SHOW CARS

When the doors open to the 64th IAA International Motor Show on the September 13, Audi will hold the world premiere of the all-new S7 Sportback.

The most potent member of the A7 Sportback family to date debuts a new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged TFSI V8 engine that will also find its way under the hood of a variety of VW Group models including Audi's own S6 and even Bentley's Continental series.

Ford has gone ahead and revealed the Evos concept, which it claims, premieres the brand’s “first truly new global design language” developed under the One Ford product plan. Now, haven't we heard that before? If “New Edge” and “Kinetic Design” ring any bells, the answer to that question is yes…

According to automaker, the Evos' signature styling will form the basis for the next generation of Ford cars, minivans and crossovers, with the first actual production car to feature the new design language set to arrive in the market in 2012.

Nissan's product-redesign blitz continues with the Maxima sedan, which receives a very modest refresh for the 2012 model year.

The cosmetic tweaks on the outside include a different front grille design, restyled rear combination lights, and new 18-inch and 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels plus the addition of two new exterior colors named Java Metallic and Dark Slate.

There are plenty of reasons to leave the latest Mercedes-Benz CL 63 AMG untouched, but some folks out there are always open to improvements. Enter the world of German tuning firm Väth that has unleashed a new performance package for the Mercedes' facelifted coupe.

Väth starts with the V63S tuning kit that includes a software upgrade for the ECU bumping the bi-turbocharged V8's output from 536HP 590 lb-ft to a monstrous 630-horsepower and 686lb-ft (930Nm) of peak torque.

Last time we brought you spy photos of the 2013 Lotus Exige, it was a set of grainy pictures shot from a distance, which only revealed the profile of the British firm's mid-engine sports car. But our canny scoopsters are back with a new batch of photos, this time showing the prototype in detail.

The developed model pictured appears to have a longer wheelbase and rear overhang than the outgoing Exige while the design is entirely new featuring a lower nose that resembles the styling of the Evora. Our spies told us that the car also looked wider than the older model.

If you think that Fiat would be content with two premieres at the Frankfurt Motor Show, both of which belong to important segments for the European market, you wrong. Apart from the Nuova Panda and the revised, MultiAir-equipped Punto, the Italian company has a bunch of other models as well.

The Dodge-derived Freemont, which was initially available with front-wheel drive only, now gets an all-wheel drive. It utilizes an on-demand AWD system with an electronically controlled coupling that sends power to the rear wheels only when its slip sensors detect a loss of grip at the front axle.

Top marks to those of you who remember the last front-wheel-drive Infiniti. If you don’t, you’re not going senile: it was the 2000 I35, the Infiniti version of the Nissan Maxima sedan that lasted until 2004.

Now, the luxury division of Nissan is bringing back FWD, starting with the all-new JX crossover that will be available in front- and four-wheel-drive configurations from April 2012.