The blokes at Car say they've got the scoop on the upcoming Audi A7, including a convertible version depicted in the rendering on the right. Power is rumored to start with six cylinders across the range, with a V10-powered S7 and a twin-turbo V10-motivated RS7. Expect a variety of transmissions to be on offer as well, including manuals, automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with six or seven speeds, along with the availability of quattro all-wheel-drive.
Sources have suggested that, while Audi will be behind the game in bringing a four-door coupe in the Mercedes CLS mold to market in the first half of 2010, it's got another segment-busting trick up it's sleeve: a full four-door convertible. And according to Car's illustrators, the A7 cabrio will feature a full retractable hard-top. Many have toyed with the idea of a four-door convertible – most recently arch-rival Mercedes with the Ocean Drive concept from Detroit '07 – but Audi may be the ones to actually revive the long-lost segment. Parade detail, here we come.
It's not every day that a new supercar is announced. But those are the good days, and for when they roll around, Jon Sibal is ready. The gifted illustrator who has already brought us renderings of the upcoming Mercedes SLR McLaren Speedster and a race-prepped Lexus LF-A has now taken a stab at the upcoming Aston Martin One-77.
The new flagship supercar from Aston Martin was announced earlier this month and accompanied by a few teaser renderings from the factory. Those were followed by a rather uninspired speculative conception of what form the carbon-fiber supercar would take, and though we're not sure what to make of Sibal's take on the subject, it does appear to be rather accurate. We just hope the One-77 looks better in the flesh, as we've come to expect more from the company that brought us the DBS and the V8 Vantage.
Keeping track of who's cribbing whose automotive designs is about to get even more difficult once Honda brings its new Euro Civic to market. If this rendering from Auto Express is to be believed, the new hatch is a certifiable stunner. That is due in large part to the fact it looks almost exactly like another stunner: the new Volkswagen Scirocco. Swap out the grille and the rear lights, and that Honda is... practically a VW.
The OSM concept at the British Auto Show was the appetizer for the next Euro Civic's looks -- there was simply more distance between it and That Other Hatch since the OSM had no top. Under the hood, though, Honda has vastly different plans: rumors include a 1.5-liter hybrid with 150 hp and a 2.0-liter for the Type R that could be assisted by an electric motor
The 2-door hatch will be a different proposition than the 4-door and aimed at a different buyer just like the current models in Europe. Not that it will make a difference to American buyers, because just like the car it (kind of) plays doppelganger to, the Civic hatch isn't coming to the U.S. Thanks for the tip, Colin!
Nissan's plans for an affordable, rear-wheel-drive coupe to slot in below the current Z have been rumored for years and we've been informed that internal politics have killed off at least one revival of an iconic Datsun. If work ever gets underway on another budget coupe, Nissan should seriously pursue Polish designer Iacoski and his interpretation of a 240Z/Fairlady revival.
Aft of the a-pillar, Iacoski's inspiration is clearly apparent, blending the old 240's slopping roofline and short rear overhangs with the muscular haunches and angled fender flares of the current 350Z. Up front, the Photoshop wizard retained the old Fairlady's elongated hood and power bulge, and matched them with a front air dam, bumper and headlamp arrangement influenced by the second GTR Proto concept.
We're totally smitten and think you'll be equally entertained when you check out the gallery of images below.
It is our sincere hope that this rendering is as far off the mark as we think it is. The scary part is that if you look at the teaser and then flip back to this shot, the elements actually seem to match up. The horror. That big venty nose on an Aston? We sure hope this chop winds up being the product of a photoshop artist with bad taste. We'll lose all respect for Aston Martin if it ends up making an Attack Mode GT, even if it does pack a V12 and accelerate fast enough to catch a sprinting Chuck Norris.
As Alfa Romeo prepares to launch its next all-new model, dubbed the 149, test mules have been spotted, details have come into focus and speculations have been rendered.
The five-door hatchback will join the MiTo in replacing the aging 147. Sources suggest that the 149 moniker could be dropped before the car is unveiled next year, only a few telling months after the Volkswagen Golf VI is due for its debut. Borrowing styling cues from the 8C Competizione and MiTo, the Alfa 149 is expected it to include a new three-arm rear suspension and Alfa's trick Q2 differential, with the eventual availability of Q4 all-wheel-drive remaining a question mark. Diesel and gasoline engines are anticipated to range between 120 and 250 horsepower, and the 149 is tipped to be complying with the upcoming six-star EuroNCAP safety rating, and more tellingly, new U.S. crash requirements as well.
Some still maintain that the Alfa hatch will be based on the same platform that underpins the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, although Alfa representatives have asserted that the 149 will spearhead its own unique platform. Either way, the platform could underpin the replacement for the 159 sedan and wagon, as well as the replacements for the Brera and Spider, while Alfa executives continue to deliberate over the possibility of a crossover model as well.
The photoshop rendering you see above was skillfully executed by Quinty, and gives us a pretty good idea of what the sporty S5 cabrio could look like. While its competitors opt for retractable hard-tops, the convertible A5 and S5 are expected to use a simpler (and lighter-weight) soft-top, surrounded by a chrome strip to class it up a little. Power will likely carry over from the fixed-roof version when the new convertible hits the market early next year.
Try as we might, we could not find the punchline to this bit of news, so we're going to run with it. Nissan is creating a Murano convertible, supposedly for empty nesters who want a side dish of top down to go with space for the kids and grandkids. Should such a thing occur, it will be searing your retinas as of 2010.
Nothing is slated to change on the car except the use of a soft-top convertible, even less trunk space, and most likely, the price. To see the rendering, if Nissan simply took the top off, the car might be a little bulbous but acceptable. If Nissan were to use a rollhoop, however... that means they're making a PT Cruiser with a higher seating position. And, as far as we're concerned, that just ain't cool... Thanks for the tip, Cory!
Click above for more renderings of the 2010 Mazda3
Sure, it has happened where a toy manufacturer accidentally reveals a new car, but we don't believe this is one of those times. These renderings of the redesigned 2010 Mazda3 were posted in a thread over on carspyshots.net under the auspice of being toy renderings, but our colleagues from Autoblog Spanish did some digging and discovered that Mazda actually owns these images, not some Japanese toy manufacturer. Thus, it's more likely that these are actual renderings of the real, full-scale 2010 Mazda3. Of course, we could all be wrong and these renderings may have been made by a kid in his mother's basement, as the perspective and scale seems off in some areas. Then again, the design they show, which takes a few styling cues from the new Mazda6 and refreshed RX-8, is right in line with what we're expecting. Thanks for the tip, Galvin!
So let's talk renderings of what the production Chevrolet Volt might look like since they seem to be popping up a few places now. We know for a fact that it will look different from the concept that debuted in January 2007 at the Detroit Auto Show. Will it look like the image above or more like the one we showed you earlier today from another site? From what we know it will almost certainly be closer to this red car, although probably not exactly the same. As we learned last fall, the concept was not particularly aerodynamically efficient nor did it meet the requirements necessary to meet pedestrian safety standards. Since low drag is paramount in order to maximize the amount of kinetic energy recaptured during regenerative braking, the nose has to be much more rounded when viewed from above and the windshield needs more rake. The rendering above comes much closer on both counts and is also closer to what was seen on the wind tunnel model earlier this spring.
The blokes at Car say they've got the scoop on the upcoming Audi A7, including a convertible version depicted in the rendering on the right. Power is rumored to start with six cylinders across the range, with a V10-powered S7 and a twin-turbo V10-motivated RS7. Expect a variety of transmissions to be on offer as well, including manuals, automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with six or seven speeds, along with the availability of quattro all-wheel-drive. 
Spy Shot: Production interior of Chevy Volt (maybe)
Rumormill: Lexus LF-A... Stillborn?
Ford reveals 2010 Mustang badge
REPORT: Chrysler may sell Dodge Viper rather than kill it
Audi develops R8 GT3 racer
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Nissan Murano
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Dodge Journey R/T
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Jeep Compass Sport 4x2
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Carrera S
First Drive: 2009 Honda Fit Sport
