Trailer on 2040-parts.com

GMC Granite concept (w/ Video)

The biggest surprise at the 2010 NAIAS was GMC's Granite concept - a design that expands (or rather contracts) the truck/crossover brand's 'professional grade' philosophy to a compact hatchback aimed at urban hipsters and early adopters. Conceived by Frank Saucedo's Advanced Design team in California and then built at GM's Design Center in Detroit, the Granite combines the basic proportions of the Nissan Cube and Scion xB with a military/industrial feel inspired by the current G-Star and Diesel fashion lines. Watch the videos to the left to see the young international design team present the rationale behind the new concept, and read our opinion of the Granite in our 2010 Detroit Auto Show Highlights.

Koenigsegg Agera & Agera R 2012 updates

The Agera & Agera R get a raft of tweaks for 2012 Koenigsegg has revealed improvements to the Agera and Agera R for 2012, which will debut at Geneva next week. We’re not sure just how many Koenigsegg Agera R models have actually been built and delivered (or the standard Agera R, for that matter), but however many it is it’s not more than a handful. Still, standing still means going backwards – whether you’ve built a single car or a million – so Christian von Koenigsegg and his men in the snow in a shed in Sweden have been busy putting the Agera and Agera R at the cutting edge for 2012 models.

Toyota adds i-Road to urban mobility trials

TOYOTA has added its futuristic i-Road concept to its “Ha:mo” urban transport trials. It is the latest vehicle to be added to the rapidly expanding scheme, which is being held at the so-called Toyota City; Toyota’s huge presence in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. The Ha:mo (Harmonious Mobility network) trials are an attempt to develop a sophisticated, integrated transport system for cities, making use of electric vehicles wherever possible but with the key emphasis on encouraging travellers to use the ‘most appropriate’ means of transport at all times.