Autoblog

Back in September, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer announced an ambitious plan to increase production to 1.8 million vehicles by 2012 and to 2 million units by 2020. To reach those goals, BMW is planning several new niche models, including what it referred to as a "Progressive Activity Sedan". But while little in the way of details for the PAS were revealed at the time, a video has surfaced revealing a test mule for the car, which will be based on the next 5-Series with a fastback body-style.

The PAS is anticipated to slot between the 5-Series sedan and 5-Series wagon, with five seats and a hatchback rear end. Currently undergoing testing, the PAS is expected to go into production in 2009 or 2010 after an unveiling as a concept either at the Paris show later this year or in Detroit a year from now. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: Autocar via Carscoop]

Before its highly-anticipated unveiling at the Geneva show in March, Alfa Romeo has been leaking mere glimpses at its upcoming entry-level hatchback. Tentatively known as the "Junior" after Alfa scrapped its own online naming contest, the hatchback is based on sister company Fiat's Grande Punto platform, but with even more sumptuous Italian styling and a range of engines.

These latest images appear to have been prepared for its brochure, but have somehow found their way out of the factory and into cyber-space. None of the images, which can be seen after the jump, reveal anything more than some close-up details, but the when Alfa takes the wraps off its latest, it should give the Mini a run for its money.

[Source: Progretti955 via Carscoop]

As more and more artists' impressions of the anticipated Mazda RX-9 surface online, images have leaked showing us what the interim facelifted version of the current RX-8 will look like. The image, as you can see, comes from a scanned Japanese magazine.

The changes appear to be exclusively cosmetic. Up front, the grille has been revised to feature higher-mounted fog lamps under new, wider headlights. Around back the taillamps have been updated with four round LED rings. That's pretty much the extent of it, although the car pictured is a new RS version featuring 19" wheels, Recaro racing buckets and Bilstein shocks.

The facelift is reportedly targeted mainly towards American customers, and may not even make it to other markets. We'll bring you more from the updated RX-8's anticipated launch at the fast-approaching Detroit auto show.

[Source: Mazda-Madness.nl via World Car Fans]

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is right around the corner, where Mercedes is anticipated to unveil the vehicle you see here: the Mercedes-Benz GLK Freeside concept. Official images and details are expected in a manner of days, but someone at Daimler headquarters has apparently let the proverbial cat out of the bag.

Like the "Vision" concepts that Mercedes used to give us in the '90s, the GLK Freeside "show-car" is more of a pre-production prototype than a design study, and is tipped to closely mirror what the production GLK will look like. We already got a preview of the production model when the GLK showed up undisguised on the set of Sex and the City, of all places. The "Freeside" moniker, which seems dangerously close to the "Freelander" named used by Land Rover, is not expected to carry over when the little truck goes into production.

This leaked photo comes at a busy time for Mercedes, which recently gave us the new SLK (and SLK 55 AMG), a teaser shot of the new SL roadster and leaked photos of the facelifted CLS-Class all in the past couple of weeks.

[Source: Carscoop]

The mysterious images of a 2012 Mazda RX-9 that we brought you a few days ago appear to be illustrations cooked up by Winding Road magazine's in-house sketch artist Glenn Poblete, who literally drew on Mazda's current design language from the Kabura concept and other recent Mazda showstoppers to come up with a good guesstimate.

As for the heart of the beast, Winding Road figures on a front-engine/rear-drive layout with a limited-slip diff mated to either a rotary engine, in the grandest Mazda tradition, or ditching the Renesis for a more conventional V6 or V8. If Mazda decides to stick with the Wankel engine, it would have to improve on its gas and oil consumption, and it could benefit from a pair of variable turbochargers like in the latest Porsche 911 Turbo. Displacement on an updated Renesis, if chosen, could increase to 1.8-liters (if you consider the current version to displace 1.3-liters) or 3.5 (if you hold the current one at 2.6).

Like our compatriots, we hope Mazda sticks with a purely two-seat set-up instead of trying to squeeze tiny seats in the back, but the RX-9 could gain a suicide rear door to ease access if rear chairs are added. If that were the case, the RX-9 would effectively replace the quasi-four-door RX-8, which is anticipated for a facelift soon.

[Source: Winding Road]

Earlier we brought you a screen shot of Citroen's website that features a countdown meter until the French automaker unveils its latest vehicle. Although we'll have to wait another couple of days to know for certain, the replacement for the Berlingo utility minivan is shaping up as a strong contender for the slot, with an undisguised photo of the new vehicle surfacing on the internet.

The Berlingo, also badged as the Partner by PSA sister-company Peugeot, has been on the market since 1996 and received a facelift in 2002. Competing with the new Renault Kangoo that was unveiled at last September's Frankfurt show, the little vans are a common site overseas where their utility and compact size prove a popular combination.

[Source: World Car Fans]

We've been seeing camouflaged test mules of an updated Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class sedans driving around for some time now, but the German automaker apparently can't keep it under wraps anymore. On Saturday the online motoring press worldwide lit up with two pictures of the facelifted "four-door coupe", reportedly leaked by someone inside Mercedes ahead of its intended debut.

The pictures show an updated top-of-the-line CLS 63 AMG. What we can tell from the images is that the newest AMG rocket gets a new grille split in three sections instead of four; upgraded wheels from 18 to 19 inches, with a style similar to those on the Porsche 911 Turbo; led tail-lights; a carbon fiber rear spoiler; a new rear diffuser; and updated exhaust outlets.

Whether any mechanical changes have been made has yet to be revealed, but we'll be sure to keep you posted. A shot of the rear is included after the jump.

[Sources: Carscoop and Motor Authority]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but it'd take something really spectacular to make a car like the Maserati Quattroporte look anything but elegant. The company's new GranTurismo, itself based on the sedan, managed to do a good job of making its four-door stable-mate pale by comparison, so it should come as no big surprise that the Trident marque is preparing a mid-cycle facelift.

According to these spy shots, the bulk of the visual updates will be on the front, where the grille, (all but non-existent) bumper and headlights are tipped to be reshaped. Also expect a few minor changes to the rear bumper, but that should about do it.

Don't mess too much with a beautiful thing, Maser.

[Source: EVO]

Click on the image above to jump to our 52-image high-resolution gallery

Can't get enough of Ferrari's latest hotness? Neither can we, and the first batch of eight official images to come out of Maranello just weren't enough. So we flew out to Germany and got some more from the 430 Scuderia's unveiling at the Frankfurt auto show. But that still wasn't enough. So we got in touch with Ferrari North America to ask for more, but unfortunately our requests went unheeded.

Thankfully our Italian friends over at Automobilismo.it came to the rescue with a whole F1-calibre convoy full of new press images of the new Scuderia, that stripped-out supercar that laps Ferrari's private Fiorano test track faster than any Ferrari road car in the company's sixty-year history – including the Enzo.

Without confirmation from Ferrari, we can't be 100% sure these are all factory-issued, but until we hear otherwise, we give you this gallery of 52 high-resolution images. Enjoy them, because it can't have been easy for the photographer to get the 430 Scuderia to stay still for long.

[Source: Ferrari via Automobilismo.it]

Manufacturers testing development mules for upcoming models go to great lengths to camouflage their prototypes in order to hide from the public what they're working on. That never stops the motoring press, in print and in cyberspace, from speculating on what that the camouflage is disguising, usually with considerable accuracy. A certain set of spy shots, however, have been enigmatic, resulting in a number of different theories.

The spy shots in question show a two-door sports car being developed by Ferrari. We've speculated that the shots in question show an "entry level" Ferrari model, possibly to be labeled as a new Dino, despite Maranello's repeated denials with which, by now, we're all familiar. Our friends over at Motor Authority say it's a new model from sister-company Maserati, to be positioned below the new GranTurismo. The folks at Carscoop, meanwhile, insist that the prototype is more simply a convertible version of the aforementioned GT.