Super Concept Cars Blog

The Auto China 2012 event held in the Beijing capital Monday rolled out an extraordinary line-up of new vehicles from across the world, with global automakers brandishing an impressive combination of luxury and sports in their respective car segments.

Among the hoard of exhibits, 120 new models, 74 concept vehicles and 88 new-energy vehicles made their way to the auto show. A total of 1,125 automobiles, including vehicles from Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, Bentley, Bugatti, SEAT, Skoda, Porsche and several domestic brands, were displayed at the exhibition, which ends May 2, 2012, the China Daily reported.

Keen to tap into China’s expanding luxury and large car market, Lamborghini unveiled its new highly anticipated Urus SUV concept car, the Italian car manufacturer’s first SUV in nearly 2 decades. The 600 horsepower SUV is said to come with a price tag of around $200,000 and is expected sometime in 2015.

“The Urus is a very concrete idea for the future of Lamborghini – as a third model line and as the perfect complement to our super sports cars,” Lamborghini president and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann said at the event, the publication noted. “SUVs stand for freedom and emotion. SUVs make up one of the most successful market segments worldwide. The Urus is the most extreme interpretation of the SUV idea; it is the Lamborghini of the SUVs.”

According to a report on the Telegraph, SUV sales were estimated to have grown 25 percent in 2011 reaching 2.1 million vehicles, which is approximately 12 percent of light vehicle sales in the country.

Meanwhile, click on the slideshow above to view the hottest cars displayed at the Auto China 2012 car show.

At the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, Mazda debuted a new concept, the Takeri, and it just may be a preview to another anticipated vehicle – the new Mazda6. The Takeri concept vehicle, which will make its American debut at the New York Auto Show on April 4th, is just another addition to Mazda’s “KODO” design, which is rather wild, even for Mazda. The Takeri will feature Mazda’s SKYACTIV-D engine – a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine – which is designed to decrease emissions and increase fuel economy.

This intelligent diesel engine also features what Mazda calls “i-Stop,” which shuts the engine off during extended stops and restarts it within 0.4 seconds of pressing the accelerator again. That’s the fastest restart of any automatic engine shutdown system today, but still, once that technology starts breaking down, it will be a nightmare for owners. There are no details on the U.S. version of the 2.2-liter engine, but the European version produces 170 horsepower in the CX-5.

The most interesting thing about this release is that it is coming on the forefront of an anticipated redesign for the Mazda6. Looking at the spy shots of the 2013 Mazda6 that we teased back in January and comparing them to the Takeri image, the similarities are uncanny.

We are going to go ahead and make the call that the Takeri coming to the U.S. bearing its 2.2-liter diesel engine will ultimately be Mazda’s announcement of an all-new Mazda6. While the redesign may not be a complete shock, the 2.2-liter diesel and other SKYACTIV technologies fitted on the 2013 Mazda6 – lowered engine compression, i-Stop, high-tech transmission, and more rigid, yet lighter, body – should help keep future owners away from the gas pumps a little more often.