Spy Shots: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover mule spotted winter testing

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Land Rover

Land Rover Range Rover spy shots

Next-gen Land Rover Range Rover spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though it won’t hit the streets for another couple of years, the next-generation Land Rover Range Rover is already out on the prowl in development mule stage. Thus, we can’t tell what sort of new design elements will be found on the next-generation Range Rover, though the larger, bolted-on wheel arches give off the impression that the next SUV will likely be slightly wider than the one currently on sale.

Expect the usual crop of eight-cylinder powerplants to be available in both naturally aspirated and supercharged variants. There’s also been talk of a possible Range Rover Hybrid – a vehicle that would likely make its debut in the SUV’s next generation. Our spies are calling this Range Rover a 2013 model, so look for it to debut sometime in 2012. Click through our high-res image gallery to see the full set of spy shots.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Land Rover Range Rover

Spy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range RoverSpy Shots: Land Rover Range Rover

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover mule spotted winter testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear crew spotted in Albania

Filed under: Spy Photos, Europe, Celebrities

Top Gear in Albania

The hosts of Top Gear have grown into veritable celebrities not just in their native UK, but around the world. So good luck showing up in any country without being seen these days, fellas. After spy shots tipped us off to Clarkson, Hammond and May’s presence in Israel a few months ago, we now have visual confirmation that the boys have been to Albania.

The news comes courtesy of Albarent, a local car rental agency that apparently picked up them and their crew at Tirana Airport (Albania’s only internantional airport) and drove them south to Saranda on the “Albanian Riviera” in a rental fleet that reportedly included a Mercedes-Benz S350 and a pair of minibuses made by Hyundai and Fiat’s Irisbus/Iveco.

We can only imagine what sort of shenannigans took place during TG’s time in Albania, but we’ll no doubt see the end result during an upcoming episode of the show. Thanks for the tip, Memli!

[Source: Albarent]

Top Gear crew spotted in Albania originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Jaguar XK facelift spotted

Jaguar XK spy shots

Jaguar XK spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our elusive spy photographers have captured the first glimpse of the facelifted Jaguar XK coupe out testing near the automaker’s development center in Coventry. This doesn’t appear to be a major overhaul, with the exterior only changing minimally, including a new front fascia with revised headlamps, larger side sills and a very slightly touched-up rear fascia, including a small wing on this prototype. (We don’t expect that to be commonplace on all XKs, as it’s not exactly the most attractive element on the coupe.)

This may not be an all-new version of the XK, but our spies suggest that some changes might be on tap for what’s underhood, mostly in an effort to keep the coupe fresh for a few more years. We don’t take issue with the current range of naturally aspirated or supercharged 5.0-liter direct-injected V8 engines – both engines are relatively new, after all – but some dynamic tweaks would indeed keep the XK at the front of our minds for years to come.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Jaguar XK

Jaguar XK spy shotsJaguar XK spy shotsJaguar XK spy shotsJaguar XK spy shotsJaguar XK spy shots

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: Jaguar XK facelift spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Vision EfficientDynamics spotted in Abu Dhabi – is it closer to production? [w/video]

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, BMW, Middle East, Diesel

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept spotted in Abu Dhabi

BMW EfficientDynamics supercar in Abu Dhabi – click above to watch video after the jump

During a recent trip to Abu Dhabi, Teamspeed forum member Captain Stradale caught a glimpse of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics strutting its stuff for an on-track photo shoot. What makes us most curious, though, is the fact that this gray version of the VED is marginally different-looking than the white concept BMW has paraded around the auto show circuit over the past year (along with the white with blue swirly camo prototype they’ve shown).

The Vision EfficientDynamics, which is rumored to come into production under the name ‘i8’, is expected to be powered by a 328-horsepower three-cylinder diesel-hybrid powertrain. The ultra-lightweight production car is tipped to run from 0-100 in just 4.8 seconds, and during normal driving, the new efficient supercar is estimated to achieve 62.5 miles per gallon.

When we’ll see the production version of the VED is still unclear, though sources have reported that it will show up in 2013, priced from around $200,000. We can’t verify if the gray car in these Teamspeed shots is anything closer to production, but seeing this thing out on the track makes us all the more eager to experience BMW’s efficient hotness for ourselves. In the meantime, check out the spy video after the jump and click on the link below to see more photos at Teamspeed. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Teamspeed]

Continue reading BMW Vision EfficientDynamics spotted in Abu Dhabi – is it closer to production? [w/video]

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics spotted in Abu Dhabi – is it closer to production? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Territory spotted completely naked and production-ready

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Ford, Australia

2011 Ford Territory spy shotSure, Ford has a whole slew of crossovers here in the United States, but what we don’t have is a Blue Oval-branded CUV based on rear-wheel drive architecture. For that, you’ll have to travel to Australia or New Zealand (or South Africa or Thailand, exported from Oz), where Ford offers the Territory.

Like all Territory models since its introduction in 2004, the 2011 model will be based on the Falcon that we’re dying for in the States. Fortunately, as we’ve seen in previous spy shots and renderings, the next-gen Territory will feature styling that continues to separate itself from the Taurus X-ish looks of the first-gen model, with a completely new front fascia featuring twin gaping maws with bright horizontal chrome strips.

Two powerplants are expected: the turbo-diesel 2.7-liter V6 that can currently be found in the Land Rover Discovery 3 (a.k.a. LR4) and the well-loved 4.0-liter inline six offered in the Falcon. Thanks for the tip, TriShield!

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Ford Territory spotted completely naked and production-ready originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Hyundai Veloster spotted on West Coast?

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Hyundai

Spy Shots: Hyundai Veloster

Spy Shots: Hyundai Veloster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our gadget-filled world means we almost always have a camera at the ready. Reader James W. was out and about on the highways of Southern California when he spied a camo-clad Hyundai on the move. With his iPhone 3GS at hand, he was able to snap a few photos of what appears to be the upcoming 2012 Hyundai Veloster.

The wheels and most of the lines match a set of spy photos we posted earlier in the year, with the exception of the large bulge on the roof, which could very possibly be just the wind yanking on all that black camo. In any case, Hyundai is clearly working hard to hide the design of the rear half of the car, which makes us wonder about that much-speculated rear-access door even more. Thanks for the photos, James W!

Gallery: Spy Shots: Hyundai Veloster

Spy Shots: Hyundai VelosterSpy Shots: Hyundai VelosterSpy Shots: Hyundai VelosterSpy Shots: Hyundai VelosterSpy Shots: Hyundai Veloster

Spy Shots: Hyundai Veloster spotted on West Coast? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear trio spotted filming special in Israel

Filed under: Spy Photos, Middle East


Top Gear arrives in Israel – Click above for high-res image gallery

The fellas over at Top Gear have been to just about every nook and cranny in Great Britain and criss-crossed continental Europe in all manner of train, plane and automobile. They’ve driven to the North Pole, scaled an active volcano, crossed the Sahara and traversed South America. They’ve driven through Vietnam, Dubai, Japan, the southern United States… nearly everywhere we can think of, really. Except Israel. But now they can cross the Holy Land off their collective bucket list as reports and photos come in from the tiny Eastern Mediterranean country showing Clarkson, Hammond and May taking in the desert sun.

Apparently filming a new episode in their epic series of cross-country adventures, the Top Gear crew was spotted crossing westward over the border between Jordan and Israel in a dingy trio of roadsters: Richard in a Fiat Barchetta, James in a BMW Z3 and Jeremy in a Mazda MX-5, complete with retrofitted hookah. (Just for tobacco, of course.) The cars appear to be accompanied by a convoy of support vehicles for the production and camera crews, and undoubtedly had to jump through a lot of hoops to get there as the border is typically open only for foot traffic.

We’ll be ordering up some fallafels and tuning in to Arutz Shtayim just as soon as we know when the episode will air to see how James, Richard and Yirmiyahu manage to get themselves out from in between the Dome of the Rock and a hard place. In the meantime, check out the spy shots (courtesy of forum member Dark-Shadow) in the gallery below and the (translated) report from our friends over at Walla! Cars for a closer look at how the blokes are single-handedly re-instituting the British Mandate. Ashrecha for the tip, Nat!

Gallery: Top Gear in Israel

[Sources: Walla! Cars, Rotter.net]

Top Gear trio spotted filming special in Israel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Chevy Camaro spotted with polarizing lights, mirrors

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Chevrolet, GM

2012 Chevrolet Camaro spy shotThe big news for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro is indeed the highly anticipated Z28, but that doesn’t mean the base cars are moving forward without a few small tweaks. Our friends at Camaro5.com landed a set of spy shots that depict the Chevrolet muscle car sporting a new and improved set of taillamps and mirrors.

Out back, the revised lamps use a full-LED design that mimic the shape of sunglasses. And if we’re honest, we much prefer the standard bulb-lit units found on the current car, though we’re sure that the LED setup will be a hit amongst the gee-whiz crowd. As for the side mirrors, they’ve grown quite substantially and now include turn indicators. At first glance they look a bit awkward, though this should help remedy one of the largest complaints we have about the Camaro: outward visibility.

We’re still scratching our heads to decide if we’ll put our stamp of approval on these design tweaks, though we’ll have to wait until the finished product shows up before making any final judgments, as these could just be early prototype parts. Expect to see the slightly restyled Camaro debut sometime next year as a 2012 model. Hat tip to Luke!

[Source: Camaro5]

Spy Shots: 2012 Chevy Camaro spotted with polarizing lights, mirrors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: New top-shelf Audi R8 GT RS spotted? *UPDATE

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Audi

Audi R8 GT RSThe 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 Audi R8. 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 R8 LMS racer.

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 Audi 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.

Update: As it turns out, this is no Audi test mule. As the good people at Fortitude have pointed out, the mean-looking R8 is actually an MTM creation. Stay tuned.

[Source: Auto Express]

Spy Shots: New top-shelf Audi R8 GT RS spotted? *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travis Pastrana spotted on Mt. Washington, record attempt in the works?

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Subaru, Celebrities

Travis Pastrana at Mt. Washington

As if his success in motocross and rally racing weren’t enough, Travis Pastrana may be looking for still bigger mountains to climb. Mainly, Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, the tallest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft.

Autoblog reader Andrew Stowell caught up with Pastrana at the famed Mt. Washington Auto Road where the multi-medal X Games winner was reportedly scouting turns, making pace notes and filming some interviews for what should be a new YouTube sensation if he accomplishes this mission.

Travis Pastrana's Subaru WRX at Mt. WashingtonAccording to Stowell, Pastrana’s plan is to break the Mt. Washington Auto Road record of six minutes and 42 seconds set in 1998 by Frank Sprongl driving an Audi Quattro (see Sprogl’s run in full after the jump). Pastrana will supposedly be driving his X Games rally WRX STI, though when Stowell caught him he was behind the wheel of a stock WRX for practice.

Astute readers will remember my own tale of tackling the Auto Road this summer in Autoblog’s long-term 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT, which I accomplished in around 25 minutes amidst heavy tourist traffic. The eight-mile road is not for the faint of heart with over 100 turns. True, Pikes Peak is longer at 12.4 miles and turnier with 156 curves, but that famous stretch of Colorado road rises at an average incline of just 7 degrees. The Mt. Washington Auto Road reaches for the skies at a 12-degree angle, and the road is narrower too. So let’s just say it’s no drive in the park.

We’re not exactly sure when Pastrana will possibly attempt a record run, or if in fact that’s what he’s doing there. Subaru of America told us that it’s a Red Bull-sponsored stunt and they’re not involved, and Red Bull Motorsports has yet to respond to our inquiries. Nevertheless, our man on the ground claims the attempt will happen on Thursday. We’ll keep you updated when we find out how he did.

Continue reading Travis Pastrana spotted on Mt. Washington, record attempt in the works?

Travis Pastrana spotted on Mt. Washington, record attempt in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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