Acura is less than two weeks away from revealing its production-ready ILX compact sedan at the Chicago auto show, but our spy shooters spotted a test vehicle and managed to take a clear picture of the car’s dash. The ILX concept, which appeared in January in Detroit, was an exterior buck with no interior.

Surprise, surprise: The interior is pretty standard Acura stuff. The button-smothered center stack borrows a few pieces from the Honda Civic—it shares a basic platform with the ILX—including the climate-control knobs at the bottom. It looks like Acura won’t use this car as an opportunity to stray from its current infotainment setup, which involves a giant control knob protruding from the middle of the dashboard. We’re not fans of the setup as a whole, but we’ve at least been promised that the software will receive a significant upgrade. Since the ILX is targeted at younger shoppers (think people under 40), there’s a lot at stake in having quick, modern, and seamless phone integration and navigation.

The pictures don’t convey material or assembly quality, but we hope significant attention has been given to the ILX’s cabin: The cheap-feeling interior in the ILX’s Civic sibling is a big disappointment. Honda heard us—and the rest of the car-buying public—and is fast-tracking updates said to enrich the experience. That hopefully bodes well for the ILX’s trappings.

Acura previously announced that the ILX would get three powertrain configurations. A 2.0-liter four making 150 to 160 hp will be paired exclusively with an automatic transmission. The enthusiast’s choice will be the 200-ish-hp, 2.4-liter four sold only with a six-speed manual gearbox. Finally, an ILX hybrid will be offered and borrow its 1.5-liter four from the Civic hybrid; the electric motor probably will be shared with the Honda, too. Exact specs for the three powerplants should accompany the car’s official debut.

As for the ILX’s sheetmetal, it should be nearly identical to that of the Detroit concept. A few of the smallest details—wheels, the shape of the side mirrors—could change, but in essence, what we saw is what we’ll get. It looks decent in person, and the Civic roots aren’t obvious. While we and the rest of the enthusiast community want a new Integra with aggressive styling, we are a minority of the car-buying public. This car should be attractive to the Millennial yuppies that Acura’s trying to court.

Check back on February 8 and 9 for our live coverage of the ILX and the rest of the debuts from the Chicago show floor.

At the 2012 Chicago auto show, Ram trucks will introduce a new top trim level, the 2012 Ram Laramie Limited. Think of it as a city-slickened counterpart to Ram’s luxurious, Southwest-themed Laramie Longhorn; the Limited packs a similar amount of goodies, but swaps the country kitsch for a sleeker, more contemporary flavor inside and out.

Specific changes to the exterior include body-color bumpers (chrome bumpers are subbed on white and silver versions); body sides devoid of badging; chrome door handles, mirrors, door trim, and tubular running boards; and 20-inch forged aluminum wheels with polished faces and silver-painted inserts. If less is more from an appearance standpoint, then the Laramie Limited has the most of all the big luxo-trucks (including those built by GM, Ford, and Toyota). But as much as we savor aesthetic simplicity, we expect that some truck customers may find the new Laramie Limited a little too plain for flagship status. (That’s where the over-the-top Laramie Longhorn comes in, apparently.)

Inside, the Ram Laramie Limited has seats covered entirely in premium dark slate leather (not just the seating surfaces themselves) offset by gray piping and stitching. More stitched leather covers the steering wheel, shift lever, door panels, and center-console lid. Berber carpets; LED accent lighting; unique gauge faces; scuff plates; a smattering of piano black, chrome, and “liquid graphite” trim bits; and nearly every available tech toy and comfort item are standard on the new Limited. Like the Laramie Longhorn, this trim level will be available in 1500, 2500, and 3500 chassis strengths, as well as crew and Mega cab styles.

The Laramie Limited will appear in dealers by the middle of this year as a 2012 model. Prices haven’t yet been announced, but we’re told that they should fall in line with those of the Longhorn edition, which starts at $44,120 for the crew-cab, short-bed, rear-wheel-drive 1500 model. In other words, don’t expect to get much change from your $50,000 bill. But do expect a rather sweet truck.

At some point during a two-day drive of the all-new Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, something interesting happened. Your author learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.

Keep Reading: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG — First Drive Review

As they do with celebutante Kim Kardashian, most people fail to understand the BMW X6. But while Kim is always burnishing her image, the X6 is just now receiving its first major revision, one that includes a mild face lift and some enhancements under the skin. (Each also has a giant—er, skip that one.) 

The X6′s front end has been tweaked to keep it more in line with the rest of the BMW lineup. Some new colors have been added to the palette and a new wheel design is available, too. We’ll leave it to you to decide whether this nip/tuck suits BMW’s 5000-plus-pound crossover. Adaptive LED headlights are now available as an upgrade to the standard xenon units.

More exciting, of course, is that BMW now will offer M Performance packages for both the turbocharged 3.0-liter six and the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8. Additional power comes as a result of cranking up the turbo boost; on the six, output rises from 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque to 315 hp and 330 lb-ft. (These are just a shade lower than the 320 hp and 332 lb-ft delivered by the Performance Edition package in the outgoing 335i, which featured the same engine; the difference is attributable to different intake and exhaust plumbing in the two vehicles.) The M Performance upgrade will increase output in the V-8–toting X6 xDrive50i by 40 hp and 30 lb-ft, for totals of 440 and 480. The package also includes aesthetic touches like 20-inch wheels, black chrome exhaust tips, and dark window trim.

We in the States may not have the chance to buy one of the triple-turbo diesel M Performance models announced for Europe today, but the M Performance packages we are getting are at least small consolation. The Performance Edition pack for the 3-series costs just $550; hopefully these M Performance tweaks won’t add much more to an X6. It also seems like it wouldn’t be difficult to offer similar upgrades for other U.S. models using these engines—so pretty much BMW’s entire lineup—although no plans to do so have been announced just yet.

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. Only a handful of you figured out that this week’s sound came from the 2012 Volkswagen GLI. As we noted in our instrumented test, “the GLI’s  intake broadcasts an on-throttle honk that resonates like the confused and imbalanced offspring of a VW five-cylinder and a tuned Subaru flat-four.” This 2.0-liter turbo four is offered in tons of other VW Group products, but only the Beetle Turbo sounds as weird as this one. Hopefully this serves as proof that we weren’t making it up.

Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI MP3 (Right-click to Save As…)

If the offerings of BMW’s M Performance line can be likened to cupcakes, the initial U.S.-market model is a cupcake without frosting. (Note that M Performance does not mean M: These will be hotter than typical Bimmers, but not as reworked or expensive as full-bore M cars.) The frosting in this analogy that’s being reserved for European M Performance vehicles: a new triple-turbocharged inline-six diesel installed in the X5, X6, and 5-series. Instead, the M Performance line will launch in the States with packages for the refreshed 2013 X6. These will include unique trim pieces and extra power for its single-turbo inline-six and twin-turbo V-8 engines, both of which run on gasoline.

About that crazy Euro-market diesel engine: The triple-turbo, 3.0-liter inline-six puts out 381 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque; the latter figure beats the latest M5’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 by 46 lb-ft. The diesel powerhouse wears the same twin-scroll-referencing, semi-confusing TwinPower badge that also adorns the company’s single- and twin-turbo motors. The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive in each of the three initial offerings, the M550d xDrive sedan/wagon, the X5 M50d, and the X6 M50d. (Talk about preposterous names.) BMW estimates that the M550d sedan can hit 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds, the X6 M50d in 5.3, and the X5 M50d in 5.4. Predictably, the claimed 0-to-60 times all fall between those of a conventional 5-series, X5, or X6 and the corresponding M5, X5 M, or X6 M.

Each Euro model receives M Performance–specific tuning for the suspension and hydraulic steering rack, and BMW’s various adaptive suspension systems are optional or standard depending on model. The M550d and the X5 M50d get BMW’s Performance Control system, which offers a brake-based torque-vectoring function. The X6 M50d, however, has Dynamic Performance Control as standard; this brings the full-on torque-vectoring differential borrowed from the X5 and X6 Ms.

BMW kept the M Performance exterior modifications to a minimum, lending the cars a stealthy flair. The side mirrors and lower intake trim are painted a metallic grey color, with the rest of the pieces rendered in the company’s dark “Shadow Line” finish. Oh, and the exhaust outlets are square instead of the round muzzleloaders that jut from the rear fascias of M cars. The M550d and the X5 ride on 19-inch M accessory wheels, but grey 20-inchers are available; the 20s are standard on the more flamboyant X6. There’s but a single M badge on the exterior of each vehicle: the “M” before the model designation. There are more inside, but still fewer than you’ll find on a typical M car. An M steering wheel, shifter, and front sport seats round out the interior upgrades.

The European M Performance line will debut at the Geneva auto show in March. Rest assured, we’ll be pestering BMW execs to offer the new diesel here, too.

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.

After this year’s Detroit auto show and a trip to California for a press event, I am back on my German home turf. This Detroit auto show—public days of which just ended last weekend—was the best one in several years. After thumbing through my notes, I’ve compiled a few of my observations from Cobo Hall and subsequent meetings, outlining the highlights, lowlights, and so-so performances.

Yes: Acura NSX. Finally, another super sports car from Honda! A Honda/Acura rebirth is on the way, disturbing comments by the company’s North American marketing executives notwithstanding. This car won’t be a compromise. One caveat: Voices tell me CEO Ito has seen the light in the form of electrics and hybrids. At least he thinks so.

No: Cadillac ATS. Cadillac has been defined by its characteristic and unmistakably angular styling language, and I was expecting an ultra-contemporary, aggressive compact sports sedan. A sharper and more compact CTS, please. Alas, the ATS falls flat down on its unremarkable face—and the interior doesn’t save it, either. Are Cadillac’s designers voluntarily abandoning its styling language, or was this car clinicked to death? At this point, it makes no difference. But hey, it’s supposed to beat the 3-series on the road, right? We’ll see.

Yes: Audi’s Q3 Vail concept. “Two months ago, [CEO] Rupert Stadler asked us to create a Q3 for America to gauge interest in the car,” says exterior designer Frank Gruner. His team took the off-road styling package add-ons, resprayed them in a granite color, added running boards, aluminum appliqués, and 20-inch wheels, plus an aluminum roof rack with integrated LED lights.The concept was so well received that Stadler confirmed the Q3 will come to the U.S.

So-so: the Mercedes-Benz SL550. I love the fact this car is up to 275 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and I am sure it will be an absolute blast to drive. (Please also mark me down for extended test drives of the upcoming SL63 and SL65 AMG versions.) Meanwhile, however, allow me to comment on the interior design: I noted the center air vents and screen are slightly off-center, presumably so the center left vent’s airflow won’t disturb the driver’s right hand. Not a lovely solution, and I strongly suspect this isn’t what the original sketch looked like. But an absolute low point is the “Mercedes-Benz” lettering on the steering wheel—curved and in italics—that oozes all the tasteful restraint of a “Stauer Meisterzeit” timepiece (consult your in-flight shopping catalog). It is patently misplaced in an ultra-modern sports car. As to the SL’s exterior: Why does the gap of the trunk/roof cover extend to the sides when Mercedes managed to avoid this on the SLK? For which full-size truck were the enormous headlights originally designed? And does Mercedes really intend to establish those flimsy-looking exterior mirrors and those oval, 1990s door handles as the connecting element bridging all vehicle classes?

Yes: German suppliers. Schaeffler, KSPG, ZF, and Continental showed a number of technologies to enhance efficiency, ranging from lighter and more-efficient transmissions to turbochargers, auxiliary components, and—if you must—range extenders. Impressive stuff worth looking into. One executive says: “Thanks to all the talk about CO2, we can finally sell the technical solutions that we’ve peddled to carmakers for years.” That said, he doesn’t believe in the horrible tale of the perils of CO2. But that’s just his personal opinion . . .

No: Tesla Model S. The fit and finish of the five-door-seven-seater-130-mph-300-mile-range miracle car marked a nadir at this show. It looks fine from a considerable distance, but don’t get too close. Taillights were unevenly glued together; body parts fit poorly; and the interior, with its crude flat screens, is a 1960s futuristic nightmare. The car is supposed to be delivered to customers this summer? I wonder if Franz von Holzhausen would have gotten away with this at an internal, early-stage presentation at Mazda.

Yes: Porsche. It’s good to see the German icon in Detroit, only some years after former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking thought the brand could do without the show. No way. (And Jaguar/Land Rover really should have been there, too.)

So-so: the Dodge Dart. It looks like a 1990s compact and—this is an educated guess based on experience with its Italian siblings—a Volkswagen GTI will probably run circles around it. But it has a nicely executed interior, its technical basis is efficient, and it puts Dodge back in the game.

And my favorite: VW CEO Martin Winterkorn. On the Mercedes stand, he was all over the new SL with its 90-percent-plus aluminum structure. Just to be sure, the VW boss produced a small magnet to examine the innovative structure. You see, Winterkorn is a materials scientist. At supplier presentations, we’ve seen him scrape the surface off samples with a knife—to ensure he isn’t presented with a dummy part. This executive is a paragon of a genuine car-guy culture.

So much for Detroit; this Conti is written from the Rally Monte Carlo, which Sébastien Loeb, driving a Citroën DS3 WRC, has just won. An unbelievably cool rally. More on that next week.

Prior to his current job as head of Mini, Kay Segler ran BMW’s M division. It seems almost obvious, then, when he tells us that he wants JCW to serve the same purpose for Mini that M does for BMW.

Once the JCW Countryman arrives, Mini will offer John Cooper Works packages for all of its models, but Segler wants to further differentiate JCW products in the future. This means that cars wouldn’t so much be equipped with the John Cooper Works package, but rather positioned as standalone models.

Mini already considers the standard JCW powerplant—a turbocharged 1.6-liter four making at least 208 hp—a “unique” engine, and not a standard Cooper S mill with more boost. But we interpret Segler’s remarks to mean that the John Cooper Works engine will come in for additional work in the future; that could mean it will get some unique internals, or that the displacement will be increased. Segler’s sentiments also suggest that more hard-core, limited-edition models like the upcoming new-gen Mini GP could be produced.

Other than the Countryman, Mini models are likely to remain front-wheel-drive-only for the foreseeable future. Getrag showed a proof of concept for an all-wheel-drive setup that would fit in a regular Mini hatchback a few years ago, but Segler told us it was still too expensive to adopt without much higher volumes. The engineers and execs at Mini are aware there’s a limit to how much power the front wheels of a car can handle, and that the current JCW cars are right up to the edge. How they’ll deal with adding power in the future, then, remains an open question. We have spotted all-wheel-drive Mini hybrid prototypes, however, with electric motors providing power to the rear wheels; this is one possible solution.

Even though Minis have a real penchant for getting absurdly expensive with options and accessories—see our $46,244, ex-long-term JCW convertible as a prime example—Segler says the company will be careful about pricing future John Cooper Works offerings. Take a note from the relatively reasonable pricing of the BMW 1-series M and M3 GTS, we’re told. Considering that the 1-series M was something of a bargain at $47,010, that’s encouraging.

Diesel For You, Too

The single most common request that Mini gets from American customers, however, isn’t for more JCW models—it’s for diesel engines. “We’re delighted to hear it,” Segler said enthusiastically. “We are looking into this not for the short term, but for the medium term.” The current generation of Minis will run on gasoline only, but when the third-generation model arrives in a few years, we’re nearly certain that a diesel engine will be offered. The 143-hp, 225 lb-ft diesel four in the Mini Cooper SD in Europe is a gem, and we agree with Mini execs that a subset of the brand’s fans in the States would love it. (We have previously tested a less-powerful Mini Cooper D; you can read that review here.)

If a Mini dizzler does happen, figure on it arriving in 2014 at the earliest.

Introduced as 2007 models, the current Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup twins are due for a revamp. Our spy photographers (dressed like snow leopards, we hope) have nabbed several shots of both extended- and crew-cab versions during cold-weather testing. While it’s difficult to make out much in the way of design aside from the familiar cab-in-front, bed-in-back layout, here’s a rundown of what changes to anticipate.

Keep Reading: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Spy Photos — Future Cars