Aston Martin One-77

The Aston Martin One-77 is a sports car by Aston Martin. It first appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, although the car remained mostly covered by a "Savile Row tailored skirt" throughout the show.^[1] The One-77 was fully revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The One-77 will feature a full carbon fibre monocoque chassis, a handcrafted aluminium body, and a 7.3 litre V12 engine with over 700 hp (520 kW). It will have a limited run of 77 units with delivery starting in October 2009.

Prior to the One-77's Paris Motor Show debut, the website 925.nl had leaked various details about the car. In addition to the now official information listed above, the article revealed the One-77 will cost approximately £1,050,000. The engine will be naturally aspirated, and the car will have a 6-speed automated manual transmission, height-adjustable suspension, dynamic stability control and carbon-ceramic brakes

.According to the Australian newspaper, The Courier-Mail, it is expected to be priced at around AU$2.6 million.^[6]

According to the British magazine, Top Gear, it is to be priced at £1,200,000.

At the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the company revealed the car fully. It features Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear), 6-speed transmission, Carbon Ceramic Matrix brake. Top speed was estimated over 200 mph (320 km/h), with a 0-60 mph time in approximately 3.5 seconds. The projected weight was 1,500 kg (3,307 lb)

Ford Family One Concept

The Ford Transit Connect is a small and boxy European commercial vehicle. It's hugely successful and Ford is bringing it to the U.S. market this summer. For a vehicle that can carry 135 cubic feet of stuff, the base price of $21,475 is very business-friendly. Throw in its 22/25 mpg EPA fuel economy ratings and it makes good economic sense compared to a full-size Ford E-series van. Its little 2.0-liter inline-4 engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission isn't very exciting, but it's durable and wallet-conscious.

A feature that adds a new level of family organization is the RFID tag system adapted from Ford's Tool Link technology used for keeping track of a work truck's parts inventory. Instead of tools, however, the Family One keeps track of all the kids' stuff. Before leaving the driveway the computer can verify that the kids and all their stuff are onboard.

For now, it's very much a concept, says Joe Rork of Ford's computer research department. What's certain is the commercial version with a four-cylinder engine and manual transmission arrives this summer. The concept was created to judge consumer reaction and no decision has been made on production. With some of the costlier frills eliminated, this might be unusual enough to be popular among the crowd that 15 years ago thronged to minivans. It might even make consumers forget Ford's woeful Windstar minivan. Details on the Ford Transit Connect Family One after the jump.

The simple design and use of vibrant colors is meant to appeal to kids. The technology to recognize when a child seat isn't mounted properly is meant to appeal to the parents, and if Ford works it right, a price of just over $20,000 would appeal to the family budget.

Hyundai Nuvis

The 11th concept car penned by Hyundai's California Design Center in Irvine is called the Nuvis. Sporting gullwing doors, the Nuvis is noteworthy for two reasons: First, its hybrid drivetrain will find its way into the next-generation Hyundai Sonata, and second, Hyundai says the concept's styling hints at what the Santa Fe's replacement could look like.

Hyundai's Hybrid Blue Drive architecture combines a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder (known as the Theta II) with a 30- kW electric motor, the last also producing 151 lb.-ft. of torque. The total estimated output of 228 bhp is put to the road via a 6-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai says the Nuvis's lithium polymer batteries, which are stored underneath the trunk floor, are more durable and space efficient than nickel-metal hydride and lithium- ion versions.

Aston Martin Lagonda Concept

At a time when the Big Three could be considering Chapter 11 and iconic brands are teetering on the verge of extinction, a brand founded by an American has been revived.

Lagonda was established by Wilbur Gunn, a native of Troy, Ohio who went to England to set up a European branch of his brother-in-law's Lagonda steam engine equipment manufacturing company.

Incidentally, "Lagonda" is the name of a district that grew up on the banks of Lagonda Creek, itself a corruption of the local Indian name for the river. To cut a long story short, Lagonda became part of Aston Martin in 1947 when it was bought by David Brown (the DB in Aston nomenclature).

Lagonda has now been revived by Aston Martin as being "above Range Rover" and described as a "useable" Roll-Royce, with four seats and all-wheel drive. Although the Lagonda Concept is powered by Aston's V-12, expect diesels, hybrids and "technologies not available to Aston Martin" to feature in the upcoming Lagonda models, which won't appear until 2012 "at the earliest."