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Category: Highlight

  • Porsche hypercar concepts, Rezvani Hercules 6×6, BMW iX: This Week’s Top Photos

    Porsche shocked the automotive world this week by revealing many of its secret design studies and concept cars developed over the past 15 years. One of them was this Vision 918 RS which was developed last year as a vision of a successor to the 918 Spyder.

    Ferrari SF90 Spider

    Ferrari SF90 Spider

    Ferrari showed us its new SF90 Spider, the open-top version of its SF90 Stradale plug-in hybrid supercar. The convertible features Ferrari’s retractable hard-top roof, and as a result makes the coupe a bit redundant as it offers the best of both worlds.

    Rezvani Hercules 6x6

    Rezvani Hercules 6×6

    California’s Rezvani returned with a new model, and this one is bigger than anything else the coachbuilder has shown us in the past. It’s also more powerful thanks to what’s lurking under the hood—a tuned version of the supercharged V-8 normally found in a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.

    2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Coupe

    2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Coupe

    Even though Mercedes-AMG is testing prototypes for an updated version of its GT 4-Door Coupe, the Affalterbach tuner continues to fine tune the current model. In fact, AMG has made its GT 4-Door Coupe faster around a racetrack without having to resort to adding more horsepower.

    2022 BMW iX

    2022 BMW iX

    BMW this week revealed a battery-electric SUV called the iX. Previously referred to by its iNext code name, the iX will challenge the likes of the Tesla Model X and Cadillac Lyriq when it reaches showrooms in early 2022.

    2021 Land Rover Discovery

    2021 Land Rover Discovery

    A refreshed Land Rover Discovery boasting revised styling, a new infotainment system, and mild-hybrid tech was also revealed this week. It’s due to reach showrooms early next year.

    Rivian R1T

    Rivian R1T

    EV startup Rivian released pricing and additional specifications for the battery-electric R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck. Deliveries are set to begin in summer of 2021. Launch Editions for both vehicles are coming first, with the R1T Launch Edition starting from $75,000 and its SUV counterpart from $77,500.

    Maggiore 308M based on the Ferrari 308

    Maggiore 308M based on the Ferrari 308

    And finally, an Italian company by the name of Maggiore revealed a stunning restomodded Ferrari 308. Though the car looks almost stock, only the chassis, engine block and doors were left untouched.

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  • 2020 Formula One Turkish Grand Prix preview

    The Turkish Grand Prix hasn’t been on the Formula One calendar since 2011, but it’s back this weekend as round 14 of the reshuffled 2020 season.

    The first Turkish Grand Prix was held in 2005 and the race has always been held at Istanbul Park Circuit, a Hermann Tilke-designed circuit that stretches 3.31 miles and runs anti-clockwise.

    It features 14 corners, some of them among the most interesting on the calendar. They include the first turn, a steep downhill left-hander immediately after the start-finish straight. It’s been nicknamed the Turkish Corkscrew, because of its similarity to the famous turn at Laguna Seca. The best known corner however is the dreaded Turn 8, a very fast four apex left-hander similar to parts of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

    Istanbul Park Circuit, home of the Formula One Turkish Grand Prix

    Istanbul Park Circuit, home of the Formula One Turkish Grand Prix

    The variety of high-speed corners takes a lot out of the tires. For instance, in 2011’s race, the winner, Sebastian Vettel driving for Red Bull Racing at the time, had to make four pit stops. As a result, Pirelli has nominated its hardest compounds, the C1, C2 and C3. The wets may also need to come out this weekend as rain is forecast for both Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

    Following Friday’s practice session, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was the fastest, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and then the Mercedes-AMG duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton will only need to finish the Turkish race with more points than Bottas to secure the 2020 championship and equal Michael Schumacher’s record tally of seven titles. Hamilton has already broken Schumacher’s long-held record of 91 wins, with Hamilton’s tally currently at 93.

    Going into the weekend, Hamilton leads the 2020 Drivers’ Championship with 282 points, versus the 197 of Bottas and 162 of Verstappen. In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes has already taken out this year’s title and currently sits on 479 points, versus the 226 of Red Bull and 135 of Renault.

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  • 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class spy shots: Ultra-luxury sedan almost ready for debut

    Mercedes-Benz didn’t find much luck when it launched Maybach as a standalone brand in in the early 2000s. Poor sales of the ill-fated Maybach 57 and 62 sedans led to Mercedes axing Maybach in 2012.

    However, a new strategy to utilize Maybach as an ultra-luxury sub-brand of Mercedes was hatched with the arrival of the previous-generation S-Class. A unique grille, a stretched body and one of the plushest interiors in the business turned out to be a winning formula, especially among China’s chauffeur-driven class.

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    There’s now a new generation of the S-Class headed to Mercedes showrooms next year, and it too will receive the Maybach treatment. A prototype for the redesigned Mercedes-Maybach S-Class has just been spotted, and with most of the camouflage gear of earlier testers gone, it means we’re now close to the reveal.

    The car will feature a uniquely long body compared to even the long-wheelbase S-Class that we get as standard here in the United States. It will also boast a grille with vertical slats whose design was inspired by the pinstripes of a suit. It’s becoming a staple of modern Maybachs. It appears the grille won’t be as tall as the one on the current Maybach S-Class, and the headlights, which will be shared with the redesigned S-Class, are also slimmer, which together with the shorter grille results in a sleeker, more streamlined face.

    2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

    2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

    The current Maybach S-Class comes with turbocharged V-8 and V-12 powertrains, and this should be true for the new generation, though we could see one or both powertrains augmented with hybrid technology.

    Look for an S580 model with the same V-8 mild-hybrid setup found in the latest S-Class, good for 496 horsepower. The V-12 could also feature mild-hybrid tech and sit in an S650- or S680-badged model.

    2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

    2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

    The Maybach S-Class naturally will receive the latest technology developments at Mercedes. For instance, there should be self-driving capability, albeit in limited capacity. However, Mercedes—and thus Maybach, too—by as early as 2024 is expected to have cars with Level 4 self-driving capability on sale. These are expected to handle highway driving and parking situations with minimal to zero requirements from the driver. Given the 2024 release date, we could see the technology introduced in time for the redesigned Maybach S-Class’ mid-cycle update.

    Look for the redesigned Maybach S-Class to debut in the coming weeks. An extra-long Pullman body style may also be in the works, though the previous-generation S-Class’ coupe and convertible body styles won’t be repeated.

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