Autoblog

The Outback treatment of the new Impreza may not be a best seller, but if emerging reports are to be believed, Audi thinks it can do a better mini-me impression by applying the Allroad concept – its take on the Outback theme – to the smaller A4.

Currently the Audi Allroad is based on the mid-range A6 Avant Quattro wagon, with an off-road suspension and contrasting body-cladding. Like the Outback and the XC70 version of Volvo's V70 wagon, the Allroad offers sport-ute appeal and functionality with better driving dynamics and less weight to schlep around.

A beefed-up A4 Avant Quattro could provide an attractive alternative to the emerging field of compact SUVs like the BMW X3 and Acura RDX ,as well as upcoming models like the Mercedes GLK, Infiniti EX and even Audi's own Q5. Then again, maybe poaching its own sales wouldn't be that great an idea.

[Source: AutoBild via Motor Authority]

With the Alfa Junior hatch gearing up for production, the 8C Competizione being delivered to customers and the 159, Brera and Spider gorgeous-ing up roads around the world, the next item on Alfa Romeo's plate is the 169, its upcoming flagship sedan.

Although the 169, spy shots of which we brought you back in February '07, could be based on a modified Maserati platform or potentially on one borrowed from Jaguar, it's slated to return to rear-wheel-drive either way, which puts it in a better position to take on Europe's very best sports sedans.

The image above, of course, is just a rendering, but draws on existing and anticipated brand styling cues. We hope the actual production version will be more sexy and, well, more Italian than this illustration, and we also hope it'll make it across the pond with its stablemates.

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]

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]

The internet, as usual, is rife with speculation. Today's source is the FerrariChat message forum, where members claim to have inside information on two new Ferrari models that are anticipated for launch within the next couple of years.

The news concerns a convertible version of the current 599 GTB Fiorano, an illustration of which you see above (courtesy of AutoGespot). FChat member "supraman55" says his local dealer confirmed the upcoming model for a debut at either Detroit or Geneva in 2009. Speculation surrounding the 599 Spider is backed up by an interview with Ferrari's General Director, Amadeo Felisa, which appeared recently in the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. When asked about a convertible 599, Felisa confirmed that Ferrari is developing such a model for possible production in a limited series like its predecessor, the 575-based SuperAmerica. We'll add our own fuel to the fire by speculating that, based on traditional Ferrari nomenclature revived for the 599 GTB, the roadster will likely carry the 599 GTS designation, perhaps married to another name to replace Fiorano for the open-air version.

[Sources: FerrariChat, Auto Motor und Sport, AutoGespot]

There are some rumors circulating the web that could very well be true, and some you just hope are true. This, however, doesn't fall into either category. The speculation is over a possible Ferrari sport-utility vehicle, and we're not buying.

Our friends at World Car Fans, with which we'll part company on this, call it the Ferrari F599 FS 599 Fuoristrada, and project an unveiling at the 2010 Geneva show. They've even gone so far as to predict its weight (2.2 tons dry), engine (a variation on the 599 GTB's, itself derived from the Enzo) and output (over 600 HP), wheel and tire sizes (22" and 315), four-wheel-drive system (2/3 rearward bias), performance (0-60 in under five, top end around 180mph) and price (over €250k). Those are pretty specific forecasts, but WCF says they have it on good authority.

Never mind that an array of Ferrari execs have repeatedly refuted any such speculation - they've also been saying that about the "Dino" and we've just stopped listening by now - but it would make little sense for the racing-team-turned-sportscar-maker that, a couple of one-offs notwithstanding, has never made anything with more than two doors, let alone five. Sure, Lamborghini made a truck once, but then again that company started out building tractors. And never mind that Porsche has the Cayenne... numbers aside, Ferrari's not about to sell out its customer base with an SUV. (That's what excessive merchandizing is for.) For a company like Ferrari that trades on its heritage and Formula One dominance, a sport-ute would have no connection to either.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Cyberspace is rife with speculation about a new small Alfa Romeo convertible, which could be an indicator of one of two things: either the quintessential Italian automaker has got one such spider in the works, or it's just plain old wishful thinking.

Rumors suggest a revival of the Alfa Romeo Duetto, popularized by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, which could feature a retractable hard-top for motoring al fresco under the Tuscan sun or closed again for parking in Rome and winding through the Alps.

Along the road to rehabilitation, Alfa's return to the American market will include two unspeakably beautiful convertibles: the Brera-based Spider, and the recently-confirmed convertible version of the 8C Competizione. A third convertible in the line-up would be likely to come in significantly under the price of either (not hard to do in the 8C's case considering the anticipated €185,000 sticker price that's guaranteed to climb with speculation) in the effort to attract a younger clientele. If the upcoming "Alfa Junior" can serve as any indication, we could be looking at an Italian rival to the likes of the Mazda MX-5 and Pontiac Solctice, which again could be just wishful thinking.

[Sources: World Car Fans and Italiaspeed]

click on the pic above for a gallery of 11 shots

Following on the heels of a rumored revival of the DeTomaso name, 3D hotshot Stefan Schulze has whipped up a flight of fancy that could serve as the flagship of the marque's resurgence. The gorgeously rendered "Panthera" (we suspect the "h" is in there for legal reasons) pays clear homage to Tom Tjaarda's 1970s design. The cues are all there, from the distinctive shape of the rear quarter windows and C-pillar down to the front grille. Since it's not yet rooted in any kind of reality, we can freely dream about the details.

The previous association with Ford would mean some flavor of their modular V8 or maybe V10. The power unit from the new GT500KR would be nice to mount in the middle of this sleek design. Ford even has the platform from the now-dead GT, though a custom platform with riveted and bonded materials isn't as inconceivable as it once was. In fact, buying all of the pieces that mass-manufacturers are really good at, like chassis, braking components, and HVAC systems makes a lot of sense. There's no point in trying to make a really good air conditioner when Harrison's setups are capable of freezing your nose hairs off. Speaking of Harrison, they're a GM supplier, which brings us to the GM tip. It would certainly be interesting to have an LS7 with this shape wrapped around it. Ah, speculation is such fun – by the time we're done specing the thing out, it'll be a million-plus ride. Nice work by Mr. Schulze, as usual.

[Source: CarBodyDesign.com]

AudiWorld has confirmed with sources at Audi that the next generation A4 will indeed debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in about four months. Not surprisingly, the new A4 will share much of its look with the recently released A5 coupe. These renderings by Matt Daniels show what basically look like four-door versions of the A5. The cars have a charachter line along the side sheetmetal that bows upward over the slightly flared fenders. The line appears on the A5 and is one element that has certainly softened the Audi design language a bit, and we think it works just as well on the A4.

Just as the A5 benefitted from what Audi calls its Modular Longitudinal Platform, so too will the A4 be set atop a chassis that moves the engine and transmission farther back, allowing designers to push the front wheels out further and reduce Audi's infamous amount of front overhang. Thus, the A4's wheelbase will increase dramatically while the overall length budges only an inch. That extra wheelbase length will also add a much needed 1-inch improvement in rear legroom, as well. The new A4 will also get more LED lighting technology than any other Audi besides the trick R8. LED taillamps will be standard, while LED daytime running lights will be optional on some models and standard on the S4.

More can be found after the jump, and click the Read link to view more renderings of the 2009 Audi A4.

[Source: Audi World]

The prospect of a new Lamborghini sport-ute is enough to send the automotive press scurrying for details and even credible speculation. Last month, we brought you a report based on spy shots of a disguised Porsche Cayenne that was thought to be a possible Lambo test mule. Now our friends over at Info Motori have issued a few renderings of what they think a future Lamborghini truck should look like.

Follow the jump for more info and the Read link for more renderings and details.

[Source: Info Motori]

So here's the deal. We know Mitsubishi just held a long-lead introduction for its new Mitsubishi Lancer. Journalists were invited to sample the new car (not us, unfortunately), excluding the Ralliart and EVO models, in exchance for a promise not to publish pictures until late December and driving impressions until late January. Now, inviting a bunch of gear heads to drive the second coming from Mitsubishi and letting them loose on public roads is just asking for precious info to be leaked. And so it has to us in the form of a tip. Here's the long and short of it...

• Wheelbase: 104 in.
• Track, f/r: 60 in./60 in.
• Length: 178 in.
• Width: 71 in.
• Height: 55 in.
• Curb Weight: 2,800 lbs.
• Engine: 140hp / 135ft-lbs. 2.0-liter I-4
• Transmission: 5-speed Manual or CVT

These are most likely specs for the ES or SE model and reveal the base engine to be a 2.0-liter version of the World Engine that Mitsubishi co-developed with DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai. Also of note is the lack of an automatic transmission as an option, with only a CVT being offered to those who don't row their own boat with the optional 5-speed. Take a look at the Lancer's width, too: 71 inches. That figure dwarfs the 2006 model at 66.8 inches and nearly all of its main competitors, including the Honda Civic (69 in.) and Mazda3 (69.1). We're going to stop the speculation here for fear Mitsubishi agents have breached our perimeter and are planning a raid on the Autoblog HQ at any moment.

Thanks for the info, Kevin!