Nik J Miles

Archive for February, 2012

Just days after the Elantra sedan was named 2012 North American Car of the Year, Hyundai tripled the number of Elantra variants with the addition of a new coupe and five-door GT model.

First up in the spring will be a slick new Elantra coupe, followed in the summer by a practical five-door GT hatchback.

Both 2013models are designed with the same “Fluidic Sculpture” theme that made the sedan such an eye-popper.  From the side, the Coupe takes on an even more wedge-like shape, further accented with the deeply sculpted surfaces and subtle wheel flares over the 17-inch (SE model) front and rear wheels Read the rest of this entry »

The horsepower war has turned thermal nuclear as Ford again ups the ante with the Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible with a supercharged 650-hp engine.   The convertible joins the coupe with all the features that make both top models in their small but powerful niche.

“The Shelby GT500 convertible is every bit the performer that the coupe is,” said Kerry Baldori, SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer. “All of the significant changes we made in the program were instrumental in delivering a convertible that could really shine on the track but can still be driven on a daily basis.” Read the rest of this entry »

“ Honda’s CR-V for 2012 gains refinement and new look”

Honda has long made it a practice to not rush into anything unless it shows a great deal of promise, and even then, the road to development is one of measured restraint. There are several cases in Honda’s past history to illustrate this fact, but simply stated, Honda rarely makes wholesale changes to vehicles that they manufacture, employing an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary philosophy in their approach to development.

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Probably no other car is more thought of as the iconic great car from the 1960’s than the Jaguar E-Type.

When it was introduced at the Geneva auto show in 1961 newspapers said of the E-Type:

• ‘The most wanted car in the world – it will be a winner everywhere.’  Daily Mail.
• ‘Driving the car is more like flying than motoring.’ Daily Telegraph.
• ‘WHAM! And you are doing 150 miles an hour – new Jaguar can beat the world.’ Daily Express Read the rest of this entry »

“2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: A serious performer”

Freshened with more aggressive look and performance capability

Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe first appeared on the scene as a concept vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2007, and the transformation from concept to production vehicle kept the signature design virtually intact. The Genesis sedan bowed in 2008. The Genesis Coupe displays an aggressive overall stance with powerful curves and a unique “Z”-shaped undulating beltline. The roofline arches gracefully, with a tapered greenhouse that tends to highlight the car’s broad shoulders and wide track. Rocker panels draw the car closer to the ground, and the wheels reach well up into the pronounced fenders.

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Lexus recently unwrapped a striking new hybrid 2+2 sport coupe that they shows the future design direction for Lexus and an emphasis on a driver-focused vehicles.

Penned by the Toyota Calty design studio in Newport Beach, Calif., the new LF-LC concept redefines the Lexus-look with avant-garde beauty and an emphasis on advanced technology, while remaining within reach  of typical premium buyers.

“The concept hybrid 2+2 liberates the idea of a sport coupe and pushes the boundaries of performance, style and technology,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. Read the rest of this entry »

Kia showed the latest version of their UVO eServices recently at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and debuted a new In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) concept, both which show the same type of innovation that has so quickly advanced Kia in the automotive market.

New for UVO is a telematics suite (“eServices”) powered by a free smartphone app.  It provides drivers with an innovative in-vehicle connectivity experience including navigation, diagnostics capabilities and added convenience features. Powered by Microsoft^® .

UVO is short for “Your Voice,” and provides consumers easy-to-use voice and touch-activated experiences to manage music files and hands-free mobile phone operation Read the rest of this entry »

 Buick will expand its luxury lineup early in 2013 when they add  the all-new Encore luxury small crossover.

“Buick Encore is a great-looking, smart choice for those who want luxury crossover amenities in a more maneuverable and agile vehicle,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “It represents a luxury alternative for a new audience of Buick customers, and delivers features and flexibility not typically found in vehicles of its size today.”

About the same size as an Audi A3 or a Scion xB, the Encore follows Buick’s global design language with sculpted and elegant styling traits – including sweeping character lines.  From first glance, there is no doubt that Encore looks like a Buick with features like the waterfall grille, chrome accents and surrounds, portholes on the hood and painted lower panels, similar to the Enclave. Read the rest of this entry »

Lincoln is showing and introducing some serious indications of the rebirth of the upscale brand with two models showing the technological and performance enhancements..

“If you want to drive the future of Lincoln, there’s the new MKS and MKT coming this spring. They signal the direction Lincoln is heading when it comes to delivering a refined and engaging driving experience.” said Scott Tobin, director, Lincoln Product Development. Read the rest of this entry »

Ford is trying to put the Ford back into the NASCAR with a new Sprint Cup car that closely resembles the new Ford Fusion.  Over the years, the NASCAR Cup cars have evolved to almost a generic look often with little resemblance to the original car.

There used to be a correlation between race cars and car sales with the idea “win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” Ford is hoping to reinforce that idea with the new design.  Unveiled recently at the Charlotte Motor Speedway the new Fusion was developed by Ford designers in an effort to bring brand identity back to the sport. The result is undeniable with the 2013 Sprint Cup car mirroring the recently unveiled 2013 Ford Fusion production car. Read the rest of this entry »