2009 Future & Concept Cars

Longer and lower than the next X5, this crossover will seat only four. But what the sporty X6 loses in seating, it will gain in performance. Expect it in 2008.... more

The next generation of Volvo's family haulers will ride on the same platform as the new S80 sedan and will, one can assume, also share its powertrains. The S80 hasn't ventured far, styling-wise, so don't expect the V70 to change much. The XC70, a.k.a. the Cros... more

A smaller version of the ML, aimed at the BMW X3 and the Acura RDX. Power will likely come from a 228-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 or a 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. A V-8 should come later. The MLK name probably won't see showrooms when the car goes on sale in 2008.... more

This sleeker Passat is Vee-Dub's take on the four-door-coupe thing. Look for a trick liftgate that can open as a regular trunk or like a hatch. A 3.6-liter VR6 should provide 280 hp in base spec and 400 hp in turbocharged guise. Automakers, particularly German... more

Mercedes-Benz is quite aware that its current E-class, although a relative success, has been the poster child for the company's well-publicized quality problems. With the car nearing the halfway point of its life cycle, engineers are working with suppliers to... more

A two-plus-two, 500-hp coupe based on the Quattroporte sedan should be coming soon. It's rumored to be a full six inches shorter than the four-door. A coupe version of Maserati's shapely sedan has about as much chance at ugliness as does little Shiloh Nouvel J... more

A large, luxurious rear-wheel-drive sedan available with either V-6 or V-8 power arriving in 2008. An Audi MMI-like system for the car's electronics is under consideration, as is a base price of less than $30,000. This car will be the successor to a Korean mod... more

Shown above is a smaller, more affordable member of the Roller family based on the next BMW 7-series. The $250,000 sedan will use a modified and possibly twin-turbocharged version of the 6.0-liter BMW V-12 rated at nearly 550 hp. According to Rolls-Royce, the... more

Lotus will resurrect the Esprit in 2008--although the name is still in doubt. Aimed at the Ferrari F430, the mid-engine supercar will be powered by a V-8 engine, possibly sourced from BMW.... more

VW hasn't had a sport coupe since the Corrado disappeared in 1994, but in 2008 we'll get an all-new Scirocco based on the next-generation Rabbit chassis. A 230-hp version of VW's 2.0-liter turbo four should power the base model, and an upmarket all-wheel-drive... more

The fifth-generation Volkswagen Golf (badged Rabbit for the States) is only now in American showrooms, two years after its European debut. VW is, however, already busy working on the next version, due in 2009. The basic chassis will carry over unchanged, but t... more

The long-overdue next NSX is not yet a done deal, as Honda struggles to define what kind of car it should be and how it should look. The mid-engine Honda HSC concept (above) from the 2003 Tokyo show no longer points the way toward the next NSX, which will be... more

If the thought of the new 500-hp Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang hedging in on the 505-hp Corvette Z06's territory raises your blood pressure, don't despair: Corvette chief engineer Tom Wallace has a 650-hp trick up his sleeve (a rendering is shown to the right.)... more

With the next-generation A4 sedan and A5 coupe, coming in 2008, the Cabrio model will join the family one rung up the price ladder. Like all Audi droptops, it will resist the trend toward retractable hard tops and retain a canvas roof.... more

As its name suggests, the Audi A7 (coming in 2009) will wedge between the A6 and the A8 in price and spec. S7 and RS7 range toppers will use ten-cylinder engines--twin-turbocharged in the RS7. And, yes, it's another Mercedes-Benz CLS clone.... more

From the outside, the next Mini will look remarkably similar to the one now plying U.S. roads. The cabin, however, will boast a cleaner, more user-friendly design, and the Chrysler-derived engines will be replaced by new turbocharged powerplants developed in c... more

General Motors Is Already Working Onconcepts for a Zeta-based chevy sedan to accompany the new Chevrolet Camaro. Ford has reportedly toyed with the idea of stretching the D2 platform underpinning the new Ford Mustang to create a four door sedan, but ironically mayfollow General Motors's lead and al... more

GM brass reportedly has approved a convertible version of the forthcoming Camaro coupe. Like the Ford Mustang convertible, the open-top Camaro will probably make its debut some months after the coupe goes on sale in 2006.... more

Dodge's Hornet concept is aptly named. Every trend that has created a buzz on the automotive scene in the past few years can be seen on this little stinger. The Mini Cooper remains the huge success everyone expected it to be, and since Dodge loaned out the Neo... more

While Mazda continues to develop its fascinating gas/hydrogen-powered rotary RX-8 (it should be available in Japan in 2006), it showed something even more advanced at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, a rotary hybrid version of the latest Mazda 5.... more