Except for the efforts of a few carmakers such as Mazda and Toyota, concept vehicle design has increasingly become a way to preview production cars in recent years. The Suzuki Kizashi 3 is an excellent example of this school of thought, but unlike some of its more mundane cohorts the Kizashi blends a fresh and edgy concept-like look with the real-world, production-ready look of a street car.

Volkswagen will be revealing the next-generation version of the Golf GTI - one of the most acclaimed hot hatches on the market - in October, just in time for the Paris Motor Show. A slight boost in power and a modestly redesigned appearance are expected to give the GTI a fresh look while leaving enough intact of the outgoing model for fans to be comfortable with the new car.

The quintessential all-wheel drive luxury performance midsize sedan, the Audi RS4, will soon be joined by the new RS5 coupe. Expected to debut in the first quarter of 2009 ahead of a Geneva Motor Show debut, the car will refresh Audi’s challenge to its German cohorts’ offerings in the mid-range high-performance coupe segment.

High-powered variants of standard cars, be they luxury or more budget-oriented, have long been a staple of the automotive industry. Tough economic conditions and high oil prices have made those models somewhat less practical of late, however, and Audi is adjusting its approach to fit the times. Instead of going after larger-displacement engines, the company is adding forced-induction to smaller engines for its next round of high-performance small cars, including all-new RS versions of the TT and A3.