We know Mercedes-AMG has been cooking up a hardcore version of its GT supercar.

And after various sightings of it tearing around the ‘Ring in camouflage we’ve now been treated to photos of it in undress.

Teaser images and video of the GT R leaked overnight, confirming the car will bring to production various upgrades seen on the mule. These include a wider front bar, more vents, and a relatively subtle wing.

Expect full details to be revealed from Lord March’s driveway this coming June 24.

It’s the first six-cylinder petrol version of Audi’s new 2016 Audi A4 range and the first S-badged variant, labelled Audi S4, available in both sedan and ‘Avant’ wagon bodystyles.

The S4 mantra is one of sporting understatement – “an athlete in a suit”, as Audi describes it – so you won’t find any overt wings or shouty badgework. Instead, the S4 offers suave overtones of sportiness, from its ritzier detailing and bootlid lip spoiler to its four chrome exhaust pipes sprouting from a tasteful rear air diffuser.

STRENGTHS

• That interior! Audi’s new-generation A4 has raised the game for cabin class and technology, and the more expensive S4 takes that to another level. Beautifully tactile materials and a stunning ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument display that fills the entire instrument housing with a single, customisable screen makes the S4 hugely desirable simply for its appearance and feel.
• It’s handling. Audi has trimmed 75kg from the old S4’s kerb weight (including 14kg from an all-new turbo V6 engine), making the S4 feel more agile than ever. An optional ‘sport’ rear differential enhances the S4’s keenness to turn into corners, while its standard ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system has the smarts to shuffle power between its wheels for tremendous power-down ability and great balance.
• Technology. In a rapidly changing era where razzle-dazzle is king, the 2016 S4 has made a huge leap forward. As well as the aforementioned virtual instrument display, available tech includes Audi Phone Box (an inductive charging panel under the centre armrest that doesn’t require a physical connection to charge your phone), on-board internet with a wi-fi hotspot, ambient cabin lighting in 30 selectable colours, plus adaptive cruise control with ‘Stop&Go’ traffic-jam assistance that autonomously drives the S4 at slow-moving speeds.

• For all its technical excellence, the S4’s new-generation turbocharged V6 doesn’t sound as good, or rev as hard, as the previous supercharged V6. While the exhaust can sound quite fruity, and there are moments when the turbo V6 has a pleasant rumble to it when being driven hard, it sounds grainy and a bit pedestrian.
• Ride quality. Even with its adjustable suspension dampers set to ‘Comfort’ mode, the S4 fidgets over bumps and only settles on perfectly smooth roads. And that’s in Germany. Craggy Australian roads will be an even greater challenge.
• The optional ‘Dynamic Steering’. This features a variable steering-gear ratio that adapts its responsiveness to vehicle speed and steering angle. But it’s often too sharp, making smooth driving harder to achieve, and you can feel it altering the steering ratio through the wheel rim.

If you believe rear-wheel drive is your thing, then either the BMW 340i or Jaguar XE S might be the answer. The BMW is more affordable, but is blighted with Variable Sport Steering (much like the optional set-up in the S4) that spoils the 340i’s sporting purity, while the great-handling Jaguar loses out to the Audi for performance and fuel efficiency. Mercedes-Benz has a rival coming in November – the C43 AMG, featuring a twin-turbo V6 – though it will be available in sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible forms. Audi’s comparative all-new S5 coupe and convertible won’t launch here until 2017.

Click here to find out more about the Audi S4.

Aston Martin’s GT8 focuses on performance over traditional aesthetics, to produce one of the most viscerally exciting limited-run beasts to roll off their Gaydon factory.

WHAT IS IT? Probably the final hurrah for the long-lived Aston Martin Vantage; a limited edition inspired by the company’s Vantage GTE racer and carrying a correspondingly chunky price tag. It’s a limited edition of just 150, all of which have already been sold despite having a price tag in Europe that – with all lightweight options added – means it’s more than twice as expensive as a basic Vantage S V8.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT To see how close Aston has got to its ambition of creating a car that can fairly be seen as a rival for the Porsche 911 GT3. Although the GT8 is a limited edition, the company has committed to building at least two “specials” a year in future, so there’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing equally hardcore Aston models going forwards.

THE WHEELS VERDICT Astons are traditionally meant to be about both luxury and performance. The GT8 delivers only on the right-hand side of that equation, but does so impressively well. Lightweight materials and a comprehensive chassis retuning make it feel far connected and viscerally exciting than any other Vantage variant – even last year’s V12-powered GT12. What it can’t manage is any of the waft that buyers normally expect from an Aston – it’s hardcore all the way. But the fact the whole limited run sold out within days is proof that there are buyers looking for the brand to produce models this focussed.

PLUS: Huge experience, outrageous soundtrack, brilliant to drive. MINUS: Expensive, lacks manners, short on firepower compared to segment rivals

Yet it’s also proof that engine output is only ever half of a power-to-weight ratio, with an extreme diet making this the lightest road-going Vantage ever produced, and a comprehensive chassis makeover making it one of the most exciting to drive – although with the thrills coming at the expense of the standard car’s impressive refinement. Do all that and the GT8’s kerbweight drops to 1509kg, making it the lightest licence-plate wearing Aston since James Bond was Scottish.

The sacrifice is refinement. Pretty much all of it. At cruising speeds the cabin is loud enough to require raised voice conversations, and extending the raucous V8 creates the sort of sound and fury that makes any other kind of in-car entertainment entirely superfluous. If you’re looking for an Aston for undercover espionage work, this definitely isn’t it.

SPECS Model: Aston Martin Vantage GT8 Engine: 4735cc V8 dohc, 32v, atmo Power: 328kW @ 7300rpm Torque: 490Nm @ 5000rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Weight: 1503kg (mfr claim, dry, lightweight options) 0-100km/h: 4.5 sec (claimed) Fuel economy: TBC Price: TBC On sale: Now. Sold out.

1. Believe it or not, this is the first time Mercedes has offered a convertible version of its venerable C-Class, which has been around for over 20 years

2. It’ll also be one of the first Australian C-Classes to offer four-wheel drive. C43 variants, which are tuned by Mercedes’ performance arm, AMG, send their power to all four wheels for greater traction.

3. There are two versions of the cloth roof available: a standard option, or a thicker multi-layer ‘acoustic’ version that significantly reduces wind and road noise. Both designs draw inspiration from the cloth roof on Mercedes’ flagship S-Class Cabriolet.

4. If personalisation is your thing, the C-Class Cabriolet has you covered. Its roof is available in four colour choices: brown, blue, black or if you’re brave, red.

5. The roof mechanism itself weighs around 50kg. Combine this with 70-odd kilograms worth of structural bracing and Cabriolet versions of the C-Class weigh roughly 125kg more than their hardtop siblings

6. The air conditioning is clever, and even knows when you drop the roof. When the roof is closed the a/c operates in the same way as it does in the C-Class Coupe, but when you drop it the system blows warmer air, or cooler if it’s summer, onto the driver’s hands.

7. The leather is high-tech. Special “heat-reflecting” leather is available that keeps the seats cooler when exposed to direct sunlight – handy in hot climates like Australia.

8. Every engine in range-topping C63 AMG variants is handmade by a single technician, thanks to AMG’s ‘one man one engine’ philosophy. Each V8 takes around two to three hours to assemble and carries a plaque with the technician’s signature.

9. If lugging stuff around is a priority, then the Cabriolet isn’t the C-Class for you. With the roof down, the Cabriolet’s 285L of boot space is 115L less than the Coupe’s.

A new, boosted up version of Volvo’s flagship XC90 T8 SUV is now the most powerful production car the Swedish brand has ever made.

An upgrade package for the XC90 T8 from performance partner Polestar lifts the combined outputs of its hybrid powertrain to 314kW and 680Nm.

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Polestar is essentially a tuning house that tweaks the engine and gearbox management software in Volvo cars to extract more power and response. The company says its new generation of optimisation packages improve overall engine outputs as well as gearbox calibration and throttle precision.

Incredibly, the XC90 T8 makes all its power from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. To achieve such high power figures the internal combustion engine is assisted by a supercharger, a turbocharger, and an electric motor.

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Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 5.5-seconds, and Polestar says fuel economy of the hybrid SUV remains the same at a claimed 2.1L/100km.

Part of the enhancement package is a function that stops unwanted upshifts from the eight-speed automatic gearbox when cornering. Polestar says this system keeps the balance of the XC90 settled and provides the driver with improved control during ‘active’ driving.

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Volvo Australia is already offering the Polestar optimisation package for XC90 T8 at a cost of approximately $1850. That’s on top of the initial vehicle purchase price of $122,950.

Polestar upgrades are certified by Volvo and do not affect service intervals or vehicle warranty.

The XC90 is just one of the projects on the go by the mad scientists at Polestar. Last week the outfit also announced its performance upgrades for the Volvo S90 and V90.

The most powerful Volvo ever is a large SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain tagged the XC90 T8 with Polestar Performance Optimisation.

Australian pricing is already available for the performance Volvo flagship and, while it does come with a hefty 314kW and 680Nm, it doesn’t come cheap.

Beyond the XC90 T8 priced from $122,950 plus on-road costs, the Polestar Performance Optimisation package adds around $1850 to the price – ‘around’ because labour costs vary from dealer to dealer, and including GST but plus another 33 per cent of the option price to cover the Luxury Car Tax (LCT).

Sadly there is not a Yamaha V8 engine in sight, despite the T8 model designation. However there is no arguing with a tenth pulled from this four-cylinder plug-in hybrid’s claimed 0-100km/h – now 5.5 seconds – nor the claims of improved throttle and automatic transmission response.

With the $89,950 XC90 D5 oiler, power moves from 165kW to 179kW and torque from 480Nm to 500Nm. In the case of the $93,950 XC90 T6 petrol, power shifts from 235kW to 249kW and torque from 400Nm to 440Nm.

The shape-memory seats combine layers of polyurethane foam, viscoelastic and textured foam to mould perfectly around the body of the driver or passenger. They regain their original shape to accommodate different people sitting in the seats.

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Different densities of foam will be used on various parts of the car seat depending on whether its role is to support or cushion the occupant.

The seats form part of a trio of innovations on a rolling prototype based on the Citroen C4 Cactus, the company is calling the Citroen Advanced Comfort Lab. The French brand says it has filed 30 patents in relation to the vehicle.

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Also announced is a new structural bonding process that Citroen says stiffens the body by about 20 per cent to help eradicate vibrations from road imperfections.

And there’s a new suspension design that incorporates two “progressive hydraulic cushions’, which aim to maintain ride comfort and composure as a Citroen vehicle’s wheels travel over bumpy roads.

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The hydraulic stops are added above and below a conventional suspension set-up of spring, damper and single mechanical stop.

Citroen says it is aiming for exceptional levels of comfort – re-establishing a reputation it first formed back in the 1950s with its DS model that pioneered hydropneumatic suspension.

LEGO has finally found a way to fit a square peg in a round hole, or rather, create the curved edges of a classic Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle.

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Earlier this year, LEGO released a Porsche 911 GT3 RS (not available in Australia at this stage) and that was enough to get us buzzing. But then they went one step further and released a new retro-inspired VW Beetle with curves and contours in all the right places.

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The 10252 model is part of the LEGO Creator Expert range. It comes in 1,167 pieces and once built, it measures in at 10-inches long and four-inches wide.

It includes a roof rack, a full esky, surfboard and accurate wheel covers to truly replicate its heritage. The doors open to expose the Beetle’s beige interiors which include movable seats, while the front hood opens to a spare tyre and a tiny four-cylinder air-cooled replicated engine sits in the back. It even has stickers for the rear window and interchangeable number plates.

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This isn’t the first Volkswagen Beetle LEGO has produced, with a much boxier version released in 2008. Lacking the Beetle’s signature curve styling, the exposed model was larger than the new one.

But we think the new curved, truer-to-form VW Beetle – which goes on sale in the US on August 1 – is too cool not to own. LEGO has yet to announce details on its release to Australia, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on import-opportunities.

GENERAL Motors has unveiled technology for its Cadillac CT6 that will keep a watchful eye on what’s going on around your car, even if you’re not inside it.

When parked up, the CT6 – flagged as a potential replacement for the Holden Caprice once local carmaking ends next year – will use four of its seven cameras spread around the vehicle to start recording video and monitor its surrounds as soon as an alarm is triggered.

GM says the video will be stored on a memory card that plugs into the system via a boot-mounted SD card slot.

The Cadillac CT6 is not the first vehicle to record video. The track-friendly Chevrolet Corvette introduced a similar feature in 2014 that saves video and audio to a USB stick, allowing owners to keep a record of their track time or a blast down their favourite road.

Cadillac says the four cameras will also be used for the CT6’s surround-view system that can highlight any obstacles around the car. Another down the rear is used as a reversing camera, while a pair of forward-looking ones are used for the CT6’s lane departure warning system and night vision.

Prospective Ford Focus RS buyers could face up to an 18-month wait due to high demand and limited supply of the new Blue Oval hot hatch.

Ford Australia is currently unable to give a precise wait time due to not knowing exactly how many orders are with dealers, but early indications are Australia’s initial allocation has been sold multiple times over.

Speaking at a Ford event today, CEO Graeme Whickman said: “We are sold out this year, we’re probably close to being sold out the following year the way things are travelling, so the best answer I can give you is: none available right now.”

Asked whether this level of demand was a surprise, Whickman told MOTOR: “I wouldn’t say surprised by demand. The car is well-known, people have been salivating over it for a period of time, but at the end of the day there are only so many RSs being built.”

The Focus RS is built in Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Germany on the same line as the regular Focus and only so many build spots have been allocated to RS production.

Australia did manage to secure an extra allocation of Mustangs earlier in 2016 in response to huge demand, however Whickman said there’s no guarantee the same will be possible with RS.

“Like the Mustang we have continual discussions with our global team in Detriot about what we’re seeing as the demand in the market and what our projections might be. We’re continually updating that every month and continue to have the dialogue about what we think is the right number.

The Focus RS launches locally in mid-July and we’ll bring you a full local review at that time.