We've been eagerly awaiting the upcoming introduction of the 2010 Ford Taurus since we first laid eyes on the Mondeo-inspired clay mock-up that was leaked across the Internets. Ford already announced that Ecoboost technology would power at least one version of the 2010 model, and with a 350-hp twin-turbo V6 underhood, we're thinking it's finally SHO time again. The scribes over at World Car Fans have supposedly heard otherwise, though, at least when it comes to the name. Word from industry insiders has the nomenclature as Taurus ST.

Mitsubishi's new trapezoidal grille design is spreading throughout the lineup, and the Outlander looks to be the next vehicle that gets struck with the corporate underbite. At least now the Lancer won't be the only Mitsu wearing a grille cribbed from the '57 Chrysler 300. The new front fascia will include angry-eye headlamps and appears to be the only external change to the Outlander during its mid-cycle freshening. A gaggle of engineers were rumored to be fussing over the cars that spy photogs snagged in the Western US desert, which may mean powertrain changes. Can we cast our vote for an Evo powertrain under the new sheetmetal?

Not too many surprises lie under the camoflage, the next-generation GTI will be the Angry-Teut-Box version of Volkswagen's forthcoming Golf VI, which we've already seen. The overall milieu is an evolutionary step from our current fifth-generation Golf/Rabbit, though the detail changes to the GTI that KGP snagged add some sporty stylistic touches which will undoubtedly be backed up by hardware. The front end gets honeycomb grilles for every opening and eschews foglamps in favor of brake cooling, with bright red calipers now squeezing away. A dual exhaust setup might have you thinking R32 instead of GTI, but there are rumors floating around that the R32 will be kaput after the current generation.

Ja, Bjorn, tink dat's de new Astra? Shoor looks like it, Jan. Lutz will be asking you to kiss this thing when it comes out from under that checkerboard camo. The current Astra is good, and the new one promises to be better, with looks that aren't revolutionary, but nicely done nonetheless. We'll see this world car version of the Astra sometime around 2011 with a variety of drivetrains, including hybrid power. The C-Pillar remains obscured, leaving our curiosity about the hatch's ultimate form unfulfilled. From what we can see, though, the new Astra will be like the current Astra - competitively styled and priced.

[Source: autoblog.nl]

A Quarter Pounder with cheese isn't exactly Schupfnudeln and Kölsch, but some Mercedes-Benz engineers decided to slum it while putting the new CLK through hot weather testing. That stop at the Golden Arches put Stuttgart's camouflaged efforts under the scrutiny of the Automotive Traveler's long lenses. The CLK, or at least that's what it's believed to be, looks like an awful lot of energy has been expended in the area of the C-pillar and rear quarter panel.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Toyota Mark X Zio.

Toyota's JDM Mark X Zio has been caught testing in the arid climes of Death Valley, and while a Japanese-only vehicle running on U.S. soil is nothing new this time of year, the pseudo-crossover has made the switch from right-hand to left-hand-drive.

Despite its size, the Mark X Zio is actually capable of seating four, six or seven passengers by using a flexible seating layout that can accommodate either a 2-2-2 or a 2-3-2 arrangement. Essentially, it's a glorified minivan/crossover wearing wagon sheetmetal, and has the potential to slot in between the Toyota Venza and the tanking Highlander.

Saabs with the latest Haldex bits tucked underneath are a hoot to drive, as we found out the two times we sampled the Turbo X. That hardware will also be available on the 9-3 Aero, and Saab's got another trick up its sleeve in the form of the 9-3X. Rather than go the lowered, Vaderized route of the Turbo X, the 9-3X is angling for the table scraps left over by the Audi Allroad, Volvo XC70, and even the luxed-up versions of the Subaru Outback. Raised suspension and skid-platey accents butch it up, along with extra cladding and exhaust tips big enough to flank some bumper nutz.

The current Ford Taurus is a safe and reliable vehicle with plenty of space for a family of five. The Taurus is also completely invisible in the large car market, due mostly to its vanilla appearance. The Blue Oval is hoping to correct this issue with the next generation Taurus, which is due in 2010. We've already seen a blurry photo of a handsome clay model back in April, and now the future Ford flagship has been spied on the street as well.

Boy howdy does that camouflage make it difficult to suss out what's underneath! BMW's cooking up a new X3, expected to drop in 2011, and the changes don't look to be huge. The smallest SAV - BMW's acronym for Stupid Ass Sports Activity Vehicle - will get rhinoplasty to bring some Concept CS cues to the X3. The heavy camo on the rear windows suggest that BMW might be addressing some of the awkwardness that afflicts the current model, a definite plus. Word is that much sweat will be expended over an updated interior in order to keep up with competitors. A less-hideous X3 that retains its chassis moves while coddling you with a better interior? Sounds good to us, even though we'd still rather have an M3 wagon.

[Source: BMW blog, Photo: Priddy]