SPIED: Big Daddy 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Draws Closer

Once almost a lone player in the luxury segment, Mercedes-Benz and its S-Class have been challenged directly over the past years by numerous rivals ranging from the Lexus LS and the Audi A8 to the rejuvenated Jaguar XJ and even the Porsche Panamera.

But the Stuttgart-based automaker is holding on and is now readying a new and improved successor to its S-Class limousine that will also be known under its internal codename, W222.

Scheduled to arrive in the market in the 2013 calendar year, the W222 is based on a new platform architecture and will be offered in both short- and long-wheebase derivatives as well as with the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.

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SPIED: Subaru BRZ Coupe Shows its Face

Upon viewing these pictures of the Subaru BRZ prototype we can hear some of you shouting, "just come out with it already", and we couldn't agree more. The same can be said about for the BRZ's twin sisters, the much-teased global Toyota FT-86 and the North American Scion FR-S.

Anyway, if the current buzz is to be believed, then we should catch our first glimpse of the BRZ in concept form at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show in mid-November with the final production model to make its world premiere alongside the FT-86 at the Tokyo Motor Show in December.

If you're having a hard time figuring out the differences between the swirly covered BRZ test car and the FT-86 prototypes, that's because the two models will be almost identical minus some extremely subtle cosmetic differences.

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GM Unleashes the 2013 Cadillac ATS Sedan on the Nürburgring [with Video]

It may have taken a while, but if anything else, General Motors is showing signs that it has learned its lesson from the German competition and has even brought the game to their "backyard" challenging its rivals on the Nürburgring racetrack.

While Chevy's team was trying to record a fast lap around the "Green Hell" with the Camaro ZL1, Cadillac engineers brought the upcoming ATS sports sedan to the "Ring for a two week-long trial in September.

GM published a new video that provides us with an inside glimpse of the testing that took place and which you can watch in the clip below.

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SPY SHOTS: New Audi RS5 Convertible Spotted Testing

In September, following the opening of the Frankfurt Motor Show, we broke the story on the official design patents of the new Audi RS5 Convertible. Now, only a few weeks after, we have the first spy pictures of a test mule caught near the Nürburgring track in Germany.

This prototype is based on the S5 Convertible but features the front end complete with wider tracks and a modified bumper from the RS5. If you're wondering what the production model will look like, you can check out the patent images in our previous post.

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SCOOP: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series Edition, Now in Sedan Form

For most people, the standard Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG sedan with its 6.2-liter V8 that generates 457HP and 600Nm (443 lb-ft) is more than a handful, but for those that drooled over the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series edition and wished it would be offered with four doors, we have some very good news for you.

Our spies stumbled upon a prototype version for the C63 AMG Black Series edition in sedan form while testing on the demanding Nürburgring racetrack. This test mule featured widened wheel arches housing larger wheels plus the same modified front and rear bumpers seen on the Black Series coupe.

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Convoy of 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo and Cabrio, Cayman and Boxster Prototypes Filmed in San Francisco

It’s not every day that you get to see a parade of subtly camouflaged Porsche prototypes parked one behind the other on the streets let alone away from Germany and in San Francisco.

If you watch the two videos posted after the break, you will see the new generations of the 911 Convertible, 911 Turbo, Cayman coupe and Boxster roadster, none of which have been revealed yet.

Our best guess is that Porsche held a special driving event either for journalists or North American dealers (perhaps both).

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SCOOP: 2012 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG V8 and G65 AMG V12 Caught Undisguised in Dubai

While spy shooters are searching for camouflaged prototypes of the facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class on the roads of Germany, the team over at "3rabacars" was fortunate enough to discover an entire garage of barely disguised examples of the upcoming AMG variants in a garage in Dubai.

From what we understand, 3rabacars took pictures of both the V8-powered G63 (or G55) AMG and the V12-powered G65 AMG. According to the poster, the G63 AMG's speedometer went up to 280km/h (174mph) while the G65 AMG's stopped at 320km/h (199mph).

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SPY SHOTS: 2013 Ford Mondeo Prototype Snapped in Station Wagon Trim

The end of the current European market Mondeo and North American Fusion is nearing as Ford is ramping up tests of a new common replacement for both models in the mid-size category.

We've already shown you spy pictures of the sedan model, but now our scoopers captured a test-mule of the station wagon derivative. It’s too early for Ford to talk about availability, but it's fairly certain that the Estate version of the next Mondeo/Fusion series will not be sold in the States.

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U SPY: New 2013 Porsche Boxster Spotted Cruising in Los Angeles

Even though you have more chances to spot a prototype model of a future Porsche model doing the rounds at the Nürburgring racetrack than anywhere else, the Germans try out their cars in many countries around the world, including of course, the U.S.

Carscoop reader Alex Ranarivelo snapped this lightly camouflaged 2013 Porsche Boxster with Michigan license plates rolling around in Los Angeles.

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SPY SHOTS: 2012 BMW M6 Cabriolet Continues Testing

We were hoping to see the new BMW M6 at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show, but apparently, the Bavarian company has other plans for the presentation of its flagship two-door model that will be offered in both coupe and convertible derivatives.

Following recent pictures of the 2012 M6 Coupe, our spy shooters came up close and personal with a right-hand drive cabriolet model while testing in Europe.

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SPY SHOTS: New BMW ActiveHybrid 3 Based on the F30 3-Series

We've brought you plenty of news on BMW's upcoming iteration of its bread-and-butter 3-Series, but our spies have just snagged what they believe to be an early prototype of the hybrid version that will join the recently announced ActiveHybrid 5 and the already available ActiveHybrid X6 and 7.

While the prototype model captured on the 'Ring looks pretty much stock, our man with the long lens tells us that it features the mandatory hybrid stickers to warn emergency crews about the car's electric operating system in the event of an accident.

The Bavarian automaker confirmed the availability of "hybrid versions of the next 3-Series" sedan codenamed F30 during a press conference in late 2010.

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SCOOP: Mercedes-Benz Preparing 2012 G63 AMG with Bi-Turbocharged V8

The rugged G-Class may be the oldest model series in Mercedes-Benz's range as it has been constantly in production since 1979, but the Germans aren't about to let it go yet as they continue to improve their most famous luxury off-road vehicle.

Our spies recently caught up with a couple of prototype models of the flagship AMG variant while testing in Europe. The G-Wagen SUVs were fitted with new exterior mirrors featuring the same design as the ones found on newer Mercedes passenger models and a modified lower front end with three large air vents.

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New Porsche 911: So, What Else has Stuttgart in Store for us?

Less than a month ago, Porsche unveiled one of the world’s worst kept secrets: the brand-new, 911 in Carrera and Carrera S versions. As usual, the coupe versions are just the beginning. Porsche may be criticized for carefully simply updating its classic model’s looks with each generation, instead of presenting something different, but apparently that’s what its customers want.

Even its most vehement detractors, however, cannot deny that the Weissach carmaker gradually rolls out many versions of the 911, which cover every niche of its segment –and then some… So read on to see how Porsche’s 48-year old sports car will evolve in the near future.

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SPIED: BMW Preparing Subtle Updates for X6 Crossover

The BMW X6 has entered its fourth year of production, which means the Bavarian company will proceed to at least some changes to keep its successful crossover model fresh and ensure that it remains on the priority list of its desired target market.

Our man with the long lens caught up with a very early and hardly disguised prototype of the X6 in Germany. The only parts of the car covered, were the headlamps and the tail lamps, both of which will likely be revised to match the rest of the BMW line-up like the new 1-Series.

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New BMW M3 Sedan Video Scooped: Are these the Sounds of a Turbocharged Six?

By now, you have probably heard that the upcoming 2014 BMW M3 in both four- and two-door formats will do away with the current model's atmospheric 4.0-liter V8 and gain a turbocharged six-cylinder engine.

Most seem to agree that the most likely candidate is an M Division modified version of one of BMW's 3.0-liter straight-six units with either two or three turbos.

However, there are some rumors circulating around the net that BMW is developing a new force-fed V6 engine for its next M3 models. The speculation is based on a recent design filling for a twin-turbocharged V6 made by the Bavarian company at the German patent office. BMW has not commented on the matter.

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SCOOP: All-New 2014 BMW M3 Sedan Caught and it's Packing a Twin-Turbocharged Straight-Six

Our spy photographers have finally spotted the brand-new BMW M3 saloon more than a year before its introduction sometime in the first half of 2013. Those that are more interested in the two-door model will most likely have to wait, as the M3 Coupe is currently planned to follow later on.

There's still some debate whether BMW will shuffle up its nameplates, as some sources suggest that the next 1-Series coupe will be renamed to the 2-Series, and the 3-Series Coupe into the 4-Series, meaning the M3 Coupe could become known as the M4. However, none of this has been officially confirmed yet.

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Rumors: New Mercedes-Benz CLC "Baby" Sports Sedan to Debut at 2012 New York Auto Show

Citing company officials, Edmund's Insideline reported today that the highly anticipated 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLC compact sports sedan would receive its world premiere at the 2012 New York Auto Show next April.

The German luxury carmaker's executives also noted that the CLC (the name has not yet been confirmed) will not be a "stripped down", inexpensive model with few features, stating that "this [the CLC] will be a real Mercedes-Benz".

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SCOOP: We Snag 2012 Ford B-MAX Small MPV's Interior

As Ford continues to test the upcoming 2012 B-MAX small MPV, our spies are getting closer to the prototype models revealing more details about the company's Honda Jazz/Fit and Citroen C3 Picasso rival.

This time, they were able to snap a photo of the car's interior confirming our hypothesis that only a few minor things will change over the concept model we first saw at the Geneva Salon earlier this year.

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U Spy: Land Rover Prototypes Snapped Running Around Death Valley

While travelling through Death Valley in Eastern California, Carscoop reader Perry D. stumbled upon a convoy of Land Rover prototypes including the compact five-door Range Rover Evoque and the full-size 2013 Range Rover luxury SUV.

We're not sure what the camo'ed up Evoque test cars with the swirly-whirly disguise were doing in Death Valley as the five-door model was unwrapped at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show and is bound to go on sale in the States in October.

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SCOOP: Opel's New Junior Mini Spotted Out in the Wild a Year Before Launch

It has been known for a while now that General Motor's European subsidiary Opel, is preparing to enter the increasingly popular mini car category with a new model currently codenamed Junior.

Taken during testing on public roads in Germany, these are some of the best spy shots we have of the upcoming Opel / Vauxhall Junior that will launch as a three-door hatchback.

The baby Opel model will slot beneath the Corsa supermini and is expected to measure around 3,700mm, meaning that it will be slightly longer than the Fiat 500 (3,546mm) which is believed to be one of its closest rivals.

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