Time was, when you wanted to depict something distinctive on the side, hood, or trunk of your car, you had to have it painted. Now, thanks to high quality vinyl wraps, drivers and companies alike are able to have their vehicles wrapped with lifelike images and graphics.

One Waco, Texas vehicle vinyl wrap company, Hornet Signs, decided to test the waters and show off how realistic their wraps were with the tailgate wrap you see above, that of a woman bound in the bed of a pickup.

The simulated image is of a Hornet Sign employee and was first installed on the truck of another employee. “It was more or less something we put out there to see who noticed it,” said Brad Kolb, Hornet Signs owner, in an interview with local news reporter Matt Howerton of KWTX.

Some drivers, upon seeing the tailgate wrap, have called police. At the time this story is written, police have yet to approach Kolb about the image.

“I wasn’t expecting the reactions we got, nor do we condone this by any means,” added Kolb. Although public reaction has been negative, Kolb has seen a significant uptick in business since the tailgate wrap was unveiled<![CDATA[
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The first Jaguar crossover is just two days away from being formally revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but two images have already leaked online.

Posted to Carscoops, the images show off a blue vehicle that looks rather like a Jaguar XF with a lift kit and a highly-futuristic interior. We’re expecting it to be much more than that when it’s actually unveiled tomorrow.  

Called the C-X17 – a name that follows Jaguar’s concept car nomenclature tradition – the new utility-type vehicle won’t possess any off road ability like sister brand Land Rover’s offerings. Instead, it will be a more style and luxury-oriented model tasked with expanding Jaguar’s lineup. The C-X17′s production nameplate isn’t known.

The C-X17 also represents the expansion of Jaguar’s scalable architecture, which is set to underpin a wide range of the automaker’s upcoming models including its new compact sedan range. 

Although not much is currently known about the C-X17, we should learn more later when it is officially unveiled at about 5:00 p.m. in Europe tomorrow. 

Jaguar dealers globally have long clamored for an SUV or a crossover, but the automaker’s management has had its hands full reinvigorating the brand’s passenger car lineup.

The production version of the C-X17 could bow as soon as the Geneva Motor Show next March.<![CDATA[
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Volkswagen has lifted the veil off of the Golf Sportsvan concept that will greet the public for the first time next week at the Frankfurt Motor Show.  Billed as a roomier alternative to the Golf hatchback, the Sportsvan is a close-to-production compact minivan that accurately previews the successor to the family-friendly Golf Plus.

Based on Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform, the Sportsvan stretches 170 inches long, 61 inches tall and 70 inches wide, dimensions that make it longer than the standard Golf hatchback but shorter than the Jetta Sportwagen.  It adopts a sharp design that puts it line with other members of the Volkswagen lineup while giving it a more aggressive and sportier appearance its predecessor.

The Sportsvan’s cabin offers room for five passengers and up to 53 cubic feet of space with the second row of seats folded flat.  Up front, it boasts a clean and decidedly Teutonic dashboard with an analog instrument cluster and a color touch screen mounted on the center stack.  It is available with a wide array of high-tech driving aids including City Emergency Braking, adaptive cruise control, Driver Alert System, and a Blind Spot Monitor.

Mechanically, the Golf Sportsvan will be offered with six gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines ranging from 85 to 150 horsepower.  All engines will be equipped with a start/stop system to curb emissions, and most will be available with Volkswagen’s dual-clutch DSG transmission.  Front-wheel drive will come standard while all-wheel drive will likely be added to the lineup later in the production run.  

Volkswagen expects the Sportsvan’s main markets to be Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Russia and Belgium, indicating the hatchback will not land in U.S. showrooms.

 

Look for the production version of the Sportsvan to bow before the end of the year.<![CDATA[
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Audi has published the first official images of the 2015 A3 Cabriolet ahead of its scheduled debut at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show

As expected, the new A3 Cabriolet is a careful evolution of its predecessor.  The changes to the drop-top include crisper lines adorning the flanks, Audi’s hexagonal grille up front and more angular headlamps that resemble those on the 2014 A4 and the latest A6.  A black cloth soft top stretched over a magnesium-steel frame opens or closes at the touch of a button in 18 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph.  Buyers can order a fully acoustic soft top that reduces cabin noise at an extra cost.

Like the A3 hatchback and the new A3 Sedan, the Cabriolet’s cabin gains a significant upgrade in technology, adopting the same general MMI system used in Audi’s A6 and A8 models.  That means a familiar touchwheel located in the center console accompanied by a new touchpad that allows drivers to “write” characters with the swipe of a finger. �

In Europe, the A3 Cabriolet is offered with three four-cylinder engines that feature a turbocharger and fuel-saving start/stop technology.  The entry-level mill is a 1.4-liter TFSI rated at 140 horsepower, next up is a 150-horsepower 2.0-liter oil-burning TDI and the range-topping offering is a 1.8-liter TFSI that churns out 180 horsepower.  Additional diesels and a 300-horsepower S3-badged variant capable of sprintint from zero to 62 mph in 5.4 seconds will be added to the lineup later in the production run.

Following its debut in Frankfurt, the A3 Cabriolet will go on sale in Europe next year with a base price of €31,700 (roughly $42,000).  Audi has not announced if it has earmarked the car for the United States market. 

In addition to the A3 Convertible, Audi will unveil the potent Sport quattro concept and the facelifted variant of its range-topping A8 and S8 sedans in Frankfurt.  Stay tuned to Leftlane for live images straight from the show.<![CDATA[
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