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tags : bmw z4 , bmwz4 , spy pics , spypics
2010 BMW Z4 gets caught on set

We've been seeing camouflaged photos of the 2010 BMW Z4 tested in various locales for well over a year, but the first, almost fully exposed image has popped up online this morning. The car was apparently in a BMW dealership during filming of a new Michael Douglas movie. We should be getting a full online reveal on December 15 and we'll see the car in person next month at the Detroit Auto Show. The new car cleans up a lot of the Bangle flame surfacing that marred the last car with the front bumper picking up hints of the latest 3-Series. The Z4 will also reportedly have a retractable hard-top in place of the current car's soft top. If that happens, the coupe will likely be consigned to history.
posted : 12/3/2008 @10:08:18 PM
Spy Shots: Acura RDX getting shield grille

If you've been sitting on the car-burying sidelines waiting for Acura's buck-tooth treatment to make its way to the front end of the RDX, we have good news for you. Spy pics of the 2010 RDX show that Honda's premium crossover will soon sport the love-it-or-leave-it shielded grille. Closer inspection of the front clip shows that the fog lamps and front bumper will also receive a visual tweak. The current model's uninterrupted bumper breaks at the lower air dam, which could provide some visual relief to the RDX's somewhat awkward mug. The minor update to the front end comes after only three model years of the inaugural RDX, a trend Honda will likely continue to keep up with the competition. Acura's shielded grille theme hasn't been met with glowing praise so far (TL, anyone?), but perhaps it will look better on the larger face of a crossover... hopefully.
posted : 12/3/2008 @9:24:10 PM

Spy Shots: VW NMS caught in Germany?WRCB Chattanooga is fast becoming the go-to source for info on Volkswagen's upcoming New Midsize Sedan, a.k.a. the NMS. They were the ones who brought us a rather unrevealing video from Berlin containing a few morsels of information about this car that will slot in between the Jetta and Passat. The local Tennessee station does have a vested interested in NMS news, as the new sedan will be produced exclusively in North America at Volkswagen's new plant being built in Chattanooga.

Now they're apparently in the spy photo business, having procured this shot of what is said to be an NMS mule being unloaded from a transporter in Germany. Man, that looks an awful lot like a next-gen Jetta both in shape and size, but the station claims a piece of paper on the windshield reads "VW 411 NMS". When shown to a source inside VW, however, WRCB was told that this was not the NMS. So who knows what we're looking at, but it was spied and spy shots are cool.

posted : 11/28/2008 @4:45:45 PM
Spy Shots: Next-gen unibody Ford Explorer mules caught

Our spy photographers have noticed a test mule running around Detroit, and we agree with their guess that it's the upcoming reinvention of the Ford Explorer on a unibody platform. Since its inception, the Explorer has been a true SUV built on a sturdy truck frame, but the market has turned its back on traditional SUVs, so Ford came up with the Explorer America concept that debuted at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The concept previews the vehicle you see here, though current mules for the production version are cobbled together with bits of Taurus X and Flex body panels. The new Explorer will be ditching its truckish roots and climbing onboard a new car-based platform that's shared with the Flex. The new unibody structure will effectively make the next Explorer a large CUV rather than an SUV. The mules are wearing a Flex front end with a modified lower grille to allow more cooling air to reach the engine, but after the more steeply raked A-pillar we find the body of a Ford Taurus X. Our spies note that the wheelbase of these mules appears to be shorter than that of the Flex, though we expect the new Explorer to sport a third row of seats regardless. The mules also appear to be wider than a Taurus X or Flex, which is fitting with the SUV image the new Explorer must project.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:24:01 PM
Spy Shots: Bentley Continental GTC Speed

Some new cars are predictable; others catch us by surprise. This one we could see from a mile away, and not just because it's enormous. But after Bentley rolled out Speed versions of the Continental GT coupe (which we've sampled) and Flying Spur sedan, it was only a matter of time before the same treatment would be applied to the GTC convertible variant. And now we're seeing the spy shots to prove it. The Bentley Continental GTC Speed, as it's certain to be called, will feature all of the same upgrades we've seen on the Speed versions of its fixed-head counterparts. That means a power bump for its W12 engine to 602 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, suspension and aero tweaks and bigger wheels. All of it will add up to one fast-moving warm weather front that should hit U.S. shores in the near future as Hurricane Bentley.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:20:21 PM
Spy Shots: Mazdaspeed 3 spotted at the 'Ring

With the new 2010 Mazda3 on its way, the next logical question for any gearhead worth his driving shoes is when we'll set our eyes on the next Mazdaspeed version. Well, we have our answer already if the latest batch of spy shots are to be believed. The current Mazdaspeed3, also known as the Mazda3 MPS in Europe and the Mazdaspeed Axela in the Japanese domestic market, is a veritable barn-stormer and Mazda's performance engineers will be eager to follow up with an even hotter version of the new model. This prototype, bearing all the hallmarks of the new 3 coupled with all manner of performance bolt-ons, was spotted lapping the vaunted Nürburgring Nordschleife wearing a bit of camo and a lot of speed. The shots reveal the presence of a big ol' hood scoop, oversized alloys, a full aero kit and dual exhaust. Of course, the next question is what engine will be crammed under that gaping bonnet vent, with some suggesting a revamped version of the current model's direct-inject 2.3-liter turbo four and others the Volvo-derived 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo slated to crank out 300 hp in the new Euro-only Ford Focus RS. Tantalizing options, both, but we'll just have to wait and see what the Zoom-Zoom crew have in store for us.
posted : 10/22/2008 @11:03:30 PM
Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT stops to rest in Pennsylvania

In the old days we relied on people like Jim Dunne and Hans Lehman to hide in the bushes near automotive test sites in order to get previews of upcoming vehicles. Now, thanks to camera phones and tiny point-and-shoot digital cameras, our very own readers are able to snap spy pics and let us know in minutes. Such was the case for Autoblog reader Mike, who recently spotted a partially camouflaged crossover sitting at a Pennsylvania rest stop. The vehicle in question is the upcoming Lincoln MKT. We first saw the MKT as a concept at this year's Detroit Auto Show and the production model will appear next January in Detroit. The MKT shares its underpinnings with the Ford Flex and should come with power provided by the same 3.7L V6 used in the MKS sedan as well as the new twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost V6. Unlike the concept, which had its interior packaged as a luxury four-seater, the production model is expected to get three rows of seats with room for up to seven passengers. What's not known at this point is whether the truck-based Navigator will live on after the MKT debuts. We're betting it won't for very long.
posted : 10/22/2008 @11:02:53 PM
Spy Shots: Has Acura gone mad? X6 competitor spotted on the 'RingThere is no doubt that Honda moves to the beat of its own percussionist, especially compared to its Japanese competitors. Of late, however, the Acura side of the house seems to be making some very odd decisions. There is the most obvious front and center example – the new shield grille, which one dealer has taken it upon himself to fix. Then the other day came news that Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has confirmed the next-gen top-of-the-line Acura sedan will use the company's first V8 engine. This comes at the same time other manufacturers are abandoning new V8 engine programs due to falling sales and high fuel prices. No doubt Honda's answer to the V8 question will be something at least slightly different than what we've seen from Infiniti and Lexus. The latest head scratcher may well be the biggest of all. Since it's debut, the BMW X6 has had many of us pondering why it exists. Apparently the team at Acura understands, since they have created a "sport activity coupe"/crossover thingy of their own. The X6 hasn't exactly been flying off dealer lots in the U.S. since it went on sale six months ago, so the obvious question is why make another? We certainly don't know the answer, but judging by this prototype with an Acura shield grille visible under the camo that was spotted recently at the Nürburgring, Honda does.
posted : 10/21/2008 @8:11:05 PM
Spy Shots: Chevy Beat interior snappedThe Chevy Beat will hopefully succeed as GM's high-volume entry into the micro-car market, and the General's Korean design team has been tasked with making the little hatch look more expensive than it is. We were able to take a look at spy photos of the Beat on the outside back in August, and learned that a four-door version is in the pipeline. Now we're getting our first look at the production interior, and the pic is completely undisguised. The first thing we noticed was a very unique gauge cluster. The GM design team put the main displays in two completely separate pods. On the left is a typical round speedometer, while a square display -- possibly used for testing purposes -- is on the right. The look is definitely different, and almost aftermarket in appearance. The dash as a whole carries the exterior design theme of the concept, with flowing lines drawing our attention to the Beat's center stack. The console is far more traditional than the gauges, with a bare minimum of buttons and knobs and what appears to be some matte black low-grade plastics. While our first glance at the Beat's interior leaves us cautiously optimistic for the little city car as a whole, we're still disappointed that the General isn't planning to bring their global micro car to the US. Then again, we see cup holders due north of the transmission. Maybe there's hope yet.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:57:07 PM
Spy Shots: 2010 Ford Mustang GT caught... parked

Spy shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang are an easy thing to come by lately, as Ford has seemingly taken to driving prototypes around Detroit just for fun. We've shown you the base V6 model wearing little camo, the GT500 and even the car's interior. Now we bring you shots of the '10 Mustang GT model that were recently snapped in the parking lot of a strip mall. The shots show of all the goods, including the new front end inspired by the Giuigiaro Mustang Concept that debuted in 2006 at the LA Auto Show. The refreshed '10 Mustang GT has a much harder job on its hands than did the 2004 model that kicked off the modern Mustang era. That car enjoyed a rear-wheel-drive muscle car segment of just one – itself – for years. The new Mustang, however, will find the Dodge Challenger and brand new Chevy Camaro waiting for it next year.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:43:30 PM
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