Autoblog

The Cayman has two events to get ready for: the Cayman S Sport, and a facelift. A blacked-out Cayman with larger wheel arches and bolt-on fender flares was spotted recently, and it could be a tester for either car. With the rumored suspension tweaks for the Cayman S Sport, this could be making room for a serious set of rubber to take advantage of, not to mention 303 hp. Or perhaps the next Cayman will get some bigger shoes... and that wouldn't be such a bad thing either.

[Source: Global Motors]

Volvo is working hard to finish development on the production version of its XC60 CUV before it goes on sale later in 2008. We'll see the official unveiling in Geneva most likley, and the concept has certainly whetted our appetite. Aimed at the smaller end of the premium CUV market, the XC60 will take on comers like the BMW X3 and the upcoming Mercedes Freeside, as well as the Land Rover LR2, with which the XC60 shares pieces and corporate parents.

AutoExpress has posted spy shots of an XC60 dressed for modesty cavorting in the snow. Comparing the mule to shots of the concept shows that the major points of the design are headed for the showroom after some tweaking. The changes are pretty minor, the door handles change, the roofline appears to be a little higher, though still with the same profile, so you might actually be able to load things in the production car. It does look like the curvaceous taillights are headed for reality, only slightly changed, too. The pictures don't offer any insight as to whether the trick two-piece hatch from the concept will make it to the public, and we're going to bet that the all-white interior will be ditched for something less cleaning-intensive, too. For the most part, what we saw in the concept is what we'll be able to buy in early 2009.

[Source: Auto Express]

Hours upon hours of lying prone on the frozen tundra of the Arctic Circle have paid off for KGP's hardcore spy shooters. An upright test mule has been spotted running around at BMW's facility in the frozen hinterlands. There have been rumors of a smaller Roller swirling about, and these shots seem to support the conjecture. BMW's 7-series will reportedly serve as the basis for the new luxury whip, and the car in the photos appears identical to the surrounding 7's from the A-pillar back. The stiff upper lip has likely been grafted on to facilitate cooling and airflow for the engine room. Plus, you could do worse than an E65 with a better schnoz and an old-world interior. Check out all five spy shots in the gallery below.

With its Le Mans racing program soon to be bolstered by GT2 and LMP1 entries, and with sales of its ever-so-desirable GTs ever increasing, Aston Martin is preparing to add the four-door Rapide to its production line-up. And if this spy shot is any indication, things seem to be moving along nicely.

Aston was anticipated to decide by year's end where the Rapide would be built. Although the company just moved to a new facility in Gaydon, the automaker was reportedly in discussions with a number of smaller contractors – including Pininfarina, Karmann, Magna-Steyr and Valmet – over potentially outsourcing the Rapide's manufacturing. As we already know, these private coachbuilders are all in dire need of the contract.

Confirmation that Aston would build the Rapide was one of the first things its new owners did after acquiring the company from Ford, and we're looking forward to seeing the production version in the flesh after seeing this spy shot.

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]

With the Clio and Laguna having recently undergone complete replacement, Renault is now turning its attention to its middle range, and the automotive paparazzi have caught camouflaged mules undergoing testing on the open road.

Scheduled to bow at next September's Paris show, the third-generation Megane is expected to do away with the current model's sharp creases in favor of a smoother silhouette. The spy shots show that the current Megane's distinctive upright curved rear glass will give way to a more streamlined greenhouse, drawing on the lines of the new Laguna sedan. The range is anticipated to include three-door and five-door hatches, an estate wagon, a two-door coupe and a hardtop convertible. The new Megane's normally-aspirated 1.4-liter base engine is expected to be replaced by the Clio's 1.2-liter turbo, but otherwise the engines should carry over from the current model's, ranging all the way to the 225-horsepower turbo Renaultsport version.

[Source: Auto Express]

It is a Lotus, it isn't a Lotus. It is a Lotus, it isn't a Lotus. Today we think it could be, despite earlier reports to the contrary. But whether that mysetrious test mule spotted with Lotus paperwork was actually a Lotus or not, the famed British sportscar company in fact does have a supercar planned for the near future. This right from the lion's mouth, the lion in this case being Lotus' American chief Mike Kimberly.

Not much is known about what form the car will take or what we'll find under the hood, but given Lotus' focus on handling as well as its current and past models, a mid-engine/rear-drive layout would be a safe bet. The supercar would cap a rapidly expanding range of sportscars for Lotus, and not just variants of the Elise like we have now. A new Esprit is on the way, despite powertrain-related set-backs, and the 2+2 known as "Project Eagle" is slated for debut at the British auto show before hitting the market in 2009.

The three new models are part of the company's plan to dramatically increase production from last year's 2,875 to 8,000 over the next several years.

[Source: Motor Authority]

click above image to see more spy shots of the Chevy Camaro mule

Though it's been spotted bombing the boulevards of Australia, the Chevy Camaro mule seen in these pictures has not been caught testing in the U.S. until now. Insiders have confirmed this Middle Eastern-market Chevy Lumina SS mule with severely truncated rear doors is indeed a mule for the production Chevy Camaro that will hopefully go on sale as a 2009 model. Chris Doane shooting for Brenda Priddy snapped the pics and tells us that in addition to the shortened rear doors, the wheelbase is obviously shorter compared to a normal VE sedan from Holden and the roofline is also lower to the ground. Priddy adds that while we don't know what engine is in the mule, expect the production car to have your choice of GM's 3.6L direct-inject V6, a "regular" V8 and top-shelf motor based on the LS8 engine putting out close to 500 HP. A convertible should follow a year after the coupe arrives, just like the Camaro Convertible Concept showed up 365 days after the coupe concept.

[Photos: Chris Doane /Brenda Priddy & Company]

Just like the NSX mule that's been spotted ripping around, this Porsche Cayenne is masquerading as something it's not. What the end result actually is remains a mystery, but something's using fat-ass über-SUV duds to fly incognito. Motor Authority reports that there's a Lamborghini LM002 successor lurking under there. The Lambo-ute successor reportedly uses a version of the Cayenne platform, likely powered by the Gallardo V10.

GermanCarBlog, on the other hand, attributes the outward subterfuge to development work on a Porsche GT Coupe. The bodies are rumored to be mere shells, with a lot of hardware stripped. How else would you explain their scorching times around the 'Ring? Whatever it turns out to be, we'll try to corner someone from Porsche or Lamborghini in Frankfurt and get some hints.

[Source: Carspynew via GermanCarBlog]

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.

Our El Camino-happy friends over at Jalopnik have a new batch of spy shots showing what appears to be the upcoming replacement for Jaguar's S-Type in prototype form undergoing development tests in San Francisco.

The pre-production version of the car, previewed by the C-XF concept car at the Detroit show, is anticipated for unveiling in Frankfurt in September, in advance of expected delivery to begin next Spring.

If the concept car wasn't enough of an indication, the camouflaged test mule hints at what should be one sexy luxo-feline indeed. Click on to Jalopnik to see the full gallery of spy shots.

[Source: Jalopnik]