Mercedes-Benz isn’t all what it seems. While some may mock it for expanding the E-Class range to a coupe and a convertible, and some may question it for offering AWD on the AMG products, no one will see me on that side of the line. In fact, I’m the one doing the slow clap. Mercedes is taking a lesson from its rivals, Audi and BMW, and using the best of what it’s learning. The German luxury market is changing, and Mercedes is keeping up with it in an exemplary way–but the new E63 is proof that they’ve got their ears to the streets and listening to the good word. Continue reading The new Mercedes E63: Just what the doctor ordered.
Tag Archives: Luxury Cars
2014 Audi RS6 released, now for some speculation
The new Audi RS6 Avant has just been revealed online, and my how badass it is. However, me being the ever curious sort, I must wonder about the engine they have put in it. They claim it to be a 560hp version of their trusty, and ever underrated, 4.0L turbocharged V8.
Lets take a look back at Motor Trend’s Audi S6 test (from 3:57 to 5:36) from a few weeks back. On paper the S6 is a 4700lb, all wheel drive sedan with 520hp from its 4.0T engine. However Motor Trend’s tests yielded a 0-60 time of 3.5sec and a quarter mile run of 11.8sec @ 118mph, number that do not fit with the car’s on paper figures. They decided to test the S8 on a chassis dyno, and it put down 480awhp… translating to around 580hp being produced from the engine. Could this be the exact same version of the 4.0T that we are now seeing in the RS6?
If you consider the cost of developing even a moderately different version of an engine for a company like Audi, then it would make sense to use it in more than just one place. This is just a hunch, but it’s an educated hunch, and we will find out for sure when test of the RS6 come out. That makes the S6 an incredible value in its class, and the new RS6 exactly what we would like it to be. Despite the outright lying on their power claims, Audi is continuing to take the industry by storm.
We aren’t big on reposting dry press releases, so you can find the full list of impressive details on the new RS6 here.
-Nick
MoM Weekly Roundup 11-21-12
The first installment of our new Vlog segment. Let us know what you think!
-Nick
Motor Trend: Maserati Granturismo Sport
This is a great example of what Italian cars are all about. They have a sort of fizz that captures your enthusiasm, making you adore not only their good points but their flaws as well.
-Nick
Motor Trend: Tesla Model S
Tesla’s Model S gets tested properly… as a car. They ask the question of, “Is it fun?”, and they compare it to the Mercedes E63 as a rival. Oh, and before you scoff at the 416hp figure, just know that the motors are hooked up directly to the wheels so there is no drivetrain loss. This means this car is comparable to petrol cars in the 500hp range. Have an open mind, this may be the future.
-Nick
Drive goes to Fisker Automotive
Drive’s J.F. Musial goes to Fisker Automotive in California to try out the Karma, and get some fantastic insights from company founder, Henrik Fisker. Listen to what he says because he is absolutely right about the future of cars, and the need for something like the Karma to keep our roads interesting. Not to get all political, but Mitt Romney said Fisker was a failure, and seeing this I would have to ardently disagree. Enjoy.
Chris Harris tries the Merc CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake….. sideways of course
Chris Harris tests the Mercedes CLS 63 Shooting Brake for Drive. He makes a very good point on how this car is a niche within a niche, and how the market is moving that way overall. Enjoy.
-Nick
Motor Trend: M5 vs Panamera GTS
Yet another fantastic example of what is happening to BMW, as well as an equally good example of how Porsche has maintained their identity despite being faced with the same issues.
-Nick
Test Driven: 2013 Cadillac XTS-4 Platinum (6.5/10)
Cadillac hasn’t really been the “Cadillac of cars” since the mid 1960s. Even though their tag line is “The Standard Of The World”, anyone who’s been paying attention knows that they are really going through a renaissance after around 30 years of terrible products. The triumphant V16 cruisers, which made Cadillac’s name, are distant memories of the past, and even the classic finned cars are now over half a century old. The 2013 XTS is Cadillac’s new flagship model, replacing both the STS and DTS in the lineup. There has obviously been lots of talk about Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system because the XTS is the first to feature it, but my purposes going into this drive were focused on one thing: has Cadillac made a world-class luxury car, or is the XTS more of the same?
Continue reading Test Driven: 2013 Cadillac XTS-4 Platinum (6.5/10)
Some say a car can’t be a good investment, and I say to them: BMW Z8
I remember the first time I saw a Z8 in person. It was right around the time I was really starting to get obsessed with cars, and I had become familiar with the Z8 through the latest James Bond Playstation game. My mom and I had just parked our car to run some errands when I saw a sleek, low, silver car approaching. At first glance, I thought it was a Porsche, but then I realized it was 007’s car. In the decade or so since then, many things have changed in the world, but the Z8’s price has remained the same. Many people are surprised this car has held its value so well, especially since it received a rather mixed reception from many journalists. I have been thinking on this myself, and I have a few ideas as to why it has remained so expensive. Continue reading Some say a car can’t be a good investment, and I say to them: BMW Z8
BMW M6, a valid point made
This new M6 is the very essence of the trend for modern cars; heavier with more power. BMW has gone a bit too far this time I think because the M6 now weighs 4500lbs, and that is nearly as much as a VW Touareg. This sort of weight is not really what comes to mind when I think of a sports car, and it renders the car’s 560hp far less impressive than it suggests. I am not a fan of this new M6, and I am someone who covets the previous M6 with the V10. A GT car should have some solid weight, but it should not be bordering SUV territory; enough is enough. Carlos hits the nail on the head at (3:27-3:35), saying he can respect it but he doesn’t desire it. That is the problem I see too, and it is one that I see shared by the Bugatti Veyron and other cars like this. Sure companies can engineer a heavy car to perform well on paper, some of the numbers the M6 achieves are staggering (especially considering the weight), but at the end of the day heft is heft when the laws of physics step in. There is an answer somewhere for making cars faster and more efficient, and adding weight like this is not it. Motor Trend hit it on the head in this vid.
-Nick
Chris Harris tests the Audi RS4 lineage (and a Merc)
Drive’s Chris Harris tests the new B8 Audi RS4, as well as both its predecessors. A very cool video for anyone who loves Audis. The B5 RS4 is still my personal favorite though. Enjoy.
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 