A report coming out of France indicates Peugeot is preparing a hot-rodded variant of the 2014 308 station wagon that will bow in Geneva next March.

Dubbed 308 SW GTi, the wagon will be powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine developed jointly by Peugeot and BMW several years ago. Official details are scarce, but rumors point to a power output in the vicinity of 250 horsepower transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. A dual-clutch gearbox might be offered at an extra cost.

Upgraded brakes on all four corners and a stiffer suspension setup will help drivers exploit the engine’s full potential.

Outside, the 308 SW GTi will feature discreet modifications such as a more aggressive front bumper with large air dams, dual chrome-plated exhaust pipes and 19-inch alloy wheels. A host of GTi-specific paint colors will likely be available.

The GTi will stand apart from less powerful models thanks to bespoke instrumentation and trim, sport seats up front and aluminum pedals. The cockpit will be better finished in order to help justify the higher price and a touchscreen-based infotainment system will come standard on most models.

If the rumor proves true, look for details about the Peugeot 308 SW GTi to emerge over the coming weeks. The wagon could bow in Geneva next to the regular 308 SW and land in showrooms across Europe next summer.

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A new report indicates Volkswagen will travel to next April’s Beijing Motor Show to unveil a new concept car dubbed Golf R Evo.

As its name implies, the Golf R Evo will be a more extreme variant of the existing Golf R. It will weigh considerably less than its regular-production counterpart thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber body panels, lighter alloy wheels and thinner bucket seats.

The rear seats will be replaced by a high-strength roll cage in order to further reduce weight and emphasize the sporty nature of the car. A model-specific instrument cluster and a considerably simpler dashboard will round out the updates inside the car.

The Evo will be powered by an evolution of the Golf R’s 2.0-liter TSI that will be massaged to churn out around 370 horsepower and 330 lb-ft. of torque, enabling the hot hatch to reach 62 mph from a stop in under 4.9 seconds. Power will be sent to all four wheels wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and a Haldex-type all-wheel drive system.

British magazine Auto Express reports the Golf R Evo will be added to Volkswagen’s lineup as a regular-production model if it generates a favorable response from the show-going public.

Look for official details about the Volkswagen Golf R Evo to emerge in the weeks leading up to its debut in the capital of China.

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Toyota has released a teaser for its upcoming 2014 Super Bowl commercial featuring the 2014 Toyota Highlander. Starring alongside the family crossover will be the cast of Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted and NFL player-turned-actor Terry Crews.

Whereas Jaguar is trying to evoke the calculated coolness of a Bond villain with its pitch for the F-Type Coupe, Toyota is going for kid-friendly humor with its Highlander spot. It begins with Crews stopping on a desolate road to check out an seemingly abandoned school bus. It’s played like the start of a suspenseful horror plot as unknown figures climb aboard Crews’ Highlander. As horror movie strings crescendo we cut instead to Rowlf the piano-playing dog playfully flicking the child-locked door handle.

According to Toyota, the Super Bowl ad itself will feature the Muppets’ trademark humor, dancing and an original song as they show Crews how to “unboringfy” his life. The ad also serves as a co-promotion vehicle for the upcoming Disney movie Muppets Most Wanted, which opens March 21.

This isn’t the first time Toyota has employed a popular children’s character tie-in to promote the Highlander. At SEMA, the automaker showed a Spongebob Squarepants-themed Highlander complete with built-in aquarium.

The full spot, titled “Joyride,” airs on February 2 during Super Bowl XLVIII.

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Jaguar is preparing to air its first ever Super Bowl commercials during next weekend’s advertising extravaganza interspersed with a football game. Teasers for the ads have been released, revealing the identities of the noted British actors that will be hawking the 2015 F-Type Coupe.

Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, Thor), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes) and Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3, Ender’s Game) will play the titular anti-James Bonds in Jaguar’s British Villains campaign. Each is noted for their recent turns as baddies in big Hollywood productions, where we Americans apparently can’t get enough of menacing Old World accents.

Jaguar has just released a 30-second teaser commercial for its 60-second actual commercial, in which Kingsley observes an illicit night time meeting on an airport runway. “So they’re coming. All the usual suspects,” he says. Cut to a shot of the F-Type and Kingsley, surprised, remarks, “Oh, and one new one.” with a bit of surprise in his voice. Smash cut to a shot of the car zooming down said runway pacing a helicopter and a closeup of Sexy Beast himself: “You’ll be hearing from us.”

Jaguar released three additional teasers featuring each of the actors as well. Watch them below. The full spot will be aired on February 2 during Super Bowl XLVIII.

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Fiat’s Alfa Romeo division is reportedly putting the final touches on a topless version of the recently-introduced 4C sports car.

Tentatively dubbed 4C Spider, the convertible will be nearly identical to the regular 4C but it will boast a removable roof panel likely made out of a lightweight material such as carbon fiber. The driver will able to neatly stow the roof panel under the front decklid.

The 4C Spider will boast a driver-focused cockpit with two bucket seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a configurable thin-film transistor (TFT) screen that will replace the instrument cluster. A/C will be offered as a no-cost option.

Power for the 4C Spider will come from a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine borrowed from the 4C coupe. It will 240 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, enough to propel the 4C Spider from zero to 60 mph in roughly 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 155 mph.

Although Alfa is keeping its lips sealed about the 4C Spider, we hear the it could greet the public for the first time at next March’s Geneva Motor Show and land in U.S. showrooms in the spring of 2015. Expect the Spider to carry a small price premium over its fixed-roof counterpart.

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