Maxxd.com

Tag: Videos

  • 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.

    [embedded content]

    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

    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

    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.

    Source

  • Singer builds wild Safari-style 911 blending modern and classic goodness

    Singer Vehicle Design is world renowned for its modified Porsche 911s, but despite already having a stellar reputation in the 911 tuning scene, the California company never ceases to push the boundaries.

    Case in point is Singer’s latest reimagined 911, a wild off-roader similar in ethos to the Porsche 911 SC Safari rally car of the 1970s.

    It’s called the Singer All-Terrain Competition Study (ACS), and it’s not just a garage queen. In fact, its owner commissioned it to go racing, making it Singer’s first competition-ready vehicle. Helping in this department was the United Kingdom’s Tuthill Porsche, an expert in turning classic 911s into rally machines.

    The ACS is based on a 964-generation 911 but features elements, such as the wide rear wing, that recall the iconic 959 rally cars that took on and won the Dakar Rally in the 1980s. Its engine is a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-6 that’s air-cooled and generating around 450 horsepower. It isn’t clear what the transmission is but we know drive is to all four wheels.

    From the video, we can see the interior has been fitted with a digital instrument cluster that flashes red to indicate shift points.

    Singer said more details on the ACS will be revealed in the coming days, so stay tuned.

    There’s been a lot of interest in Safari-style 911s in recent years, with Lehman Keen seeming to have kicked off the modern trend with the launch of his Keen Project Safari conversion program in 2013. Since then famous Porsche tuners Gemballa and Ruf have also teased their own designs, and even Porsche looks to be readying its own entry.

    Source

  • Deep dive: The Buick Grand Nationals from “Fast & Furious”

    “Fast & Furious”—the fourth installment in the franchise—is noteworthy mostly for reuniting most of the original cast from the first movie. But it also gave an iconic muscle car some long-overdue screen time. This is the story of how a Buck Grand National ended up on screen—as told by Craig Lieberman, a technical advisor on many of the movies in the franchise.

    The Grand National only appears in the opening scene of the 2009 hit, driven by Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto during an attempted heist of a gasoline-tanker land train. On screen, the car is shown driving in reverse at speed for an extended period of time—not something any production car can do.

    To make the scene work, two cars (a 1985 model and a 1986 model) had engines mounted in their trunks, with rear-facing steering wheels, pedals, and dashboards behind the front passenger’s seats. Clever camera angles were used to hide the literal backseat driver, but in at least one shot it’s still apparent that the rear wheels are steering, rather than the fronts, Lieberman noted.

    1986 Buick Grand National from

    1986 Buick Grand National from

    Eight cars were used for filming, including the two reverse-driving ones. All were real Grand Nationals from various model years. One car had its 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6 replaced with a V-8 in order to improve acceleration off the line, Lieberman said. The 1980s-era stock turbo setup was prone to period-typical turbo lag.

    All cars got modified suspension for a lower stance, riding about 3.0 inches lower than stock, Lieberman said. Brakes were also modified to make the cars easier to slide.

    As of mid-2020, most of the cars still survive, according to Lieberman, mostly in museums or private collections.

    Source