2011 Next-Gen Kia Optima Sports Sedan

The next generation Kia Optima is set to make its world premiere at the 2010 New York International Auto Show. "The next generation of Kia Optima possesses the power to surprise," says Peter Schreyer, Kia's Chief Design Officer. "It's a car that people will simply not expect from Kia - and that's exactly what we set out to achieve." Kia has officially unveiled the next Optima four-door coupe, ahead of the full reveal set to take place at the 2010 New York Auto Show. Kia’s new flagship sedan/coupe looks to be a far more attractive and far more worthy of a flagship designation.

2011 Kia Optima

Just weeks ago Kia released new sketches of the upcoming 2011 Magentis four-door coupe – currently known as the Optima sedan in America. The sketches look to be very true to the now official images that have been released ahead of the full reveal set for the upcoming 2010 New York Auto Show. The saloon exudes an athletic confidence from every angle - its raked roofline, high and pronounced shoulder line of its sculpted flanks and its extended wheelbase are complemented by flared wheelarches and a shallow glasshouse that create a saloon with a muscular, self-assured stance. The striking visage of the car features a new interpretation of Kia's bold 'tiger' family face that's edged by piercing projector headlamps.

2011 Kia Optima

The Kia Optima is currently the flagship sedan for the automaker and the next model gains considerable changes in the exterior cosmetics department. The outgoing Optima is a fairly tame sedan, but Kia is replacing its sedan with a much sportier silhouette – much more akin to a coupe, than a sedan. So much so, Kia says the 2011 Optima will be labeled as a 4-door coupe, rather than a sedan. Following the theme of recent model revisions, new Kia Optima is longer, lower and wider than before, the Kia's coupe-like profile is enhanced by the sweeping chrome arc that flows from A to C pillar, a distinctive design motif that visually lowers the car further still and enhances its cab-backwards proportions.

2011 Kia Optima

In addition to significantly overhauling the overall styling direction of the Magentis/Optima, Kia says that it will be bringing its next flagship sedan/coupe closer to the ground with a lower stance, in addition to giving it a wider and more stable stance to go long with its longer wheelbase. Kia says the end result is a four-door coupe that has more room for its occupants and cargo alike, as well as a more planted driving dynamic. "For this car we started with a clean sheet and worked to achieve an exterior design with a European feeling and stance," explains Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer, Kia Europe. To help achieve this, the exterior was designed by his team in Frankfurt. The interior was created by the design team in California.

2011 Kia Optima

Power-wise, the Optima will use the same engines as the 2011 Sonata and will be offered in four and six-cylinder versions. The four-cylinder offering, should it come from the 2011 Sonata, will be a 2.4-liter good for 200 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft of torque – all the while getting as much as 35 miles per gallon on the highway. The new D-segment offering is spacious, and with class-leading levels of safety and luxury equipment, the intelligently configured and driver-oriented cabin underlines a newfound poise and presence. "This new model embodies Kia's confident new design direction," says Schreyer. "It's a global car with individual appeal."

The 2011 Kia Optima is expected to hit the market in the fall of 2010, with a hybrid version possibly available at lunch, or relatively soon after.

Nex-Gen BMW Sports Sedan 3 Series Coupe And Convertible

A little after a leaked brochure gave us our first taste of the lightly refreshed 2011 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models, BMW rushed out an official release and a whole bunch of pictures. For the 2011 model year, the Bavarian automaker's bread-and-butter coupe and cabriolet models receive some minor cosmetic touches and updated powerplants.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The most notable - that is, if you're a hardcore bimmer fan- changes on the outside concern the widened kidney grille, reshaped LED headlamps, front and rear bumpers with restyled lower fascias, new exterior mirrors and finally, reworked tail light cluster with a new color scheme.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The only change in the cabin concerns the convertible models and the use of sun-reflective technology to mitigate temperatures on leather seating, armrest surfaces, headrests, and gear shifter. BMW says that this new treatment is able to reduce surface temperatures on dark interior colors by up to 20 Celsius degrees (36 Fahrenheit degrees) and by as much as Celsius degrees (27 Fahrenheit degrees)on light-colored upholstery.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The next-generation BMW 3 Series isn't that far off, with the sports sedan expected to debut sometime in 2011 as a 2012 model. Yet the Munich brand isn't sitting on its hands in the meantime – the current 3 Series coupe and convertible are getting a mild refresh and updated powerplants this spring for the 2011 model year. The most immediately noticeable change are headlamp clusters that get a subtle reshaping to go along with a wider grille and reworked lower front fascia. At the rear, the taillamps retain the same shape, but the reflectors are redesigned with some of the light-pipe styling found in other recent Bimmers.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The 3 Series coupe will now be offered with xDrive all-wheel drive, while the 3 Series convertible gets a new solar reflective leather upholstery that BMW claims helps keep seat temperatures down when the lid is open.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The most significant updates come underhood, where the much lauded twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six is being replaced by a new single turbo version. The revised engine, dubbed N55, has recently been launched in the 740i and the 535i Gran Turismo. The twin scroll turbo has dual exhaust inlets that allow the engineers to better balance the pulses coming in to spin up the turbine faster. This is expected to reduce the turbo lag that some drivers complained about with the outgoing twin turbo setup.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

BMW also claims it has reduced cold-start emissions by routing all the exhaust gases through a single, larger catalytic converter that heats up faster. On the intake side, the throttle is eliminated thanks to the addition of BMW's Valvetronic variable valve control system. The N55 also gets direct fuel injection. The end result is the same 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque as before, but with a fatter torque curve that maintains its peak from 1,200-5,000 rpm.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The new design of the taillights is unique to the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible. The rear light cluster feature two-piece L-shapes and are further accentuated by a new color scheme. With two rows of light tubes that illuminate simultaneously, they create a night design with depth and dimension. Integrated flush into the body of the car, the lights are split into two sections and extend up the trunk lid, blending with the character lines from the side profile. These styling tweaks have resulted in a slightly longer length and larger overhangs (29mm (1.14 inches) at the front, and 3mm (0.12 inches) at the rear)

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

Though the updated BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible will go on sale this Spring, pricing and fuel economy figures haven't been announced as of yet. The former is expected to fall in the range of the current car's pricing, which starts at $37,075 for the 328i Coupe, $42,535 for the 335i Coupe, $45,875 for the 328i Convertible and $52,075 for the 335i Convertible. The latter is expected to be a small improvement in fuel economy for the new single-turbo engine over the current twin-turbo engine's 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.