This year’s “World Mobility Forum” exhibition in Stuttgart, Germany (April 15-18) will be the ocasion on which Jaguar will show off its XJ “Limo Green” hybrid study that was teased for the first time last September.

Making use of Chevy Volt-like hybrid power train, the 2011 XJ-based Limo Green comes with a range extending gasoline engine that was developed in conjunction with Lotus, MIRA and Caparo. The vehicle uses an electric motor producing 145kW and 295 lb-ft of torque for propulsion. A lithium battery pack offers about 30 miles or close to 50 kilometers driving range with a full charge. Once the battery is depleted, a Lotus-developed 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline unit kicks-in to produce enough energy to power it for another 970 kilometers.

The XJ Limo Green prototype is said to return a combined fuel economy of 5.0lt/100 km with CO2 emissions of juts 120 g/km.

Even though the study is billed as a one-off concept, it is believed that Jaguar will use the technology on its future production models.

According to SGL ACF LLC, the end result will be carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) “used for BMW Group’s upcoming Megacity Vehicle.” They’re referring to what will be the end result of BMW’s Project i, a mode of transport “designed for fully electric, zero-emission driving.”

Why build in Moses Lake? Mainly, energy costs in Washington state are highly competitive and there’s access to renewable hydropower [re: it's green as grass]. Other factors included “favorable infrastructure conditions, existing utilities, a skilled labor force and ease of working with the local government.”

Robert Koehler, SGL Group’s CEO, talked about the project: “It will be the world’s most cost efficient carbon fiber plant using state-of-the-art technologies. This significant investment further underlines our commitment to the U.S., where we already operate carbon fiber and composite materials plants…We will ensure that carbon fibers play a revolutionary role in lightweight automotive construction.”

Friedrich Eichiner of BMW added, “With using CFRP components in our Megacity Vehicle, we take sustainable mobility a step further. By combining the know-how of SGL Group and our expertise in manufacturing CFRP components, we will be able to produce carbon fiber enhanced components in large volumes at competitive costs for the first time. This is particularly relevant for electric-powered vehicles such as the Megacity Vehicle.”

With recent BMW trademarks including everything from an i1 and i2 to E8s and E9s, there’s no time like the present to start speculating on what the first majority-CFRP BMW product will be. Being old-school, here’s hoping the Isetta makes a comeback.

SEAT presents the Leon Ecomotive Prototype, a car said to be capable of travelling a full 10,000 miles (16,093 km) without refuelling. Making this feat possible is a 545 litre (120 UK gallons/ 144 US gallons) diesel tank accommodated within the car.

Gone are the rear seats, and instead this massive liquid-holder has been fitted safely into that space while storage space was engineered to sit on top of it. The engine is a 1.6-litre TDI common rail powerplant with start-stop technology.

Because the car comes with a 12-month/10,000-mile service interval, buyers would not need to refuel it themselves. In any case, it cannot be filled up at the nearest filling station thanks to a special nozzle in the boot. Therefore only the dealer can put diesel in on service day. Drivers with higher mileage needs would simply bring it in as soon as it hits 10,000 miles.

“Clearly, you’d be a fool not to see the benefits of this new Leon Ecomotive,” said head of SEAT UK Press & PR, Mike Orford. “Travelling 10,000 miles between fill-ups removes a significant amount of forecourt queuing and waiting time for Leon drivers, meaning they’ll have more time to spend enjoying their car. We expect the first drivers will be tickled pink when the car goes on sale here.”

SEAT is today unveiling the first details of an exciting new Leon Ecomotive Prototype which adds a radical twist to the idea of maintenance-free motoring.

Press Release :

The one-off prototype has been cleverly re-engineered to include a 545-litre (120-gallon) fuel tank which, working on the basis of the new Ecomotive’s extra urban economy figure of 83.1 mpg, gives the ultra-green Leon the unique ability to cover a full 10,000 miles between fill-ups.

As a result this exceptional Leon Ecomotive, which like the production version boasts a new 1.6-litre TDIcommon rail powerplant as well as new start-stop technology, is able to offer many of its lucky owners the luxury of never having to visit the filling station again.

Since the SEAT comes with a 12-month/10,000-mile service interval as standard, the new prototype model need only ever be fuelled by a SEAT dealer. As such, the car is not fitted with a conventional fuel filler flap or cap, the diesel instead being refilled via a special nozzle in the boot.

Even higher mileage drivers covering, for example, 12,000 miles a year could collect their car in, say, June and then look forward to ten months of unstoppable motoring before their vehicle’s first scheduled 10,000-mile service and an April fuel stop.

Of course to accommodate this extra-large fuel tank SEAT’s engineers have had to significantly rework the Leon’s interior layout. Out have come the rear seats to be replaced, instead, by the enlarged tank which fits neatly into the space vacated by the three seats.

A handy luggage space sits atop the extra-large fuel tank, meaning the Leon Ecomotive Prototype remains as practical as it is economical.

Other important revisions have been made to the SEAT’s standard suspension set-up of course, allowing it to maintain its sporty handling while carrying the increased fuel load. The Leon’s already efficient brakes have been uprated, too.

As ever, safety is paramount and SEAT’s engineers have worked hard to ensure the concept doesn’t compromise passenger or pedestrian protection. Significant reinforcement of the Leon’s already robust passenger protection measures ally to the fact that even should the tank be ruptured in a serious accident, a characteristic of diesel fuel is that although it will burn in open air using a wick it will not explode and does not release a large amount of flammable vapour.

The clear advantage of the prototype SEAT is, of course, never having to queue at the filling station, never again donning the plastic disposable glove before refuelling and never waiting in line to pay. In the case of the new car, refuelling takes place as a matter of course when the car visits a SEAT dealership, with dealers set to offer handy fuel payment plans alongside the existing fixed price service plans.

Head of SEAT UK Press & PR, Mike Orford, said of the intriguing prototype: ‘Clearly, you’d be a fool not to see the benefits of this new Leon Ecomotive.

‘Travelling 10,000 miles between fill-ups removes a significant amount of forecourt queuing and waiting time for Leondrivers meaning they’ll have more time to spend enjoying their car.

‘We expect the first drivers will be tickled pink when the car goes on sale here.’

Seeing the Audi A1 and A1 e-tron concept at this year’s Geneva Motor Show provides proof that the quad-ring automaker is putting a much larger focus on its small car offerings. With that in mind, new rumors are cropping up about a possible successor to the A2 – the quirky little hatch that never went to the U.S. and only had minor success in Europe.

“There’s clearly room for another product and another concept between the A3 and A1,” Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told AutoWeek during the Geneva Motor Show. The new A2 would likely be A1-based and use an electric powertrain, possibly sourced from the A1 e-tron concept. European media has reported that the A2 successor is expected to debut by 2014, and no word has been given about a possible U.S.-spec version. However, with Audi keeping the A1 away from American soil, it’s likely that the A2 would be a Europe-only affair, as well.

The Hyundai i-flow is one of the significant concept cars at Geneva, not just because it looks dramatic, but because under that heavily sculpted skin is a range of latest tech that could appear in Hyundai’s next generation of cars. Powering the i-flow is the company’s first diesel-electric hybrid powertrain consisting of a U2 1.7-litre oil burner with two-stage turbocharging and Hyundai’s lithium ion-polymer battery. Coupled to a six-speed, dual-clutch transmission, the drivetrain is capable of 33.3 km/l and a low CO2 output of 85g/km.

The i-flow is also a test bed for new energy harvesting ideas, ranging from a flexible solar panel roofing to a thermo-electric generator developed in partnership with leading chemical company BASF. One such idea is thermal engine encapsulation, which ensures that the engine reaches optimum operating temperature more quickly by retaining heat when the car is idle. Hyundai says that this translates into fuel savings and emissions cuts of 5% during summer and up to 9% in winter. The thermo-electric generator meanwhile recaptures energy from hot exhaust gases and converts it to electrical energy to help power auxiliary systems.

Designed at Hyundai’s European studio in Russelsheim, the i-flow sports the firm’s “fluidic sculpture” design language. With an overall length of 4,780 mm and a 2,800 mm wheelbase, the i-flow is a Honda Accord sized D-segment contender that is set to hit the market in 2011. It remains to be seen how much of the i-flow’s styling is retained for production, but things look promising with the recent Korean realisation that advanced design is as important as making competent cars.

After a two year absence from the international scene, Bertone returns with a bang by unveiling one of the most memorable cars of this year’s Geneva show – the Pandion concept, as a tribute to Alfa Romeo’s 100-year anniversary and also a proposal for the future look of the brand.

The first car penned by Mike Robinson in his new role as Design and Brand Director at Bertone, the Pandion is named after the Pandion Haliaetus, a scientific name for the Osprey sea hawk. And it’s this bird’s wings that inspired the Pandion’s most striking feature – those spectacular doors that open upwards to the air. They incorporate the car’s front and rear fenders and stand exactly 90 degrees straight from the centre of the rear wheels. In the event of a rollover, the doors are designed to fall off for easy exit, says Bertone.

Apparently, the bird’s face also influenced the Pandion’s front design, which its creator describes as looking like the “helmet of ancient warriors” while still recognisable as an Alfa. More interesting is the rear, which sports blades in various width and length intertwined randomly. Bertone designers call this “dematerialization”, which makes the car looks like it’s moving even when standing still. This randomness continues in the cabin that is nestled in “vines”. All very messy, but somehow very beautiful.

Motor shows are about eye candy, and the dramatic Bertone Pandion is a very sweet example in a store full of increasingly predictable concept cars.

What happens when a French carmaker teams up with a top men’s magazine and a prestigious tailor house? Well…gorgeous concept cars are born! GQbyCITROËN took the French sexyness, appealingness of GQ men and Savile Row tailors style. And judging by the GQbyCITROËN concept, the fashionable fellas know a few things about svelte car design, as well. The GQbyCITROËN concept is a collaboration between Dylan Jones, GQ’s editor, and Mark Lloyd, a British designer who is most recently credited for the new Citroën DS3. Makes sense, then, that GQ and Citroën are branding this concept as “the ultimate gentleman’s drive.”

The GQbyCITROËN rides on the values of the classic GT theme, and designer Lloyd thought a proper grand tourer was much more suited to the GQ style, saying:

For me, the car that has always represented the pinnacle of automotive excellence and refinement is the GT – the Grand Tourer. It is not the all-out sports car, rather it is something gentlemanly, it has performance and it is for traveling, not racing. We wanted to create something that, like GQ, was aspirational, but also retained the classic automotive ideals. We didn’t want a car for the mass market. We wanted a car for GQ.

The cabin, accessed by rear-hinged coach doors, features a futuristic yet stylish cabin, with detailing and upholstery selected by Patrick Grant, the creative director for E. Tautz, a men’s tailor found in the prestigious Savile Row in London.

Because the GQbyCITROËN is purely a concept car, mechanical details are slim, but Citroën says that the car is powered by both a plug-in hybrid system as well as a 1.6-liter inline-four with direct injection, which achieves a 0-60 time of just 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited, of course). Seems a bit far-fetched, but no matter, because it’s unlikely for a production version to ever see the light of day.

I doubt a magazine editor and a tailor had anything to contribute to this concept besides their names…but the result is very good, anyhow.

The Seat IBe revealed at Geneva can be seen as VW’s Spanish subsidiary’s rival to the Scirocco. Although its 3.78 m length is 250 mm shorter than an Ibiza, the IBe measures 1.8 m wide and is only 1.22 m in height. The showcar’s 19-inch wheels also look good with almost zero overhangs beside them.

Unveiled here by managing director James Muir (right) and chief designer Luc Donckerwolke, the IBe is a zero-emissions electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion batteries. With a max output of 102 bhp and 200 Nm of torque, the IBe completes the century sprint in an unexceptional 9.4 seconds, although the 0-50 km/h time of 3.4 seconds suggest good point and squirt acceleration. Top speed is limited to 160 km/h.

An electric powered SEAT should be quite far away, since the brand only plans to launch its Leon Twin Drive plug-in hybrid in 2014. For now, SEAT has a popular range of diesel powered Ecomotive cars, the best of which (Ibiza Ecomotive) achieves 27 km/l and 98 g/km of CO2.

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It seems that women are part of your (misoginist) life, whether you like it or not, and now, they’re even messing up with your most astonishigly-looking cars: they inspire the carmakers with their curves and humps. Not that they haven’t been doing it for the last century…

Created by the quizzically-abbreviated I.DE.A. Institute, the Sofia’s hourglass shape is inspired by the female form. And we don’t have much trouble believing that line, curvaceous as it is. The hybrid part, though, is pure fantasy. Because like many design studies, the I.DE.A. Sofia is an empty body shell. It’s got no interior, but more to the point, it has no mechanicals inside. Its creators say it could theoretically accommodate a V8 engine, with or without the assistance of an electric motor, driving either the front wheels or the rear.

Like it? Don’t get too excited by the prospect of production. The I.DE.A Institute claims to have contributed to designs for numerous major automakers, but in its 30-year history has produced more household appliances and furniture. But for the next upstart looking to join the likes of Fisker and Tesla, the sumptuous shape could be just the ticket.

As you may know already GM is working hard on the 2012 Buick Regal GS, which will be based on the Regal GS Concept, unveiled back in January at the Detroit Auto Show but also on the all-wheel drive Opel Insignia OPC.

But, apparently, the upcoming car will be offered without the all-wheel drive system. This was confirmed by Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chairman who said that the produc planners are debating whether all-wheel drive is worth the added weight and cost. Regarding the engine, we will see the same 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged engine with direct-injection technology found on the Regal GS Concept and capable to deliver 255 horsepower (190 kW) as well as 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400 Nm).