Is this the next Renault Clio? A spy shot forum has posted grainy black-and-white renderings of what could be the basis of the 2011 hatchback. While the protruding nostrils raise eyebrows, from the front and rear 3/4-view the car has an engaging line, the Mazda-like upswept creases moving nicely from stem to stern, wavelike. From the side, however, it looks a little stretched out, less like a wave, more like taffy. We’ll have to wait and see if these shots have anything to do with the actual Clio, but regardless, there are some interesting elements we wouldn’t mind on the real car.

The Denver International Auto Show opens today and Lightning Hybrids is planning on being there to display their biodiesel hydraulic hybrid prototype, the LH4. If you happen to be attending the opening this afternoon, don’t be surprised if the slick gray sportster smells a bit like wet paint, since the family-of-engineers-run company was rushing to complete work on the vehicle mere hours before the start. Aside from the hydraulic hybrid system, which they estimate can achieve 100 mpg, the X-Prize entrant also has some other unique features. The body, for instance, doesn’t have traditional doors but instead features a body that lifts up from the chassis to allow for ingression.

A possible deal could be seen to receive $50,000 for a performance agreement and another $50,000 after 25 people are hired. Before they begin cranking out their own cars in 2011, Lightning Hybrids hopes to begin working their hydraulic hybrid magic on existing trucks and taxicabs. Hit the jump for some news footage of the team preparing the prototype as well as some animations of their vehicle and systems.

With the new, rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe already available on the market, Hyundai is now concentrating on the successor of the Tiburon (called Hyundai Coupe in Europe and other markets) that is scheduled to be introduced in 2011.CEO of Hyundai Motor America, revealed that the firm’s new coupe will be positioned below the current Tiburon in terms of size and more importantly, in price. If you’re thinking in the likes of the long-gone Honda CRX, you’re probably right.
“It will have a lower price point, kind of eco sport positioning, where it is not going to be all about performance. It is going to be very fuel efficient. It is going to be stylish, a real nice complement to the Genesis coupe,” he added.The new coupe will share a front-wheel platform with the Hyundai Accent and Elantra and that it will be offered with an entry-level 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, adding that the car’s styling will draw its inspiration from the Veloster 2+2 coupe concept that was revealed at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show.It’s apparent that Hyundai would follow a different road with the Tiburon’s successor after the introduction of the sportier and more powerful, RWD Genesis Coupe.

The first official photographs of Tesla’s highly anticipated Model S have been prematurely leaked into the internet ahead of the all-electric sports sedan’s official debut which is scheduled for this afternoon in Los Angeles. And yes,the Model S’s rear-end and profile bear a ‘chilling resemblance to the new Jaguar XF.Tesla’s new proposal is set to arrive on the market in late 2011 with an anticipated base price of $57,400 or $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500. We’ll have more info and photos of the Model S latter on in the day.

Due to arrive in 2011, the new coupe will reportedly emerge lighter than its predecessor, along with sharing more components with the Audi A8 and possibly packing a diesel drive train.
The styling of the new GT is led by Dirk van Braeckel, so expect an evolutionary design that captures all the cues from the current model and packages them into a more aerodynamic package. With the A8’s front suspension employed in favor of the Volkswagen Phaeton’s, front overhangs should be shorter, allowing the wheelbase to be stretched. This, along with a wider track and a slightly larger footprint, will allow the interior accommodations – primarily the rear seats and trunk – to grow. An aluminum space-frame is expected to be used in front, with a traditional steel setup in the rear to shave around 400 pounds from the current coupe’s curb weight, bringing the final tonnage down to around 4,800 pounds.
Power will be provided by an array of upgraded W12s producing approximately 580 hp and 515 lb-ft of torque in the standard model and 650 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque on the Speed variants. Both models stand to benefit from a eight-speed automatic gearbox, and a 4.2-liter turbo-diesel putting out 374 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque is reportedly in the works. Automobile speculates that a plug-in hybrid could make it to market, assuming lithium-ion batteries are available.
The standard Continental GT should arrive in early 2011, followed by the redesigned Flying Spur in mid-2012, with the GTC convertible coming in late 2013 and the Speed variants arriving in 2015.