Lincoln MKZ Concept Best Rental Cars- Future Cars

It's no secret Lincoln has been floundering for several years, with a lineup of products that are little more than tarted-up Fords. But with a hip new design team in place and a reported $1 billion pledged to fix its ailing luxury brand, Ford is confident it can reverse the slide.

The revival was launched in November, when Lincoln showed the restyled MKS sedan and MKT crossover at the Los Angeles auto show. And now, at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Lincoln is rolling out the MKZ Concept, a future vision Ford is trumpeting as the vanguard for the brand's resurgence.

"With the Lincoln MKZ Concept, we are not introducing a new car. We are essentially introducing a new brand," proclaimed Ford global product kingpin Derrick Kuzak in the statement announcing the MKZ Concept. "The MKZ Concept is the next step in the reinvention of Lincoln, something we've been quietly, but aggressively pursuing." Bold words indeed, Derrick. It remains to be seen if Ford's new approach will resonate with the discerning luxury crowd. The MKZ Concept features a revamped version of Lincoln's bold dual-opening front grille that the automaker says is a more refined interpretation of the split-wing mug from the iconic 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr, with horizontal bars replacing the classic car's vertical slats. A single piece of chrome wraps around each grille and headlamp flank, and both the front headlamps and the full-width taillamps employ LED technology.

Jaguar F Type Futures Great Rental Cars 2013-2014-2015

 

 

XF or F-Type?
Jaguar has made it official: The new sports car will be named F-Type when it goes on sale as a two-seat convertible in mid-2013 and as a coupe a year later. The delightful C-X16 concept previewed its design at the fall 2011 Frankfurt auto show.New to the Jaguar range, it slots below the XK.

It has an all-aluminum body and a new all-aluminum, 3.0-liter supercharged direct-injection V-6 based on the 5.0-liter V-8, with balance shafts, a dual independent variable cam timing system, and a Roots-type twin vortex supercharger mounted in the engine's vee.

The V-6 will launch in the F-Type in two forms of tune: a 380-hp version and another making 340 hp. Transmission is a Jaguar-tuned ZF eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters and an intelligent start-stop system. The new engines are designed to give the F-Type performance closer to that of the Porsche 911 than the Boxster's. Jaguar's directors and engineers say this must be a very sporting car, separating it from the GT-style XK.

Futures Best Mercedes Benz Concept Style Coupe

With the new A- and B-Class out of the way, Mercedes-Benz designers can flex their creative muscle on flashier variants that will use the new front-drive MFA platform, like the Concept Style Coupe. Mercedes hopes its affordable, entry-level MFA-based vehicles will lure in younger buyers, and the Concept Style Coupe -- set to debut at this month's Auto China show in Beijing -- should definitely excite those who lust for the CLS but can't afford its $72,175 price tag.

We spoke with Mercedes-Benz head designer Gorden Wagener, who told us that 90 percent of what we see in the concept car will make it to production. Once it reaches production, the "baby CLS" will be wearing CLA badges, referencing its designation as a coupe as well as its A-Class roots. Since style was the obvious objective for the concept, we're not surprised to see design cues pulled from the CLS, one of the most stylish vehicles in the Benz lineup. Like the CLS, the Concept Style Coupe features a coupe-like profile with a number of character lines in a design Mercedes describes as sinewy, sculptural, and masculine. Though Mercedes says the concept has no B-pillar , we expect the production version to retain B-pillars to keep costs down and structural rigidity up. Completing the profile are 20-inch, turbine-style rims.

Lamborghini Aventador J Concept Car 2012-2013-2014

The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is a stunningly fierce machine. It packs a screaming 12-cylinder engine and is wrapped in distinct styling that oozes testosterone. But that hasn't stopped the designers in Sant'Agata Bolognese from creating an even more dramatic vision of their newest supercar, called the Aventador J concept. The world will get its first look at the supercar at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

To create the striking Aventador J, Lamborghini removed the roof and windshield from an Aventador coupe. Not surprisingly, its styling closely resembles the Aventador , though the J's highest points are the roll hoops behind each seat, and the rearview mirror that sits atop a pole protruding from the dashboard. The doors still open upward, but have only a tiny sliver of glass instead of the Aventador's power windows. Out back, the Aventador J features a race-inspired carbon-fiber wing supported by two curved mounts.

Lamborghini has shown a car in this vein before -- the Concept S appeared at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. Based on the Gallardo coupe, the Concept S also was a speedster design; it essentially teased the production Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder that made its debut in 2006. The Aventador J takes the same basic stripped-out approach as the S, and looks more like a formula racer than a series production car.

Mini-Z to target FR-S/BRZ Photo 2013-2014

On the heels of Nissan's recent motorsport successes -- a factory-backed GT-R placed first in class at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and the radical DeltaWing stole the show at the 24 Hours of Le Mans -- comes news that executives have finally given the green light for a compact sports car known in house as the "Mini-Z." It's not a new rear-drive Silvia/240SX -- that project was cancelled in late 2008 during the financial crisis. Instead, it's a compact, front-drive-based sports car that will be aimed squarely at the Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ.

Plans for such a car were first revealed at last year's Shanghai auto show in the form of the Compact Sports Concept. The company spiel called it a unique sports car for drivers in emerging markets leading active lifestyles with an interest in motorsport, but we can expect to see it in established markets as well. As you can see in this rendering that depicts what the car may turn out to be, it has morphed from a sporty hatch into an aggressive coupe. There is also word that there will be an AWD version to go with the base FWD variant, based on the Juke's all-mode 4x4 i-system with torque vectoring.

Though Nissan didn't reveal the concept's powertrain in Shanghai, we've learned it was fitted with the 190-hp, 1.6-liter turbo-four from the Nissan Juke that also served as base for the engine in the DeltaWing. Though the engine gives up some power to the 200-hp flat-four in the Toyobaru, it's said to have a wider torque band with stronger mid-range and top-end response.

China is thought to be the car's main market, but Japan and some European countries are destined to receive small batches as well, with the U.S. still under consideration. Price-wise, the Nissan is expected to undercut the Toyota and Subaru by as much as 10 percent, carrying a sticker price somewhere below $22,000. Nissan will be able to cut production costs and weight by incorporating the current Juke's platform and turbo powertrain. Another major difference will be design. The Mini-Z coupe is expected to follow in the Juke's footsteps and employ some unique lines, eschewing the traditional sports car proportions of the Toyobaru. One insider says the Nissan will be close in size to the Honda CR-Z.

The project was conceived as a joint Japan-China endeavor, with Japan taking the R&D initiative while China worked on design and data assembly, according to a source close to Nissan. It has since been approved by all the relevant departments inside Nissan's HQ, and, according to our source, is well into the development cycle with a debut possible as early as late 2013.

Infiniti LE Concept Car Photos 2013 - 2014 -2015

 

Ever since the first hybrid -- the spacey, two-seat Honda Insight -- arrived in the U.S., most green cars have featured love-it-or-hate-it styling. Some of that has been by design, with the goal of making them instantly recognizable as different from a normal, gas-powered car. Indeed, nothing says hybrid quite like the wedge shape of a Toyota Prius. Nissan has been seeking that same type of recognition in the all-electric arena with its Leaf.

But as green becomes more mainstream, that strategy is starting to change. Recently, several gas-powered cars, including the Ford Focus and Hyundai Sonata, were fitted with alternative powertrains, with more on the way. And automakers that are developing green halo cars are striving to produce designs that are recognizable but not as potentially off-putting. This issue is becoming increasingly important in the burgeoning "sustainable luxury" car segment. One only need look at the Fisker Karma or Tesla Model S to know that expressive, dynamic exterior designs and alternative power can coexist.

Nissan's Infiniti brand will be one of the first mainstream manufacturers to produce a unique, all-electric luxury car, the Infiniti LE, which was unveiled in concept form at the 2012 New York auto show. At the time, Infiniti said the LE concept previewed roughly 80-85 percent of what the final car will look like when it hits dealer showrooms in early 2014. Although it's based on the Nissan Leaf, even a well-trained eye would be hard-pressed to spot any similarities. More important for Infiniti, reaction to the LE's design has been overwhelmingly positive.

As a member of the Infiniti EV Insiders group assembled to receive early behind-the-scenes access as the Infiniti EV makes its way from concept to showroom, I recently got a look at the LE design process during a roundtable at the Nissan Design America studios in Southern California.

While they all had slightly different takes on what has been the most difficult hurdle to overcome, the assembled Infiniti designers and product planners agreed on one thing: the Infiniti LE Concept was a very challenging project. Early on, the team was completely open to what the final product would look like, and there was no directive from above saying it should be a sedan, hatchback, or even a crossover. But because the slate was clean and everybody had their own ideas about what kind of vehicle a luxury electric car should be, things got ugly at times.

"About two or three years ago there was a big fight between our engineering, product planning, and design teams over design versus performance -- this was our first big fight on the LE project," said Chikuya Takada, Infiniti's chief product specialist. "Eventually we made a series of sketches that reached consensus on a sedan design, and we were able to make a longer, wider, lower and heavier car than the Leaf, but keep the same range or better."

"Ultimately all of our market research indicated that a sedan is the car that most consumers want in a luxury EV," said Denise Barfuss, a senior manager for Infiniti marketing. "If you look at the market for green vehicles, nearly all of our competition has a hatchback because of the favorable aerodynamics and space in a compact footprint. Even our sister car, the Leaf, is a hatchback. But as a luxury marque, our choice of a sedan platform was more purposeful."

With the sedan choice set, the team also discussed whether the Infiniti EV should be based on an existing model -- much like the M Hybrid is based on the Infiniti M platform -- or whether it would be its own standalone model. Ultimately, the team decided to go with a unique platform because it was breaking new ground for them. But they did set limits for themselves.

"We didn't want to make the LE too unique," said Hirohisa Ono, a Nissan/Infiniti design manager. "It's an Infiniti first and an EV second. A car like the Leaf is an EV first. Although the LE doesn't look like any other Infiniti, it still maintains our DNA with the emotive lines, the crescent cut on the C-pillar, the 'bird of prey' headlights, and its distinctive grille."

"Because it has an advanced drivetrain placed inside a luxury vehicle, we wanted a car that looked modern and timeless at the same time," added Takada. "It sounds impossible, but I think our designers accomplished it."

The Latest on the Bugatti Galibier 2013 - 2014

 

Bugatti still has about 80 available order slots for its Veyron Gran Sport and Gran Sport Vitesse, and has more than that left to manufacture. As such, there remains about a year and a half's worth of work for the factory. After that? The Bugatti Galibier super sedan is next up, but as of right now it looks as though it's unlikely to be ready before the Veyron line stops.

When the Galibier was first shown as a concept to potential owners in fall 2009, many of them requested changes to the interior to make something more distinctive and luxurious. A year later, Wolfgang Duerheimer took over from Franz-Josef Paefgen as Bugatti president (and Bentley CEO), and insisted on major body and engineering changes.

Duerheimer has since departed to run Audi's R&D, leaving Bugatti and Bentley with yet another new boss, Wolfgang Schreiber. He was brought in when transmission issues delayed the Veyron's launch. Soon after, he was given responsibility for finishing development of the whole car. He was then moved to run VW's van division. Insiders predict he might call for further changes to the Galibier. As a result, the production car that finally emerges could be very different from the original concept.

Being a sedan, the Galibier will likely outsell the Veyron, of which 450 will be made and 360 have been sold (253 Veyrons, 47 Super Sports, and 60 of 150 Grand Sport/Grand Sport Vitesse). It will also be fishing in a larger pool of potential buyers than the Veyron. To buy a 1000-hp-plus hyper sports car with a seven-figure price tag, you need to be very rich and to love fast cars. To buy a 1000-hp-plus hyper sedan with a seven-figure price tag (the Galibier will retail for at least four times the $265k-plus Bentley wants for a Mulsanne), you need only be very rich.

Speaking of rich, there are no plans for a cheaper Bugatti model. Salespeople say it would anger existing customers who buy into the brand's exclusivity.

Coolest Cars BMW i3 Electric City Car

EARLY 2013: BMW i3 Electric City Car

BMW claim that it's new $35,000 Chevy Volt-beater will have 99 miles of range from its rear-mounted electric motor and floor-mounted batteries. BMW (being BMW) is also claiming 100 mph for the car's top speed, and the i3 could bring the equivalent of 150 horsepower. Cargo will be divided between the rear seats and in the front trunk (a la the original, rear-engine VW Beetle). Much of the body will be made of carbon-reinforced plastic.

Wireless charging is one intriguing concepts we hope makes it to market. In conjunction with industrial giant Siemens, BMW is working on a magnetic field charging system, like those used in wireless laptop and cell phone charging pads, where a car would parked above a charging station. At that point, a coil in both the ground and the vehicle would recognize each other and begin the charge. This beats having your Volt or Prius PHV plugged in via wire at a garage or mall for a few hours, where vandalism or other hazards exist.

Best Cars Ever Corvette C7 Rental Cas

LATE 2012: Corvette C7

The current 'Vette has looked the same for nearly 13 years. Though it's still an amazing car, delivering Ferrari-like performance for one-fifth the price, it's dated in many respects. Expect a lot from the all-new C7 Corvette, then, with cool exterior cues like a split rear window and a vastly upgraded interior that's well above the coach-class quarters of the present car. But handling, which has always been the car's strongest suit, will remain largely unaltered. Horsepower targets in the 400-450 range would be a safe bet for this $50,000 car, even as GM aims to lower displacement to shave weight and nudge up the fuel economy. There might even be forced induction of some kind, and it's perfectly reasonable to expect direct fuel injection for the newest crown jewel of the Chevy badge.

Best Rental Cars OCTOBER 2012: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

OCTOBER 2012: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

As much as we love the new Camaro ZL1, the 2013 Ford Shelby ST500 bests its Chevy competitor in the contest for the most powerful production V-8 car on the planet. And the fact that the next Shelby Mustang also beats the Camaro ZL1 on both horsepower and torque (650 hp and 600 lb-ft versus 580 hp and 556 lb-ft in the Camaro) yet weighs 200 pounds less just adds insult to injury.

You’ll pay for all that power, though. We expect the 200-mph top-speed Mustang to cost more than the Camaro—possibly a lot more when you add in the goodies you’ll want, such as an optional Performance Package with electronic adjustable dampers and a Torsen limited-slip, along with a track package that combines an engine oil cooler, rear diff cooler, and transmission cooler. That could raise the sticker north of $70,000, while the ZL1 sits at a more reasonable $54,995.

Great Cars FALL 2012: Ford Fiesta ST

FALL 2012: Ford Fiesta ST

The Fiesta ST will have an altered body for improved cooling, but may be available only as a three-door hatch. It will have better suspension tuning, possibly Recaro racing seats, some unique trim, 17-inch wheels, speed-rated performance tires and dual exhaust. Ford reportedly experimented with cramming the 2.0-liter engine from the Focus ST into this car. Unfortunately, that won't be coming to the showroom, partly because Ford is working hard to differentiate its two hot hatches. The automaker is launching them at least six months apart and trying to give the Fiesta as much of a sport focus as possible, while selling the Focus with more of an upscale feel. So expect the Fiesta to carry a directly injected, turbocharged 1.6-liter four.

We don't know the Fiesta ST's price yet, but one would think it couldn't go much higher than $23,000, with rivals like the Nissan Sentra SE-R coming in at $20,000 and the Civic Si smack at $23,000.

Top Car Models JULY 2012: 2013 Cadillac ATS

JULY 2012: 2013 Cadillac ATS

To say that Cadillac is chasing the BMW 3 series with this car would be an immense understatement. The ATS’s footprint is such a spot-on copy of the BMW that the Caddy could proverbially step right into the BMW’s shoes. Even the EPA interior space is close, which is no accident at all. With the all-new ATS, Cadillac didn’t want to fit somewhere between Bimmer’s 3 and 5 series, which is what happened to the CTS, as well as Infiniti G sedans and more than one Acura. Nor did Caddy want to make the great mistake Lexus did with its IS—copying the BMW look, but falling down on the job of making a real driver’s car.

Nope, Cadillac says it wanted to beat the BMW 3 series in every part of the game. The ATS is a lighter car, at 3400 pounds, with more engine options that pack more punch. The Caddy’s 2.0-liter four delivers 270 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, topping the 240 hp and 260 lb-ft you’d get from the new 2.0-liter four in the 2012 328i. The ATS also offers a V-6 good for 320 hp, besting the BMW 335i by 20 hp. (Note, however, that the 335i can put down 300 lb-ft to just 267 for the V-6 Cadillac.)

Given what Cadillac has achieved with the CTS, which is a heavy platform, it’s going to be exciting to see what the carmaker can do with its sights set squarely on the lighter and nimbler 3 series. MSRP is still a ways off, but figure the ATS will have very similar pricing to the 3 series, perhaps minus the expensive markups.

New Rental Cars JULY 2012: 2013 Dodge Dart

JULY 2012: 2013 Dodge Dart

That the world is excited about a compact sedan by Dodge tells you just how much the market has shifted since President Obama bailed out Chrysler. With the new Dart, we’re not talking about some mediocre Dodge Caliber. We think we’re about to get a strong competitor to an already superb small-car segment that includes the Chevy Sonic and Cruze, Ford Fiesta and Focus, Hyundai Accent and Veloster.

While Ford can claim Euro influences on its small cars, the Dart will be the only “American” small car with an Italian soul. It’ll ride on an Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform with a rigid, high-strength steel body. And the standard equipment makes the Dart sound enjoyable already. It’ll come with standard four-wheel discs, MacPherson front struts, and a multilink independent rear, all of which make us think the 184-hp R/T model may be the way to go, as that car will get the stiffest suspension. But if you want juice and better fuel economy, you’ll be able to opt for the 1.4-liter, SOHC turbocharged MultiAir from the forthcoming Fiat Abarth 500. In the Dart it’ll be good for 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The R/T will have a manual-shift option; the 1.4-liter car may have a double-clutch manumatic option. Expect pricing to start in the low $16,000s.

Top Cars APRIL 2012: 2013 Mini Paceman

APRIL 2012: 2013 Mini Paceman

The Paceman is a two-door concept coupe that debuted last year, and our sources say it's a lock for production. Mini will have to work hard with this model, though, which is essentially the forthcoming Countryman minus two doors. The Paceman should either get real horsepower and ride considerably lower than the Countryman (think: a big version of the Mini Cooper S, but with all-wheel drive), or be made even more all-road capable than the Countryman, as a rival to the likes of the Subaru WRX—of course in full rally-car livery. The latter may actually be more likely, as Mini is racing a 2011 Countryman in the World Rally Championships. That car? It gets 300 hp!

New Car Models APRIL 2012: 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1

APRIL 2012: 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1

The best reason to herald the arrival of this ZL1 isn’t the Cadillac CTS-V-derived supercharged V-8 with 580 hp (up from 556 hp in the Caddy), nor is it the top speed of around 180 mph. It’s that Chevy engineers finally listened to those of us who howled about how great the Camaro could be.

Not only does the new ZL1 get a ridiculous amount of muscle good for 0 to 60 runs in the low 4-second range, but it also benefits from revised front and rear dampers as well as antiroll bars. Finally, then, the $54,995 Camaro ZL1 is starting to fulfill its potential to offer supercar driving at a price that more than the 1 percent can afford. Even better: These same revisions will trickle down to the more affordable $31,930 Camaro SS.

Read more: Best New Cars for 2012 - 12 Cool Cars Worth Waiting For - Popular Mechanics

Best Cars EARLY 2012: Volkswagen Golf R

EARLY 2012: Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen had been one of the few brands in the United States that hasn't decided to Buick-ize its styling and sponge down its ride. And, indeed, the Golf R promises to be anything but vanilla. With the Golf R's AWD, 280 hp and a real six-speed gearbox, Volkswagen is at last bringing a genuine WRX fighter to the U.S. Volkswagen is even committing two body styles to the contest, pitting this car against the Mini Paceman (only a three-door). Fuel economy is said to be 20 percent better than the old R32, at a price that should be near $32,000. It will have new brake rotors, plus more aggressive stability-control settings with "track setting" or the equivalent. Expect both two- and four-door body styles, both of which will get R-body-style cosmetics and sport exhaust.

Read more: Best New Cars for 2012 - 12 Cool Cars Worth Waiting For - Popular Mechanics

Rent a Car March 2012: 2013 Toyota Prius C

MARCH 2012: 2013 Toyota Prius C

At this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota debuted an entire line of Prius models, including the intriguing Prius C Concept. They still stress that this is a concept, but a small, sporty hybrid hatchback is surely on its way. We can merely hope Toyota is smart enough to retain these design cues, especially as this is meant to be a "fun to drive" hybrid with taut handling and a sub-$20K price. Toyota is promising the highest mileage of any hybrid on the road that isn't a plug-in.

Rent A Car Ford Focus ST Futures Car

JANUARY 2012: 2013 Ford Focus ST

The new Focus is at last debuting in the U.S., with a 2.0-liter, direct-injected, 160-hp motor and variable valve timing, as well as a five-speed manual. But, the car to wait for is the 2013 Focus ST, which debuts in early 2012. It gets a six-speed manual with the same EcoBoost (turbocharged) 2.0-liter as the much larger Edge and Explorer and will be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 hp, which puts it in league with hot hatches like the MazdaSpeed3 and beyond the output of the VW GTI. Ford is also promising a tauter suspension and meatier tires as well as bigger brakes to go with all that horsepower. Expect to pay at least $25,000.

Best Rental Cars in The World

Best Rental Cars Audi Locus

Best Rental Cars Audi Locus