The SRT Viper’s debut is still 12 hours away, but it was highly unlikely that the highly anticipated return of the Viper would stay secret until then. The first two images of the car have surfaced on the internet and they confirm what everyone has been saying for quite some time: the new generation Viper’s design will pay tribute to the original Viper and will be sleeker, smoother, and even more impressive than before.
These first two images show off just that and although we haven’t seen the full frontal view just yet, we anticipate that the new generation Viper will undoubtedly be on our list for "Car of the Year!"
As a reminder, it is believed that the new Viper will be powered by an 8.7 liter V10 engine - the largest engine ever used in a Chrysler production car - so expect to see a phenomenal output! The car will go into production in late 2012 as a 2013 model, with the first five units being offered to members of the Viper Club of America.
More details will be revealed tomorrow during its official debut in New York, so stay tuned!
A few years ago, if anyone had said that Kia and Hyundai would end up producing vehicles that would target luxury models from the likes of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes, many people probably would have laughed in their faces. Now, the two companies are chipping away at their cheaper car reputation and we have a series of new spy shots to prove it. The vehicle seen here is the new Kia K9, as it takes its turn in Northern Sweden for some winter testing.
Known as the Maserati Quattroporte from Korea (weird), the Kia K9 will be based on the rear wheel drive platform from the Hyundai Genesis sedan and will take most of its design cues from the recently announced GT Concept, including the concept’s full LED headlights.
The engine line-up will include a series of three petrol engines, plus a diesel for the European market. The entry-level will use a 3.8 liter V6 engine that will deliver about 333 HP, then there will be a 4.6 liter V8 version delivering 385 HP, and the top model will use a 5.0 liter V8 with a powerful 429 HP. The engines will be offered with a choice of an 8-speed automatic transmission, but a new 10-speed automatic transmission that is currently under development could find its way in the K9 as well.
The new Kia K9 will make its world debut at the end of 2012 as a 2013 model.
UPDATE 04/02/2012: Kia has unveiled a new video featuring Peter Schreyer explaining the design of their new K9 sedan. He shares his thoughts and philosophies about coming up with one perfect design while drawing a brief sketch of Kia’s new flagship sedan, code-named KH. He says his dream, Kia’s dream, and customers’ dream have come true with the KH. Hit the jump for the video!
The BMW 135i has been one of the more exciting releases by the German automaker, as of late, and the 2013 model year 135i is on its way. We already know that the 2013 will include a two-door coupe and a convertible model, as those are already in the 2012 lineup. We also know that BMW is releasing a five-door hatchback model in the European market. One thing we haven’t seen, at least until now, is a three-door hatchback model.
Just recently BMW was caught testing a 135i, bearing about as much coverage as a supermodel at a beach photo shoot, on the Nürburgring and it shows all of the markings of a three-door hatchback. You can judge for yourself, but from the spy shots we saw, it looks like the little bit of covering it has is going over where the door handle would normally be on a five-door model. This leads us to believe that BMW is trying to hide the fact that this model does not have a rear door handle, because there is no rear door. You can see our rendering of the three-door model above.
Before all of you hatchback lovers in the U.S. start salivating over this 300-horsepower hatchback that could easily push the Golf R aside, it appears as if this hot hatchback won’t make it to the U.S. this model year. For now, this little number will remain in Europe, much like its five-door sibling.
With the hatchback craze growing in the U.S., especially the high-performance hatchback movement, it only makes sense for BMW to release the three-door hatch 135i stateside. We will be bold and predict it to arrive late in the 2013 model year or maybe as an early 2014 model. Given the fact that the coupe and convertible models will already be available here, bringing the hatchback model across the pond likely won’t be a difficult task.
A few days ago, Lexus Product Planning Chief, Karl Schlicht, offered up a few new details on the upcoming Lexus GS-F and confirmed that there was a 99% chance of them actually putting into production. With such a solid future ahead of the sports sedan, we had to get to the drawing board to sketch the future model.
The future Lexus GS-F will be offered as a competitor for models like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes E63 AMG. It will be powered by same V8 engine as found in the IS-F, but upgraded to deliver somewhere in the 450 HP range. As for the exterior changes, expect to see a raised hood, large brake cooling ducts, LED headlights, functional front fender air outlets with lower edges, four exhaust diffusers (two per side in a vertical arrangement), and 19" light alloy wheels.
Let us know what you think of the 2013 Lexus GS-F in the comments section below!
If some of you happened to miss 60 Minutes’ interview with SRT Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles, then you probably missed out on a very strange looking car in the background. The car is undoubtedly a coupe, but the question is: is it the upcoming SRT Barracuda? Some say it is, but when asked about this, Chrysler officials said it was just one of the many concepts they are developing around their studio. Come on, if it was really the Barracuda, would they so openly confess to it?
If it is indeed the Barracuda as many believe it is, it will be brought on as a replacement for the current Dodge Challenger. The car will be powered by a supercharged 6.2L Hemi engine that will deliver somewhere around 490 to 540 HP range. As for the platform to be used for the new Cuda, there are two possibilities: one is a shortened large-car platform (LC or E-EVO) and the second is the new Alfa Romeo D-size platform currently under development.
The new SRT Barracuda is expected to be unveiled somewhere at the end of 2013. We’ll get more details on the development as pass them along!
A couple of weeks ago, the next generation Maserati Quattroporte was making its rounds testing in the cold weather when it took a few turns on an icetrack in Northern Sweden. Now, it has graduated to taking some quick laps at the Nurburgring in Germany and our spy photographers were there to capture it in action. Maserati’s testing for the new Quattroporte is hard and intensive, so it should definitely be ready when it launches at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September.
As previously reported, the new generation Quattroporte will grow to make room for the "baby Quattroporte," will still be lighter than the current model due to the use of more lightweight materials. The Maserati will receive a completely new design, but the current grille treatment will remain the same. The interior will get improved technology and a more luxurious treatment.
Under the hood, Maserati will place the same 4.7 liter V8 engine with some updates to improve the output to 475 HP. The power will go via an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox to the rear wheels or optional to all four wheels.
The prototype hidden under this heavy camouflage may look unrecognizable, but clues in regards to its location and history make us believe this is the next generation Citroen C4 Picasso. First off, the car was caught testing in the north at an area where Citroen normally resides. Second, our spy photographers reported that the car was followed by two security cars from the PSA group and third, we should consider that the newest C4 was unveiled almost two years ago and the current C4 Picasso is six years old, leading us to suspect that a new car should be testing right about now.
The prototype caught testing also featured some of Citroen’s usual design elements, including small side windows behind the A-pillars, the look of the rear view mirrors, and the shared DS4 design of the rims (even though they have five bolts and not four like the DS4). It has also been reported that the new C4 Picasso model will feature a more conventional look to make room for the fancy DS models, so this prototype may be the one to illustrate that.
It has been rumored that Volkswagen will be bringing the seventh generation Golf to the 2012 Paris Auto Show in the Fall. The new Golf VII will be completely different, built on a new platform and sourced with more powerful engines. Volkswagen really needs this generation Golf to take off, after the sixth generation flopped and had to be redone after only three years on the market.
The new Golf will be built on the company’s new MQB platform and will be longer and wider compared to the current generation. Expect to see some exterior changes as well, although they won’t be very significant because Volkswagen will want to keep its typical Golf formula. The GTI version will also be a bit more aggressive than the current generation and will get a modified front bumper, new headlamps, and other minor tweaks here and there.
Volkswagen will place more powerful engines under the hood of the new Golf, although the exact specs on most of the engines have yet to be divulged. For the GTI, Volkswagen will most likely offer a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder that will deliver up to 260 HP. So, if the rumors are true, the new generation Golf GTI will offer an increase of 60 HP over the current generation (50 HP for the European model).
The Volkswagen Golf VII GTI will be brought onto the market a few months after the standard version, so don’t expect to see it until sometime in 2013.
UPDATE 03/23/2012: British magazine, CAR, has caught wind of some new details on the upcoming GTI version of the future generation Golf. The car will sit about 30mm lower than the current version, while the wheelbase will be around 50mm longer. At the front, the new Golf GTI will continue the design language of the sixth generation, but will add new front and rear spoilers and new red piping interlaced into the headlamps. Under the hood, Volkswagen will place an updated version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, so expect an output of about 260 HP. The sprint from 0 to 62mph will take just 6.7 seconds and top speed will be 153mph. The official debut of the Volkswagen Golf VII GTI will be made in 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show.
UPDATE 05/23/2012: The future Golf GTI has been caught during some laps at the Nürburgring track.
While Mercedes has officially unveiled the 2013 GLK, Audi is still testing the facelift version of their Q5. The prototype caught testing is wearing the real lights in the front and back this time, and is only being covered up with a thin stripe of tape as camouflage; the new grille and bumpers were all free of camouflage. As you can see in one of these images, the driver was none too happy about being caught behind the wheel. That’s the risk they take!
As previously announced, the new Q5 facelift will receive new headlights, a modified front grille, a redesigned front bumper with larger air intakes, and new taillights. Minor modifications will also be made on the interior and the car’s overall driving dynamics. Audi will also offer a few options in terms of power, which is a good thing considering the current model only offers one gasoline engine and two TDI units.
Expect to see the new Audi Q5 facelift launched in the coming months.
Now that the successor for the 599 - the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta - has graced us with its presence, many have started speculating on the future renditions of the sports car. Our first thought went to the amazing possibility of a F12XX version, but now we’re taking it back a notch and taking a stab at the Spyder version of the car, even though we probably won’t see it until late 2014.
The F12 Berlinetta Spyder will be offered with the same technology as its coupe brother, but it will add a cloth top, and not a retractable hardtop like the one used in the Ferrari California. This decision will be made in order to keep the car’s weight as low as possible.
Under the hood, we’ll probably see the same 6262 cc V12 engine that delivers a total of 740 HP at 8500 rpm and 508 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm. Since the car will be weighed down a bit thanks to the added cloth top, we don’t expect it to carry the same 0-60 mph sprint time of 3.1 seconds or top speed of 211 mph.
