New Car The BMW X6 2009

The mounds of cladding are off, giving us our first good look at the new car BMW X6 that is essentially a crossover that tries to look like a coupe, but with four doors. We’re not sure we really get it.

Presumably, this new car BMW has decided there are customers who want the look and performance of a 6-series but with off-road capability and a hatch and the cargo space associated with an SUV. The plunging roofline after the B-pillar means tall passengers should ride shotgun—or not at all—and we are leery as to how much gear can easily be stowed in back.

Some suggest the new car BMW X6, caught here by our spy photographers, has Dodge Caliber tendencies, something we doubt the Teutonic automaker was striving for. The new vehicle is obviously lower than the X5, whose platform it shares, but the X6 is said to be longer.

Source : www.caranddriver.com

New Car Mazda 6 test drive

The next version of one of the best and most prolific family cars in the Ford Motor Company’s recent history—the New Car Mazda 6—has been spotted testing in the United States. From the look of things, the talented mid-sizer stands to become even better than the current car, which remains one of our favorite offerings in the most highly contested class in the car business even six years after its launch.

So what’s new? In a word, everything. From what we can make out from these shots, which show V-6 and four-cylinder models, the car will grow quite a bit, and its already aggressive styling gets even more aggressive. Specific details we like include the multi-element headlamps and taillamps, the protuberant hood (it now dips down below the grille), and the steeply raked roofline. The latter is definitely great-looking, but we worry that it may make the rear seats less than accommodating for tall passengers. The blue tint on the front and rear ends is merely a masking element, but some of us think it would be cool if the production head- and taillamps actually had a funky blue tint like that. Hello, SEMA?

Inside, things are looking good, too. The center-stack controls combine the style of the RX-8 with an ergonomic arrangement that appears to be inspired by the Toyota Camry. That’s no bad thing, especially if the 6 still drives like a Mazda.

Source : www.caranddriver.com

Chrysler 300 Changes Plants 2007

Magna is undergoing quite the turnover of product, mostly at the hands of Chrysler and BMW.

Chrysler has announced it is consolidating production of the Chrysler 300 at its Brampton, Ontario, Canada, plant, including roughly 27,000 right-hand-drive and diesel versions annually for international markets that currently are built, under contract, by Magna Steyr at its plant in Graz, Austria.

Chrysler is investing $500 million in Brampton to tool up to build European-market 300s in Canada starting in 2010.

The automaker is investing another $1.2 billion in Brampton in preparation for LY, which is the next-generation of the LX family of rear-drive cars: the 300, Dodge Magnum and Charger, and the Dodge Challenger (LC) that is coming in 2008.

Dropped from the lineup is the Chrysler Imperial luxury sedan that was to slot in at the top of the lineup, but the program has been cancelled because of concerns about fuel economy. Members of the Canadian Auto Workers union had voted to accept concessions to get the Imperial work in Brampton, but suspicions were raised when confirmation of the sedan kept being delayed.

Source : www.caranddriver.com

Ferrari 430 Scuderia 2007

It’s no secret that we like Ferrari’s F430—in three comparos, it has won three times—so when Ferrari confirmed a newer, lighter version, we got very excited, indeed, as this is in fact the replacement for what we thought would be called the Challenge Stradale. As we cool our heels awaiting the eventual F430 replacement, a lightweight F430 sounds just fine.

The 430 Scuderia takes all the best parts of a regular F430—the screaming 4.3-liter V-8, upped 20 horsepower to 503, a quick-shifting sequential-manual, and carbon-ceramic brakes—and subtracts 220 pounds. We’re not exactly sure how Ferrari cut the weight, but we assume it involves lots of carbon fiber.

At an expected 3100 pounds, this lightweight version of the already-fast car will carry just 6.2 pounds per prancing pony, and that’ll make for a seriously quick ride. By comparison, a stock F430 weighs in at 6.9 pounds per horsepower and an Enzo has just 5.0 lb/hp. It also appears to be Ferrari's response to Lamborghini's Gallardo Superleggera, which also dropped weight to gain track supremacy.

Source : www.caranddriver.com

Porsche 911 GT2 2008

If you’re a 911 cultist concerned that the iconic Porsche may be marginalized as the company seeks to broaden its market with SUVs and —gasp!—sedans, fear not: Stuttgart’s rear-engined rocket is far from finished.
The proof of this assertion will be revealed at September’s Frankfurt motor show, when Porsche unveils the latest 911 GT2, a muscle-bound brute that makes the potent 911 Turbo seem demure by comparison.

Intercooled and force-fed by a pair of variable turbine turbochargers, the GT2’s twin-cam, 24-valve, 3.6-liter flat-six whomps up 530 horsepower at 6500 rpm—50 more than the 911 Turbo—and 502 pound-feet of torque across a plateau that ranges from 2200 to 4500 rpm.

The keys to the power increase are bigger turbos, higher boost, and a new expansion-type intake manifold that uses oscillating air to help keep the fuel-air mix cooler than in the 911 Turbo.

Source : www.caranddriver.com

First Drive: 2008 BMW M3

The 2008 BMW M3 is either a complete winner or a big disappointment. It all depends on your expectations.

If you're looking for a supremely fast, incredibly capable back-road stormer, you won't be disappointed; the E92 is even faster than the previous E46 M3.

If, however, you think the M3 should be more than just speed, you'll be disappointed. After only a few seconds behind the wheel, it becomes obvious that the M3's engineers traded some driver involvement in return for more speed.

More speed, in this case, comes from the retirement of the inline-six cylinder engine that has defined the previous two generations of M3s. As it turns out, there was no more power to be had from a block with six holes in it. The previous 3.2-liter developed 333 horsepower, and the only way to add more ponies would have been to add more displacement. That sounds easy enough, but it wasn't - the engine block was already bored to its maximum, and increasing the stroke would have reduced the engine's maximum RPM. Thus, the engineers had no choice but to add two more cylinders.
The new V-8 is anything but a half-hearted attempt at fixing the problem. It is, after all, based on the powerhouse V-10 from the M5. Whereas the old inline-six was iron, the V-engines' larger bore spacing allows them to be made of aluminum, and as a result, the V-8 actually weighs 33 lb less than the old six. We've covered the detailed engine specifications in previous stories, but the important numbers are very impressive: 4.0-liters, 414 horsepower, 295 lb-ft, 8400-rpm redline.

Press the start button, and the V-8 barks to life instantly with a tinny clatter from its thin-walled, equal-length headers. Eight individual butterflies minimize the distance between the throttle butterflies and intake valves, so the engine responds instantaneously to prods of the accelerator.

Though the clutch is a twin-disc design (the first in an M3), the pedal is soft and easy to modulate. The shifter is familiar 3-series, which is to say precise and satisfying, if slightly rubbery.

Mash the loud pedal, and the quiet V-8 turns into a screaming demon. Thrust builds gradually until 3900 rpm (the torque peak), but never falls off. In fact, the engine's note becomes more and more hysterical as the tach swings clockwise. From 6000 to the 8400-rpm rev limiter, it sounds angrier and more ferocious than any V-8 you've ever heard this side of Maranello. The soundtrack is nothing short of magic.

Source : www.automobilemag.com

The New Car Mitsubishi Evolution X 2008

We’ve seen the concept (two of them, actually), and Mitsubishi’s official images, but now someone has spotted an undisguised Evo X romping—where else?—around the Nürburgring.

After all those pretty show-stand placeholders, we appreciate seeing some real-world action. We haven’t seen any since June 2006, when we drove a development mule for the next-gen all-wheel-drive system.

Actually, the car pictured here is not completely undisguised—black tape covers the Mitsubishi propellers front and rear—but after hours of deliberation and much spit-flecked shouting in a hot, dimly lit room, we have decided that an Evo X (that’s an X like the Roman numeral 10, not like extreme, even though that word certainly describes the Evo) is indeed what you see here. That or some kid with way too much money in his Lancer and some spare gaffer’s tape hanging off his workbench.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

The New Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2008

After all the hullabaloo and hoopla surrounding the latest Subaru WRX’s styling, we were beginning to worry about the aesthetic fate of the hottest version, the STI, but it appears our fears were mostly unfounded. In fact, we kind of like the all-matte-black look this tester has—can we get that as an option, Subaru?

These spy shots, captured at and around the Nürburgring, show that the STI will keep its muscular fender flares as it transitions to a hatchback-only model.

The quad exhaust tips; the aggressive, more-tasteful rear wing perched above the rear glass; and the deep front lip all point to the STI’s retaining its rally-bred high-po character as well. This is especially welcome given early indications that the regular WRX has lost some of its hard-core edge.

We expect the 2.5-liter turbocharged-and-intercooled boxer four-cylinder engine to make the jump to at least 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque for this iteration. (The current car already makes 293 horsepower and 290 pound-feet, so it wouldn’t seem to be too lofty a goal.) The STI will hit streets sometime late this year.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

Lincoln MKS to get twin-turbochargers and direct-injection in 2009

The production debut of Ford Motor Company’s TwinForce—twin-turbochargers and direct-injection gasoline-engine technology—is expected with the all-new 2009 Lincoln MKS flagship sedan that is slated to go on sale next year.

TwinForce technology will be applied to Ford’s inline-four cylinder as well as V-6 engines before 2011, the automaker announced at a product event at its proving grounds in Dearborn.

Ford gave us a first look at TwinForce with the 3.5-liter V-6 in the Lincoln MKR concept at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Ford officials are not providing timing on the rollout of the turbos and direct-injection engines, but the expectation is that the I-4 application will debut with the 2009 Ford Fusion. And while Ford officials did not address V-8s, we anticipate that the technology will be incorporated into the new Boss modular V-8 family that will eventually make its way into the next generation F-Series.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

The Futurest Fisker Latigo CS 2007

"From a design perspective, we want to create really beautiful, timeless cars. We don't cater to the immediate, in-your-face impact. We cater to those who truly appreciate style-not because they want to be seen, but because they appreciate the finer things in life. It's about a limited-edition, truly personalized design." - Henrik Fisker

Yes, that's Henrik Fisker, the Henrik Fisker, the Danish designer behind the BMW Z8, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and most (if not all) of the Aston Martin DB9. And yes, it sounds a lot like some shopworn old infomercial pitch, or maybe something from the advertising section of Nouveau Riche Monthly. As a mission statement, it's grand, noble, and entirely unbelievable. In other words, it's exactly the kind of marketing-speak you would expect to hear from the man at the helm of a young, small, high-end car company.

Here's the funny part, though: All that stuff Fisker says? He means it. On top of that, it's actually... true.

For the past two years, Irvine, California-based Fisker Coachbuild has quietly gone about the business of reinventing the long-dead tradition of the coachbuilder. His $183,500 Tramonto roadster is attractive and sleek, arguably more so than the Mercedes-Benz SL upon which it is based. His clientele are almost always tasteful and wealthy - not exactly a common combination. And his cars actually seem to be unique (despite their being based on mass-produced corporate products), stylish, and worth their astronomical sticker prices. (That $183,000 fee that the Tramonto brings is a base number; most come in roughly $50,000 to $100,000 higher, and the only true price cap is the customer's imagination.)

So here we are in the summer of 2007, and the affable Fisker has decided to pop out with yet another production car. Unlike the Tramonto, Fisker's latest offering is based on a BMW product - it's essentially a reskinned and retrimmed BMW 6-series, albeit one whose engine can produce upwards of 650 hp, one that looks almost nothing like the ugly-baby car it began life as. Pay careful attention here: Yes, that's right. The Fisker Latigo is actually pretty.

Here's how it works: You pony up for a hideous-looking-but-really-quite-fast BMW 650i or M6, then drop it off with Fisker and his crew in Irvine. Your 6er is then cloaked in all manner of carbon-fiber and aluminum bodywork (carbon hood, bumpers, fenders, sills, trunk, rear diffuser, aluminum doors). The entire interior is dismantled-sadly, iDrive stays, though it's at least gifted with an uber-cool billet aluminum knob-and retrimmed by hand, with multiple grades of leather and a virtually endless selection of colors available. (The highest-grade leather on offer feels and looks like Italian furniture skin because, well, it is.) Billet aluminum touches such as switch surrounds and trim panels are installed - again, all to your particular taste and preference - and the headliner is retrimmed in heavily sueded Alcantara. There's an almost blinding amount of dead cow - it's like bathing in a sea made of the world's nicest couches. In short, everything in the interior is revamped, recovered, and extensively facelifted.

For detail please visit www.automobilemag.com

The BMW 1-series 2008 on the world

Well, here it is: the long-awaited return of a small, focused driver's car in BMW's North American lineup. For a long time, the 3-series was considered a part of that group, but it, like most other cars, has grown larger with each new generation. While the current 3-series is still compact by American car standards, it's not as petite as it once was.

Enter the 1-series. The dimensions and footprint cast by this new model are more in line with BMW's famous 2002 of more than thirty years ago. Like the 2002, the American market will be getting the two-door coupe version of this 1-series (three- and five-door hatches exist in other parts of the world, and a convertible is coming soon). The 1-series, available as either 128i or 135i, will be on sale in the spring of 2008.

The 128i is powered by the same 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine that we know and love in the 328i. That engine moves the larger, heavier 3-series with ease, so it should prove to be quite quick in the diminutive 128i. For people that find "quite quick" not good enough, the 135i should satisfy: it will downright haul ass. Cramming lots of power into small cars has worked wonders for decades, and this application of that philosophy will be no different. BMW claims that the 300-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder 135i can accelerate to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155 mph. We think that time is a bit conservative, and won't be surprised to see zero-to-sixty times below five seconds.

By now, most people have formed strong opinions regarding modern BMW styling. This car will be no different in its ability to turn heads either from admiration or contempt. Some surfaces and styling details are a bit fussy and bulbous, but the overall proportions look right to us - the long-wheelbase and short overhangs emphasize the 1-series' bulldog stance. Like other Bangle-designed BMWs, wheel choices are critical in affecting the overall appearance of the car, and the 1-series looks best when fitted with optional wheels that completely fill the fenders. As always, we'll reserve our final judgment until we see the car in person.

In contrast, the only complaints from people about in the interior of the car will be about the dreaded iDrive. Luckily, the much maligned interface remains an option that is bundled with a navigation system. Techies will be excited to know that all the usual audio and communication options are available, including satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity. In addition, a USB port for controlling an iPod or iPhone is an option. All in all, the cabin should be a very nice place to spend time, providing that snug comfortable feeling that only a small car can give; a feeling akin to slipping on your favorite sweater.

We have driven European-spec 1-series cars on European roads, and found them to be great fun - although not without their faults. We look forward to driving the new coupe - especially the 135i - on domestic soil. While there's little question that it will be a hoot to drive, the jury is out on whether the American car-buying public will warm up to its small stature and firm ride. Then again, they loved the 2002, and it shared those qualities.

Source : www.automobilemag.com

BMW 6-series Facelift 2008

For their fifth model year, BMW's big coupe and convertible are getting facelifts. Fans of the 6-series needn't worry because, like the 5-series' facelift for 2007, the changes are so subtle that most people won't notice them. For those of you who aren't fans, well, you're just going to have to deal with another few years of the frumpy Bangle coupe.

Much of the facelift focuses on lighting. The new taillights look familiar, but are now fully LED-illuminated, and the third brake light is now integrated into the spoiler lip. The lower reflectors and reverse lights are longer. Up front, BMW's Angel Eyes now provide Daytime Running Light function, a la 3-series coupe, and the turn signals integrated into the headlights are LED units in an alternating, checker-board layout. The fog lights are mounted further outward to emphasize the car's width.

The vertical portion of the trunklid is more concave than before, two new paint colors will be offered (Deep Sea Blue and Space Grey) and new rims are standard. Cars with the optional, revised six-speed automatic transmission receive BMW's new, controversial electronic shifter. New interior trim colors (Chateau Red and Saddle Brown) round out the visual changes.

Buyers purchasing automatic-transmission 6-series can now specify BMW's Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, which can bring the car to a complete halt, decelerating at up to 0.5g. BMW's lane departure warning system, familiar from the 5-series, is also newly available, and will vibrate the steering wheel if sensors determine that the car is drifting out of its lane.

Finally, BMW has added optional iPod and USB jacks that allow MP3 players to be controlled through the iDrive controller and steering-wheel buttons.

The 6-series remains available in coupe and convertible form as a 650i, with a 360-hp 4.8-liter V-8, or M6, with a 500-hp, 5.0-liter V-10.

Source : www.automobilemag.com

Dodge Challenger 2008

That thing has a Hemi—making it hard for our spy photographer to get anything but a rear shot of the speeding 2008 Dodge Challenger caught testing.

Camo aside, we didn’t expect to see much deviation from the Challenger concept that first bowed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. Chrysler then kept us hanging until the announcement a year ago confirming it would make the retro muscle car, but we’re supposed to wait until February 6—next year’s Chicago auto show—for the production car’s public debut.

Word on the street is that the R/T versions already are spoken for. We’re not surprised. Last July’s news the car had the green light caused a traffic jam on the Chrysler website, with a spokesman reporting 268,000 web clicks on the Challenger the day of the announcement.

Chrysler will build the muscle car at its Brampton, Ontario, Canada, plant as the two-door muscle car shares the rear-wheel-drive LX platform that underpins the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Magnum. The Challenger is to launch in April 2008 as an ’08 model—not an ’09—for reasons the automaker has not yet disclosed. That might mean it technically will ride on the next-gen LY rear-drive architecture.

The Canadian plant also is expected to build a production model of the frighteningly styled Chrysler Imperial, also shown at the 2006 Detroit auto show, which some called a poor-mans’ Rolls-Royce Phantom. The low-volume Imperial would be positioned as a premium vehicle above the Chrysler 300 and serve as the brand flagship.

Canadian Auto Union workers agreed to workplace concessions earlier this year to secure the Imperial contract and the automaker plans to spend about $660 million prior to the start of production in summer 2009. The Imperial would ride on a stretched version of the LX/LY architecture—as opposed to the modifications for the 300C Walter P. Chrysler Executive Series long-wheelbase livery vehicle.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

First Look: 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero XWD

We recently reported that Saab has given a midcycle nip-and-tuck to its bread-and-butter 9-3 lineup for 2008. The update includes a relatively thorough—if not extreme—exterior styling makeover, as well as the availability of all-wheel drive on the 9-3 Aero XWD, the latter being music to the ears of anyone who has ever tried to wrestle a front-wheel-drive turbo Saab into obedience under full throttle.

But now we have more information about Saab’s first-ever all-wheel-drive 9-3. First, it comes mated to an even more powerful version of the turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 we’ve sampled before in front-wheel-drive versions of the 9-3 Aero. However, even more interesting are the system’s standard launch setting (it sends torque to the rear during takeoff) and its available electronic rear diff, which can vary torque transfer between the rear wheels.

As such, the Aero XWD not only could spell the end of Saab’s characteristic torque steer, but with tailored rear-wheel torque delivery, this most powerful Saab car to date could end up being the best handling, as well.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

2008 BMW 128i and 135i Coupes

Yay! Hooray! It’s officially official! BMW will be selling the 1-series coupe in America! OK, so we realize it wasn’t the best-kept secret, but now that they’ve issued a press release and we figure there’s no taking it back, we’re really beginning to get excited. After all, who can argue with what could potentially turn out to be a modern BMW 2002, the lightweight, pure, tossable Bimmer that started the company on its way to sports-sedan supremacy in the late 1960s?

The line, as expected, is that there will be two 1-series coupe models making it to the States, the 128i and the 135i. (Still no hatchback love for us three- and five-door aficionados, but a 1-series droptop remains a good possibility.) The 128i gets the same engine as its larger 328i and 528i siblings—the familiar 230-horsepower, 200-lb-ft, 3.0-liter inline-six—while the 135i will house the beastly twin-turbo, direct-injection 3.0-liter six, good for 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. Either choice comes with a six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission.

Those 300 ponies should catapult the 135i from 0 to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds, according to BMW, but we expect the fastest 1er to be much quicker, owing in part to BMW’s famously conservative estimates and the fact that we rang up a 0-to-60 time of 4.9 seconds for a 335i coupe. The lighter 135i should be able to at least match that figure, and we’ll go ahead and venture an estimate in the high fives or better for the 128i while we’re at it. (A 328i sedan we recently tested for a comparo clocked 6.1 seconds to 60.)

While it appears the 128i will be a blank canvas for 1-series buyers in terms of options and appearance, the 135i will include a ton of stuff right off the bat. Beyond the thrilling powerplant, of primary interest to enthusiasts is that 135i buyers will also receive the M Sport package as standard. No mere appearance upgrade—that would be the M Aerodynamic Kit, also standard on the 135i, which includes new front and rear fascias and side sills—the M Sports gear is all about performance.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

The 2008 BMW 6-series

Like leap year, L.A. gridlock, and a nice MSG coma following a binge at the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, we saw this coming. BMW confirms that its numerous little tweaks to the 5-series for the 2008 model year will also show up on the 6-series coupe.

The coupe, being the more stylish of the two, does get slightly more dramatic changes to the rockers—now chunkier, which we think succeeds only in making the car look fatter—and the rear decklid, which reaches farther off the back of the car. In curving up to meet the trailing edge of the plateau, the vertical face of the trunklid grows more concave.

Exposed: 2008 Honda Accord

After months of spy shots in varying degrees of dress, finally the all-new 2008 Honda Accord is fully exposed.

While most of the early production models are in Boston for first drives by journalists this week, a few wound their way to the wilds of Canada for what appeared to be glamour shots for brochures for Honda’s volume-seller.

The new front-wheel-drive sedan may not be the sexiest mid-size out there, but neither was the outgoing model, and it sold more than 350,000 copies in the U.S. alone last year. Like the barely clad spy shots of the sedan we showed you in May, the final form of the new four-door is sportier, with squared-off headlamps dating back to the coupe concept and a new three-dimensional beveled grille.

Shown in blue, the side creases appear more pronounced and elongate the sedan, especially the hood, for a sleeker, more elegant look, even with rounder lines as compared with the edgier quality of the coupe, which we last spied in April.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

2008 Cadillac CTS

Much ado was made of the fact General Motors Corporation had two design studios competing on the design of the Chevy Camaro. Ed Welburn, GM’s vice president of global design, was so pleased with the results of the exercise that he applied the same practice, and then some, to the development of the 2008 Cadillac CTS.

Four teams participated in a “spirited design competition” for the important entry-level Cadillac. The contenders included the Advanced Design Center in California; the main design center in Warren, Michigan; a second advanced team in a separate building in Warren; and the unmarked, nondescript yellow bunker in an undisclosed industrial park near Birmingham, U.K. This secret lair also designed Cadillac’s exotic Cien, Sixteen, and Imaj concepts.

Literally thousands of sketches were generated, Welburn says at an event organized by the automaker’s Affinity Group for Women in Pontiac, Michigan. From there, 20–25 scale models emerged from the various teams, and the process further winnowed to the creation of five full-size clay models. They were developed in the separate locations and sent to Warren for review.

Source : www.caranddriver.com/carnews

2008 Jaguar XKR Portfolio Edition

Special editions of fancy cars aren’t always our cup of tea, but in the case of the new Jaguar XKR Portfolio Edition, you won’t find us complaining. Two reasons: first, the XKR is a great car in any garb, and second, because Jaguar happily exercised a modicum of restraint in making this the pick of the litter.

So what makes this limited-edition super-cat so particularly well bred? Besides the usual exterior bits, such as its blue-black metallic paint (called “Celestial Black” and exclusive to the Portfolio), Jaguar took advantage of all that space under its 20-inch “Cremona” wheels to install Jaguar’s biggest-ever brake discs: 15.8 inches in front, 13.8 in back, each etched with crescent-shapes grooves for improved ventilation and clamped by bright red calipers. Expect those huge saucers to find their way into other hi-po Jags in the future.

Source : www.caranddriver.com

Brand new 2009 Ferrari ?

With one photo in particular appearing the way the infamous video of Sasquatch loping through the woods might look reflected in the side of an oil tanker caked in road scuz, these new Ferrari spy shots are creating quite a stir.

Taken from about a half-mile away with a Kodak disposable and a cracked pair of children’s binoculars, the ground-breaker of these spy shots reveals either a Ferrari prototype, an overturned speedboat, or a pile of fresh mulch hidden beneath a red car cover. Location? Unknown, but no doubt somewhere sporty, fast, and with really high fences.

Speculation is that this is the replacement for the F430, but we believe otherwise, as customers have been taking delivery of the current mid-engine Ferrari for less than three years. For work on its replacement to be far enough along for test drives on the streets around Modena would be too soon for Ferrari’s usual life cycle.

More likely, these shots show final-development mules for the F430 Challenge Stradale, which has not made an official appearance yet but which our spies managed to catch back in October. As for the mysterious car under the cover, it probably is an undisguised prototype of the Challenge Stradale. If anything about this car is a testbed for the next-generation car, it is possible that what we are seeing is an F430 mule with a prototype powerplant.

The greatest question here—other than the eerie appearance of large footprints in the forests of the American northwest—is the truth behind rumors that suggest the engine in the eventual F430 replacement will get its zoom from a 9500-to-10,000-rpm V-8 of more than 500 horsepower. The horsepower sounds reasonable, but 10,000 rpm? Ask Sasquatch what he thinks about that.

Source : www.caranddriver.com