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It looks nifty with the doors and cockpit open. Too bad it just looks dopey on the road.
 
Soo... is it supposed to look ugly?
I reckon it looks ok, not ugly as some may think. However remember this is only rendered work of what the car could look like in real life.

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Source: AutoCar

VW plans Lotus-tuned Phaeton coupe

olkswagen engineers are working with Lotus on a large coupe that's in the early stages of development.

Autocar sources spotted a number of Wolfsburg-registered vehicles at Lotus's Hethel HQ over the last few weeks.

An insider at Lotus told Autocar last week that engineers were working on a 'big coupe' for VW.

The latest rumour is that vehicle will be a direct rival for the Mercedes SL and will be based on the next-generation Volkswagen Phaeton.

Since then, a very early prototype has been spotted on the country lanes around Hethel. It appears to be a two-door Audi A8 with a dramatically cut-down wheelbase and the correct proportions for large coupe-cabriolet.

Although there has been no confirmation, the A8-derived mule suggests that the next-generation Phaeton could be based on the Audi A8's aluminium spaceframe chassis. Such a move would neatly follow Mercedes¹s decision to also build the next-generation SL around an aluminium chassis.

The VW Phaeton was the pet project of then-VW Group boss Ferdinand Piech. One of his aims for VW was to drive the brand upmarket and directly target Mercedes.

Although the Phaeton has sold relatively slowly it looks like Piech ­- now chairman of the VW supervisory board and major shareholder in Porsche -­ has insisted that an expanded Phaeton family survives for a second generation.

The co-operation between Lotus and VW has another intriguing aspect. VW is said to be close to buying the ailing Malaysian car-maker Proton. Lotus is also owned by parent company Proton Holdings. A buy-out could eventually bring Lotus and VW even closer together.
 
Volkswagen are geniuses. Having problems shifting Phaetons? Make a more expensive version and Robert is your mother's brother!
 
Piech has officially taken control of the company once again, it seems. I figured the first thing he would have done was revive the W12, though.
 
Is it just me, or is that hideous?
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Hmm that seems to be the foam model that was at the Canadian autoshow....Here is the more normal looking production version.....

 
Source: 4car

MPs want driving age increased

MPs want the minimum driving age to be raised from 17 to 18 in order to stop young people 'killing themselves and others'.

The House of Commons transport committee, in a report called Novice Drivers, is also recommending that learner drivers spread lessons over the course of a year before taking the test, with drivers completing a set minimum number of lessons with a structured syllabus. This would also involve extending hazard-perception training, using computer simulators to encourage better habits in young drivers-to-be.

Other proposals contained in the report include a complete alcohol ban on new drivers and a ban from carrying passengers aged 10-20 between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

The government said it would consider the proposals, adding that young driver safety was already a priority. Government figures show that a third of road deaths involve a car driven by a person aged 17-25, although this group accounts for just one in eight licence-holders. In 1992, there were 12.6 deaths on the road for every 100,000 motorists aged 17-20. By 2005, the figure had risen to 19.2.

Transport committee chairman Gwyneth Dunwoody, Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, said: 'The time has come for a revolutionary change. Bold measures are required to reduce the number of people killed and injured in crashes involving young drivers. Novice drivers are extremely vulnerable and pose considerable risks.'

She also added: 'I think some males would like to drive at 11. But the reality is that we aren't talking about people having the odd crunch... but about people killing themselves and killing others.
 
I'm pretty sure he burgled Ascari's headlight reserves...
 
So that's where the M14 went. And it looks like it's been to the tailor. Nice aero setup. 👍
I also like the fact that 1G has kept its tag in the same range as would be to get a Noble these days. 👍

Hmm that seems to be the foam model that was at the Canadian autoshow....Here is the more normal looking production version.....

I like the front, but this angle makes the car look bad. The rear is just too stretched back, almost as if it was ready to drag race.
 
Source: 4car

MPs want driving age increased

MPs want the minimum driving age to be raised from 17 to 18 in order to stop young people 'killing themselves and others'

Why are politicians so idiotic?

If anything, the driving age should be decreased on the grounds that advanced driving schools, teaching the science and physics of vehicles as well as proper car control, are made mandatory for all students from the age of 14 and above.
 
I don't see the point in anyone below 17 being allowed to drive, because people in schools in the UK are less disciplined, which means one thing I reckon there is more trouble in schools in the UK then schools in Australia.

But the whole reason I say this is if both these mix together, then it is bad for road safety.
 
They should increase the age to 21..
Don't make me hunt you down and kill you!

I think that engine power (which is already controlled by insurance costs, but of course the rich can avoid it) should be controlled so the cars are painfully boring and pass plus should be compulsory.

I understand that you can still have accidents at slow speeds but increasing the driving age is just going to lead more, older youths (That's me) collecting on street corners.
 
I see your point Evan, iand I agree with you. What needs to be done to combat that is a: a better method of testing before you can get your license and b: perhaps a limit on your license that you can only drive a car under a certain insurance group and/or level of power until you have 3 years experience under you or something like that. I would say 1 year accident free, but you can simply have a crash and not claim and who would know. So I think 3 years experience regardless would be an overall better starting point.
 
I see your point Evan, iand I agree with you. What needs to be done to combat that is a: a better method of testing before you can get your license and b: perhaps a limit on your license that you can only drive a car under a certain insurance group and/or level of power until you have 3 years experience under you or something like that. I would say 1 year accident free, but you can simply have a crash and not claim and who would know. So I think 3 years experience regardless would be an overall better starting point.

We have restrictions like that in my state already and the driving age is 18.

I agree the the experience, I think that most people should have at least 2 years of driving experience before the are allowed to drive alone. Licences being able to be given at 17 means that kids should be learning to drive at 15 or probably even earlier. Which in my opinion is too low for the vast majority of the population.

Yes, car control and emergency driver training should be put into the curriculum, but no amount of that substitutes from real-world, on-the-road experience.
 
I don't see the point in anyone below 17 being allowed to drive, because people in schools in the UK are less disciplined, which means one thing I reckon there is more trouble in schools in the UK then schools in Australia.

But the whole reason I say this is if both these mix together, then it is bad for road safety.

I must point out that here in Michigan, you are usually allowed to begin drivers training at the age of 14 and 8 months, receive a graduated license at 16 (allowing you to drive alone), and full privileges at the age of 17. It has been said that Michigan has some of the most-strict driving standards in the US, and while we may start our training quite young, the seriousness of what they are doing is drilled-in early, and thusly, I find that many Michigan drivers are more than capable by comparison to even nearby Indiana and Illinois drivers.

Part of why it may work so well here is that the car is so ingrained in American culture, and thusly, people view it as something that they have to work quite hard for, and generally do not wish to lose. Much of that may be to blame on the fact that every American feels entitled to have a car, no matter where they live, which I believe is a dramatic difference by comparison to much of Europe, where a bike or the bus would be more than suffice to get about day-to-day.

I know at the ripe age of 15 when I took my driving tests, I performed well-above-average in my class. Although I was docked for a silly infraction on my final test (a rolling-stop at a stop sign), those 30 points were the only I had ever accumulated during the two-month process the initial training requires. To elaborate, each drive had a 100-point limit you could reach before you were penalized, and the closest I had ever heard of anyone coming to the limit was a 75. My low score was likely do to the fact that I had been driving for a while to begin with, be it my Grandfather's truck, the tractor at home, or other things such a go-karts, etc.

So where am I going with this?

Kids have to be ready and willing to drive, and while pushing limits north may seem like a good idea, it won't be the solution to all of the problems. People are going to be immature while driving whether they are 15, 18, or 21... Take a look at China, a country where an ever-increasing number of people are driving, and furthermore the accident rates are exceedingly high by comparison to those in the US or most of Europe. Those drivers are often much older than most of us Anglos would be when they start, and they perform far worse than we do.

As they say here in the US, "You can't fix stupid," and increasing the age won't do much to help, IMO.
 
What's the difference between a graduated license and a full license?
 
What's the difference between a graduated license and a full license?
In Wisconsin, if you have a probationary (graduated) license, you can carry as many people in your immediate family as you want, but you can only carry one person under 21, and you can't drive between 12:00am and 5:00am unless you're driving to/from home, work, or school.

Michigan's is probably similar.
 
Source: Auto Express

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Next-gen Megane's a real shaker

The Mégane is well known for shaking its round rear, but exclusive spy images in last week's mag reveal the most famous rump in motoring has undergone major surger! The mag's spies captured the first-ever shots of Renault’s next-generation compact family hatchback at a special unveiling – and the big news is that the tail-end styling has been dramatically altered.

In fact, the newcomer marks a truly radical evolution of the family hatchback, which was first launched back in 1995. Leaving almost all of the current Mégane design cues behind, the next-generation car is set to look to the smaller Clio for inspiration when it finally goes on sale in 2009.

And that’s because the firm’s stylists believe the current car’s once-bold appearance is showing its age. They reckon that the compact design of the Clio, matched by the adventurous detailing of the latest Laguna, represents the best way forward.

This comes as no great surprise, as the supermini has always enjoyed great sales success, while the Mégane has generally struggled to break the stronghold of Ford’s Focus in the family car market.

As a result, the new Mégane’s front end will become much more distinctive, with upswept headlamps and a unique grille. In profile, the Clio’s bulging wheelarches and sharp rising waistline have been adapted for the new model’s more detailed, and much fuller, bodywork.

Alloy wheels inspired by the firm’s latest concept cars add to the stylish appearance, but it’s at the rear the new design is most controversial. While the current trademark tail has been shunned in favour of a more angular shape, the results here are no less dramatic. The model snapped by our spies has Renaultsport style twin exhaust pipes and a deep rear bumper for a sporty look.

So far, we have only seen the five-door version – but in typical Renault fashion, company insiders are hinting that the three-door variant is likely to be even more impressive. It’s this version that will be reserved for hot hatch makeovers, and will be engineered specifically to take the performance title from Honda’s Civic Type R.

Estate and folding hard-top CC variants will also form part of the fresh-faced range – although replacements for the Scenic and Grand Scenic models will take longer.

Inside, the changes promise to be just as radical. When the latest Mégane debuted in 2002, all it took was an aircraft-style handbrake to get noticed, but today’s cabins need to be much more imaginative. So we are likely to see sweeping lines on the dashboard, making room for the latest hard-disc-based satellite navigation system and Ren-ault’s next-generation keyless start set-up.

Under the bonnet, the emphasis will be on maximum performance from minimum capacity. Using technology from the Twingo’s 1.2-litre turbocharged engine, the new Megane’s powerplants promise plenty of pace without big fuel and insurance bills.

Taking advantage of the Renault Nissan Alliance, which sees the two manufacturers share design and engineering expertise, the Mégane will be based on the same flexible underpinnings that can already be found under the skin of the Qashqai and latest X-Trail. Although a four-wheel-drive version of the French hatchback is still to be confirmed, Nissan’s versatile architecture is expected to help the new model to establish itself as a serious driver’s car.

This is aided by the fact that the chassis is not only very stiff, but allows engineers to place the wheels at the very edges of the platform. That will mean virtually all of the vehicle’s weight can be distributed within the wheelbase, helping to ensure the car is responsive and well balanced.

However, Renault insiders have suggested that we will have to wait before putting it to the test. Despite making a very early debut courtesy of Auto Express, it will be several months before the Mégane is officially revealed. The limelight at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show will be reserved for the new Laguna, so it won’t be until one of next year’s major expos that we get to see the fresh-faced hatchback in the metal.
 
Let's see..if they make an AWD Megane...

add a 2.0 Turbo, with 300HP...

and Maybe Mid-Mount it....

Evo/STi look out?
 
You know they will of course make a more crazy Megane in-form of a Megane sport most likely.
 
You know, the more I look at this car, the less I like it over the previous Meg.

The thing is, I kinda liked the Megane II's identity. It had a different back and it was proud of it. I know, I'm an American gazing over The Pond with Internet Binoculars, But, after the initial culture shock, I've come to like the Megane as it was. It now loks like any premium Euro hatchback, and my only hope is that Renault goes crazy and builds an MR street version. either the Rally-bred 2.0 turbo I spoke of earlier...or, perhaps steal a few more Nissan bits...like the VQ37. or, perhaps, combine both ideas and go hunt down the tooling for the SR20DET
 
I dislike the new design. I'm not sure if the design is pedestrian safety-based or something, but it looks pretty ugly. The bonnet and top of the nose sit way to high for it to be elegant, and the top of the wheelarches are ridiculously high and bulky. I prefer the previous-gen's styling much more.
 
G.T
I dislike the new design. I'm not sure if the design is pedestrian safety-based or something, but it looks pretty ugly. The bonnet and top of the nose sit way to high for it to be elegant, and the top of the wheelarches are ridiculously high and bulky. I prefer the previous-gen's styling much more.
I quite like it over the old Megane.
 
Looks like a Citroen C6 front end with a Vauxhall Astra rear. :yuck:
 
Source: AutoCar

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Scooped: the new Ford Fiesta

The car you’re looking at may be covered by several sheets of plastic, a layer of camouflage and the apparent remains of a four-man tent, but look past all that; this is the brand new, seventh-generation Ford Fiesta, revealed first, and in detail, by Autocar.co.uk.

Our photographers caught this mule undergoing slow-speed tests at a secret location in Germany last week. Its Ford custodians were evidently keen to keep as much of it under wraps as possible, which explains all those covers. However, they did little to disguise the car’s grille, belt line, head- and tail-lights, or its basic outline, and all of the above mark out this £8k supermini as a fully paid-up member of Ford’s kinetic design model generation.

Styled like its bigger sibling

Have a quick click through our gallery and you’ll recognise the defining styling aspects of this new Fiesta straight away, particularly the front end. The new Mondeo’s grilles, shaped as they are like mirrored trapezoids, are clearly visible, albeit in slightly smaller form than you'll find them on the larger family hatchback. Equally obvious are the car’s diamond-shaped, tapered headlights, which stretch back into the car’s wings.

Looking further back, you can make out a few inches of Ford design boss Martin Smith’s prominent, kicked-out belt line, which is likely to run almost the full length of the car, adding a dose of dynamism to an otherwise ordinary bodyside.

At the rear of the car, the twin trapezoid shapes from the front are echoed in the shape of the bootlid and the rear valance. The Fiesta’s taillights look oversized, with clear lenses, and are set quite high up, at the bottom of the car’s C-pillar rather than around its rump.

Underneath the panels

So what else do we know about this new Fiesta? It’ll be previewed by a concept car at September’s Frankfurt show, and will go on sale in Spring 2008. And it’ll be closely related to Mazda’s brand new 2 supermini, which hits showrooms this autumn.

Mazda has developed Ford’s new global supermini platform architecture as part of the process of bringing the new Mazda 2 to market, and since that car is lighter than the outgoing model, as well as slightly smaller, it’d be wise to expect similar things of the new Ford.

Engines should range from 1.25-litre to 1.6-litre petrol units, and from 1.4- to 1.6-litre diesels. The same 2.0-litre petrol engine as you’ll find in the current Fiesta ST could be employed after launch, to make a new range-topping sports model, but with power increased from 148bhp to around 170bhp.

Prices on the new Fiesta will probably rise slightly relative to the current model, leaving a little more room underneath in Ford’s range for the new Ka, due later in the year, and built on the same architecture as the new Fiat 500.
 
And, of all things, it's a FIESTA.

those tarps cant' be good for aerodynamics. to the point of affecting the car's handling.
 
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