New additions to the Fiat 500 lineup have already been added in the form of a small crossover and mini-van, and now looks like there might be an even larger 500 with third-row seats.

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Patent images surfacing online suggest BMW might be exploring the idea of a seven-speed manual transmission, which is believable considering Porsche already offers one in its 911.   

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Set to debut at this year’s Orange County Auto Show, specs for the 2012 CR-V leaked earlier and now patent drawings have joined the party, revealing the new CR-V in all its black-and-white glory. There aren’t many surprises on the 2012 CR-V, from what was originally shown off in the concept teaser, though Honda did outfit the production CR-V with more tame (and more boring) wheels.

As mentioned before, the 2012 base CR-V will be powered by a 2.4L engine with 175-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. A 201-hp, 2.5L option will be available backed with 177 lb-ft of torque. Now the wait begins to see what Honda will be packing inside the interior of the CR-V.

GALLERY: 2012 Honda CR-V Patent Drawings

[Source: Autoblog]

One of the most famous sports cars in the world (as voted on by the people’s wallets) is the Mazda Miata. The next one will no doubt continue with this sales success, and with this leaked patent drawing, we can get a glimpse of what we’ll be seeing on the twisties.

Any change from its simple 2-seater RWD template is subject to the ire of the masses, so this next Miata has been speculated on with the fervor only dedicated fans can muster. Will it sport a rotary? Will it have a turbocharger, standard? Will it weigh less than 1700 lbs? Will Mazda bring back headrest speakers? While some of those things aren’t clear, the patent drawing leaked by a Japanese publication—intercepted on their way to the Tokyo Patent Office—shows us the most accurate view of its front end yet.

Mazda is ditching the “Nagare” styling theme (read: silly grins) on the rest of its lineup and going retro—all the way back to 1989, when big-haired women blasted “Like A Prayer” in their “hairdresser’s cars.” It gets vaguely Kabuki-esque stretched headlights that frame a big oval intake, which isn’t too much of a stretch from past and current Miatas. Sadly, pop-up headlights are still sequestered (by various governments, anyway) in the realm of lawn darts and asbestos, and won’t be making a comeback.

The next Miata will bow out as a concept car next year, before Mazda plans to debut the production version at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Expect plenty more fun, bizarre speculation (and plenty of loud opinions) for the next year and a half!

[Source: Motor Trend]