A new report coming out of Germany claims the next Audi A7 will turn the dial up to 11 in terms of style and content.

From Audi’s perspective, the biggest issue with the current A7 is that it’s too close to the A6 in terms of style, size and price. Consequently, the next-gen model will be built on the same extended platform that underpins the long-wheelbase A6 L, a sedan sold exclusively in China. It will occupy the thin middle ground between the A6 and the A8, and it will be priced accordingly.

The current A7′s sleek fastback-like roof line will be retained, but it will longer and a little softer. The less aggressive roof line and the longer wheelbase will give the passengers riding in the back a lot more head and leg room, and make it easier for them to get in and out of the car.
Since it will be priced a notch above the A6, the next A7 is expected to offer a more generous list of standard features, including some form of autonomous driving.

German magazine Auto Bild reports the next A7 will feature a more “extroverted” front end design than today’s rather discreet-looking model. Surprisingly, Audi is allegedly considering a sedan variant of the A7 with a more conventional three-box design, but a station wagon has been categorically ruled out.

In Europe, the next Audi A7 is tentatively scheduled to go on sale in 2017, meaning it’ll land on our shores in time for the 2018 model. Look for Audi’s next four-door coupe to bow at a major auto show either late next year or in early 2017.

Note: Audi RS 7 pictured.

Daimler’s smart division has announced it has stopped production of the fortwo electric drive.

The company explains that demand for the electric drive (pictured) is low but steady. However, the EV is based on the last-gen smart and building it alongside the new third-gen model in Hambach, France, requires a costly investment that’s hard to justify for such a low-volume model.

Smart has a handful of electric drive models in its global inventory, but the company predicts all of them will be spoken for before the year draws to a close. After that, buyers seeking an all-electric smart will either need to be patient or look for a used one.

Although smart is currently developing a brand new fortwo electric drive with input from industrial partner Renault, production isn’t scheduled to start until well into the second half of next year. Until we’re given a more specific time frame, it’s not too far-fetched to assume the next battery-powered smart will be presented at next year’s Paris Motor Show, and land on our shores as a 2017 model.

What’s next?

Like the model that just went out of production, the next electric drive will be based on the tiny fortwo. Long-standing rumors indicate the marginally bigger forfour will also spawn an EV, but smart has refused to comment on the matter.

Daihatsu has revealed a new crossover at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. Why is this important? Because Daihatsu is owned by Toyota.

The FX concept (apparently Infiniti traded in the name for a Q so it’s fair game) is designed to go head-to-head against the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 in the exploding compact crossover segment. Toyota’s smallest crossover, on the other hand, is the RAV4, which has grown considerably since its inception. A Toyota-badged FX could make huge waves in this extremely lucrative pond.

Interestingly, the FX breaks away from the segment by using a rear-wheel-drive layout. Though equipped with a 1.2L for foreign markets, it would likely get a larger engine if ever made its way stateside. Beyond that, technical details were sparse.

What wasn’t sparse, however was the attention to detail. With handsome styling and plenty of brightwork that is not commonly seen on a vehicle in this segment, the FX looks like it would be a strong contender. It even offers amenities like LED head and daytime running lights and a panoramic roof. Presumably, some of the more extreme angles on its lower front and rear fascias, some of the more sci-fi interior bits, as well as the suicide doors, would not make it into production, but much of it looks ready for the assembly line.

The 2017 Mazda CX-9 has been spotted testing in the mountains of California. The prototype, wearing little camouflage, gives the best hint yet at what the next Mazda crossover could look like.

Filmed by a YouTuber named Carspotter Jeroen, the CX-9 has — no surprise — adopted the Kodo styling language that has permeated the rest of the marque. A new five-sided grille whose edges form “blades” connecting to swept-back headlights. The new body blends curvaceous fenders and rear haunches, a la Mazda3 and Mazda6, while from the rear view new taillights and tumblehome shape draw resemblances to the CX-5.

The interior was not shown, but it is expected to have three-row seating, as well as an all-new dashboard more in-line with the rest of the Mazda line. Power reportedly will come from a 2.5L SkyActiv four boosted with a turbo. The engine will eventually spread to a number of other models as well.

When it is released, the last vestiges of Mazda’s partnership with Ford will be over. The outgoing CX-9 was built on the global CD3 platform, which also underpinned the Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion. With an all new platform that emphasizes the SkyActiv technologies of efficiency and lightness, the CX-9 is rumored to be as dynamic a handler for the full-size crossover segment as the CX-5 was for mid-sizers.

Details are starting to emerge about the second-gen California that Ferrari is expected to introduce in 2017.

The next California will usher in a brand new modular platform that’s set to underpin nearly all of the Prancing Horse’s upcoming models. The yet-unnamed platform will be built largely out of aluminum in order to keep weight in check, and, surprisingly, it will be suitable for both front- and mid-engined models.

The second-gen California will also inaugurate Ferrari’s next design language. Official details aren’t available yet, but sources close to the company told Automobile Magazine that future Ferraris will look “more extroverted, more aggressive and more radical.” The design language will most likely be previewed by a concept that will be shown at a major auto show next year.

Forced induction is here to stay, and power for the convertible will come from an evolution of the current California’s twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 engine. Ferrari isn’t shy about admitting that the next California will be a lot more hardcore and track-focused than today’s model, which has often been criticized for being too soft.

Interestingly, Ferrari is debating whether to introduce a more affordable version of the California powered by a 2.9-liter V6 engine that it will share with the smaller Dino. If given the green light for production, the California lite will be launched a little later in the production run.

Additional details about the next Ferrari California – a nameplate that likely won’t be retained – will emerge in the coming months. The convertible will be introduced in 2017, which means it will land on our shores in time for the 2018 model year.

Note: 2015 Ferrari California T pictured.

Mercedes-Benz has published a lone teaser sketch that previews the upcoming S-Class Cabriolet. Scheduled to bow in less than a month at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the topless S will be Mercedes’ first convertible four-seater flagship since 1971.

The sketch reveals the S-Class Cabriolet will be all but identical to the S-Class Coupe from the rocker panels up to the belt line. Above that, it will get a cloth soft top that will open or close in seconds at the push of a button. The teaser shows the top in its down position, but recent spy shots reveal that the S Coupe’s sleek-looking roof line has been retained with only small modifications.

Mechanically, the Cabriolet is expected to be nearly identical to the coupe. That means it will launch with a twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V8 engine tuned to make 449 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. An automatic transmission and Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system will both come standard.

Mercedes-AMG will offer two performance-focused variants of the Convertible, a S63 with a 577-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 engine and a S65 powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 rated at 621 ponies.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet will be fully unveiled online in the days leading up to its public debut in Frankfurt. Stay tuned, we’ll bring you live pics of the first-ever S-Class Cabriolet straight from the show floor starting on September 15th.

Lamborghini has traveled to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to unveil the limited-edition 2016 Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce Roadster.

The Superveloce Roadster is fitted with the same aggressive-looking body kit as coupe model that was presented at the Geneva Motor Show last March, but it stands out thanks to a two-piece hard top crafted out of carbon fiber. Tipping the scale at just 26 pounds, the hard top can be conveniently stowed in the trunk when not in use, making the Aventador the most user-friendly convertible Lamborghini has ever built.

Another major difference between the two Aventador Superveloces is that the Roadster features a power-operated rear window that, when in the down position, fills the cabin with the 12-cylinder’s music.

Power comes from a hand-built, naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine that makes 750 horsepower at 8,400 rpm and 509 lb-ft. of torque at 5,500 rpm. Lamborghini’s first-ever Superveloce-badged convertible lives up to its name by reaching 62 mph from a stop in 2.9 seconds and going on to a top speed of over 217 mph.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed ISR transmission that can be left in automatic or controlled by shift paddles, and a Haldex-type four-wheel drive system. Lamborghini Dynamic Steering and Magneto Rheological Suspension help the driver make the most of the V12′s grunt both on and off the track.

The Roadster tips the scale at 3,472 pounds, a figure that makes it 110 pounds heavier than the Superveloce coupe and 110 pounds lighter than the regular-production Aventador Roadster. Model-specific carbon fiber bucket seats are among the components that help keep weight in check.

Lamborghini will build just 500 examples of the Aventador Superveloce Roadster. Each one will cost $530,075, but the Raging Bull’s newest limited-edition model is expected to sell out quickly.