Spy Shots

BMW is one of the most proactive automakers to advance towards electrification. The company has not just announced new electric models, but will also electrify the existing lineup. Recently, it revealed the iX3, which carries over all the shenanigans of the regular X3, but with an electric powertrain. Recently, the electric version of the 3 Series was spotted yet again and it seems to be on the same transformational path as the electric X3.

In production since 2013, the current BMW 2 Series is a bit long in the tooth as of 2020. But we know that the German company is working on a new-generation version because we keep seeing it being tested in various locations. Our paparazzi just sent us a new batch of spy shots, and it seems that the upcoming 2 Series will look a lot more muscular than the outgoing model. But there’s more good news to consider.

Polestar went through a drastic transformation in recent years. Once a small shop that built mildly hotter versions of existing Volvo models, Polestar is now a full-blown performance division that creates unique designs. Its production car lineup includes the Polestar 1 and 2, both electrified, and it seems that the brand is already working on something. But based on the spy shots we received, it’s not a brand-new model. It seems that Polestar is testing an electric version of the iconic P1800, a car that Volvo built back in the 1960s.

The iconic Land Rover Defender returned in 2019 after a three-year hiatus. It continues to be a rugged-style, boxy SUV with solid off-road capability, but it’s now infused with state-of-the-art technology and premium features. Land Rover offers a range of turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines, including a mild hybrid drivetrain, but a V-8 engine is still missing. That’s about to change though, as our paparazzi just spotted a new prototype that seems to feature such a powertrain.

Introduced in 2016, the Bugatti Chiron has already spawned eight variations ranging from simple special-edition models to unique cars like the La Voiture Noire. But the supercar firm isn’t planning to stop just yet, and a new test mule spotted by our paparazzi proves just that. We don’t know what it is yet, but we’re looking at three different scenarios.

The Volkswagen Group has made some phenomenal strides in recent times. From being caught in Dieselgate a few years back to running a few of the most proactive brands in electrification today, the German group has come a long way. One of its most prominent brands, Audi, also has a few electric models in the works. The automaker’s next electric vehicle will be the Q4 e-tron, which was previewed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Audi recently revealed that the SUV will launch at the end of 2020 and is set to go on sale in 2021. Although it might be the brand’s fifth EV, there are a lot of eyes on it since it will be the first four-ringed electric vehicle to be pinned on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture. It was recently spotted performing cold-weather tests in Northern Sweden.

Update 7-6-2020: The Audi Q4 E-tron has finally be spied out on public roads and, unlike the mule we saw earlier this year, this baby is looking pretty close to production ready. Check it out in the spy shots section below.

The Mk. 8 Golf GTI TCR will build on top of an already amazing package to take things to the next level. As a model that’s more oriented toward the driver, it’ll feature a whopping 300 horsepower, all of which will be shunted through an eight-speed DCT. There’s no definite on-sale date as of yet, but it should launch in late 2020 as a 2021 model.

Update 5/12/2020: The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR was spotted in the wild with almost no camo. Check it out in our special “Spy Shots” section below!

The Volkswagen Arteon came to our attention back in 2017, during its unveil at the Geneva Motor Show. Three years into the fastback-shaped sedan’s career, Volkswagen is planning to give the Arteon a well-deserved nip and tuck which would keep customer interest fresh and address the areas that needed further improvements.

With the refreshed Arteon, however, we’re expecting Volkswagen to introduce a spicier, more performance oriented version under its notorious R badge. Our suspicions are backed up by a recent set of spy shots that show a virtually undisguised test mule that wears a lot of R-specific features. Allow us to detail, then.

Update 4/29/2020: The Volkswagen Arteon R was spotted once again, this time sporting a look that represents the upcoming facelift and what we can expect from the new Arteon R. Check it out in our special Spy Shots section below!

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen! It’s been a long road to get to this point, but now we’re finally getting our first look at the next-generation Volkswagen Golf R. A test mule of the big daddy Golf R was recently spotted doing some test runs in the snow, and yes, this particular prototype is wearing nothing but fresh paint.

There’s no camouflage in sight, allowing us to see the next-generation Golf R in all its glory. Specific details in the prototype present clear markings of the Golf R’s DNA so unless Volkswagen has a surprise for us with a different Golf-based hot hatch, what we’re looking at here is the next-generation Golf R.

There’s no set timetable on when the Golf R is expected to arrive, but with the just-as-new Golf GTI expected to debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen could hold off the Golf R’s debut for later in the year. Or it could join the Golf GTI in Geneva. Either way, the all-new Golf R is here.

Update 4/29/2020: The 2021 Volkswagen Golf R was recently spotted doing some on-track testing with no camouflage. Check out the special Spy Shots section below to check them out and learn more about it.

Mere days after we saw a prototype version of the all-new BMW M4 prancing around in test mule form comes its hardtop sibling, which, not surprisingly, is also decked in full camo regalia. To be fair, this isn’t the first time that the BMW M4 Coupe was spotted in the wild.

Back in December, we caught a glimpse of the sports coupé being unloaded from a car transporter. That sighting didn’t amount to much, but this fresh batch of spy photos shows the M4 Coupe — still wrapped in heavy camouflage — in its more natural state, engaged in test runs in and around the streets of Germany.

Just like its roofless sibling, the all-new BMW M4 Coupe is set to debut sometime this summer ahead of its market launch at the end of the year. But before any of that happens, BMW will continue doing test runs of the M4, hopefully with fewer camo wraps in the succeeding sessions.

Update 4/28/2020: The BMW M4 Coupe was spied testing once again, and this time we’ve gotten a look at the interior. Check it out in our special Spy Shots section below!

The 2020 Audi SQ7 is the facelifted, range-topping version of the second-generation midsize SUV. Unveiled alongside its regular sibling, the 2020 SQ7 sports a revised front fascia and a new interior borrowed from the Q8. More importantly, it’s the first iteration of the SQ7 that features a gasoline engine. Launched in 2016, the SQ7 was a diesel-only model up until now. The gas-powered 2020 SQ7 features a turbocharged, 4.0-liter V-8 engine that generates 500 horsepower, making it the most powerful Q7 model yet. It’s also the quickest to 62 mph. The arrival of the 2020 SQ7 gives Audi a proper alternative to the BMW X5 M50i and the Mercedes-Benz GLE 580. Find out more about this high-performance SUV in the review below.

Remember the excessively polarizing BMW Concept 4 shown at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show? Well, some of its distinctive styling cues are bound to be trickled down to the upcoming BMW 4 Series Coupé and we’ve already seen pics that suggest the oversized kidney grille is one such element.

Although we’ll have to wait a while to see the new 4 Series take a bow, our spy photographers caught a heavily camouflaged test mule and managed to sneak inside for a couple of interior shots. Read all about it and more in the in-depth review below.

Update 4/28/2020: The BMW 4 Series Coupe was spotted testing the the wild once again, this time with much less camo and padding. Check it out in all its glory in the Spy Shots section below!

The 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is an upcoming version of the Cayenne Coupe, a sleek SUV that Porsche originally introduced for the 2020 model year. Spotted testing in the wild with a different exhaust layout, the 2021 Cayenne Turbo GT is rumored to become the company’s range-topping model. It could also be a hybrid that generates more oomph than the already impressive Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid model. The fact that it was also spotted at the Nurburgring in the past suggests it will be more dynamic than any other Cayenne on the market. The equivalent of the 911 GT3 for SUVs if you will. The name is not yet official, but it could be called the Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT5, a badge that Porsche trademarked back in 2015.

Update 4/28/2020: The Porsche Cayenne Coupe GT Was spotted testing one again, this time with what we believe to be sport exhaust. Check out the latest pictures in our special “Spy Shots” section below.

When BMW launched the Vision iNext concept at the 2018 Los Angeles Motor Show, it took the world by surprise. It was supposed to be the next big thing to come out of the company’s stable, but all people could talk about was that gaudy grille that eclipsed everything else.

The crossover with the Bavarian DNA is designed to combine advanced autonomous systems, connectivity, and electrification blended into one recipe that is touted to be the company’s flagship electric product. The model sits on a new platform and will provide the building blocks for the automaker moving forward. Is this a preview of what we can expect from BMW 10 years down the line?

The 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is an upcoming high-performance variant of the 982-generation Cayman that’s rumored to debut in 2020. Essentially a more aggressive and powerful version of the existing 718 Cayman GT4, the 2021 will be the first of its kind and the first modern 718 to feature the "RS" badge. This car has been in the rumor mill ever since the first Cayman GT4 was introduced in 2015, but it took Porsche around four years to turn it into reality. Better late than never, I guess.

The 2021 718 Cayman GT4 RS is more than just a rumor now. The car has already been spotted on public roads with some camouflage on its body, but also with a beefed-up exterior. It features bigger vents in the front, a big rear wing, and many small details that set it apart from the already familiar GT4. Just like the latter, the 2021 718 Cayman GT4 RS will feature the 911’s 4.0-liter flat-six under the hood, but in a more powerful setup. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.

Update 3/18/2020: The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS has been spotted doing some cold-weather testing and there are a few subtle changes that you need to know about. Check it out in our “Spy Shots” section below!

The 2020 Audi RS Q8 is the high-performance version of the Audi Q8. The latter was introduced as a competitor for the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, so the 2020 RS Q8 competes against the BMW X6 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 Coupe. The 2020 Audi RS Q8 also goes against the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe,, which is built around similar underpinnings. The 2020 RS Q8 stands out in this segment thanks to its unique design, but the engine is another highlight. That’s because the 2020 Audi RS Q8 is powered by a mildly detuned version of the 4.0-liter V-8 found in the Lamborghini Urus. With almost 600 horsepower at its disposal, the 2020 Audi RS Q8 is one of the quickest SUVs in this niche. Let’s find out more about that in the comprehensive review below.

Mercedes’ lineup of electric crossovers and SUVs continues to take shape with a fresh batch of spy photos of a model that looks a lot like the Mercedes GLB-Class. Except this isn’t the GLB; this is the GLB’s all-electric alter ego, the EQ B. The spy photos were taken in Sweden where the EQ B is undergoing winter testing. Mercedes hasn’t divulged the juicy details of the EQ B, but it is believed that, among other things, it will largely take the form of the GLB, albeit with a few minor tweaks to reflect is all-electric stature. No timetable has been given on when the Mercedes EQ B will launch, but we do know that the all-electric crossover will not hit the U.S. market until 2021.

Update 2/28/2020: The Mercedes EQB has started to take on its official electrified look in our latest batch of spy shots. Is a debut imminent? Find out what we know in our special “Spy Shots” section below!

The BMW 5 Series is in line for a mid-cycle refresh and it won’t be long before it comes to full effect. What’s more, the revamp will also affect the M5 performance sedan, as our spy photographers have spotted a heavy-camo’ed facelifted BMW M5 mule out on the open road.

BMW is tight-lipped about the revised M5 (as it is about the 5 Series as a whole) but the test prototype displays a couple of interesting changes that touch on the front and rear light clusters and bumpers. There’s no word on power upgrades yet, but let’s take a better look at what the revamped M5 might have in store for us.

Update 2/21/20200: The 2021 BMW M5 was just spotted doing some cold-weather testing and it’s starting to come together nicely. Check out the new spy shots and what we’ve learned in our “Spy Shots” section below!

The McLaren GT was introduced in 2019, and we know for sure that the mule we see here is, in fact, a McLaren GT. Be that as it may, it was caught in a residential neighborhood in France by a friend of Topspeed, and it certainly raises a few questions. First, why is there a camouflaged McLaren GT cruising around France? Second, why was it parked outside a residential area? Third, why do the wheels have “Dyn Wheel” written all over them? Well, we think that McLaren might be testing its new V-6 hybrid drivetrain.

With sedans dying down and people changing their preferences to more practical vehicles, wagons seem to be making a comeback. Although wagons are a hit in Europe, the same can’t be said for the U.S. market. The sales of wagons in the U.S. dropped so low in the last decade that automakers pulled the plug on them and decided to focus on SUVs of different sizes.

However, things seem to be changing for good and many carmakers have started putting in effort to make these haulers look a lot more desirable. Volvo is on the cusp of refreshing its complete 90 series, and the latest vehicle to get an overhaul is the V90 Cross Country. The changes are limited and it is just a mid-cycle refresh to boost the sales until the next-gen wagon hits the floors. Will it make an impact, though?

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has long been one of the most underrated compact crossovers in the market. It’s not going to win any "best-of" awards anytime soon, but the crossover can hold its own, as long as people notice it. Perhaps the arrival of the new Eclipse Cross will help the crossover earn more credibility than it has received.

This latest batch of spy photos of the model heavily wrapped in camouflage gives us an idea of what to expect visually from the Eclipse Cross. But that’s the extent of it, at least for now. More details should arrive as we get closer to the updated Eclipse Cross’ launch sometime at the end of the year. The new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross will be badged as a 2021 model.

The 2021 DS 8 is an upcoming midsize sedan from DS Automobile, the premium division of Citroen. The 2021 DS 8 is the company’s first venture into the midsize sedan market and it will be DS’ largest four-door yet, slotting above the DS 5LS.

Aimed at sedans like the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the 2021 DS 8 will share underpinnings with the Citroen C4 Picasso and the Peugeot 508. Spotted testing since 2019, the DS 8 will probably break cover in 2020. Like most DS products, it will be unveiled in China initially, but will be sold in Europe as well.