Spy Shots

A lightly camouflaged prototype of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Coupe has been caught testing at Mercedes' cold weather test facilty in the Arctic Circle.

Audi has been spotted testing what appears to be a pre-production prototype of its upcoming Q8 coupe

BMW’s upcoming roadster, rumoured to be called the Z5, has been caught cold weather testing in the Arctic Circle ahead of its expected 2018 global debut.

Is there no end to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class/G-wagen/Gelandewagen spin-offs? It seems so because these spy photos suggest the high-and-mighty G500 4X4 Squared is about to get a ute brother.

One of the world's most iconic car brands could be poised for a surprise Australian launch.

Hyundai’s upcoming Elantra SR has been spotted on Australian roads, months ahead of its showroom debut.An eagle-eyed CarsGuide reader snapped these shots of the hotted-up Elantra in Sydney this week, most likely undergoing final fine-tuning and testing of its locally-developing suspension and steering setup.While the Elantra caught in these pictures appears to have been de-badged to help it fly under the radar, it’s clearly a version of the turbocharged the SR revealed in South Korea in April. Telltale signs are the large bumper apertures flanking the black framed grille and the red-pinstripe headlight design. Other giveaways that this is the more hard-core Elantra are the larger front brake rotors, dual exhaust tips and diffuser in the rear bumper.More than just a small sedan in a tough body kit, the Elantra SR is set to be powered by the same 150kW 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine found in the Veloster SR. The sedan's handling is also set for a boost with the SR riding almost 20mm lower than normal, and also stepping up to multilink rear suspension over the regular torsion beam setup. A choice of either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch auto transmission is also expected to carry across from the Veloster.new-generation ElantraThe gold Elantra was travelling in convoy with what looks to be an upcoming new version of the sports flavoured i30 SR. The existing SR and SR Premium use the same 17-inch wheel design as the luxury-spec i30 Premium, but the model spotted is wearing the same 17-inch double spoke design as the Elantra SR.  

A new model Aston Martin is being "torture tested" in Alice Springs, just weeks ahead of going on sale.

Cops up the pace in McLaren V8

An aggressively-styled VW Golf prototype believed to be the upcoming R400 hyper hatch has been spotted at the Nurburgring. Featuring wider front and rear tracks than the ordinary Golf R, along with bigger wheels and tyres, a roof spoiler and enlarged intercooler, the pumped up mule carries all the hallmarks of a future production model in the mold of the R400 concept. The R400 was shown at the Shanghai motor show last year, hinting at plans to develop a powered-up Golf to rival the Mercedes A45 AMG and Audi RS3. Recent reports suggest that VW Group powertrain boss Heinz-Jakob Neusser has already given the Golf R400 project the green light for production. The R400 packs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 294kW (400hp, hence the name) and 450Nm.  VW claims a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds for the concept, making it comfortably faster than Audi’s hottest hatch, the RS3. As the premium brand, Audi has always had the upper hand when it comes to hot hatches in the VW Group, now however, it seems there could be a gloves-off sibling rivalry brewing between the two brands.The R400 packs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 294kW and 450Nm.The R400’s numbers also represent a significant leap over the standard Golf R, which in Australia produces 206kW/380Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine and can hit 100km/h in 4.9 seconds. One of the main challenges of converting the R400 concept into a feasible production model is believed to be finding a gearbox that can handle its extra grunt. In order to appeal to a wide range of markets, the R400 would need to come with the option of a manual or an automatic gearbox. However, the six-speed dual-clutch automatic in the ordinary Golf R is only rated for up to 380Nm. It’s more likely the R400 will adopt the seven-speed unit found in the RS3. These spy images suggest the Golf R400 is in its early stages of development and therefore unlikely to go on sale until 2016. 

These new spy shots give our best look yet at the upcoming fourth-generation Audi A4, with this camouflaged Avant bodystyle spied testing recently in Germany.The new A4 sedan is expected to debut later this year at the Frankfurt motor show, with the wagon-bodied Avant variant tipped to appear a short time after.These latest spy images reveal that the new generation A4 will carry an evolutionary rather than revolutionary design compared to the outgoing version.It’s clear the proportions of the new Avant are very similar to the current 2015 B8 version with a sleek but ultimately practicality-driven profile.The new 2016 A4 Avant is expected to adopt a sharper front fascia than the outgoing model inspired by the various Audi Prologue concept cars.Like the recently revealed Audi Q7 SUV, the new A4 will feature a squarer grille with integrated headlights.The new generation A4 will carry an evolutionary rather than revolutionary design.At the rear we can expect slim LED taillights and a long sloping tailgate that gives the Avant a Shooting Brake style rather than a conventional wagon shape. The 2016 A4 will use the same platform as the new Q7 SUV, which has been designed for a variety of petrol, diesel and hybrid drivetrains.Initially it’s expected the 2016 A4 will be available with a range of petrol and diesel four-cylinder engines with front or all-wheel drive.Eventually a range of six-cylinder engines will also be available along with an efficiency focused hybrid model. The new MLB platform is believed to be lighter than the one it replaces, which should equate to better fuel efficiency and handling compared to the outgoing A4.Transmission options in the new A4 will include a six-speed manual or an automatic of the seven-speed dual clutch or eight-speed torque-converter varieties.Australia’s love affair with automatics means we’ll likely only get the auto version when the new A4 goes on sale next year.