AutoRAI 2001: the concept cars

Hyundai's Euro 1 concept shows that the Korean manufacturer is capable of more than just putting cheap, plain and affordable cars on the road. This concept is designed in built in Europe, hence the name, and is a showcase of integrating the most recent technologies in a sports car design inspired by the 1950s. It first appeared in 1998 and is displayed at car shows all over the world since.
Hyundai claims it's fully mobile and is used to examine aspects of the next generation of it's production cars.

The car features a lightweight monocoque construction out of carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels. It has a fiber enforced polyester body and the two seats are integrated into the bodywork.
Power comes from a highly tuned 4-cylinder 2-litre engine; turbocharged and intercooled it provides an amazing 380 hp at the flywheel. Other special features are a semi-automatic 6-speed gearbox, a fly-by-wire throttle, electrically adjustable pedals and steering column and a small hydraulically operated windscreen which raises just enough to deflect air over the heads of driver and passenger.
Let's hope Hyundai's future cars show a portion of this concept's dynamics and looks.

The car every car enthusiast loved at first sight: the Jaguar F-type concept. It was revealed at the 2000 Detroit Motor Show and is clearly inspired by the 1998 Jaguar XK180 concept car, and of course the famous E-type. This compact roadster reconnects to Jaguar famous sports car past, which was deluded by the rather large and luxurious XJ-S and XK sports models.
Since Ford has taken over the helm at Jaguar the classic marque has been looking at new markets and a new approach to survive. One of the selected directions was to rejuvenate the brand's image by making it more exiting. The F-type is certainly successful step towards that goal; the impact of this concept was so favorable that it will be going into production somewhere around 2003/2004.

Remarkable about the success of this concept is that it's only based on its looks. There was not much special technology incorporated into this design, besides compact rear lights featuring LEDs instead of bulbs. But I must admit that the design of the F-type is very attractive. It's well-balanced, elegant and slightly retro without being old-fashioned. Its lines are round and clear and certainly reminiscent of the E-type.
In the design of this car Jaguar looked for a contemporary, functional and distinctive style, next to equal weight distribution and excellent dynamic performance. It has resulted in a car with a classic long bonnet and a cockpit close to the rear wheels. The car features aerodynamic aids like a low set aerofoil in front which moves automatically with increasing speed to generate more downforce. At the rear a fixed diffuser tunnel also adds to generating the necessary downforce.
It's not quite clear what engine will be used in the production version of the F-type. The engine bay is designed to accept a range of powertrain options, but it's likely that Jaguar's V8 engines will be reserved for the XK models. Motorization probably will start with the 240 hp AJ-V6 engine from the S-type saloon. A supercharged version of this engine with 300 hp on offer may be an option.

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