Kia has been talking about a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan for a while, and now we’ve got the pictures to prove that they’re serious.

Seen here is the Kia K9 undergoing some winter testing in northern Sweden. We can already see some cues from the Kia GT concept, like the full LED headlights.

The K9 is based on the rear-drive platform from the Hyundai Genesis. That said, engine options could include the brand’s direct-injection 3.8-liter V6 making anywhere from 333 hp to 350 hp. Plus you have to think a V8 will be available, such as the 385 hp 4.6-liter Hyundai unit, or the 429 hp 5.0-liter version. Perhaps most exciting is the possibility of a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 making 390 hp – as seen in the Kia GT Concept.

As for transmission choices, look for either the 8-speed unit recently introduced in the Genesis lineup, or a possible 10 speed automatic that’s currently in development.

Expect the K9 to arrive later this year as a 2013 model year car and to be aimed squarely at German luxury brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

GALLERY: Kia K9

Looking not all that far from a production model, BMW is out testing its plug-in hybrid sports car in the European arctic. These spy photos, show the camo-clad i8, the flagship of BMW’s upcoming lineup of fuel-efficient alternative energy models.

Using the 170 hp electric motor from the entry-level i3, the i8 adds a 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with 223 hp. With power going to the rear wheels BMW says the i8 will deliver a 0-60 time of around 5 seconds, with a 22 mile electric range and an overall 78 mpg rating.

It may seem like a distant reality, but BMW has announced the i8 will go on sale in two year’s time.

GALLERY: BMW i8 Spy Photos

Ferrari‘s F620, which will succeed the 599 GTB Fiorano, is set to debut March 6 at the press preview for the 2012 Geneva Auto Show.

As we reported previously, the car will have the same 6.2-liter V12 engine as the recent Ferrari FF, though it will produce 700 horsepower, significantly more than the four-seat FF.

German AutoBild released an artist rendering of what they think the car will look like. It seems they are heavily speculating that the F620 will take styling cues from the FF, featuring the same smiling grille and low, sweeping nose.

We’ll be in Geneva snapping photos and racing to post them, but for now you can look at our spy photos and imagine Ferrari’s next grand tourer for yourself.

GALLERY: 2013 Ferrari F620

Rolls-Royce is planning an update for its flagship Phantom range.

Recent spy photos brought the changes to light on the traditional Phantom sedan, but now we can see the modifications will find their way into the entire lineup, including the Coupe and Drophead Coupe convertible, shortly after.

The photos don’t reveal much, other than the fact that Rolls is hiding a new headlight design. Don’t expect major changes either, with the most prestigious of luxury automakers not wanting to make the current rides of its high-profile clientele look dated. In addition to mild exterior changes, we expect an updated interior with an improved navigation system, as well as a slight bump in power and emissions for the engine.

The updated Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe could make its reveal as early as next-month’s Geneva Motor Show, or we may have to wait until the Paris show in the Fall.

GALLERY: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe Spy Photos

Our photographers have just caught up with the soon-to-be-revealed Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake.

Spy photos of the unique wagon-styled-coupe that’s actually a sedan (or is it a wagon now?) show a nearly-completed vehicle, suggesting it could make its world premiere as early as the Geneva Motor Show in March. Mercedes has already announced plans for the CLS Shooting Brake to go on sale by the end of this year.

When it does arrive look for power to come from the brand’s new twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8 with a choice of either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and if we’re really lucky, a CLS63 Shooting Brake may also be in the pipe with a twin-turbo 5.5-liter engine and well over 500 hp.

GALLERY: Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake Spy Photos

Out sneaky photographers have managed to snap spy photos of the upcoming 2013 Porsche Cayman on the streets in Germany.

Camoed-up, the test mule reveals little, although an interior shot does show that the Cayman will borrow from the recently revealed 2013 Boxster when it comes to the interior. (It also reveals the fashion sense of German engineers – check out that sweater).

When it does arrive later this year, also look for familiar engines, with a base 2.7-liter flat-six making around 275 hp, while a larger 3.4-liter on the Cayman S should deliver around 325 hp – a number just ahead of its soft-top counterpart. With the PDK dual-clutch transmission and the Sport Chrono package, the new Cayman S should achieve a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds or less.

Sharing a light weight aluminum chassis with the Boxster, making it both wider and longer than the current car, expect significant weight savings, as well as a big improvement in fuel economy.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche Cayman Spy Photos

Our photographers have captured the latest spy photos of the upcoming Land Rover Range Rover, including photos of the new SUVs interior. The photos below show what appears to be a significantly larger LCD screen in the center of the dash.

The all-new Range Rover is expected to shed significant weight compared to the current model thanks to an all-aluminum structure. Look for similar engines to the current lineup, including the big 5.0-liter V8 and a supercharged version, as well as the addition of an eight-speed automatic transmission to further improve fuel economy and acceleration.

And to further help grow Land Rover’s green image, we expect to see the launch of the brand’s first hybrid. Recently Land Rover previewed its electric technology with the Range_e Concept using a diesel engine mated to a hybrid electric drive, although it’s expected that the production model will use gasoline power instead.

GALLERY: 2013 Range Rover

Porsche is upping the engineering ante with their 2013 911 Turbo, which our spy photographer caught yesterday, to deliver more power and better fuel efficiency all at once.

The new 911 Turbo will keep the same 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six cylinder engine as previous models, but it will have a new boost thanks to a complex tri-turbo setup similar to what BMW is using in the M550d xDrive and X5 M50d models, among others.

The system employs one smaller turbocharger and two larger ones. The smaller spools up more quickly at lower rpms, delivering an initial power boost that carries smoothly into the second and third larger units.

Although the horsepower ratings aren’t certain yet, the new system is expected to boost the 911 Turbo from 495 to 525 horsepower, which is quite close to the 530 hp 911 Turbo S.

Porsche is currently completing testing on the tri-turbo setup inside their 991, though further details can’t be that far off given that it’s slated for the 2013 model year.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo spy photos

[Source: Auto Car]

Out photographers have snapped several spy photos of the upcoming Mazda6 undergoing testing in the frozen European north. Underneath this current-generation body there’s plenty of new equipment to evaluate, from an all-new Skyactiv chassis and suspension system, right down to the engine and a start-stop system mated to an innovative regenerative braking system.

The next-gen Mazda6 will look nothing like this mule, which sports a chopped-up body similar to the prototypes we’ve already driven. Instead, it will share the swooping lines of the Takeri Concept car, unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Mazda has confirmed north America will get a diesel engine in early 2013, but hasn’t confirmed which model it will arrive in yet.

Look for the debut of the new Mazda6 next fall at the Paris Motor Show.

GALLERY: 2013 Mazda6 Test Mule

GALLERY: Mazda Takeri Concept

Find out more about the next-gen Mazda6 by reading our prototype drive here.

If there were any doubts that Hyundai is planning to offer a second generation of its Elantra Touring in North America, this should pretty much do away with them.

Spied parking in an underground condo garage in Toronto, Canada and sent to us by a friend who runs the Endras BMW Blog, the spy photos at first seem to show some type of Volkswagen prototype. The shape of the headlights, however, is just some camo trickery, and the fenders are most certainly those of the Hyundai Elantra Touring. As though more confirmation was needed, a peak inside shows the Hyundai badge on the steering wheel and a typical Hyundai interior.

When it does arrive on our shores, look for the same engine as the current Elantra, with a 2.0-liter making 148 hp and getting 40 mpg on the highway. Previous reports have suggested a 200 hp turbocharged model could be in the works, as well as a plug-in hybrid version.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Touring Spy Photos

Read AutoGuide’s 2012 Hyundai Elantra Review Here