Spy Shots: Next Volkswagen GTI mule snapped

Volkswagen has apparently commenced road tests for the company's next-generation Golf GTI and Golf R. Our legion of crafty spy photographers managed to nab a few photos of a pair of test mules spotted out and about in public. From the looks of things, the upcoming Golf GTI will rely on a set of dual-exhaust pipes in the future while the more menacing Golf R will go for quad pipes.Volkswagen hasn't released any final details on either vehicle, but from the whispers kicking around the web, it sounds like both hatches will need their new easy-breathing exhausts. In GTI trim, the Golf is expected to kick out around 230 horsepower – 30 more ponies than the current model. Step up the Golf R and you'll likely be treated to closer to 300 ponies.

Report: 1963 Volkswagen Bus hammers at record-setting $217,800

At Barrett-Jackson's recent Orange County, California auctions, a 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III James Young sedan went for $159,500, a 2005 Ford GT sold for $165,000 and a 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger cleared $215,600. Topping them all, and every other car for the weekend: a 1963 Volkswagen Samba Microbus, sold for $217,800 inclusive of bidder's fee.

2012 BMW M5 unveiled at Nürburgring 24

We have seen it hinted and teased and glossily presented all over the internet, so we flew ourselves to the Nürburgring 24-hour affair and got all over her. Of course, we're talking about the long-awaited F10, or fifth-generation, M5 from BMW. The big news is that it will likely be priced at just eight percent above the starting sticker of the last-generation V10-powered E60 M5. Make that a cool $92,000. Then add M bells and whistles.We know most of the details in the general sense. (The assembled BMW development bosses were all bragging about how much they had driven it already around the Nürburgring and Hockenheimring, and all those other 'Rings we don't get daily access to. Dirty dogs.) A 553-horsepower, 4.4-liter Twin-Power Turbo V8 shared with the X5 M and X6 M behemoths, plus the small matter of 500 pound-feet of torque between 1,500 and 5,750 rpm. Redline is now right around 7,200 rpm instead of the discontinued E60 M5's V10 that smacked us around at 8,250.Versus the predecessor, which ceased production way back in December 2009, power is up by roughly 10 percent, torque by 30 percent, and fuel efficiency also by a whalloping 30 percent. "Drive it on the autobahn at full unrestricted speed around 180 miles per hour," says the F10 M5's project leader, Albert Biermann, "and certainly those efficiency numbers suffer. But our engineers drove the F10 every day to and from home some weeks, and have realized all of these better numbers."

2011 Saab 9-5 and Volkswagen CC earn IIHS Top Safety Pick awards

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has awarded two vehicles Top Safety Pick awards. After testing eight mid-size to large sedans, the IIHS has called out the 2011-12 Volkswagen CC and 2011 Saab 9-5 for its highest award. Both vehicles earned "good" ratings for front, side, rear and rollover protection during testing. It should be noted, however, that only the front-wheel-drive VW CC gets the Top Safety nod, as the all-wheel-drive version only received an "acceptable" rating in rollover testing.The IIHS also tested Lexus IS, Lexus ES, Infiniti G, Chevrolet Impala, BMW 3 Series and Saab 9-3. The rest of the vehicles had score ratings ranging from good to acceptable, but it was the Saab 9-5 and Volkswagen CC (FWD) that walked away with a clean sweep in all tests.

First Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan

At first blush, Munich seems like an awfully long way to travel for the chance to drive a mid-cycle refresh. But Volkswagen has good reason to ask us to schlep across the Atlantic to drive its updated-for-2012 Tiguan: Momentum.The compact crossover had a bit of a knock-kneed start out of the gates when it arrived in the U.S. in May of 2008 as a 2009 model. While demand was spectacular at home in Europe, the VW failed to find early favor with North American shoppers, despite entering a white-hot segment. But that's rapidly changing. Last year, Tiguan sales increased from fewer than 14,000 units to nearly 21,000, and this year, it's on its way to a new record, selling almost 3,100 units in May alone. And thanks to a series of meaningful updates for 2012, there's every reason to believe that the kid brother of the pricey Touareg will continue to find increasing favor among consumers.

Report: BMW to rename 1 and 3 Series coupes as 2 and 4 Series

While Mercedes-Benz has been steadily re-integrating its four-seat coupes and cabrios into their corresponding sedan ranges, BMW is reportedly preparing to go the other way. Word from Car Magazine has it that the Bavarian automaker is preparing to launch the next-generation versions of its 1 Series and 3 Series coupes and convertibles as the 2 Series and 4 Series, respectively.The move would correspond well to the 6 Series, the coupe and convertible that sits between the 5 Series and 7 Series sedans. It's not the first time BMW has considered such a move, having come close to spinning the two-door 3 Series into a 4 Series about a decade ago.

First official 2012 BMW M5 shots hit the web

Official 2012 BMW M5 images have leaked onto the Internet as the latest iteration of the legendary M model prepares to charge toward showrooms. The F10 M5 is flared and aero-ed up with bodywork that maintains a buttoned-up demeanor even as it radiates aggression. Onlookers can tell the M5 is a special car with its enlarged air intakes in the front fascia, quartet of tailpipes and 20-inch wheels with Z-rated tires, but it doesn't need to be festooned with wings and bling to make its point.The 2012 M5 is about more than mere surface beauty, after all. The sonorous V10 of the last M5 has been traded out for a twin-turbocharged V8 fist. Power is up, with 552 horsepower (the V10 produced 507 hp) coming on at 6,000 rpm – 1,750 rpm lower than the V10. Torque is hugely boosted from 383 pound-feet to 501 lb-ft, which will be great for shoving this car to 60 miles per hour in a reported 4.4 seconds. That'll route to the rear wheels via a standard dual-clutch transmission, though a proper six-speed stick will reportedly be available here in the United States. - Autoblog

Spy Shots: Subaru RWD coupe spotted on the 'Ring

We see a lot of spy shots here at Autoblog. But few vehicles have popped up quite as much as the Toyobaru FT-86. The rear-wheel drive sportscar that may very well spawn Toyota, Scion and Subaru versions has popped up on roads around the world. And now it's taken to the Nürburgring.The legendary German road course is a favorite among chassis development engineers for the variety of corners and surfaces around its undulating distance. Most German and many Japanese and American sportscars undergo at least part of their shakedown there, with many manufacturers maintaining on-site workshops.While the Subaru coupe and its FT-86 sibling may not be up to the task of chasing LFAs and GTRs, its appearance at the notorious Green Hell may be our best indication yet of the car's sporting potential.

Spy Shots: 2013 Volkswagen CC getting new corporate face

The 2012 Passat may be garnering the majority of our attention over at Volkswagen, but looking ahead, it appears that the swoopier CC is due for a facelift. Unsurprisingly, these camouflaged testers show a front fascia that's more akin to what we see on both the Passat and Jetta. We've always been big fans of the CC's styling, so let's hope that the more sedate front end still translates well onto the sedan's overall shape.We can expect a slightly revised rear fascia to accompany the changes up front, and new wheel choices will likely be offered for the 2013 model year. The CC's interior will get a slight touching-up, as well. Mum's the word on powertrain options, but we wouldn't be surprised if the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and 3.6-liter V6 carry over largely unchanged.

Official: 2011 BMW M3 Frozen Black Edition hits the U.S., only 20 examples to be produced

On June 16, 2011 at 11:30 AM EST, BMW will start taking orders for the car you see here, the 2011 Frozen Black Edition M3 Coupe. Only 20 examples will be produced, with the first 19 being sold on a first come, first serve basis to anyone willing to plunk down $79,650. BMW North America will hold on to the 20th car (you know, for auto shows and such), though it may be sold on a later date.So, what does nearly $80,000 net you? Obviously, all the grace and glory of the M3 Coupe, complete with its 4.0-liter, 414-horsepower V8. The Frozen Black coupes will only be available with the M DCT dual-clutch transmission, which lowers the 0-60 time from 4.7 seconds to 4.5.All 20 coupes will be fitted with BMW's M3 Competition Package, not to mention optional goodies like the full premium and convenience packages, as well as things like heated seats, satellite radio and a premium sound system. In addition to the Frozen Black paint, this special M3 is set apart from its kin with black Novillo leather with red contrast stitching, M3 GTS wheels (painted black, of course), red brake calipers and a whole lot of other sinister design touches.For the full list of Frozen Black M3 equipment. Customers will be able to take delivery of their cars starting at the end of June, with the full production run to be completed by the end of July.

2012 Volkswagen Passat configurator powers up

The Volkswagen Passat has gotten a big makeover for 2012, with all-new styling and a lower price tag starting at $19,995. Now we know exactly what to expect for under $20k, thanks to VW's the new online configurator. For starters, the base Passat has the 170-hp 2.5-liter five-cylinder mated to a five-speed manual. It also gets an eight-speaker sound system, Bluetooth and dual-zone climate control.Move up to the Passat TDI and the price of entry jumps to $25,995. The big pull is, of course, the 2.0-liter turbodiesel, which is rated at 31 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway. The range-topper is the Passat V6, which produces 280 horsepower and has a six-speed DSG. The $3,955 V6 SEL package adds navigation, a 30GB hard drive, leather seats with Dynamica inserts and Autumn Nut Burl interior trim, bringing the MSRP to $32,950.

Spy Shots: BMW M6 coupe looks production-ready

The sporty German two-door may be wearing camo in these photos, but it certainly looks like we're going to see the naked BMW M6 in the very near future.The convertible has already been subjected to the spy photographer's lens, but now its time for the cam-clad coupe to jump into the spotlight. We expect both the drop-top and hardtop to pack the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that's found under the hood of the newest M5. Output for that hi-po sedan is rated at 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque.

Official: BMW spills all the beans on new 1 Series

There's no point, or so the saying goes, of closing the door once the horses have bolted. So shortly after the first handful of images leaked their way onto the Internet, BMW has released the full kit n' kaboodle on its new entry-level model.The all-new 2012 1 Series is expected to make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. And when it does, it will be a substantially different car than the model it replaces. The new model – code-named F20 and based on the same platform that underpins the (now only slightly larger) 3 Series – has grown considerably over the E81 it succeeds, with every dimension but height increasing. The changes benefit both interior and cargo space, two aspects where the outgoing model fell short.The new sheetmetal has also bears revised styling, with a bigger face incorporating the giant eyes featured on BMW's latest concept cars, a more pronounced swage line and taillights moved outboard across the wider track to offer a larger liftgate aperture for increased ease-of-use. The Bavarians also appear to have paid close attention to the interior fit and finish to improve on the previous model's rather spartan cabin.Under that long nose, the new baby Bimmer is being launched exclusively with four-cylinder engines, and while more variants are expected to follow, for now it's just the five-door hatch. A pair of 1.6-liter gasoline engines pack direct injection and offer 136 horsepower in 116i trim and 170 in the 118i. Three 2.0-liter turbo-diesels are also being offered overseas, ranging from 116 horsepower up to 184 in the flagship 120d. A 1.5-liter three-pot is expected to come in gasoline and diesel variants, while the top 128iS is slated to get a 245hp turbo 2.0-liter gasoline four to take the place of the current six-cylinder 130i.All engines come mated to either a six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed auto from ZF, with an array of earth-friendly technologies including stop-start ignition and regenerative braking. Of course, this being the latest offering from a leading German automaker, all manner of electronic assists are on offer, from self-adjusting high-beams and lane departure warning to automatic traffic sign recognition and a back-up camera.Overseas buyers will also be able to choose between Urban and Sport trim levels offering different aesthetics, but we'll have to sit tight to see which models will make their voyage to this side of the Atlantic.

Report: VW to release 235-hp 35 Edition GTI to U.S. dealers

Does this storyline look familiar? A German or Japanese automaker announces some hot-sounding variant of a vehicle we already love, but then they follow that news up by telling us that the new model won't be making its way to the U.S. We thought this tired and disappointing plot was once again unfolding with the recent announcement of a Volkswagen 35 Edition GTI, but Car and Driver cites sources who say we're likely to receive the hot hatch after all.The big news for the 35 Edition GTI is a jump in horsepower to 235 horsepower, or 25 more ponies than the already awesome standard GTI. The name of the special edition VW comes as a tribute to the fact that the GTI has been available in Europe for 35 years. Not so in the U.S., though, so the name may have to change if it indeed reaches our shores. C/D points out that the first GTI hit the States in 1983, so the 30 Edition name could be a strong possibility. Of course, that means the 35 badging on the door sills, seats and fenders will need to go, but we're guessing the deletes won't be much trouble at all.While this report is no clear confirmation from VW, we're optimistic that C/D's sources could be onto something. Hope springs eternal and all that...