Photo of the Sunday

Aston Martin Rapide S

Longer E-class for China market

Extended-wheelbase E-Class aimed specifically at wealthy Chinese buyers who like to be driven around town.
Automotive status symbols vary in different markets. In China, it all comes down to being chauffeured around in a long-wheelbase luxury sedan. That’s why Jaguar is reportedly looking at a more spacious XJ for China, why Porsche has revealed a new stretched Panamera, and why Mercedes-Benz came to Shanghai this year with a long-wheelbase version of its popular E-Class sedan. The extension of 14 cm (about 5.5" for those unschooled in the metric system) translates directly to that much extra legroom in the back of the luxury saloon.

Rear-seat passengers will also be able to move the front passenger seat forward by electric control to make for even more space on the right side. Outside, the elongated form is further emphasized by a specific character line that runs down the flank.The E-Class L will be built in China for the Chinese market, where it will be offered with the classic or sports grilles, a host of interior options and three engines: a 204-horsepower direct-injection four (E 260 L), a 245hp six (E 300 L) and a 333hp six (E 400 L).

BMW 1-series sedan

BMW could make rival to the recently launched Audi A3 Saloon
BMW is considering a 1 Series Saloon, following the launch of the rival Audi A3 Saloon at the Shanghai Motor Show.
If such a model does make production, it will enter BMW into the world’s biggest single segment, worth 5.5 million sales a year in China alone.

“BMW is never shy of new segments,” BMW sales and marketing boss, Ian Robertson told us. “There are no plans to do it at the moment, but do we want to do it? We’ll see…”

Building a 1 Series saloon is just one option open to BMW, a saloon version of the MINI is another. “Making a MINI like this certainly wouldn’t be the norm, but then part of MINI’s appeal is not to be normal,” Robertson said.

Photo of the week:

Bentley four-door coupe planned

Bentley rival for the Mercedes CLS and BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe considered
Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber has confirmed that a four-door coupe based on the Continental GT is under consideration. If it makes production, the new model will be an upmarket rival to the Mercedes CLS and BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.

"I definitely wouldn't say no to the idea," Schreiber told us. "With the new Flying Spur we have a model that supports the Mulsanne, and a coupe with four-doors could sit below that."

G550 for Japanese market

The Night Edition G-Class has been rolled out exclusively for the Japanese market.
There is no shortage of special edition models for the Japanese market, and Mercedes is one of the principal purveyors of exclusive cars for the Land of the Rising Sun. The German automaker’s latest offering comes in the form of a Mercedes G550, dubbed the Night Edition.The special edition off-roader, wearing an Obsidian Black paint job, features special AMG fenders painted in titanium grey, 18-inch five twin-spoke alloys and a host of interior options.

These include leather door panels and seats in a choice of classic red or porcelain white designo, a piano lacquer-wood trim, a dashboard wrapped in Kana jet black leather, an Alcantara roof liner and new floor mats.Mercedes plans to build just 100 units of the special edition G-Class, which will be showcased on 22 April at Mercedes-Benz Connection in Roppongi, Tokyo, before going on sale for 13,900,000 Yen (approx. $141,000).

Next Bugatti? Concept by student

Pawel Czyzewski is the designer behind this gorgeous vision of a future Bugatti. The Polish student's Gangloff concept is inspired by the 1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante Coupe, along with some styling cues taken from the Veyron.In designing the Gangloff, Czyzewski claims he wants to revive the golden era of handbuilt creations. "In times of commercial trash and plastic it is hard to see something that has a soul and is able to squeeze out a positive mark on the heart." Well put good sir, very well put.

Ferrari F12 by Mansory

Dubbed the Stallone, Mansory's aftermarket program for the supercar includes a redesigned hood and carbon-fiber aero kit, complete with a new bumper, front-lip and trunk-lid spoilers, side skirts, vents, rear diffuser and new set of alloys also staggered 21/22 inches front/rear. Mansory then went to work on the cabin, swathing it in red and black leather with a swerve stitching pattern and carbon-fiber surfaces, before adding a new flat-bottom steering wheel, aluminum pedals and illuminated door sills. The German tuner also modified the F12’s 6.3-liter V12 via a reworked ECU and new exhaust. Together these new elements increase output to 764 hp and 535 lb-ft of torque.

Lamborghini preparing the new Aventador SV

Subtle enhancements on an Aventador spied at the Nurburgring hint that Lamborghini is preparing a new SuperVeloce variant.

It takes a keen eye to pinpoint the subtle modifications Lamborghini has made to this Aventador caught testing at the Ring. And all the evidence suggests that a more potent variant of the Italian carmaker’s flagship is on the way.The tell-tale signs include center-lock wheels, incredibly low-profile, high-performance rubber and differently-positioned front brake calipers. There are also two additional aerodynamic aids, one at the front that makes for an even lower air splitter, and a Gurney flap affixed to the top edge of the rear spoiler.

As with the Miura, Diablo and Murcielago SV models, the SuperVeloce badge denotes the highest-spec version of the breed, and as such the more aerodynamically-efficient Aventador SV will likely also come with a revised chassis and more potent powerplant.This week, Lamborghini revealed an Aventador LP720-4 50th Anniversary edition boasting an additional 20 horsepower over the stock 700hp supercar. With the Veneno putting down 750 horses, we’d imagine the Aventador SV will pack a 6.5-liter V12 generating output somewhere in the region of 730-740 hp.
Eight years separated the Murcielago and its track-ready SV variant, so it’s unclear why Lamborghini is in such a hurry to introduce the Aventador SV. But sources suggest it could debut as soon as the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. Don't get us wrong, we’re not complaining - we're looking forward to seeing and hearing it in action.

Monaco Haute presents McLaren MP4-12C

2014 BMW M4 spy photos while testing

We have already brought you tons of spy shots for the upcoming BMW 4 Series Coupe, but today we bring you a new variant of the upcoming 4er. The prototype caught testing today happened to don the M-Sport Package that transforms a BMW into an even more attractive car. This latest prototype was caught testing around Nürburgring and luckily for us, our spy photographers were once again at the right place in the right time. While everyone has a pretty good idea on how the standard 4 Series Coupe will end up looking, thanks to the concept version we have saw earlier this year, the M-Sport package will offer an even sportier look.

As you can see the prototype caught testing here - a 435i version - is wearing a very nice Estoril Blue II exterior paint and it is only wearing camouflage on the new parts that the M-Sport package adds to it.

Lamborghini Veneno spotted in Monza Italy.

Latest Lamborghini Veneno spotted in Monza/ Italy, while being loaded onto a truck, and ready for shipping. Check photos below:

Lamborghini Veneno, first engine start sounds.

When it comes to looks, the new Lamborghini Veneno is definitely not in our list of favorite cars, but that nasty growl its engine makes surely tops the list. YouTube user NM2255 had the chance to catch one of only three Veneno units while it was being carefully loaded onto a truck. You can imagine how lucky he was, as there is pretty much no chance of seeing this $4 million supercar in the real world.

He managed to shoot both the exterior and the interior of the supercar, and the driver was kind enough to rev the V-12 engine for him. The engine delivers a total of 750 horsepower and sprints the Veneno from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 221 mph.

If you ask us, the Veneno should have been the perfect Lamborghini, that of course if the company hadn’t lost their freaking minds in the design studio.

BMW i8 spy photos for FIRST TIME !!!

We know that all of you are bored of all these BMW i8 spy shots and want to see the production version, but today we bring you another set of images. These ones certainly carry some importance, as they reveal the BMW i8 testing at the Nürburgring race track for the very first time.

As usual, the prototype caught testing is heavily camouflaged and reveals pretty much nothing, but most of you already know how and what the new i8 will bring to the market.

For those of you who still need a refresher, we remind you that the production version of the i8 has been previewed in many times, starting with the Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and up to the i8 Concept Spyder unveiled back in 2012.

The production version of the i8 will combine a three-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor for a total output of about 400 horsepower. Rumors suggest the supercar will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante caught testing at Nurburgring

It looks like Aston Martin is done testing the upcoming Vanquish Volante in cold-weather conditions and has decided to take it to the Nürburgring to see how it handles on the famed raceway. Our spy photographers were there again and managed to take some pretty cool shots of the upcoming roadster.

As you can see, unlike the previous prototypes, which were almost completely naked, this time Aston Martin fully dressed the Vanquish Volante, but even so it is pretty easy to spot the integrated spoiler at the back and a general look that is similar to the coupe version, except of course the fabric roof.

Both models — coupe and volante — will share the same 6.0-liter V-12 engine that delivers a total of 565 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and a peak torque of 457 pound-feet at 5,500 rpm. The power is delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission.

The new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is expected to be unveiled sometime later in the year.

2014 Audi A4 pictures

Exclusive pictures and details on the new Audi A4 saloon, due for release in 2014

The new Audi A4 saloon will go on sale in 2014, and as well as getting a radical new look – shown in our exclusive images – the new car will be much lighter and more efficient than at present, and finally take the fight to the BMW 3 Series as a genuine driver’s car.

Our images reveal a potent V6-powered S4, but all models will benefit from a bold new design, which marks a significant change for the A4 and A5 families.

Bookmark this page because we'll be updating it regularly with the latest Audi A4 news and rumours.

Alexander Pesch, head of technical project management for Audi, told us: “The next A4 will move the game on. The jump from today’s car in terms of design and efficiency will be really big.”

BMW 2-Series spy photos

After spying the 2 Series coupe and cabrio from the outside, it’s time to take a look at what BMW has in store for the interior. As expected, the upcoming 2 Series has borrowed plenty of features from the latest 3 Series, including a three-spoke steering wheel, black panel displays for the speedometer, rev counter and fuel and oil temp gauges, as well as suede-like accents and blue stitching on the seats. It also appears that BMW will offer the 2 Series with an iDrive monitor, while a 260 km/h speedo indicates top speed could be in the region of 160 mph, depending on spec.

Mercedes GLA45 spy photos

The latest baby AMG crossover has been caught testing at the Nurburgring.
AMG’s third high-performance small car has been spied undergoing testing at the Nurburgring. While the high-performance version of Mercedes’ upcoming baby SUV isn’t due out for another year or so, the GLA is rumored to be making an appearance in concept form at next week’s Shanghai Auto Show before its formal reveal at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.Powering the GLA45 AMG is the Affalterbach tuner’s 2.0-liter turbo four that first debuted in the A45 AMG and later in the CLA45 AMG.