Well, kind of. Ferrari has teamed up with the gaming gods behind Gran Turismo to give us this teaser trailer of a virtual Ferrari California ahead of the car's unveil at the Paris Motor Show. Looks very cool but we wish they'd sampled a bit of the car's V8 bark too.

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There’ve been rumours and scoops aplenty surrounding the soft-top Audi R8 but this is the first time that it’s been caught in the buff.

Apart from the obvious fact that the aluminium roof’s been replaced with a canvas hood, the biggest change from the coupe is the deletion of the controversial ‘blades’ behind the doors.

The eagle-eyed amongst you might also spot the larger exhausts on this car which suggest that the upcoming V10 will be available along side the V8 from launch. Still want that Gallardo?

[Source: Next Autos] 

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As SAAB readies itself to launch its looooong overdue 9-5 replacement, further details are emerging about the BMW 5-series rival.

The biggest news is that, true to SAAB’s desire to downsize engine capacity without hurting performance, the new model will feature a high-pressure 1.6-litre engine. Despite the small engine, the next car will actually be larger than the outgoing model and will be based on the new Epsilon II platform that debuted under the new Vauxhall Insignia.

Meanwhile the next 9-3 will downsize to the Delta platform that will underpin the next Astra.

We’ll be keeping a beady eye out for the 9-5 at next Spring’s Geneva Motor Show

[Source: AutoBlog]

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Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, so you should never judge a car by the picture. The design of most modern cars is so complex that their subtleties and proportions are lost in two dimensions. It’s not until you see them in daylight in the middle of other traffic that you can really appreciate their merits. The Mercedes CLS, for example, looked terrible in the original pictures but is magnificent on the road.

That’s why I’m reserving judgement on the Lotus ‘Project Eagle’ until I’ve seen it for real at next week’s London Show. In the pictures the design looks a little fussy but I’ve a suspicion it will look a great deal better when we see it for real at the Excel next week.

BMW has released this teaser video of its soon to be unveiled GINA Light Visionary concept car. It's difficult to see how the car will look, save for some rather hi-tech looking lights and what appears to be a 2-seater open sports car body. We'll bring you more details as they emerge.

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A document from Audi's Polish offices has been leaked, revealing the firm’s product strategy for the foreseeable future.

It reveals details of the upcoming S4’s 333bhp supercharged V6, the next RS4’s 450bhp V8, the Volkswagen Tiguan based Q3, and the A/S5 Sportback models as well as a new model in the R8 range.

Oh yes, the R8 is going topless. What better way to take in its cracking set of lungs?

The big-wigs in Ingolstadt have so far refused to comment on the document, but have launched an investigation into how it got out.

What is interesting is that none of these plans appear to feature anything even vaguely environmetally friendly. Oh well, we'll just have to take the R8 then...

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Sat in a cold, wet, miserable Munich in the new Audi TTS. This is the first time that Audi's diminutive coupe has worn the 'S' moniker and it's designed to signify its transition from posers poodle to serious sports car. From £33,390 or £35,390 in roadster guise, this car must stand toe-to-toe with the Porsche Boxster/Cayman, Mercedes SLK and BMW Z4.

It's been given a WAG-friendly makeover with new front and rear spoilers, quad tailpipes and chunky alloys. It looks like an adolescent version of the R8 supercar, which is probably exactly what Audi intended.

Inside you get a bit more dead cow on the dashboard and, a flat bottomed steering wheel and, on our test car, some garish red leather upholstery, but it's otherwise business as usual - handsome, functional, beautifully made.

Here are some initial driving impressions. The 268bhp, 2.0 turbo engine offers convincing performance - 0-62mph takes 5.4sec. It doesn't sound bad but don't expect the aural treat of the Porsche or even the sonorous tunes of BMW's 3.0 litre. Audi's S-tronic paddle-shift gearbox works as beautifully as ever though.

The suspension has been lowered for the S and the ride is firm, especially if you choose the 'Sport'. There's lots of traction thanks to four-wheel drive and it’s easy to drive hard. It is fun, although first impressions suggests it may struggle to match the tactility or agility of the seminal Porsches. But then it is a good bit cheaper.

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The Bugatti Veyron is one of those dream cars you can lust after all your life without getting much closer to one than in a pack of Top Trumps. However, now's your chance to get a glimpse of the Veyron in the metal. Jack Barclay of London currently has a red and black number sat in the front of its Berkely Square showroom. Apparently this example is already sold so it's uncertain how long the Veyron will stay here, but I was amazed by how small the car looked. The car sits low and squat and looks as solid as a tank - that must be quite comforting when you're hitting 248mph.

I couldn't help but gawp at the staggering W16 engine that's mid-mounted behind the driver's head (16 referring to the number of cylinders).  If you do come down, the only thing I recommend is that you don't outstay your welcome. Someone from the showroom ended up coming out to move me on which was quite embarrasing. Apparently, my dribbling was putting off customers...

Is anybody else massively underwhelmed by the 'new' Mercedes CLC? I say 'new' because it's basically a re-bodied version of the old C-Class Sports Coupe which wasn't exactly brilliant.

Yet still, Mercedes maintains there are over one thousand new parts on this car. I'm sure if you counted the front-grille as a 25-part assembly, the additional LED tail lamp and those two models (yep, definitely didn't see those on the last one), you might just get there.

Hopefully, Merc's new direct steering should make it a bit more fun to drive and errr... make it easier to park under a flight of stairs? Help me out guys, I'm clutching at straws here. I don't think the BMW 1-series has much to worry about.

Also worth checking out:

• Mercedes CLC - First Pictures
  

"That's an XF!" I shouted with wide eyes and dilating pupils. It doesn't go on UK sale until March, and yet here I am, driving our long term Mondeo up the M1, alongside a Jaguar XF, bathed in sunlight and glowing rich metallic green.

Note to self - check out the brochure to find out what this colour is when it comes out. Looks awesome. And I know what they mean about 'seeing this car in the flesh.' It looks much better than the pictures. Naturally, my non-car geek passenger couldn't give a toss and insisted I put my foot back on the right pedal.