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Lots of new cars were unveiled in Munich this week. Here's what you might've missed

The 2021 Munich Auto Show is happening this week and due to ongoing corporate travel restrictions, we remained firmly planted on this continent. So, although we can't tell you exactly what it's like inside the futuristic new Mercedes EQE electric sedan or fully appreciate the funky Volkswagen ID.Life concept, there's no shortage of details and analysis to provide.  Obviously, as Germany's premier auto show in 2021, the cars unveiled were primarily from the German brands. We also focused mostly on the cars that might actually make their way to the United States, or at least inspire those that will.   2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE is an electric alternative to the E-Class While the EQS paved the way for Mercedes' electrified future, much like the S-Class before it, the EQE stands to be the car that will move in far greater numbers -- much like the E-Class before it. Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 View 12 Photos   Mercedes-Maybach EQS Concept shows SUV future of the flagship brand Opulence will still have a place in an electrified future, as Maybach gets into the EQ game with a grand electric SUV. Mercedes-Maybach EQS Concept View 4 Photos   Volkswagen ID.Life concept previews the city car's high-riding EV future Well, isn't this adorable? Though perhaps a tad derivative of the Honda E, Volkswagen's blocky little crossover EV nevertheless represents a handsome new direction for VW design. We like this better than the rounded looks of the current ID.3 and ID.4.  2021 Volkswagen ID.Life concept View 20 Photos   BMW i Vision Circular is a 100% recycled and recyclable hatch Behold, the next BMW 3 Series! Just kidding. Besides this, BMW displayed cars in person for the first time that it had previously only unveiled on the interwebs, including the new 2 Series and revised iX3. It also unveiled some bikes. BMW i Vision Circular Concept View 63 Photos   Audi's GrandSphere concept was designed as a road-going private jet Does Audi know what a sphere is? Cause this isn't anything like one. Still, it's quite a handsome thing, and as one of three Sphere-branded concepts, previews the next direction of Audi design (which is pleasantly reminiscent of two-decade-old Mazda design). No complaints here. 2021 Audi GrandSphere concept View 26 Photos   Porsche Mission R is a 1,000-horsepower electric monster Just like the Mission E previewed the Taycan, this apparently previews another future car.

Audi R8 Spyder looks like heaven at the Green Hell

After Audi took the wraps off the new R8 coupe at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, we knew it would only be a matter of time before the convertible version arrived. Now, we've spotted the droptop during testing on and around the venerable Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The new Audi R8 Spyder is expected to closely mirror the fixed-roof supercar we've already seen. Only instead of a tin top, of course, it'll have a folding fabric roof mechanism. This goes against the recent retractable hardtop trend, and the featured is used by the Ferrari 488 Spider and McLaren 650S Spider. Some revised air vents appear to be part of the R8's convertible package, as well. Otherwise, we can anticipate the same specs as the R8 coupe. The latest model ditched the previous version's V8 engine in favor of 10-cylinder options: a 5.2-liter V10 with either 533 horsepower in "base" spec or 602 hp in the V10 Plus model. Both drive all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-cluch transmission. The jury's still out on whether Ingolstadt will slot a smaller engine option into the R8, particularly for markets where tax brackets are determined by engine displacement. But whatever the coupe gets, the convertible is likely to offer it as well. Related Video:

Audi A7 getting nip and tuck

It's been less than two years since the Audi A7 first went on sale in the US, but European buyers have been able to enjoy the sleek and stylish hatchback for twice as long. As such, Audi is preparing to give its A7 a mild refresh with tweaked exterior styling, but we're also expecting some of the features found in the all-new 2015 Audi A8 to possibly trickle down to the A7.
From what we can tell in these spy shots, the A7 is getting a minor facelift that includes a restyled front fascia and new headlights, which will likely boast Audi's new Matrix LED system. At the rear of the car, similar changes have been made with a fascia that now gets integrated outlets and different taillights that have a Lamborghini-like display.
Not apparent in these images - but still a good bet for production - we'd expect to see the new A7 get some of Audi's updated engines or new driver assist technologies. No definite word as to when we'll be seeing the refreshed A7 in person, but considering how close to production ready as this car seems to be, our bet is on the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.