Lamborghini Cabrera spotted, ready to fill Gallardo shoesJune 18, 2013Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini, Luxury  Facebook user Marchettino (already a minor YouTube celebrity for his supercars channel) spotted the successor to the Lamborghini Gallardo throne out and about on public streets and was kind enough to snap a few photos of the machine. Word has it that a concept car precursor to the newest supercar will bow at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show this September under the Cabrera name. As you've likely already heard, the model is said to ride on the second-generation Audi R8 platform, complete with a composite aluminum and carbon fiber construction to reduce weight as much as possible. How light will will the Cabrera be? Lamborghini is reportedly shooting for a curb weight of around 3,300 pounds. Power will likely come from a massaged version of the 5.2-liter V10 in the current Gallardo. Expect around 600 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The vehicle in these photos looks to have abandoned some of the Gallardo's angles in favor or more organic lines, though it's possible body cladding is hiding the car's true design. Murcielago SV-style sills and side air intakes serve up quite a bit of aggression and the quad exhaust looks properly menacing as well. We can't wait to see the finished product. Lamborghini Cabrera spotted, ready to fill Gallardo shoes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsNext Nissan Rogue flaunts its new lookJune 14, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Nissan  Remember last April, when Nissan told us it would be launching five new models over the course of 15 months? Well, we've seen the Altima, Pathfinder, Sentra and Versa Note, so that magical fifth model has to be the new Rogue, which our spy photographers recently caught testing. Despite looking like a hodge-podge of black duct tape and garbage bags, we can clearly see that the new Rogue takes a lot of its styling cues from the Hi-Cross concept that Nissan showed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. And that's fine - we found that CUV concept to be a decidedly handsome thing, and certainly more attractive than the weird little Rogue that currently roams the streets. Details surrounding the next Rogue are still very unclear, though our spies suggest that it could be powered by a new 1.2-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine, good for something like 113 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. We'll see about that, since those numbers represent a drastic drop in power versus the current Rogue - to the tune of 57 hp and 35 lb-ft. A diesel engine for other markets is expected to be on offer, and a plug-in hybrid version is also rumored to be in the works, though that won't show up at the vehicle's initial launch. If Nissan sticks to its plan of showing these five new models in the course of 15 months, that means we should see the Rogue in July. Of course, since things don't always go as planned, it could be many more months before all that camouflage is taken away. Next Nissan Rogue flaunts its new look originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsBuick version of Equinox/Terrain CUV spied testing... with autonomous gear?June 12, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Technology, Crossover, Buick, GM  Let's get the most pressing bits of this story out of the way right off the bat: What we see here appears to be a new compact crossover from Buick. According to the spy photographer, this machine may be a little bit smaller on the outside than the current Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain 'utes, which makes sense since recent rumors suggest GM's small crossovers will migrate to a new platform that will mark a convergence between the automaker's Delta (Chevy Cruze, Buick Verano) and Theta (Equinox, Terrain) platforms. This Buick would likely use this new D2UX platform. We've been expecting Buick to unleash a crossover to slot between the very small Encore and the very large Enclave, and various rumors have indicated that the model may be known as either the Anthem or Envision. It's worth mentioning that Buick had planned, back in 2009, to release a vehicle in the compact CUV market, but abandoned those plans after a particularly poor reception. And now for something completely different... Take another look at the spy shots above, and pay special attention to the cylindrical device mounted to the vehicle's roof. We can't say for sure what it is, but our spy photographer opines that it looks quite a bit like the 360-degree Lidar camera equipment used by Google for its autonomous cars. Is General Motors working with Google on autonomous car technology? We don't know, but you can definitely consider us intrigued. Buick version of Equinox/Terrain CUV spied testing... with autonomous gear? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsVolkswagen Touareg facelift in the works?June 12, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Volkswagen  Every once in a while, we get a set of spy shot images that come through that are almost impossible to tell what's going on. It's just the nature of the spy shot game, but that's exactly what we have here with these images showing a Volkswagen Touareg out testing. While it's totally possible that Volkswagen is refreshing its midsize SUV after a handful of years on the market, there just don't seem to be enough changes on this model to back that up - particularly the fact that the headlights and taillights appear to remain unchanged, though there could be alterations hiding underneath the camouflage. Another possibility is that this is a mule for a new engine or powertrain still in development, which could be more likely judging by the numerous wires and sensors that are visible, the different exhaust outlets and the front fascia that looks to bring more airflow to the engine compartment. Either way, it looks like there are changes in store for VW's near-lux off-roader. Volkswagen Touareg facelift in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsNext SVT Mustang may axe Shelby name, go naturally aspiratedJune 10, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Ford  Following our first glimpse at the 2015 Ford Mustang out on the road, the fine folks at Road and Track have divulged some details on what the Blue Oval's next pony might have in store. We've already seen that the car will get some very sleek, Evos-inspired design cues, and an independent rear suspension is indeed in store. These new details, however, concern the muscle car's beating heart. For starters, the base Ford coupe is expected to carry on with V6 power, likely from the same 3.7-liter unit found in today's car. From there, R&T says the next step up will be a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, likely displacing 2.3 liters, putting out as much as 350 horsepower. Of course, a Mustang wouldn't be a Mustang without V8 thrust, and R&T states that the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 will continue on into the 2015 car, making something like 450 horsepower. But it's at the high end of the Mustang range where things will, reportedly, get very, very interesting. Road & Track claims that the top-shelf 'Stang will likely lose the supercharger from its engine, producing a metric crap-ton of naturally aspirated grunt instead. Additionally, the SVT-fettled Mustang will likely be dropping its Shelby moniker, in favor of "a name you're familiar with," according to the magazine (you know, like, Cobra). Look for the camouflage to come off before the end of this year. Next SVT Mustang may axe Shelby name, go naturally aspirated originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments |
2015 Ford F-150 spied in the rainJune 10, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Truck, Ford  Standing as quite a contrast from the spy shots of the 2015 Ford Mustang we saw earlier today, our spies also sent along these pictures of the next-generation F-150 pickup out testing in its (heavily camouflaged) full prototype body. Much of the new truck's design is hidden under the bulky coveralls, but we expect a lot of its new lines to be inspired by the Atlas concept that debuted at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Perhaps the biggest unknown surrounding the new F-150 is what, exactly, its body will be made of. Earlier reports have suggested that lightweight aluminum materials may be used throughout, offering a serious reduction in weight versus previous models. But Ford engineers will need to be careful, though, as they need to keep a tight rein on costs while preserving class-competitive (if not class-leading) towing and payload capacity. On the powertrain front, the new F-150 will undoubtedly carry on with EcoBoost engines, and we'd bet on a normally aspirated V8 as well. A diesel option hasn't been confirmed, but we wouldn't be surprised to see one some time in the truck's lifecycle. Mum's the word on when the production F-150 will be revealed, but our best guess is that we'll see it at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. 2015 Ford F-150 spied in the rain originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments2015 Ford Mustang prototype spotted on the streetJune 10, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Ford  Our trusty spy photographers have snapped the first photos of the 2015 Ford Mustang prototype out on public streets. With nearly every square inch of the machine covered in heavy camouflage, it's difficult to discern details, but we can see smallish horizontal headlamps at work in the coupe's nose. Ford has made it clear that modern lighting technology will allow the company to get away from large, expensive headlamp arrays in the near future, and the 2015 Mustang may very well be the first of the automaker's products to bow with the new tech. The philosophy was first displayed on the very attractive Evos Concept. The extensive cladding doesn't extend all the way to the prototype's rockers in the instance, giving us a look at the heavily-sculpted sills. Overall, this test car looks considerably smaller than the current generation Mustang, and elements like a short front overhang and beefy dual-piston calipers give us plenty of hope for the future model. Of course, reports that the 2015 Mustang will bow with an independent rear suspension and EcoBoost power certainly don't hurt our feelings, either. 2015 Ford Mustang prototype spotted on the street originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments2015 Subaru WRX caught testing in US on MulhollandJune 7, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Subaru  In April, we got our first glimpse at the 2015 2015 Subaru WRX - the car was caught in STI form in photos and in motion running around Germany's infamous Nürburgring. That's all well and good, but obviously Subaru will sell a good number of the hotter Impreza models here in the United States, and thus, it's nice to now see a video of the next WRX testing out in California, albeit in what looks to be non-STI form. Originally posted on the Subaru Owners Club website, this video comes from YouTube user 31200MulhollandHwy. And that's quite appropriate, since the video clearly shows the now de-winged WRX prototype testing on the well-known - you guessed it - Mulholland Highway. Just like before, we're disappointed that the prototypes spotted testing don't appear to be as bold and beautiful as the WRX Concept that Subaru brought to this year's New York Auto Show. Nevertheless, we'll hold our final judgments until the camouflage is peeled away. Have a look below to see (and hear!) the 2015 WRX running up Mulholland. Continue reading 2015 Subaru WRX caught testing in US on Mulholland 2015 Subaru WRX caught testing in US on Mulholland originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsNext-gen Mercedes C-Class spotted under the coversJune 6, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury  We aren't expecting to see the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class until the 2014 Detroit Auto Show next January, but our quick-snapping spy shooters managed to catch a prototype being pulled out from under the covers. In these shots, we can clearly see that the new C-Class will take many of its design cues from the larger E- and S-Class sedans - something that's especially noticeable with the more vertical taillamps. When Mercedes-Benz launches the new C-Class next year, it will reportedly come with a range of gasoline, diesel and hybrid powerplants, as well as a couple of different bodystyles (at least sedan and coupe, anyway). Of course, Mercedes-Benz will need to reposition the C-Class in its lineup, since this small sedan will no longer be the entry point to the brand, what with the fresh new CLA-Class hitting our market later this year. Still, there should be a lot to like about the upcoming C-Class, and folks from Mercedes-Benz are eager to get this thing on the road. In an earlier Automotive News report, the company's US CEO, Steve Cannon, admitted that, "We were fighting the 3 Series with two arms tied behind our back, and now we will change that." Next-gen Mercedes C-Class spotted under the covers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsBMW X1 EV for Zinoro spottedJune 4, 2013Filed under: Spy Photos, China, Crossover, BMW, Electric, MISC  BMW has teamed up with Chinese automaker Brilliance Automotive to create a joint venture in China, called Zinoro, and it appears that an all-electric version of the X1 crossover is to be the brand's first model. Spotted testing in Munich, these spy shots show a more camouflaged version of the X1 EV that we saw back in April. Comparing these latest spy shots, we can see that the Zinoro model will wear a completely unique front fascia that ditches BMW's trademark grille, but few other changes seem to be taking place. Previous reports indicate that this Zinoro EV could go on sale in China early next year. BMW X1 EV for Zinoro spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:29:00 EST. 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