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Category: Highlight

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Singer All-Terrain Competition 911, Best Car To Buy 2021: This Week’s Top Photos

Jeep revealed its redesigned Grand Cherokee this week, in a new three-row option dubbed the L (a two-row option is still coming). Jeep has made its new Grand Cherokee a lot more premium in look and feel, and it should also drive better than its predecessor thanks to a new platform.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid

Another new SUV in the headlines this week was Bentley’s updated Bentayga Hybrid. The eco-friendly SUV is the first of two plug-in hybrids Bentley will launch in 2021, the automaker has confirmed.

Porsche 550 One concept – Photo credit: Walter de Silva/Instagram

We also got our first look at a modern 550 Spyder concept that Porsche developed at the time of 2008’s global financial crisis. We’re only seeing it now thanks to photos posted to the Instagram account of former Volkswagen Group design chief Walter de Silva.

Singer All-Terrain Competition Study (ACS)

Another Porsche in the headlines this week was a modified 911 from Singer, dubbed the All-Terrain Competition. The California company has designed a modern take on the 911 SC Safari rally car for a customer, who plans to take it racing. The wild racer is based on a 964-generation 911 that’s had virtually every element changed in the transformation.

2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

We also named the Chevrolet Corvette as the winner of the Motor Authority Best Car to Buy 2021 award. We tested numerous new cars over the course of 2020, Covid-19 restrictions notwithstanding, and the Corvette stood out in almost every respect. It’s not perfect though, so we also noted what we would like changed.

2022 Ford Fusion Active spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

One of the vehicles we spied this week was a soft-roader from Ford that’s likely to replace the Fusion sedan. There are rumors Ford plans to keep the Fusion name, or a variation of it, so don’t be surprised if the soft-roader ends up being called something like Fusion Active.

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

Another vehicle we spied was the Mercedes-Benz EQS. The electric sedan is set for a debut shortly and will challenge high-end versions of the Tesla Model S and other electric flagship sedans. This week Mercedes also showed a new dash-wide digital screen that will be offered in the EQS.

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 007 Le Mans Hypercar race car

America’s Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus may be a small company, but it has big ambitions. SCG is in the final stages of development of a race car for the new Le Mans Hypercars class of the World Endurance Championship, and this week we saw the latest design for its entry.

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January 9, 2021
Ken Block and Ford’s marriage is over, Block’s a free agent now

Ken Block and Ford are ending their 10-year exclusive partnership, leaving Block a free agent to pursue deals with other automakers, Block and Ford Performance confirmed Friday.

“Working with Ford over the past decade has been awesome,” Block said in a statement published on his Hoonigan Racing Division website. “I’m super appreciative to Ford for the support over the years, but I am also looking forward to what an unrestricted 2021 holds, and the ability to spread my wings a bit and play with a lot (of) other toys.”

“All of us at Ford are very grateful for Ken Block and his bringing the thrill of Ford Performance vehicles to a whole new generation of car buyers,” Ford Performance said in a statement released on Twitter. “He did it in ways that are uniquely Ken—with fun, energetic, and extraordinary driving exhibitions that were unmatched in the automotive world, along with important victories and performances in rally and RallyCross worldwide.”

Ken Block’s “Gymkhana 10” 1977 Ford F-150 Hoonitruck

Block’s partnership with Ford encompassed motorsports and custom vehicle builds for his Gymkhana video series. It led to cars like the 1,400-horsepower all-wheel drive “Hoonicorn” Mustang, the 1977 Ford F-150 “Hoonitruck,” and even a Ford Escort RS Cosworth, all of which appeared in various Gymkhana videos starting with Gymkhana Three.

The partnership also included rallying and rallycross campaigns, with 19 wins, 17 other podiums, and two X Games medals. More recently, Block moved to the all-electric Projekt E rallycross series with a Ford Fiesta ERX race car.

Block hasn’t always been beholden to Ford. He drove Subaru WRX STI rally cars in the first two Gymkhana videos, and the automaker recently returned to the series for Gymkhana 11, with Subaru race driver Travis Pastrana replacing Block.

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January 8, 2021
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Wagon spy shots: New longroof coming soon but not to US

A new generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is coming next year, and we’ve got fresh spy shots and video of the car’s wagon body style.

Don’t get too excited because we’re unlikely to see it on sale in the United States. Elsewhere, it should trail the sedan by only a few months, meaning a launch in late 2021 or early next year.

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The prototypes for the C-Class Wagon (C-Class Estate in some markets) are heavily camouflaged but the size and proportions appear similar to those of the current generation. The front looks to sit lower however.

The interior should be very modern, with a digital instrument cluster, augmented reality head-up display, and a large infotainment screen all expected to be made available. The infotainment will be powered by a second-generation version of Mercedes’ MBUX operating system that debuted last September in the redesigned 2021 S-Class.

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

The current C-Class Wagon is about 3.7 inches longer overall than its sedan counterpart, and its wheelbase about 3.1 inches longer. Storage space in the rear is about 17 cubic feet, expanding to 53 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The numbers should be similar for the new generation.

Underpinning the new C-Class is an updated version of the current generation’s MRA rear-wheel-drive platform. The updated version will bring significant weight savings primarily through increased use of aluminum over steel. This has been made possible due to advanced joining technologies including aluminum to steel welding.

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Wagon spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

Depending on the market, the base powertrain should be a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4. There will be sporty options, too, including C53 and C63 models from Mercedes-Benz AMG. The latter is expected to forgo the current C63’s twin-turbocharged V-8 in favor of an electrified powertrain packing a turbocharged 4-cylinder.

Even though the U.S. misses out on the C-Class Wagon, local Mercedes fans seeking a longroof can always opt for the E-Class Wagon. There’s also a soft-roader version, the E-Class All-Terrain, that’s been added for the 2021 model year.

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January 7, 2021