Spy Shots: 2012 Range Rover Evoque hits the ‘Ring in five-door trim

Filed under: Spy Photos, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Land Rover

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Land Rover may be sending specially wrapped versions of its early LRX Range Rover Evoque prototypes to different cities around the world, but when it comes to the serious development testing, the standard swirly yellow camouflage will do. Here, our spies have caught the five-door version of the Evoque making its first foray onto the Nürburgring, giving us hope that there might be a sporting bone or two in the Evoque’s skeleton.

Details on the new Evoque are still pretty slim as of this writing, but we fully expect the usual raft of details to be released closer to the crossover’s public debut at the Paris Motor Show. As of right this writing, we know that both front- and all-wheel drive versions will be available and that a hybrid powertrain is planned. For now, scroll through our high-res gallery of spy shots below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Range Rover Evoque

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 2012 Range Rover Evoque hits the ‘Ring in five-door trim originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: More evidence of 400-hp Taurus SHO?

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Ford

2012 Ford Taurus SHOWhen we reported last month that Ford may push the Taurus SHO up to 400 horsepower, it caused quite a stir in the comments. Speaking at the annual SHO Convention held this year in Dearborn, Steve Ling, Ford’s North American car marketing manager told us, “365 horsepower is good. 400 is better.” Words are one thing, but new spy shots from ace photog Brenda Priddy and her gang confirm that Ford is definitely planning something for the 2012 Taurus SHO.

This Limited-badged Taurus caught hot weather testing in the South West is pretty easy to spot as a SHO. The SHO-specific wheels are the dead giveaway, but out back we also see the SHO’s two large tailpipes poking out of a modified rear valence. What’s particularly interesting is the car’s front end, which is heavily wrapped, most likely to obscure design changes to the 2012 SHO’s front end that will further separate its look from standard Taurus models.

While we there’s no evidence in these spy shots confirming that Ford is pushing the car’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 up to 400 horsepower, the fact this car was caught hot weather testing could indicate that engineers are there to see how a more powerful version of this engine acts when the mercury skyrockets. That said, they could also just be testing how any changes to the front end design affect engine cooling for the current engine.

We’re also hoping they’re testing new brakes for the SHO, because the current car’s stoppers have enough trouble hauling down this heavy sleeper sedan without another 35 hp making matters worse.

[Source: SEMA.org]

Spy Shots: More evidence of 400-hp Taurus SHO? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Tiguan-based Audi Q3 peeped through a window

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Audi

Audi Q3 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our Peeping Tom spy photographers normally catch prototypes while they’re out and about on the street, but sometimes they catch a peek inside automakers’ development studios from the street, snagging shots of test mules before their tires even touch the ground. This is one such case, and though these photos aren’t clear as day, it’s no secret that Audi’s new Q3 crossover, based on the Volkswagen Tiguan, is what’s being prepped behind closed doors (but not behind closed blinds).

We’ve known that Audi would be creating a CUV smaller than the Q5 for quite some time now, and while the baby soft-roader relies heavily on Tiguan underpinnings, we’re sure that the quad-rung crossover will be much more shapely. Here, we see the sloping roofline and more rakish hatch, giving the Q3 a sportier stance than its VW-badged kin. Set to compete head-on with the BMW X1, the Q3 should make its debut sometime in 2011 with the first production models hitting dealers later that year. Take a close look at these spy shots for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Audi Q3

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Tiguan-based Audi Q3 peeped through a window originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 spied with 6.4L Hemi V8 underhood

Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, SUV, Jeep

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – the pride and joy of Chrysler at the moment – is just now hitting dealerships, but the automaker is already hard at work on a high-powered SRT-fettled version of its new sport ‘ute. In the past, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 has always been a guilty pleasure of ours, if only for the rocket-like 6.1-liter Hemi V8 underhood.

Good news then that Chrysler is prepping an all new 6.4-liter Hemi for use in its SRT products, and we’re anxious to see how this new engine works in the Grand Cherokee application, which seems likely to hit as a 2012 model.

Early reports suggested that it could be good for around 450 horsepower, but spy photographers are saying that we could see over 500 raging stallions coming out of this new monster mill. This means the new Grand Cherokee SRT8 could rip off 0-60 times in under five seconds, and we might have a truly worthy American competitor for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, AMG-badged Mercedes-Benz ML and BMW X5 M. Here’s hoping.

[Source: Left Lane News]

Spy Shots: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 spied with 6.4L Hemi V8 underhood originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 BMW 1 Series three-door caught in Munich

Filed under: Spy Photos, Europe, Hatchback, BMW

2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback spy shots

2012 BMW 1 Series three-door – Click above for high-res image gallery

The next-generation BMW 1 Series three-door has been spotted again, this time on the streets of its hometown in Munich, Germany. Despite the swirlies covering all its details, it’s clear that the basic shape, size and proportions of the new iteration aren’t going to change much from the current model, which has never been offered in North America. We Yanks have only had the fortune of sampling the 1 Series in coupe and convertible form, though no one’s complaining.

The headlamp clusters on this three-door 1 Series prototype appear to be sloped back and stretched along the top of the fender line like those on the new 5 Series. Similarly, the wider grille has been pushed forward to be flush with the bumper line below it. The profile shot also indicates that the hood now features the increasingly familiar clam-shell with side cut-lines and a higher arc to provide improved pedestrian protection.

Judging by the hood-to-cabin proportion of this prototype, it’s also safe to say that the next 1 Series has not been converted to front-wheel drive (even though 80 percent of owners already think it is FWD) as BMW has indicated it might do with future smaller models. We expect the new 1 Series will debut sometime next year as a 2012 model, and until that time we have the high-performance 1 Series M Coupe to look forward to.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback

2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback spy shot2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback spy shot2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback spy shot2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback spy shot2012 BMW 1 Series hatchback spy shot

[Source: Carpix]

Spy Shots: 2012 BMW 1 Series three-door caught in Munich originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: BMW M5 and its bulging hood snapped again

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, BMW, Luxury

It’s been almost three whole months since we last saw M5 spy shots, but someone from BMW decided to change that by leaving the slightly camo’ed M-powered sedan unattended in a parking lot. There isn’t much more to note on the exterior, save for catching what could be the production wheels and their whopping Pirelli tires. But now there are shots of the interior and new items like the seats, shift knob and tachometer with the greatly reduced redline. Click the link for more photos, and get ready to see it in person soon.

[Source: 5Post]

Spy Shots: BMW M5 and its bulging hood snapped again originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Chrysler 300 is more than a nosejob

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Chrysler

The next Chrysler 300 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The next Chrysler 300 has had some chiseling and wedging applied to its current stoic proportions. The perfectly horizontal shoulder line now sweeps up from a lower front end into a shorter decklid. The nearly perpendicular front and rear on the 2010 have also been reshaped, particularly in the rear. Detail-wise, only the mirrors appear to have carried over, with what looks like new headlight hardware in an angled design, LED taillights in back, an integrated exhaust treatment and new rear window glass. Get a closer look in the gallery of high-res photos below while we wait to see what magic has been done to the inside…

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Chrysler 300

2012 Chrysler 300 Spy Shot

Spy Shots: 2012 Chrysler 300 is more than a nosejob originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Three-seat Ferrari F1 car testing at Fiorano

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Specialty

Ferrari’s Marlboro Red Rush – Click above for high-res image gallery

Here’s a Ferrari unlike any you’ve ever seen, and that includes the amusement park rides. The Prancing Horse’s three-seater Formula 1 demonstrator, called the Marlboro Red Rush, was doing laps in the rain at Fiorano with either testing dummies or two tiny passengers. We’ve seen plenty of two-seater F1 cars, but this is the first we’ve heard of a factory-built three-seat joyrider and from the most unlikely source. We’d still like to know, though, how to get in? Oh, and “shotgun…”

UPDATE: Turns out this guy has been around for years and is a part of the Marlboro Red Racing School, and as one would expect of any Ferrari it sounds like a lot o’ fun… Hat tip to Jim

Gallery: Spy Shots: Ferrari 3-Seat F1 car

Spy Shots: Three-seat Ferrari F1 car testing at Fiorano originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Next-gen Hyundai Azera caught in Europe

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Hyundai

2012 Hyundai Azera – Click above for high-res image gallery

The current Hyundai Azera is not a bad looking car, but compared to the glut of new models that already are or will soon be populating Hyundai showrooms in the next year, it’s starting to look long in the tooth. Hyundai appears to be on the case, as an all-new Azera has just been spotted testing in Europe. Like the current sedan, the new model will slot in between the front-wheel-drive Sonata and rear-wheel-drive Genesis. It will also feature Hyundai’s new “fluid sculpture” design language, as evidenced by the characteristic rising crease along the doors that’s visible through the camouflage.

The grille and mirrors of this camo’d Azera, which is called the Grandeur in its home market of South Korea, look similar to the new Sonata, but the lower edge of the side glass rises at the back giving the car a more pronounced shoulder. Power is expected to come solely from a V6 like the current model, but we’d be surprised if its displacement doesn’t drop to the 3.0-3.3-liter range with direct injection and possibly a turbocharged version. Given CEO John Krafcik’s commitment to 50 mpg by 2025, a version of the new hybrid system seen in the Sonata Hybrid seems like a smart bet as well.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Hyundai Azera / Grandeur

[Source: Carpix]

Spy Shots: Next-gen Hyundai Azera caught in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Clearer look at reborn Lancia Stratos emerges

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe

The internets recently caught fire after what appeared to be a new Lancia Stratos was spotted hustling around a Fiat test track in Italy. At this point, it’s still difficult to tell whether the car is an all new project from the company that brought the world some of the most wicked rally beasts of all time or if a bored exec simply decided to take the 2005 Fenomenon Stratos Concept Car out for a quick run around. If that latter possibility is true, the car has received a little bit of front fascia work since it took a spin on the show circuit some five years ago.

Whatever the case, the crew at Fiat Blog have come up with a few renderings to help those of us with imagination impairments figure out exactly what the car would look like from all sides. Here’s a hint: It’s as hot as you’d expect an Italian wedge to be. So far, all we know is what Italispeed – the site that broke the shots originally – has suggested, which is that the car we’ve all been drooling over is a one-off project for one very wealthy individual. Head over to Fiat Blog for a look at all of the rendered goodness. Thanks for the tip, Sean!

[Source: Fiat Blog]

Spy Shots: Clearer look at reborn Lancia Stratos emerges originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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