The Continental: No More Vanilla Volvo, BMW i Future, and the Finnish A-class

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. The teaser shot, now with the ribbon. Last week, a teaser shot of the new Volvo coupe concept—sans the automaker's signature diagonal grille ribbon—surfaced on the internet. Speculation was all over the map; discussing it with my colleague Austin Lindberg, my initial reaction was that the design's origin "could be a Chinese brand, like Volvo." But I dismissed it because I thought that an established brand wouldn't initiate a guessing game. My final guess: Perhaps it was a generic rendering to create some buzz for a new blog or outlet. We decided to skip covering it. Turns out, it was Volvo. Thomas Ingenlath and the Volvo Coupe Concept. The full set of (non-doctored) photos is out, accompanied by a video featuring chief designer Thomas Ingenlath and an actor's voice saying: "When I joined Volvo a year ago, some people described Volvo design as 'vanilla'—in other words, nice but not iconic or cutting edge. Well, I can assure you that the vanilla days are over." The classic Volvo P1800. The idea is that the relatively large concept coupe ends those vanilla days by picking up elements from the classic 1961 P1800, a two-door styled very much in the spirit of the 1950s. That car eventually morphed into the strangely futuristic P1800 ES shooting brake, which has since inspired both the 1986 Volvo 480, of which I owned an example, and the 2006 C30. The new concept car's surprisingly massive fuselage suggests that it actually previews a large sedan, which could replace the aging S80. As a coupe, it would make a nice spiritual successor to the 1976 262C (pictured below), a chopped version of the 264 sedan that was assembled, though not styled, by Italian coachbuilder Bertone. 1976 Volvo 262C. Volvo's most-recent vanilla days were overseen by Peter Horbury and former Mercedes-Benz star designer Steve Mattin; Mattin has since left for the Russian carmaker Lada, while Horbury has his work cut out as chief designer of Volvo's Chinese parent company, Geely. Prior to joining Volvo, Ingenlath spent his career with the Volkswagen Group, where he worked at Audi, became Škoda chief designer in 2000, and went on five years later to head up Volkswagen's Potsdam design studio. His work includes the second-generation Škoda Fabia and the Superb. In a promotional interview distributed by the press office, Ingenlath describes his outlook: "Everybody that knows me well would agree that Volvo is a perfect match for me. I have never been a crowd-pleaser who likes fast and loud designs. I am thoughtful. I like to explore the intellectual elements below the surface. If you do that right, the aesthetics will come naturally." Second-generation Skoda Fabia Kombi. BMW's i5 Could Happen Proponents of electric mobility are curious about the market success of the fully electric BMW i3 and the i8 plug-in hybrid. Of course, nobody is more interested than BMW itself; "In a year, we will know more," an executive tells me. Company sources have been hinting at further i-badged models; a family mover called the i5 would be the most likely addition to the line. But my confidant tells me that none of the potential i cars has gotten the green light yet. BMW's next move hangs on the market's reaction to the i3 and the i8.   Meanwhile, 1-Series ActiveE models returned by customers are being shoved into the Munich-based Drive Now car-sharing program run by Sixt rentals. It will give BMW further insight into the durability of battery electric vehicles in real-life circumstances. "They are indestructible," a company source says. So are returning Mini E models. It seems that they have a long life ahead before being disassembled and recycled. Car News: Volvo Concept Coupe Prototype Drive: 2014 BMW i3 First Drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLA250/CLA250 4MATIC   More, please: The A-class is breaking sales records. Good News for Benz and Valmet The first Mercedes-Benz A-class has rolled off the production line at coachbuilder and contract manufacturer Valmet in Finland. Over the next three years, over 100,000 units will be built there. Valmet won the contract because of its high flexibility, a Daimler executive tells me. The coachbuilder, which will likely be spun off its parent company Metso and taken over by an investor consortium in the foreseeable future, has a proud history of assembling cars as diverse as the Saab 96, 99 and 900; the Porsche Boxster and Cayman; the Lada Samara; and the Opel Calibra, to name a few. Most recently, it has produced the Fisker Karma, whose market success was lagging significantly behind projections before it was prematurely killed. With the Mercedes deal, Valmet is on a roll again, and we will see further contracts down the road. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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