Already six years old as of 2015, the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class is living its final months on the market. Outdated by both performance and design, especially when compared to its German competitors, the sedan is only a year away from receiving a comprehensive overhaul. The coupe and cabriolet versions, on the other hand, will likely be around for at least a couple of years before the fifth-gen E-Class expands to include two-door models.
As it usually happens with nameplates when they’re about to enter a new generation, the E-Class is bound to receive an array of special-edition models with added features, AMG styling cues, and attractive stickers. For 2015, the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet have already gained two such models, one of which is the V8 Edition.
Launched for exclusively for the European market, the V8 Edition features a bunch of exclusive features inside and out, as well as a couple of upgrades Mercedes rolled out for the entire E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet lineup. As the name suggests, the special-edition Merc is based on the V-8-powered E500, sold as the E550 on U.S. soil.
Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes E-Class V8 Edition.
Performance versions of giant luxury sedans are one of the greatest examples of excess in the automotive world, possibly even more so than outright supercars in terms of having one’s cake and eating it too. The Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG is a supremely good example of this. It’s a car for someone that wants both a very high level of luxury and performance to match. For those that want even more luxury, there is a Maybach version, but for those that want more performance, there are tuner versions of the AMG, such as this one from G-Power.
G-Power isn’t quite the same company as, say, Brabus. They aren’t selling a completely reworked version of the car with a bored-out engine and totally reworked interior. No, the G-Power S63 AMG is just intended to show off the company’s new chip for cranking up the power via the engine computer. Many such devices have been built for all sorts of cars over the years, but G-Power has chosen the right ways to attract attention to this one. The car has no other tuning done and very little in terms of appearance modifications – all to keep the focus on the chip.
Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes S63 AMG By G-Power.
The Lamborghini Huracán entered the market in 2014 with the responsibility of living up to the standards set by its predecessor, the Lamborghini Gallardo. A little over a year since its introduction, the Huracán has proven to be up-to-the-ask as a worthy successor to the Gallardo. Sales of the Lambo’s newest supercar have been robust as wealthy buyers have had no issues splurging for the Huracan. In fact, Lamborghini announced in September 2015 that sales of Lamborghini supercars are headed for a new record as the company expects to beat out the 2,530 units it sold in 2014. The biggest reason, according to Lamborghini, for this record sales volume? You guessed it, the Huracán.
The supercar has lived up to the hype in that regard. But for those who have yet to make that kind of financial commitment, it’s important to know more about the car itself. How does it look? How does it drive? Most importantly, how does it compare to the Gallardo? XCAR sought to answer all of these questions when it recently took a Huracán out for a spin.
The most important thing to remember about the Huracán is that it has a lot of the things that made the Gallardo successful – passionate looks, impressive power, and everyday appeal – but with more state-of-the-art technology that’s apt for the times. For instance, the Huracán can switch between three different drive modes (Strada, Sport, and Corsa), all of which have their specific functions, impacting just about every part of the car, including the gearbox, suspension, steering, exhaust, stability control, and the AWD system. Think of it as fast, faster, and stupid fast.
So far, the Huracán has lived up to enormous pressure of succeeding Lamborghini’s most popular model. It’s a testament to Lamborghini’s ethos of building memorable supercars that not only performs to its billing, but also carries the passion and heart of Feruccio Lamborghini himself. If the man was alive today, he’d be incredibly proud of the newest supercar to bear his name.
Meadow Rain Walker, the 16-year-old daughter of Paul Walker, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche. The lawsuit claims the Carrera GT Walker was riding in when he died had design flaws that made it unfit to be driven on the road. Walker’s lawsuit also claims the Porsche supercar “lacked safety features” that could have saved the life of her father and his friend, Roger Rodas, when the Carrera GT caught fire after hitting a pole back in November 2013. The crash and resulting fire burned Walker and Rodas.
Shortly after the filing of the lawsuit, Porsche responded by maintaining the Carrera GT’s innocence in the crash, pointing to the investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that concluded that the crash that killed Walker resulted from “reckless driving and excessive speed.” The company did say that it had not reviewed the lawsuit, but declined making comments relating to the case.
Regardless of the validity of the lawsuit’s claims, it’s hard not to understand why Meadow Walker has filed it. She lost her father in a car that has earned a reputation for being impossible to drive despite the amount of technological features it had when it was launched in 2004. Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson compared the car’s handling to being on the “knife’s edge” during a review of the Carrera GT back in 2008.
On the flip side, Walker, Rodas, and everybody who has driven the Carrera GT know what the supercar is capable of. Proper caution should have been of utmost importance, especially if it was going to be driven out in public. The results of the investigation have already cleared Porsche and the Carrera GT from any responsibility, so it’s going to be interesting how this case moves forward.
Continue reading for the full story.
Suzuki unveiled two concept cars at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the 2015 Suzuki IK-2 and the 2015 Suzuki IM-4, which previewed a subcompact hatchback and a mini crossover, respectively. While the IK-2 has already made its debut in production form as the 2016 Suzuki Baleno, the IM-4 is still under development, albeit in its final stages, as an official debut has been announced for the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show in October.
Confirmed to hit the market with an Ignis badge, the new crossover if part of Suzuki’s new expansion plan to include six models by the end of the decade. Originally believed to have been developed to replace the aging Jimny, the Ignis will have its own place in the Suzuki lineup, as the Jimny is slated to hang around until 2018, when it will be replaced by a redesigned model.
Granted, the Jimny and the Ignis are very similar in size, but it’s not surprising that Suzuki will sell them at the same time. After all, the new Baleno is only slightly bigger than the Swift, with the two basically competing in the same niche. From the looks of things, the Ignis has set its sight on the 2013 Fiat Panda 4x4, also a competitor for the Jimny.
Updated 09/30/2015: Suzuki announced its new compact car will be in fact called "Ignis" and it will be unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.
Continue reading to learn more about the Suzuki IM-4.
Having just unveiled the Koeru concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, Mazda has announced yet another premier for the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show in October. This time around though, the Japanese will launch a concept car that previews a future sports car.
"Mazda’s latest creation clearly embodies the carmaker’s lineage. Designers strove to condense the company’s sports car history to as great a degree as possible into this concept," is all Mazda had to say about the new concept, while releasing a shadowy teaser of a slick coupe.
Though I can’t see any details below the waist, the concept is obviously a full-fledged grand tourer employing a long engine hood, a sloping roof, and a short rear deck. The vehicle also features a pair of taillights placed high into the rear fascia, a detail that seems borrowed from the RX-7. Down below, a pair of big, round exhaust tips are visible, suggesting the grand tourer will pack a powerful engine.
Even though there’s no official confirmation as of yet, it seems as if Mazda is finally working on a closed-top sports car to fill the gap the brand has in its lineup since it discontinued the RX-8 in 2012. But will this new vehicle be a spiritual successor to the RX-8 or another sports car from Mazda’s past?
Continue reading for the full story.
BMW India has launched the new 2015 model year M6 Gran Coupe in India. The new car joins the salvo of M cars that BMW have launched this year that include the new M3, M4 and the M5. The car was launched at the new BMW M Studio showroom in Mumbai which is the first of its kind showcase of BMW's performance cars in India. The BMW M6 Gran Coupe is priced at Rs 1.71 crore (Ex-showroom, Mumbai)
The 2015 model year M6 Gran Coupe will come with pretty much the same running gear as the older one did and the same mechanicals that you get on the ultra popular BMW M5. You get a twin turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine that makes 560PS of peak power or 575PS if you opt for the competition package and a raspy exhaust note from the typically quad exhaust pipes that all BMW M Cars come with. The car does get a few updates in the exterior front including the headlamps and tail lamps but on the whole they are pretty difficult to spot unless you are a BMW enthusiast.
The BMW M Studio where the car has been launched in Mumbai is a first of its kind in the country and has been made specifically to combat Mercedes-Benz AMG Performance Centers that have really been boosting AMG sales in India in the last few months. The BMW M Studio will be essential to showcase BMW's exclusive M cars and also the M-package option that is available on a select few cars in the German manufacturers range. BMW will also open 6 new speciality M stores by the end of the year 2016.
In related news BMW has also announced that they will invest Rs 100 Crore in the Indian market for new manufacturing plant to make their products even more acessible for the Indian customer.
Ford introduced the first ever Focus RS in 2002, reviving the RS (Rallye Sport) badge after having popularized it before with rally homologation specials like the Escort RS 1600 or the Escort RS Cosworth. Despite looking like a road-going version of the WRC model, the car was FWD and offered a little over 200 horsepower. Almost seven years later, another generation of the Focus RS arrived with an even more pronounced rally look and a Volvo-sourced five-cylinder with 305 horsepower sent to the front wheels. While torque-steer was kept to a minimum via a standard LSD from Quaife and a MacPherson front suspension strut called RevoKnuckle, the car was still far from offering WRC-like performance for the road.
Ford wants to change all that with the recently unveiled, third-generation Focus RS, as the model will be offered with an innovative all-wheel-drive system. Set to be manufactured at the same German plant as its predecessors, this will also be the first RS model to be sold around the world, including the U.S. With a Mustang-sourced, 2.3-liter, EcoBoost engine that has been engineered to deliver in excess of 300 horsepower, the all-new Focus RS seems to really up the ante for Ford in the performance-hatch category.
Updated 09/30/2015: Ford dropped the first episode of its new "Rebirth of an icon" documentary announced the other week. In the first episode, Ken Block and Raj Nair debate what the car should deliver.
Continue reading to learn more about the new Ford Focus RS.
Introduced in 2008 as a compact crossover with MPV-like styling, the Peugeot 3008 is about to receive a major makeover for the 2017 model year. The news comes from our trusty paparazzi, who spotted a camouflaged prototype of the second-gen 3008 testing in southern Europe.
Besides getting a full redesign that will most likely move it into a new segment, the 3008 is also set to receive a new platform. The new model will ditch PSA’s current PF2 underpinnings – launched in 2001 and shared with numerous products – in favor of the more recent EMP2 architecture.
Developed to replace both the PF2 and PF3 platforms and costing PSA roughly $708 million to develop, the new architecture already underpins the Peugeot 308 and 408, along with the Citroen C4 Picasso. The platform will also expand to other vehicles developed under the PSA-General Motors alliance.
There’s no official word as to when the new 3008 will make its public debut, but I expect it to happen during one of Europe’s major auto shows in 2016, either in Geneva or Paris.
Find out more about the second-gen 3008 below and stay tuned for updates.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Peugeot 3008.
The ongoing saga surrounding Renault’s status in Formula One took another turn after it was announced that the French automaker has signed a letter of intent with Gravity Motorsports, an affiliate of Genii Capital SA, to acquire a controlling stake in Lotus’ F1 Team. The expected acquisition is considered the first step towards the company’s return to Formula One racing as a full-scale constructor since it sold a 75 percent stake in its old team to the Genii Capital investment company in 2009.
The automaker sold its remaining 25 percent stake to Genii in 2010. Since then, Renault turned its attention away from being a constructor, opting instead to keep its involvement in F1 as an engine supplier for a handful of teams, including Red Bull Racing, which dominated the series from 2010 to 2013.
Now it appears that Renault’s ready to throw its name back in the series as a constructor, fulfilling company CEO Carlos Ghosn’s promise that Renault would cease in its role as an engine supplier and turn its attention towards purchasing a team of its own or withdrawing from the sport entirely. The new agreement to essentially buy back the shares it sold to Genii means that the Renault’s back in business a full-scale constructor beginning in 2016.
Continue reading for the full story.
After selling five lakh units of the Scorpio, Mahindra andamp; Mahindra has written yet another success story. The carmaker's manufacturing facility in Haridwar has touched the seven lakh units production milestone in a span of less than 10 years of its inauguration.
The carmaker currently manufactures the Mahindra Bolero pickup and the Mahindra Gio models besides the Mahindra Alfa and Mahindra Champion range of products at this plant. The Haridwar facility had produced six lakh units of these vehicles in the month of November, 2014 and it took them just 10 months to touch the seven lakh production milestone.
Speaking on the milestone, Pravin Shah, President and Chief Executive (Automotive), Mandamp;M Ltd, said, "This remarkable achievement is a significant moment for us in our automotive journey and bears testimony to the relentless effort put in by each member of our Haridwar plant. The plant has constantly achieved manufacturing excellence and reflects the commitment and spirit of accepting no limits in keeping with our Rise philosophy. I am sure that this milestone will be a stepping stone to many more accolades for our Haridwar plant in times to come."
Apart from Haridwar, Mahindra's manufacturing facilities are located in Chakan, Nasik, Zaheerabad, Kandivali and Igatpuri - which is the location of its engine plant. These automotive plants boast of fully equipped manufacturing facilities such as the press shop, body shop, CED line, paint shop and assembly.
We have some news for the fans of the movie Fast and Furious. Vin Diesel has announced on his post on a social media site that the street racing action film will come to an end after one last triology.
Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Studios, is of the opinion that the action flick still has a potential to milk in profit, but they have to be careful in order to avoid fatigue. She stated that three more movies could come out now and Vin Diesel has confirmed that the street racing film could come to an end after three more movies.
The last triology will begin with the release of the Fast and Furious 8 which is scheduled for a release on April 14, 2017. Diesel also stated that an announcement regarding the names of the directors for the three remaining movies will be made very soon.
The eight edition of the action flick will also feature Dwayne Johnson popularly known as 'The Rock' and Kurt Russell in a new role as well. The tenth movie will mark the end of the Fast and furious franchise.
Tesla has launched the world's first fully electric SUV, the Model X. The long awaited car gets a design language quite similar to the Model S and features similar headlamps and a sloping design language that we have come to be so used to. Tesla claims that the Model X's drag coefficient is a mere 0.24, and that along with an electronically deployed spoiler makes the SUV very sleek and aerodynamic.
The Model X also boasts a first ever set of Gullwing or Falcon Doors are Tesla calls it for the rear that makes getting in and out of the car very easy. The Model X also gets the largest ever windscreen in production to grace any car today. The Model X is available in both 6 and 7 seater options i.e. in 2+2+2 or 2+3+2 configuration. The third row can also fold flat when not in use electronically. Other interior trim includes a huge portrait configuration mounted screen just like the Model S gets.
As for now, the Model X will be offered in two versions. Both get the all-wheel drive system with the 90D variant offering two 259PS motors for each axle, providing a 0-100kmph acceleration in 4.8 seconds and an estimated range of 414 km. The P90D range-topping version has one 259PS motor and one 503PS motor for a standard 0-100kmph sprint in only 3.8 seconds. With the Ludicrous Speed upgrade the model can reach the 100kmph mark in only 3.2 seconds.
Other notable options include air suspension and an active safety system working with camera, radar and sonar systems that automatically apply brakes in an emergency even at highway speeds. The Model X can be booked immediately but deliveries will start only in the latter half of 2016.
