BMW show Vision ConnectedDrive new

This striking roadster is the quirkily titled BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept car.

The emphasis is on high-tech here, with the car seen as 'a fully integrated part of the networked world in both its design and technological innovations.'



The interior has been divided into three layers - comfort, infotainment and safety - each with a corresponding light installation. Each layer is defined by a colour.

The first layer of red light wraps around the driver to represent the flow of safety-specific information and the driver's focus on the road ahead.

The second layer encompasses the safety layer and extends to the passenger cell, focusing on infotainment.

And a final layer is defined by green light and concentrates on the interaction of the vehicle with the world around it.

External sensors monitor the traffic and immediate vicinity, feeding information directly to the driver allowing him to take appropriate action.



The roadster has sliding doors, inspired by those on the BMW Z1, which disappear into the body of the car.

The Vision ConnectedDrive is crammed with the latest and most innovative technology that BMW can muster.

Advanced Head-Up Display presents key information in the direct sight line of the driver - in three-dimensional graphics, no less.

And passengers even get their own information display, out of the driver's field of vision, showing information, music or navigation details.

The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept car will be revealed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show on March 1st.

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Cadillac CTS-V Black Diamond Edition

The CTS-V Black Diamond has a dark tri-coat paint embedded with SpectraFlair Bright Silver pigment.

(Credit: Cadillac/ Alan Vanderkaay)

"Black Diamond Edition" sounds more like ski equipment than a car, but the Cadillac CTS-V Black Diamond Edition is one hot-looking automobile.
The CTS-V Black Diamond Edition is available in the CTS-V Sedan, Coupe, and Wagon models for about $4,850 over the CTS-V base price.
What sets the Black Diamond Edition apart is specialized tri-coat paint from California-based JDSU. A look of diamonds in the SpectraFlair pigment in the paint is created by using aluminum flakes encapsulated in a glass-like substance called magnesium fluoride, GM said.
The exterior of the Black Diamond Edition also includes satin graphite 19-inch wheels with yellow Brembo brake calipers. And the interior includes French-stitched black leather Recaro seats with saffron microfiber suede inserts in the center sections of the cushions and seatbacks. It's all finished-off with Midnight Sapele wood trim.

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Hyundai Genesis 2012

Award winner gets refreshing new content
Wishing to stay ahead of the pack, Hyundai has announced improvements made to its Genesis, which was named AJAC’s Canadian Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year in 2009.
The 2012 Genesis features all-new direct-injected engines – a Tau 429-hp 5.0-litre V8 that replaces the outgoing 4.6L V8 (385 hp), and a 333-hp 3.8L V6 that improves outputs by 15% - and a new standard eight-speed automatic transmission that works with the new engines to improve economy and emissions. Braking and suspension modifications insure the 2012 versions maintain their performance potential in the face of the increase power outputs.
More about the Chicago Auto Show.
Exterior modifications are minor, with more aggression displayed in the front end design (grille, front fascia, headlights with LED daytime runners) and rocker panels. The rear end gets a new fascia, and new taillights and tailpipes, and the car rides on new 17-inch and 19-inch wheels (depending on model). The interior gets new woodgrain treatments.
Safety continues to be addressed by Electronic Stability Control (ESC), eight airbags (front, full side air curtains, and front and rear side impact), electronic active head restraints, and an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. New to the mix is a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS).
Also new: heated rear seats and standard LED puddle lamps under the side mirrors, which now also feature a new folding feature for those tight parking spaces.

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Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition

Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you look at the very pinnacle of the automotive market, you'll mostly find exotic sportscars and luxury sedans. There are plenty of high-end SUVs out there too, but not quite at the same level. But demand for luxury sport-utes continues to rise in "developing" luxury markets like Russia and the Persian Gulf, prompting automakers to dial up their high-riding game time and time again. And the latest ne plus ultra comes courtesy of Land Rover.

Called the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition, this top-of-the-line SUV is exactly that: the ultimate. It's billed as the most luxurious Range Rover ever, and that's no mean feat. To get there, Land Rover has outfitted the SUV with a veritable first-class cabin that includes four individual buckets, separated front and back by middle console with aluminum tray tables and a drinks cooler in the back. The rear-seat passengers also get the use of a pair of Apple iPads docked into the front seatbacks, and the cargo area gets a yacht-inspired teak deck. Of course the leather is top notch, offset by Kalahari wood veneers.


Outside, prospective owners will find a dark grille, color-keyed door handles (which are available with a couple of new paint options), along with the requisite special badging and unique 20-inch alloys. Buyers can choose from either the 4.4-liter V8 turbodiesel or the 5.0-liter supercharged V8, both mated to ZF's eight-speed automatic transmission and capable of catapulting the truck to sixty in 7.5 or 5.1 seconds respectively.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but the Autobiography Ultimate Edition is set to be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, now just weeks away, but you can read all about it now in the press release after the jump and soak up the opulence in the high-resolution image gallery below.

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