CAR Magazine published some revealing spyshots of the new drop-top McLaren MP4. These pics, apparently taken by someone with full access to the car, show it with the top up and down.

That makes it clear the new McLaren MP4-12C Spider (or Spyder) has a neat folding hardtop. It kinda has to have a folding top, since its main rival Ferrari 458 Spider has one.

The roof is apparently a three-piece aluminium and plastic job made partly by Lotus. The best thing about it is that even with the roof folded away, you can still see the engine. Ferrari doesn’t offer that in the convertible 458.It’s not a big deal, but it’s a nice touch.The roof is said to go up or down in about 17 seconds.

McLaren has a chance to address the MP4′s soullessness issue with the Spider. They can deliberately make it a bit crazy, a bit lairy. That’s what Lamborghini did with the convertible version of the Gallardo.

More details: CAR

The all-new BMW M6 Convertible has been caught undisguised sitting at Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal import vehicles depot.

This car is sent to U.S. probably for demonstration, press events and photoshoots. How do we know it’s the actual M6? That’s easy. The car features massive M-power wheels, oversized brake discs and calipers, a neat rear diffuser and four big tailpipes. These are all telltale signs of a fully fledged M car.

That special color on the car, which appears to be a darker shade of M5′s Monaco Blue, is another reason to believe it’s the real deal.

Engine-wise, the new M6 gets the same 4.4 liter V8 as the F10 M5 with 560 hp. Regardless of the performance, which will be brilliant because it’s a BMW, this car is also properly pretty, especially compared to the old M6. It looks even better to you when you check out the new Mercedes SL.

source: Autospies

The new generation Hyundai Genesis Coupe must be the worst kept secret in the automotive world in recent years. Not that long after it was scooped on the factory floor, another revealing picture leaks out of there.

It is certain now this is the look of the new Geni Coupe, featuring the latest trends in Hyundai design with the new grille, LEDs and the big mouth which it shares with most of the upcoming models. The rear-end will remain pretty much intact, so does the car’s party piece, the form of the rear windows which gives it a unique character.

What we like about it is the new vented bonnet, and what we really don’t are the new headlights. They look too like the Veloster.

And what we really want to know about this new Coupe is whether or not it gets a V8. Strong rumors suggest it will, but given the current economy and environmental concerns, it might not.

via: HyundaiBlog

This is the all-new 2012 Lexus GS, spotted not in Frankfurt where it’s supposed to be, but in China.

And immediately you can notice the similarities between this car and the Lexus LF-Gh on which it’s based. Mercifully though, the front-end is not just as crazy as the concept car, and the back looks very normal, a bit like the 2011 Hyundai Sonata even!

The GS has always been known as a refined, quiet, high quality and honest sedan that calms you down when you look at it! The new one certainly doesn’t look quiet and honest – quite the opposite actually, it looks kinda slimy – and but we have to wait and see if it’s the same sweet car underneath. The car will definitely get a hybrid version, but not sure about the V8. It will come as rear and all-wheel-drive models.

Thanks to these pictures, Lexus might drop official details of the car sooner than expected. So stay tuned.

Source: Chinacartimes

Looks like BMW is already working on a new visual and performance package to revamp the new 1-Series’ styling!

These pictures of the BMW 1-Series Performance Studie Concept, possibly Frankfurt-bound, are scooped at a private dealer meeting, and shows a cool bodykit that addresses some of the issues with the 1er’s odd looks.

New bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, grilles, and a cool racing stripes all over the car are the additions to the Performance Studie. Those stupidly big headlights are still intact though. The car also gets 19-inch wheels.

Not sure about any performance tweaks, but we probably see this car at the IAA in September. It is the base for the upcoming M Sport 1-Series.

via: 1addicts

Here’s our first chance to take a look at the new generation BMW 3 Series, due in 2012, without the annoying camouflage obscuring the view.

Alright, so they are not of best quality, because they’ve been scooped during a photoshoot, but they are clear enough to prove the new F30 3 Series is heavily inspired by the current F10 5-series. The front-end looks particularly good to us.

The current 3 Series is a fine looking car, but it suffers from complete lack of emotion and soul. The new model seems to have addressed that issue by adding a bit more drama.

The 2012 BMW 3 Series will also be more technologically advanced and come with new, innovative features never seen before in this class. If you look at the top of the dashboard in the pictures, you notice the Head Up Display unit. It used to be exclusive to big, expensive models, but you can now get it in a 3er.

Don’t look for the car at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show though, as the car’s debut is set for November.

source: F30post

Since the first day DeTomaso announced they are back in business, everybody was asking about the revival of Pantera supercar. No one didn’t even care about the SLS SUV coupe thingy they made so enthusiastically! Finally it seems they’ve started working on the new Pantera, and this mysterious car you see in the video above is believed to be the first test mule for it, as it was scooped outside the factory. It’s too soon to talk about the car, let’s just hope they know what they’re doing, even though they proved with the SLS that they don’t!

As it turns out Renault Captur is not the only concept car the French car maker is bringing to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. There’s also this, the R-Space Concept which looks just as crazy as the other one.

Renault has not released any info or picture of the car yet and this video you see here is actually a captured by someone’s spycam in Lisbon! The R-Space is a stunning looking MPV-like vehicle which kinda remind us of the Infiniti Etheria Concept, also set for Geneva debut. It could be a preview of the next generation Scenic. The name of this car suggest that it might be a futuristic version of the Renault Espace, but sizewise they’re not on the same page.

Now that these pictures and video have hit the web Renault might start talking about the R-Space or whatever it’s called. Stay tuned.

Pictures: Focus.de

If you thought Ferrari 458 Challenge was awesome, check this baby out! This is the GT2 racing version of the car which qualifies for all types of endurance and GT series including different editions of Le Mans Series. This is a spy picture of the car testing at Fiorano track, and even though it’s not finished yet and has no livery on, it looks fantastic.

The GT racer version of the Ferrari 458 Italia will be available in GT2 and GT3 formats, so it can have from 470 to 600 horsepower. It also gets a Hewland six-speed sequential transmission instead of the standard car’s seven-speed dual-clutch. One other difference over the 45 Challenge will be the wheel size, as GT2 sports 18″ rather than 19″. It is also slightly heavier than the Challenge, but then it has beter aerodynamics.

According to the source, Ferrari 458 Challenge costs € 245,000, the GT3 version will have a price tag of € 340,000, and the GT2, all of a sudden, € 480,000 all excluding VAT!

source: motorsportblog.it

Our  friends at Diariomotor have been busy testing some cars on a Spanish back road as they came across one of the hottest and rarest cars in the world, the Bugatti Veyron SuperSport. Luckily they had their cameras ready and scooped a few images of this super special Veyron. It’s not the kinda car you see on the road everyday. Apparently the SS  were accompanied by two other normal Veyrons, God knows what they were doing together but I bet it was hot!

via: Diariomotor

One of most anticipated cars to be launched this year is indeed the new generation Mercedes CLS. The company has already showed us how the new model would look like through the new shooting brake concept, but here’s the first pictures of the real CLS sedan caught before an official photoshoot.

As you know the first gen CLS was the first car in the world in form of a four-door coupe, the shape that is still being copied by various manufacturers. And it still looks cool and fresh today, even though it’s like 7 years old. So naturally expectations are quite high from the new CLS, not only it has to retain that amazing style, it must come up with something new and amazing to keep the edge over the competition.

The car make its official debut in a couple of months, so let’s wait until then to judge it. But based on what we see from these pictures, the new CLS seems to have become very fat! It’s become so chubby that those big AMG wheels look almost lost in the fenders. And even though the headlamps have become more normal than the old model’s, the taillights have become crazier. They look like the eyes of the aliens!

But it’s something new, it always take some time for people to get to like new stuff. Apart from the design, everything else about the new CLS is very good as it’s become larger and more spacious and it will be offered with Merc’s new magnificent V6 and V8 engines which are much more powerful and efficient than before.

Pictures via: LeftLaneNews

Recently Porsche revealed the new and ultra hot 997 GT2 RS to a number of VIPs during a private party in Leipzig. As it turned out some of these VIPs were cool enough to secretly take a couple of pictures and post them on the Internet! Here’s the second series of leaked pictures, and they are much more revealing than the first ones.

Through these images you can clearly notice that the GT2 RS comes with a number of carbon fiber body parts to become even lighter. Chief among these carbon parts is the bonnet, there’s also carbon fiber side view mirrors and air intake ducts, which by the way are noticeably bigger than the GT2′s.

Other features which grab out attention include the single bolt wheels which must be very very light, carbon fiber seats and racing-style alcantara interior trimming.

Although it’s not confirmed yet, but the word is that the limited editoin GT2 RS gets 620 hp and has a price tag in the neighborhood of €240,000.

via: autogespot

Now you don’t need to wait until the end of this month for the official unveiling to see Hennessey’s Venom GT in full, here it is! Thanks to guys form PistonHeads.com who caught the Venom at Silverstone, we can have an early look at this Lotus Elise-based supercar which can be had with over 1000 hp. The Venom looks pretty much the same as the Elise, and maybe that’s why they left it undisguised. Maybe they thought no one would recognize it!

Source: PistonHeads, More pictures available at the photographer’s web page Adam Thorby

These spy pictures, which are taken somewhere which appears to be showroom, are the first revealing images of the latest Ferrari model, the 599 GTO. It is the performance oriented version of the 599 GTB which is tarted up for track use and will get 700 hp. The GTO seems to have some of the styling cues of the 599XX racer.

It has the same two-tone paint job as the 599XX and also comes with a bespoke bonnet and a new carbon spoiler, which might not be as big as the XX’s but it’s quite big! The boot lid spoiler however is smaller than the one on the XX. It also has newly designed wheels.

Ferrari 599 GTO has a very delicious recipe, but it is also awfully expensive! A few days ago the car’s pricing list leaked on the web and according to that, a 599 GTO with some options can easily cost over $400,000.

Teamspeed via WCF

We were not supposed to see these pictures until next week when Geneva Motor Show officially opens its doors, but someone who apparently has an all access card took some pictures of this new Hybrid Ferrari 599 and posted them on the Internet! It’s kinda pointless though, because it’s not the looks that are important about this car, it looks just like the standard 599 only very green! What matters is the technicalities, and that is yet to be revealed.

Hit the jump for more pics…

via: WCF

The all-new Audi A1 which is set to be revealed on the internet in February 2010 gets an early reveal thanks to this picture snapped during commercial filming in Los Angeles. Tough break for Audi there! They had prepared many teasers and renderings, but now they are all useless! And oh, that dude in the pic is Justin Timberlake who has been  recently named as the new Audi brand ambassador, playing the leading role in Audi A1 Internet campaign.

via: WCF

After numerous camouflaged pictures finally the real face of new generation Hyundai Sonata  has been caught undisguised during what seems to be a company photoshoot. As you see the designers have gone berserk with 2011 Sonata and totally reworked the old body for the sake of something new and amazing. It has no connection whatsoever with the previous model!

And that’s a good thing, because the old gen used to be a conservative bx-shaped economy sedan, while the new one with its four-door coupe shape, fancy grille and Lexus style head and tail lights is clearly aiming way higher than that. But Sonata is popular because it’s affordable and delivers good value for money, now all this fancy stuff on the new one will add up to the cost obviously, so we have to wait and see how well the market will embrace it.

The best part of it I think is the new interior, which looks very nice to be honest. It is very well designed and has a sense of luxury and quality. You have to say Korean’s invest in design department was money well spent!

pictures: Hyundai blog

Pretty soon Hyundai will reveal the new version of its full size SUV, Santa Fe. But, thanks to Autoexpress, we can take an early look at it. The car has been caught inside and out and while the exterior gets some noticeable changes, interior seems to remain intact. However these cars are prototypes and production models might be different.

As you see 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe gets a new grille along with revised bumpers and new graphic for head and tail lights. Inside the cabin pictures don’t show any difference, it’s the same layout, same nasty wood trim on the lower part of the dashboard…  but in terms of features and equipments, the car would get a decent update.

New Santa Fe will likely get the current range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel and V6 petrol engines, but with a bit of tweaking. Hyundai has promised to reveal a new hybrid drivetrain which will debut in the next Sonata, and certainly will make its way to other models including this car.

source: Autoexpress

Based on this short Youtube video, apparently Aston Martin Rapide is doing hot weather test these days as it’s been caught by a spotter (whose radio is a bit too loud!) in Kuwait, where weather is not what you call pleasant at this time of year!

]]> http://www.motorward.com/2009/07/aston-martin-rapide-scooped-in-kuwait/feed/ 1 http://www.motorward.com/2009/07/2012-mercedes-sls-roadster-caught-on-the-road/ http://www.motorward.com/2009/07/2012-mercedes-sls-roadster-caught-on-the-road/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:55:53 +0000 Arman Barari http://www.motorward.com/?p=6307

Today is the Mercedes SLS day! This time it’s the 2012 SLS Roadster which has been seen (and pictured!) for the very first time. We knew that a roadster version of the yet-to-be-revealed SLS AMG is in the works, and these pictures are the proof.

Of course the Roadster’s main difference than the hard top, apart from the roof obviously!, is the fitment of ordinary doors rather than Gullwing roof-hinged ones. The rest of the car should be identical to the coupe model (which is still mysterious itself, we have the first real picture of it, but it’s still some years away).

If the drop-top SLS gets the same engine as the coupe it’ll be a 6.3 liter AMG V8 with 571 hp and 650nm of torque. But since it’s a convertible and it’ll be heavier than the hardtop, it might compromise a bit on acceleration and top speed.

And that’s fine by me! with the top down you can hear that amazing V8 soundtrack even more clearly. You can expect the roadster to be like 20 percent more expensive than the SLS hardtop which is said to cost around 160,000 euros.

pictures source: LeftLaneNews