Kia coupe concept V8 to be revealed at Frankfurt: report

Kia will be unveiling a new Kia coupe concept V8 at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The car will likely be based on the Kia K9 luxury sedan and will feature a rear-wheel drive layout and a powerful V8 engine.

According to a What Car? report in the UK, Kia boss Hank Lee has hinted that such a vehicle is important to the company’s future, saying that a model like this could bolster Kia’s brand image and give the company a standout flagship vehicle.

Meanwhile, Kia’s head of design, Peter Schreyer, has previously said that the model wouldn’t necessarily need to be super-fast or particularly exclusive. He says such a car will need to be fun, practical and, most importantly, cost-effective for it to work well in Kia’s line-up.

Kia is reportedly working on a number of other concepts that it will be unveiled over the next year or two, all of which will be used to test the public’s reaction. If there is plenty of consumer interest, Kia may go ahead with production of the concepts.

The car to be unveiled at the Frankfurt show later this year will reportedly adopt the V8 engine package first conjured up by Hyundai for the Genesis coupe.

The engineering is there for the taking for Kia, so the concept may simply be a Kia version of the Genesis. We’ll have to wait and see to know for sure. It’s pretty exciting either way, the thought of an affordable V8 coupe. What do you think?-caradvice.com.au

Mitsubishi PX-MiEV Shown In Melbourne, Previews New Outlander

The largest model in Mitsubishi's electric and hybrid vehicle family remains a concept for now, but you can bet dollars to dumplings that the PX-MiEV - shown at the Australian International Motor Show this week - is the newOutlander.

The PX-MiEV is not a new concept, having debuted at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, but it remains a rock-solid preview of Mitsubishi's plans not only for its regular SUV range, but also for its ongoing plan to electrify and hybridise its line-up.-themotorreport.com.au

n concept form, the PX-MiEV is powered at the front and rear wheels by a pair of permanent magnet synchronous motors.

A 1.6 litre inline four-cylinder petrol engine adds additional power to the front wheels when needed while also working as a generator for the electric motors.

Using Mitsubishi's E-4WD system, the PX-MiEV can shift torque from left to right depending on where it's needed most, using the same S-AWC and E-AYC technology as Mitsubishi's hero Evolution X.

Separate to the Evo X's multi-plate clutch, a new centre differential motor sends additional torque to the rear when needed.

As with most new plug-in hybrid concepts, the PX-MiEV features the ability to drive exclusively on electric power, via the conventional petrol engine, or with a combination of the two - generally at higher speeds where a petrol engine operates more efficiently.

Similar to the Chevrolet Volt, the PX-MiEV concept can use its petrol engine as a generator, kicking in to revitalise the electric motors when they lose their charge.

In Regenerative Mode, the PX-MiEV will use a kinetic energy recovery system to draw energy from the braking systems, storing the charge in the car's battery packs.

Mitsubishi has yet to announce production plans for the PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid, but it is expected to debut globally in petrol and diesel form as the new Outlander sometime in the next year.

International reports late last year pointed to a 2013 launch for the PX-MiEV hybrid, followed by an electric version of the smaller ASX compact SUV.-themotorreport.com.au

BMW to Produce 1-Series Based “FAST” MPV

BMW is preparing to depart from the rear-wheel drive heritage other manufacturers try to replicate. But no worries, it only applies to three upcoming models that will share a new front-wheel drive chassis with the next generation of Minis. BMW plans to push the existing 1 Series coupe up a number to become the new “2 Series” leaving room for a new a city car, small five-door wagon/hatch and a Mercedes-Benz B-Class rivaling mini MPV codenamed “FAST” to wear the 1-Series badge.

The acronym “FAST” may sound like an oxymoron for a front-wheel drive MPV, but the meaning may not. FAST stands for Family Activity Sports Tourer, and the 1 Series-based MPV will feature a one-box design, raked windshield, and an extended wheelbase compared to the hatch version of the lineup. (We’re thinking it’ll be something similar to Volkswagen’s Golf and Golf Plus.)-rumors.automobilemag.com

Alfa Romeo planning big comeback into US market

Italian car maker Alfa Romeo is planning a major comeback into the US market and aiming to launch at least five new models in time for the Detroit Motor Show in 2013, according to reports.

Among the cars planned are the new Giulia, an SUV, the 4C Coupe, the Giulietta and the five-door MiTo.

The Giulia is planned on the same platform as the Jeep Compass in both a four-wheel drive and station wagon version with probably another bigger SUV in the pipeline.

The Spider convertible, which has a firm group of supporters on the American market, is expected to be offered for the first time since 1993 as a rear-wheel drive.-monstersandcritics.com

e-Wolf Alpha 1 SRF Electric Track Car Spy Shots

Last week we brought you the first details on the Alpha 1 SRF electric track car from Germany’s e-Wolf, and today we have images of an example of the stripped-out, zero-emission racer at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife.

You may be wondering why e-Wolf is running up laps at the notorious track when development work on the Alpha 1 SRF is already complete and the car available for sale.

The reason is because e-Wolf is going after the electric car Nurburgring lap record, which was set back in May by the 340 horsepower, all-wheel drivePeugeot EX1 Concept. The official time is 9:1.338, which e-Wolf hopes to beat with its own 375 horsepower and rear-wheel drive Alpha 1 SRF.

Sitting behind the steering wheel of the car you see here is Jochen Krumbach, a Porsche driver in the grueling VLN race series at the Nurburgring, so there’s a very good chance that the record might tumble by the end of the week.-motorauthority.com