Peugeot Le Mans Dealer Creates 208 Rallye Concept, Should the French Automaker Build it?

If you lived or grew up in Europe during the late 1980s through the early 2000s, you will no doubt remember the iconic Rallye series from Peugeot, which started out with the 205 supermini and continued with the 306 compact and the smaller 106.

The common denominator of the series was that the Rallye models were usually based on fast versions of their respective hatchback counterparts (i.e. the 106 XSi and 306 GTI) but did away with most luxury amenities such as electric windows and mirrors, the heavy seats and in some cases, even power assisted steering and airbags.

Peugeot's ultimate goal was to lower the cars' weight to improve performance and handling while also offering them at a lower price point – something that made the Rallye models extremely popular with driving enthusiasts on a budget.

Today, Peugeot is looking to re-enter the sports hatch segment with the new 208 GTi that is lighter at 1,160kg (2,557 pounds), smaller, and thanks to its new 197hp (200PS) 1.6-liter turbo engine, more powerful than the disappointing 206 and 207 GTi models.

Read more »

Concepts , New Cars , Peugeot , Peugeot 208 , Peugeot Concepts

ARK Performance and Hyundai Preparing Genesis Coupe R-Spec Track Edition for 2012 SEMA Show

With all the commotion surrounding this week's Paris Motor Show, it would be easy to overlook the 2012 edition of the SEMA Show, which will take place from October 30 to November 2 in Las Vegas.

Hyundai wants to remind us of the upcoming event by teasing one of the many tuned concept models it plans to unveil at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Read more »

Concepts , Hyundai , Hyundai Concepts , Hyundai Genesis Coupe , Racing , SEMA Show , Tuning

Carscoop’s A to Z Guide to the 2012 Paris Motor Show

The European car market may be in trouble because of the financial crisis that’s been dragging on for a long time now, but carmakers are gearing up to display their latest models in the City of Light.

From September 29 until October 14, the Paris Expo at the Porte de Versailles will host some of this year’s most important world premieres.

The French automakers have chosen the 2012 Paris Auto Show to launch models like the all-new Renault Clio, the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Citroen DS3 Cabrio.

Read more »

Concepts , New Cars , Paris Auto Show , Reports

Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept Realistically Imagined

About a month ago, Bentley showed a Mulsanne Convertible Concept to a select few at the 2012 edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The automaker did not allow anyone to take pictures and simply told us about the special unveiling sharing a few sketches in the process.

The reason why Bentley is holding back remains a mystery but it may have something to do with all the negative press it received with the EXP 9 F SUV Concept.

Read more »

bentley , Bentley Concepts , Bentley Mulsanne , Concepts

Fiat 500 Bellavista Design Concepts for Stylish Speedster and Roadster Variants

The Fiat 500 is beloved subject for many professional and amateur designers to express their creativity and skills. The 500 concept studies bundled under the Bellavista moniker that you see pictured here are the work of the students from the Polytechnic of Milan and Madeindreams.

The students developed two similar prototypes based on the Abarth 500. The first is a two-seater roadster model with a regular windshield, beefed up wheel arches, a double canopy behind the headrests and re-styled front and rear bumpers.

Read more »

Concepts , Fiat , Fiat 500 , Fiat Concepts

New Daihatsu UFC Concept Doesn't Have a Fighting Chance to Enter Production Anytime Soon

Daihatsu's Indonesian subsidiary Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) has prepared a concept vehicle never seen before for visitors to this week's 20th Indonesia International Motor Show in Jakarta.

The brand new study is named UFC - and no, it doesn’t stand for Ultimate Fighting Championship but Ultra Functional Compact. ADM says it designed the crossover model after it "carefully studied customers’ needs in Indonesia".

Read more »

Asia , Concepts , Daihatsu , Daihatsu Concepts

Daihatsu Exhibits D-R and D-X Roadster Concepts at Indonesia International Motor Show

The 20th Indonesia International Motor Show that takes place in the capital city of Jakarta from September 20 to 30, saw Toyota's subsidiary, Daihatsu displaying two concept roadsters at its stand.

The D-R and D-X, first seen at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, represent two different styles in the small roadster segment, with both cars based on the same chassis and powered by a 660cc (0.66-liters) two-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct-injection technology.

Read more »

Asia , Concepts , Daihatsu , Daihatsu Concepts

Peugeot Onyx Supercar Gets Scooter Concept Sibling, will Also Debut in Paris

The public outside of Europe may not generally know it, but Peugeot has a long history in the motorcycle segment having introduced its first bike back towards the end of the 1800s and continues to do so today offering 14 different models including scooters, multi-gear bikes and mopeds with engine capacities from 50cc to 500cc (0.5-liters).

At next week's 2012 Paris Motor Show, the French company will present a new prototype three-wheeler named the Onyx Concept Scooter, and yes, as you may have guessed already, it was inspired by the 680HP diesel-electric Onyx Hybrid Supercar Concept.

Read more »

Concepts , Electric Vehicles , Hybrids , motorcycles , Paris Auto Show , Peugeot , Peugeot Concepts