So, you want something with four-doors, blazing speed and sharp handling? Germany has got you covered. Photos have leaked of the next generation of Teutonic supersedans, giving an insight into a new wave of four-door performance. First up is the BMW M5, which is set to debut at the forthcoming Shanghai Auto Show, displaying the 560 HP sedan in remarkable detail. In response, Audi has let its own turbo-V8 luxury sedan be snapped in testing, even though the S6 shown here won’t be a true M5 competitor, offering “only” around 440 HP. A twin-turbo version making an M5-rivaling 555 HP is said to be waiting for the RS6, as well as a Bentley Continental GT V8. [Gallery after the jump]

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Bugatti’s jumping onto the high-po four-door bandwagon, as its parent company Volkswagen has approved its Galibier concept for production, according to Automotive News [sub]. Initial specs: 1,000 HP and a $1.4m pricetag. All other questions should be directed to the video above.

Somebody must have slipped Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne some Sodium Pentothal as an April Fools joke, as he’s just topped his previous high-water mark for ill-advised candor (set earlier this week). Automotive News [sub] quotes the feisty CEO admitting

The economics of EVs simply don’t work. On the 500 that (Chrysler) will begin selling in the U.S. next year, we will lose over $10,000 (per unit) despite the retail price being three times higher [than the gas version].

In the post-Veyron, post-Horsepower Wars world, “Responsible Performance” has been the catchphrase on the lips of every purveyor of performance cars. And with Audi and Nissan already set to brawl for EV sportscar niche that’s being abandoned by Tesla with the forthcoming end of production of its Roadster,  diesel power seems to be benefiting from a second look by would-be “responsible performance” vendors.

Unsurprisingly, the tuning houses are promoting their diesel efforts, as EV tuning presents significant challenges to the ICE-based tuning community. And the BMW modifiers at AC Schnitzer are leading the way with this Z4 “99d,” a 188 HP, 310 lb-ft two-liter turbodiesel roadster capable of 146 MPH. Oh yes, and 99 grams of CO2 per Km, or (very roughly) 60-ish MPG (non-EPA). Sound like a healthy compromise between “responsibility” and performance? The only thing you’ll have to give up is the $210,000 that Automobile says this Schintzer concept would cost if it were built.

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Coming home from work, I tend to get used to seeing various prototypes driving around, and cutting me off, after all, I’m only in a little white Peugeot 205 GTI, barely worth mentioning when it comes to the sheer amount of exclusive metal running around the Nurburgring. However, today, I spied some prototypes that you never see during the day running freely around city streets, namely, the testers from BMW and Porsche. Reclusive beasts they are, Dale Lomas from Bridge-to-Gantry, and my friend was able to nab several shots of the latest salvos from southern Germany while I only managed one hazy shot from an iPhone while trying not to pilot my little Pug into a lightpole.

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Reflecting on the recently-previewed Chevy Colorado Concept, Automotive News [sub]’s Rick Krantz notes

During an interview this year at the Detroit auto show, Jamie Hresko, then vice president of GM global powertrain engineering, strongly suggested the automaker was exploring a new mid-sized pickup. He resigned in late February to pursue other opportunities.

To meet proposed higher U.S. fuel economy and lower emissions standards, automakers that sell in the United States eventually will need to develop a leaner range of pickups, Hresko said.

At some point, especially with the likelihood of higher gasoline prices down the road, a smaller, lighter-weight pickup is inevitable…

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The modern Crossover family tree can be traced (aesthetically, anyway) back to three basic roots: the “light SUV” (Jeep Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner), the “pure crossover” (Lexus RX300 and endless copies) and the “jacked up AWD wagon” (Outback, Volvo Cross Country). In fact, one might even posit a Hegelian dialectic to explain the evolution from:

Light SUV (thesis) -> “jacked up AWD wagon” (antithesis)-> “pure crossover” (synthesis)

Well, leave it to Europe to screw up a perfectly good theoretical construct. It seems that the continent that gave us dialectics is going back to what was always the most interesting branch of the crossover family, the “jacked up AWD wagon.” Volkswagen seems to be responsible for a lot of the re-exploration of Subaru’s now-nearly-abandoned niche, with a CrossPassat coming to European markets next year, a possible “Skoda Superb Scout” being weighed as well, and an Audi A4 Allroad already on sale. But perhaps the most intriguing of this new class of neo-Outbacks comes from Peugeot, which is testing a leggy 508 diesel hybrid wagon that drives its rear wheels solely by electric power.

Fear not rally-special fans: Mitsubishi has apparently gone back on its vow to cut off the Lancer Evolution series of AWD performance machines. Mitusu’s CEO gives Autocar the definitive word:

Production of the current Lancer Evolution X continues as planned. As for its successor, regulations and market feedback will dictate its engineering package and architecture. MMC [Mitsubishi Motor Company] has kept the Lancer Evolution sedan evolving as the brand’s highest performing model in the global market. However, as the markets need’s and demands change, MMC is considering not advancing the Lancer Evolution concept in the same way as before, but to find a different direction for the Lancer Evolution model to evolve.

The new direction, the technologies involved, and corresponding products will be disclosed in due course.

Rumors have the EVO XI boasting a diesel-electric hybrid system, combining a sub-five-second 0-60 time with 200 grams of C02 emissions per km (low-30 MPGs). But this drama has taken on plenty of twists and turns already, and since diesel-electric technology is so expensive, the EVO XI could even have a less-radically-revised drivetrain in keeping with the models budget-hero image. And no matter what happens, Mitsubishi’s “will-we-won’t-we” approach to the EVO’s future has certainly helped raise the profile of its halo car. But even if the EVO lives, our romance with the too-good-to-live recent version will be changed. Some things weren’t meant to last forever…

No sooner had production of Chevy’s aging Colorado compact pickup ground to a halt due to parts supply disruption in Japan then GM brought out the concept version of its forthcoming replacement, the Global Colorado. This concept specifically previews the Thai-built version of GM’s compact-midsized pickup, and offers 4 Wheel Drive, as well as an all-new 2.8 liter turbodiesel engine. Brad Merkel, GM’s Global Vehicle Line Executive explains

Although this is a show vehicle, the basic proportions and form convey the vision for the next-generation Colorado that we will bring to market. It reflects a stylized version of the new truck, one that takes into account rugged dependable truck capabilities for commercial use as well as sophisticated refinement for personal-use needs.

The Thai-built version of the Global olorado willl begin production this October, but a version of this truck intended for the US market is still a ways off. It’s unlikely that a US version will offer GM’s new diesel engine, but GM is still keeping details about its new oil-burning engine under wraps for now. Given the lack of investment in the US Market’s mid-compact truck offerings, however, any new trucks entering this space are worth watching.

Autocar explains what happens when BMW’s X6 sells an unexpected 110,622 units since its introduction: it gets copied. By Audi.

Nothing has been made official, but in an interview with German media representatives at the recent Geneva auto show, Audi boss Rupert Stadler, alluded to the new German crossover, saying, “We can imagine a model between the Q5 and the Q7… a coupé-like, four-wheel driven model.”

The decision to provide the new model with what Stadler describes as “coupé-like” styling and standard “four-wheel drive” also paves the way for an outwardly sporting variant from Audi quattro, the same division responsible for the company’s diverse range of RS models. While still early days, Audi is thought to be considering a range-topping Q6 RS model powered by the new turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine, set to make its debut in the new-generation RS6 at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

The greatest thing about the Nissan Juke is its absolute peach of an engine, a 1.6 liter, direct-injected, turbocharged little screamer. In fact it’s such a wickedly fun little engine that it’s a shame it exists only in a polarizing vehicle like the Juke. To that end, I noted in my review of Nissan’s funky “sportcross” that

Without the marketers, it’s tempting to believe that Nissan’s engineers would have widened the Versa platform, added the fantastic turbocharged engine, and then decided to simply put a steroidal Versa body on top, creating the king of all B-segment hot hatches.

Well, according to this shot from China Car Times, at least part of that fantasy is coming true. In this first shot of an updated “2011/2012” Tiida (Versa), you can see the phrase “DIG Turbo” gracing its flanks, suggesting that the Juke’s little 188 HP mill (or, at least a detuned version of same) could be headed to the next-gen Versa. Does this mean a high-po “GTI”-style variant is coming to America’s best-selling B-segment car? Let’s hope so. Frankly, the more vehicles that get that feisty little engine, the better. [Awesome “Engine porn” video for Nissan’s 1.6 DIG Turbo after the jump]

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The whole BMW-goes-front-drive thing has come as somewhat traumatic news for a number of Roundel fans, and at first blush, you’d think this camo’d BMW i3 would only stoke these fans’ fears. At least with its camo on, it’s a funky, decidedly un-BMW-like shape, all stubby nose and high, rounded roof. Think MINI meets Audi A2, and you’re getting there.

But unlike the other i-branded BMW that’s been winter testing, the i3 immediately identifies itself as an heir to its brand’s sporting legacy, kicking out its rear end in the Swedish snow. That’s right: despite the MINI-esque looks, the i3 is no front-driver, as its BMW-designed and built electric motor sits under the trunk and drives the rear wheels. Add a carbon fiber reinforced plastic body and possibly a range extender to the mix, and you’ve got one compelling (if expensive) little subcompact, rear-drive EV proposition…. and it looks like it’s a hoot in the snow. The i3 may not help BMW fans get over their front-drive phobia, but it should help bust the perception that EVs have to be mundane.

Even in the limited-traction wonderland of some Nordic cold-weather test facility, BMW’s 2013 i8 diesel-hybrid supercar keeps things nice and calm dynamically-speaking, barely hinting at the “rear end squirm” that Automobile noted in its drive of the prototype. Which is not to say that this video is without its noteworthy moments…
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M

Indian automaker Tata had planned to enter the European market with an upscale version of the world’s cheapest car, known as the Tata Nano Europa. Instead, it seems Tata will hold off on its European conquest until it develops this, the Tata Pixel, a shortened (112 inch-long, 1,653 lbs!), coupe-ified Nano. Autocar reports

Group chairman Ratan Tata says the car will partly replace the previously proposed Nano Europa, once its concept-only swing doors are replaced by two conventional doors and engineering of instrumentation and controls is completed.

Don’t expect the gullwing doors or iPad-alike instrumentation to make it into production, but the Pixel will remain a four-seater and features improved handling and NVH characteristics compared to the Nano. What’s not clear is whether the Pixel’s hyper-rotating wheels will make it to market, and whether they would be likely to cause an accident in the event of a steering overcorrection. Meanwhile, despite a lingering fire problem, the Nano is now selling around 9k units per month in India, and Malaysia is on tap as the vehicle’s first export market. Whether Tata can leverage the underpinnings of its radical low-cost car for a competitive mature-market offering is still very much an open question…

Autoevolution reports that CPP Global Holdings, the Vladimir Antonov-owned firm that recently bought Spyker’s sportscar business, has bought Bowler, the makers of off-road racers built on the Range Rover platform. CPP Managing Director Brendan O’Toole explains the deal as

extremely positive news for fans and customers of Bowler vehicles.  I have followed the brand closely for several years and am delighted to have the opportunity to take the Bowler brand to new heights on the basis of very exciting plans.  I’m looking forward to working with Drew Bowler and the exceptionally talented team at Bowler to bring these plans to fruition.  This development is another step in CPP’s strategy to grow as a collection of complementary specialist automotive businesses

The big question: is this deal a sign that Antonov still has more more money than sense, or will the Saab financier actually find some synergy between his new acquisitions, possibly in the form of the Peking-to-Paris SUV concept? Spyker hasn’t mentioned its possible SUV entry for a solid year, but having lost money every year since going public, a second model line might not be a bad idea (especially one based on an already-developed chassis like the Rangie’s). But as of our last report there’s still a number of details to work out before the Peking-to-Paris makes it to production, namely whether the sports-ute will use an AMG engine or a “supercharged Ferrari” mill. Decisions, decisions…