IED and McLaren collaborate on a 2020 McLaren SAV

Working with world-renowned supercar manufacturer McLaren, Turin's Istituto Europeo di Design [IED] has created a variety of concepts representing the potential future of the British marque's lineup. Each has been designed with the following requirements in mind: a hybrid, mid-engined four-wheel drive sport-utility riding on a McLaren chassis with space for two travelers.

After getting some one-on-one face time with McLaren at its Woking, UK facility, the IED students developed thirty-three concepts. After that, the number of proposals was whittled down to eleven cars deemed worthy of "further development" and students were put into teams to battle it out and earn a position on the short list.

The three winning vehicles approved for 1:4 scale model production are called the HOLON, the TOROK, and the BIO RENOVATIO, and can be viewed below along with some of the other concepts.

César Mendoza, IED Turin's director, says, "The Istituto Europeo di Design was very keen to collaborate again with McLaren Automotive....[It] has certainly contributed to raising the students' professional outlook, as it required that each team clearly defined the position of each specific feature within the project as a whole. McLaren is known for its attention to design detail: everything is for a reason and that is what we wanted our teams to understand. Then, in order to heighten the quality of the final works presented, we chose virtual presentation, including animation, that enables us even to test the movements of the parts."

Have a peek at the vids and pics and let us know what you think in the comments below.

By Phil Alex

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Fuel Filter Leak Prompts Mercedes-Benz Diesel Model Recall in the States

A total of 2,297 diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz models are being recalled in the U.S. to fix a potential problem that could lead to fuel leaks. The recall affects certain diesel versions of the 2011MY E-Class, GL-Class, R-Class and M-Class vehicle range.

Mercedes-Benz told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the problem lies in the in the o-ring, which may not have been properly lubricated in all cases and could lead to a fuel leakage.

The feds sais that their main worry is that diesel fuel may be spilled on roads making them slippery and thus increasing the potential for a crash

The German automaker said its U.S. dealers will replace the fuel filters free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin this month. Owners may contact Mercedes Benz for more information at 1-800-367-6372.

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VW Group Testing Ice- and Fog-Free Windshields

For those of us living in colder climates, ice can be a real hassle during winter time; scraping rock like formations from your windshield isn't the best thing that can happen to you in freezing temperatures... But the VW Group in association with the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Technology (IST) in Braunschweig, may soon provide drivers a solution to this pesky problem.

Researchers have introduced what they claim to be the first anti-fogging and anti-icing car windscreen. Unlike heated windows, the new glass panes make use of a physical principle that does not allow an ice layer to form in the first place, even at temperatures as low as -18 C or -0.4 F.

The Volkswagen Group says the secret of the innovation lies in a wafer-thin transparent coating of indium tin oxide that is applied to the window and in theory, stops heat from going upwards and prevents or delays cooling of the glass surface to below the dew point.

"We call this a 'Low-E' (low thermal emissivity) coating. Applied to the outer glazing, it prevents heat from radiating skyward. We are proud of this innovation and will promote it throughout the Group. That is because an ice-free window is an added convenience to our customers," explains Thomas Drescher of Volkswagen Development.

"The 'Low-E coating' cannot prevent ice formation or condensation entirely, but it can significantly reduce the likelihood of it happening," Drescher added.

The VW Group says is still has to work around some problems before it offers this technology on production models. One such issue in the current development phase is that new coating interferes with radio transmission impairing radio and mobile phone reception.

"It will take some time before the ice-free car windscreen is market-ready, but we are working intensively toward this goal. The bottom line is that for the Volkswagen Group, the ice-free window represents a successful innovation that is unique worldwide," said Drescher.

Marchionne Says Jeep Grand Cherokee Platform Could be Used on New Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Maserati SUVs

Launched in June, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee has enjoyed a massive success, as sales last month were up 291% compared to October 2009. So it comes to no surprise that Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, is considering the use of the Grand Cherokee's architecture on a variety of new models including Fiat, Maserati and Alfa Romeo SUVs, and possibly for a future Chrysler variant.

"The [Grand Cherokee] architecture has legs. It's important for us to tap all of the hard work that has gone on inside Chrysler on the new Grand Cherokee," said Marchionne during a conference call on the Chrysler Group's Q3 financial results. "It has a level of solidity and resilience that we have underestimated."

Marchionne added that the Grand Cherokee's platform, which was developed with Chrysler's former partner Mercedes-Benz, is capable of handling more powerful engines.

If a decision were to be made, all versions of these SUVs could enter the market as early as 2012 with production to most likely take place at the Jefferson North plant, which already runs two shifts, but can easily accommodate a third should the need arise.

The Detroit plant is an obvious choice as it has shown critical progress in the quality of assembly. "I'm delighted with the performance of the Jefferson plant here in Michigan" Mr. Marchionne added.

The same plant is also used for the trial production of the 2011 Dodge Durango, which is also based on the new Grand Cherokee and is scheduled to go on sale next month.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Detroit News & Automonews

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Porsche’s “Exclusive” Customization Program turns 25

Porsche started the "Exclusive" individual tailoring program 25 years ago as an option offered to all clients who wanted to make their cars unique. Virtually any customer desire could be fulfilled, the sole prerequisite being that those special choices had to meet technical and qualitative feasibility.

To provide maximum quality, a team of around 100 specialists created a plethora of components and even complete vehicles only by manual work, because they believed that "no machine handles material with as much finesse as human hands".

The same team also takes care of sales, offering customers refined interior equipment or performance enhancements, which, in many cases, have been integrated in the production process of stock Porsches as well.

To properly celebrate its 25th anniversary, Porsche Exclusive created the limited edition 911 Speedster, which pays homage to the original 356 Speedster. Only 356 units of the open-top model will be built.

This is not the first time that Porsche Exclusive has designed a special edition model as in 2009, the division launched the 911 Sport Classic with the distinctive "ducktail" rear wing, reminding fans of the legendary 1973 Carrera RS 2.7.

If you're interested in more special Porsches, take a look at the gallery below.

By Csaba Daradics

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Dodge Boss Says Chrysler is considering New Barracuda

Is there room in the U.S. market for an another retro-style muscle car? According to Ralph Gilles, Chrysler's chief designer and boss of the Dodge brand, the answer to that question is yes. At last week's SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas, Gilles told show-goers at the Mopar stand that he is "seriously thinking of how to revive the Plymouth Barracuda."

"There's a lot of pressure on us to bring the 'Cuda back," said Ralph Gilles. Speaking with reporters he added that "the customers have (been) stomping their feet for it."

Being that the Plymouth brand was phased out from the Chrysler Group's portfolio back in 2001, if the 'Cuda were to be revived, it would probably be marketed under the Chrysler brand. And like the original 1970s model, it would be based off the current Dodge Challenger.

This is not the first time that Chrysler Group has toyed around with the idea of bringing back the 'Cuda nameplate, but due to ownership changes and of course, last year's bailout, the company was forced to put all plans on hold.

Over the past years, we've seen a few concept models of the Cuda. At the 2007 edition of the SEMA Show, there was a custom-made build called the "BBP Project 'Cuda". That's the one featured in our photo gallery here.

The 'Cuda concept was handcrafted by Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, which coincidentally, was the same company that manufactured the original Challenger Concept that lead to the current production model.

Though many might think that it isbased on the Challenger, the 'Cuda study is actually built on shortened version of a brand new 2007 Charger SRT8. The design of the car was inspired by its 1970-74 "E" Body ancestors. It was auctioned off by Barret Jackson in 2008 for $159,500. Metalcrafters also created a convertible version of the 'Cuda concept, which you can check out here.

Source: USA Today , Concept photos: Barret Jackson

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