Smart Fourjoy

The Smart Fourjoy concept car that makes its debut at the Frankfurt motor show previews the new Smart range.

By Leo Wilkinson


Smart has given the best idea yet of how its new range of cars will look, in the shape of the Smart Fourjoy concept car that will make its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show next week.

With doors and window added to the Fourjoy's body, and with some of the wilder concept car details toned down, this is how the new Smart Forfour will look when it goes on sale in 2014.

Whereas the previous Forfour model was based on the Mitsubishi Colt, the next model is part of a joint development programme between Renault and Smart's parent company Mercedes-Benz that will also result in a new Smart Fortwo and Renault Twingo.

All three models will share the same rear-wheel drive, rear-engined platform, although the Fortwo is expected to use a shorter version.

Renault has hinted at the look of the next Twingo with the Twin'Z and Twin'Run concept cars, which were both revealed earlier this year.

Smart has created a number of concept cars that hint at the look of the next Fortwo and Forfour models, but the Fourjoy appears to be the most representative yet.

The Fourjoy incorporates many familiar Smart design cues, such as short overhangs and a "tridion" central cell with contrasting panels at either end. In this case the central section is in polished aluminium, while the rest of the car has a pearlescent white finish.

Although the Fourjoy's one-piece front seats and unusual colours and materials won't make it to the production Forfour, the overall shape of the dashboard is likely to be retained.

A version of the current Smart Fortwo Electric Drive's electric motor is used for the Fourjoy – it develops 74bhp and is powered by a lithium-ion battery.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro goes topless in Frankfurt

2014 Chevrolet Camaro goes topless in Frankfurt

By Alex Lloyd | Motoram
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Chevy's unveiling of the reworked base Camaro at the this year's New York auto show largely got lost with the return of the Z/28. And rightly so, given the new look likely won't sway muscle car fans from their allegiances. In the same form, Chevy quietly unveiled the Camaro Convertible this week in Frankfurt, presenting the Bowtie's muscle car sans roof. But as it did in New York, all this has done is remind us how cool the Z/28 is.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. While the 2014 Camaro sports visual updates like peering eyes and a more traditional rear, not much else has changed. It still looks like Optimus Prime, depicting a Marmite-like approval rating. Engine options remain the same as 2013, and we don't expect prices to change all that much either. If you're a Chevy fan, you'll probably love the new Camaro. If you're a Ford fan, you'll stay a Ford fan. Regardless, looking at images of a topless Camaro is always worth your time.

Chevrolet Spark EV

Chevrolet Spark EV

What is it? This all-electric version of Chevrolet’s tiny four-door hatchback uses a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery powering a 130-hp electric motor that cranks out 400 ft.-lbs. of torque. The Spark EV will be built in the United States and use all Chevrolet’s latest connection technology: a MyLink radio that integrates BringGo navigation, TuneIn internet radio, and Pandora and Stitcher streaming music services. Customers with compatible iPhones can use Siri for voice control.
The price is expected to be $32,495, before adding destination and subtracting the federal $7,500 tax credit.
What is new or notable? Perhaps most notable, the Spark EV will be the first electric car to employ the new SAE Combo DC fast-charge connection port. Using the same port as its 240-volt charger, but with two additional pins, the Spark EV can be charged to 80 percent in 20 minutes – if you can find a publicly accessible SAE Combo DC fast charge

Nissan TeRRA SUV Concept - 2012

Nissan TeRRA SUV Concept - 2012

 

 Nissan is using this year’s Paris Auto Show to showcase the TeRRA sport-utility concept, a vehicle that combines the Japanese automaker’s expertise with electric vehicles, such as the zero emission Leaf hatchback, along with its lineup of compact and urban-themed SUVs. Thanks to a powertrain consisting of electric motors mated to a hydrogen fuel cell stack under the hood, the Nissan TeRRA offers a tantalizing hint at what Nissan could have in store for future generations of EVs. The exterior design – including the lowered greenhouse, smooth front fascia and exaggerated fenders – also suggest what to expect on future versions of the Juke and Rogue (Qashqai in European markets) crossovers.

 

 Future EV Meets Concept Car Glitz

Some details of the Nissan TeRRA, including its staggered seating arrangement and organically shaped wooden dashboard, are typical concept car razzle-dazzle. The instrument display has been simplified down to a removable tablet-sized data panel, mounted ahead of a rectangular-shaped steering wheel – perhaps this means no more waiting outside the Apple store for the next iPad? Yet even more significant than the shape and style of the TeRRA is what’s lurking beneath its bright-white bodywork. "Our challenge was to take Nissan's strength in SUVs and crossovers forward into the zero-emissions era, fuel cells being our new frontier in zero emission mobility," said Francois Bancon, Nissan's division general manager of product strategy and planning. 

 

Nissan says the TeRRA’s four-wheel-drive zero emission powertrain is “far from imaginary,” though production hinges upon hydrogen becoming “widely available” at some point. Under the hood of the TeRRA is a compact fuel cell that, according to Nissan, is now one-sixth the price of the system’s 2005 predecessor. Powering the front wheels is the same electric motor found in the current Nissan Leaf while, providing extra power and grip when needed, two in-wheel electric motors are located at the back. While strictly a concept, the TeRRA SUV proves Nissan’s strategy for EVs stretches many years down the road.