Scoop: Audi A8 - VW Phaethon Based Coupe

Spy photographers of Swedish car magazine Teknikensvarld have spotted this weird test mule based on a shortened version of the Audi A8 luxury sedan. The Swedes support that the two-door car we’re seeing here is prototype for an upcoming Coupe-Cabrio version of the VW Phaethon, but we believe otherwise here at Carscoop.

From what we can make from the pictures this is a coupe and not a hardtop cabriolet, but most importantly we seriously doubt that VW will attempt to penetrate the luxury segment with another proposition. It sounds more logical to us if the VW Group let Audi handle these special segments and this coupe –which could also spawn a cabriolet, could be Ingolstadt’s answer to the BMW 6-Series and Mercedes-Benz' SL models. -One more (blurry...) image after the jump

Via: Teknikensvarld

UPDATE: Ford Kuga SUV Official English Press Release

There’s no need to get excited or anything since, as we informed you last night when we got the German press release in our hands, Ford didn’t include any technical details on the Kuga. What it does contain though is comments from various Ford Europe Execs like CEO John Fleming and Executive Design Director Martin Smith. -Follow the jump to read the full English press release

FORD KUGA: A STYLISH, ALL-NEW ADDITION TO THE FORD RANGE FOR 2008

COLOGNE, July 19, 2007 – Ford of Europe's model range will have an all-new addition early in 2008 – The Ford Kuga. A preview model of the production vehicle will be presented to the press and public at the 2007 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, which opens on September 13.

"With the launch of the Ford Kuga, we will keep the promise that we gave at the Paris Motor Show 2006: to develop a stylish new model based on the stunning Ford iosis X concept car in less than two years," said John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe.

Ford's European Design team has applied its exciting 'kinetic design' form language to introduce a compact and distinctive new 4x4 crossover to the Ford portfolio. "We recognised that image-conscious customers for this kind of vehicle want a very individual car in which impressive on-road capability blends seamlessly with substantial off-road ability," said Martin Smith, Executive Design Director for Ford of Europe.

"Kuga will stand out from the crowd by offering the visual excitement of 'kinetic design' and the on-road driving quality that customers of cars like the Ford Focus, the S-MAX and the new Mondeo have come to expect from us," added Smith.

The Ford design team is also releasing its first official styling sketch of the new model.

"Kuga is adventurous and distinctive, and we wanted to highlight this in our first official image," Stefan Lamm, Ford's Chief Designer for Exteriors, commented. "We believe that there is a role for a more athletic and charismatic vehicle that marks a departure from the norm, in the same way that the award-winning Ford S-MAX carved out new territory for an MPV."

The all-new Ford Kuga will go into production early in 2008 at Ford's Saarlouis plant in Germany. It will be launched across Europe from Spring 2008.

"I'm really excited that we are adding the Ford Kuga to our growing product range in Europe," said Fleming. "It represents the continuation of our design-led commitment to add emotion and desirability to our cars and we expect it to bring even more new customers to the blue oval brand as we continue our product-led transformation towards sustained business success."

2008 MINI Clubman Interior Scoop Images

Having already exposed the first exterior images of the forthcoming MINI Clubman, the only thing left for us to see before the Frankfurt Show unveiling were the interior shots. Thanks’ to a couple of readers at Motoringfile, we now get that chance. The scoop images not only reveal details on the interior but we also see the mechanism on the 3rd (suicide style) door and the space provided for the rear passengers. -Image gallery after the jump

Via: Motorpasion , Source: Motoringfile

Video: 2009 Porsche Panamera In Nurburgring

Lately we’re seeing a lot of Porsche’s forthcoming Panamera -just last week we showed you a new set of pictures of the Cayenne based sports sedan that’ll be offered with V6 and V8 engines. This time though we’ve got a spy video of the Panamera scooped performing test runs both on public roads and the Nurburgring race track that not only allows us to see the first 4door Porsche but we also get the chance to hear the V8 at work. -Video after the jump

Via: Le Blog Auto

2008 Ferrari F430 Scuderia - 510Hp & 1,250kg

Due to be unveiled by Michael Schumacher himself at the upcoming Frankfurt Show in September, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia is a no-compromise lightweight version of the F430 Coupe. Compared to the later the Scuderia has undergone a serious diet cutting off 100 kg – 220 lb thus reducing dry weight to 1,250 kg – 2,756 lb while the naturally aspirated 4.3-litre V8 has been tuned to 510 Hp @ 8500 rpm – up from 490 Hp. These numbers give us a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.45 kg.

Ferrari engineers also equipped theF430 Scuderia with a revised F1 gearbox, called Superfast that reduces gear change times to 60 milliseconds, whereas for the first time a new traction control system combines the E-Diff electronic differential and the F1-Trac traction and stability control in a single integrated system. Design-wise, the Scuderia has been "pimped" the Italian way with body stripes, carbon parts, delicious forked gold alloy wheels etc. Inside Ferrari added a pair of racing seats along with heaps of carbon-fibre. -High res image gallery and press release after the jump

Via: Eurocarblog

The Ferrari 430 Scuderia

Michael Schumacher will officially unveil the car at the Frankfurt Motor Show

The new Ferrari 430 Scuderia will join the road-going V8 line-up alongside the F430 coupe and the F430 Spider. The 430 Scuderia is a truly high-performance 2-seater berlinetta which demonstrates how Ferrari's Formula 1 know-how is carried across to its production cars.

The new model is a special series based on the F430 and is aimed specifically at Ferrari's most passionate and sports-driving oriented clients. Development focused on light weight, minimum trimmings and innovative technology. All this to exalt the car's extremely high-performance and ability to thrill the driver.

The new car can count on an extremely low weight-to-power ratio of just 2.45 kg per hp thanks to a low dry weight of just 1250 kg - 100 kg less than the standard F430, and to the naturally-aspirated 4308cc V8's 510 hp at 8500 rpm.

Superb performance both on and off the track is assured by a series of cutting-edge solutions. There is the latest F1 software - Superfast - which reduces gearchange times to just 60 milliseconds, and new traction control which, for the first time, combines the E-Diff electronic differential and the F1-Trac traction and stability control in a single integrated system.

Vehicle dynamics, control and performance thus represent the zenith of Ferrari's achievements in terms of developing road-certified sports cars. The 430 Scuderia will be officially unveiled by Michael Schumacher on September 11 2007 at the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt.

Extra Features:

• Forked Gold Rims
• Carbon Fiber Mirrors
• Double Stripes
• Rear Challenge Grill
• Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel w/Shift Indicator Lights
• Carbon Fiber Binnacle, Shifter Paddles
• Carbon Fiber Engine Bay Vents
• Engine Bay Strut Supports
• Carbon Fiber Diffuser w/Central 'Challenge' Exhaust tips
• Racing Seats w/Mesh Inserts(EU Market Only)
• 430 Scuseria Script on rear
• Revised Front Wheel Well Scoops

Official: 2008 Ford Kuga Crossover To Premiere In Frankfurt Show

Continuing our “Frankfurt Show News Bulletin”, we managed to obtain the first official sketch along with the German press release on Ford’s highly anticipated mid-sized crossover model called Kuga. To put it simple, we’re talking about the production version of Ford’s Iosis X concept revealed at the Paris motor show last autumn. Evidently the Kuga’s styling is less dramatic than last year’s Iosis-X concept (see pics after the jump) but it still looks the part in our opinion. Of course we’re not overlooking the fact that this is a sketch and we all know that reality might be disappointing...

According to the press release the Kuga will be manufactured at Ford’s plant in Saarlouis, Germany which also produces the Focus and its MPV sibling, the C-MAX. Based on Ford’s mid-sized C1 platform (used on the Ford Focus / C-Max, Land Rover Freelander, Mazda3, Volvo S40 and V50), the Kuga will start its European career in early 2008 after appearing at the September Frankfurt Motor Show. The models that the Ford’s eyeing include the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 even the Nissan Qashqai. -Continued: Click the article’s title or “Read More…” below

Sadly Ford avoided revealing any technical details in its teaser press release. However, we expect that the Kuga will be offered with 1.6-liter Duratec Ti-VCT and 2.0-litre Duratec petrol units delivering 125 and 140 Hp respectively along with the 1.8 and 2.0-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel units with an output of 125 and 140 Hp respectively. Maybe if we’re lucky, Ford might even add the ST’s 225Hp 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 into the range.

German Press Release (Translated via Google so don’t expect any wonders…)

PS: If any bloggers need the original German or French Press Release e-mail us here

The model family of Ford OF Europe is extended at the beginning of of 2008 with Ford the Kuga by a new member. A Preview model of the series vehicle is already shown the press and the public on the Frankfurt motor show, which opens its gates on 13 September.

“With the introduction Ford of the Kuga we hold our automobile salon Paris on that 2006 given promise to develop in less than two years a new, stylistic fastidious new model basis much of the considered Ford Iosis X Concept Cars”, explain John Fleming, president and CEO von Ford OF Europe. Of Ford European Design team has its trailblazing “Kinetic Design” - stylistic idiom to a compact and unmistakable 4x4-Crossover-Modell transfer, which will supplement the model offer of Ford in the coming year.

“We recognized that image-conscious customers in this segment expect a very individual vehicle, which convinces by perfect road qualities likewise as by impressing Offroad abilities” describe Ford OF Europe Executive Design Director Martin Smith the concept. “The Kuga is in this segment a Solitär, because the optically responding “Kinetic Design” finds its correspondence in a handling on the road, like it our customers of models like Ford the focus, which S-MAX and the new Mondeo already know and expect”, adds Smith.

Ford Design team publishes likewise the first official styling design of the new model. “The Kuga is a vehicle with strong signal effect, and which we wanted to communicate to Smith also in our first official picture”, commentate. “We are the conviction that the time for an athletic and charismatisches vehicle is ripe. The Kuga goes in the same way new ways like price-crowned Ford S-MAX, to that the MPV segment new terrain opened.”

New Ford Kuga at the beginning of of 2008 will go in the Ford work into Saarlouis into production and starting from spring 2008 with the European Ford dealers will be available. “I am pleased about the fact that we can extend our constantly growing model offer in Europe with Ford the Kuga”, explain Fleming. “The Kuga corresponds to our goal of lending to our models by independent Design of more Emotionalität and the status from desire objects to. In this way we want to win new customers for the vehicles with the oval blue Logo. With Ford the Kuga we order over a product, an important contribution for the lasting success of the mark Ford will carry out.”

Insiders: 2008 Audi A4 To Be Unveiled In Frankfurt

Ok, we might not have any scoop pictures or fancy CGI’s of the next A4, but we guess this piece of information maybe worth a bit more for all you Audi fans. You’ve probably heard the rumours but we’re in a position to validate them as we just received confirmation from our Audi insider that the third generation A4 Sedan will definitely make its appearance at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Interestingly, our insider also told us that Audi might unveil the new A4 to selected journalists one day before the show opens up its gates to the media. (Pic: Audi A5)