Autoblog

Ferrari Enzo successor had better look better than this test mule

Noah Joseph — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Ferrari

The arrival of any new Ferrari is bound to be anticipated eagerly by legions of fans around the world, but few more keenly than the successor to the famed Enzo.

Following in a line that dates back to the 288 GTO, through the F40, the F50 and most recently the Enzo, the new top-of-the-line hypercar from Maranello is now well on the road to readiness. We're told to expect its arrival in less than a year from now at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, but while endless speculation has filled the void until now, we've now got our first batch of spy shots showing - to some extent, anyway - what Ferrari is working on.

While the widened 458 test mule in these spy shots is wearing a hideously humorous hodgepodge of sheetmetal and body cladding evidently thrown together in a back room in Maranello (with the lights off), we're told this is not an actual prototype for the Enzo successor - sure to wear a different name, but referred to internally as project F70 - but rather a rolling test bed for components that will make up the finished product.

That is expected to include an uprated (and backwards-turned) version of Ferrari's new 6.2-liter V12 from the F12 Berlinetta, producing more power and augmented by a hybrid electric assist. Despite the added hybrid bigs, the F70 is still said to be light in weight, and it will be sent gunning for the Bugatti Veyron with a targeted 0-60 run in under 2.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 250 mph.

Ferrari Enzo successor had better look better than this test mule originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Honda CR-V prototype in crackup on PCH

Noah Joseph — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Crossover, Honda, Toyota

It's an unfortunate reality of automotive transportation, but accidents are all too common. This one, however, appears to be anything but.

While merging onto California's legendary Pacific Coast Highway, one motorist/blogger was hit by another car. What makes the incident a little more out-of-the-ordinary is the vehicle that hit the blogger: the motorist in question was struck by a test mule for the new 2012 Honda CR-V, still wearing prototype camouflage and everything.

Given that the impacted CUV - which subsequently collided with several more oncoming vehicles - was a Toyota Highlander, and that a Lexus RX (whose platform it incidentally shares) was also part of the pileup, a small part of us can't help wonder if the Toyota vs. Honda rivalry hadn't spilled over from the Japanese boardrooms and dealer lots onto the streets of California. Thankfully, everybody appears to be okay, if a bit shaken up. Follow the link to read and see more of the accident on NOTCOT.

2012 Honda CR-V prototype in crackup on PCH originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Under this Fiat Qubo is the new small Jeep

Zach Bowman — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Budget, SUV, Etc., Europe, Jeep, Diesel

Fiat Qubo test mule - Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks like Fiat and Jeep have been busy working on the American manufacturer's upcoming compact CUV. Our tactical squad of spy photographers managed to capture a few images of a Fiat Qubo test mule running around in upper latitudes of Sweden. Apparently the baby widebody tester is our first glimpse at the small Jeep CUV set to debut in 2013. The machine will use a host of bits and pieces sourced from the Fiat parts bin, including a range of Italian powerplants like the company's 1.4-liter Multiair gasoline engine. In addition, 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter diesel mills will also be available. Power gets shipped to the front wheels, though an all-wheel-drive option should also be available.

Aesthetically, odds are the production version won't share too many lines with the mule you see above. The Fiat/Jeep team is likely using the Qubo chassis to put the drivetrain through its paces. Jeep CEO Mike Manley has made it clear that the newest addition to his company's stable will feature the same round headlights and vertical grille as the rest of the line, and we'd expect similarly masculine bodywork as well.

Gallery: Fiat Qubo Mule

[Source: CarPix]

Under this Fiat Qubo is the new small Jeep originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Pagani C9 test mule heads for the hills

Noah Joseph — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe

Pagani C9 high-altitude testing spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

While Pagani continues to roll out special editions of the outgoing Zonda, we've been seeing just as many spy shots of its replacement undergoing development testing coming in. This latest batch, however, just might be the best look we've had at the new C9 yet.

Expected to launch sometime next year, the highly anticipated new Pagani supercar is expected to feature a 6.0-liter V12 custom built for the niche Italian automaker by Mercedes' AMG performance division, packing some 700 horsepower. This batch of spy shots was snapped while the test prototype - camouflaged with duct tape but wearing its own gull-winged sheetmetal - was undergoing high-altitude testing somewhere in Southern Europe. Have a closer look in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Pagani C9 high-altitude testing spy shots

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Pagani C9 test mule heads for the hills originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reader Spy: Is that you, Toyobaru?

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:27:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Subaru, Toyota

Toyota/Subaru Coupe test mule - Click above to enlarge

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the joint venture between Toyota and Subaru and the Japanese automakers' drive to create a new performance-oriented coupe. Toyota unveiled its FT-86 Concept, which previews what a production-ready model could look like, and we've seen a test mule of this car running around the Nürburgring, making it no secret that the companies are looking to make their respective coupes potent performers when they finally roll off of assembly lines.

Now, one of our readers has spied the Toyobaru testing on public roads. It doesn't look like much has changed from the earlier mules that were spotted, probably due, in part, to Toyota having much larger fish to fry at the moment. However, it's good to see that plans for this coupe are still on track, and just because the outside cladding hasn't been adjusted doesn't mean that there aren't hot new tweaks under the hood. If we had to guess, judging by the more upright greenhouse and the wheels, this is probably the Subie variant. All we know is, we can't wait to drive one. Hat tip to Alejandro!

Reader Spy: Is that you, Toyobaru? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Alfa Romeo Milano stopped by police by the Nurburgring

Noah Joseph — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Alfa Romeo

If you're looking at spy shots of a European hatchback and wondering, "Why should I care?", we'll tell you why. This car is, in all likelihood, coming to America. The test mule was snapped while stopped by local police, which isn't something you see every day. Oh, and it was near the Nurburgring, to boot.

The car in question is the Alfa Romeo Milano, one of a handful of new models being developed by the Italian automaker with the North American market in mind. While the MiTo effectively replaced the three-door version of the aging Alfa 147, the Milano replaces the five-door variant. Styling is fully expected to follow the example set by the MiTo and 8C Competizione, and sources suggest that the Milano could be ready for public debut at the upcoming Geneva show in March, so stay tuned.

We couldn't tell you definitively why the German police pulled the test driver over, but considering that Italian cars tend to encourage a heavy right foot and the car's proximity to the 'Ring, we can hazard a guess or two.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shots: Alfa Romeo Milano stopped by police by the Nurburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Are you the future unibody Ford Explorer?

Chris Shunk — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Ford

Ford Explorer spy photos - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford seems to really like crossover vehicles. The Blue Oval lineup already sports the Escape, Edge and Flex, and within a year or so a unibody version of the Explorer will join the car-based utility party. And now we have more spy photos of what appears to be a next-generation Explorer mule disguised as a Taurus X Flex science experiment - most notable common features being an unexplained missing bar in the grille and an ill-fitting tailgate.

Gmfan1111 over at FoMoCoNews s forums says he spotted the mule outside of Ford's proving grounds, and he snapped three pics before losing the cobbled-together tester due to bad weather. Like the previous photos we've seen, the mule has a Flex-derived front end and from the A-pillar back it looks like a Taurus X. The new mule photos show yet another missing bar on the Flex front grille. We have no idea why the bar is missing, but one of the commenters on the FoMoCo forums guessed that the missing bar could be for feeding more air into an EcoBoost engine. Works for us.

The Ford Explorer America concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2008 looked wide and very SUV-like, and the large gaps on either side of the Taurus X tailgate shows that the new Explorer will likely be quite a bit wider. Click on the gallery below to get a closer look at these latest spy photos. Hat tip to Colby!

Gallery: Ford Explorer Mule

[Source: FordMotorCompanyNews]

Spy Shots: Are you the future unibody Ford Explorer? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting on Track: Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX

Noah Joseph — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Ferrari

Ferrari 599XX - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Road cars have laws to contend with, and racing cars have regulations to uphold. But for track cars, the sky is the limit. Unfortunately for track enthusiasts, purpose-built track cars built from the ground up with a blank sheet of paper and a limitless sky are few and far between. One example comes from Ferrari with its XX-rated development program that creates a series of cars that bridge the gap between road and track. First up was the FXX, an Enzo with some extra kit. That was followed by the even more extreme FXX Evoluzione. But at the Geneva show last month, Ferrari took the wraps off the 599XX, a rolling laboratory based on the 599 GTB Fiorano only unbound by the rules of governing bodies. And while the 599XX's debut was accompanied by only limited details and even fewer photos, Maranello's finally released more of each to salivate over.

Over the course of its ongoing development - that is, after all, the point of the XX programs - the 599XX will receive all manner of new features and technologies. There's even word it may serve as a test bed for the adaptation of Formula One's KERS regenerative braking system for future road cars. But in the meantime, Ferrari's engineers have started with a host of aerodynamic and engine modifications. Added aerodynamic elements abound, some more visible than others. Little black winglets protrude from the C-pillars (which themselves were already aerodynamically optimized on the road car), and the wheels integrate F1-style "donuts" to channel the air for optimized cooling and clean airflow. Underneath the bodywork, a new Actiflow system employs a porous diffuser and two fans in the trunk to channel the airflow for increased downforce at cornering speeds or reduced drag at higher speeds. All that and more adds up to 617 pounds of downforce at 124 mph or 1,389 pounds at 186 mph. Reduced mass inertia in the engine compartment helps the V12 produce 700 horsepower at the XX's stratospheric 9,000 RPM redline, the shift program has reduced gear changes to just 60 milliseconds, and the carbon ceramic brake pads are gripped by experimental carbon-fiber calipers to keep it all under control. All that new tech helps the 599XX lap Ferrari's own Fiorano test track in 1 minute, 17 seconds... faster than any road car the company has ever produced, a tick under the FXX's lap time, and faster than some of the company's modern race machinery. Follow the jump to read more details in the press release, and check out the studio shots in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrari 599XX

Continue reading Getting on Track: Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX

Getting on Track: Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: the next Jaguar XJ

Noah Joseph — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Jaguar

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]

Spy Shots: the next Jaguar XJ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Audi A5 snapped testing in California

John Neff — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:27:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Audi

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}

Spy Shots: Audi A5 snapped testing in California originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bentley Building an SUV?

John Neff — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Bentley

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]

Bentley Building an SUV? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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