It's only a matter of time now before we get the first promotional teaser video of the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28's hot lap on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Spy photographers spotted the king Camaro testing on the 'Ring this week, and it's hard to imagine GM wouldn't take advantage of this marketing opportunity just as it did with the ZR1 and the Z28's engine donor, the CTS-V.

We don't mean to sound too jaded, though, because this Z28 prototype looks great in these shots. Sure, the bulge in the hood to accommodates the LSA V8's supercharger will reduce forward visibility to View-Master dimensions, but with the kind of torque this Camaro will be making (at least 550 pound-feet), you'll be mostly looking out the side windows anyway.

Moreover, the lowered suspension results in a Camaro that has just the right stance, and the extended front lip spoiler is tasteful without looking over the top (though a nice, big Corvette-style plastic guard will no doubt be needed to protect it from ham-handed parking maneuvers). Also, note the rear deck-lid spoiler. Early Camaro Z28 prototypes had naked rear decks. Appropriately, this spoiler is about twice the size of the one on the SS model.

Finally, in the second shot after the jump, it appears the Brembo brake calipers have sprouted another couple pistons over the SS for a total of 6.

The current Lexus GS 350, 460 and 450h have faded into the background of the midsize luxury sedan segment, but development of a succesor is well underway. This week spy photographers caught up with a prototype of the next-generation 2012 Lexus GS in Germany.

Don't get too hung up on the similarity of the grille on this mule to the current car's -- at this stage of the game, it's basically camo. Lexus officials have already said they intend to take more risks (although we use "risks" loosely when talking about Lexus) with the sedan's styling this time around in hopes of reinventing its wallflower image.

Instead, take a look at the fenders on this prototype: The track is obviously wider than the current GS 350's, and if you click through the jump, you'll see that this impression holds around back as well. The wheelbase also appears to be longer, which should open up plenty of rear legroom in the 2012 GS -- important in this class now that the dominant players, the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, are downright huge.

Further, the widened track gives the Lexus GS prototype a more substantial look than the current car. Company officials have also said that the next GS will have more of a performance edge to it. Though we wouldn't want to draw too many conclusions from a couple of photos, widening the track is a good start.

It's a little early to speculate which engines Lexus will use under the hood of the 2012 Lexus GS, though, a fuel-efficient six-cylinder engine will be a must in the wake of tightening fuel economy standards. We wouldn't be surprised to see a more powerful version of the current sedan's direct-injected, 3.5-liter V6, perhaps with forced injection. And the current six-speed automatic transmission will almost certainly give way to something with more gears -- like an eight-speed automatic.

Look for Lexus to unveil the redesigned 2012 Lexus GS in the fall of 2011, with sales beginning in 2012.

And for comparison, here's a couple shots of the current-gen Lexus GS 350 courtesy of our own Scott Jacobs: