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Every car no matter its shape, size or price has a lifecycle that must come to an end. When a manufacturer brings a models production to a close it is often to make way for the next generation, as is the case with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. We have seen several version of this excellent gull-winged GT from special editions to the properly mental Black Series. 2015 will see this cars successor making 2014 its last year of production. The Mercedes-Benz SLS Final Edition is the machines last Hurrah before driving off into the sunset.
Powered by that mighty 6.3 litre V8 engine, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition produces 583BHP. This special car receives new alloy wheels and interior tweaks. Externally it can be differentiated from the standard SLS via its black bonnet, carbon fibre front splitter and huge carbon rear wing. The Final Edition will number just 350 and is available in both coupe and convertible.
Over that past few years the SLS has been one of our favourite supercars and it will be sorely missed. Read our first review of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG HERE.
The crossover pie has pretty much every automotive finger in it as its profitability is most attractive in this current economic environment. Even Jaguar plan to enter the market, a manufacturer that has never even contemplated such a move until now. Toyota, however, is a very familiar face in this segment. In fact it could be argued that the original RAV4 was a founding father of the class. This all-new RAV4 looks to continue the models success.
The new car is taller, wider and longer than its predecessor boasting more interior space as a result. The new design language, first seen on the latest Auris, has transferred well giving the 2013 RAV4 a purposeful appearance.The boot is absolutely vast with 547 litres of capacity. Two drive trains, FWD and AWD, as well as three engines will be on offer. The one petrol is a 2.0 litre 149BHP unit and the diesels come in the form of a 2.0 litre with 122BHP accompanied by a new 2.2 litre with 148BHP.
The RAV4 goes on sale next month with deliveries commencing in March 2013.
Jaguar is rapidly expanding its range of luxury and sports cars in a bit to capture more of the market. The sports car side of things got a real boost with the launch of the F-Type, the true successor to the E-Type, and the all-new XJ is one of the greatest luxury saloons money can buy. Have you ever pondered what would happen if these two bloodlines of Jaguar ever crossed? Well ponder no more! This the XFR-S…
Before you ask, yes it is indeed as bonkers as it looks. The recipe for this new car is actually relatively simple. Take the award winning Jaguar XF, load it with 550BHP, enhance the bodywork for a more aggressive appearance and voila, you have something quite exciting. The XFR-S maintains all of its tranquility inside but that muscular body can now shift from 0-62MPH in just 4.6 seconds. Its 5.0 litre supercharged V8 delivers the car to a limited top speed of 186MPH.
Want one? Of course you do! Well, for £80,000 in May 2013 you can have one.
Porsche really are producing some of the best machinery that they have ever done in their history. The new 911 is the most capable car to wear the legendary three digit nameplate and the new Boxster makes a very good argument as to why the 911 costs so much more than itself. We have all been waiting to see what the Cayman will offer and indeed ponder if it negates the need for its bigger brother all together.
This is the 2013 Porsche Cayman, in essence a coupe variation of the much loved Boxster. The new car boasts more power and less weight than the outgoing model, not to mention a step-up in refinement. Underneath the much more extroverted stance sits either a 2.7 litre flat-six in the Cayman or a 3.4 litre unit of the Cayman S. They produce 275BHP and 325BHP respectively. A new Cayman can do a of 0-62MPH time of 5.7 seconds and is capable of a top speed that hits 165MPH. The Cayman S cranks it up to 11 with a 0-62MPH sprint complete in just 4.7 seconds and a terminal velocity of 176MPH. Despite the increase in performance both models are capable of over 35MPG.
When BMW decided that they would produce some environmentally friendly cars they were to be given their own image. A fresh model designation free from the “series” line required a new name. An obvious choice would have been “E” but that letter is used in BMW’s model family design already. It was decided, that as with most things of the past 10 years, the letter “i” would precede the name. The Germans have shown the i3 city car and i8 sports car before, but now BMW looks to expand upon these models.
The BMW i3 Coupe Concept is, as the name suggests, a coupe variation of the soon to be launched i3. The concept car features a sloping roofline and a more stylistic approach to the rear end. The design language is brilliant and actually makes the i3 look like a car of the future. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 170BHP electric motor that also produces 184lb-ft of torque. The range of the i3 is 100 miles thanks to the utilisation of light weight carbon fibre construction.
Judging by the concept, this car is almost ready for production and will likely launch just after the i3 four-door hatchback next year.
Recently Fiat announced that they have now sold over 1,000,000 of their ever popular 500’s. It’s success is largely down to its fantastic packaging, not to mention being an all round good car. The Italian manufacturer is looking, just like almost everybody else, to get in on the EV market. The already booming 500 proves to be the ideal platform on which to start.
Reveled for the first time at the L.A. motor show, this is the 2013 Fiat 500e. Powered by an electric motor producing 111BHP and 147lb-ft of torque, this plucky little zero emissions character also has revised aerodynamic bodywork to reduce wind resistance. Low rolling resistance tyres also help boost the range of the 500e to 100 miles. The charge time from a 240-volt outlet is four hours from empty. Whether the electric car is the future or not is undecided, bu this 500e is sure to be a hit either way.
No official word on availability or pricing as of yet. We will keep you posted.
Over here in Europe there is one brand that everyone turns to when it is time to run off of the tarmac and onto the rough stuff. That brand is Land Rover. Over in the United States, however, their first choice of mud pluggers has always been Jeep. Finding its roots during the war, the company has suffered some tough times, as have many other manufacturers, but despite this they are still in the mood to celebrate.
As a 10th anniversary gift Jeep has produced what they are calling the “most off-road capable Wrangler in history.” Named the Rubicon, this American alternative to the Defender clearly means business. Equipped with huge BF Goodrich tyres and a removable front bumper to expose more of them, this machine is quite the rock-crawler. Winch and hardcore suspension are all included in the package as you would expect. Available in three colours and in two or four-door variations come spring 2013, it is a shame that the Wrangler Rubicon is not to set foot in Europe.
The Germans rule the performance saloon market with an iron fist. The Audi RS4 is ever popular, BMW’s M3 saloon is a near unrivaled champion and Mercedes-Benz offer an AMG flavoured C-Class that ticks pretty much every box going. Jaguar entered the market with the XFR, a valiant effort but nothing that worried the establishment all that much. Came the L.A. motor show the big cat hopes to have them quaking in their boots.
The British brand are set to announce the XFR-S, an even more performance focused variation of the award winning XF saloon. Other than this teaser image and the promise of it being “the fastest and most powerful saloon Jaguar has ever produced” no further details have been shared. It is likely that it will used a tuned 5.0 litre V8 that can already be found in the XFR.
We shall just have to wait for the cars debut next week.
The Mercedes G-Class or “G-wagon”, as it has become known, is pretty much the German alter ego to our British Land Rover Defender. Since 1979 the G-Class hasn’t really changed apart from the addition of a few creature comforts.The rugged 4X4 sticks to its formula of brute strength over refinement. Much like the Defender, these two in a world where the crossover seems to rule the roost, finds it hard to fit into todays market. Mercedes-Benz’ latest concept asked the question “could the G-Class still exist in 2025?”
The Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Concept imagines the G-Class within the Germans future portfolio. Though clearly still designed to be as rugged as its fore father, the concept car bears little resemblance visually. Gone are the sharp angles that produced a boxy shape, and in their place are bold curves. Mercedes say that the car is design to cover terrain “quickly and reliably.” Powered by hydrogen and with a range of 800KM, the Enger-G-Force is not only looks mean but is green also.
We all love a bargain. Be it saving a few digits on a bag of potatoes or cutting your insurance quote in half, there is no satisfaction greater than finding good value for money. So what is the car that offers the best ratio. Without question or shadow of doubt it has to be the Nissan GT-R. The supercar slayer destroys legendary machines that cost over three times its value and still provides a practical means of transport. Now Nissan has refined the science.
This is the new Nissan GT-R and being honest, it looks almost identical to the previous model. Other than a few tweaks to the bumpers and interior the car is largely the same on the surface. Under the skin, however, the Japanese have been using their fine tooth comb. The 3.8 litre V6 will now do 0-62MPH in an astonishing 2.7 seconds! Let us reflect on that for a moment… That is faster than just about anything road legal and only a whisker slower than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. 545BHP is channeled to the road producing 463lb-ft of torque in the process. All this speed means that if you are planning on purchasing this beast you might want to tick the new carbon breaks option box.
