German Take on English Tradition: Volkswagen's All-Electric London Taxi Concept

Over the decades, the London Taxi has become a British icon, just like the double-decker bus or the red telephone booth. However, this might change in the future, as stricter emissions regulations could threaten the aging diesel cabs. Volkswagen’s EV Taxi Concept, which is based on the forthcoming Up! supermini, could offer a solution to this problem, should it ever make it into production.
Motivated by a 115 hp (86 kW) electric motor that draws energy from a set of lithium-ion batteries, the Taxi Concept can reach a top speed of 74 mph (121 km/h) and has driving range of 186 miles (300 km). According to the German automaker, an 80 per cent charge of the batteries takes approximately one hour to complete.
It’s clear that, performance-wise, the EV is more than suited for taxi duty, but Volkswagen didn’t stop there. Designing a body with minimal overhangs, the automaker was able to create a roomy cabin, albeit for only two passengers at the back along with their luggage. Still, that’s pretty impressive if we take into consideration that the concept measures just 3.7 meters (146 inches) in length.

The cabin has a simple, clutter-free design with the most important functions, such as fare information, climate control and entertainment, controlled through a touchscreen display mounted next to the driver. A second display provides information for the passengers.
The Taxi Concept doesn’t fulfill current London taxi regulations, but it does offer an insight into future possibilities, which, in our opinion, are worth considering.

By Csaba Daradics

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New Photo Gallery of Lotus' Future Sports Car Lineup

You may have to ask a second time for their name and you probably need to take more than a couple of looks to tell them apart, but that doesn't mean we're not impressed by the next generation of Lotus sports cars.
Unveiled for the first time as concept studies at the Paris Motor Show in October, with the North American debut taking place at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, the new Elise, Esprit, Elite, Elan are a wild bunch. And while we don't have anything new to add about the four sports coupes, Lotus has unleashed a beautiful photo gallery shot in Hollywood, which you can enjoy in high-resolution quality right after the jump.

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Porsche's Detroit Motor Show Car will be a Concept

The ongoing saga of Porsche's North American International Auto Show world premiere continues today with a short statement from the event organizers and the Stuttgart-based sports carmaker announcing that the model in question will be a concept and not a production vehicle. Scroll down for the announcement.

"First Press Conference at Detroit Auto Show Is World Premiere of New Porsche Concept

German Car Company Returns to Motor City with Highly Anticipated Concept Vehicle

In a world premiere, Porsche will take the wraps off a new car that promises to be one of the most intriguing and talked-about debuts at the show. This marks the automaker's first appearance at the Detroit Auto Show in four years."

We'll remind you that earlier this week, Bloomberg news said that Porsche's surprise will be a racing coupe version of the 918 Spyder hybrid concept, citing inside company sources.

*Photo: Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid

Honda to Debut CR-Z TS-1X Concept at this week's Tokyo Auto Salon

With the conclusion of the press days of the 2011 Detroit Motor Show, the automotive world is now shifting its focus on the Tokyo Auto Salon 2011, which will be held from Friday, January 14, to Sunday, January 16, at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.
At this year's event, Honda will be presenting several vehicles including the TS-1X concept study based on the CR-Z hybrid. The prototype model is the work of Honda Access Corporation, the Japanese carmaker's in-house aftermarket division.

Honda has not revealed any information on the concept model, but from the single photo it did release, we can see that the TS-1X is finished in a matt black paintjob and is fitted with a full body kit comprising of front and rear bumpers, beefy side skirts and a large rear wing that appears to extend on the CR-Z's sides.
Other Honda products to be displayed at Honda's stand include a variety of customized vehicles such as the Sports Modulo NSX, Freed Spike caravan car, the Acty Truck and the Enepo generator special coloring editions, plus several racing models like the HSV-010 GT, which won both the driver and team titles for the Super GT Series GT500-class races.
Our man Phil has already landed in Japan and will be covering the show live so stay tuned on Carscoop for more news on the Tokyo Auto Salon.

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2011 Detroit Show: Hyundai's Curb Small Crossover Concept

Sharing the spotlight with the Veloster coupe at Hyundai's Detroit motorshow stand is the Curb, a conceptual study for a small crossover model positioned under the Tucson. Labeled by Hyundai as a compact Urban Activity Vehicle (UAV), the Curb is aimed at young city dwellers.

Penned by the designers at Hyundai's California studio, the Curb's styling is said to have evolved from the firm's “Fluidic Sculpture” design language seen on the latest Sonata and Elantra.
“We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink's truck,” said Jason Brown, Hyundai designer. City driving was going to be its forte, not crossing the Rubicon trail, but we wanted it to have urban armor for daily driving on city streets. It needed to empower its passengers in this setting.”
Another Hyundai designer, Arash Badeanlou boldly stated “The world has never seen lines like this on a car before," adding "it is as if the architect Santiago Calatrava inspired it.”
The Curb, which is the seventh vehicle (hence the HCD-12 codename) to be designed at the company’s California Design Center, is motivated by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection tech, mated to Hyundai's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) [wonder what the VW Group has to say about the abbreviation...]. The force-fed motor develops 175 horsepower and 169 lb. ft. of torque. Hyundai said that by adding Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology, the Curb would deliver 30+ mpg in the city and 40+ mpg on the highway.

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