ABT develops a kit for VW Scirocco and increases its power

ABT has already made great tuning works with Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. The most recent product from the German company has been Scirocco, the recently revived coupe from Volkswagen. Although most of the times ABT hits the nail in the head, this time the car looks a little exagerated. Check for yourselves.



Although it looks a little "too much", engines have been revised and present a better output. The 2-litre petrol engine now develops 240 bhp, against 200 bhp from the stock version. The 2-litre turbodiesel engine also has a nice increasing, going from 140 bhp to 170 bhp. Anyway, the version that has had relatively the best improvement is the 1.4-litre TSI unit, which now pumps out 200 bhp. The stock version already had a great performance, with 160 bhp, but 40 bhp are always welcome.

Luckily, all the other items can be bought or not. We would stick with the engine changes and the beautiful alloy wheels, as well as with the suspension kit, for a better handling.






Source: ABT

If Ford EcoSport gets a new generation, would it look like this?

Ford plans to produce the new Ford Fiesta in Brazil to distribute it to other South American markets. Over this car's platform there should be made a new small SUV to replace the current EcoSport. How would this new vehicle look like? Jorge Luiz Fernández bets on this new appearance:



Since this car looks very much like the new Fiesta, we don't think it would be something Ford would try to do. The new EcoSport should indeed have more rounded lines, but it will also be very different from Fiesta in order to maintain its own identity.

The new small SUV should be on the market by 2011, althoug the renderings give the idea it can arrive next year. It sounds a very short deadline for the new car to appear.

Source: Area75 Car Design

VW Fox will receive a restyling in 2009: check out how it should look

The designer Jorge Luiz Fernández has not stopped on the Viva Project, the car that is expected to succeed Corsa in South American countries. Aware of the restyling VW Fox will suffer in 2009, after five years in many markets, including Europe, he has searched for inspiration on up! to reach these ideas for the new car:



Curiously, the up! concept is expected to replace VW Fox in Europe with the name Lupo. Changes for the VW Fox, therefore, should be minimal. They would include only new headlights, hood, fenders and front bumper. At the back, new taillights, with round elements, should replace the current ones. These changes aim to keep Fox up to date with VW' new visual identity, presented for the first time by Scirocco and recently followed by Golf VI.

We do not think the new Fox will not have a front grille, as in the renderings, but the headlights look very feasible. Let's wait for the new car to see how close Fernández got.



Source: Area75 Car Design

Argentinian designer anticipates mass production Viva Project car

When Chevrolet GPiX first appeared, we have warned you about what that concept was revealing. It was an anticipation of the Viva Project, which must place a substitute for Chevrolet Corsa in the South American market, even though GM always declares that both models will coexist. Now, the Argentinian designer Jorge Luiz Fernández gives us an idea on how the series production model should look like:



In the image above you can see two versions of Viva, three and five-door. In Brazil, where the car is supposed to be produced, the three-door version is very unlikely to be produced, unless other markets demand it to be made.




Source: Area75 Car Design

Peugeot presents its idea of crossover, the 3008

When Peugeot presented the Prologue, we have warned our readers it would be named (or numbered) 3008. Today this car has been officially presented by the French automaker, but it does not bring AWD, as everyone expected. This feature has been postponed for 2011, when the company will present the 3008 equipped with its HYbrid4 system.



While the car does not present this feature, it will be only a front-wheel drive car, very similar to a minivan, but if Peugeot calls it a crossover just because it can have 18-inch alloy wheels, we shall put no obstacles to it. Only some irony...

When the 2011 3008 arrives, it will present an electric engine to power the rear wheels. Possibly the same one used by Prologue HYbrid4. It would be a 37 bhp (27 kW) powerplant, combined to the 2-litre HDi engine that generates 163 bhp (120 kW). Since the car would be able to be powered by the electric engine only, fuel consumption can be as low as 24.4 km/l, while emissions would not be higher than 109 g/km of CO2.

3008 is, as its name denounces, built over the 308 platform. It is 4.37 m long, 1.84 m wide and 1.64 m tall, with a wheelbase of 2.61 m. Its weight goes from 1,399 kg (for the 1.6-litre petrol unit) to 1,539 kg (for the 2-litre turbodiesel HDI with a six-speed automatic transmission). Its tyres can go from 215/60 R16 to 235/45 R18, depending on the version and trim level the buyer may choose.

As for the engines, there are petrol and diesel options, two for the first fuel and three to the second one. The petrol units are a 1.6-litre able to produce 120 bhp (88 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 160 Nm at 4,250 rpm and another 1.6-litre, turbocharged, that reaches 150 bhp (110 kW) at 5,800 rpm and 240 Nm at 1,400 rpm.

The diesel units are a 1.6-litre that generates 110 bhp (80 kW) at 4,000 rpm and 240 Nm at 1,750 rpm and a 2-litre that has two different outputs: 150 bhp (110 kw) at 3,750 rpm and 163 bhp (120 kW) at 3,750 rpm. Torque is the same for both option of the 2-litre: 340 Nm at 2,000 rpm.

The luggage compartment holds 432 l with the rear seats up and up to 1,241 l with the seats down. Besides that, the compartment can be divided in two different spaces, while the backdoor can be opened in two stages: only its superior part or both it and the inferior part.

Another interesting feature 3008 presents is its head-up display, which projects into a polycarbonate blade information such as speed and a distance alert, to avoid crashes. 3008 also offers a hill departure assistance, common in vehicles with electric parking brakes.



















Source: Peugeot

Volkswagen BlueSport, a candidate to bring the 914 back

Volkswagen was said to be preparing a roadster for Detroit. This car would be the vehicle over which both VW and Porsche would make the 914 get back to life. Part of the rumours have been confirmed with the presentation of BlueSport. The other part, the one about the return of 914, will only be revealed by oncoming times.



Whatever the future reserves for BlueSport, this 3.99 m long roadster uses a four-cylindre 2-litre 180 bhp TDI engine able to make it accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 s and to reach a top speed of 226 km/h. It is also 1.26 m tall, 1.75 m wide and has a wheelbase of 2.43 m. The engine is in a mid-rear position, just behind the two seats of the car. BlueSport is a rear-wheel drive car and its power is transmitted to the rear wheels though a six-speed DSG gearbox, or dual-clutch manual automated transmission, if you prefer.

Since the car is diesel powered, its fuel consumption is as low as 23.3 km/l. Volkswagen may not confirm its intention of bringing back the 914, but its press release states that BlueConcept represents the "comeback of the compact roadster". Enough said.





















Source: Volkswagen