Tech.Wapline

Let’s be clear right off the bat. This Toyota 2000 SR Concept by SURE DESIGN is not an official Toyota concept and in no way suggests that the Japanese automaker is considering a model inspired by the legendary 2000 GT. That said, it’s still a cool concept that combines styling cues from arguably the greatest Toyota design of all time with a modern hybrid drivetrain. The motor is a turbocharged 3.5L V6 mounted in the front-mid position under the car’s extra long hood. The deets put the turbo V6 at an impressive and quite unbelievable 610 horsepower sent to the rear wheels without the hybrid assist. An electric motor up front, meanwhile, would power the front wheels only for cruising around town. While the design is inspired by the original 2000 GT, it comes no where near that classic in terms of aesthetic appeal. We do, however, like the simplicity of its lines. Unique features also include doors that flow around the back, giving the car a split cockpit-like canopy.

Should Toyota be thinking about rekindling the fire first sparked by the 2000 GT? Absolutely, especially if it truly wishes to be a full-line automaker like General Motors. Should the 2000 SR Concept be charged with this responsibility? No. Let’s wait and see if rumors of a new AE86 or a production version of the FT-HS Concept are true first.

Renault hasn’t done much to tap into its Formula One successes, nor has it provided credible competition to the RX-8s and 350Zs of the world. That’s all going to change come 2010. Renault is expected to revive the much-loved Alpine name and slap it on the back of two-door coupe powered by a turbocharged engine mounted amidships. AutoExpress has it on good authority that designers are wrapping up the exterior and that a Megane-bodied mule caught testing on the Nurburgring is actually the new Alpine being put through its paces. Renault is confident that the new coupe won’t go the way of the Sport Spider that was dropped in 1997 after it was maligned for offering little refinement and even less practicality. We’re hoping to see the Alpine make its concept debut in Paris next year.

Tesla Motors has been operating with an interim CEO since last August when its founder, Martin Eberhard, stepped down as head of the company. Today the start up that promises to herald in a new era of EV motoring (if it can stay on schedule) announced the appointment of a permanent replacement. Ze’ev Drori will now be at the helm of Tesla Motors as it tries to guide the Tesla Roadster through the production process. Drori has a history of turning around small companies, having founded a computer chip company called Monolithic Memories and later running Clifford Electronics, an automobile security system company, until it was bought by Allstate Insurance in 1999.

We’ve always wondered whether that’s been the plan for Tesla Motors all along: get the all-electric Tesla Roadster to market, build the brand and sell the technology to the major automaker with the highest bid. Bringing on a guy like Drori lends some credibility to that hypothesis, though it’s just as likely Tesla plans to remain independent as it builds an entire lineup of all-electric vehicles in the coming years.

The quad-ring obsessives over at Fourtitude have the inside scoop on what Audi plans to unveil in Detroit this January, and enthusiasts stand to benefit from a duo of performance products in the form of an R8 concept and what’s likely to be the production version of the TT-S.

Audi’s midship masterpiece has only been on the market a few months, but it’s been all but confirmed that bigger things are on the way. The rendering above was supposedly released to a handful of lucky press outlets a few weeks back and it obviously foretells a future convertible variant of the R8. Rumors about a powerplant upgrade in the form of a V10 are also circulating, but we think its doubtful that Audi would blow it all on one show.

While the R8 convertible is pure motoring pr0n, the TT-S is proof that Audi is taking its performance offerings seriously. The exterior benefits from a number of S-line goodies originally spied at the ‘Ring, while power is expected to come courtesy of the European S3’s 265 HP 2.0-liter turbocharged four. The combination of a more aggressive suspension, larger brakes and upgraded rolling stock is sure to capitalize on the TT’s already nimble chassis.

Performance enthusiasts have witnessed the devolution of the Mitsubishi Eclipse from the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive thrill ride it once was to the V6-powered, front-wheel-drive highway cruiser it is today. Perhaps the Concept-RA that Mitsubishi will unveil at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in January heralds a return to that original Eclipse. The concept certainly has the look of those first-gen cars, with a low slung body and perfectly arching roof line. The rear even has a bit of Boxster to it. The fender flares and what we hope are functional extraction vents give purpose to the design, which is backed up by the use of lightweight materials and an eco-friendly though potent powerplant.

The Concept-RA is built on an aluminum space frame and most of its body panels, including the hood and fenders, are made from a recyclable plastic resin that’s impact resistant. That brings the weight down so that the 2.2L four-cylinder turbodiesel doesn’t have to work as hard to make the car go. The diesel features Mitsu’s MIVEC valve timing technology, as well as direct injection and piezoelectric injectors. It requires no urea injection to meet our strict emissions standards for diesels, instead relying on a smorgasbord of traps, filters and catalytic converters. Despite its formidable green cred, the 2.2L mill produces just over 200 HP and 310 ft-lbs. of torque. Like the best Eclipses of old, it sends power to all four wheels, though through a more modern Twin Clutch SST transmission. Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) also keeps the car planted by coordinating the efforts of a variety of systems, including the brakes, stability control, steering and damping.

The Concept-RA should to be one of the most exciting concepts in Detroit this year, not just because it looks sharp, but also because Mitsubishi took the time to fit it with a workable drivetrain and cutting edge powerplant that could make it to market. As for whether or not the Concept-RA has any official ties to the first-generation Eclipse, that was our own wishful thinking… but you can’t deny the resemblance.