The Bugatti Galibier 16C Concept has finally reached the US soil. This greatest sedan ever made will make its public debut in Los Angeles. The long hood of the Bugatti Galibier truly reminds of the incredibly luxurious cars of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. In the past, long hoods made room for big engines but in today’s time it is considered luxurious.

The body of the car is ultra polished that you can see your reflection very conspicuously. The car is even better inside. The wood, leather and metals are precisely chosen and they perfectly complement the outside body of the car. The vents, long slices accented with aluminum are brilliantly designed. It has an iPod-like menu in the dash. Its center console flows through the centered gauges.

Every single feature and detail adds up equally to the elegant look of the car. It will be released in 2012. The car will cost a whopping $1.6 million. Nothing comes cheap these days and when it comes to luxury, the price naturally ought to be sky high, especially if you are talking about luxurious cars. However, I so love this Bugatti Galibier.

Via: Sub5Zero\Bugatti

If you are looking for a luxurious car then take a look at WaterCar Python, which is a gorgeous amphibious car. It looks ultra snazzy and elegant. You can enjoy your adventurous drives with it wherever you go. WaterCar Python comes with the right engines that enable to hit 60mph in just 4.5 seconds, which can even go up to 120mph on highways. On water it can go up more than 60mph.

The Python looks and functions a lot differently from the ordinary amphibians like sealegs. When you want to enjoy a good drive on the water, all you have to do is just press a button that retracts the wheels on an angle and it turns into a jetboat. You might have to adjust the speed once the python is on the water as it tends to fly on it.

If you want to take a break for a swim while still on the water, you can do it easily. Just open the doors and climb down and enjoy your swimming activity while the Python waits for you wherever you halt it. The Python can be driven in and out of the water at any boat ramp. It can also be driven on the natural shorelines if the conditions are favorable. Considering it’s an amphibious vehicle, you will need to register Python both as a car and a boat as per the rules in the U.S.

While the features sound a lot amazing, its price tag may not be very attractive. Python is sold by the California based company called “WaterCar” at a whopping US$170,000. The price is for a fully customized shell but without a road engine or transaxle. Once you fit them, the price may even soar up to US$200,000. If you are adventurous and rich enough then perhaps you should try this.

Via: Gizmag

The 45 days long strike initiated by the workers at Rico Auto Industries Ltd., n India has finally come to an end with the workers returning to their designated working areas and resuming the long stalled projects. The effect of the strike could be felt all the way to the United States, where work at the General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co factories came to a grinding halt.

Rico Auto Industries is located in the Indian state of Haryana and is one of the principle employers for the local work force. The company is in the business of manufacturing automobile spare parts such as  disc brakes, clutches etc. However, seeking better wages, the workers called in a strike on September 21st,,2009 and the situation worsened, when an employee lost his life during a routine demonstration against the company. The ensuing violence compelled the state government to mediate and finally a mutual agreement has been reached. According to Arvind Kapur (Managing Director, Rico Auto),

“We will start with 70% production today. We should be able to resume full production in the next two-three days. We have not worked up the quantum of production and financial loss (because of the strike). We will enter into wage negotiations with the workers now.”

The company management as a show of good faith has already reinstated the nine workers that were suspended from duty due to the strike and has assured the workers that a panel is being set up to look into their demands. The impact of more than one month long strike and the subsequent lack of parts forced General Motors to shut down its sports utility vehicle assembly plant in Delta Township, Michigan, along with removing a shit from one of its transmission plants in Warren Michigan. Ford Motor also had to temporarily close down its vehicle manufacturing plant in Oakville, Ontario.

Via Wall Street Journal.

Such stream-lined designs have been part of innovations in eco-technology among automobiles a lot lately. But this one is touted to have been more inspired by simulators and video games. The car is still a concept.

It has been designed in a way to change its shape from horizontal to vertical which is more like sleeping and standing up positions, in cases when it must adapt to urban traffic snarls.

The vehicle is controlled by a revolving electric motor located under the armrest. You can use your hands to apply breaks at the end of the left armrest and accelerator on the right.

In effect, it virtually allows you to enjoy the thrill of sledding on the road. Its touch controls however ensure a safe and comfortable ride. A pity that it is meant only for a single person ride.

The vehicle may come in handy for those who love some adventure on roads, but if you have a family, think twice about such a concept.

Via: Pagesperso Orange

Campagna unveiled its T-Rex, which is being touted as a luxury vehicle. The T-Rex comes with a 197-horsepower Kawasaki motorcycle engine and can reach speeds of up to 144 miles per hour.

It is almost impossible for you to get this three wheeler as there may no plans be to introduce this cool vehicle commercially. The T-Rex reminds me of the quirky tastes that most Japanese have when it comes to gadgets and technology. This vehicle too, is really quirky and it would certainly not be easy to drive one in London or Paris without inviting smirks.

The T-Rex looks like a futuristic car proposed by science fiction proponents and it would have been awesome if only the vehicle was manufactured commercially. Alas, I have no idea if it will ever make it! It has always been many people’s dream to get a vehicle that is not only well designed and that which comes with great power, but also looks awesome and cool.

Via: Wired

The 1980 Mazda Familia hatchback, 1981 Toyota Soarer Coupe, the GT HYBD, Mazda’s 1970 500cc rotary-powered RX-500 Concept, Mitsubishi’s 1917 A Model and a first generation (1976-1981) Honda Accord CVCC three-door hatchback were some of the classic cars displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009.

While there have been a number of futuristic cars displayed at the event, the desire to pay respects of homage to these lovely old fashioned cars was all too prominent. The Mazda classic car almost looks like a car straight from sci-fi movies of the 60s. The car has that retro chic appeal which you can’t really ignore.

If you are fond of classical cars, you must probably head towards Tokyo and check out all that is on offer there. I would so love to be there at this moment, in spite of the event’s dryness this year! Classical cars have this unique appeal which you just can’t ignore and it is perhaps this appeal that makes them wanted and adored even today.

Via: Carscoop

The Honda CR-Z concept looks very similar to the Skydeck concept and I am plagued with doubts if the two cars are the same. The CR-Z concept is apparently very near to production in February 2010. The car seems to take inspiration from Audi, which definitely isn’t a great thing as it lacks originality.

The interiors look like they are full of clutter and the box shape of the car is a cross between the Audi and the Asian designs, which I seem to particularly dislike. The 1.5 litre version of Honda’s IMA system (currently available as a 1.3 litre in the Civic Hybrid and Insight) is something to look forward to.

The CR-Z comes with a 6-speed manual transmission which isn’t a bad thing to have. I would still like to see Honda come up with a better model than this, for it does not exactly have anything outstanding. If only Honda realized that they are the best when it comes to stylish designs and that they do not need to copy, it would be great.

Via: Paultan

Honda Skydeck has been unveiled recently at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009 and it looks pretty much like he Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept which I wrote about some time ago. This car too comes with the weird door arrangement but it still looks cool though.

The rather skewed door opening arrangement may be replaced with a normal one when it is finally unveiled in the market. It is expected to rival the Ford S-max and replace the FR-V in Europe. The Skydeck can seat a number of people thanks to the 3 rows of seats and the hybrid system battery is located in the centre.

There is a lot of free space and since Honda is particularly concerned with power, you can expect a great performance though not awesome fuel efficiency. There isn’t much information available about its specs but it should be one of the coolest looking to be launched in the past couple of days. Just wait for a while and more information could be made available.

Image

Via: Channel 4

If you were wondering why there have been no cool cars and vehicles unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009, I would say it is because the car and automobile market has really suffered after the recession. Though the market is brightening and the companies are beginning to stop making recession as an excuse to pay their employees less, it still might need some time for people to actually start spending on vehicles a lot.

The Hybrid Tourer concept vehicle from Subaru perhaps was one of the more stylish vehicles to be launched lately. It comes with two gullwing doors and would be made of a 2.0 litre turbocharged boxer engine and two electric motors.

Featuring Subarus’s Lineartronic automatic transmission, the car comes with a rear motor which can be used at start up or during acceleration and the front motor would act as a power generator and help during uphill acceleration. I would definitely look out for this one. It is such a beauty!

Via: Paultan

INFINITI is Nissan’s luxury brand which is planning to compete with likes of Audi by unveiling some seriously luxurious vehicles. In fact, they are planning to launch a new small car that would challenge the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series. The car would be electric and would run on lithium ion batteries.

Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn revealed that the small electric compact car by Infiniti would be announced very soon. It is a matter of great speculation to see if the car would be announced at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009, or sometime later. The company may receive more coverage if they release later as the car might get buried under the weight of other competitors at the expo.

It certainly sounds interesting, the thought of a luxurious small car that runs on electricity! If only the car also delivers a great performance, it would indeed be awesome! Nissan is known for its great customer service an also minimizing the carbon footprints left behind. These qualities make it an attractive company.

Via: Auto Express