By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

Here’s some not particularly good news regarding everyone’s favorite automobile of the future – the Toyota FT-86. Word out of Japan is that the release of the car has been pushed back to 2013, possibly to rethink the design or even to accommodate hybrid technology. Considering the overwhelming positive response the concept has had, I can’t see any reason why a re-design would be in order, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors at Toyota? If true, this could be a pretty big setback to the people around the world waiting for this car. Then again, Japan’s automotive tabloids aren’t always the most legit source of information. Hopefully we’ll hear more about this soon.

—By Mike Garret

By Dan Strohl

Hemmings

Heyyyy, didn’t we just see this 2002 Mercury Marauder concept car recently? Yes, it was one of the many cars that crossed the block at Mecum Kissimmee last month (the Mecum ad for the car remains up for now as well). We see from the auction results on Mecum’s home page that it bid up to $50,000, but didn’t hit the seller’s reserve. So now we see the seller’s putting it up for sale again, here on Hemmings.com, with an asking price of $75,000. From the seller’s description:

This one-of-one 2002 Mercury Marauder was built by Ford for the Chicago Auto Show. Ford invested over $300,000 in this unique contender, which features a supercharged 4.6 liter V-8 rated at 335 horsepower, 3-speed console-shifted automatic. Beautiful Leather interior with just 107 miles.

See more pics at Hemmings

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

The Mini Urban Beach is open for tanning. With no roof, no back, and no sides, it looks like a modern sand rail, Mini-style. High contrast neoprene seats, sports graphics, and a lot of fussy detail combine into a cute concept with about zero chance of production. Whatever. I like the “roof” detail at the back.

Continue reading "Mini Beachcomber Concept" »

By Antonio Alvendia

Antonio Alvendia

“Oh my god!”

“Simply stunning!”

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!”

You can expect to hear people to say things like that when you tag along with the Essence, Infiniti’s new flagship concept car and 20^th birthday present to itself, on a mini-tour of the U.S. This is the first that many Americans will be seeing of this 592-horsepower car since its debut at the Geneva auto show back in March. Continue reading and view more photos on MotorMavens

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

Our buddies at Neuwerks grabbed us video of the VW BlueSport unveil. Run for your lives!

By Katherine Helmetag

AKA atomicalex

After 14 years of frame-off restoration, this 1980 Corvette Turbo Concept is done. Willie Yager spent a good bit of that time researching the various configurations the car was tested with before GM gave it up. The interior, wheels, and paint reflect one complete set. Willie has the other wheels the car was run with at home. The rest of the car has been restored back to original specs and features two neato temperature-activated NACA ducts on the hood for engine bay ventilation. You can read more about the car in back issues of Vette magazine. Willie brought it out to display at the Spanjaard booth.

Continue reading "1980 Corvette Turbo Concept Resto" »

By John Coyle

Editor

This is replica of a Mustang Mach III concept Ford built in 1992, and personally, I’m glad the Blue Oval never choose to mass produce this thing. Seriously, doesn’t it look like the offspring of a really portly Pony and a old Hyundai Tiburon? In all fairness, it’s pushing over 400HP, and I actually kind of like the interior. But the best part about rolling in this abomination would be not having to see the full extent of the bodywork. Apparently, the original concept was destroyed in a fire, which almost makes it seem like the Mustang gods were sending a message. Don’t miss my walk-around video of this heinous machine, and check out some more photos of its criminal styling after the jump.

Continue reading "Mustang Mach III Concept Makes Concept of Blindness Attractive" »

The whole retrostyling thing is kind of hit and miss—for some nostalgia-influenced redesigns, like the ’05-’09 Mustang, it totally works, and for other cars it just doesn’t. But this VW SP-2 concept, a reimagining of a rare Brazillian-issue vee-dub from the 70′s (see the original here), absolutely nails it. Too bad it’s just a computer rendering. See more pics below the jump, and read up at Carscoop.

Continue reading "Ultra-Hot VW SP-2 Concept" »

It seems like a heck of a time for Mini to be planning a new SUV, even if it is still 20 inches shorter than a Honda Civic. I guess it just illustrates the general tendency of a given manufacturer’s products to bloat over time until they’re not popular anymore (another case in point: the once-spartan Subaru Forrester’s portly new middle-aged appearance). The one thing that the new "Mini Crossover Concept" has going for it, aside from careful avoidance of the term "SUV," is four-wheel drive, a first in Mini’s lineup. Expect the concept to start making the rounds at the shows in 2009. More pics below the jump.

Continue reading "Mini Gets Blimpier, And The Timing Couldn't Be Worse" »

In the mold of the Jolly, Fiat has come out with an updated version of its whimsical early-60′s beach runabout. Back in the day, the limited-production Jolly was generally targeted at anyone who could afford their own private islands—the professionally leisured, the only folks who might consider buying a whole separate vehicle just for scooting around the beach. The modern concept, which Fiat is calling the Portofino, will presumably hit a wider audience, and amazingly, a production version with a lightweight top is under consideration. I can’t imagine a car with nautical ropes in place of doors really being street legal, and the Portofino’s thick central roll bar and bar-to-windshield braces seem more a nod to structural rigidity than actual safety. But hey, it’s kind of a cute idea, just like it was in the 60′s. More pics after the jump.

Source: Carscoop

Continue reading "Fiat's Modern-Day Beach Buggy" »