Emerging from the rumormill are talks about Ferrari getting ready to reveal a convertible version of its new 458 Italia supercar at next month's 2011 Frankfurt auto show.

In a new report from Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine, sources close to Maranello say that like its predecessor, the 458 Italia Spider will be offered with an electrically operated cloth convertible top that disappears behind the front seats.

The man behind the Karma extended-range electric sports sedan, company boss Henrik Fisker, revealed some ambitious new plans to develop the brand's lineup during the European launch of the saloon model.

According to one report from British magazine What Car?, Fisker confirmed the development of a new crossover that will combine elements from sporty estate and SUV models, and which will be revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show in September before it allegedly reaches showrooms in 2012.

A pair of new turbocharged engines will soon be added to the range of the recently-launched BMW X3. These include a base four-cylinder gasoline unit and a flagship straight-six diesel.

The new entry level version of the X3, the xDrive20i, is powered by a 2.0-liter aluminum four cylinder gasoline engine featuring a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, Double Vanos variable camshaft control and Valvetronic variable valve control system. It delivers 184HP at 4,800 rpm and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque from just 1,250 rpm.

On Thursday, we brought you news on Alfa Romeo's plans to exhibit the 4C at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Today, the Italian automaker's social network gurus released an updated announcement saying that the 4C will be presented in a "new exclusive look" at the German auto show.

Well-known Opel tuner, Irmscher, is one of the first to get its hands on the new generation of the Astra GTC revealing details on its customazation program ahead of the car's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The upgrade starts with a performance package for the Astra GTC with the 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. A stage 1 kit lifts output from 180-horses and 230Nm to 212HP and 274 Nm (202 lb-ft).

Whenever there's a new Mercedes-Benz model out, you can be sure that Brabus will be one of the first customizers to jump on the tuning bandwagon.

For the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, the German firm has developed an extensive customization program to take care of both the styling and performance aspects of the car.

If there was ever a prize for the most spied car this year, it should go to the new Porsche 991, which we will come to know as the latest generation of the 911. Our spy shooters have caught up with a variety of prototypes ranging from the standard Carrera coupe all the way up to the Turbo Convertible.

This time they snagged what looks to be either the Carrera or the Carrera S, possibly in final production trim as the car was fitted with the white protective strips we normally find on vehicles that are to be transported. There's also a tag on the passenger seat, but we couldn't zoom close enough to make out what it says.

The countdown for the highly anticipated 2011 Frankfurt auto show in the second week of September has begun and carmakers are trying to keep us on our toes with enticing teasers like this invitation from Alfa Romeo.

Shown on the Italian firm's Facebook page, the teaser is about the new 4C mid-engined sports car that was previewed as a thinly disguised concept study at this year's Geneva Salon.

Fiat's engineers are putting the final touches on the third generation of the Italian firm's best-seller in the mini segment, the Panda, which will make its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September before going on sale in select European markets by the end of the year, with the rest to follow in early 2012.

If you're weren’t content with our recent spy photographs of the prototype 2012 Panda, you might want to take a look at this video that was said to have been filmed in Napoli, Italy.

We first reported on Mercedes-Benz's Frankfurt auto show-bound Viano Vision Pearl Concept just last week, but since then, the German automaker has released a slew of new photos detailing the luxury people carrier. Read more »

As we are nearing closer and closer to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, which will be held for the public from September 15 to 25, automakers are slowly releasing more details about their plans.

Today, Ford revealed that it is planning four global product presentations in Frankfurt including "a new design concept" and what the company described as "details of the next Focus performance car".

Truth to be said, we've spied the upcoming Porsche 991 -that's Porsche talk for the next generation of the 911- more times than we can remember these past few months. In fact, just earlier today we brought you some fresh spy shots of the 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible.

So what's new about these latest scoop pictures? Well, we get a clearer look at both the regular coupe and convertible models of the 911 series without any of that annoying body camouflage.

However, Porsche's engineers have retained the fake surrounds on the headlamps and taillights to confuse us (insert tongue-in-cheek comment here) on the appearance of the 991.

Our spy photographers continue to capture test mules of the upcoming, next generation Porsche 911, which is internally referred to as the 991, ahead of the sports car world premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

We have already shown you the regular 911 Carrera models in both coupe and convertible format as well as the 911 Turbo and what we believe is the 911 Turbo S coupe, but now we have some fresh spy shots of the 911 Turbo Convertible with its top down, caught during hot weather testing.

Mazda's all-new CX-5 compact crossover (which we told you about earlier today) will be joined by the refreshed 2012 Mazda3 at the Japanese firm's Frankfurt Motor Show stand.

Revealed for the first time at the Toronto Show in Canada in February, which was followed by an appearance at the New York Auto Show in the U.S. earlier this year, the 2012 Mazda3 gains new and more fuel-efficient engines that deliver lower CO2 emissions.

What is claimed to be an official press invitation from Lamborghini for the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in the form of an image that was allegedly sent through email is making the internet rounds today.

The invitation reads: "Discover a new Lamborghini super sports car at the next Frankfurt Motor Show. Press conference 13/09/11, 12:45, Lamborghini stand at IAA."

We can't be 100 percent sure about its authenticity, but if real, it raises the question what will this new "Lamborghini super sports car" be? The answer could be anything from the production version of the evil-looking Sesto Elemento and either a roadster or a more extreme version of the new Aventador, or perhaps a different concept model altogether. Follow the jump to share your thoughts in the comments section.

With the "500 by Gucci" hatchback having already logged some 3,000 pre-orders online, Fiat wasn't about to let a good run go to waste. Today, the Italians announced the release of topless version that goes by the name "500C by Gucci". Read more »

A little over a year after Mazda previewed the Minagi Concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the Japanese company lifted the curtains off the production version of its compact SUV that we will come to know as the CX-5.

The world premiere of the CX-5 will take place at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show that opens on September 13 and will go on sale in early 2012.

Last time we wrote about the 2012 Honda CR-V, it concerned a prototype, a blogger and four-vehicle accident – not the best of news for the Japanese company. Now, thanks to the Honda-loving crew over at Temple of Vtec and scoopster Brenda Priddy, we have video footage of the next-generation CR-V crossover testing on the road.

The spied 2012 CR-Vs are wearing less camouflage than usual with only the front and parts of the rear end wrapped up in black plastic.

The headline story on the automotive front today (that would be Friday, July 29) is no doubt the presentation of the first concept models of BMW's new division for alternative fuel vehicles that we will come to know as the "i" series.

We've already given you a first look at the i3 pure-electric hatchback as well as the sporty i8 gasoline-electric hybrid coupe concepts, but BMW has also released a series of films on both vehicles.

Honda announced today that it will manufacture the new Civic hatchback and the next generation of the CR-V SUV at its Swindon plant in the UK

The five-door hatchback version of the new Honda Civic, which we previewed earlier today (see here), is designed exclusively for Europe and will only be built in Swindon. The Civic was first introduced in 1972, and is now in its ninth generation. It will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.