Categories
Aston Martin

Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato revealed

2014 Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato

Normally, if you put the words Aston Martin, shooting brake and Zagato into the same sentence we’d be drooling with excitement. And, now that somebody has put all those words into the same sentence, we’re left a little bit disappointed.

It’s nice and all, the detailing on the C-pillar is beautiful, but overall it’s just not as appealing as one might have thought it would be. In two-dimensional form at least.

Maybe we’re just being picky. One thing is clear, with their long association, we hope this is not the last time Aston Martin and Zagato get into bed together.

Categories
Audi

Audi allroad shooting brake concept revealed

Audi allroad shooting brake concept

Last month Audi previewed what we now know is the allroad shooting brake concept, which is what you see here. Then, and now, it’s clear this show car is a real-world preview of the next-gen TT coupé.

Certainly, if you look inside the cabin, the dash of this shooting brake concept matches the new TT interior revealed in Las Vegas last week.

On the outside the production TT may not match this concept panel for panel, but you can expect the front grille, headlight treatment and general shape of the TT to be directly descended from the shooting brake concept.

Indeed, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s Technical Development boss, has said as much: “We are offering very concrete glimpses of the near future in this show car.”

The design language previewed here will likely carry across other future models as well. The next A4, for example.

For what it’s worth the allroad shooting brake is powered by a 300kW/650Nm petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain. The bulk of that power comes from a 2.0 TFSI petrol engine producing 215kW/380Nm. While two electric motors provide the rest: 40kW at the front axle and a separate motor for the rear axle offering 85kW. They say both motors can operate together with the petrol engine, so that makes 340kW to us. Never mind.

Despite the use of aluminium and CFRP for the body panels the concept still tips the scales at a not so moderate 1600kg, but with all hands on deck in the drivetrain department and a ubiquitous double-clutch gearbox the allroad shooting brake can reach 100km/h in 4.6 seconds.

Oh, and, don’t you just love the way car makers post-rationalise their concept models. Audi’s explanation for this concept model is a bit like a tampon commercial:

The versatility and functionality of the Audi allroad shooting brake is ideal for young, sporty and active people. In the winter in California, for example, they could drive the car from Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Mountains for snowboarding in the morning, and then head out to at Venice Beach for some kite surfing in the afternoon.

Categories
Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake on the way

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake

Word is Mercedes-Benz will release a CLA Shooting Brake in 2015. This makes us very happy. As you can see from these very good renderings the CLA is perfect for conversion from sedan to estate form. And if you chucked the CLA 45 AMG drivetrain into this sexy wagon we’d be over the moon.

[Source: Auto News | Pics: Theophilus Chin]

Categories
McLaren

McLaren MP4-12C shooting brake

McLaren MP4-12C shooting brake

McLaren is working on a direct competitor for the Ferrari FF, Auto Express reports. Basically that would mean we’re faced with the very real possibility of being presented with a very cool McLaren MP4-12C ‘shooting brake’.

We suspect there may be a fair bit of water to pass under the bridge before this speculation is confirmed, but so far, we like what we see. Indeed, based on these renders we reckon the Mac leaves the FF for dead.

[Source: Auto Express]

Categories
Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake given green light

Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break Concept

Mercedes has just announced its very cool CLS Shooting Brake concept will become a production reality in 2012. The concept was first shown in April this year in Beijing at the Auto China show.

Now that the four-door coupé is set for production Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars is a bit excited, “In 2004, Mercedes-Benz established a new vehicle segment with the four-door Coupé CLS and created a design icon. 170,000 customers around the globe show how enthusiastic this car has been received by the market. The decision to build the CLS Shooting Brake underscores the leading role of Mercedes-Benz in regards of innovative passenger car concepts and design – and that is exactly what the customers expect from us.”

The Shooting Brake will be built on the same production line as the CLS and the E-Class sedan at Sindelfingen.