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We got word from a little birdie last week that Noble had flown over a prototype of its newest model – the M600 – for a series of shakedowns in the western U.S. CAR was able to get a shooter out to Arizona to capture the M600 undergoing testing, using the same Yamaha-developed V8 found in the Volvo XC90. According to CAR’s sources, the V8 has been fitted with twin turbochargers and output is estimated at somewhere north of 600 hp. The rationale behind using the Volvo’s lightweight eight is primarily centered on emissions, allowing the low-volume automaker to sell the M600 throughout the world.

According to our source, the Noble hit a top speed of 202 mph at Bonneville before traversing Death Valley and winding up the Firebird Raceway in Arizona, where CAR’s shooters captured the N400 in photos and video. Click these colored words here to check it out.

The Panamera is doing development time in Seoul, South Korea. In a city where it seems everyone has a cell phone camera, it’s no wonder that someone caught it on film. This time it appears to be wearing nothing more than a blue paint job and some pre-production panel gaps while filling up at a gas station. We know our opinion has swung on this car - first we didn’t like it, and then we kinda did - but for now we’re holding steady. It still looks better from the front than the rear, but this car is going to sell. Follow the jump to watch the video, and to our South Korean readers, there is a blue intruder among you, so please get him on video again and report to us… Thanks for the tip, Gabriel!

We know when it happened, we just don’t know why it happened. Autoblog reader Joshua Silverman sent in some cellphone pictures of a Panamera he drove by in Denver, Colorado. And all of a sudden — like the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes — we liked it. Or at least, we got it.

Just to make sure, we had a look at the last set of Panamera spy shots, the ones that this very blogger lambasted as “still ugly,” and, well, we kinda liked those, too. We could see possibilities. When the car is given the S and Turbo treatment, we could even imagine, incredibly, beauty. Have a look at the photos below for yourself, and tell us if we should take a bow for discovering the vision, or take a nap.

If you’re Mercedes-Benz, then what you have here is a failure to keep your photo shoots under wraps. First Autobild came out with bare naked shots of the 2009 E-Class, and now German magazine Auto Zeitung has more shots of the car getting some fresh air.

With a minimal front end and a profile that rises seemingly without arc to a chunky back end, the car is reminiscent of a stretched Alfa Romeo Milano. We aren’t sure how big these wheels are, but the car’s increased upright stance makes them look exceptionally small. As usual with the launch of revolutionary E-Class designs, the car could take some time to get used to, but by the time E-Classes are clogging roads worldwide they will look perfectly natural.

There will be some excitement in the engine choices, including a 204 hp turbodiesel Bluetec, a BlueHybrid lump shared with the S400, and a 550 hp V8 in the AMG. The new E will also benefit from closer association with its spin-offs. Now that the CLK is no more, the E sedan will receive more of the spotlight that shines on its coupe and convertible siblings. If Mercedes doesn’t get tired of the clandestine attention, we’ll see the sedan for the first time at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, with the other variants to follow at Frankfurt that same year.

How do you improve on one of the most desirable sportscars in the world? By applying the magic formula, of course! That means less weight and more power, as Alfa Romeo is preparing to do to commemorate its 100th anniversary with the extremely limited edition 8C GTA.

Although we can’t be 100% sure that this is indeed the GTA, we’d have to wonder why else Alfa would be testing an 8C after the development work on the existing model is already done. The prototype is also wearing protective strips along the front fascia and a different set of rims. With the centential celebrations less than two years away, we’re looking forward to feasting our eyes (if not our hands) on the GTA, which is anticipated to loose about 300 lbs. and gain an 50 extra horsepower.

The latest Bentley Arnage is doing the rounds in Spain, but it isn’t the sedan’s appearance that’s news, it’s how it might be powered. As far as cosmetic bodywork, the changes appear minimal, including new fog light placement, rear apron and exhaust exit. A little more substantially, the car is widened at the B-pillar, which should finally give back bench passengers the kind of room that befits a Bentley sedan.

Exterior and interior tweaks aside, what’s under the hood is where things are supposedly cracking. Rumors that we can only guess are highly speculative suggest that the coming Arnage will get a diesel engine. We’re not sure if those rumor-mongers got the memo a month ago in which Bentley CEO Josef Paefgen stated there will be no diesel Bentleys. But supposing one of Rudolph’s children was dropped in that massive engine bay, suspects are Audi’s V12 TDI for the standard model, and the Veyron’s W16 to create a thermonuclear Arnage T. Sign us up.

Ferrari seem to content with cutting the roof off of everything these days. The F430 Spider remains the company’s hottest-selling model, with the new California on the way. A roadster version of the 430 Scuderia is anticipated to make its debut at Mugello in November, and now spy shots have surfaced showing what sources suggest is a convertible version of the 599 GTB Fiorano.

Although the test mule in the spy shots has a fixed roof in place, reports note that the roof appears ill-fitting and mismatched in color to the rest of the body. If that’s anything to go by, Ferrari could be planning a successor to the Superamerica version of the Fiorano’s 575 predecessor and the 550 Barchetta that came before that. The former featured an intriguing Fioravanti-designed glass roof mechanism, however the 599 Spider would, in all likelihood, employ a similar folding hard-top to the clever mechanism found on the new California, to the possible inclusion of the Fiorano’s aerodynamic buttresses. Following the revival of the GTB (grand touring berlinetta) designation on the existing 599, the convertible would likely take on the GTS (grand touring spider) nameplate, while installment of Ferrari’s new quick-shifting SuperFast3 dual-clutch transmission could help mitigate the extra weight. Of course this is all pure speculation, so stay tuned.

When is camo not really camo? When it’s black and white tape stuck to the body of the 2010 Mazda3 sedan. The new 3 was recently caught in the U.S. and the new front end is essentially a reworked version of the Mazda6’s, with a grinning, two-piece grille split by an angular bumper. Notice the bulges and fairings around the foglamps next to the lower grille, and the way the stretched headlights and flared fenders turn the hood outline into a wild polyhedral. The sculpted leather seats and roomy cabin look a treat as well. Assuming Mazda won’t jack up the price or sink the driving dynamics, this could exceed the success of the current car. We’ll bring you the full story from the LA Auto Show in just about sixty days. Thanks for the tip, Kris!

When the Chevy Cobalt first hit the scene as a 2005 model, it was a much better car than the basic transportation it replaced, but it was still a bit too Cavalier-looking for some. All that is scheduled to change for the 2010 model year, as the bow-tie will unveil a new Cobalt based of the same global Delta platform that will also underpin the Volt and next Saturn Astra.

Brenda Priddy and her voyeur minions caught a well-disguised 2010 Cobalt roaming the streets, and while it looks like it was doused in silly-string, we can still see plenty of promise. Most noticeably, the ‘Balt’s profile looks much more refined than that of the current model, with a more graceful greenhouse and prominent nose. Thankfully, the handsome two-tier grill looks to be making its way over from the Malibu, which will help further separate the Cobalt from its economy car past. A sedan and coupe will be available, and we’re assuming that we’ll see a new, faster Cobalt SS, as well.

High gas prices already have the Cobalt selling in record numbers, and if GM can pull off a better Cobalt by next summer, the amount of them leaving dealer lots should grow considerably. Hit the read link below to see the spy shots. Thanks for the tip, noe!

[Source: Motor Trend]

During a recent Bimmer-hunting expedition at the Nurburgring, ace photog Hans Lehmann was able to procure a shot of the engine bay of a development mule for the 2010 BMW 7-series. When inspecting the layout, he noticed two intercoolers, and the best guess now is that the V8 fitted to the new 7-series could be the same engine employed in the new M3. With over 400 horsepower on tap in naturally-aspirated guise, it’s not a stretch to think that this blown motor could produce upwards of 500 HP with limited tweaking. M7 anyone?

When the new 7-series goes on sale in late 2009, those suspicions will be confirmed.

[Source: Straighline]