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After we caught a glimpse of what appeared to be some kind of AWD version of the next Ford Focus a few months ago, spy shooters reporting to Auto Express have brought us a second look.

This racy black hatch would appear to be a highly developed prototype for the third generation Focus, seeming much closer to full production spec than the high-water affair we saw before.  It is believed that Ford is developing the new Focus as a global car, meaning that North American customers are likely to have access to the same, dynamically superior cars as will run on European roads. Powertrains will still likely differ from market to market however, so we’d be a little surprised to see the very small (1.0-liter or so) turbocharged EcoBoost engines hitting the States.
 
Click through the link to read more, and keep an eye peeled to NextAutos as we wait for our own spy shooters to come home with some Focus pics.

+ Auto Express: New Focus Spied

Our beloved spy photographer sent us these photos of the facelifted BMW 3-Series. Both the coupe and the convertible showed up with wearing less than we’ve seen before, and we get a good look at the bumpers and lights.

Don’t blush, 3-Series. You’re very handsome. We’ll see you in Frankfurt.

Check out the BMW 3-Series coupe and hard-top ‘vert in the gallery above, or scroll down for the photographers notes.

We have already shown some photos of the AMG version of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe , and our spy photographer has sent us another set. Here, we get a peek at the standard version, with a better look at the grille, front bumber, and the LED daytime running lights.

In addition to the cosmetic changes, we expect the renamed S-Class to have more power and better fuel economy than the CL.

Look at the mule in the gallery above, or scroll down for the photographer’s own words.

Our spy photographer sent us these shots of the new 2010 Alfa Romeo Milano Mule hanging out in the snow. Built on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Bravo, the 5-door successor of the 147 will come standard with Q2 front-wheel drive, but will also have an optional Q4 four-wheel drive system. It will also have feature the same line of T-jet and Multijet engines included in other Alfas. We can expect a saucier GTA version some time after its release.

Due to a careful camouflage job, it is difficult to see the form of the Milano, so we’ll have to wait to get a peek at the front-end styling that characterizes many Alfa Romeos.

Questionable Good news, hatch fans: Chrysler includes the Milano in its viability plan.

Click through the gallery above to view the Alfo Romeo Milano, or scroll down for the photographer’s own words.

Fans of the Citroen DS (of which there are many, and for good reason) are in for a special treat. Next month, Citroen will debut the DS3 concept car in Geneva.

If you’re impatient, check out our spy shots (above) of the 5-door production model of the DS3. A 2-door model is also in the works for 2010. Expect to see gasoline, diesel, and diesel hybrid versions of this new take on a truly iconic automobile.

Scroll down for the shooter’s own words.

If the 998 Porsche 911 Targa looks comfortable in the snow, it’s because it shares the all-wheel drive system of the 997. We’re not sure, but we’re hopeful that it will also be available in two-wheel drive.

The headlights of the 998 are more upright, and we like the look of the door-mounted side mirrors. In all, the Targa appears to evolve similarly to the other 998s we’ve seen on the roads , but with these shots, we Targa enthusiasts finally get our fix.

Don’t expect to see this car in showrooms until 2011. We hope to see more 998 spy shots in the meantime.

Click through the gallery above to view the Porsche 911 Targa spy shots.

Porsche’s four-door Panamera may still be several months away from officially going on sale (the company has set a target of late summer/early fall 2009), but that doesn’t mean the car isn’t getting substantial workouts already, even in bad weather.

While out hunting fresher game from Porsche (check out the new 911 here) our spy photographers stumbled upon this particular Panamera in a bit of a pickle. Navigating some slippery, snow-covered roads, this Porsche driver managed to put his test car into a snow bank. After a little bit of help from a fellow in a Cayenne Turbo (the crash victim apparently refused offers of help from our shooter), the black Panamera was set right, seemingly no worse for the wear.

Have a closer look at the fun in our gallery above.  

The eagle-eyed Swedes over at Trollhattan Saab have managed to catch what would appear to be the new 9-3X out in the wild, completely unburdened by camouflage. The new crossover is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the current 9-3 design language, adding skid plates and a few inches of ride height to what looks otherwise like the 9-3 Sportcombi wagon.

With the new 9-4X currently in the product development pipeline—with a far more streamlined design according to the latest spy shots we’ve seen of that CUV—it will be interesting to see just how far Saab is willing to push its small premium crossover offerings. Click through the link below for a closer (still low res) look at the 9-3X mule.

+ TrollhattanSaab.net

NextAutos caught one of GM’s Buick LaCrosse mules last week on a freeway in Plymouth, Michigan. The second generation of the four-door sedan, based on the Epsilon II platform and set to launch next year as a 2010 model, was undergoing durability testing near the company’s Milford Proving Grounds. Please excuse the grainy phone camera shots, but sometimes a good opportunity to take a spy photo can't be undone by the limitations of your equipment.

We followed the Buick down a freeway near Plymouth, Michigan but were unable to take a picture of the front of the vehicle. However, matching our side view of this car (particularly the roofline and C-pillar) to shots that appeared on Autoblog last week indicate a match.

Note the trapezoidal exhaust pipes and the relatively high trunk height, signaling a more refined design statement that should have the LaCrosse looking like a front-drive alternative to a Lexus GS—visually, at least, although in messaging and price point it will continue to go after the smaller Lexus ES sedan. We’ll learn more about the LaCrosse when it launches at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

Make note of the Buick engineer’s keen sense of non-verbal communication. Perhaps he was just using numeral values to tell us which brand is #1 for American buyers of the age 55.2 years?