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Category: Highlight

  • 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63 Roadster spy shots: Redesigning an icon

    Mercedes-Benz’s iconic SL is currently into its sixth generation, with the car’s last redesign introduced for the 2013 model year.

    A new SL is coming up shortly, only this time it is being developed by the Mercedes-Benz AMG performance skunkworks and not Mercedes-Benz. A prototype has been spotted and is likely for the new SL63 variant.

    The clear giveaways that this isn’t an entry-level SL are the square-shaped exhaust tips, which are normally reserved for the top variants in AMG’s lineup. The car also features additional flics for downforce on its front fascia in some of the shots, as well as a deployable rear wing.

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    As for the rest of the exterior, Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener said the new SL will take the line closer to the original 300SL, but not in a retro way. The latest tester is still heavily camouflaged, though we can still make out some of the proportions and finer details.

    Under the sheet metal, the new SL will utilize a new rear-wheel-drive platform for sports cars dubbed MSA (Modular Sports Architecture), which AMG will also use for its next GT sports car, meaning we can expect a much more performance-focused SL this time around. Less weight will be key. Expect the use of lighter, more exotic materials in the construction, as well as a soft-top roof in lieu of the retractable hard-top of the past two generations.

    There will likely be two variants at launch, both with mild-hybrid powertrains. One is likely to be badged an SL53. The other is the SL63 you see here.

    2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63 Roadster spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf / SB-Medien

    2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63 Roadster spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf / SB-Medien

    The SL53 is expected to pack a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and mild-hybrid system for a combined output of around 430 hp. The SL63 should feature a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, together with a mild-hybrid system for a combined output over 600 hp.

    Don’t expect a V-12 to return. Instead, we may see the SL63’s V-8 paired to a more powerful electric drive system in a model potentially dubbed the “SL73e.” A similar setup, one featuring plug-in hybrid tech, has already been previewed in concept form and is set to debut soon in AMG’s GT 4-Door Coupe. The claimed output of the concept version was 805 hp.

    Look for the new SL to debut late this year or in early 2022. The car will fill in for the S-Class Coupe and S-Class Convertible which were dropped at the end of the 2020 model year. The two-door S-Class models are among seven models reportedly facing the ax as part of major cost-cutting measures at Mercedes.

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  • Stellantis has disbanded the SRT engineering team

    The band has broken up. Former members of the SRT engineering team have been integrated into Stellantis’ main engineering group.

    On Saturday, Mopar Insiders reported that Stellantis disbanded the SRT engineering team. On Wednesday, a source within Stellantis confirmed to Motor Authority “it’s definitely true as far as the engineering side.”

    The move was made official on Feb. 3, when a company-wide announcement on the Stellantis intranet stated that the dedicated SRT engineering group was being integrated into the company’s global engineering organization, the source said. A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed the Feb. 3 announcement to Motor Authority.

    The SRT engineers worked solely on SRT performance vehicles. At one point this group consisted of approximately 100 people, our source said.

    Those team members can now be reassigned to work on a minivan and dial in the handling or make it a bit sportier, our source said. They could be moved to develop a base Dodge Charger and later charged with making an SRT version. However, the company spokesperson said these engineers are working on performance variants but are now reporting to the heads of each individual program.

    There will still be SRT-branded models. Going forward, the company’s highest performing vehicles will have still SRT parts, but they’ll be developed by “mainstream teams that have a performance mindset,” the source said.

    According to our source, “it’s early in the process so time will tell how things shake out.”

    “If and when the Hemi goes away it might all just fade away, but they’ll (Stellantis) still use that SRT model/brand as a marketing point,” the source said.

    SRT team members have already been reassigned and are being moved from product to product. The process began months before the Feb. 3 announcement.

    The future of performance will look different regardless of which team is working on any given product. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told CNBC in February that the days of supercharged V-8s are numbered. While Hellcats might not survive the shift in times, performance will. Performance vehicles are here to stay thanks to electrification, which can mean both hybrids and full EVs.

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  • Preview: 2022 Infiniti QX55 crossover brings coupe-like styling, CVT for $47,525

    Infiniti on November took the covers off the QX55, a coupe-like crossover SUV due in showrooms in spring as a 2022 model.

    On Tuesday, Infiniti announced the stylish crossover will cost $47,525, including a mandatory $1,025 destination charge. That’s $7,000 more than the standard QX50 crossover SUV upon which it’s based.

    The QX55 targets vehicles like the Audi Q5 Sportback and BMW X4. Only one powertrain is on offer, a 2.0-liter turbo-4 good for 268 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to a continuously variable transmission, and all-wheel drive is standard.

    2022 Infiniti QX55

    2022 Infiniti QX55

    The engine features Nissan’s variable-compression technology designed to save fuel. It does so by altering the compression ratio between 8:1 (typical for high performance engines) and 14:1 (used by many manufacturers for high efficiency), depending on the driving style.

    The QX55’s styling up front is an almost exact match to the QX50, though things have been made bolder with a full-chrome grille and more aggressive designs for the side intakes. The real styling action is at the rear where a sloping roof leads down into a wide rump flanked by wraparound taillights. The taillights sport Infiniti’s new “piano key” graphic formed by 45 individual LEDs in each light cluster. The design was first shown on September’s QX60 Monograph concept.

    2022 Infiniti QX55

    2022 Infiniti QX55

    The interior design is also a match to the QX50, though naturally the QX55 has less storage due to its sloped roof. With the rear seats folded, you’re looking at 54.1 cubic feet versus 60 in the QX50.

    Buyers will be able to choose from Luxe, Essential and Sensory grades, with even the base Luxe grade coming with plenty of standard equipment. The list includes 20-inch wheels, aluminum dash accents, active noise cancellation, twin touchscreen displays, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and multiple electronic driver-assist features. Just some of these assist features include blind spot warning and forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking. Nissan’s ProPilot system that can control a vehicle in a single lane is an available feature.

    2022 Infiniti QX55

    2022 Infiniti QX55

    Infiniti was a pioneer of the coupe-like crossover when it launched the original FX back in 2003, but surprisingly the automaker never expanded the concept to other segments. The key question is whether a new coupe-like crossover will propel Infiniti out of its recent slump and generate some hype. Infiniti’s lineup is now down to just six models, and the automaker’s future looks to be hinged on a range of models based on Nissan platforms. Time will tell if it’s a winning strategy.

    Source