Speculative

Maserati was supposed to unveil its second SUV, the Grecale, on November 16th, 2021. However, because some supply problems the official launch date has been moved for sometime in the spring of 2022.

This doesn’t mean however that the company has stopped testing the next Grecale or that is not considering new versions of it. In fact our spy photographers caught the next Grecale Trofeo out for some first testing sessions. The car was even dressed in proper red Christmas camouflage.

The current generation X1 was launched back in 2015 and there’s no secret that it was never a very successful car. No wonder that BMW is preparing big updates for the next model set to arrive in 2022. In a recent press release, the company confirmed that the next X1 will be offered with "both a combustion engine and a fully-electric drivetrain."

The model will also receive the same treatment as the recently launched 1-Series and 2-Series: An X1 M35i version that will pretty much replace the usual M version you get with cars like the X3 and the X4.

Rumors of a new full-size Audi SUV have been circulating for a long time and now there’s actual proof that Audi is indeed cooking a new flagship SUV model. Recently, a fully-camouflaged Audi SUV has been spotted testing at Volkswagen’s test facility in Sweden, doing cold-weather testing. With BMW’s introduction of the X7 and Mercedes’s GLS already on sale for some years, it only made sense for Audi to bring out a competitor. Here’s what we know so far.

Update 10-27-2021: The Audi Q9 has been spotted once again, this time doing some on-road testing in warmer weather.

Genesis may have only been around for only five years, but it has already proved it can give “the old dogs” a run for their money. Not only are they not stopping but they are, once again, taunting the German trio in a very bold move. The Korean luxury brand was caught doing cold-weather testing in Sweden with a new Genesis G90 executive sedan. Mercedes recently brought out the new S-Class, while Audi is preparing an updated A8. We also know that BMW is about to give us a new 7-Series very soon, so it will be interesting to see how the all-new Genesis G90 will fare.

With the “regular” 911 (992) GT3 out and official, all eyes are now headed towards the GT3 RS. As expected, the more hardcore version of the already hardcore GT3 will feature more of everything - except for the weight, of which it will have less. The most important thing is that the latest most track-focused normally-aspirated 911 is underway, and here’s what we can expect.

Updated 09/24/2021: The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 RS was caught testing again, this time on the roads around the Nürburgring as well as on the track. Check out the story for new details on the future sports car!

I have to admit: when I saw the Tonale Concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show I was impressed. It kind of looked like the Stelvio, but it was a lot sportier. It was proof that Alfa Romeo can significantly improve its SUV look.

And when Alfa Romeo announced a production version should follow shortly, I was even more stocked. Problems though came shortly after the announcement. Jean-Philippe Imparato was unhappy with the performances offered by the plug-in hybrid system and decided to delay the launch of the production version Tonale. The merge between FAC and PSAdelayed the Tonale even more. But, all those problems are now solved and the Tonale is back on track! An official debut should happen sometime in 2022, and it will be built at the Stellantis plant in Pomigliano d’Arco.

The next-generation Mercedes AMG SL63 has repeatedly been spotted out testing. The car is slowly being unveiled, as it features less camouflage every time. In fact, the new AMG SL63 is showing us almost all o its design features. Compared to models like the SLS AMG and its successor, the AMG GT, it was always a bit on the softer side in terms of the overall driving characteristics. However, things are about to change with this new generation, as it is the first SL, developed by AMG. What will this mean for the SL’s current target group?

The Mercedes GLC is already six years old. Despite going through a facelift in 2019, the mid-size SUV, internally dubbed X253, is due to be replaced. With this in mind, the next-generation GLC was recently spied testing. In fact, the two heavily camouflaged prototypes seem to be in the early stages of development, which means the current GLC will be around at least for another year. That said, even with all the camouflage, we noticed some important details.

In what looks like an ingenious solution to a problem that never existed, Honda has filed a patent application for electronic actuation of the clutch, obviating the need for a clutch cable. Is it needed?

When Mercedes comes up with new models, the thing that gets our hearts racing more than the product itself is the fact that AMG would’ve started working on a higher-performance version of the same. This time, it’s the Mercedes-AMG S63 with an electric twist. The super sedan was spotted with camouflage performing cold-weather tests in Sweden recently. The biggest twist here is that it is a plug-in hybrid version, which means it will be more fuel-efficient and environment-conscious, and quite sprightly in terms of performance.

We have reason to believe that BMW will offer a hardcore, lighter, and potentially more powerful version of the current M4 coupe. Firstly, the previous M4 was further distilled into such a variant and secondly, a set of spyshots sent in by our photographers shows a couple of interesting test mules.

BMW has been testing an odd-looking BMW 8-Series. On the outside, the car looks like a normal BMW M8, but with a few very distinctive differences. We have known for a while that BMW has been cooking something else based on the 8-Series and all evidence suggests that it will be a hotter version of the car, sitting above the M8 Competition. Straight away, there are a few noticeable differences, and this is what you need to know.

The current BWM X5 has been in production since 2018 and it seems a refreshed version is coming soon. The fourth generation, with internal designation G05, has been spotted in a new guise, which can mean only one thing – a facelift is coming. Although BMW is working on many new models, most of which electric, it’s also updating its existing lineup and the X5 is the latest model to undergo a revision.

Genesis continues churning out awesome new vehicles. The Korean luxury brand skips plug-in hybrids and goes straight for electrification. Another proof of that is the GV70e, which was recently caught testing in Germany, days after Genesis filed trademarks for six new EVs. A while back, we covered the EV version of the Genesis G80, called the G80e. Just Like it, the GV70e is expected to debut around the end of 2021.

Pininfarina, the company best well known for its association with Ferrari, wants to break free from under the shade of the Prancing Horse and make a name for itself as the builder of the fastest car to come out of Italy. The name of this car? Battista, like the name of the company’s founder. The numbers that should firmly plant this car on the map? 1,900 horsepower and 1,696 pound-feet, a 0 to 62 mph sprint in less than two seconds, and a top speed of about 250 mph. All done by an EV powertrain that’s capable of running over 300 miles between charges.

Reading those numbers it’s easy to dismiss the Pininfarina Battista as just another ludicrous car that will never actually become reality. Something like the Devel Sixteen, the Arabian hypercar that packs a V-16 engine that’s capable of 5,000 horsepower. That one was supposedly slated to start final testing this month. Or the equally insane Vector WX-8, Jerry Wiegert’s project that should’ve brought his once proud company back from the dead. He said 12 years ago that a 10-liter, twin-turbocharged, V-8 will power the car and that it will crank out 1,850 horsepower. More recently, Wiegert sold his two WX-3 prototypes to fund the project.

But the Battista is a more serious offering than both those elusive creations. First off, Pininfarina was bought by Mahindra four years ago for $190.6 million and, as we know, Mahindra has the financial power to throw cash at a project like this if so desires. With Pininfarina aiming to build just 150 of these, 50 dedicated to each of its three markets: Europe, America, and the Middle-East, we can expect people to actually come forth with pre-orders once it gets revealed at Geneva in a couple of weeks.

It seems Porsche is really counting on the 992 to be a successful model. Now that pretty much all versions of the latest Porsche 911 are accounted for, the German brand might also be bringing back the limited edition Sport Classic. A possible candidate for a new Sport Classic was caught testing at the Nürburgring quite recently. The Sport Classic first appeared with the 997 generation and was a throwback to the iconic Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. Judging by the design cues, this might be the return of the limited version.

We know from the recent spy shots that BMW is hard at work applying the finishing touches to the upcoming M2. Test mules have been spotted around Munich but also dashing through the snow in Sweden, which means a debut should happen by the end of 2021. Here’s what the new BMW M2 might have in store for us.

Recent pictures sent in by our spy photographers show a BMW M2 test mule strolling around in the Swedish winter landscape. The car has some interesting features - or lacks some, whichever you want to put it, which got attention.

The hottest version of the W206 C Class is already a fact. Although not on sale yet, a test car has been spotted during cold-weather testing. The test car features a similar full-body camouflage as the Mercedes AMG C63 Wagon, from not long ago. We already know that the next generation of AMG models will no longer use the glorious V-8 engine layout, they were known and loved for. The now-former AMG boss Tobias Moers, also expressed his displease with the way things are developing, even going as far as to quit AMG. All this begs the question, how much of an AMG will the new C63 be?