Autoblog

It is our sincere hope that this rendering is as far off the mark as we think it is. The scary part is that if you look at the teaser and then flip back to this shot, the elements actually seem to match up. The horror. That big venty nose on an Aston? We sure hope this chop winds up being the product of a photoshop artist with bad taste. We'll lose all respect for Aston Martin if it ends up making an Attack Mode GT, even if it does pack a V12 and accelerate fast enough to catch a sprinting Chuck Norris.

[Source: TTAC]

As Alfa Romeo prepares to launch its next all-new model, dubbed the 149, test mules have been spotted, details have come into focus and speculations have been rendered.

The five-door hatchback will join the MiTo in replacing the aging 147. Sources suggest that the 149 moniker could be dropped before the car is unveiled next year, only a few telling months after the Volkswagen Golf VI is due for its debut. Borrowing styling cues from the 8C Competizione and MiTo, the Alfa 149 is expected it to include a new three-arm rear suspension and Alfa's trick Q2 differential, with the eventual availability of Q4 all-wheel-drive remaining a question mark. Diesel and gasoline engines are anticipated to range between 120 and 250 horsepower, and the 149 is tipped to be complying with the upcoming six-star EuroNCAP safety rating, and more tellingly, new U.S. crash requirements as well.

Some still maintain that the Alfa hatch will be based on the same platform that underpins the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, although Alfa representatives have asserted that the 149 will spearhead its own unique platform. Either way, the platform could underpin the replacement for the 159 sedan and wagon, as well as the replacements for the Brera and Spider, while Alfa executives continue to deliberate over the possibility of a crossover model as well.

[Sources: Autocar and Projetto 940]

With spy shots already out in the open, so to speak, anticipation is running rampant on the upcoming convertible version of the Audi A5/S5 coupe. The cabrio is anticipated to replace the convertible version of the A4, and is tipped to make its debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.

The photoshop rendering you see above was skillfully executed by Quinty, and gives us a pretty good idea of what the sporty S5 cabrio could look like. While its competitors opt for retractable hard-tops, the convertible A5 and S5 are expected to use a simpler (and lighter-weight) soft-top, surrounded by a chrome strip to class it up a little. Power will likely carry over from the fixed-roof version when the new convertible hits the market early next year.

[Source: Autoblog.nl via CarScoop]

Try as we might, we could not find the punchline to this bit of news, so we're going to run with it. Nissan is creating a Murano convertible, supposedly for empty nesters who want a side dish of top down to go with space for the kids and grandkids. Should such a thing occur, it will be searing your retinas as of 2010.

Nothing is slated to change on the car except the use of a soft-top convertible, even less trunk space, and most likely, the price. To see the rendering, if Nissan simply took the top off, the car might be a little bulbous but acceptable. If Nissan were to use a rollhoop, however... that means they're making a PT Cruiser with a higher seating position. And, as far as we're concerned, that just ain't cool... Thanks for the tip, Cory!

[Source: Inside Line]

Click above for more renderings of the 2010 Mazda3

Sure, it has happened where a toy manufacturer accidentally reveals a new car, but we don't believe this is one of those times. These renderings of the redesigned 2010 Mazda3 were posted in a thread over on carspyshots.net under the auspice of being toy renderings, but our colleagues from Autoblog Spanish did some digging and discovered that Mazda actually owns these images, not some Japanese toy manufacturer. Thus, it's more likely that these are actual renderings of the real, full-scale 2010 Mazda3. Of course, we could all be wrong and these renderings may have been made by a kid in his mother's basement, as the perspective and scale seems off in some areas. Then again, the design they show, which takes a few styling cues from the new Mazda6 and refreshed RX-8, is right in line with what we're expecting. Thanks for the tip, Galvin!


[Source: Carspyshots.net]

Click image to enlarge

So let's talk renderings of what the production Chevrolet Volt might look like since they seem to be popping up a few places now. We know for a fact that it will look different from the concept that debuted in January 2007 at the Detroit Auto Show. Will it look like the image above or more like the one we showed you earlier today from another site? From what we know it will almost certainly be closer to this red car, although probably not exactly the same. As we learned last fall, the concept was not particularly aerodynamically efficient nor did it meet the requirements necessary to meet pedestrian safety standards. Since low drag is paramount in order to maximize the amount of kinetic energy recaptured during regenerative braking, the nose has to be much more rounded when viewed from above and the windshield needs more rake. The rendering above comes much closer on both counts and is also closer to what was seen on the wind tunnel model earlier this spring.


[Sources: GM-Volt, AutoblogGreen]

The Truth About Cars' contributor Andrei Avavarii is one of those rare individuals with a real knack for using Photoshop. Being a dedicated car guy, Avavarii's photochoppery is often a very good representation of what a real production automobile could look like. Such is the case with his latest piece, which offers an early glimpse into the design of GM's most highly anticipated vehicle before it's finally released to the public sometime in 2010 (hopefully).

The most radical design element kept in this speculative-image are the transparent sections built into the upper door skins first seen on the original concept. Lutz says that the production car will be recognizable as a Volt though some concessions will need to be made, so Avavarii has enlarged the greenhouse and streamlined the car a bit for the sake of aerodynamics. Of course, we'll just need to wait till Chevy lays down its cards -- possibly as early as this October in Paris -- before we know how accurate this rendering may be, but it's always fun to speculate in the meantime.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

Alfa Romeo's marketing people have been bouncing around the idea of ditching the current three-digit numbering system and proceeding with a nameplate nomenclature. The shift – already in place on some models and not on others – could increase the appeal of certain models even more, while helping them avoid a crossroads that will inevitably come up when models like the 159 need to be replaced.

Italian magazine Quattroruote has come up with a composite image of what it thinks that vehicle could look like. Unfortunately the results are rather cumbersome, essentially Photoshopping the nose from the MiTo onto the existing 159 body. The rear-end rendering is not much better, but intriguingly appears to carry a New York State license plate. While the existing 159 remains one of the most striking mid-size sedans on the market, we hope its successor – speculatively reviving the Giulia nameplate of old – will look a heck of a lot better than this.

[Source: Quattroruote via CarScoop]

Click above for more renderings of this Citroën 2CV concept

Wondering what the heck you are looking at above? It's a concept by French designer David Portela of what a revised and reintroduced Citroën C2V could look like. Although the original design couldn't really be described as pretty, it's the personification of Megan Fox compared to this unfortunate conglomeration of Picasso-esque designs. Portela describes his creation's shapes as being "inspired by the original car, but also by the aeronautical world. They are a blend of the 1940-1950 style and futurism." We think it's more like a combination between an old steam locomotive and a submarine, but what do we know?

Amazingly, Citroën has never contacted Portela. We can't imagine why. In any case, we'd love to see a 2CV revival to commemorate its 60th anniversary. If that does happen, hopefully the result won't look anything like the concept you see here.


[Source: David Portela via World Car Fans]

Combining a Dodge with a BMW doesn't sound like a good idea. But then again, sound and sight are two different things. So just when we thought we'd seen it all, we're thrown for a surprise.

A Russian illustrator by the name of Remio, evidently quite skilled with the Photoshop and CAD, has managed to blend the new Dodge Challenger with the BMW M1 Homage show car, and the results are rather surprising. While some rendered speculation can prove to be quite close to the mark when the subject goes into production, we'll have to file this one squarely in the "never gonna happen" folder. Shame.

[Source: Cardesign.ru via CarScoop]