Spy Photos: 2010 Nissan 370Z Caught Before LA Auto Show Debut

Nissan was recently spied testing the upcoming 370Z prototype near the Nürburgring in Germany. The redesigned next-gen Z car will debut at Los Angeles auto show and is set to replace the outgoing 350Z by 2009-2010. With the Nissan Maxima like boomerang shaped headlights and rearlights, the new 370Z gets a 3.7-liter V-6 engine. To spice up the already hot coupe, Nissan is rumored to have used the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox from GT-R’s kitty.

See 09 Nissan 370Z Spy Pictures below.

From what we see, the new car looks shorter and wider than the current 350Z and has a more aggressive front-end treatment plus flared wheel-arches. The current 350Z is criticised for its dull interiors and not so good quality material used in cabin. So Nissan is expected to make some major improvements on this front in the next version of its iconic sports car.

Thanks Ronald for sending us these spy shots of Nissan 370Z.

Source: Ronald
Read More On: Nissan 370Z

Photo Gallery: Spy Pictures of upcoming Nissan 370Z.

Spy Photo: Aston Martin Vantage V12 Prototype Spotted

The engineers of iconic British automaker Aston Martin were recently spied testing the upcoming limited edition V12 powered Vantage prototype. The proof of this is the spy photo you see here. From the looks of the car it appears to be your regular 380-hp Aston Vantage V8 but look carefully and you will notice the four strips of louvers on the hood. Does it look familiar?

Definately yes as this louvered engine cover is taken straight from 600-hp V-12 powered Vantage RS Concept shown last December and is a necessity for cooling such a high spec engine which in production form is expected to delivering about 550 horsepower.

According to the spy photographer, the test mule has a new redesigned carbon fibre rear diffuser as seen on the concept model. The integrated rear spoiler is now smaller in comparison to the show car and it also gets the newly styled side rockers. Further the prototype was seen wearing big carbon-ceramic disc brakes which have been borrowed from current Aston DBS.

With a power-to-weight ratio of over 375bhp per ton, the V12 Vantage RS concept is the fastest accelerating road car ever built by the company, capable of reaching 62mph (100km/h) from rest in 4.0 seconds and 100mph (160km/h) in just 8.5 seconds. So it won't be wrong to expect similar performance from the upcoming production version of Aston Martin's V12 Vantage but you won't get it cheap as it is expected to cost double the price of Vantage V8.

Source: NextAutos
Read More On: Aston Martin



Photo Gallery: 2009 Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS Concept High-Res Pictures.

Spy Photo: 2009 Honda/Acura TL Spied Again

Honda's high volume sedan, the Acura TL has again been spied on. This time its the guys from Automotive Traveler who caught TL prototype undergoing hot weather testing at California's Mojave Desert. The photos are much clearer than before and the TL prototype wears less of camo over its bright red colored body.

The Honda/Acura TL spy photo that you see here reveal what has been expected for long now, that is just like Acura's 2009 RL and TSX, the 4th generation TL will also get the triangular wide-tooth front grill. This angular theme is further carried to the rear of the vehicle giving the trunk-lid a cut inverted triangle shape (see photos). Such a bold and aggressive treatment to a high-selling model can be quite a risk.

It's still not known what is under the hood of the upcoming Acura TL but it won't be wrong to hope for the 3.7-liter V6 from the MDX CUV mated to a six speed, manumatic DSG gearbox. Further the 09 model TL is expected to switch from front-wheel drive to the Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) like the one used in Acura RL and RDX. But its quite possible that new TL range will consist of two models, one featuring FWD and the top model TL Type-S getting SH-AWD. And given Honda's emphasis on good fuel economy along with low emissions, TL engine should employ the company's cylinder-deactivation feature that has successfully worked in the new Accord V6.

We'll end our list of possiblities here and will leave you with the spy photo of Acura TL undergoing some tough desert condition testing below.

Source: Automotive Traveler
Read More On: Honda/Acura TL

Related Posts:
Update On New 2009 Acura TL.
2009 Acura TL Gets AWD : Buzz & Spy Photos.

2011 Honda/Acura NSX Prototype Fast Catching On Nissan GT-R

It is being reported that the 2011 Honda NSX (called Acura NSX in US) prototype that we showed you earlier (click here) is said to be scorching the Ring at an unofficial lap time of 7 minutes and 37 seconds. Now since this supercar is being touted as Honda's answer to Nissan GT-R and upcoming Lexus LF-A, there is a high possibility that these numbers might be true.

Although beating the 2009 Nissan GT-R's officially time of 7:29 is a tall order, you need to keep in mind that even the GT-R prototype clocked lap times similar to the NSX prototype. But still Honda need to keep in mind that the development of the Nissan GT-R V-Spec is already underway and it is expected to set a much faster ring time.

According to CarTribe the Honda's new Acura NSX will be powered by front-mid mounted i-VTEC V10 which will scream to 9,000rpm while making around 550bhp. Upcoming NSX seems to have an more powerful powerplant than GT-R but it is still two years away from production. With rivals like Nissan fast working on even more powerful versions of their supercars, 2011 Acura NSX will need some kind of rocket boosters to compete against Lexus LF-A, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo.

Source: CarTribe
Read More On: Honda NSX

Related Posts:
Honda's 2011 Acura NSX Sportscar Spied In Germany.

Spy: 2010 Saab 9-4X Interior Photo Clicked

This is the first ever spy photo of the 2010 Saab 9-4X crossover SUV's interior. It which will go on sale next year after being unveiled at the 2009 Detroit motor show in January. According to LeftLane, the new Saab 9-4X (codenamed GMT168) is based on the same global GM architecture as the upcoming 2010 Cadillac BRX and the production version will be powered by a range of gasoline, as well as a new 250-horsepower diesel powerplant mated to Saab’s XWD all-wheel-drive system.

On comparing the interior photo of 9-4x with the concept, you won't find much difference between the two except for some cosmetic variations. As seen in the earlier exterior spy photos (click to view), even the outside of next generation Saab 9-4X looks very similar to the 9-4X BioPower concept. It retains the distinctive angular door frames, aggressive looking Saab grille and its bold looks are enhanced by big wheels and arches.

The Saab's new crossover SUV will be built in at the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico and unlike the larger 9-7X sport-utility vehicle, this will be sold globally. On launch, the 9-4X is expected to compete against the trio of BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Acura RDX.

Checkout the Saab 9-4X's new interior spy photo and some high-res pictures of the concept model below. To see the earlier exterior spy images of Sabb 9-4X click here.

Source: LeftLane
Read More On: Saab

Next Generation 2010 Mazda3 Sedan Spy Photos & More

The current version of Mazda3 has been in service for past five years. So as expected, Mazda is busy preparing the second generation Mazda3 which will be launched in spring of 2009 as a 2010 model. The spy photos you see here are of the new Mazda3 prototype being tested. Heavy camoflage hides much of the model, however the overall body profile is quite visible and appears to have a more aggressive stance.

The car, when it’s revealed in a few months, hopefully at 2008 Paris Auto Show will share design cues from its sporty big brother, the Mazda6. This saloon shows off a sportier outline, and under the camouflage, there appears to be projector headlamps, new aggressive tail-lights and dual exhaust pipes.

The new Mazda3 sedan just like the hatchback will sit on the next-generation Ford Focus C1 platform and will be longer and wider than the current car. Under the bonnet of the new Mazda3 expect a revised version of the successful 2.0-litre engine, bringing improvements to power and, crucially, slight reductions in fuel consumption. The sportier version of the Mazda3 is likely to adopt the 2.5-litre engine from the latest Mazda6. These will be mated to a new six-speed transmission system as opposed to the five-speed found in the current generation.

Source: Drive
Read More On: Mazda

Honda's 2011 Acura NSX Sportscar Spied In Germany

The new spy photos of upcoming 2010-2011 Acura NSX shot at Nürburgring in Germany finally confirms that Honda has begun testing pre-production prototypes of original NSX replacement. Looking at the spy picture of NSX, you can make out that many aspects of the controversial Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept have been incorporated in this prototype design, while some of the more revolutionary but not so practical style elements have been shown the door.

It good news that Honda has atlast managed to arrive at a definate design direction that it would like to take shape in next generation Acura NSX. We all got to see what was being planned for NSX when the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept was shown at 2007 Detroit Auto Show. But due to largely negative response to the concepts styling, Honda was forced to abandon its original plans which delayed the NSX project.

Despite the drawbacks, engineers were able to continue testing the new mechanicals for the car by using test mules made with body panels from the S2000. The original Acura NSX sportscar had a mid-engine layout but when new NSX finally makes its debut in 2010 as a 2011 model it will be powered by a front-mounted, V10 engine. It is expected to come equipped with a new high-performance version of Acura’s ‘Super Handling All-Wheel Drive’ (SH-AWD) system.

There has been some discussion of a possible four-wheel steering system (4WS) for the upcoming NSX, but according to Honda the SH-AWD system would achieve most of the benefits of 4WS without the added complexity.

Source: MotoAuthorty
Read More On: Honda NSX

Are These Toyota-Subaru RWD Coupe Spy Photos ?

There have been plenty of rumors and assumptions about what, how, when we gonna see the Toyota-Subaru RWD coupe. Every new day comes a new take. It will be cheap, it won’t be cheap, there will be a turbo AWD version there won’t be, it will debut in 2010, maybe 2011 - you get the picture. Now to add fuel to fire are these spy photos that are said to be of upcoming Toyota Subaru baby taken outside a test center in the UK.

These mystery spy photos could very well be the car in question but we’ll let you be the judge of that. What we think we know, is that the new coupe will be based on a modified Subaru Impreza platform with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Subaru boxer four-cylinder providing power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Since the upcoming mule aims to be a common-mans sportscar, so we do expect a price figure south of $20,000.

Source: camaro5
Related Posts:
1) 2011 Toyota/Subaru RWD Sports Car Confirmed
2) Update On 2011 Toyota-Subaru RWD Sport Coupe

Photos: Toyota-Subaru RWD Coupe Spy Pictures.

New Facelifted 2009 BMW 3-Series Fully Revealed...Almost

After seeing loads of BMW 3-Series heavily camouflaged spy photos till now, we finally get to see the true picture behind the covers. Thanks to our reader Samuel, who was kind enough to share these shots with us, everyone gets to taste what the BMW has cooked for its new facelifted version of 3-series.

For starters, car's front facia has been modified with a redesigned bumper that seems to put the foglamps just next to the license plate. Now that would be interesting. Further, some minor updates have been given to the bonnet and the side mirrors which now looks to have the indicators (if not stickers) on them. The refreshments for the rear include new taillamp piece and nothing else. The interiors will also get some minor touch-ups.

When the new facelifted 2009 BMW 3-Series makes its debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, you can expected to see it accompanied by some emission-optimised powerplants. Its high time everyone gets environment friendly, atleast those who can afford to.

Read More On: BMW 3-Series

Photos: New 2009 Model BMW 3-Series Spy Pictures