Infiniti Concept Vision Gran Turismo

The Infiniti Concept Vision GT (Gran Turismo) made its first appearance outside of China alongside seven other concepts made for the driving simulator franchise. It features a front mid-ship transaxle powertrain that allows a 45:55 front/rear weight distribution and its clever aero agenda includes an underbody airflow control management system that works in conjunction with the front and rear diffusers and rear spoiler without disrupting the car's flowing shape.

The sports car prototype was born out of a global design competition to "design a pure Infiniti GT car" with the brand's design team in Beijing presenting the winning model. Infiniti says the project went much further than being a simple design exercise, including proper calculations of technical features such as aerodynamics and engine performance.

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Lamborghini Urus Hybrid Version

Initially, the final version of the SUV is expected to be offered with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo petrol V8 instead of the V10 and V12 naturally aspirated units from the Huracan and Aventador, which in itself is a break with tradition. Further down the road, a a plug-in hybrid variant is a very likely candidate for expanding its line up, as Autocar reports.

"When you add a 200kg battery to a super-sports car, you immediately change the weight distribution of the car. You destroy the DNA of the car", said the automaker's research and development boss, Maurizio Reggiani, who continued to talk about the LM002's spiritual successor: "In the Urus there will be a bigger luggage compartment, so you have the space where you can install batteries in a position that is good in principal for an SUV, and you don’t need a complete redevelopment or repackaging of the car."

Regiani pointed out that achieving less than 100g/km of CO2 is extremely challenging because 200kg (441lbs) of batteries have to be added to the vehicle due to the hybrid system, and then the engineers will try to cut down this weight again by using materials such as carbon fiber, titanium and magnesium.

Lamborghini's president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann is not convinced yet that this is the right path: "If you really want to have a hybrid car with, for example, an electric range of 50km, but you want to also maintain a good power-to-weight, you are raising the bar to a million-pound car", he said. "It is something that we cannot allow without then charging it back to the customers, and this is not a market that is so large it can last for seven or eight years. It will be dead after a couple of years."

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New Bugatti Chiron Prototype Spied

The hypercar, which was spied by a driver and posted to Instagram, will become the official successor to the iconic Veyron and it will draw inspiration from the Vision GT Concept, as confirmed by Bugatti.

The main differences in its front fascia, from what we know so far, are related to its headlights. These differ from the ones used on the one-off show car, as seen on another prototype used for crash-testing. However, the grille seems to be maintained in a similar form.

Moving on to its side profile, we see additional similarities, but things seem to be different when it comes to the rear end. Here is where Bugatti changed the LED strip for regular taillights, added a toned down diffuser and lowered the exhaust system. The crease may indicate a retractable rear wing, replacing the massive one and reminding us of its 'father'.

The new "hypercar" from the VW Group is reportedly using the same 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbo engine as its predecessor, but the total output is being raised to approximately 1,500 HP. Chances are, electric motors will contribute and allow it to reach a top speed of around 290 mph or over 460km/h.

The Bugatti Chiron (name not confirmed) is believed to be unveiled by the end of this year. The final price of the exotic ride should stand at $2.2 million and several deposits are rumored to have already been made.

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Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept

Sources who attended the event told Autogespot that the hypercar will use an evolution of the 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbo engine from the Veyron. The output is believed to increase to approximately 1,500 PS (1,103 kW) and 1,500 Nm (1,107 lb-ft) of torque, which should allow the model to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.3 sec.

The journey from 0 to 300 km/h (186 mph) is expected to take just 15 seconds and, even if there is no word on its top speed just yet, the "anonymous sources" say that its speedometer will go all the way up to 500 km/h (311 mph). However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will reach that speed and, as Top Gear reports, "270 mph is a certainty", 280 mph is not excluded and 300 mph is unlikely to happen. Hybrid power might supplement the engine and developments in tire technology will help Bugatti push the top speed further.

No less than 15 radiators will allegedly cool the updated engine (5 more than the Veyron), which is said to use a 7-speed DSG transmission. Stopping power will be provided by 420-mm front and 400-mm rear brake discs, covered by the the 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport PAX tires.

The exterior design of the Chiron, the name of which hasn't been officially confirmed, will be inspired from the Vision Gran Turismo Concept and it might get four-point LED headlights and a rear LED strip.

Production will be apparently limited to just 500 units and there are 120 customers already interested in the new Bugatti exotic, who have signed up for it. Veyron's successor is believed to make its public debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, next March.

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