Spy Shots

Since going on sale two years ago, McLaren’s 12C supercar has received a power hike, spawned a convertible and gone racing, but the introduction of changes and new variants shows no sign of abating. A prototype 12C Spider has been spotted carving up the Nurburgring and is believed to  preview a facelifted version of the car due out towards the end of the year as a 2014 model.This time around the tweaks are expected to be mainly cosmetic, which we have no qualms about considering the 12C can already hit 100kmh in 3.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 329kmh. That means peak output from the car’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 should remain pegged at 460kW of power and 600Nm of torque.Instead of power gains this time, look for tweaks to the bumper designs, new headlights, new wheel patterns and some additional trim options for the interior. Some items borrowed from the P1, like the race-style digital gauge cluster, are also likely. A reveal of the facelifted 2014 McLaren 12C range could happen as early as September’s 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. While you wait for the reveal, read our driving impressions of the current car.www.motorauthority.com 

Land Rover’s Discovery is set to receive a raft of updates that will bring the go-just-about-anywhere SUV into line with the latest additions from the British automaker. This means efficiency gains across the range, LED-enhanced headlights and a much more luxurious interior.What we can see from these spy shots is that the updated Discovery, which is expected to arrive on the market around the end of the year as a 2014 model, will feature new lights, new side mirrors and tweaked bumpers.The Discovery is getting supercharged V6 power for the 2014 model year. The engine will replace the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 in some markets, but still aim to offer superior performance, while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.For the updated model, expect this unit to be joined by Land Rover’s new supercharged 3.0-litre V-6. The supercharged V-6 has already been announced for the latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models where it delivers 254 kilowatts and 450 Newton metres of torque.The Discovery will stick with the eight-speed automatic, and won't get the nine-speed automatic gearbox that’ll become standard-fit in the Range Rover Evoque. For the interior, look for a revised dashboard, a new steering wheel and soft-touch materials all around. Stay tuned for updates as development of the 2014 Land Rover Discovery progresses.www.motorauthority.com 

It may look like a Lotus Elise that’s just returned from the worst body shop in town but what you’re actually looking at is an early test mule for a new sports car platform being developed by French automaker Renault and British track car specialist Caterham.The two companies announced last November that they would launch respective sports cars based on a shared platform, with Renault selling its version under the revived Alpine performance brand and Caterham selling its version as part of an expanded road car program.The two cars will look considerably different to one another, despite them sharing much of their internals. The Renault version should adopt elements from the automaker's Alpine A110-50 concept car from 2012.The Caterham is expected to be the more performance oriented of the two, while the Renault will be more comfortable and luxurious. The spy shots show that the cars will be similar in size to the Lotus Elise but with a much wider track.Caterham is primarily responsible for the development of the chassis and testing while Renault is thought to be supplying the engines and other internal hardware. Renault will also be responsible for production of the two cars, which will take place at the former Alpine plant in Dieppe, France.The cars will be strict two-seaters and come with four-cylinder power, most likely with some form of forced induction employed (turbocharged 1.6-litre units have been suggested). The engines will be mounted in a mid-engine position and drive sent to the rear wheels only. Peak output should lie close to 201 kilowatts, enabling the cars to accelerate from 0-100km/h in around 5.0 seconds.Key targets, both in terms of performance and pricing, are the Porsche Cayman and Alfa Romeo 4C. A 2016 reveal has been confirmed, though concepts of both cars are expected before then.www.motorauthority.com 

Lexus' LF-CC Coupe Concept, shown at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, was a brilliant exercise in design and proportion--but it was clearly concept-only, despite hints that it might presage a production model. This appears to be that production model, the 2015 Lexus RC F. The latest images show the car testing on the Nordschleife. Earlier shots showed the car in testing on city streets.Why RC F? Because Lexus recently trademarked the name, as an expansion of the also-trademarked RC name. Given Lexus' penchant for somewhat sensible names, the C likely indicates a coupe. In fact, we expect the RC to be the coupe version of the IS sedan. The LF-CC was taken as a preview of the IS, in coupe form, at the time of its unveiling, as well. From the design elements seen in these spy shots, we can see the proportions of the LF-CC have held through to the current development vehicle quite clearly. The RC F's dimensions are tipped to be 4700mm long and 1845mm wide, with it riding on a 2730mm wheelbase. Details such as the extremely narrow headlights, blade-like side scoop, and involuted rear diffuser found on the LF-CC concept have been replaced by simpler, more production-oriented designs.Other differences include larger tail lights, stacked exhaust outlets (like on the current IS F) and what appears to be a functional centre hood vent on the car spied in testing. Inside the cockpit of the RC F, there is a dashboard and centre stack very similar to that found in the 2014 IS sedan.So what will power the RC F? Some reports are suggesting it will carry over the high-output 5.0-litre V8 engine found in the outgoing IS F sedan, which delivers 311kW of power and 505Nm of torque -- though even more is possible.Lexus IS chief engineer Junichi Furuyama hinted last week that the 5.0-litre V8 could be dropped because of its difficulty meeting Euro 6 emission standards, and be replaced by a completely new engine for the F model. We'll update you with more details and information as the car progresses through its development cycle, which should come to completion in time for a full unveiling sometime in 2014 as a 2015 model.www.motorauthority.com 

With nimble handling, quick acceleration, and sharp new looks, even the base 991 Porsche 911 is a sports car aficionado's joy. We fully expect the 2014 911 Turbo S to border on mind-blowing.The coupe version of the 2014 911 Turbo S was recently revealed alongside its standard (non-S) Turbo counterpart. The cabrio version of the next 911 Turbo Cabriolet has also been seen, through our spy shots. We expect the cabrios to launch later this year or early in 2014.Fortunately, the exterior is completely undisguised, so we don't have to infer what it will look like; this is it. The larger, lower front spoiler is the primary tip-off that this unbadged car is the Turbo S soft-top.So what can we expect of the 2014 911 Turbo S Cabriolet mechanically? It should share an engine with the Turbo S coupe, meaning a 3.8-litre flat-six engine good for about 405kW of power thanks to direct injection and twin-turbocharging.With the Sport Chrono package, the Turbo S coupe can accelerate to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds and hit 319km/h top speed; the cabriolet should come very close to these marks, though the additional weight and drag of the soft top may result in small tweaks to the final figures. All-wheel drive is the standard, with shifts to be handled with a PDK transmission only, following the model of the Turbo coupe and 2014 911 GT3.Other technological advances that should feature on the Cabriolet (they're already announced for the coupe) include: rear-wheel steering to enhance both low-speed and high-speed handling; all-LED headlights; centre-lock wheels; a three-stage front and rear adjustable aerodynamics system; and a host of luxury features in the interior like 18-way adjustable seats and a choice of Bose or Burmester sound systems.www.motorauthority.com

BMW’s revolutionary i3 ‘Megacity’ vehicle is now less than a year away from launch and in the lead up to its eventual arrival engineers are hard at work finishing off the final prototype evaluation. The latest spy shots show the i3 doing a striptease that leaves little to the imagination.If you're not familiar with the i3, it is essentially a rear-wheel-drive electric minicar due out from BMW at the end of the year, and arriving here in 2014.It's aimed at providing a high degree of urban mobility while still allowing the occasional extra-urban long-distance jaunt when fitted with a range-extender, which BMW has said will be available at launch.While the i3 retains the stubby proportions inherent to the minicar class, it wears them well, thanks in part to what appear to be large, if narrow, wheels, and a raked, extended windshield. Apparently, so many people have taken to the car's design that BMW has more than 100,000 eager to test drive one.The basic i3 will come with a five-door body and electric motor rated at 125kW/250Nm, driving the rear wheels via a fixed-gear transmission. On a single charge of its lithium-ion battery, owners should expect a driving range of 150km.A second version uses a 650cc two-cylinder petrol engine (from BMW's scooter line-up) acting as a range-extender to give 300km of travel when a full tank of petrol and batteries at 100 per cent capacity are employed.The original concept version claims a 0-60 mph sprint of under 8 seconds, making it not exactly quick, but far from pokey. Key to its performance will be lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic used for its body. Charging is claimed to be quick, too, with a high-speed charger juicing the lithium-ion battery pack to 80 percent in one hour.There is still a little bit of development before the i3 reaches production, but if the retail car reaches the goals of the concept, at a rate of 40,000 sold per year globally, the i3 could be a very attractive option for urban dwellers and suburbanites alike.BMW’s upcoming i3 electric car will be priced similar to a reasonably-equipped 3-Series sedan in the US, which means a starting price there of around $40,000. However, Australian buyers are likely to pay more than $60,000 when it arrives here in 2014.That estimation takes into account our higher prices for cars, and the levels already set by the less-prestigious Holden Volt at $60,000, and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Nissan Leaf -- both of which were just under $50,000, with the Leaf taking another price cut recently to $39,990 drive-away.Though we’ve seen many i3 concepts since the reveal of the first one in 2011, we’ll finally get to see the production version at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The first showroom examples should start rolling out in overseas markets before the year is out.www.motorauthority.com 

The big banger of the Benz family is soon to get a baby brother. The AMG hothouse outside Stuttgart is beavering on a compact performance coupe that will take the fight up to the Porsche 911 in coming years. And here it is - draped in black camo clothing but still clearly something special. The new car is called the SLC and it's not a throwback to the similarly-badged lardy S-Class coupe of the late 1970s, but a condensation of the current hero car called the SLS. It uses the basic SLS chassis with a shorter and lighter hatchback two-seater body and no sign of the Gullwing doors which are the trademark of the SLS coupe that sells from $468,320 in Australia. These Carparazzi pictures show work on the SLC is well advanced, but it is not expected to go official until the second half of next year, most likely as the three-pointed star's spotlight car at the 2014 Paris motor show. There has been talk of the SLC almost from the day the SLS was unveiled, as AMG was positioned as a genuine carmaker - and not just a tuning shop - by Mercedes-Benz. The SLC project was always planned as a way to offset the heavy spending on the SLS, which is now built as both a coupe and roadster but still a $500,000-plus proposition for most owners once they have dipped into the AMG optional equipment. The SLC is more aggressive than the Benz's mainstream SL droptop but not as extreme as the the Gullwing, which means it's expected to pick up the basic mechanical package from the SL instead of a downsized deal from the SLS. That means a twin-turbo 4-litre V8 tuned for more than 365 kiloWatts, sitting in the nose and turning the rear wheels but with a conventional automatic and not the costly and complicated transaxle used in the SLS. The SLC is the obvious target for a Black Series model at some time in 2015 or beyond, although even company insiders in Germany refuse to discuss rumours of a carbon fibre-lashed lightweight road rocket. Instead, speculation is currently focussed on the test and development work which is based around AMG's headquarters at Affalterbach and the Nurburging in Germany, as well as the car's likely rivals. European sources hint at a pricetag set around 100,000 Euros, which would mean somewhere in the $200,000 range in Australia and a position above Porsche's Cayman but below the 911. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover  

We’ve been reporting for several years on Mercedes-Benz’s plans to launch a new compact crossover based on its ‘MFA’ small car platform, which is currently found in the latest A Class and B Class models as well as the 2014 CLA Class four-door coupe arriving later this year priced from about $50,000. Mercedes-Benz then made its compact crossover official last July, announcing at the start of production of its new A Class that the MFA platform will eventually span five different models, including the crossover. The latest spy images of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA reveal the shape of the vehicle better, with previous thick plastic cladding now absent, and in its place, simple black and white camouflage. The shape revealed is as you might expect of a compact Mercedes-Benz crossover, though with pronounced haunches and an undisguised glass roof. The roofline arches slightly, sloping quickly at the rear to adopt an almost hatchback-like shape. Previous shots of the GLA Class showed it testing in taxi cab form, complete with a sign on the roof, but still wearing camouflage. Much of the car's detail remained obscured, but the overall proportions were clear, blending some of the new A-Class's style with a more crossover-like stance. Even earlier spy shots showed a prototype for the German carmaker’s baby crossover in civilian trim. The new crossover is expected to go on sale towards the end of the year as a 2014 model. No name has been formally announced, though we’re expecting it to be called the GLA Class. To compete against the likes of the Range Rover Evoque, BMW X1, upcoming Lincoln MKC and, to a lesser extent, the MINI Countryman, expect the GLA to be a bit more sporting in appearance than the average crossover, although engines are likely to be pulled from current A and B class offerings. In other words, expect the GLA to look fast but not go so fast (unless, of course, you opt for the planned AMG version). As the spy shots reveal, the styling is similar to that of the A Class hatchback, though the vehicle is wider and its grille larger. We can also see the tail-light graphics, which appear to combine elements from both the A-Class and latest CLA. The base engine in the U.S. should be the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder found in the base CLA. Rated at 155 kW and 350 Nm of torque, this engine will be able to send drive to either the front or all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Other markets will receive less powerful units as well as diesels. An AMG version, most likely labelled a GLA45 AMG, is also in the works, and will be coming with the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four with more than 246 kW that will be fitted to the upcoming A45 AMG and CLA45 AMG models. 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class interior Inside, owners will find something similar to that found in the CLA. This means standard Bluetooth, cruise control, a powered-driver seat, and MB-Tex trim. A 5.8-inch screen will come standard, with Mercedes’ COMAND interface and a 7.0-inch screen offered as an option. A Multimedia package will add items such as a DVD changer, 10 GB music drive, backup camera and voice control. Stay tuned for updates on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class as development progresses. Note, to make way for this new compact crossover, Mercedes’ existing offering, the GLK Class, is expected to grow in size for its next-generation. www.motorauthority.com  

The car was snapped testing at Germany’s Nürburgring recently, where engineers are using a makeshift body of the latest 911 GT3 but several elements reveal the true identity of the test car.Look closely and you’ll see widened wheel arches, extra-wide rubber at the rear, and new side intakes for the turbocharged engine (the 911 GT3 is naturally aspirated). The wheels and brakes are also larger than those fitted to the 911 GT3 and the rear wing much taller. Additional aero pieces have been tacked onto the rear, presumably to boost downforce.Like the previous 911 GT2, the new model will feature a similar spec to the contemporary 911 Turbo, the new 2014 911 Turbo, but to separate the two the 911 GT2 will stick to rear-wheel drive and have a higher output. This means it will feature a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre flat-six engine, four-wheel steering and engine stop-start technology.Peak output is expected to register at 412 kilowatts, which is on par with the output of the latest 911 Turbo S and 22 kilowatts more than the output of the previous 911 GT2. As for the transmission, Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dual-clutch unit is likely to replace the previous 911 GT2’s six-speed manual. If that last tidbit doesn’t sit well with you, we suggest reading this article.Initial performance specs are a top speed in excess of 322km/h and an approximate 0-100km/h time of 3.0 seconds or less. Look out for a debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next March, with sales to commence shortly after.By 2015, a new generation of the ultimate 911, the infamous 911 GT2 RS, is expected to land. This model is expected to match the 456 kilowatts of the outgoing model but benefit from a lighter curb weight, the quick-shifting PDK and the new four-wheel-steering setup.www.motorauthority.com 

...which is expected to be come more of a family-friendly crossover in 2015. It's currently tied to the Nissan X-Trail but could become a Megane-based model with the upcoming change.