Spy Shots

Toyota joined the subcompact hot-hatchback segment in 2017 with the Yaris GRMN. Powered by a Lotus-sourced engine and developed by the company’s Gazoo Racing division, the Yaris GRMN enabled Toyota to compete with popular hot-hatches like the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta ST. Come 2020 and Toyota unveiled a new performance model, this time around based on the brand-new, fourth-generation Yaris. It’s called the GR Yaris and comes with 257 horsepower on tap. That’s mighty impressive, but a new video suggests that Toyota is testing an even more hardcore version of the hatchback.

The latest 992-generation Porsche 911 is in production since 2019, and it’s already available in Carrera and Turbo trim, as well as coupe, cabriolet, and targa body styles. Porsche is also developing new GT3 and GT2 models, but it seems that the German firm may also introduce a high-riding model inspired by the rally-spec 911 SC Safari from the late 1970s. At least that’s what these new spy shots suggest.

BMW just unveiled the M3 and M4 performance compacts, and we already know everything about them. We’ve seen the updated exterior design with the massive kidney grille and how much power comes from the revised inline-six engine. So why should we care that an M3 was spotted testing on public roads with no camo on the body? Well, these are the first shots of the performance sedan in real life: no studio shots, no editing, no digital glitz or glamour. Until the M3 rolls off the assembly line and hits public roads, this is our best look at the four-door sedan in the wild.

The first-generation Porsche Macan was launched in 2014, which means that it’s six years old as of 2020. Given that modern car life cycles take five to six years, it’s about time for a redesign. But it seems Porsche wants to keep the current Macan on the market a while longer. At least that’s what a set of new spy shots we just received suggest.

The Mercedes G-Class is arguably one of the best off-roaders to have graced our planet. Over the years, the company has equipped it with a premium interior and an exorbitant price tag, but it is still regarded as a hardcore off-roader and has a strong footing in the segment despite heavy competition. To further cement this perception, Mercedes created a hardcore version of the already-competent G-Class called the G-Class 4x4. The previous model’s production ended in 2017, but it looks like the monster is back.

The new G-Class 4x4 was spied undergoing high-altitude testing in the Alps and it looked a lot bulkier and monstrous than its normal self – especially the wheel arches – thus reigniting the news of the 4x4 making a comeback. Are we excited? Hell yeah!

BMW has yet to introduce the next-generation M4, but it’s already working on a beefed-up version of the upcoming coupe. Our paparazzi just sent us a couple of photos showing a camouflaged BMW M4 that looks notably different than the production model that will debut later this year. Specifically, it features a center-mounted exhaust system and, more importantly, a rear wing. This can only mean one thing: we’re looking at the upcoming BMW M4 GTS.

Back in 2017, Ferrari replaced the California T, its retractable-top grand tourer, with the Portofino. A much-improved version with a redesigned exterior and a more powerful turbo V-8 engine, the Portofino is about to get a mid-cycle refresh. As these new spy photos show, Ferrari is testing a camouflaged Portofino near Maranello, meaning that the 2021 model year could bring a revised version of the grand tourer. But are there any significant changes to talk about?

We were quite surprised to see what we believed at the time was a BMW 8 Series with a mid-engine configuration. Due to the weird vents in the rear quarter glass, the louvers on the rear window, and the fact that whatever was behind the front seats was covered, there was certainly something going on. A few days after those spy shots started making rounds, we learned that BMW claimed that “mid-engined 8 Series” was little more than a test vehicle that’s passed from department to department to test new technology and mechanical goodies. At that time, we admitted that a mid-engine configuration was unlikely, but despite the lack of electric motor whine, BMW could be testing a hybrid powertrain setup. According to a new report, we may have been right.

Like every other automotive outlet on the sun, we too got those images of what appeared to be a mid-engined 8 Series doing some fine testing work with minimal amounts of camo. It had all the right elements for a mid-engined car; well, kind of. The intakes in the rear side glass were a little too small to feed a beefy inline-six or stout V-8, and the engine tone reportedly sounded like a six-cylinder, and there was no electric whine. The only real piece of evidence that this was a mid-engined mule was the fact that there was a blanket covering something in the back seat. Now, we know what was going on with the mule and, unfortunately, it’s not what anyone was hoping.

The latest-generation Porsche 911, dubbed 992, arrived in 2019 and as of August 2020 the German company has unveiled both the Carrera and Turbo models in coupe, cabriolet, and targa body styles.

But we’re still missing the hardcore GT3 and GT3 RS models, as well as the extreme GT2. There’s no word as to when these variants will arrive, but our paparazzi just spotted the GT3 RS testing in the wild. And it looks more aggressive than ever.

Our paparazzi just spotted a partly camouflaged BMW 8 Series near the Nurburgring track. Judging by the body elements that are hidden, it appears to be a facelifted version of the big coupe, but some other details suggest that BMW may be testing something entirely different, including some sort of mid-engined mule. What is Munich up to?

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.