BMW X1 Concept: 25 High Resolution Images

Contrary to popular belief, BMW has a design team that works on projects like the X1 Concept. We may not like what they produce –at least not most of the times, but BMW’s official batch of X1 images that includes more photos of the design team than the vehicle itself as well as the press release that’s all about styling leave no doubt that the Bavarian’s baby SUV was indeed penned by a professional team. Since BMW felt the need to convince us about the X1's styling virtues, there wasn’t any paper left for technical details aside from the fact that the X1 is bigger than the X3. -Continued

To be precise, your fugliness measures 4,457 mm or 175.5" in length, meaning that the Concept X1 is 112 mm or about 4.4" shorter than the BMW X3 which stands at 4,569 mm or 179". The wheelbase of the Concept X1, in turn, measures 2,760 mm or 104.4" versus the X3’s 2,795 mm or 110". Read more about the X1 in our previous post by clicking here.

Audi A1 Sportback Concept: First Pictures of 5-door Variant

Nearly a year after Audi unveiled the 3-door A1 Metroproject Quattro concept at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show and the Germans are still fiddling around with their minicar project. This time the firm from Ingolstadt will preview a 5-door variant of their forthcoming MINI rival at the Paris salon. Aside from the two extra doors, the Germans polished the A1’s exterior styling by tweaking the front-end treatment which now features a hexagonal grille and a more concave hood design. -Continued

Other changes in the vehicle’s design include the tweaked rear-end and the more pronounced fenders. As expected, the A1 Sportback’s retains the interior of the Tokyo show concept car.

We don’t have the official technical specs in our hands yet, but we gather the A1 Sportback will most likely use the Metroproject Quattro’s hybrid drivetrain that combines a 150 HP 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine to a 41 HP electric motor in the rear axle. The production version of the A1 which will be offered in both 3-door and 5-door body styles is scheduled to hit showrooms in late-2009 or early-2010.