Concept Vehicles at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show

Take a look around at some of the concept cars at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show, and you will feel like you're starring in the Jetsons. While the cars on display cannot fly, they definitely have a futuristic look and feel.

Concept cars first appeared at auto shows in 1938 with the Buick Y-Job.  A concept car is a prototype made to showcase an idea, test a new styling direction, or highlight advanced technologies.  This year's show is sure to feature more than a dozen concept vehicles.

Manufacturers take consumers' wants and needs into consideration when developing concept models.  The trend to provide environmentally sound vehicles has been a theme throughout these designs.  Many of these vehicles are feature hybrid powertrains or are electric vehicles. Others highlight the use of renewable materials or energy-saving technology.

Design and fashion trends are also evident in the interior design and exterior colors of the concept cars. Seats are becoming sleek, and white is being used with darker colors to create a stark contrast in the interior.

You can find the following concept cars on display at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show or at the Vehicles on Display section of the auto show Web site.

2011 Edo Competition CCR EVO 817

When it comes to high quality modifications for supercars, edo competition Motorsport GmbH is one of the most established names in the business. Regardless of make and model, the edo team is always lòòking for ways to refine and optimize. That's also why the owner of a Koenigsegg came to us. Not entirely happy with the power of his Swedish exotic and lòòking to improve the drivability as well as the appearance, he tasked edo competition with the job of making it happen.

Since the V8 engine is being force-fed by twin superchargers, the main focus was on the setup of the two Rotrex units. With assistance from the manufacturer the drive ratio was modified and the ECÚ was remapped to accommodate the hardware changes. The aim was to increase the power output while maintaining a broad torque curve over the whole rev range. With the new drive ratio the engine hits its torque peak earlier and puts out up to 891 horsepower, depending on the level of tune. In order to ensure long term reliability of the superchargers, the engine redline was lowered to 7,200 rpm.

The transmission with its notchy gear changes received an overhaul as well. The six speed gearbox was disassembled in its entirety and the plastic bushings were replaced with Úniball units. The final result: full boost pressure from just 3,700 rpm all the way up to 6,000 rpm, reassuringly durable brakes, finely tuned directional stability beyond 300 km/h (186 mph) and a top speed that was reduced slightly from 390 km/h (242 mph) for phenomenal and significantly improved acceleration and drivability.

Additional changes were made to the design of the vehicle's interior and exterior. The wheels for example underwent a beauty treatment and received a coat of charcoal paint. The updated front with auxiliary lights now resembles the later CCR models, and the Alcantara material that was used throughout the Koenigsegg's cabin provides a more luxurious feel. The redesigned center console now accommodates a new infotainment system including a reversing camera as well as a custom-made pouch for the immobilizer remote. For safety reasons a TPM system now informs the driver about tire pressures and temperatures. The display was integrated into the dashboard.

The bottom line: edo competition has succeeded in upgrading this extremely rare exotic with fine details without watering down its distinctly unique character. However, the most impressive aspect is still the intense and violent acceleration, which is virtually unparalleled, even in the realm of supercars.

All modifications are carried out exclusively at edo competition Motorsport GmbH in Ahlen.

2011 Aston Martin Virage - Sport with Luxury Interior

In February 2011, it was revealed that a new Aston Martin Virage would be launched at the Geneva Motor Show. The Virage will sit between the more basic DB9 and the flagship DBS in Aston Martin’s line-up and will come with a 2 seat or 2+2 seating configuration. Virage’s hand-assembled 6.0 liter V12 engine will deliver 490BHP and torque of 570Nm. It is capable of doing 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds. Virage will be available in 2 versions : Coupe or Volante(Cabrio)

Aston Martin Virage V8-powered car was intended as the company’s top model, with the 6-cylinder 1994 DB7 slotted below it. Although the DB7 switched to a V12 engine and claimed the performance crown, this V8 model (by then in Vantage form) remained the exclusive, expensive, and hand-built king of Astons. It was replaced in 2000 with the Vanquish. The V8 Vantage name reappeared on a new entry-level model in 2005. By the end of the 2000 model year, 1,050 of all Virage related models had been produced.

Toyota debuts compact sized hybrid concept car at Detroit auto show

Toyota unveiled a new hybrid concept car that is smaller than the Prius and geared toward younger buyers, as part of the Japanese automaker's strategy to expand its lineup of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles.

Toyota showed off the FT-CH compact car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday. The company also confirmed plans to badge future hybrids with the Prius name, expanding the Prius brand into an entire family of hybrid vehicles.

A production version of the FT-CH could be sold under the Prius name, Toyota said.

``The strategy is still taking shape and obviously it will require additional models to qualify as a family,'' said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, a division of Toyota Motor Corp.

Toyota said the FT-CH is 22 inches shorter than the Prius and is lighter and more fuel efficient than the existing hybrid. The car was designed to appeal to younger buyers and was inspired by the retro style of early 8-bit video games popular during the 1980s, the company said.

Toyota said the car _ which, as a concept vehicle, has no official timeline for going on sale to the public _ underscores the automaker's strategy to sell a wider variety of hybrids, battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles over the next several years. Hybrids run alternately on batteries and gasoline.

Toyota said it plans to sell 1 million hybrids per year globally in the early part of this decade by launching eight new hybrids over the next few years. It also plans to offer plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars starting in model-year 2012 and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in 2015 in its global markets.

Toyota recently launched a global demonstration program of its plug-in hybrid technology involving 600 Prius plug-ins. Starting early this year, Toyota is sending 150 plug-in Priuses powered with lithium-ion batteries _ in contrast to the bulkier nickel-metal hydride batteries that currently power hybrids _ to the U.S. for testing and demonstration.

2011 TranStar Racing Dagger GT Concept Car

Dagger GT is a concept car which created by the brilliant industrial designer, Ivan Luccion. This supercar concept is based on an exceptional mid-engine concept car, the Corvette Cheetah.
Dagger GT supercar will enter its production on 2011 and the deliveries are scheduled beginning in the first half of 2011. While each car will be custom-made as customer’s desires, the company also offers three optional models : hard-core racing models, a street-legal comfortable-riding sport model, or a soft-riding, luxurious GT-X model

Audi Calamari concept car brings Futurama a step closer

In response to Porsche Hungary’s design competition Tibor has come up with a ‘flying’ concept car obviously intended for the very distant future.

The designer tells us that the shape was inspired by the skeleton of a cuttlefish which gives it a look halfway between a sports car and a speed boat. Some existing Audi styling cues can be seen such as the huge air intake which approximates the shape of the radiator grill on modern Audi automobiles.
The Calamaro is supposed to run on ‘clean fuels’ but its not clear how since the air intake isn’t connected to anything and there seems to be no visible means of propulsion — or flight — or anything else!
Having said that it does look pretty sensational.