Our spy shooter friends at KGP Photography captured Maserati's new GranTurismo live and in the metal today in Germany. The coupe, almost completely devoid of any camouflage, was headed to testing on the Nürburgring. Only a small amount of tape, blacked-out wheels, and a Robert Plant stunt double throw the dogs off the from the truth. Rightfully so, Maserati is putting in hard work on its new baby.

Our spy photograher Hans Lehmann caught up with another BMW M3 sedan again today and managed to get a few more shots. This time, we get a clear view of the front of the car, which appears to have a modified front air dam but little in the way of a hood bulge (which was clearly one of the concept's most striking visual elements). Thankfully, BMW has revised their front headlight treatment so that the car looks more in keeping with their recently debuted 3-series coupe. The old headlight design is shown at the right.

Obviously, this is only a prototype -- we expect the hood bulge and many other exterior elements to appear in the production trim.

We just broke the cover on the next BMW M3 (in concept form, at least) and engine details will be published here on March 22. Until then, our spy shooter Hans Lehmann has another interesting bit of news to report: sights of a four-door and convertible M3!

With General Motors and Toyota both having new full-size pickups in showrooms this year, Ford is understandably keen to push up the development cycle of its pivotal Ford F-150, likely due as a 2009 model.

Earlier this morning, we showed you Fiat’s Grande Punto Abarth, the first production model to carry the fabled scorpion of motorsports legend Carlo Abarth for some time.

But now, the Italian automaker appears poised to return the Abarth name to the world of racing with the Grande Punto Abarth S2000. An all-wheel drive special, it will compete in the 2007 Italian Rally Championship producing 270 horsepower from its 2.0-liter engine. The car will be fielded by Giandomenico Basso and navigator Mitia Dotta. Internationally, the Grande Punto Abarth S2000 will also make the rounds in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge with Andrea Navarra and his navigator Guido D'Amore, as well as the team of Umberto Scandola and Anton Alen.

We can't wait to see this one up close in Geneva next month.

Details at this stage are slim, but Hidden Image has caught Mercedes-Benz’s luxo-cruiser convertible, the SL, sporting some substantially redesigned bodywork. According to shooter Hans Lehmann, the prototype seen here is actually the AMG variant of the SL lineup, and was caught testing near the Arctic Circle.

Expected in late 2008 or early 2009, the next SL will apparently get a new front-end (including headlamps, grille, and air intakes) that resemble Benz’s new CL-Class. The SL’s pending rear-end restyling doesn’t appear to be as dramatic, but new taillamps and fascia changes are expected, as well as some possible interior updates.

Our new friends over at AutoGespot have captured what is probably the best look yet at the next Lotus Esprit. The range-topping supercar has seen its development hampered by fits and starts, but it appears the car is on-track for a 2010 debut despite the setbacks.

We don’t have many firm details on the coming Esprit yet, but sources peg the engine as a BMW-sourced V-8 displacing in the range of 4.4-to-4.8 liters. The car is expected to spawn an open-top variant at some point, but we’re only expecting the fixed-head coupe at launch.

Figure on around $125,000 for the privilege.