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...