Chevrolet Colorado GearOn Special Edition lands in Chicago 2015

debut at the Chicago Auto Show. Available on extended or crew cab Colorado LT models with long or short beds and rear- or 4-wheel drive, this new member of the lineup will arrive in dealers this spring with a starting price of $32,125

As its name implies, this activity-oriented Colorado features Chevy's patented GearOn system first seen last summer on the Colorado Sport Concept. The GearOn kit includes an easily configurable selection of bed rails/bars, a cargo divider package and tie-down rings. It's all designed to allow Chevy's new mid-size pickup to carry everything from mountain bikes, kayaks, skis and paddle boards to a bed-mounted tent -- all but the latter positioned well above floor level to maximize the amount of usable cargo space. Other related items from the GearOn accessory catalog also can be purchased individually and their cost rolled into the monthly payment if ordered before the vehicle is delivered -- an option open to all Colorado buyers

The 2015 Colorado GearOn Special Edition also features cosmetic and functional upgrades including an EZ Lift and Lower tailgate, off-road assist steps, fog lamps, a rear-window defogger, remote start and Gloss Black 18-inch aluminum wheels. Rounding out the mix is a body-color grille and black front/rear Chevy bowtie emblems

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Volkswagen Sport Coupe Concept GTE - an exercise in future think

Getting its grand global unveiling at Geneva

A step up in class on every level

While we're still inclined to believe a good deal of this new visual language will filter its way into Volkswagen's next-gen CC model that's expected to go into production late next year, the automaker is quick to point out that the Sport Coupe Concept GTE is one size-segment larger. Wider, longer and even lower than the Euro-spec Passat, this striking 5-door with a roofline that recalls an Audi A7 also boasts 9.0-inches of additional wheelbase. Besides adding a new sense of drama to the car's overall proportions, that strategic stretch greatly increases the amount of legroom for its two rear-seat passengers. Spun from VW's modular transverse matrix (MQB) platform, the Sport Coupe Concept GTE features full LED lighting that adds high-tech drama to the bold visual signatures of the car's front and rear fascia treatments. It dynamic profile is capped with a panoramic glass panel and further enhanced by crisp character lines and aggressive 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 265/30 tires

Making the biometric connection 

Inside, the Sport Coupe Concept GTE displays similarly advanced character cues. Taking a page from sister-company Audi, this VW-to-be features the prototype of the firm's new Active Info Display with a 12.3-inch screen and free-form mode-configurable instrument cluster as well as a new 10.1-inch center infotainment screen flanked by touch-sensitive slider controls for its 4-zone heating/air conditioning system. Beyond a full array of navigation/connectivity touches, the Sport Coupe Concept GTE also introduces a new interactive element that can monitor a driver's biometric data via a smartwatch or armband and then make custom-tailored routing suggestions to deliver the maximum amount of "driving enjoyment." The system bases its recommendations on a number of other inputs, including real-time data from other cars using any proposed route

Trimmed in leather set off with aluminum, piano black, and faux wood, the spacious cabin of this engaging one-off also features a full-length console complete with its own 12.3-inch display that allows rear-seat passengers to access/operate a number of features and functions. These include perusing the on-board media library and setting climate controls as well view programming on individual 10.1-inch video screens embedded into the back of each front seat

Hybrid power with a GTE twist

The Sport Coupe Concept GTE is fitted with an advanced gasoline/electric AWD plug-in hybrid powertrain that matches a 3.0-liter turbocharged TSI V6 developing 295 horsepower with a pair of electric motors - a 54-horse unit integrated into the 6-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 114-horse rear-mounted motor that provides all of the drive to the aft axle. Collectively, the setup makes 374 horsepower, sufficient to send the Sport Coupe Concept GTE from 0-62 mph in 5.0 seconds and let it reach an electronically limited 155 mph top end. As one would expect, the VW system allows for a host of driver-selectable operating modes, including gasoline-powered FWD, as an on-demand AWD Hybrid, or as a pure EV. When running in its greenest form, a 10.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack located in the car's center tunnel can supply enough charge for 32 miles of zero emission travel. Additionally, this trick VW has a "GTE" button that, when engaged, adds an extra measure of sportiness to the throttle, transmission and steering

We look forward to seeing just how much VW's Sport Coupe Concept GTE does end up influencing the look and technology of the upcoming CC remake. Or whether the production vehicle it previews will simply turn out to be an upsized/upscaled replacement for the CC in the automaker's lineup

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Toyota Auris 2016

the new 2016 Scion iM will be revealed in early April at the New York Auto Show. This week, the car on which it will be based -- the European Toyota Auris Hatchback -- bowed in Geneva. While its 5-door Scion-to-be cousin is almost certain to strike a visual balance that falls somewhere between the iM showcar and this clearly more conservative Toyota-badged take, the family resemblance is obvious

Also offered in a slightly larger and more formal Touring Sports Wagon, the facelifted Auris now boasts a more sophisticated overall appearance with tidier detailing on its fascias and more extensive use of LED lighting along with new, upsized alloy wheels. Inside, the quieter cabin features a restyled dash that has a cleaner, more user-friendly design with added soft touch surfaces, a recast main gauge cluster that includes a 4.2-inch TFT info display and a new center screen with touch-sensitive controls. The suspension on this classy compact was also retuned to improve dynamic response as well as ride comfort - all of which bodes well for its upcoming Scion derivative

Scion has yet to say what type of powertrain will be fitted to the new iM. However, the refreshed Auris hatch offers an expanded selection of gasoline and turbodiesel engines as well as a cleaner version of its most popular motivator: Toyota's gas/electric 1.8-liter Hybrid Synergy Drive package that makes 134 horsepower as it does in the current U.S. Prius. We'll have full details on the new 2016 Scion iM in about four weeks

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Touring Superleggera Berlinetta Lusso -- Ferrari F12 in a retro-chic wrapper

Presenting a uniquely elegant take on Ferrari's front-engine coupe, the Touring Superleggera Berlinetta Lusso made its debut in Geneva. To create this F12 Berlinetta-based special - one of five examples it plans to craft - the Milan-based custom coachbuilder incorporated character cues from earlier Ferrari classics with its own contemporary sensibilities. Displaying influences from the Ferrari 166MM Touring it designed for the automaker in the late-1940s, the Berlinetta Lusso's flawlessly finished bodywork is made from hand-formed aluminum and carbon composite panels covered in a sparkling Azzuro Niourlague Metallic

Although the Berlinetta Lusso's cabin features some bespoke Touring Superleggera trim touches, it remains fundamentally unchanged. So too do the car's well-sorted suspension and powertrain, the latter retaining a potent 731-horse/6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 that drives the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission

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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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