Video: BMW X1 Concept SUV

Introduced ahead of its Paris Show world premier on October 2, the X1 Concept is essentially a lightly camouflaged version of the road-going model that will hit BMW’s dealerships in late 2009. Sitting right under the X3 in the Bavarian brand’s SUV/Crossover range, the X1 will be equipped with BMW’s ‘xDrive’ four-wheel drive system as standard. Under the hood expect to see a wide range of 4 and 6-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, hooked up to six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Click here for the official image gallery or follow the jump to watch the video. -Continued

Lamborghini Estoque: New High-Res Photos & Details, Could be produced with Diesel or Hybrid Powertrains!

Here at Carscoop, we’re evenly split over the Lamborghini Estoque Concept’s appearance. Half of us find the four-door coupe’s styling absolutely awesome while the rest think that it looks like the work of an amateur photoshoper who turned a Murcielago into a sedan on his spare time. While we argue over the sport sedan’s design, let’s see what Lamborghini had to say about their latest creation that will make its world debut in Paris. The Italians describe the four door sedan whose name is derived from the sword used in bull fights by the Matador, as an “everyday sports car” with four seats and ample luggage space. -Continued

In other words, the Estoque is more of a Gran Turismo than a four-door variant of the Murcielago, and as such, Lamborghini’s answer to the Porsche Panamera and its ilk, is a very large car. To put it into figures, the concept is a whopping 5.15 meters (16.89 feet) long and 1.99 meters (6.53 feet) wide, with a height of only 1.35 metres (4.43 feet). The wheelbase is a grand 3.01 meters (9.88 feet).

Under the super long hood and right behind the front axle we find the Gallardo LP-560’s 10-cylinder engine. Since Lamborghini does not mention any changes, we gather that the 5.2-liter V10’s output remains the same at 560 Hp at 8,000 rpm. Like all contemporary Lamborghini models, the Estoque is also equipped with permanent all-wheel drive.

Interestingly, the Italian automaker supports in its press release that a complementary alternative could be a turbocharged eight-cylinder unit derived from the 5.2L V10 or even more fascinating, a particularly economical V8 petrol engine with a hybrid module or an extremely high-performance TDI turbo diesel. We’re pretty sure that the last two options aren’t going to be left uncommented by Lambo’s hardcore fans.

The million dollar question though isn’t the powertrain choices but whether or not the Estoque will find its way into production. Officially, Lamborghini says that the Estoque is a pure concept car, a design exercise that is based on a totally feasible technical concept. In other words, what Lamborghini is trying to say in a diplomatic way is that, if buyers like it, we can definitely build it.

BMW X1 Concept: 25 High Resolution Images

Contrary to popular belief, BMW has a design team that works on projects like the X1 Concept. We may not like what they produce –at least not most of the times, but BMW’s official batch of X1 images that includes more photos of the design team than the vehicle itself as well as the press release that’s all about styling leave no doubt that the Bavarian’s baby SUV was indeed penned by a professional team. Since BMW felt the need to convince us about the X1's styling virtues, there wasn’t any paper left for technical details aside from the fact that the X1 is bigger than the X3. -Continued

To be precise, your fugliness measures 4,457 mm or 175.5" in length, meaning that the Concept X1 is 112 mm or about 4.4" shorter than the BMW X3 which stands at 4,569 mm or 179". The wheelbase of the Concept X1, in turn, measures 2,760 mm or 104.4" versus the X3’s 2,795 mm or 110". Read more about the X1 in our previous post by clicking here.

Audi A1 Sportback Concept: First Pictures of 5-door Variant

Nearly a year after Audi unveiled the 3-door A1 Metroproject Quattro concept at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show and the Germans are still fiddling around with their minicar project. This time the firm from Ingolstadt will preview a 5-door variant of their forthcoming MINI rival at the Paris salon. Aside from the two extra doors, the Germans polished the A1’s exterior styling by tweaking the front-end treatment which now features a hexagonal grille and a more concave hood design. -Continued

Other changes in the vehicle’s design include the tweaked rear-end and the more pronounced fenders. As expected, the A1 Sportback’s retains the interior of the Tokyo show concept car.

We don’t have the official technical specs in our hands yet, but we gather the A1 Sportback will most likely use the Metroproject Quattro’s hybrid drivetrain that combines a 150 HP 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine to a 41 HP electric motor in the rear axle. The production version of the A1 which will be offered in both 3-door and 5-door body styles is scheduled to hit showrooms in late-2009 or early-2010.

BMW X1 Concept: First Official Pictures!

Click here for an updated high-res image gallery of the X1

The Bavarian automaker’s X1 Concept will make its formal world premier at the Paris Motor Show in a few days time, but as often is the case the first official photos hit the web a bit earlier. Strip away those aluminum inserts on the X1 Concept and you can easily tell that what you see here is what you’ll get in late 2009 when BMW releases the production version of its baby SUV –slash- Crossover that will sit right under the X3 competing against the likes of the Toyota RAV-4 and VW Tiguan. -Continued

And now to our beloved subject when it comes to new BMWs: the styling. Well, let's put it this way; the X1 does stand out but for all the wrong reasons. The X1’s concave body surfacing and fussy detailing bring to mind the X3 and X5 while the front end with the large headlights and oversize kidney grilles are apparently inspired from the new 7-Series. Overall the X1 is no beauty when it comes to design.

There are no pictures of the X1's cabin as we speak, but we’re guessing the interior styling will mix elements from both the 1-Series and X3. Technical details are also scarce for the time being and the only thing we now for a fact about the X1 Concept is that it is loosely based on the underpinnings of the 1-Series and that it is equipped with BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system.

Stay tuned on Carscoop as we'll add more details as soon as we get hold of them. In the meantime, check out the gallery below or click here to view the official BMW X1 Concept teaser video.