Nissan is set to debut an all-new Pathfinder later this year, and the Japanese automaker has given us a better picture of what to expect from the vehicle’s cabin. Leather heated and cooled front seats are part of the package, while occupants in the second row will enjoy heated thrones of their own. Nissan focused heavily on making the third row easier to access. The company incorporated larger rear door openings to make ingress and egress a simpler affair, and the second-row seats feature a child-seat mode that still allows rear access even with a booster seat in place.

Speaking of the way-back seats, the next-generation Pathfinder will feature a reclining 50/50 folding bench in the third row. Both the second and third row fold flat for more cargo area.

There should be plenty of technology on board, too, including a 13-speaker Bose stereo and the handy Nissan around-view monitor. Click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior

Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

These days, you only have a Ball chair in your office if you’re an evil genius or confused enough to think it’s still 1962. The clever artists at Racing and Emotion Design are out to change all that, though. The company has taken it upon themselves to slather the spherical seating, as well as an “Egg” style chair, in some of the world’s most famous racing liveries.

Want to kick back in the same style as the Gulf Porsche 917? No problem. What if the Pink Pig is more your style? Racing and Emotion Design have you covered. The French designers have even worked up a chair in Ayrton Senna’s helmet livery, as well as the colors found on the racer’s Lotus 97T. In all, there are 21 separate liveries to chose from. We’re particularly smitten with the BMW 3.0 CSL piece, though the various Gulf liveried thrones are likely to be sure winners.

Unfortunately, we won’t be dragging one of these home to the lair anytime soon. The chairs each cost around $3,788 at current conversion rates, which means we’ll just have to control our death ray from the comfort of the couch. Head over to Racing & Emotion or Classic Heroes to take a look at the full range.

Amazing mod Egg chairs in your favorite classic racecar liveries originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

Yesterday, Car and Driver called out GM in a snarky blog post for repurposing parts from the discontinued Saturn Outlook to refresh the GMC Acadia. GM didn’t confirm C/D’s suspicions at the time, but after we called and asked politely, GMC PR did answer our request.

According to spokesman Joe LaMuraglia, the 2013 Acadia liftgate glass, spoiler, rear quarter panel and rear side glass are all sourced from the Outlook. The hatch is also the same as the Saturn, but that’s always been the case, as the old Acadia used the same part.

Now before you rush to judgment here, we suggest you take a good hard look at the new Acadia and tell us you don’t think it looks better than the old model. We’ve always thought the Saturn Outlook was the more attractive of the siblings, so we don’t have any issues with GM’s parts-sharing tactic, especially considering all these parts are in the rear of the vehicle rather than up front in the all-important “face.”

Considering that GM is likely to still be producing service parts for the thousands of Outlooks on the road, this is actually a really good move. Needless spending to refresh the Acadia when this suitable alternative already exists is the kind of smart decision that we hope GM continues to make.

GM confirms discontinued Saturn Outlook parts used in refreshed GMC Acadia originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

Turin-based styling house Bertone has released a couple of sketches teasing its upcoming Nuccio Concept car. To be debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Nuccio will reportedly be based on a mid-engine platform and is meant to commemorate the company’s 100-year anniversary.

The Nuccio is named after founder Giovanni Bertone’s son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions, one for building cars and one for designing them for clients. Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone died in 1997 and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit in 2006, having led his eponymous company through its most successful years.

The Nuccio Concept will be a berlinetta (Italian for little saloon) of classic Bertone design, sporting a pronounced wedge shape that sits very low to the ground. No real details were provided with the two sketches, so we’ll have to wait until the Geneva festivities kick off for any hints on the powertrain or seating configuration.

Bertone releases sketches of Nuccio Concept ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

Turin-based styling house Bertone has released a couple of sketches teasing its upcoming Nuccio Concept car. To be debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Nuccio will reportedly be based on a mid-engine platform and is meant to commemorate the company’s 100-year anniversary.

The Nuccio is named after founder Giovanni Bertone’s son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions, one for building cars and one for designing them for clients. Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone died in 1997 and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit in 2006, having led his eponymous company through its most successful years.

The Nuccio Concept will be a berlinetta (Italian for little saloon) of classic Bertone design, sporting a pronounced wedge shape that sits very low to the ground. No real details were provided with the two sketches, so we’ll have to wait until the Geneva festivities kick off for any hints on the powertrain or seating configuration.

Bertone releases sketches of Nuccio Concept ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

Aston Martin has pulled back the sheets on the first images of its production V12 Zagato. The road car is headed for an official debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March.

Following in the tradition of the automaker’s ultra exclusive One-77, the V12 Zagato will take more than 2,000 man-hours to manufacture thanks to hand-hewn body panels, including the hood, roof and doors. Not surprisingly, Aston Martin has committed to building just 150 examples. The V12 Zagato will also make extensive use of carbon fiber, with the front and rear fenders, trunk lid and door sills all constructed from the composite.

Aston Martin created four new colors especially for the V12 Zagato, and paint alone takes 100 hours to complete. Indoors, it takes a full seven hides to cover the cabin in hand-stitched, quilted leather.

The V12 Zagato effectively rides on the same underpinnings as the V12 Vantage, which means buyers can look forward to a 6.0-liter V12 engine with 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, while a six-speed manual transmission puts the power to the ground. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Aston Martin debuts production V12 Zagato

Aston Martin debuts production V12 Zagato originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

Nissan is set to debut an all-new Pathfinder later this year, and the Japanese automaker has given us a better picture of what to expect from the vehicle’s cabin. Leather heated and cooled front seats are part of the package, while occupants in the second row will enjoy heated thrones of their own. Nissan focused heavily on making the third row easier to access. The company incorporated larger rear door openings to make ingress and egress a simpler affair, and the second-row seats feature a child-seat mode that still allows rear access even with a booster seat in place.

Speaking of the way-back seats, the next-generation Pathfinder will feature a reclining 50/50 folding bench in the third row. Both the second and third row fold flat for more cargo area.

There should be plenty of technology on board, too, including a 13-speaker Bose stereo and the handy Nissan around-view monitor. Click past the jump for the full press release as well as a quick video of the SUV’s cabin.

Continue reading Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior [w/video]

Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

Bentley has named designer David Hilton as the company’s head of exterior design. Hilton ran his own successful design firm for 12 years before accepting the position with the ultra-luxury automaker. He will now report to Dirk van Braeckel, director of design and styling. Hilton is stepping into the shoes of Raul Pires, who left the company at the end of last year to join forces with Italdesign, the Volkswagen-owned design studio.

Hilton has over two decades of automotive design experience under his belt, having worked with companies from Ford to Volkswagen. The last-generation Ford Focus RS is among his notable accomplishments.

He’ll have his work cut out for him moving forward. Bentley is slated to unleash a rash of new products in the coming months, including an all-new SUV and a replacement for the company’s aging Continental line. Click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Bentley hires David Hilton as new Head of Exterior Design

Bentley hires David Hilton as new Head of Exterior Design originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

General Motors unveiled the company’s refreshed GMC Acadia at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show yesterday, and if you were paying attention, you may have noticed something curious about the vehicle. While the new Acadia looks considerably better than its predecessor, a few components of the design looked more than a little familiar. Upon closer observation, it appears that GM has simply repurposed elements of the now defunct Saturn Outlook crossover on the 2013 Acadia. Both vehicles seem to share the same wrap-around rear glass, back hatch, tail light openings and exaggerated, squared-off fender arches.

While the vehicles are differentiated by badging, tail lamps and a rear valance, there’s no denying the similarities toward the vehicle’s rear. Up front, both share similar fenders, though adjustments have been made for the varying headlight designs.

That’s good news if you just can’t imagine life without the Saturn Outlook.

GM isn’t the only automaker to pull something similar. Parts sharing is a smart way to keep costs as low as possible, and recouping the design and manufacturing costs the automaker poured into the Outlook is a smart way to keep GM’s earnings headed in the right direction. For example, Chrysler famously reused Dodge Grand Caravan tail lights in the first-generation Dodge Durango. We just aren’t accustomed to seeing this sort of recycling on such a grand scale or after so much time has elapsed.

GM appears to repurpose Saturn Outlook parts on new Acadia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style

There’s a lot of history wrapped up in the 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute. For starters, it’s supposed to commemorate 75 years of Mopar, which, in case you’re wondering, stands for MOtor PARts, Chrysler’s in-house go-fast aftermarket division.

Second, the GTS Tribute harkens back to the Dart of old, which was built between 1960 and 1976, and specifically the GTS model of the late 1960s. Never mind that this new Dart has absolutely nothing in common with that rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame muscle car other than its name.

Finally, it’s easy to see some Dodge Neon SRT4 in the Dart GTS, most notably in its carbon fiber hood with a single, centered hood scoop, which feeds cold air to a Mopar intake that bumps horsepower to 210. Also take note of the 18-inch, titanium-finish ten-spoke wheels and the Ruby Red and black motif both inside and out.

Buyers hoping to snag a 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute will have to get out their aftermarket Mopar catalogs, as this car won’t be made available at Dodge dealerships.

Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute pays homage to sporty compacts of yore

2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute pays homage to sporty compacts of yore originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View full post on Autoblog Design/Style