Possible 2012 Audi A3 Image Leaked?

What you see here may or may not be part of the rear end of the next-generation Audi A3. The image is quite blurred so details are sketchy at best. What can be seen distinctly though are the four Audi rings, some Q5-like design cues and LEDs on the tail lamp. Of course the A3 wording on the registration plate tells us what car it is.



The next A3 should hit European showroom floors in 2010 since the current model has been in the market for six years now. Body styles will include a three-door hatch, a five-door Sportback, a cabriolet and a rumoured sedan for the US market which will be sold as a 2012 model.

The engines speculated to be in the lineup include the recently announced 1.2 TSI making 75kW (105hp), the 1.4 TSI producing 104kW (141hp) as well as a 1.8 TSI with 127kW (173hp). There will also be turbo diesels just as in the current model which will be topped by a rumoured 152kW (207hp) 2.0-litre TDI.

Sitting atop the pile for the first time will be an RS 3 model which has been spied during testing exercises. That car should run the same 250kW (340hp) 2.5-litre turbo found in the new TT RS. Mated with all these engines will be choice between a 6-speed manual or a new 7-speed DSG double-clutch transmission.

Spy Photos: 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid

The upcoming 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid has been spotted again near Spartanburg by our close friend Palbay.We have recently saw the X6 ActiveHybrid at the Detroit Auto Show where we learned that it will go on sale by the end of this year.

Compared to the previous spy photos that showed us the X6 in darker colors, this time, we seem to have here the official single color that will be available for the X6 Hybrid. We mentioned in our previous article that the Hybrid SAC will be available in one color only, similar to the one we have seen at previous auto shows, a light blue paint.




The BMW X6 is a two-mode hybrid based on an 8-cylinder gasoline engine which has been custom-made to meet the requirements of an SAV. The system uses a modular hybrid system which can be adapted to many different engine/vehicle combination, as opposed to a design-specific petrol engine/hybrid combination, which sees wider use in the automotive industry.

Porsche Panamera: Convertible coming?

Rumors about a coupe version of the Porsche Panamera were circulating before the sedan was even officially announced, and while a 928 successor has potential, a convertible version of the four-door Panamera seems downright absurd. However, according to an interview conducted by Auto Motor und Sport with Porsche development head Wolfgang Dürheimer, a drop-top Panamera is feasible – if not entirely likely. Dürheimer is quoted as saying (translated), "Currently, this topic is not on the agenda. We have other homework to do, such as the six-cylinder. And then the Panamera will also have a hybrid engine." As expected, AMuS runs with it, saying that the Panamera convertible would pack a cloth soft-top rather than a retractable hard-top, in keeping with Porsche's convertible 911 variants and Boxster.