Tag: spy

Spy Shots: Next-gen C-Class shows more new curves

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Here we have another look at the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and in a silver hue it shows off the S-Class-inspired lines we’ve been expecting. Make sure you check out both cars in the high-res gallery of spy shots, though; whereas the silver car above hides its hood and trunk, those two features on the dark blue car are mostly exposed while the character lines on the sides are covered.

Sum it up and we can make out most of what’s going on with the no-longer-entry-level sedan. The sloping, stretched headlights, sloping trunk line and angled taillights reveal a practical cheat-sheet for the design of the S-Class. This newly larger C-Class, with larger aspirations, will be offered with diesel and hybrid powerplants placed lower and further back in the chassis for improved balance and handling. All to better to fight the BMW 3 Series, see.

The full monty comes at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show next January – or a few weeks before, most likely. For now, there are the spy shots above, and its also been caught in video on the move.

Next-gen C-Class shows more new curves originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Next-gen C-Class shows more new curves”

Spy Shots: VW prepping new big-boy Golf Plus for Europe

Filed under: Spy Photos, Europe, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf Plus Spy Shots

Volkswagen is readying a new version of the Golf Plus, the compact MPV that was last seen as part of the fifth-generation Golf range. The Plus sports a higher roof for improved headroom, with our spy shooter estimating an extra 15 centimeters (six inches) of noggin space over a comparable Golf hatchback.

The new model is expected to look more or less like the Mk VII Golf, outside of the taller overall design and subtle styling tweaks. Sharing its bones and its looks with the newest Golf means the Plus will get most of the same engines and transmissions, although we shouldn’t expect a hot version with the GTI’s powerplant or an all-wheel-drive model.

The main difference in the cabin should be a set of adjustable rear seats, allowing a bit more room and flexibility in the tallish hatchback. As is usual, don’t expect this Golf variant to cross the pond. Take a look above for our full gallery of spy shots of the new Golf Plus.

VW prepping new big-boy Golf Plus for Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Aug 2013 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: VW prepping new big-boy Golf Plus for Europe”

Spy Shots: Are you the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R-S?

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Jaguar, Luxury

Jaguar F-Type Coupe R-S: Spy Shots

It’s no secret that Jaguar is working on a fixed-roof version of the F-Type roadster, but now it looks like it’s also developing a high-performance model for said coupe. Captured sharpening its claws at the Nürburgring, this F-Type Coupe prototype could very well be an R-S or even a more track-ready R-S GT variant.

Our biggest clue suggesting the latter are its massive brake rotors with bright-yellow calipers – similar pieces are also found on the recently introduced XKR-S GT. This would make sense, since a report in May said that Jaguar is looking to create a full line of R-S GT models in a similar fashion as the Mercedes-Benz AMG Black Series. Missing from this prototype, though, are the telltale aero add-ons we saw on the XKR-S GT – go-faster bits like the latter’s front fascia winglets and rear wing, though this model is obviously still being developed. Regardless of what this new grippier, quicker kitty is called, we say “Yes, please.”

Are you the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R-S? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Are you the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R-S?”

Spy Shots: BMW X4 tunes up its crossover game in Germany

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, BMW, Luxury

BMW X4 spy shots

Except for the fancy wheels and the overly expressive fascias, the production version of the BMW X4 looks like it will carry over practically untouched from what we saw in the X4 Concept several months back. With the same fastback roofline as the concept, these spy shots show that the X4 is taking shape to be a baby version of the BMW X6.

Sharing the same platform as the X3, the lower and wider X4 will be positioned slightly more upmarket – as is the case with the X5 and X6. We hear that this could mean that the X4 will ditch the X3’s base engine to give an even sportier feel right out of the gate, but word has it that an M version will being showing up down the road as well.

BMW has already revealed what it plans to show off at the Frankfurt Motor Show (i3, 4 Series Coupe, next-gen X5, refreshed 5 Series, X5 Concept eDrive plug-in hybrid and Concept Active Tourer Outdoor), so barring any surprised we definitely won’t be seeing the X4 there. At this point, with as close to production as these images would have us believe, our best guess would be that we’ll see the X4’s official unveiling happen either at LA or Detroit.

BMW X4 tunes up its crossover game in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Aug 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: BMW X4 tunes up its crossover game in Germany”

Spy Shots: Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer shows its fresh face ahead of Frankfurt debut

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Spy Photos, Performance, Wagon, Europe, Opel

Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer - front three-quarter

Drive down the Autobahn and there’s any number of vehicles likely to pass you, and most of them are produced locally. But if you’re wondering how that Opel left you in its dust, look closely (and quickly) enough and you might make out the letters OPC on the back.

They stand for Opel Performance Center (the German counterpart to Vauxhall’s VXR line) and they adorn performance versions of the Corsa, Astra and Insignia. The latter is undergoing a bit of a refresh and is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks, but you don’t have to wait that long as our intrepid spy photographers have caught it in the flesh outside an Opel facility in Germany.

Spied here completely undisguised in Sports Tourer (read: wagon) form, the Insignia has had a few nips and tucks performed, but we’ll be more intrigued to see what it’s got under the hood. The current model packs a 2.8-liter twin-turbo V6 driving 325 horsepower to all four wheels, but rumors suggest that the OPC (yeah you know me!) could have as much as 400 hp up its sleeve. That would make this one heck of a sleeper – especially in wagon form – and only make us pine for a more potent version of its twin Buick Regal to roam our highways, too.

Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer shows its fresh face ahead of Frankfurt debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer shows its fresh face ahead of Frankfurt debut”

Spy Shots: 2014 Nissan Rogue gives us our best look yet

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Nissan

2014 Nissan Rogue spy shots

Nissan is reportedly fast-tracking the development of its next-generation Rogue crossover, and judging by this latest set of spy shots, the new small CUV is coming along quite nicely.

To no one’s surprise, the new Rogue takes the vast majority of its design cues from the Hi-Cross concept that debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and specific elements like the pronounced wheel arches, angular nose, flat roofline and more stylized taillmaps should make for a Rogue that’s far more style conscious than the model it replaces. This stronger design language should help the new Rogue to better stand out in the sea of Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 rivals.

There’s far more to the new Rogue than just some swoopier sheetmetal, though. This crossover is expected to be the first vehicle to ride on the Renault-Nissan CMF (Common Module Family) platform, an architecture flexible enough to eventually support a host of new products. As we reported earlier, the next Rogue will be built in the US, in Tennessee.

According to our spies, Nissan plans to launch the new Rogue in the 2014 model year, and we won’t rule out a possible debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November. For now, take a gander these new spy shots.

2014 Nissan Rogue gives us our best look yet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: 2014 Nissan Rogue gives us our best look yet”

Spy Shots: BMW 4 Series Convertible basks in the sun

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, BMW, Luxury

BMW 4 Series Convertible spy shots

The BMW 4 Series Convertible will show its non-camouflaged face sometime later this year, but our spies recently caught this nearly naked prototype out getting some sun. As you’ll recall, the droptop 4 Series replaces the 3 Series Convertible in the BMW range, and if our recent stint behind the wheel of the new 435i Coupe is anything to go on, this topless 4er should be quite a fun runabout for sun-drenched motoring.

To no one’s surprise, the 4 Series Convertible shares all of its design with the 4 Series coupe, save, of course, the obvious roofectomy. Beyond that, the topless 2+2 will use the same engines and transmissions as the coupe, meaning it should arrive in the US in both 428i and 435i guises, powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, respectively. Both six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions will be available.

The car spied this time around has the full M Sport visual treatment, with the revised (and better-looking) front fascia, larger 19-inch wheels, and attractive Melbourne Red paint. Interestingly, it appears this prototype has the standard xenon headlamp setup, rather than the full-LED option that’s also available.

BMW has not officially confirmed if the 4 Series Convertible will debut at the Frankfurt or Los Angeles auto shows, but with production expected to begin at the end of the year, looks like this droptop will arrive just in time for winter.

BMW 4 Series Convertible basks in the sun originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: BMW 4 Series Convertible basks in the sun”

Spy Shots: BMW 1 Series getting a small nose job

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, BMW, Luxury

BMW 1 Series facelift spy shot - front three-quarter view

As BMW prepares to launch its new 2 Series lineup, it appears that the current 1 Series is going to get a little attention for itself. Based on these spy photos, the 1 Series hatchback (F20/F21), which is not offered in the US, will be getting a minor facelift in the near future.

From what we can see in these images, the updated 1 Series will definitely be getting a tweaked front end, with most of the attention focusing on the air intakes and grille. Our shooter tells us that it is possible that the headlights may yet be reworked in some way by the time we see this car in production form. It still isn’t clear if we’ll ever see this bodystyle or the next-gen 1 Series in the US, but our most recent report seems to indicate that the car’s fortunes will depend somewhat on how well the Mercedes CLA-Class and Audi A3 sell.

BMW 1 Series getting a small nose job originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: BMW 1 Series getting a small nose job”

Spy Shots: Porsche Macan caught completely uncovered

Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, Crossover, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche Macan Spy Photo front three-quarter tight

Porsche is preparing to launch its sub-Cayenne CUV, with a suspected debut at the 2013 Los Angeles International Auto Show, which means we’re right about at the point where undisguised models start scampering around the cities and towns of Germany. Our spy photographers snagged just such a model, with only the headlights and taillights concealed by camouflage (no, those comically large lamps aren’t a production item).

The undisguised car looks like a tiny Cayenne. Not really surprising, we know, but it’s impressive to see how the Cayenne’s styling works with the smaller proportions of the Macan. It looks squat, athletic and poised, like it’s a small, “sporty” crossover we’d actually want to drive. Both the Macan and the Macan Turbo are shown, with the more powerful model sporting a set of quad exhausts.

The only big questions now concern the shape of the lights and the interior. From the photos, we can see a rough outline of the headlights, although the taillights are more difficult to discern. The interior remains a mystery.

Thankfully, LA is less than four months away, so we won’t have too long to wait to see a fully uncovered Macan.

Porsche Macan caught completely uncovered originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Porsche Macan caught completely uncovered”

Spy Shots: Next Kia Sedona minivan spied

Filed under: Spy Photos, Minivan/Van, Kia, Design/Style

After skipping the 2013 model year and returning for 2014, the Kia Sedona is getting a full redesign for 2015, which we see for the first time in these new spy shots. The new Sedona isn’t going to look as much like the 2011 KV7 Concept as we had hoped, but we definitely see some key styling cues from the Kia concept minivan.

Even though it’s covered in heavy camouflage, we can see that some of the KV7’s cues on the 2015 Sedona include the vertical front marker lights, the horizontal taillights and the pinched beltline starting at the C-pillar. Kia’s trademark Tiger Nose grille is present and accounted for, as is the telltale dip in the windshield.

All in all, the next-gen Sedona already looks to be a significant improvement over the current, generally boring model, which dates back to 2006 and has a striking resemblance to the Ford Freestar. There is no word yet as to what will power the 2015 Sedona, but our spy shooter said that this prototype was most likely powered by a 2.2-liter diesel.

Next Kia Sedona minivan spied originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Next Kia Sedona minivan spied”