2012 Peugeot 309 leaked

Above you see one of the first images, likely to come from a French car magazine, of the upcoming Peugeot 309 - which will be the successor to the current 308.

Of course, being so early, we shouldn’t expect the final product to look like this, as the design development is still being overseen by Peugeot design chief Gilles Vidal.

What stands out on this 309 is the new face with its sleeker cat eye headlights and the tighter-looking mouth of the front grill.

The bonnet features deep grooves and the side doors too have some soft indentations to give the 309 a fleshier look.

The new 309 won’t be in dealer showrooms before 2013.

[Source: autoexpress ]

A French blog dedicated to Italian cars, Unica-Strada.com, has obtained a photo that may show the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione GTA.  If released, the rumored car could be sold as a limited edition version of the already very exlusive sports car, with stepped-up performance and aerodynamic modifications.

The 8C GTA is expected to get a 4.7-liter V8 engine that delivers 500 hp.  Furthermore, the car could see a 150 kgweight reduction, as well as a new exhaust system.  These changes could let the 8C GTA sprint from 0 to 60mph in under four seconds, and clear a top speed near 200 mph (322 km/h).

The 8C GTA is expected to be limited to just 100 units, all priced from €232,500.

[Source: unica-strada.com]

Rumours about Porsche working on a baby Cayenne are still floating around. Here are some new artist’s impressions of the Porsche Roxster. Not bad if you ask us!

[Source: Autoblog.it]

With the Volkswagen R32 only boasting 250 horsepower, it seems the company’s hot hatch is starting to cool off in light of newer offering by competitors but VW will soon rectify the situation by bringing the Golf R20 to the United States.

Unlike today’s R32, the new R20 will feature Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with direct injection which will be tuned to produce 270 horsepower. This should enable the R20 to post a 0-60 mph time in the low to mid five second range and reach an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

The exterior will carry over many of the new GTI’s styling traits but should also include more aggressive front and rear ends and a center mounted dual exhaust. Initially the R20 will be offered only in three-door hatchback form but a five-door model could eventually be offered down the road.

Volkswagen will officially debut the new Golf R20 on May 21 at the ADAC 24-hour race at Germany’s Nürburgring racing circuit and European sales will start later this year.

[Source: CarandDriver]

- click picture for the 2010 Jaguar XFR high-res gallery -

Thanks to 4WheelsNews breaking the embargo, we can already show you the first official images of the 2010 Jaguar XFR ahead of the Detroit Auto Show. The XFR will get a new version of Jaguar’s AJV8 engine, a 5.0 liter supercharged powerhouse that produces 510 bhp. Actually, that’s good for an amazing 0-60 mph run in just 4.7 seconds and top speed limited to 155 mph. The XFR is also fitted with new 20-inch Nevis alloy wheels and larger brakes with calipers displaying the “R” logo.

A new front end with a new bumper design incorporating large, chrome trimmed air inlets, hood vents, new fenders, side sills, a decklid spoiler, and new rear bumper should all help to bring forth the sporting intentions of the British top cat.

Inside you’ll find a new dark aluminum trim, sports seats bearing the “R” logo and a sport steering wheel. 
Stay tuned for more information!

Gallery: 2010 Jaguar XFR  

[Source: 4WheelsNews]

- click picture for more 2009 Honda Insight brochure photos -

Despite Honda’s attempts to keep information secret until the car’s world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show later this month, a set of scans from the official Japanese market model (JDM) brochure have been leaked out. While Honda has officially released a 3/4 front shot of the production version in December, the brochure pictures show all angles including the more conservatively styled rear-end (compared to the concept).

The brochure also reveals images of the Japanese-market Insight Modulo, a sportier version of the hybrid featuring a body kit, auxiliary lighting and larger alloys. According to the scans, the Insight will be available in three trim levels in Japan,  G, L and LS.
The brochure was first uploaded on the Honda enthusiast site ‘Temple of Vtec’.

We’ll have more (verified) information once the car comes to Detroit. One thing we do know is that the Insight will go on sale worldwide in the spring of 2009 with U.S. prices said to start from around $18,000 to $19,000.

Gallery: Brochure scans of 2009 Honda Insight Hybrid

[Source: Carscoop]

- click picture for the Mercedes E-class press photos -

 While Mercedes had originally intended for the 2010 Mercedes E-class photos to be released in January 2009, an insider has leaked the official press photos on to the internet a couple of weeks early. 

Since 1995 the E-class can be recognised by its 4 round front lights. This new model also has 4 lights, though they are slightly more squared.  The E-class appears to have taken some design features from the smaller C-class, in particular the sharper lines across the doors. The day-time LED lights are new for Mercedes, as are the blind spot and lane departure warning technologies.  

Engines are available in four, six, or eight cylinders - both diesels and petrol versions. There is also a greener version available with the 350 BlueTec diesel, with a the other end of the spectrum the AMG powerhouse generating 600 bhp.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-class shall be officially revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

Gallery: 2010 Mercedes E-class

[Source: worldcarfans]

According to CarDomain Blog, the Japanese tuner Zele is working on a Gran Turismo Infinit G37 Coupe Concept.  In Japan the car is known as the Nissan Skyline Coupe, and is based on the car as seen in the most recent Gran Turismo video game.
Please note that the picture is not a photo from the tuner but a press shot from the Gran Turismo 5 game.

[Source: CarDomain via Carscoop]

It’s taken a while, but the mistery around the new 2009 BMW Z4 is all gone now. The first uncovered photo has been leaked onto the web. Looking at the picture, the car apparently was photographed in a BMW showroom somewhere before its official unveiling, on December 15th.
While the new alloys are very nice, the sharp lines and curvy hood are a bit too much for our liking and the new headlights don’t look all that great either. But we’ll wait for the official photos, they could very well change our minds completely…

[Source: Zpost]

RENNtech, the rivals of BRABUS, have created a Mercedes SL 65 AMG with WARP Speed Option. Last week BRABUS unveiled a tuned version of the Tesla roadster which featured a “space sound generator” that can creating the sound of a V8, or simulate the Warp and Beam sounds. Now RENNtech is on the counter-attack with a photo of what can only be described as a very tacky Mercedes SL 65 AMG that they claim can hit WARP speed.

An anonymous insider close to RENNtech said: “We were very surprised to see that there was another tuner working on a warp option - and they have set the bar very high for other tuners looking to compete with a warp product.  The message is clear:  anyone who wants to tune cars in the 21st century will need more LEDs.”

[Source: Jalopnik]