 100km/h in about 8 seconds. It hits an electronically governed top speed of 150km/h.

If necessary, BMW has designed for the i3′s LifeDrive platform to be able to accommodate a small petrol engine as a range extender. This range extender (REx) engine will be integrated together with the electric motor in the rear axle.

The BMW i3 Concept also has a high recycled material content. 25 per cent of the interior plastics by weight have been replaced by recycled and renewable materials, as have 25 per cent by weight of the exterior thermoplastic components, while the CFRP used in the Life Module consists of 10 per cent recycled material.

The use of recycled CFRP in this form is currently unique. The CFRP produced by BMW’s joint venture partner at the Moses Lake plant in USA is made with electricity generated entirely from hydroelectric power. A total of more than 80 per cent of the aluminium used in the BMW i3 Concept is produced either using renewable energy or from secondary material


FRANKFURT: BMW I8 Meet BMW's range-extender supercar


The BMW i8 is a modern-day 6-series that defies numerous conventions. Unlike its sister car from BMW's new 'i' eco sub-brand it is not all-electric - mounted in the back there's also a 220hp 1.5-litre three-pot turbo.

Up front, however, is the 170hp electric motor from the i3. Powered by lithium ion batteries with two-hour plug-in recharge capability the i8 boasts a 20-mile electric-only range. The engine then takes over, Chevrolet Volt range-extender style, but, more importantly, combines with the electric motor to provide eye-opening performance. Such as 0-62mph in under five seconds and a top speed capped to 155mph. It's four-wheel drive too, remember.


The real head-spinner is fuel economy. BMW says this will return more than 94mpg, despite all that performance. Even handling has promise because BMW has retained its 50:50 weight distribution and, thanks to batteries mounted in the central tunnel, also engineered in a low centre of gravity.

It looks absolutely fantastic. There are no BMW design oddities here - the see-through bits are to show off the LifeDrive construction and will be toned down for production. LifeDrive means, as with the i3, a rigid lower drive module onto which the pioneering carbon fibre reinforced plastic 'life module' is attached.


The headline fact is that it's coming to a showroom virtually as we see it here: the i3 will be launched in 2013 and BMW says the i8 will follow

BMW i8 plug-in hybrid concept

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Global car giant BMW has released the details of its new sub company and brand. This is the brand that will take care of their new hybrid and electrical powered cars. This is a massive statement of intent that the prestigious car manufacturer is looking into the new power source in a big way.

The BMW brand has stated its intention to focus on new sustainable mobility source. It has been rumored that the new models will be named the i3 and i8 and are set for release to the market in 2013. BMW are however hoping that this new brand will grow rapidly and have showed their intent to back the project. They have recently set up a new venture capital vehicle in New York and have placed the massive sum of $100m as a slush fund for the new launch.

The BMW spokesperson said that the new BMW i has been set up to offer visionary cars and services. Their design and technical make up will be base around inspiration and a new concept of premium mobility. The main focus of the new BMW i will be on long term sustainability and new energy options.

The i3 will be a bold step for the global car giant and will be the first all electric car built for the urban environment. It has been murmured that the new models will use a similar driveline to the design of the 1 series which is a very impressive design. The i3 and i8 have been previewed by the companies top brass and the project is moving at pace.

The company has designed a completely new construction method which again is a bold step and they have dubbed this process Life Drive architecture. This new technology produces a new extremely low weight platform which will cancel out the heavy weight of the lithium ion batteries.

The new models will be a huge leap forward for the sustainability car market and hopefully will push forward the number of cars on the market.

Steve is the chief writer at the compare shop, we write articles around our top categories Compare Car Insurance and Compare Home Insurance we also write about LCD TV and electrical reviews.




Frankfurt 2011: BMW Debuts i3, i8 Concepts; Talks Green Manufacturing, Laser Headlights Read more: http://rumors.automobilemag.com/frankfurt-2011-bmw


While the i3 is an everyday city car - albeit a very sophisticated one at that, the second member of BMW’s new i series that made its way to Frankfurt is an altogether different concept. Derived from the 2009 Vision EfficientDynamics study, the futuristic-looking i8 will enter production in 2013.

Hiding under the lightweight CFRP for skin is an extended range hybrid drivetrain comprising of a front-mounted electric motor sourced from the i3 and a rear-mounted 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol unit. The gasoline unit drives the rear wheels through a dual clutch transmission, while the electric motor uses a twin-speed transmission to turn the front wheels.

Combined maximum output of the two drive systems is 349HP and 550 Nm (405.6 lb-ft) of torque, which makes it more powerful than the previous-generation M3. The sprint to 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes just 4.6 seconds and top speed is electronically limited at 250 km/h (155 mph).

According to BMW, the 2+2-seater i8 returns an average fuel consumption of just 2.7 lt/100 km (87mpg US).


BMW-i8-concept-front-three-quarters-view-2
It seemed like every carmaker present at the Frankfurt Motor Show was focused on demonstrating its commitment to saving the world by the grace of small electric or hybrid city cars. BMW was no different, taking the opportunity to publicly unveil the i3 electric city car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car concepts.

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer prefaced the cars’ arrival by showing off a BMW 1602e, which was specifically converted to electric drive for the 1972 Olympics. The battery-powered 1602e was used to accompany marathon runners during that year’s Olympic Games in Munich.

The i3 and i8, though, are far more modern. Their chassis are made from aluminum, and their passenger compartments from carbon fiber. By saving weight with these materials, BMW has managed to counteract the additional weight of batteries that usually makes electric cars so heavy.

While the cars themselves will be very energy efficient, producing the carbon fiber needed for them requires lots of energy. To offset that, all the carbon fiber for the i3 and i8 will be made at a Moses Lake, Washington, factory that is powered exclusively by a zero-emissions hydroelectric plant.

“With the BMW i family, we’re heading in a totally new direction — emission-free driving, cutting-edge materials, and sustainable production,” Reithofer said.

One other neat trick to cut power usage: the i8 concept is the first application of BMW’s new laser headlight system. The diode laser-based headlights apparently use just half the energy of modern LED headlights. They also allow light to be focused on specific areas as needed by the driver.

Though they are just concept cars for now, the BMW i3 and i8 will go on sale in late 2013 or early 2014.


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Land Rover DC100 previews new Defender (photos)



The DC100 concept is specified with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and would use an advanced form of Land Rover's current Terrain Response System. The new system does not require the driver to select the terrain type, instead using sensors and a camera to determine the driving surface, and automatically adapting its four-wheel drive, stability, and suspension. The driver can also decouple the rear wheels from the drive system at the touch of a button for optimal fuel economy.


BMW i8 plug-in hybrid concept (photos)









BMW's new brand, i, embodies new ideas for low to zero emission vehicles, all while retaining classic BMW handling and power. The i8 concept is designed as a hybrid, using a new system with an electric motor driving the front wheels, and a powerful 3 cylinder engine driving the rear. The lithium ion battery pack gives the car 20 miles of pure electric range, and recharges from the gas engine, regenerative braking, or an external, plug-in power source.

BMW i8 plug-in hybrid concept (photos)









BMW's new brand, i, embodies new ideas for low to zero emission vehicles, all while retaining classic BMW handling and power. The i8 concept is designed as a hybrid, using a new system with an electric motor driving the front wheels, and a powerful 3 cylinder engine driving the rear. The lithium ion battery pack gives the car 20 miles of pure electric range, and recharges from the gas engine, regenerative braking, or an external, plug-in power source.