2011 BMW M3 PICKUP CONCEPT

Beside the Convertible, coupe and sedan model, BMW M3 comes with pick up model concept. The car comes with 309 kW/420 hp under the bonnet and a rear-axle load capacity of up to 450 kilos take the hallmark BMW M relationship between race-oriented driving pleasure and everyday utility to an entirely new level.

This unique vehicle has already completed extensive test and set-up drives on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in advance of its global unveiling on 1 April 2011. BMW M GmbH once again furnishes evidence of its exceptional competence in developing and building high-grade, individual dream cars.

BMW M3 Pickup Concept will be the first BMW M3 variant in the 25-year-plus history of this model range to come with a trailer tow hitch.

With a high-revving V8 engine at the front, a generously sized load area behind and a removable Targa roof above. Yet this spectacular new development is unmistakably recognisable as a member of the BMW M3 model family. Corroborating this kinship are not just the inimitable power of the engine, but also fine-tuned aerodynamics and a tailored suspension set-up. Measurements in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aerodynamic Test Centre showed a Cd factor on a par with that of the BMW M3 Coupé.

Removing the Targa roof shaves off a further 20 kg while at the same time lowering the car’s centre of gravity. This most unusual experience of top-down driving pleasure in a BMW M3 thus goes hand in hand with further optimised dynamic handling.

Maximum load capacity has been raised to 450 kilograms. The load bed of the BMW M3 Pickup Concept is clad in high-grade structured aluminium sheeting and provides the biggest cargo capacity ever offered on a BMW M vehicle. In terms of the unit of measurement generally applied to premium automobiles, that gives the loading area of the BMW M3 Pickup the capacity to carry up to 20 standard 46-inch golf bags.

2011 KIA NAIMO CUV CONCEPT

The Kia Naimo Concept making its world premiere  at the Seoul Motor Show. Penned by Kia’s international design team in Seoul, the car takes its name from the Korean word “Ne-mo”, which is pronounced ‘Neh-mo’ and means ‘square shape. He car is electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a B-segment sized concept car that will serve as a test-bed for the company’s EV technology.

The car is powered by an electric motor developing 80 kW (109HP) and 280 Nm (206.5 lb-ft) of torque, allowing it to reach a top speed of 150 km/h (93.2 mph). The twin-pack 27 kWh battery located under the boot floor offers the Naimo a driving range of around 200 km (124 mi) on a single charge. The battery can be recharged in 25 minutes to 80 percent of its capacity, but full charge takes five and a half hours. In order to help achieving a reasonable driving range, the car is also fitted with special low-drag 20-inch alloy wheels.

2011 Kia Naimo Concept will join the company’s test fleet of hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles and will undergo testing in varying conditions to improve the EV technology that will later be applied to production vehicles.

The car design boxy shape brings to mind the KV7 concept, while details like the assymetric sunroof, the blacked-out A-pillars or the unusual built-in LED taillights give the Naimo a unique look.

The Naimo electric crossover utility vehicle means 3.89 meters in length, the car has a relatively long wheelbase of 2.65 meters, with Kia making claims of a spacious cabin, with “exceptional” head, leg and shoulder room for the occupants. The car has no B-pillars and features rear-hinged doors to improve access to the cabin, while the boot-lid has a three-way split opening system for the easier loading of different-sized objects.

But the lack of windscreen wipers, replaced by a high-intensity air jet at the base of the screen that performs an “air-wiper” function. The interior features bespoke materials such as Korean oak on the floor and door panels and “Han-ji” paper for the head lining.