That's what the UK's Car magazine say these spec images are all about. Sketches of the coming R8 Spider and A1 entry hatch were purportedly procured from Audi's Ingolstadt design headquarters. The images show the R8 targa, reportedly as it will appear in 2009, and the A1, Audi's Europe-only answer to the Mini Cooper. Car says the A1 will get Quattro AWD and that spanky new seven-speed DSG we've been hearing about. Click through for A1 action.

[via Car magazine]

Frankfurt Auto Show: Kia Reveals Three-Door Cee'd

It may not look like a big deal, but the Kia C'eed three-door hatch is the most significant vehicle to hit European shores since that 1911 Gräf & Stift Rois De Blougne tourer blew a rod, killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand and subsequently starting World War I. Maybe not quite that, but the C'eed three door is significant for its leading-edge design by former Audi scribbler and head of Kia's European design office, Peter Schreyer. The Slovakian-built hatch will show up at the Frankfurt show before going on sale, continentally, in December, competing with such C-segment mainstays as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall "Prince Henry."

Press Release:

KIA cee'd THREE-DOOR REVEALED

Kia Motors Corporation has released the first preview image of its exciting new Kia three-door hatchback model which will make its World Premiere at this year's Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September. The new model will be named Pro-cee'd.

Based closely on the earlier 'pro_cee'd' concept shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2006, the new production model has been developed by Kia's design team in Europe under the direction of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

"Longer, lower and lighter than its five-door sister car, the new Kia Pro-cee'd is going to be a great drive," enthused Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. "Combining real style and genuine practicality, our new three-door cee'd is sure to delight existing Kia customers and attract a new group of European consumers who have not yet considered our brand."

Manufactured in Slovakia, Pro-cee'd will be the third member of the Kia cee'd family, joining the popular cee'd five-door and the soon to be released cee'd SW models to make Kia an especially strong challenger for C-segment sales in Europe.

Production of the Pro-cee'd model range is scheduled to begin in November with first customer sales during the early months of 2008.

Déjà vu all over again: Euro-infused Fords are coming, new Focus by 2011

We've known that after Mulally was appointed Grand Poo-bah of FoMoCo, one of the first items on his to-do list was to commonize the auto maker's lineup in Europe and America in an effort to cut production costs. The cry from those of us in the States, deriding Ford's execs for depriving us of the auto maker's European offerings has been far and wide, and according to Automotive News, the movement is underfoot. Let the breath holding begin.

The auto-industry pub cites suppliers and "industry sources" as saying that Ford will be importing the C1 platform to the U.S. in the form of the new Focus and Escape, along with the C-Max and a Lincoln crossover. Expect the new Focus and C-Max to make it to our shores by 2011, while the Escape replacement and Lincoln's crossover - likely to be inspired by the European Kuga - to come by 2012.

Even better for N.A. autoworkers, Ford plans to build these newest offerings in the Wayne, Michigan and Kansas City plant, with a possibility of also employing the Cuautitlan, Mexico line.

Although we've heard these rumblings before, and have been left with such disappointments as the '08 Focus, we're feeling a bit more confident about this latest report. The timeframe seems entirely plausible, but until it happens we'll be looking cautiously into the future.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]