New Audi Q3 Baby SUV: First Official Teasers Revealed Ahead of Shanghai Auto Show

Audi has revealed the first official teaser sketches of its Q3 ‘baby’ SUV model, prior to its world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month. The drawings confirm the Q3 will look pretty much like the Cross Coupe quattro design study unveiled by Audi in 2007.

However, the front end of the production Q3 seems changed in comparison with the aforementioned concept, with the headlights sporting a thinner, stretched shape and being mirrored in the lower side of the bumper by the spaces for the fog lights.

At the back, the car looks similar to the concept, with the exception of the tailgate window angle, which is not as inclined as on the Cross Coupe quattro.

The interior pictures reveal a similar shaped steering wheel and instrument panel, with changes having been made to the center console, where the gearshift lever appears to look more conventional than on the 2007 concept car.

The crossover model will be built at Seat's Martorell plant in Spain and will be based on the same architecture as the VW Tiguan. Previously, an inside source told Coolpictures that the new Q3 will arrive in European showrooms this fall, most likely in September or October, depending on the market.

The source added that the Q3 will be offered at launch with three powertrain options - a 170PS 2.0-liter TFSI with a 6-speed manual gearbox and CO2 emissions of 172 gr/km; a 211PS 2.0-liter TFSI with an S Tronic transmission and CO2 emissions of 184 gr/km, and a 170PS 2.0-liter TDI diesel and an with an S Tronic transmission and CO2 emissions of 158 gr/km.

Official details about the car will be announced shortly, so stay tuned on CoolPictures for more info.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Mercedes Brings Sexy to the Compact Segment with New Concept A-Class, will be Revealed in Shanghai

Mercedes-Benz plans to show up at this month’s Shanghai Auto Show with a brand new concept for a spectacular looking A-Class model. While the Concept A-Class is just what its name says it is – a prototype study - it’s also a very good indication of where the company plans to take its BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 rival with the presentation of the next generation model that is scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

For starters, Mercedes is giving up the minivan-like silhouette of the current A-Class for a more dramatic and sporty looking two-box profile with a long bonnet and a low roof-line. The concept’s exterior design details are heavily influenced by Stuttgart’s most recent prototypes such as the CLS Shooting Brake and especially the F800.

Aside from the new nose with a prominent Mercedes grille, the three-door Concept A-Class also features concave surfaces with sweeping lines throughout the body.

Even though it is certain that next year’s production model will drop many of the striking details (just how many remains to be seen) and lose the aggressive proportions of the concept car, the general shape will be maintained.

Inside, the Concept A-Class has individual seating for four and an overly futuristic styling, which of course, will not pass into production. However, certain design elements such as the shape of the air-vents, steering wheel and instruments will inspire the road-going model, which will most likely be offered with a five-seat layout.

Underneath the sheetmetal, the Concept A-Class rides on a new front-wheel drive platform codenamed MFA, which is believed to stand for “Mercedes Front-wheel-drive Architecture”. The prototype is powered by a four-cylinder gasoline unit from Mercedes’ new M270 engine series and combines both direct-injection and turbocharging technology. The Concept A-Class is equipped with the 2.0-litre variant of the new engine, developing 210 hp, with power being transferred to the front wheels through Mercedes-Benz' new dual clutch transmission.

Other technical highlights include a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist and the daytime running lamps that consist of 90 optical fibres with aluminum sleeves, and are arranged in a wing-shape within the headlamp.

Along with the three-door hatchback previewed by this here concept, Mercedes-Benz officials recently said that the company is planning at least three more variants based on the A-Class' MFA architecture.

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BMW Officially Unveils New M5 Sports Saloon Concept Ahead of Shanghai Show

We received our first taste of the new M5 Concept during the weekend thanks to a series of photos that leaked from a press event in Germany, but today, BMW came out with an official release detailing its sports saloon ahead of its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 in China later this month.

The Concept M5 is essentially 99 percent production ready, so don’t expect any surprises in terms of styling at the presentation of the production model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year.

The highlight of the fifth generation of the M5 will be the new twin-turbocharged V8 engine lurking under the bonnet. BMW officials have already confirmed that the engine is a development of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 555HP and 680Nm or 501 lb-ft of peak torque, tweaked to deliver more power. However, the German company is still keeping mum on output numbers.

What BMW did disclose is that compared to the fourth generation of the M5’s 507HP V10 power unit, the newly developed V8 turbo has a significantly increased output level, whilst at the same time lowering previous fuel consumption and emission levels by at least 25 percent.

In the new M5, power is delivered to the rear wheels by a seven-speed M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic, which was specifically tuned to the new V8 engine’s performance characteristics. The M5 also gets an Auto Start Stop function.

BMW added that the F10 M5 will feature exclusive M suspension components such as the inter alia, the wheel suspension systems, specific axle kinematics as well as powerful and weight-optimised brakes. A new Active M Differential that optimises vehicle stability using targeted variation of locking torque between the right and left drive wheels, plus 20-inch forged alloy wheels shod tires size 265/35 ZR20 at the front and 265/35 ZR20 at the back, are also part of the package.

As for the car’s exterior, BMW’s designers opted for a discrete appearance with a typical M-style front bumper, side gills on the front fenders, a new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser that houses twin tailpipes on either side, and a barely visible boot lid spoiler.

BMW won’t reveal anything on the interior with the Shanghai Show concept’s windows being completely blacked out, but expect to see the typical M model styling traits such as the sport seats and steering wheel, bespoke interior trim and an M-specific instrument panel.

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