Rolls Royce Serenity Concept: Ultimate Silk Road grand tourer

No stranger to creating theme-focused special editions, the world's most prestigious automaker presented a truly unique one-off at Geneva based on a Phantom Series II called Serenity. Developed on commission by the firm's bespoke operations, Serenity hearkens back to a more elegant era through its custom interior treatment rendered in fine, hand-woven silk fabric embellished with a detailed floral theme. "Having revisited the history of the amazing interiors of the elite Rolls-Royce's of the early 1900's, we felt inspired to share this heritage with our new customers in a very contemporary way," noted Giles Taylor, Director of Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In keeping with Sir Henry Royce's maxim, "When it does not exist, design it," the silk used for Serenity's serene cabin has an intriguing back story of its own. The bespoke team travelled to Suzhou, China, a location renowned for its creation of imperial embroidery, to source unspun silk thread which was subsequently hand-dyed Smoke Green by Chinese artisans. The thread then travelled to Essex to be spun into a single 10-meter bolt of fine silk fabric at one of Britain's oldest mills. From there, it was on to London, where another group of British and Chinese artists embroidered and painted on the blossom motif created by Haye and Lusby to recall the look of classic Chinoiserie

The car is finished in Bespoke Mother of Pearl - the most expensive paint ever created by Rolls-Royce - and adorned with hand-rendered floral-accents that reprise the Serenity's basic themes. Its distinctive silk cabin appointments are complemented with numerous other details including polished bamboo and Smoked Cherrywood trim embellished with its own petal-themed accents made from laser-cut and hand inlaid Mother of Pearl. That material also is used on the car's instrument cluster and analog clock faces - which are further enhanced with the addition of small ruby highlights. As a final flourish, the trunk compartment is lined in Arctic White leather and matching carpet, while the lid itself secures a pair of dedicated Serenity-themed umbrellas

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Range Rover 2016

Debuting at the Geneva Auto Show, the 2016 Range Rover Evoque rolls onto the scene with a number of upgrades aimed at further bolstering its appeal to luxury compact crossover buyers. The revamp is accompanied by a realignment of its trim designations -- SE, HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography -- to parallel the Range Rover Sport

The key exterior changes to the 2016 Evoque are found up front. An edgier fascia with larger air intakes and wider tow-eye covers imparts a more aggressive character set off by new slim-line LED fog lamps and DRL's. These frame a redrawn grille that offers new bright and black insert elements, the latter confined to Evoque Dynamic models. The 2016 Evoque also introduces JLR's first application of full LED headlamps with corner-following adaptive capability, an optional upgrade that uses less energy while providing superior visibility

New hands-free tailgate

The hood on the 5-door Evoque HSE Dynamic and Autobiography now has the same functional vents previously found only on the Evoque 3-door coupe models. Modifications to the tail are more subtle, and consist of a new spoiler with wider high-mount stop light sitting atop the Evoque's new hands-free Gesture Tailgate and an optional roof fin that houses an integrated cell phone antenna. Rounding out remix are three new alloy wheel designs and an expanded color palette

Inside, the Evoque's leather-lined cabin is recast with new trims and enhanced materials along with redesigned 8-way power front seats. In Autobiography models, the seats feature 14-way adjustment along with an optional massage feature.  All 2016 Evoque models boast a new Land Rover InControl Touch infotainment setup with an 8.0-inch swipe-style center screen and InControl Apps. Optional on the SE but standard on all other models is InControl Touch Plus that adds HDD-based premium navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system with dual 8.0-inch screens and an 11-speaker or 17-speaker Meridian audio system

Expanded selection of driver assists

While the European-spec 2016 Evoque will offer JLR's new 2.0-liter/148-horsepower Igenium 4-cylinder turbodiesel as an option, the U.S. lineup will continue with the existing 2.4-liter/240-horse turbocharged gasoline-fired four mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission. The Evoque's already outstanding off-road capability gets a further enhancement thanks to a new All-Terrain Progress Control that can automatically maintain a preset speed in forward or reverse gears between 1.1 and 19 mph. Other on-road driver assist upgrades for 2016 include Lane-Keeping Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking that helps to avoid impacts at speeds below 32 mph and mitigate crashes below 50 mph as well as a Driver Drowsy Monitor that tracks steering inputs and provides warnings if it senses the driver may be nodding off

The 2016 Range Rover Evoque arrives in dealers here this fall. While pricing won't be announced until closer to the actual on-sale date, Land Rover indicates the bottom line numbers will be "comparable" with the existing 2015 Evoque models

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Porsche Cayman GT4 revealed 2016

Making its first public appearance at the Geneva Auto Show in March, the 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 is the most intense version of the mid-engine two-seat coupe unleashed on the street. The first Cayman to carry a "GT" designation, the car was developed by Porsche's motorsport division to demonstrate its commitment to build "truly industry-leading two-door sports cars." With enhanced aerodynamics, suspension bits from the 911 GT3, a 385-horse version of the 911 GTS engine and a 6-speed manual transmission, it's clear they're serious about that making good on that claim

Visual cues distinguishing the exterior of the new Cayman GT4 include a bolder front fascia with a deeper splitter and larger air intakes, upgraded side air inlets and a prominent fixed rear wing. Inside, this high-velocity hauler matches a smaller-diameter multi-function sport steering wheel with deeply bolstered sport buckets covered in leather and Alcantara

Stunning on the street or circuit

While the 2016 Cayman GT4's 3.8-liter naturally aspirated flat-six does spot the 911 S engine 15 horsepower it boasts 45 more ponies than the 3.4-liter in the current Cayman GTS. Mated exclusively to a 6-speed manual gearbox, it has the power to send the new GT4 streaking from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 183 mph making it 0.1 tick quicker to 60 mph and 6 mph faster than a Cayman GTS. In addition to liberally borrowing upgraded chassis/brake components from the 911 GT3, the Cayman GT4 rides nearly 1.2 inches lower than a standard-spec car. Hard-core enthusiasts looking to bolster the GT4's capability will be able to add more edge with lightweight composite seats, a set of carbon-ceramic brakes and a bespoke version of the Sport Chrono Package that features a Track Precision app. As the ultimate proof of concept, Porsche recently lapped a Cayman GT4 on the North Loop of the fabled Nürburgring in 7-minutes and  40-seconds - exactly the same pace as a 2011 911 GT3

The 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 is set to arrive in the U.S. this July. With a starting price of $85,595, Porsche's latest legend-in-the-making is a modest $9,300 more than a 2015 Cayman GTS but nearly $46,000 less than today's 911 GT3

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS -- 493 hp and a seriously bad attitude 2016

Race inspired but fully street legal, the 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS made its grand debut in Geneva as the most intensely focused naturally aspirated 911 model to date

Wider, leaner and meaner 

Based on a modified 911 Turbo "widebody," the new 911 GT3 RS boasts a lightweight magnesium roof that helps lower the car's center of gravity as well as carbon fiber hood and decklid plus a number of lesser mass-reducing components that make the new RS variant some 22 pounds lighter than a standard GT3. A deeper, more aggressive front splitter is counterpointed by the car's large, manually-adjustable rear wing, both of which work in concert with unique underbody fairings and vents in the front wheel arches to increase high-speed downforce

At 4.0 liters, the newly revised flat-six in the 911 GT3 RS is the largest and most technically sophisticated naturally aspirated engine in any 911. It makes 493 horsepower -- 25 more than the 3.8-liter in a GT3 - and also develops 339 lb-ft of peak torque, which is 15 more of those critical twist units. Paired with a specially-modified paddle-shiftable version of the automaker's 7-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic and a different final-drive ratio, it can send this super coupe from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds and on to a top end near 200 mph. Like the GT3, the PDK in the GT3 RS features a racing style "paddle neutral" declutching capability but the RS also adds a dedicated Pit Speed limiter button

To enable full use of that motive might, the GT3 RS complements bespoke tuning of its Porsche Active Suspension Management chassis that also includes GT3-style rear-axle steering, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus and a fully variable rear axle differential lock with wider front/rear track dimensions and the most aggressive wheel/tire fitment of any 911 model. Collectively, they endow the rear-drive RS with even better body control, sharper steering response, more agile turn-in characteristics and faster cornering speeds

Inside, the new RS shares much of its basic look and Alcantara trimout with the current GT3 but does feature one significant upgrade in the form of carbon fiber bucket seats. Culled from the 918 Spyder, they provide even more support but weigh less. Like the GT3, the new RS can be upgraded with the Sport Chrono Package that brings the Porsche Track Precision app. It integrates with a smartphone and uses GPS to calculate and log a variety of vehicle performance characteristics from lateral acceleration to lap times that can be downloaded and shared with others. Order books have now opened for the 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Pricing starts at $176,895 and deliveries are set to commence in early July

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Opel Karl: Slick subcompact previews 2016 Chevy Spark

Making its global debut in Geneva, the new Opel Karl offers an early look at the design -- and likely many of the features  -- expected in the fully remade 2016 Chevrolet Spark that will be officially unveiled next month at the New York Auto Show. Opel's entry-level subcompact 5-door hatchback hopes to impress the European buyers with its contemporary style and operating efficiency coupled with an impressive roster of standard and available features not often offered on vehicles in this segment

Available in three trim grades - Essentia, Enjoy and Cosmo - all versions of the new Karl share the same new GM Ecotec 1.0-liter/3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline unit that makes 74 horsepower. Opel Karl will offer a 5-speed automatic transmission along with the standard manual gearbox as well as an ecoFlex Package that raises its Euro fuel economy numbers to the U.S. equivalent of 55 mpg. Measuring just over 12 feet nose to tail and riding on a 93.9-inch wheelbase, the Karl's user-friendly cabin is relatively roomy by class standards. And lowering the backs on its 60/40 split-folding rear seat can up total cargo capacity to 33.2 cu ft

As for cool tech touches, the new Opel Karl complements its basic stability/traction controls and anti-lock brakes with Hill Start Assist, cruise control and available adjustable steering effort while offering Lane Departure Warning and Park Assist. On the comfort/convenience front, standard/optional items include heated front seats/steering wheel, a power sunroof, Bluetooth phone/audio streaming capability, USB ports and several sound systems. It's hard to imagine that all or at least most of that kit won't make its way over to America as well

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