ConceptRolls-Royce 101EX
Rolls-Royce unveiled a new experimental car, 101EX, at the Geneva auto show. It has been hand built to explore a potential design direction for a future coupe model. According to chief designer Ian Cameron: "It is a very modern car, a 21st century design that respectfully nods to the past but focuses indisputably on the future." The four-seat 101EX uses the same lightweight aluminum construction that was developed for the Phantom, although the body is shorter by 240mm. Twin coach doors add to the car's rakish good looks and streamlined coupe profile. Inside, the cosseting interior has been designed for elegance and maximum comfort for all four occupants. Machined aluminum, fine leather, and rosewood and red oak veneers are used throughout. Slimline bucket seats offer outstanding comfort for front passengers, while the exceptionally spacious rear seat delivers intimate comfort for two. Privacy is assured by the unique sweeping C-pillars. The design team has also experimented with interior lighting on 101EX. For example, the car features a "starlight headliner" made up of hundreds of fiber optic cables to give the impression of a star-filled night sky. Currently, this is a design study only and there are no concrete plans to develop a production version of 101EX.
ConceptVolkswagen Concept A
Lately, Volkswagen buzz has centered around two things: its new lively and witty TV ad campaigns for the GTI and for its highly publicized Concept A. At its private introduction in Berlin, Germany, Volkswagen chief Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard made a rock star entrance driving the car through a man-made lake amid walls of massive ice blocks, thundering music and fireworks before parking on a stage constructed for the event inside an old Berlin train station. Set before a group of roughly 300 journalists, it was an impressive display likened to a Hollywood-style production. Bold and visually dynamic, Volkswagen says the Concept A will evolve into a production model as early as 2008 and will be positioned below the Touareg. The production version should look very similar to the concept, sporting a somewhat coupe-like silhouette, a more masculine version of VW's corporate face, broad shoulders and a nifty rear hatch with a split window/fold-down gate. It will likely feature a tall ride height with lots of suspension travel. Something similar to the concept's giant 20-inch free-floating-spoke wheels may also see production. Chances are it won't get the cool suicide door treatment or the missing B-pillar. The Concept A rests on an all-wheel drive platform and is powered by a 1.4-liter TSI twin-charger engine. The production model should get all-wheel drive as well, but power will likely come from VW's 2.0-liter turbo. Unlike the traditional approach to naming a new vehicle typically by one or all of the board members, the new car will bear a name chosen by the public. "The customers will decide the name of their future car," said Bernhard. Does this mean it won't be named after a nomadic North African tribe in the Sahara desert?