Such a week. The New York Auto Show opened with a landslide of unveilings, and its Chinese counterpart the Beijing Auto Show brought an onslaught of its own.
There was plenty of fine metal on display, and you may find our exhaustive coverage at our New York and Beijing tag pages.
Well, we’ve whittled their list down to just five machines that impressed us most, as for the best of the best. Continue reading.
Volkswagen’s Golf R 400
A tastefully re-styled powerhouse with production potential.
A tastefully re-styled powerhouse with production potential.
Volkswagen’s Golf R 400 tore into Beijing the other day, sliding to the parking space between the never-happened and never-could GTI W12-650R and also the regular ol’ Golf R hot hatch.
Adding tasteful styling enhancements, fatter guards and a 295kW turbo engine, the R 400 – with a 3.9 second sprint to 100km/h – ought to eat Merc’s A 45 AMG hatch alive.
If they assemble it, that is. Because whilst the A 45 is already out there collecting phone numbers, the R 400 is strictly a concept. For now, that is, and reports suggest it’s on the way.
BMW Vision Future Luxury
New 7 Series? 9 Series? That knows, but it’s swish…
New 7 Series? 9 Series? Who knows, but it’s swish…
BMW presented the latest installment in its Vision concept series last week, unveiling the big Future Luxury concept in Beijing.
Loaded with luxury features and advanced technologies, the Future Luxury is likely a preview of what we could expect through the next 7 Series – and possibly a new 9 Series range, if reports prove true.
Land Rover Discovery Vision
A vision of items to come, but is it too sleek to get a Land Rover?
Is it too sleek to get a Land Rover, although a vision of things to come?
Land Rover has been frightening the faithful with talk of a modernised Defender, moving away from the old warhorse which includes carried the conventional for decades.
Now, a sleek new Discovery concept has additionally been revealed, offering an insight into the sleek change that will soon replace the brand’s legendary boxy styling.
Are buyers ready for any curvaceous new Land Rover line? We reckon yes.
Peugeot Exalt
A low-slung shark-skinned concept that may do well for Peugeot.
It’s the car that Peugeot needs, this Exalt concept.
Low and wide with a powerful face and muscular lines, Peugeot’s Beijing Auto Show unveiling is the strongest preview yet for the future that last year’s Onyx concept first promised.
And, with a 253kW petrol-electric hybrid powertrain packed beneath the ‘shark-textured’ skin, the Exalt wouldn’t be the least bit out of place in today’s market.
Being an impressive new flagship concept for the French carmaker, this should be a done deal.
Peugeot 2008 DKR Racer
A Dakar racer that we’d love to see inspire a performance 2008 crossover.
A Dakar racer that we’d love to see inspire a performance 2008 crossover.
Not strictly a concept, but Peugeot’s competition-only 2008 DKR Dakar racer is one we’d like to see influence the company’s production line-up.
But how? Well, as neat as it could be to see this Peugeot-badged ruffian hurtling over dunes by the pool, a roadgoing version can be just the ticket.
The current market also presents the perfect climate for this kind of offering, with performance-tuned SUVs cropping up just about everywhere. Could view a powered-up 2008 GTi? That’d be something…