Future Cars: Drafting a Modern Light-Duty Pickup Truck for Ford

Ever since the demise of the much loved Ford Ranger from U.S. soil, fans of the small pickup have been crying out for a replacement. Rather than taking on the Australian designed and developed 'global' T6 Ranger, the Dearborn-based manufacturer decided to pull out of the more compact pickup market altogether in its home market, leaving buyers little choice - go F-Series or go elsewhere.

This is all fine and dandy if you don't mind the size of the bigger F-150, however for many that vehicle is far too big for their needs. Ford's argument for not bringing in the global Ranger is that it's too close in size to the F-Series - a point that I tend to agree with. Having climbed over, sat in and prodded the world Ranger in the flesh, it's easy to see why Ford thinks it would cannibalize sales of its No.1 chart-topper.

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Future Cars: Chevrolet Cruzes Into Gear for 2015 with New Corolla and Focus Rival

In the past, General Motors offerings in the small car segment had often people scratching their heads; dismal quality, performance and awkward styling were only just some of the negative headlines.

However fast forward to 2013 and one will find the Chevrolet Cruze has been a godsend for GM after the rather average Cobalt that it replaced. Squaring the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus straight in the headlights, it's been a sales success. In fact, it's hard to believe that after only going on sale in the States in 2010, that its successor is well under development. Then again, it was presented in 2008 in other markets, so it is time for a new model

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What Do You Think About This 2015 Lexus IS Coupe Rendering?

With an all-new Lexus IS sedan fresh on the market, the Japanese luxury automaker could use a coupe version to help it compete with the Audi A5, Mercedes C-Class Coupe and BMW’s upcoming 4-Series. 

The Lexus LF-CC Concept provided a clear signal that the automaker wants to build an IS Coupe, with the study’s design offering some clues of how the series production car would look. Now that the 2014 Lexus IS sedan is no longer a secret, we can have a much better idea of the future IS Coupe.

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Future Cars: Envisioning the 2015 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe

Ever since the launch of the successful Cadillac ATS sedan, I've humbly admired its presence and determination for going toe to toe with its German rivals. Styling alone gives the competition cause for concern, as it appears striking, balanced and well refined. From the well sorted proportions to its svelte, yet simple surfacing, the ATS is a welcome progression from the hard-edged and boxier designs of recent Cadillac past.

This all bodes well for something else to be derived off the ATS platform; yes that's right - a rather luring Coupe version.

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Future Cars: Peeling Back the Camo on BMW's New i8 Hybrid Coupe

Normally, when one mentions any reference to the word "Hybrid", shudders and torturous visuals of older generation Toyota Prii (plural of Prius) come to mind; and for myself especially, it's like a panic attack of automotive question marks combined with a dose of sore eyes.

Fortunately, the world moves on, as does that of the hybrid propelled automobile. Today, manufacturers such as Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche have joined the game with their hyper-offerings; all of which dispel the notion that hybrids have to resemble awkwardly styled hatchbacks (and yes Honda Insight, that was a jab at you too). So, not wanting be left out of the race, BMW have joined the fray with their i8 Hybrid Coupe entrant.

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Future Cars: 2014 Audi S3 Cabriolet Blows Its Top

When one's mind turns toward performance Audi's, initial thought usually conjures up images of the glorious Quattros from the 80's, R8s and countless hyper luxury cars carrying the famous 'RS' designation. I'll be the first to admit for having a soft spot for them - especially the now superseded ballistic twin-turbo V10 RS6 (and gosh how I'd trade in my family for one of those too). However, for those who want something rapid in a smaller, more open-plan configuration then Audi has the just prescription for you. Read more »

Future Cars: The All-New 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe

We have great news! Yes, for those if you who like to be seen driving an automotive symbol of superiority to their local yacht club, golf course or boulevard, Mercedes-Benz is prepping its latest chapter of luxurious transport - the 2015 S-Class Coupe.

Now I have to admit past large Mercedes coupes have never really grabbed my attention (well apart from the glorious CL 65 AMG), yet they have always looked nice in a vanilla sense. However, in recent spy-shots, Mercedes-Benz has managed to capture my attention in what appears to be a compelling piece of rolling sculpture. So rather than showing an image full of black and white circles on a prototype vehicle, I've rendered something far more visually stimulating for our readers below.

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BMW M7 Sports Saloon Speculatively Rendered

If you take a look at BMW's current range of models, the closest thing you can get to a high-performance 7-Series model is the 540hp Alpina B7, which was not only created with the blessings of the Bavarian automaker (like all Alpina models), but in some countries, including the U.S., it’s also distributed by BMW itself. Read more »

Future Cars: 2015 Mazda3 Hatchback Goes Kodo

In 2004, the Mazda3's arrival on the compact car scene was a huge breath of fresh air; equipped with competent handling, performance and standout styling, it made a striking point of difference compared to its competitors and the mundane Protegé/323 that it replaced. Even in comparison to the European Ford Focus that shares its platform, the Mazda3 in my eyes set a design benchmark that still looks fresh today. Read more »

Designer Imagines the 2013 Saab 9-3 That Could Have Been...

The sad story of Saab's demise has been discussed many times before, and aside from all of the historical value of the brand, there is also another aspect which is often overlooked.

While Saab may have been owned by GM and forced to use various bits and parts from Opel/Vauxhall , the new 9-5 showed real promise. If it would have been thoroughly finished when launched, it could have provided the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class with some competition.

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Future Cars: Hyundai's All-New 2014 Genesis Sedan Comes into Focus

Now, when someone asks what type of car you drive, and you answer with 'Genesis', more often than not, you'll receive a puzzling blank stare. However, one need not to be offended; Hyundai's entrant into the luxury car segment is still a relatively new player.

Revealed at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, it was Hyundai's interpretation of a luxury sedan to compete with the Euros. While sales of the first generation haven't exactly taken the world by storm, those enthusiastic boffins from South Korea are not waving the white flag just yet.

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Poll: Should Chevrolet Supercharge the SS with a ZL1 Edition?

When Josh and I were exchanging thoughts about our 'Future Car' rendering of the 2014 Chevrolet SS last December, we decided to go with a ZL1-like version instead of the regular model, which we both saw as a potential addition to the range.

Once again, Josh performed his magic and correctly predicted the shape and styling details of the base SS and therefore, the Holden Commodore SS V as well, decorating the end result with all those special features one expects from a Z series Chevy,  including a ground effects kit, different bumper, honeycomb grille inserts and a bulging hood scoop – just like on the Camaro ZL1 and Corvette ZR1.

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New Ferrari F150 to Cost €1.0/$1.3 Million Before Taxes, Fresh Rendering Previews its Looks

You can now forget about that 0.0001 percent chance you thought you might have of being able to own Ferrari's next masterpiece, which we have come to know as the F150-codenamed replacement of the Enzo.

A new report from Autoweek citing "people familiar to the matter" says the new Ferrari hypercar will have a pre-tax starting price of around €1 million (US$1.33 million at today's currency rates). Add the taxes, and you're looking at €1.21 million or $1.6 million, if you live in Italy.

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Future Cars: Crystal Ball Gazing the New 2014 Subaru WRX

Ladies and Gentlemen, what you see here could potentially be the all new Subaru WRX, but before I elaborate, allow me to take you for a short trip back to the past: Cast your minds back to the early Nineties, when Will Smith's stardom flourished from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the Ford Taurus was actually America's bestselling car (…and what a distant achievement that was).

It was 1992 when Subaru revealed its newest compact car - the Impreza; a vehicle that I initially described as being a soulless rolling bar of soap. Its dull lines and horrid half-grill (Japanese market) conjured up thoughts that the designers had fallen asleep at a Vanilla Ice Cream conference.

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Designer Imagines a 2014 BMW M5 Touring

Touring variants (BMW talk for station wagons) of the M5 have been an on-off affair for the Bavarian carmaker, which to date, has only presented two such models in the vehicle's 28 year-long history.

The first M5 Touring came with the second-generation model (E34) in 1992 and the last, with the fourth generation E60 in 2007. BMW had also created a prototype for the third gen M5 (E39), which it kept a well-guarded secret until it finally showed the car to the public in 2009.

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Future Cars: CarScoop's Vision of the 2017 Nissan GT-R

Ever since its Japanese launch in 2007 (USA 2008), the Nissan GT-R has gained a huge following and respect with its supercar-bashing performance. Subtle upgrades have been applied over its current lifespan with the aim of keeping Italians, Germans and Americans at bay with its AWD drivetrain coupled to a potent 3.8L twin-turbo V6.

However, the competition will not surrender; cue GM and Porsche with their new Corvette Stingray and 911 models respectively, as prime examples - hence why Nissan is expected to respond again.

For those of us like myself who grew up as part of the early-adapting PlayStation generation, the GT-R obsession grew with the R32-34 Nissan Skylines of the 1990's. Their bang-for-buck thrills combined with endless modification options has turned the GT-R moniker into something of an automotive cult status.

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BMW M4 Coupe and M3 Sedan Concepts Realistically Imagined

The word on the street is that BMW is making plans to unwrap a thinly disguised concept version of the M3 sedan at the Frankfurt motor show in September, with the final production model to appear in dealerships around the world in 2014.

Like many other publications, Britain's Car Magazine has come up with an illustration to give us an idea of what to expect about the M3 sedan's looks in its latest issue.

And it's not alone, as the creative minds over at Bimmerpost used their Photoshop skills to turn the BMW 4-Series Coupe Concept from the Detroit Motor Show into an impressive M4 Coupe study.

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U Design: New BMW M2 Convertible Rendered

As BMW begins to circulate craftily camouflaged prototypes of its second generation 1-Series Coupe and Convertible models, which will form the new 2-Series range, out in the open, the question arises if the Bavarian carmaker has plans for an M2 high-performance version.

From what we have heard, BMW M seems open to creating an M2 model, possibly powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged engine instead of the M135i hatchback's 3.0-liter force-fed straight-six, which would mark a first for the brand since the demise of the original M3 E30 back in the early 1990s.

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Future Cars: Rendered Evolution of the 2014 BMW X5 SUV

Evolution is a great process for refining most things we see in life; from science to technology and industrial design just to name a few. Examples of this in the automotive industry can be seen in the internal combustion engine, aerodynamics and styling; speaking of which, one company does this better than most - Porsche.

Its iconic 911 symbolizes the pinnacle of design evolution (although some say it's because they can't be bothered) from its humble beginnings as a squashed and streamlined VW Beetle to the current 911 Carrera; making it arguably one if the most recognizable pieces of automotive sculpture around the globe.

Porsche isn't the only brand taking this approach; evolutionary examples can be seen in the VW Golf, Range Rover, Mazda Miata and various BMW's. The Hofmeister kink and twin-kidney grill are the most recognizable aspects of BMW's design DNA, but things are also getting familiar with surface styling too.

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Future Cars: GM's Upcoming 2014 Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV

The Sopranos, rappers and suburban mums (perhaps the Chinese as well…) can all rejoice; yes, that's right, the Cadillac Escalade is making a comeback - in fact quite a visual one, as you can see in our illustration based on recent spy shots and our own intel.

On the heels of the latest Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, GM's Cadillac unit has been busy massaging the truck-based platform with the aim of turning it into America's ultimate luxury SUV statement.

When first introduced in 1999, the aim was to tackle opposition from the likes of the Ford Group's Lincoln Navigator. The resulting effort was rather dismal as GM hastily took the GMC Yukon Denali as a starting point and barely modified it; thankfully whilst still being truck-based, successive generations have somewhat improved.

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