Honda Civic concept

Detroit saw Honda debut two variants of its next generation Civic. Set to make their debuts in the North American market in the spring, the cars sport tighter, more aggressive styling with 'clean-yet-powerful' lines, according to the Japanese automaker. Taking inspiration from its sibling, the Accord Coupe, the Civic Coupe will retain the familiar silhouette of the outgoing model, with a refreshed bumper treatment and more aggressive character lines around the car.

Pontiac SD-290

According to GM, the Pontiac SD-290 concept is "Designed to evoke the emotions of classic sports cars". Introduced at SEMA, the vehicle is derived from a Pontiac Solstice but has been transformed into a pure single-seat race car with its passenger compartment made obsolete by a hard tonneau cover. Despite its competition red paint scheme, it is difficult not to relate the SD-290 to the timeless shape of a D-Type Jaguar. We can also see the influence of BMW's 2004 H2R land speed record breaking concept in the SD-290's asymmetrical layout, with its racing cockpit protected only by a small windscreen in front of the driver and a faired headrest and roll-bar behind the seat.

Mini Works unveiled

By Ben Barry Motor Shows 08 March 2007 01:29 Three new Minis shown at Geneva BMW unveiled several world-firsts at Geneva 2007: a Works kit for the new Mini, the entry-level One, and the new Mini Cooper D. The new Works option is an aftermarket job for the new Mini; it increases power of the Cooper S to 192bhp and adds numerous styling tweaks. A more powerful Works version, which will be built on the production line and boast more than 210bhp, will be added later, officials promised.