Aston Martin AM 310 Vanquish (2013)

Aston Martin has unveiled a stunning new luxury sports car - the Aston Martin Vanquish.

Sitting proudly at the pinnacle of the luxury British car maker's sports car line-up, this breathtaking new super grand tourer represents the zenith of current Aston Martin design and engineering. Vanquish points to an exciting and confident future for the historic brand.

Aston Martin AM 310 Vanquish is a new Aston Martin featuring the next generation of the renowned VH architecture as well as a significantly upgraded 6.0-litre V12 engine that is considerably more potent than before.

The design represents the latest take on Aston Martin's iconic visual language. Vanquish unquestionably sees the brand continue its enviable tradition of producing some of the most beautiful sports cars in the world. Styling cues such as the elegant new waist, elongated side strakes and LED rear light blades are derived from the One-77 supercar.

Unmistakably an Aston Martin, the design shows a clear and coherent lineage from its heritage while providing an equally clear pointer to the luxury car brand's vibrant future. Closer inspection reveals details such as the stunning new Aero Duct on the rear boot lid. This elegantly devised passive engineering feature, which counteracts lift at the car's rear when travelling at speed, is a triumph of both design and technical ability.

Performance, presence, style and great British craftsmanship - the new Vanquish has all these traits in abundance.

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Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Bernar Venet (2012)

French artist Bernar Venet has been invited by Bugatti, legendary supercar-maker, to create a work of art that combines the artist's vision and passions with Bugatti's celebrated Veyron Grand Sport. Through a congenial synthesis of artistic concept and technical possibilities, Venet has created an object that integrates the symbol of speed with a fascinating, painterly exterior and an interior that alludes to haute couture. This one-of-a-kind sculptural work will be on view at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Bernar Venet remarks, "A Bugatti is already a work of art in itself, one that transports both its beholder and its driver into new dimensions of reality. I realized how I could translate my passion for mathematical equations and scientific treatises into three-dimensional form. My works are usually self-referential. So I found the idea of translating the equations of the Bugatti engineers onto the bodywork of the car very appealing. It was, so to speak, a logical conclusion and a new challenge in terms of the specific form of collaboration and implementation. To me, the result is also exceptional when measured by artistic standards and bestows the object with a mythical character."

The artistic avant-gardes of the first half of the twentieth century found inspiration in the car as an object of desire; they depicted it in drawings, paintings and sculptures that projected absolute speed as their point of orientation. In the 1970s, the car served as an unconventional canvas for many artists, such as Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, who painted what became known as "art cars". This practice continued to be embraced in the 1980s.

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Volkswagen Eco Up (2013)

The new Volkswagen eco up! is currently the world's most fuel-efficient natural gas passenger car. The four-seat Volkswagen consumes just 2.9 kg of natural gas (CNG = Compressed Natural Gas) per 100 km; this is equivalent to CO2 emissions of just 79 g/km. This fuel efficiency leads to very low fuel costs: in Germany, the mentioned 100 km cost just over 3 euros in an eco up! that is available as a two-door or four-door; in Italy, the largest market for natural gas cars in Europe, the cost is even less than 3 euros. Today, it is not possible to drive any other all-round car this inexpensively!

Gas engines as interface to alternative energies

However, one of the greatest benefits of natural gas cars like the VW eco up! is the fact that these models are not limited to being powered by just natural gas, but can also be powered by alternative fuels such as renewable biomethane. Produced from plant by-products, biomethane does not compete with food crops; it is also CO2-neutral, because the car only emits as much carbon dioxide in combustion as it absorbed while the plants were growing. Also true: new methods for producing biomethane - such as obtaining it from straw - will further reduce dependency on classic natural gas. An example: In Germany alone, according to a study by the German Biomass Research Centre in Leipzig, up to 13 million metric tonnes of straw remain unused each year. This biomass could theoretically power four million natural gas vehicles. A first facility for producing biomethane from straw has been operating in Germany since February 2012.

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BMW 4-Series Coupe Concept (2013)

The latest generation of the BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible leads the way worldwide in the premium mid-range coupe and convertible market. Indeed few, if any, rivals have made such a defining impact on this segment in terms of design, dynamics and efficiency.

Now, with the unveiling of the BMW 4-Series Coupe Concept, BMW is looking ahead to the fourth generation of its sporty mid-range coupe - and reasserting its global leadership credentials in the process.

The "4" - a sign of greater exclusivity and presence.

The BMW 4-Series Coupe Concept adds a new dimension to the qualities of the BMW 3-Series Coupe in terms of aesthetics, dynamics and elegance. The "4" doesn't just mark the start of a new cycle, it represents the zenith of a development curve. BMW has given the new model its own individual character and a standalone design - and, in so doing, has turned "4" into segment shorthand for aesthetic and dynamic appeal. The latest addition to a nomenclature that sees BMW building on the fine tradition of its large BMW 6-Series and BMW 8-Series Coupes, the "4" stands for greater sportiness, greater exclusivity and even clearer differentiation from the BMW 3-Series range.

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Audi RS6 Avant (2014)

The new Audi RS6 Avant stands for groundbreaking performance. It is lighter and more efficient than the previous model, and performance has been improved once again. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) takes just 3.9 seconds, and top speed is 305 km/h (189.52 mph). The 4.0 TFSI develops 412 kW (560 hp), but is content with an average fuel consumption of just 9.8 liters per 100 kilometers (24.00 US mpg).

The new Audi RS6 Avant is a high-performance sports car for everyday use. Its character and uncompromisingly sporty tuning is the work of quattro GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Audi AG. The company's RS models with their powerful engines form the dynamic spearhead of the model program. The abbreviation "RS" stands for the most powerful version of a model series, for quattro permanent all-wheel drive, for extreme handling, for an understated appearance and for full everyday utility.

The 4.0 TFSI, which debuted last year, is a perfect example of Audi's downsizing strategy in the high-performance category. In the new Audi RS6 Avant, the twin-turbo V8 delivers confidence-inspiring power in every driving situation from its displacement of 3,993 cc. Peak output of 412 kW (560 hp) is reached between 5,700 and 6,700 rpm, with a constant 700 Nm (516.29 lb-ft) of torque available between 1,750 and 5,500 rpm.

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