Old cars are plenty of fun, but every now and then we petrolheads relish the release of new cars. You could liken the feeling to the beginning of a new Premier League season. There’s a lot of excitement, debate and speculation. There is plenty of inside information that can be hit-or-miss when it comes to accuracy, however these days many leaks that leak, turn out to be correct. Here are a few spy shots of upcoming cars that are interesting:

1. Porsche 911 Carrera S e-Hybrid

Surprisingly it looks like Porsche is gearing up to launch a new hybrid 911. No this one is not related to the hybrid Turbo. For now it’s not clear if the Turbo S e-Hybrid will be a plug-in hybrid. However with this e-Hybrid base Carrera, the electric assistance will likely be a front motor that supports the internal combustion engine and will recover energy under braking. Speaking of the engine, MotorAuthority reports suggest that the updated 911 range will feature a new naturally aspirated flat-six. Will they go with the 4 litre seen in the likes of the 718 Cayman GTS? Perhaps, it could also be possible they stick with turbocharging. It is also said that the current 992 PDK is the same one as the hybrid Panamera unit which is said to work well with hybrid motors.

2. BMW X5 M

The X5 M is frankly a pointless car. However it’s quiet a magnificent pointless item as it features the best things that make an M5 great into the body of a school bus. So while I can spend time making fun of it, I do understand why it exists. The current generation X5 M is due for a LCI update and there’s good news for you M fans. Unlike the M5 update, there’s a few changes slated for the X5 M. From the outside expect minor changes to the styling of elements like the front intakes, the grille and headlights with revised internals. Underneath the bonnet the new X5 M will feature a brand new V8. It retains the same 4.4 litre displacement. It is now dubbed the S68. It should work well with the ZF 8-speed torque converter and a 48 volt mild-hybrid system. Oddly this time, an S engine debuts in an M-lite BMW model. The model in question is the X7 M60i. Things appear to be upside down. Traditionally it’s not new for BMW to introduce new high performance engines via their SAVs. There will be a host of revisions to the engine’s internals which will result in a more ferocious horsepower figure. It will retain the same rear biased all-wheel-drive system that, unlike the M5, will not be switchable to rear-wheel-drive. Finally the interior will also be refreshed to incorporate the design elements from the iX EV.

3. BMW M3 CSL

Continuing with the theme of German cars in eye gouging pre-production camouflage, what you see here is the rumoured M3 CSL. The M3 has been pretty busy since it landed and the family is only going to grow. The Touring, which is an estate version, is also slated for the latter part of 2022. The CSL version, what does it mean? Well here it means less sound deadening, a more sparse interior and worse for day-to-day living. If this gives you PTSD about the M4 GTS, you needn’t worry. BMW have learned a lot since then and have made leaps with the latest G80. Thankfully it should be rather brilliant to drive as the Bavarian crew will make many alterations to the suspension and the engine will for sure have more power thrown at it. It will also likely feature bucket seats and lots of alcantara. It will be very interesting to spot the differences in extremity between the M3 CSL and the M5 CS.

4. Ferrari Roma V12

When Aston Martin announced that the V12 Vantage would be returning, a lot of us were taken aback as it went against the trend of small sports cars downsizing engines. Thankfully Aston Martin were able to defy the odds to build and sell all 333 units. Weirdly while that is going on in England, the Italians are also busy fettling with their small sports car by putting a V12 in it. The screaming soundtrack and bigger air intakes give evidence to this change. It’s unclear if this Roma is a mule for something else or a new upcoming Roma variant. It’s likely to be an Icona model (such as the Monza or Daytona SP3). It’s seen being rigorously driven around Maranello and it has to be said, it looks like such a friendly hoot to chuck about. Believe it or not, Ferrari’s technical boss confirmed that an even more diabolical version of the V12 seen in the likes of the 812 Competizione is in the works.