It might be the last of a dying breed, but the all-new QX56 has enough power and amenities to thrust the SUV into the next generation.
The CTS Coupe is hot, but the CTS-V variant has the potential to topple the stalwarts of the sports coupe segment. And now we know how much we’ll need to set aside when it goes on sale later this year.
If the Buick Regal is good, then the GS stands to be even better. With a turbo’d four-pot and 255 horsepower, the sportiest Buick has potential. And it’s finally been approved for the States.
Ford Mondeo facelift spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
Earlier this year, that will be giving its European-market a slight facelift in order to keep things fresh until the all-new global /Mondeo replacement arrives around 2014. The next-generation car, reportedly being developed in America as you read this, will be practically the same in all markets, building on the automaker’s “One Ford” global product strategy. We’ve already seen the first implementations of this in the and , so we have relatively high hopes about what the next-gen Fusion/Mondeo will have in store.
In the meantime, our spies have caught a mostly uncovered Mondeo prototype hanging out near Der Nürburgring, sporting revised headlamps and a trapezoidal lower grille, much like what we’ve already seen on the new Focus. Out back, revised taillamps (possibly with LEDs) are on hand, showing that Ford’s new C-segment stunner has had a lot of influence on the sedan’s rear, as well. Our spies indicate that the revised Mondeo will share many of its powertrains with the new Focus, including new EcoBoost offerings. Expect the production model to make its official debut later this year at the Paris Motor Show.
Land Rover Freelander/LR2 facelift – Click above for high-res image gallery
may be hard at work prepping its all-new LRX, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the model range is being put on the back-burner. New versions of the Range Rover and debuted for 2010, as did the LR3-replacing , and now it appears that the automaker is giving its (or Freelander, as it’s still referred to overseas) a slight nip/tuck for the new model year.
Our spies have captured this lightly camouflaged prototype out testing, sporting what appears to be a revised front fascia. From what we can tell, it looks like Land Rover will be breaking up the front bumper by adding another air intake to the middle of the LR2’s face, which leads us to believe that the front foglamps will be repositioned lower on the vehicle. Aside from that, not much else appears to be changing on the LR2, but we won’t be surprised if some interior adjustments crop up for the 2011 model year, hopefully inspired by the renovated (and greatly improved) instrument panels in the rest of the range.
We’ll be very interested to see what the future holds for the LR2 here in the States, especially with the smaller, more efficient and cheaper LRX in the pipeline. Currently, the LR2 doesn’t account for a particularly sizable chunk of Land Rover’s sales, and we won’t be surprised if prospective buyers look toward the sleeker, more attractive LRX as a more worthy alternative.
2011 BMW M5 – Click above for high-res image gallery
, of 2011 BMW M5 spy shots. It never fails. But this latest smattering of pics shows off even more of the Bavarian luxo-bomber’s exterior, including its shapely, -inspired fascia, bulging hood and camo-covered (and trademarked) fender vents aft of the front wheels.
Naturally, the rest is comprised of standard bits, but those massive, drilled rotors and 10-spoke BBS wheels speak to the heart of the matter. And speaking of the heart – if you weren’t already aware – expect the all-new to be packing upwards of 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque from its twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8. With the recent onslaught of photos, the next M5 is right around the bend, and we should get our first glimpse within the next few months.
With a few choice modifications, the Kizashi Sport improves the breed and provides a great alternative to the Camcords of the world.
The Audi A7 might be an odd bird to begin with, but slap a 580-hp V10 into the svelte five-door and you’ve got a fire-breathing formula for extra-legal autobahn runs.
The 2011 Ford GT500 is fast. How fast? It manages to lap VIR nine seconds faster than its predecessor.
Also of interest:
: Land Rover confirms hybrid and front-wheel-drive LRX models
2011Aston Martin DB9/DBS – Click above for high-res image gallery
A refreshed version of either the or has been spotting working out at the Nurburgring, likely in preparation for a debut in Paris this September. Up front the lower fascia has been reshaped with a single wider lower opening while a pair of DBS-style air extractors are added to the hood. Both of those point to a bump in output, likely in the range of 10-20 horsepower although it could be considerably more if decides to add something like direct injection to the 6.0-liter V12.
Obviously, it’s too early to speculate about gearbox changes, but since Aston Martin has indicated that it will be working with on some future projects, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the SL63’s multi-clutch-transmission supplant the hydraulically actuated manual.
At the back the DB9/DBS gets clear taillamp lenses, a taller lip spoiler and a big diffuser to help keep the rear wheels stuck to the pavement at elevated speeds. Undoubtedly, there will also be interior upgrades with some new woods and hides and perhaps a better telematics system of some sort.
Audi S7 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
Even though we won’t see the production version of the standard Audi A7 until this year’s Paris Motor Show, the men and women in Ingolstadt are already prepping a hotted-up version of the swoopy four-door coupe (we still aren’t used to typing that), as seen here in this latest set of spy shots. Rumors have stated that a might debut alongside the A7 in Paris, complete with a 580-horsepower V10, and it would certainly be show-stopping if Audi could pull off having all three variants of the A7 range on hand.
As for the car spied here, we spot larger air intakes, a more robust wheel/tire package, bigger brakes and quad exhaust pipes, seemingly proving that this A7 will definitely arrive wearing an S badge. However, the camouflaged beast isn’t as muscular as Audi’s RS models, which leads us to believe that the mid-range S7 is what’s under all of the swirly paper. As for what’s housed beneath the hood, your guess is as good as ours, but something along the lines of Audi’s new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 or the free-breathing 4.2-liter V8 could be in order. Scroll through the gallery below to see the S7 prototype from all angles.
Land Rover LRX spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
When the new hits the market, it’s goal is to change the way the world perceives . Unlike the rest of the marque’s range, the LRX isn’t likely to boast unbeatable off-road prowess with fuel-sucking power – quite the contrary, in fact. Land Rover has officially announced that in addition to the , a diesel hybrid version of the LRX will be on the road in 2013. These two new-to-Land Rover features should go a long way in broadening the brand’s attractiveness to new sets of buyers interested in smaller vehicles like the new LRX, though the move might risk alienating traditionalists, particularly if the model’s off-road ability is severely compromised. (Note: The LRX name still isn’t in the books yet, and to this day, Land Rover is referring to the crossover as the “all-new compact Range Rover”).
Near the end of this year, Land Rover will start testing its first diesel hybrid prototype, which has been dubbed “range_e.” This development vehicle, which rides on a Range Rover Sport platform, will use LR’s existing 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 and a ZF eight-speed automatic mated to an electric motor. The goal is to produce a powertrain that can achieve a range of around 20 miles solely on electric power, while emitting less than 100 g/km of CO2 emissions. A conventionally powered production-bodied LRX was already spotted testing just .
While this technology is still a few years away, Land Rover has assured us that the front-wheel-drive LRX will be available right away when the range launches next year. Never fear, though – Land Rover will still offer the LRX with an honest-to-goodness four-wheel drive system, and we look forward to getting both some on- and off-road time in the new baby Rover. The full details are available in LR’s press release available after the jump.
Gallery:
[Source: Land Rover Images: KGP Photography]
: Land Rover confirms hybrid and front-wheel-drive LRX models
With its upgraded V6, the 2011 Ford Mustang could easily be considered a sports car. So we pit it against the 370Z and Genesis Coupe to see which coupe reigns supreme.
This past weekend’s 24-hour race at the Nurburgring provided plenty of thrills and chills, with one unlikely team taking the top spot from Audi and Porsche.
Hidden beneath that psychedelic camouflage is the 2011 LRX, and to our surprise and delight, the three-door ‘ute from Land Rover looks exactly like its conceptual predecessor.
Also of interest:
CEO demands 10-percent stake in company and a Roadster in divorce
: Alfa Romeo testing GTA versions of 8C, MiTo for centenary launch
2011 Land Rover LRX – Click above for high-res image gallery
It was only a matter of time before our army of steely-eyed spy photographers were able to snag a handful of shots of the upcoming LRX. Proving once and for all that doesn’t have the market cornered on psychedelic vinyl body wraps, the Indian-owned British SUV manufacturer’s answer to the CUV question was spotted busting a move on public streets. If you can look past the electrified coral reef patterns smeared all over the vehicle’s body work, it’s easy to see that this may be the most interesting thing to roll out of the brand’s tea-drinking consciousness in years.
So far, we know that the LRX may or may not sail under a different name once it lands in showrooms next year. Whatever Land Rover decides to call it, the baby-ute should be available in both flavors. That’s right, we said 2011 will bring a FWD Land Rover to the scene. If that’s not enough to put a twist in the knickers of brand purists everywhere, reports have also suggested that buyers will also be able to opt for a .
So why are we so excited? This has to be one of the best-looking, most innovative models we’ve seen from Land Rover since England was still invested in crushing lesser cultures for the good of Queen and country. The LRX isn’t square, isn’t powered by a V8 and will actually attempt to address real-world concerns like fuel economy. Even better, judging from the short overhangs front and rear, the all-wheel drive version will possibly be able to keep up with its big brothers once the going gets off road.
You didn’t think Alfa Romeo was done celebrating its centenary already, did you? The 100-year-old Italian automaker kicked off the festivities by launching the new hatchback, then teamed up with three of Italy’s hottest coachbuilders – , and – for a trio of mouthwatering concepts. But the party’s just started, people.
Next up, if these spy shots and emerging reports are anything to go by, is the return of the GTA. Shorthand for Gran Turismo Allegerito (that’s lightweight GT to us yanks), the nameplate has adorned some of the fastest Alfas to date, and is about to return on two highly anticipated sports models.
The most enticing is surely the 8C GTA: Based on the sumptuous , the GTA version is tipped to gain a 50-horsepower boost from its 4.7-liter V8 to bring output up to 500, unburdened by 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of excess weight trimmed by the use of carbon fiber. Reported improvements to the six-speed sequential transmission and suspension upgrades surely won’t hurt, either, with an expected 100-example production run. The 8C GTA was way back in 2008, but was recently spied undergoing testing in its native Italy.
Joining its big brother, the baby GTA was at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009, but was subsequently . Which was a real shame, considering its 240-horse turbo four and sport-tuned chassis. But if the latest spy shots are any indication, it looks like the program has been put into high gear. 2010 is quickly shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in Alfa’s history, and if its return to North American shores comes to fruition as , we just might have reason to celebrate, too.
Between 1995 and 2004, the Ford Explorer was the best-selling SUV in America. Of course, we all know what’s taken place in the last few years, and both the Explorer and the SUV market it helped to found have taken a nosedive in both overall sales and perceived desirability. looks to put its Explorer back on an upward trajectory for the 2012 model year with a brand new version, this time based on the same architecture that underpins the .
Will it work? Our crystal ball is currently on the fritz, but we can say with certainty (because it’s obvious) that the next Explorer’s success will be closely tied to its abilities. And that we won’t know that until we get our grubby mitts on an example to test, which isn’t likely to happen for another few months.
Until then, all we have are and this one lone teaser image that shows a portion of the next-gen Explorer’s hood, which is a clamshell design similar to the latest Range Rover’s. See for yourself (look to the right). That’s Jim Holland, chief engineer for the redesigned Ford Explorer and formerly of , where he on the redesigned 2002 Range Rover.
may be working hard to get its new crop of to market, but we must not forget that a great bulk of the automaker’s sales will be made up of crossovers and SUVs, spearheaded by vehicles like the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the upcoming Dodge Durango replacement (possibly called Magnum) in 2012. We’ve seen and of the reworked Dodge crossover, but forum member Andrew Currie has spent some time creating renderings of what the all-new CUV could look like. Very believable, if we do say so ourselves.
Details are still slim about the next-generation Durango-Magnum, but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to look a whole lot better than the aging Durango that currently sits on dealer lots. And if Chrysler can make good on its promise to offer better interior refinement, the new CUV should be a worthy competitor for ’s Lambda quadruplets and the upcoming new . Still, we’ll have to wait and see what Chrysler has in store, and we won’t be surprised if the production model makes its debut later this year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, or even early next year in Detroit.
BMW 1 series M prototype – Click above for high-res image gallery
It seems every time we catch a glimpse of upcoming high performance , more details are revealed. Up until now, all of the and have had only two exhaust pipes. In contrast, the newest car to get caught on camera now has four pipes. Why is this significant? Because four pipes are one of the characteristic features of all M models.
This four-piped addition seems to indicate that this car will, in fact, earn that coveted M badge. We still don’t know exactly what the widebody 1 will be called, of course, and we are leaning toward 1 Series M, something such as 1xx M (as in 140 M) is not out of the question.
If this mystery car is a 1xx M, we would expect the higher output engine to get a designation correspondingly higher than the current top 135 in keeping with BMW’s sort-of-power-related naming convention. We still don’t know when this car will debut, but sometime during the next auto show season seems probable.
2012 Volkswagen Passat – Click above for high-res image gallery
A fresh batch of photos has turned up in our inbox of the next generation Volkswagen Passat, which will be debuting next year. The only problem is that we are not certain if this is the larger North American specification Passat that will be built in Chattanooga Tennessee or the slightly smaller European model.
The new sedan does feature many of the same styling elements that we’ve seen on the sketches that has released of the new mid-size (NMS) sedan, as well as other recently introduced models like the Golf, Polo and Touareg. The new horizontal bar grille is visible through the front camouflage along with the rising rocker panel crease that flows into the rear wheel arch.
When the U.S. Passat arrives, it will be offered with a choice of the 2.0-liter TDI diesel found in the Jetta, a hybrid and probably at least two gas engines. Check out our gallery of high-res spy shots below.
The made a pretty big splash when it debuted at the Detroit Auto Show this past January. The new car, which will be offered in both sedan and hatchback flavors, rides on the automaker’s new global C-car platform, and the version that America gets won’t be noticeably different from the European model. A good thing, as we’ve been crying for Euro-tuned Foci for years, though it’s safe to assume that the won’t be headed to our shores.
Nevertheless, our spies have spotted the 2012 Focus testing near ’s proving grounds in Dearborn, Michigan, and good news – the fresh styling hasn’t been dumbed down any from the original models that debuted in Detroit. Aside from more road-worthy wheels and tires, the only noticeable difference is a small spoiler on the sedan, which will more than likely be either an option or a trim level designation. If we’re honest, we much prefer this car with a spoiler-less rear end, or maybe with a subtle lip spoiler at most. (Sidebar: If you squint your eyes, does anyone else see a bit of the Escort ZX2 echoed in the Focus sedan’s rear shape?)
Don’t expect to see the showroom-ready Focus for quite some time, though – its 2012 model year designation means that we have to wait until the new calendar year before seeing these little guys on the road. Click through the gallery below to see high-res shots of both the sedan and hatchback prototypes.
The next-generation (or is that ?) Durango (or is that ?) has been spotted yet again now wearing much less camouflage than ever before. Aside from front and rear fascia covers, the vehicles are down to just -style swirly wraps.
What is apparent is that the new unibody crossover has adopted a much sleeker look than the previous-generation model. The front end looks like it has been lifted straight off the current Ram pickups and the rest of the body has much more car-like proportions.
In terms of size, the new vehicle looks to be about on par with Lambda CUVs (, , ). The new CUV shares its platform with the 2011Jeep Grand Cherokee and will almost certainly get the and possibly a 5.7-liter Hemi V8.
The engineers in Stuttgart are hard at work prepping the next-generation , which should launch next year as a 2012 model. The smallest offering from doesn’t look all that far from being show-worthy either, which leads us to believe that the SLK could possibly make an appearance at the Paris Motor Show later this year.
Details on the new SLK are slim, but rumor has it that an is in the works for the AMG-badged roadster, producing somewhere in the area of 476 horsepower. That’s pretty insane, especially considering that the current (and already potent) SLK55 AMG makes due with just 355 horses.
Obviously, the refreshed exterior design takes a lot of cues from the Big Daddy supercar, but new interior spy shots show that the updated cockpit will also be more akin to the Gullwing, as well. Note that the center stack features the Command head-unit integrated into the flat dash, with the radio and HVAC controls placed on a separate console below. We like what we see, especially since the current SLK interior is rather drab – not nearly as nice as what you’ll find in the new .
Scroll through the gallery below to see new spy shots of the next-generation SLK from all angles.
Does the new Saleen have the resources and personnel to create an all-new product worthy of the brand? Saleen gave us the opportunity to drive one of its first production S281 Mustangs based on the the car’s new-for-2010 body style, and we think we have the answer.
For those Porsche fans who were unable to acquire a 911 Sport Classic, of which only 250 were built, Stuttgart is now offering some of the bits that make up the Sport Classic car on an à la carte basis.
As if the LFA wasn’t going to be rare enough with a production run limited to 500 units, Lexus has announced a special edition Nürburgring Packag. Lexus will only offer 50 copies of the LFA Nürburgring Package to commemorate the car’s participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
During a rainy and wind-whipped drive home this weekend, we happened upon a foursome of prototypes – one towing a trailer and a trio of crossovers. But unlike the stock-appearing MKX, the trio of Flex EcoBoost models looked different to us, even from a distance. Upon closing in and getting a few frustrating iPhone shots, we decided to speed ahead of the group, pull into a safe lay-by, race to retrieve a SLR camera from the trunk of our , and get back in pursuit in hopes of some higher-quality shots – the results of which you see here.
As confirmed by an Autoblog source within Ford, the Flex will receive a new-for-2011 trim level that includes the stealthy alterations seen here: A blacked-out roof (currently, customers can spec a body-color panel, white or gray) and greenhouse, smoked headlamps and taillamps, as well as striking black trim panels and a set of new five-spoke wheels. Perhaps most interestingly, this special Flex receives a carbon-finish grille with the Blue Oval badge deleted. In its stead are big blacked-out letters spelling out F-O-R-D on the hood’s leading edge – not unlike some of the company’s recent SEMA concepts from Funkmaster Flex and Chip Foose.
Our source informs us that the model will be available in four colors, three of which we spotted: Red Candy, White Platinum, Ingot Silver, and a particularly menacing black model that will feature blacked-out wheels, black chrome moldings, and black mirror scullcaps. The new model will build atop the current Limited trim and be available in both normally aspirated and EcoBoost flavors.
We’re not yet sure what the new variant will be called, but here in the States, top trim levels have been dubbed ‘Platinum,’ while ‘Titanium’ is the association of choice in Europe, and we’re betting on one of those two designations.
Ford’s unconventional Flex arguably ambled out of the gate when it was introduced for 2008, but the CUV has been picking up steam as of late, with familiarity seemingly building fondness among consumers. From where we sit, the model’s sales improvement is somewhat predictable as the Flex has received a warm reception from critics, and has likely served to blunt the impact of its controversial design. Either way, the new-for-2011 model should go some way toward accelerating the acceptance process when it speeds into showrooms this summer.
Gallery:
Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
