Is this our first glimpse of the Nissan Z Nismo?

Spied on a Japanese racetrack, the car here appears to be the hotter version of the upcoming Z with a more aggressive styling.

Uploaded to YouTube by R Gelan, the short video shows only a few seconds of footage but that’s enough for us to spot a large rear wing and restyled rear bumper. There also appears to be a new wider front fender finished in carbon fibre.

While not much is known of the powerplant at this stage, the Z Nismo is likely to feature a tweaked and more powerful version of the regular Z’s 298kW/475Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine.

We can also expect the hotter Z to pack a raft of mechanical enhancement, including increased spring, dampening and stabiliser rates, a strut tower bar brace, performance dampers and bigger brakes.

The all-new Nissan Z will arrive in Australia around mid-year, with a choice of six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission.

There will only be one trim level that brings leather-accented seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.-3-inch digital instrument cluster with three display modes. The new model will also come standard with Active Noise Cancellation to filter out tyre and wind noise, and Active Sound Enhancement to dial up engine noise inside the cabin.

On the safety front, there will be adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.

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With the next-generation Ford Ranger inching closer to its late 2021 market launch, Ford has released a teaser video of the highly anticipated and popular ute showcasing the model being off-road tested in a variety of terrains, including gravel, sand, rocks and snow.

Like the current-generation, the new Ranger is designed and engineered in Australia for the global market, with Ford claiming the new model will have “superior off-road credentials paired with dynamic driving DNA”, as well as being “the toughest, most capable, most connected and most versatile Ranger yet”; the latter no doubt hinting at the hi-tech features inside the car.

Despite the heavy camouflage, it’s clear the next-gen model will favour the more truck-like face of the F-150, with larger and vertically-arranged LED headlights, a larger grille and muscular wheel arches.

Sitting on an upgraded version of the T6 ladder-frame platform which will also underpin the next Volkswagen Amarok, the new model will be the first Ranger to be offered with a plug-in hybrid variant. Rumours suggest a 2.3-litre EcoBoost married to an electric motor for a combined output of 270kW (362hp/367PS), along with a decent-sized battery for a reasonable EV only range.

Other engine options are likely to include a 224kW (300hp/304PS) 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder, a 246kW (330hp/335PS) 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6, and a 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 with 298kW (400hp/406PS) borrowed from the Ford Bronco Warthog for the Ranger Raptor flagship. Australia will also likely to retain the 2.0-litre EcoBlue bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel with 157kW (210hp/213PS).

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Photos of what appear to be the upcoming Nissan 400Z coupe has surfaced online.

Posted by turbologylic on Instagram and shared by the 400Zclub forum, the trio of photos not only show the front and rear of the highly anticipated sports coupe, but also a glimpse of its interior.

While there’s not much to learn about the car’s exterior, which stays impressively faithful to the concept, it’s pleasing to see the car’s interior is at once high-tech as well as featuring retro elements, such as the pair of analogue gauges that sit atop the central air vents.

Elsewhere, we can see the 400Z will come with a small electronic gear lever, while the climate control dials are all analogue.

Interestingly, Nissan has reportedly decided to just call the car the Nissan Z, possibly because the ‘400Z’ badge no longer reflects the engine’s displacement, which will switch to a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 with 298kW.

The engine will apparently be offered with two transmission options – a six-speed manual carried over from the 370Z, and a new Mercedes-sourced 9G-Tronic.

The new model will also reportedly sit on the updated underpinnings of the 370Z and benefits from increased use of aluminium and carbon fibre.

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Hot on the heels of the GR Yaris launch last month, Toyota is already cooking up an even hotter version of the pocket rocket.

Caught pounding the notorious Nurburgring circuit in Germany, the Toyota Yaris GRMN – short for Gazoo Racing Meister of Nürburgring – builds on the GR Yaris already hot exterior with added carnards on the front bumper, air breather on the front fenders, a larger rear roof spoiler and a blacked out roof panel. It can also be seen rolling on different style wheels, most likely lightweight alloys rims to shed a few kilos off the unsprung weight.

Toyota’s GRMN moniker is used only on its most hardcore models such as the upcoming Supra GRMN, and the Yaris GRMN befits its name looking mouth-wateringly track ready.

But looks alone is nothing if there’s no punch. And so the Yaris GRMN is expected to pack an uprated version of the GR Yaris’ turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine with power raised to 223kW (300 horsepower in old money), 23kW more than the GR Yaris’ 200kW. Peak torque is said to remain at 370Nm.

Designed to be a purist sports car, the Yaris GRMN will continue to utilise a six-speed manual transmission, which shuffles power to all four wheels via a GR-Four permanent all-wheel-drive system. With the GR Yaris capable of launching to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds, expect the Yaris GRMN to shave one-tenth of a second off the time.

The Toyota Yaris GRMN is slated to debut in the first half of 2021.

Images via Clicccar

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Hyundai’s family of high-performance models is set to grow with the upcoming Elantra N, which was teased in the video (below) introducing the Elantra N TCR racer a few days ago.

Appearing at the end of the video clip, the Elantra N is expected to pack the same uprated 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol that puts out 206kW and 392Nm found in the facelifted i30 N hot hatch.

Transmission option will also likely to follow in on the footsteps of the i30 N, with a six-speed manual as standard and the newly developed eight-speed dual-clutch automatic as an option.

On the styling front, the Elantra N will feature a more aggressive front fascia with deeper intakes. The prototype also shows functional inlets along the edges of the bumper scoops, while the rear end gets a prominent bootlid spoiler and a pair of large exhaust pipes.

Like the i30 N, the Elantra N will roll on larger wheels and feature bigger brakes with red calipers, sportier suspension and tweaked steering ratio.

When it arrives in 2021, the Elantra N will be the only high-performance sports sedan in its segment.

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The next-generation Audi S3 sedan has been spotted testing on public roads in Germany without a shred of camouflage. It’s the first time the sports sedan hits the wild fully undisguised, revealing a sportier front bumper design, side skirts and the obligatory quad exhaust tips.

Also visible in the spy photos are the Audi S design cues of a subtle boot lid spoiler and black application on the window frames, grille and side mirrors.

Like the current model, the new 2021 Audi S3 will get its power from a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TFSI petrol engine, with output expected to be around 220kW and 400Nm. It will continued to be offered with quattro all-wheel drive and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The new Audi S3 sedan is expected to premiere later this month.

Image source: Clicccar

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BMW presented once of its most controversial designs in recent years with the unveiling of the all-new 4 Series Coupe last week. The large, vertical BMW kidney grille on the 4 Series is sure to split opinion, but that’s before we saw the next-gen M4.

Shared by a member on BMW forum Bimmer Post, the spy photo of what appears to be a pre-production M4 reveals an even more radical kidney grille. Like the 4 Series Coupe, the kidney grille extends down to the front bumper, but unlike the 4 Series’ silver mesh grille design, the M4 features a fully blacked out grille with horizontal slats.

A more aggressive bumper design and bonnet can also be seen in the photo, along with wider wheel fenders, all hallmark design elements of an M4.

The M4, along with the M3, are expected to premiere in September. The dynamic duo will be offered in rear-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available as an option for the first time. It’s speculated to nudge 500hp (398kW), with a manual transmission continued to be offered in the M4 Pure.

Source: Bimmer Post

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This is the new BMW 4 Series Coupe that you’re not meant to see for another 24 hours or so.

Leaked online by BMWorldM, images of what appear to be the official brochure of the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe shows the controversial front grille finally made its production debut, signalling a shift in the design direction of future BMWs.

Like previous leaked images, the production 4 Series remains faithful to the Concept 4, which made its debut last year. The grille pattern in these images however, is likely reserved for the M Performance variants, as seen on the M135i and M235i Gran Coupe.

While the car’s front grille is no doubt polarising, the rest of the car is actually rather beautiful, with soft lines and a distinctive rear end.

The leaked brochure also reveals the colour pallete available for the new 4 Series:

• Alpine White
• Black Sapphire
• Mineral White
• Bluestone
• Artic Race Blue
• Portimao Blue
• Sunset Orange
• Sanremo Green
• Black Non-Metallic
• Brilliant White Metallic
• Dravite Grey
• Frozen Deep Grey
• Frozen Portimao Blue
• Tanzanite Blue

Like the latest 3 Series, the new 4 Series is also based on BMW’s CLAR platform but comes with a sportier tune to deliver sharper handling while offering a decent level of ride comfort.

It will also share the sedan’s engine line-up, including its range of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The model featured in the brochure is the M440i M Performance model that comes with a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six producing 275kW and 500Nm of torque.

More details will be revealed tomorrow.

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The upcoming Subaru Levorg has been caught testing in Japan, just a few months after the Subaru Levorg STI Sport prototype was unveiled to the world at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January.

Snapped with barely a shred of camouflage, the first of the pre-production models (silver car) was spied in Tomioka City, in the Gunma Prefecture in Japan; and if you think it looks almost identical to the aforementioned prototype, you’d be right.

It features the same headlights with a kink in the corners, while the front bumper is virtually indistinguishable from the prototype safe for the round fog lights instead of small strip of LEDs. The large bonnet scoop and aggressive air intakes have also been carried over unchanged.

A second prototype (black car) was also spied in the Gunma Prefecture last month and sports an identical front fascia to the silver car, which confirms this could be how the production car will look. The second car shows the LED daytime lights will also function as the new Levorg’s front indicators.

While the spy photos only provide a glimpse of the Levorg’s front fascia, it is safe to assume the production model’s rear end would look very similar to the concept’s, given the front’s similarity.

It is understood that entry-level models will be powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged flat four engine producing around 147kW and 294Nm of torque, while a STI-badged variant is likely to feature a larger 2.4-litre unit churning out more than 224kW.

The all-new Subaru Levorg is expected to debut around the middle of the year.

Source: Creative311

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The all-new 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been spied almost fully undisguised, revealing its fresh styling inside and out.

Shared on Twitter by Ray Chen, the images show an evolutionary front styling with a wider Mercedes grille flanked by a pair of slimmer headlights.

Around the back, the changes are slightly more significant, with a pair of horizontal taillights connected by a chrome strip that runs the entire width of the car. Further down, we spot what look like tailpipe finish but it remains to be seen whether they are real or fake.

It’s a different story inside, where the new S-Class’ interior is a big departure from the outgoing model. There’s a huge Tesla-esque portrait style infotainment system taking pride of place on the two-tier dashboard, along with a relatively large digital instrument screen behind the new three-spoke steering wheel.

Given the lack of physical buttons on the dash, the central display will likely be used to control most functions in the car.

Like the new Lexus LS, rear seat passengers also get their own touchscreen nestled in the centre armrest to control various functions from the back, while the leather seats feature a quilted pattern for a more luxurious vibe.

Based on the MRA II platform, the all-new S-Class is expected to be slightly bigger than the current model and feature Level 3 autonomous driving where permitted by law. It also gets active suspension along with rear-wheel steering for improved ride and handling.

Under the bonnet, we can expect some sort of electrification, along with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, as well as a V12 for the range topper.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is anticipated to make its debut in September.

Source: Ray Chen via Carscoop

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