Who said the life of a spy photographer is easy? Well, ours is not, as he was forced to shoot through tinted windows, hidden in the boot of an SUV, in order to get these photos, making us proud in the meanwhile. Despite the two different masking tapes used, the shape and angle of the roof is clearly visible, making these the first proper photos of the F-Type coupe, as opposed to the patent photos that were supposed to be leaked a few days ago, which turned out to be of the 2011 concept car.

Just like the cabrio version, the Coupe will be available with two V6s and a V8 from the beginning, with an R and an RS version coming in the future. Market launch is expected for sometime in 2014. You can see our full photo gallery after the jump.

Source: [CarPix]

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Posted in: Jaguar, Spy Photos

Who doesn’t love the concept of weight saving? We are certainly fans, so hearing that Audi will present a lightweight TT concept at the 2013 Wörthersee gathering from May 8 to 11 in Reifnitz, Germany, was quite exciting. It turns out that the showcar combines a lean 1,111 kilograms (2,449.34 lb) total weight with a 2.0 TFSI engine, whose 228 kW (310 hp) and 400 Nm result in a 4.2 seconds times for the zero to 100 km/h. The power-to-weight ratio of 3.6 kg/hp is the outcome of a weight saving of 100 kilograms, focused around fine-tuning the Audi Space Frame (ASF) in the current TT generation and optimizing the detachable body parts.

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Posted in: Audi

Here we have some new spy photos that could be both the first facelift of the Ford Focus or a mule for the upcoming Focus RS.

With the Ford Fiesta just facelifted there is a big chance that the Focus will get the same treatment in order to give all cars the new family face. As we can see on the photos the grille seems to have a different shape with bigger openings.

That could also be the reason in case there’s a more powerful engine under the hood for the long rumored RS version even if we where expecting bigger brakes in that case. We also noticed the car was fwd so in case it really should be a Focus RS mule, the RS will also be fwd.

Stay tuned as we will update you as soon as we have more news about this.

[Source: CarPix]

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Posted in: Ford, Miscellaneous, Spy Photos

In addition to the photos of the Skoda Octavia Combi from last week, here a batch of photos showing the RS version.

As we can see this one has a sportier and more aggressive front bumper and trapezodial exhausts. There will be some bigger wheels when it’s time for the debut, probably at the Frankfurt Car Show.

The Octavia RS will be powered by a 2.0 liter 220 horsepower strong turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and will be avaliable with both a six-speed manual or DSG transmission.

There will probably also be a diesel version following later on. What is still unclear is if there will be a four-wheel-drive version this time as some rumors have stated.

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Posted in: Miscellaneous, Skoda, Spy Photos

It’s no secret that Mercedes is working on a small A-Class based SUV named GLA. And it’s also not a secret that the A-Class will spawn an AMG version, the A45 AMG.
But what they are still trying to keep a secret is that there will be an AMG version of the GLA. A secret that’s no secret anymore, meet the GLA45 AMG.

Since they are both based on the same platform it’s a rather easy step to make an AMG version to fit into the GLA lineup. And since we know that Audi is working on a RS version of their Q3, the GLA45 AMG will meet tuff competition.

This prototype was spotted during winter testing in the freezing cold Nothern Sweden. With its dual exhaust pipes, the bigger wheels and drilled brakes it was easy to rule this out as a normal GLA. And when hearing it drive off in full throttle it made us 100 % sure.

The GLA45 AMG is expected to deliver about 350 horsepower from its 2.0 liter four cylinder engine. A seven-speed AMG Speedshift MCT dual-clutch gearbox is used to bring the power down to all four wheels.

We expect the normal GLA to debut in Frankfurt in September so maybe we can look forward to the official reveal of the GLA45 AMG in early 2014.

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Posted in: Mercedes-Benz, Spy Photos

The Audi A7 raised controversy with its rear end design when it was unveiled, back in April 2011. That controversy was partly forgotten later that year with the introduction of the S7 and its 420PS/550Nm 4.0TFSI V8 engine. Now, Audi chose the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to show us the 560PS/700Nm version, called RS7.

The all new Audi RS7 comes with the same engine as its lesser brother, yet the former, taking advantage of the biturbo V8′s full potential, can reach speeds up to 305km/h, while consuming an average of 9.8l per 100 km, thanks to an innovative cylinder head design, a start-stop system and above all, the cylinder on demand (COD) system, as Audi calls their cylinder deactivation mode. Power is sent to al four wheels via an 8 speed tiptronic gearbox, with the lower gears being closely spaced for sporty response and the eighth gear being tall for reduced fuel consumption. The Quattro permanent all wheel drive system uses a center differential with a high locking rate and a separate oil cooler to regulate its temperature to distribute power between the front and rear axles. The standard configuration of 40:60 front:rear is constantly regulated by a torque vectoring software that supports the work of the differential during cornering.

The four internally vented wsave-like break discs are housed inside the standard 20 inch wheels (21″ are optional) and measure 390mm in diameter up front. Pins decouple the steel friction rings from the aluminum brake caps. The RS7 comes with an adaptive air suspension that lowers the body by 20 millimeters and adapts to the condition of the road and the driver’s style.

Please check our forum thread (here) for more information, photos and videos on the all new RS7 and while you’re there, join us by telling us your opinion. You will also find the full press release and a photo gallery after the jump.

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Posted in: Audi