Lamborghini Jota spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
If there are two things we know about , it’s that a replacement for the outgoing (tentatively dubbed ) is in the works, and that the automaker is bringing to this year’s . Our spies have just caught this heavily clad prototype doing its thing at the ‘Ring, giving us the impression that Lambo’s new V12-powered supercar will saunter its way onto the Paris stage.
We’ve seen the Jota running around for many, many months now, and the rumormilled specs are simply drool-worthy. The new 7.0-liter V12 will reportedly crank out over 700 horsepower, and when you combine that with a lightweight body made of carbon fiber and aluminum, the Jota will undoubtedly be stupidly fast. Of course, all-wheel drive is expected to be on hand to keep the Bull rubber-side down, with early reports suggesting that ’s latest Quattro may provide the groundwork for the new system.
If we don’t see the production-ready Jota in Paris, we’ll eat our driving gloves. Or at least a tire valve cap. In the meantime, click through the high-res gallery below to see the latest Jota prototype running about.
2012 Ford Fiesta ST – Click above for high-res image gallery
We can’t find much fault with the , but if there’s one major gripe, it’s a lack of power (well, and paddle shifters for the dual-clutch gearbox). However, it looks like that lone complaint may be addressed with the introduction of the Fiesta ST, the smaller sibling to the .
Similar to earlier this year, the three-door Fiesta is back with a massive front-mount intercooler, revised body work, new wheels and a high-performance exhaust, along with some racy Recaros that probably won’t make the trek from prototype to production.
While it’s doubtful Ford would port over the Focus ST’s 247 horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost mill, the 180-hp turbo’d 1.6-liter or rumored EcoBoost 1.4 are definitely in the cards. With the Focus ST finally having a shot in the States, the globally-certified Fiesta ST might come along for the ride. And maybe a set of paddle shifters will be included in the package.
Since the Malibu’s launch in 2008, competitors like the Mazda6, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Subaru Legacy and SuzukiKizashi are either brand new or heavily revised. With two more years left until an all-new Malibu is set to arrive, does the Malibu still lead the pack, simply keep up or something worse?
Jeep: Build it and they will come. Seriously.
Frank Sprongl would like to chat with Travis Pastrana, who’s time of six minutes and 20.47 seconds in a rally-prepped Subaru WRX STI bested Sprongl’s record-setting 1983 run.
Spied: Opel Meriva EV – Click above for high-res image gallery
Opel showcased their suicide-door wearing at the Geneva Motor Show, which was followed by the production at the 2010 Geneva show earlier this year. Now, thanks to some excellent and sneaky camera work, we have obtained images of a Meriva powered not by traditional gasoline or diesel fuel but by Tesla’s favorite form of energy – electricity.
Three Opel Meriva EV prototypes were caught being put through the paces in the Austrian Alps. Apparently, the engineers are not just interested in how much power it takes to make it up the mountain grades but also how much can be regenerated on the way back down. Since the cars need to take time out to juice back up, some plucky photogs were able to catch them resting.
According to the shooters, Opel has partnered with Bosch, Mercedes and some German universities on this project, known internally as Meregio. Check out the gallery below to see the sans-tailpipe Merivas taking a break from their alpine work retreat.
That mysterious Audi coupe we saw in is slowly becoming more clear. The above photo shows off some of the styling lines, even though the curly-Q camo is trying hard to hide them. Originally, the internet was abuzz with word that this vehicle could be related to Audi’s all-electric e-tron. Now, however, many are now backing away from that thinking – the large brakes, sporty wheels and shining tailpipes suggest otherwise. This could very likely be an R4 coupe or cabrio prototype basking in the Austrian sun, getting ready for a reverse ski-jump workout and laughing at our attempts to figure out what it is.
Our friends at GermanCarBlog may have as to exactly what’s going on here. They believe this is not the e-tron, not the R4 coupe or cabrio, but . That’s right folks, we may be staring at a long-awaited update to the beloved Ur-Quattro.
What exactly is sitting under the Van Gogh-esque wrap job remains to be seen. In the meantime, our eyes will remain glued to the ‘tubes until we learn more.
It feels like ’s renaissance has only just begun, and here’s the sedan that started it all, already prepping for its own renaissance. The , in line to be taken from the ’s handsome suit of sheetmetal, was caught again stretching its legs in the desert. The exterior changes won’t be radical, but expect a smattering of fascia work and some tweaking of lines and light clusters out back, along with some revised and refined interior elements.
Kia Soul Tiger Edition? We think not – Click above for high-res image gallery
User AiboPet over at the forum happened upon one very interesting Sport while cruising the fleet lot recently. The boxy hatch was caught wearing some unique vinyl graphics, complete with tiger stripes down both sides and large paw print on its hind-end. While the forum immediately caught fire with the notion that Kia is planning yet another special-edition version of its youth-oriented crossover, the truth may be a little tamer.
Kia tells Autoblog that it has no plans to roll out a new Tiger Edition Soul, nor will any other big-cat themed models be available from dealers anytime soon. Sorry, feline fans.
Of course, that doesn’t exactly answer what’s up with this particular graphics package. Kia says that when the company’s designers are done with special show-circuit jobs, it just parks them outside with the rest of its testers. This could be a stillborn special edition or a SEMA package that never made it to the show floor. Your guess is as good as ours. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
We know that is planning on rolling out both a and version of its popular C-Class sedan, and now we also have an idea of what the interior is going to look like. We’re still quite curious to see the upcoming luxury coupe parked next to its brethren. The and it will be interesting to see how the two vehicles stack up in the size department.
We have some burning questions to ask the automaker and we hope to have answers courtesy of the upcoming Paris Motor Show. What are the price points for the 2011 C-Class coupe, cabrio, and redesigned sedan? Will the two-door C-Class ride on the same platform as the sedan? Most importantly, when can we get the keys to ?
Saker’s latest supercar has been caught testing and by the looks of things, the New Zealand-based sports car company has a new contender on its hands.
For the uninitiated, Sakar was founded in 1992 by engineer Bruce Turnbull and named for the Saker Falcon. In the intervening years, Sakar has been producing track-ready racecars, and in 2009 it began producing the Saker GT – its first street-legal offering. The lightweight, mid-engine sports car was available in three variations – the Saker GT220, Saker GT500 and the Saker GT Clubsport – but that was then. This is now.
The updated Saker GT appears to bring the styling into the modern era. Although it’s wearing the trendy black and white “camo” paint job, the large fenders and aggressive lines are hard to obscure.
At the moment, powerplants, chassis and suspension information is scarce, but the Dutch site has more shots of the Saker GT being put through the paces, and judging by its current form, we should know more about the Kiwi’s latest entrant into the sports car world soon. Thanks for the tip, Luuk!
The eagle-eyed crew over at Auto Express has managed to get its hands on a few photos of what may very well turn out to be a more hardcore version of the mighty . Spotted at a gas station near the Nürburgring, the car was wearing a host of mechanical and aesthetic additions borrowed straight from the German manufacturer’s racing program. Along with a set of becoming orange stripes, the mid-engine terror wears a new, more aggressive front splitter up front and massive air intakes on both sides. That hardware should look awfully familiar. The company makes use of similar tech on its .
Around back, the hotter R8 uses large, center-up exhaust outlets and a significantly different engine cover. Auto Express seems to feel that those cues may indicate a powerplant with more than 600 horsepower nestled behind the seats. From what we understand, there are massive brakes tucked behind the vehicle’s wheels and gutted cabin in place of the leather-lined interior.
That sounds like our cup of tea, alright, but what does have planned for this thing? Auto Express is already calling the roided-out racer the R8 GT RS, which is as sexy a name as we could conjure. Here’s hoping we hear more about this one soon.
The new is arguably the best-looking luxury flagship currently available in the United States. That’s quite a claim to stake, but stare at an XJ for five minutes and then study a or – not as pretty, right?
isn’t oblivious to the fact that it’s created quite a stunner here, and thus, it only makes sense that the XJ’s styling cues will make their way to the smaller sedan. Seen here slightly camouflaged, the 2012 XF clearly sports revised fascias, both front and rear. Look closely and you’ll see that the XF’s new headlights and reshaped bumper are similar to what we see on the larger XJ. The taillights out back aren’t getting too substantial of a makeover, but we expect that full-LED units will be in place for the 2012 model year.
Don’t expect the XF to get a whole host of changes for 2012 – the small nip/tuck to the exterior is about all we should see. That isn’t a problem, though, because even in not-so-XJ-ified form, we’re quite fond of the XF – especially the . Scroll through the gallery below to see high-res spy photos of the refreshed XF.
An alert enthusiast in Sicily caught sight of a jacked up Fiat 500 and crawled underneath to investigate. What he found was a driveshaft and rear differential, leading one to deduce that Fiat is working on an all-wheel drive version of it’s popular little hatch.
This update would be a natural evolution: the Fiat Panda, on which the 500 is based, is already available with AWD as the Panda Cross. According to alVolante.com, a business plan Fiat submitted to the Italian government during recent union talks says that just such a 500 will come in 2012. Perhaps the Americanized 500 will benefit from AWD in the not-too-distant future, as well. Click the link below to see more photos of this four-season-friendly 500. Hat tip to Marco!
dontblogaboutthis BMW – Click above for high-res image gallery
Yesterday we brought you . Today, more images have hit the web, proving this is more than a BMW 6 Series with skinny tires and a missing tailpipe. The car may be wearing 6 Series skin from the a-pillar back, but the front is a different animal. It appears to be similar to the face found on the concept vehicle.
There are a lot of ways these “spy shots” can be perceived. The above image and the certainly led us to believe this car is utilizing a new EfficientDynamics powertrain. This would mean the above mash-up mobile is powered by a 1.5-liter inline three-cylinder diesel as well as a pair of electric motors set on the axles.
A viral campaign complete with dark photographs of a mysterious vehicle? It must be auto show season! The Paris Motor Show is right around the corner and we hope someone will be ready to spill their precision-engineered beans.
“Dirty Shirley” Aston Martin One-77 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you’re thinking, “This car looks familiar,” it’s because . The continues to tease us with its beauty, power and exclusivity, and our spies have caught the bronze test car out on the Nürburgring once again. This time, though, One-77 isn’t it’s only name.
Whoever Dirty Shirley is, she should be honored to know that her name has been given to Aston’s super-rare One-77. Even so, if this name is just Aston’s way of getting closer to its prototypes, so be it, because honestly, we can’t think of a more appropriate name.
For the sake of drooling, we’ll remind you yet again that only 77 of these darlings will be made, packing a lordly 7.3-liter V12 good for over 700 horsepower. Top speed is somewhere north of 220 miles per hour, and the whole thing retails for a lofty $1.8 million. Stay dirty, Shirley.
Sorry, we just did – Click above to watch the video
A new website called has surfaced, currently populated with two photos and two videos. The photos show an odd looking BMW 6 Series wearing skinny tires, a matte paint job and a don’t-look-at-me-no-please-look-at-me bumper sticker. Is it the new BMW Hipster Series? The site also notes that these photos are not spy shots – which we know is true since we looked up the domain registration information. The site is owned by .
The two videos, which you can watch , reveal only a little more than the photos. Whatever is under the hood of this BMW is running very quietly. In fact, it seems to be mostly road noise that we hear before the slightly creepy Heroes-esque music comes in.
What does it all mean? Honestly… we have no clue. We know that so maybe the engineers are deciding to head in a different direction. Could this be powered by hydrogen, Bangle Blood or is an electric boogaloo 6 Series is on the horizon?
After seeing a of the next-generation Euro-spec , the North American car is finally starting to show up out roaming the heat-soaked roads of Death Valley. When the new Civic arrives next year, it won’t be that much larger than the current car, and the overall shape looks to have stayed the same, though substantial changes to the front and rear fascias are definitely on deck.
Our spies were able to get a peek inside the Civic’s cabin, showing that the two-tiered dash theme from the current car will likely be carried over to the new Civic. This means we can expect a digital speedometer on the top shelf with an analog tach below, and while we’ve never been big fans of this arrangement, it has its adherents among Civic fans.
We’re not expecting to see the Civic debut until sometime in 2011, possibly at the or auto shows. For now, check out Honda’s latest prototype from all angles in our gallery below.
Ford’s off-road beast, the F-150 SVT Raptor, has only been on sale for a year, but it’s already getting a few upgrades for the 2011 model year. Many reports and a few spy shots indicated that Ford had been prepping a four-door SuperCrew version of the Raptor (you know, for when the family wants to do the Baja run with you), and the automaker has officially confirmed the details (again).
That’s what the crew at Car Guide would have us all believe. According to the website, Toyota is looking to hedge its bets by producing a second model on the same platform as the upcoming FT-86….
General Motors will be expanding Chevrolet of Europe’s lineup by adding a five-door Cruze, and while we won’t get our first look at this new hatchback for a few weeks, GM has decided to preview it early with a few pictures on the web.
BMW M5 prototype gets towed home – Click above for high-res image gallery
Occasionally, we find ourselves wondering why manufacturers continue to insist on testing their prototype vehicles at the infamous Nürburgring. Yes, the track is 13 miles of some of the most abusive variations in elevation and apex around, but it’s also flooded with legions of hungry spy photographers just waiting to publicize the carmakers’ latest efforts. You’d think they’d come up with a locale with a smidge more privacy.
But the truth is that the Nürburgring offers a unique combination of length, speed and legality that’s difficult to come across elsewhere in the world. Those three factors combine to allow engineers to push vehicles well past what the common buyer will ever experience, and sometimes, that means pushing a vehicle all the way to mechanical failure. We aren’t exactly sure what caused this particular mule to go lame, but we’re guessing that the testing was well worth what was bound to be the mountain of paperwork facing these guys when they get back to the office.
At least the seems to be up to the task of pulling its sportier brother around.
Ford’s off-road beast, the , has only been on sale for a year, but it’s already getting a few upgrades for the 2011 model year.
Many reports and a few indicated that Ford had been prepping a four-door SuperCrew version of the Raptor (you know, for when the family wants to do the Baja run with you), and the automaker has officially confirmed the details (). The SuperCrew’s wheelbase is a full 12 inches longer than the standard Raptor, meaning it should provide a more comfortable ride along the way, and the 5.5-foot box can still haul everything you need when you get there.
Speaking of capability, all Raptors now come standard with more power on tap – the 6.2-liter V8 will be the only available powertrain for 2011 (sad trombone for the people who rushed out to get the 5.4). As we , it stands to reason that the 2011 Raptor will get a price increase to account for the larger mill, but it’s a small price to pay for an extra 101 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque over the 5.4-liter V8.
From there, the other enhancements for 2011 are purely cosmetic. Raptors can now be had in a new color – Ingot Silver Metallic (pictured) – and matte black accent graphics are available on the hood. These new graphics can be ordered separately from the box side decals, too. Inside the cabin, Ford now offers a standard 4.2-inch LCD display (called the “productivity screen”) in the center of the revised instrument gauges, similar to what was introduced on the .
Dealers will start taking orders for 2011 Raptors as you read this with the first examples hitting dealerships later this year. Ford’s detailed press release is available after the jump.
We’ve read many reports lately having to do with ’s rear-wheel drive sports coupe, but we mustn’t forget that will be getting its own version of this new two-door – it is a joint venture, after all. Our spies have captured this obviously Subaru-bodied mule out testing in Death Valley, showing that things are still on track for the “Toyobaru” to come to market in the near future.
Details are still very slim on what Subaru’s version of the FT-86 will offer, and contrary to the brand’s image, the new coupe . If that’s the case, Subaru will have to offer a lot more in the way of styling (and perhaps power) to differentiate it from its Toyota sister. This latest prototype has sprouted a hood scoop not seen on , suggesting that a top-mount intercooler could be underhood, though it’s also possible that this is just the result of some WRX/STI parts being used for camouflage purposes.
Toyota is expected to launch its version of the FT-86 in November of 2011, so keep your fingers crossed for Subaru’s version to drop around the same time. For now, see a glimpse of what’s to come in our high-res gallery of spy shots below.
Saker’s latest 
