Now I realise I have made a mistake to give up a visit to China for Auto Shanghai 2011. At least I would have been able to see the Volvo Concept Universe and offer you my opinion.

An opion I cannot make by just looking at the images Volvo has released with its press-release that say not many words but says nothing at all, showing a sense of embarrassment.

The poor quality of the images allow those who have not seen the Concept yet to hope for a more convincing design.

For the time being all I can say that they remind me of the famous sentence: “There is something good and something new in it. Trouble is that what is new is not good and what is good is not new”.

Here is all Volvo had to say in its press-release:

At the Shanghai International Auto Show on Tuesday, Volvo Car Corporation presented Concept Universe, a design study for a future luxury Volvo sedan.
”Shanghai is the perfect place for the world première of a superb car that is tailor made for the most demanding luxury car buyers”, said Stefan Jacoby, President & CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.

Stefan Jacoby also revealed that the first quarter of 2011 was one of the best global sales quarters in the history of Volvo, sales figures up 13.7 percent to 106,827 cars.

”This is the next step in the proud history of luxury Volvo sedans”, said Stefan Jacoby before revealing the Concept Universe.

He continued:
”We will listen very carefully to what the Chinese car buyers think of the design. Later, we will also show the Concept Universe in other parts of the world. This brings it into the global context we are aiming for with all our cars.”

At the press conference in Shanghai Stefan Jacoby also announced that Volvo Car Corporation is developing an all-new platform architecture for the next generation cars from Volvo: SPA – Scalable Platform Architecture.

”When our next luxury sedan arrives in a few years, it will be among the first Volvos built on our new Scalable Platform Architecture. All our large and mid-size cars will eventually be based on SPA.”

Stefan Jacoby also revealed that the 2010 full year result for Volvo Car Corporation will show a profit when communicated in a few weeks time.

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Today Volkswagen has eventually released the first official pictures of its third generation Beetle. The official images show that the grand child has grown up and aims at developing a personality of its own, on line with the tune of the mature-internet generation.

It is longer and wider, comes with a more raked windscreen and a lower roof. Proportions are all new and so is the car’s character.

The 2011 VW Beetle aims at being the most fuel-efficient car in its class. Volkswagen, quote a top fuel efficiency of 4.3 l/100km from the best performing unit within the range of new engines that go underneath the front bonnet.

VW plans a 2.0 litre turbodiesel and a 2.0/2.5 litre petrol engines for the U.S.A. and other markets such as Asia, Australia.

In Europe The New Beetle will be offer a choice of five engines including the 1.2 ‘Bluemotion’ and a turbocharged four cylinder 2.0 litre in both petrol or diesel format.

Deliveries around the world are planned to take place between September and November this year.

The car maker does not say much more about its new iconic and fashionable Beetle to focus its attention on the “show” business it associates the car (and its business) with.

Whereas in Shanghai it is motor show business in and-of-red-lantern style, but “with an exclusive MTV Sound System”, in two other continents the focus is on sound and music, with the complicity of the popular MTV broadcasting stations around the world. Thus the 21^st century Beetle goes on stage with The Black Eyed Peas at the MTV World Stage Concert live from New York. The same day the car is introduced in Shanghai and Berlin. In the German top city the MTV concert will feature DJ music played by the Belgian duo “2manydjs”.

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The 2011 Auto Shanghai motor show, opening in a week time, will not be business as usual. Indeed it will mark a new era of the entire world car industry, the one steered by the Chinese market and industry. China is the biggest car market, and the one that is growing faster worldwide. The leading premium brands are betting on for most of their growth in the decade.

For VW China is by far the biggest market. Last year they sold 2 million cars there, twice as much as they did in Germany. For the German premium-car makers, China already is their top export business and might soon become their biggest market too.

So much so that makers such as Audi and Peugeot have approved investment for classic notchbacks that they their traditional markets would not buy in numbers big enough to justify the investment. The new Peugeot 508 is the first example: half of the project production and sales are for, and from, China.

Next will be the Audi A3 Limousine and the all-new Volvo four doors, 5-metres, long-wheel-base Luxury Coupe. This one is just of the many new cars (and some surprises) to be unveiled at the latest hour.

Within this scenario, with their world-premières the top European brands will steal just a share of the public attention from the dynamic home players, which will unveil an overwhelming number of attractions of all sorts.

In addition to the newcomers unveiled in Geneva last month, visitors to Auto Shanghai will be delighted to be the first ones to see in full metal the new Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz’s vision of their A-Class replacement that goes on sale next year. Both in high performance and luxury equipment settings. Both come with “small” 4-cylinder engines with output in the area of 200 hp. The A class is front wheel drive only whereas the Q3 is available also with “quattro” transmission.

Next is the new generation of the VW Beetle that must be up to the design standard of the superlative VW Bulli Concept presented in Geneva, to really catch the young generations it is hunting for. The new Beetle will be launched worldwide from Shanghai and broadcast from MTV World Stage Parties in Berlin and New York, with dedicated exhibitions.

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households,

BMW reacts to the attacks of its competitors in many ways: with a typical “made for China and built in China (with Chinese partner Brilliance)” hi-tech luxury concept that combines the status and comfort of a long wheel base 5 Series with the advanced, high performance, plug-in hybrid technology.

For a green 5 Series for tycoons sitting in the back, there is another one for those who love driving themselves: the new 560 hp BMW M5, it is called a concept car but indeed it just preview the newcomer due to go on sale this year.

The answer from Porsche comes with the name of Panamera Turbo S, also a four door limousine that now come with some 550 hp and a top speed close to 310 kph.

On its turn MINI has reserved to Shanghai the new ultra-luxury MINI Inspired by Goodwood and designed with the help of they Rolls-Royce team takes the highest quality standards of the traditional, all-leather -and-wood, British design. Production is based on craftsmanship and is limited to 1000 pieces, with deliveries starting in one year time. Luxury can be small and is trendy in megacities.

The Germans are dominating the scene in China but Peugeot and Citroen are challenging them and are very serious at improving their performance there. While Citroen has in store a surprising long-wheel-base luxury flagship Peugeot will not do just with the 508 Sedan and its hybrid concept.

They will also tease the public with the concept of a cutting edge 4×4 crossover with hybrid technology (petrol engine this time, not diesel) reportedly called Peugeot SXC, designed by Peugeot’s design team in China

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Can you concentrate all the luxury of a most aristocratic Rolls-Royce into a compact Mini?

Probably not. Yet you can go a very long way with the help of the Rolls-Royce design team led by Ian Camerun. Just look at the very plush and British interior of the Mini Inspired by Goodwood to be unveiled for the first time at Auto Shanghai next week and you may agree that a compact city car can be very seriously luxurious, filled with the finest material, soft leather and quite a bit of traditional walnut veneer.

The name “Inspired by Goodwood” is there to enhance the origin of the “special one”: the exterior and interior design features were conceived and detailed at the Rolls-Royce Design division in the southern English town of Goodwood.

A high degree of hand crafted work and finish grant the magic touch of a personal car – in the Mini Yours upper class – built just for few clients and which production needs to be exclusive and limited.

The dashboard, including the surrounds of the central instrument and the air vents, the centre console, carpet surfaces, the Lounge leather seats, the roof lining as well as the door, side and body pillar cladding boast the exclusive Rolls-Royce colour Cornsilk. The dashboard and door handle surfaces, which are manufactured in Goodwood and finished in Walnut Burr, a wood quality also exclusive to Rolls-Royce, the black nappa leather dashboard top, Tipped Leather Cornsilk door linings as well as Piano Black surface finishes for the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel and the controls below the central instrument all provide additional quality-enhancing accents. In addition, the car boasts Cashmere roof linings, sun visors and rear storage tray as well as foot mats boasting a deep-pile lambs wool quality also featured in current Rolls-Royce models.

The most striking features of the exterior design are the body finish in the exclusive Rolls-Royce colour Diamond Black metallic and 17-inch light alloy wheels sporting a multi-spoke design.

There is more. Xenon Adaptive Headlights, Park Distance Control, automatic air conditioning, an onboard computer and the audio system Radio MINI Visual Boost, which includes the Harman Kardon hi-fi speaker system.

Under the hood the Mini Goodwood hosts the upgraded l.6-litre 135 kW/184 hp four-cylinder engine with Twin Scroll turbocharger, direct petrol injection and variable valve control, just introduced in the new MINI Cooper S.

Mini is offering only 1000 pieces of this “special edition”. Prices of Mini ultimate jewel will be announced before the Mini Goodwood goes on sale in one-year time. They are expected to be in the top sphere of the three-door family within the expanding Mini range.

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Just 21 days ahead of the Auto Shanghai 2011 show, BMW has officially released the news concerning the very unique and amazingly fast M3 Pick-up developed by a task force in a very short period of time.

Considering the speed of the entire development, today I prefer to let the press-office tell you the entire story by reproducing here the full press release, issued just few hours ago.

Media Information 01 April 2011

Unique: BMW M GmbH develops the world’s fastest pickup. Drive and suspension technology from the BMW M3 – comprehensive testing completed on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife – 420 hp and 450 kg load capacity – world premiere on 1 April 2011.

Munich. Following the BMW M3 Coupé, BMW M3 Convertible and BMW M3 Sedan, a fourth body variant of this globally successful high-performance sports car is about to cause a stir. Under the strictest secrecy, the world’s first high-performance pickup has been created at the BMW M GmbH development centre. The sportiest example by far in this vehicle category, the BMW M3 Pickup will fire the imaginations of all motorists with a deep appreciation of top performance matched by a keen practical bent. 309 kW/420 hp under the bonnet and a rear-axle load capacity of up to 450 kilos take the hallmark BMW M relationship between race-oriented driving pleasure and everyday utility to an entirely new level. This unique vehicle has already completed extensive test and set-up drives on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in advance of its global unveiling on 1 April 2011.

With this vehicle, BMW M GmbH once again furnishes evidence of its exceptional competence in developing and building high-grade, individual dream cars. With a high-revving V8 engine at the front, a generously sized load area behind and a removable Targa roof above, driver and passengers in the BMW M3 Pickup will relish an unprecedented take on the familiar M feeling. Yet this spectacular new development is unmistakably recognisable as a member of the BMW M3 model family. Corroborating this kinship are not just the inimitable power of the engine, but also fine-tuned aerodynamics and a tailored suspension set-up. Measurements in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aerodynamic Test Centre showed a Cd factor on a par with that of the BMW M3 Coupé. Like every BMW M model, the BMW M3 Pickup has also demonstrated its dynamic potential on the North Loop of the Nürburgring. Official lap times have not yet been released, but the needle in the dial vouched for a top speed of 300 km/h.

The kerb weight of the world’s fastest pickup undercuts that of the BMW M3 Convertible by around 50 kilograms. Removing the Targa roof shaves off a

further 20 kg while at the same time lowering the car’s centre of gravity. This most unusual experience of top-down driving pleasure in a BMW M3 thus goes hand in hand with further optimised dynamic handling.

The practical features of the BMW M3 Pickup are no less impressive. Maximum load capacity has been raised to 450 kilograms. The load bed of the BMW M3 Pickup is clad in high-grade structured aluminium sheeting and provides the biggest cargo capacity ever offered on a BMW M vehicle. In terms of the unit of measurement generally applied to premium automobiles, that gives the loading area of the BMW M3 Pickup the capacity to carry up to 20 standard 46-inch golf bags. What’s more, the BMW M3 Pickup is the first BMW M3 variant in the 25-year-plus history of this model range to come with a trailer tow hitch.

Notwithstanding these unquestionable stand-out qualities, the BMW M3 Pickup will not be heading for the golf course or series development, but will retain its status as an exclusive one-off. It is earmarked for use as a workshop transport vehicle for BMW M GmbH. With this in mind, the current BMW M3 Pickup – unlike a similar predecessor built back in the 1980s – has gone through the requisite procedures to earn its road certification. Which makes it officially a truck – but one that puts a whole new spin on the meaning of the word.

You can’t be mistaken: the show car that Smart is presenting in Geneva with the name of “forspeed” proves that the company’s designers have taken a ride on the roller-coaster and had a lot of fun in creating an EV Roadster so full of curvatures, shapes and colour that in its full-size dimension attract teen-agers with a driving license and, in a smaller scale, would be the dream of their younger brothers and sister under ten.

The two-seater has no roof or side windows but a low wind deflector instead of a windscreen. Perfect for fresh air driving experience around Miami or the French Riviera and a masochist delight in Dubai from April to October.

According to Smart, the responsive electric drive of the Fortwo has been further developed with a boost function that adds, for a few moments, 5 kW of power to the normal peak of 30 kW delivered by the magneto-electric motor installed at the rear and driving the rear wheels.

Certainly a great fun in Paris or Rome, from spring through autumn. There the latest development of the electro-propulsion grants the forspeed unique acceleration and agility through traffic and a lot of smiling faces when it comes to park it.

No doubt: this is a very unconventional design, spoken in the over-excited language of a child. A sort of toy on four wheels that expands the range of zero-emission EV projects being proposed by the Mercedes-Benz daughter company as the next move beyond the Smart Fortwo ED now on sale.

Prof. Dr. h. c. Gorden Wagener, Head of Design remarks that: “The cult brand smart has always taken an unconventional approach with bold design. The forspeed now carries purist sportiness to extremes and in terms of form it is also a pioneer for a new paradigm of mobility.”

Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart, says the smart forspeed combines responsibility and emotional appeal in a new and pleasant way. She adds:”The smart forspeed is a completely new take on how much fun it is to drive electric: it boasts a superb design with a powerful drive system and, needless to say, locally emission-free. And if you put the smart forspeed next to our ebike, escooter and smart Fortwo electric drive you’ll see that smart has realised all kinds of variations of electric driving – demonstrating that smart is not just a practical city car, but a great idea.”

With its improved performance and charge management the concept vehicle offers a look at the performance potential of future generations of the electric smart.

For example, the smart forspeed accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in just 5.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 120 km/h.

Pressing a button in the centre console activates a boost function that provides an extra 5 kW of power for a short time and is ideal for overtaking manoeuvres on urban highways, for example.

A lithium-ion battery that delivers 16.5 kWh of electrical energy powers the smart forspeed. It is simple to charge at any conventional 220 Volt socket. The charging device is located in the third brake light behind the smart logo and features a simple push/push opening mechanism. A fully charged battery is sufficient for 135 kilometres of driving fun (NEDC). Quick charging from 0 to 80 percent takes just 45 minutes.

Additional pictures

Highlights:

• high-gloss white metallic paintwork as for the two-wheel escooter and ebike studies presented at the 2010 Paris Motor Show
• the outer rings of the front and rear lamps are illuminated by a large number of rod-shaped LEDs whilst the centre of the lamps is white.
• the indicators seem to push outwards like arrows – like drops on the cockpit window of an aeroplane as it takes off
• in the front and rear bumpers numerous holes with a honeycomb structure serve as air inlets and create an interesting progressive pattern.
• 205/35 R 18 front tyres and 235/30 R 18 at the rear.
• exterior and interior of the smart forspeed designed as a formal unit
• the tridion safety cell flows from the outside behind the roll-over bars towards the front to the cockpit and forms the centre tunnel as a load-bearing part
• the outer and inner door sections connect seamlessly to form a single component,
• just like the floor and side walls
• the leather seats also have a one-shell design and are a modern interpretation of sportiness.
• sporty four-point seat belts for driver and passenger
• load-bearing structural components such as the tridion safety cell or the curved trims on the instrument hoods are in matt platinum silver
• water drainage channels in the vehicle floor ensure that water is channelled outside
• the seat surfaces also have water drainage channels and all interior equipment has a waterproof coating for fun behind the wheel regardless of the weather.