The first hint of what we can expect from the next generation Tucson and Santa Fe crossovers was revealed today at the New York Auto Show as the Hyundai Nuvis concept. The sweeping creases echo and expand upon Hyunadi’s design direction that could be seen on the Genesis coupe and sedan and the Korean market Equus that stood on display nearby. Like so many other concepts at the show this year, this one featured doors that will almost certainly not be duplicated in production, extra-long gull-wings in this case.

The interior is designed for exactly four occupants instead of going for the maximum possible seating with three rows. Nuvis designers have dispensed with all the usual switch gear in favor of a river of information flowing throughout the concept’s interior, all of which is accessible through touch-sensitive surfaces. All of the interior fabrics are also made from 100% recycled materials.

Under the skin, the Nuvis is spec’d out with the same Hyundai-developed BlueHybrid drivetrain that was shown at the LA Auto Show last November. The hybrid system uses lithium polymer batteries, which give designers more flexibility in packaging compared to more typical lithium ion batteries. The production version of this hybrid system debuts next year in the next-generation Sonata, while the design elements of this concept will likely appear on the new Tucson later this year.

The Continental Supersports has been priced, with Bentley having decided that $267,000 is fair compensation for exclusive access to green, luxurious speed. The ethanol-capable Conti is not only a sign of Bentley technology to come, it also provides the first clues to the next generation Continental, which we were told “isn’t far off.” Orders can be placed beginning in October, though the first couple hundred units earmarked for the U.S. will be gas-only, with the full on flex-fuel model arriving Stateside summer of 2010.

The total price includes ceramic brakes but not destination and gas guzzler tax, which will take you up to about $275,000.

After revolutionizing search, advertising, and e-mail, Google is changing the way police in Greater Manchester keep track of motorists: Filming them a la StreetView.

After having seen Google’s StreetView car doing its Cylon sweep of everything, everywhere, the local authorities were apparently inspired to outfit Smart ForTwos with high-rise cameras to capture data. The cars will focus their views near “a high occurrence of ‘driver distraction’ collisions and where officers have regularly observed offenses being committed.”

The police aren’t trying to hide anything — the ForTwos are evidently outfitted in official livery, and besides, there’s that gigantic telephone pole of a camera mast sticking out of the roof as a less-than-subtle tipoff. What the police are hoping is that you won’t be able to hide anything, either.

The surveiling Smart cars are only part of a pilot program for now, but you can bet that if they’re effective, you’ve only seen the beginning of them.

Thanks, Google…

[Source: Daily Mail via CNET | Image: Manchester Evening News]

Things have wound down here in the Big Apple, which means it’s time for us to sift through our memory cards and pick out the best photos from the last two days so that you can adorn your desktop with the latest and greatest from the automotive world. We’ve included plenty of new cars like the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW X6 M, Nissan NISMO 370Z, Volkswagen GTI, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, plus any random coolness we happened to see like a Porsche GT1 racecar or a Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 GT. We’ve uploaded each photo at 1920×1275 pixels (just click the “high res” button) to fit even the largest computer screens

At this year’s Milan Design Week, Lexus will be showing off an art exhibit dubbed “Lexus L-finesse - crystallized wind.” It’s meant to portray the Lexus L-finesse design philosophy along with “the very finest in contemporary art, architecture and design elements from Japan.” Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto is responsible for the display, which will use space, sound and lighting to embody… something. In short, it’s an acrylic LF-A — like stepping into one of those laser-etched paperweights and finding a full-sized Lexus supercar.

The McLaren SLR isn’t the most conventional platform on which to create a racecar, but when everything is said and done, it sure looks the part. TRG Motorsports brought one such example, dubbed the SLR 722 GT, to showcase in their display here at the New York Auto Show. Florida-based tuner RENNtech is solely responsible for importing any examples here to the States from Europe for a small fee of $1.2 million.

Each SLR 722 GT is built by British motorsports specialists RML Group and features more than 400 unique components compared to the road going version including FIA-spec safety equipment, a fully adjustable suspension, upgraded brakes, carbon fiber bodywork, a towering rear wing, full race interior, and much more. Engine output is increased to 670 horsepower thanks to a race-only exhaust, and shifting is done solely by paddles behind the carbon fiber steering wheel.

Touted as the world’s cleanest diesel SUV, Audi has announced pricing on its 2009 Audi Q7 TDI will start at $50,900 (plus $825 for destination charges). Dropped under the hood of the 50-state model is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 diesel that is rated at 221 horsepower. While that may sound a bit low for a seven-passenger SUV, the oil-burner pumps out 406 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to move 6,600 pounds of trailer, says Audi. According to the EPA, the Q7 TDI is rated at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, giving it a theoretical 600-mile range on a road trip. The Q7 TDI is set to arrive in U.S.

Mazda’s new CEO introduced the CX-9 and its raft of changes to a U.S. audience at the New York Auto Show today. The swoopy lines picked up from the Nagare are said to be “the embodiment of emotion.” And that’s right, if you get can worked up for the new 20-inch wheels, bigger side mirrors and “red garnish, which compliments the look of the front fascia.” Inside there’s new fabric, new stitched leather, piano black inserts and no shortage of chrome accents. Power to haul your loads remains at 273 hp and 250 lb-ft from the CUV’s 3.7-liter V6.

It’s probably a bit premature to be talking about future models from Fisker, considering the automaker’s plug-in Karma and Karma S have yet to hit the market, but that’s never stopped us before, right? According to Russell Datz, head PR man at Fisker Automotive, “One of the future products we have is something that is significantly less than what will be on the market first,” though it may still “be a step above” the Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S.

That’s not a ton of information to go by, unfortunately. The Chevy Volt is expected to come in around $40K or so in late 2010 when it’s finally released (hopefully), and the Tesla Model S will cost at least $10K more than that. For comparison, the Fisker Karma will carry a starting sticker of $87,900. In other words, there’s plenty of room between the base price of a Volt and the base price of a Karma. Where the lower-cost model from Fisker would fall in that range is anybody’s guess.

We’re anything but experts on the subject, but we’d hazard a guess that there are a number of people out there who would love to take a crack at the RV lifestyle but either can’t afford or can’t justify the purchase of a big ‘ol diesel-powered hauler. Enter the Mobile Mini House. Designed by Stephanie Bellanger, the lightweight structure could theoretically be pulled by just about anything with a hitch.

The Mobile Mini House is based on an expanding floor plan that manages to house a bathroom, living room, bedroom, kitchen and office all into a relatively small space. Each room is separated by partitions mounted on sliding rails, allowing the mobile dwelling to fan out to a 252-degree radius. Of course, there’s an outer membrane to keep out the weather. Check out the gallery below to see how it all fits together. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

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