Autoblog

If you thought the new Jaguar XF was a radical departure, hold on to your cap, because if reports coming in are to be believed, the replacement for the flagship XJ sedan could be even more revolutionary for the traditionally staid British luxury marque.

Granted, you can't tell much from these spy shots. They were snapped while a mechanical prototype was undergoing testing in the Arctic Circle, and it's clad in the bodywork of the current model. However, based on Jaguar designer Ian Callum's reported fascination with the svelte form of the Mercedes CLS, insiders suggest the next XJ will be wider and lower and take on the four-door coupe approach. Code-named X351, the next XJ will continue with its all aluminum construction and could be unveiled in the spring of 2011...that is, assuming Jaguar's new owners don't decide to go another way.

[Source: World Car Fans]

As if Southern California didn't have enough reasons to make the rest of the country jealous, it's also apparently stocked with test mules driving around in the warm California sun. Ryan over at Carster.com spotted a pair of lightly camo'd Audi A5 test mules out and about in SoCal. (You may remember that Ryan was one of the first to score shots of an uncovered Audi R8 testing in the U.S.) One of the pair was sporting 20-inch rims shod with Dunlops and the other more modest 17s wearing Eagle LS tires, which lead Ryan to speculate the drivers were out testing wheels. While the front and rear of the cars are obscured by camo, the sides are virtually untouched and reveal the shape of the car's C-pillar and a nice concavity that runs the length of the A5. It also appears there's a subtle lip spoiler hanging out on the truck lid, as well as LED signals underneath the sideview mirrors. While the shots Ryan took, the rest of which are hosted over at Carster, are excellent, we have to admit the Audi A5 hasn't quite got our blood boiling yet. It seems like an obvious niche for Audi to fill, but we wonder whether Ingolstadt can pull off a coupe like BMW can.

Thanks to Ryan at Carster for the tip!

[Source: Carster}

WorldCarFans isn't a fan site that often goes guessing into the wind, so we perked up and listened when one of its headlines suggested that Bentley might be building an SUV. The only evidence the site has are spy shots of a Cayenne test mule, but it reasons that the platform underpinning the Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7 could further be stretched to include a Bentley bruiser. While the resulting sport utility would benefit from the development already done by the other automakers, it's powerplants would be derived from the rest of Bentley's line. The Arnage's 6.5L V8 with 475 bhp would be the "base" engine, and the Continental GT's twin turbo, 6.0L W12 that produces 560 bhp would be the range topper. The above shot is just a rendering, but Bentley's corporate visage would look just fine on an SUV, if you ask us.

[Source: WorldCarFans]