Nother CarGuy

If you wanted to know what luxury cars will look like in the future, the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS is here to answer such questions with its simple yet progressive styling, not to mention a properly tech-laden interior. The Vision EQS is also fully electric, featuring a 100 kWh battery and a total output of approximately 350 kW (476 PS / 470 HP). On paper, it can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 4.5 seconds, will max out somewhere above 200 km/h (124 mph), and features a range of up to 700 km (435 miles). Daimler went with a flowing yet powerful sculpted exterior, with a continuous “lightbelt” structure that makes the overall design appear seamless. The German automaker calls the Vision EQS “sensuously elegant and dramatically charged,” and regardless of what we may think of its appearance, it is certainly one of the most interesting-looking vehicles at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Exterior features include the Digital Light headlights, each boasting two hol...

Audi hasn’t officially (or rather, fully) revealed the new RS7 Sportback just yet, but the display car has made its appearance next to the RS6 Avant at the VW Group’s preview night and no one could take their eyes off its bulging bodywork. Some Youtubers like Shmee were also granted exclusive access to the new hot Audi, even taking it for a drive on a public road. Audi Sport’s latest product comes complete with a huge honeycomb grille hosted on a very aggressive front bumper, wider fenders front and rear to cover the bigger wheels, deeper side skirts and a rear bumper that houses a set of massive oval exhaust pipes. In fact, the new Audi RS7 Sportback is 40mm wider than its normal siblings, making sure that no one will mistaken it for a plain A7. Not with those fenders, wheels and bumpers, you won’t. A set of 21-inch wheels is standard, with 22-inch items being an option. Power as expected comes from the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine found in the RS6, meaning an out...

BMW has previewed the design of the forthcoming M3 and M4 with the launch of the BMW Concept 4 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It shows that the new 4-Series will be a radical departure from its predecessor and have a face dominated by a kidney grille. The German car manufacturer’s press release appropriately starts out by discussing that grille. According to BMW, “the vertically oriented grille fits seamlessly into both the proportions of the front end and BMW’s illustrious past” and it evokes classics such as the 328 and 3.0 CSi. “The kidney grille has always been a signature feature of BMW cars,” added head of BMW Design Domagoj Dukec. “The BMW Concept 4 presents a confident and classy take on this iconic feature. At the same time, the BMW Concept 4 offers a look ahead to the expressive face of the 4 Series range.” Looking past the vertical kidney grille are slim and aggressive laser headlights as well as huge air intakes to gulp down air. The Concept 4 also features partic...

Land Rover has just unveiled its all-new Defender at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, breathing new life into a legendary nameplate that can now stand toe to toe with the world’s most technologically-advanced off-roaders. Based on the new D7x architecture, the new Defender will launch in spring 2020 in Defender 110 configuration available with 5+2 seating in four distinct Accessory Packs: Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban. It will be joined later in 2020 on by the short-wheelbase Defender 90 and the Commercial model. The automaker claims the 2020 Defender is the toughest and most capable Land Rover vehicle yet as it combines a new body structure with all-new technologies and proven hardware to make the nameplate fit for the 21st century. Styling-wise, the new model is unmistakably a Defender, albeit one that has undergone a complete overhaul inside and out. It features minimal front and rear overhangs and high sills for excellent approach and departure angles, an upright...

The new VW ID.3 will be the first dedicated electric vehicle that enters series-production, as well as the first model built on the new modular MEB platform that’s designed specifically for electric vehicles. VW’s core electric model will be offered in three battery configurations; a base 45kWh version that offers 205 miles (330km) of range, a mid-level 58kWh version that can cover 261 miles (420km) and a range-topping 77kWh model that will offer 342 miles (550km) out of a full charge. Power is provided by a rear-mounted 201 HP electric motor driving the rear axle with the latter two battery packs. Base models get a 147 HP electric motor but in both cases, torque is rated the same, at 229 lb-ft (310 Nm). Thanks to its clever and efficient packaging, the new VW ID.3 offers almost the same footprint as the current Golf but features a 145mm-longer wheelbase at 2,765mm. Luggage capacity is rated at 380lt. The really long wheelbase allowed VW to rethink the interior of the ...

Hyundai has just lifted the veils of its 45 EV Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it’s a study that looks to the future while paying tribute to the past. Inspired by one of the most iconic vehicles in the brand’s history, the 1974 Pony Coupe Concept, the 45 design study showcases Hyundai’s future design direction for electric vehicles. Additionally, the concept “reimagines the in-car experience in the age of electrification and autonomous technologies,” according to the automaker. The Hyundai 45 EV Concept‘s name is also a throwback to the Pony Coupe Concept as 45 years have passed since that vehicle was unveiled. Furthermore, the name owes itself in part to the 45-degree angles at the front and rear that form a diamond-shaped silhouette which Hyundai says it anticipates the design direction of future EV models. The 45 EV concept adopts a monocoque-style body as well as aerodynamic and lightweight design inspired by aircrafts of the 1920s. Just like the original coupe ...

Audi has pulled the wraps off the AI:TRAIL quattro concept, an electric off-roader study that combines automated driving with superb capabilities off the beaten track. The lunar rover-looking concept is apparently previewing some of the design changes Audi has in mind for its future SUV models. The AI:TRAIL is the fourth member of Audi’s AI concept series, which begun with the 2017 Aicon. The new Audi concept features four electric motors, one assigned to each wheel, with a combined output of 429 HP (435 PS) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. There are no differentials and locks, as you would assume, as the EV powertrain controls individually each motor depending on driving driving conditions. Audi doesn’t specify the capacity of the onboard battery pack but says that the stated driving range is between 248 to 310 miles (400 to 500km) on paved roads or 155 miles (250 km) on rough ground. Top speed is limited to 80 mph (130 km/h). Of course the concept’s highlight isn’...

Chinese luxury brand Hongqi is one of the surprise exhibitors at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show considering that so many other brands much more popular in Europe are missing. Hongqi’s stand features only two exhibits but it’s safe to say they serve the purpose of raising awareness of the FAW Group-owned luxury brand among the show visitors. The first and more spectacular of the two design studies is called Hongqi S9 and is the brand’s first hypercar designed and built in house. According to FAW Group chairman Xu Liuping, the Hongqi S9 Concept packs a “V8T hybrid power system,” leading us to believe the powertrain combines a turbocharged V8 gasoline engine with one or several electric motors. Hongqi claims the S9’s hybrid powertrain delivers a maximum power of 1,400 horsepower, allowing the hypercar to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 1.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 400 km/h (249 mph). As crazy as it sounds, Hongqi will put the S9 hypercar into production. “S9...

Ferrari has officially revealed the new 812 GTS, the new open-top version of the 812 Superfast that is going to be a regular series model and not a limited run. Rumors about Maranello developing a topless version of the 812 were confirmed last week, after a leak showed the car being presented during an exclusive event. As expected, the GTS shares its hardware with the Superfast, meaning a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 that produces 789 HP (800 PS) at 8,500 rpm and 529 lb-ft (718 Nm) of peak torque at 7,000 rpm, which, by the way, makes it the most powerful series-production convertible in the world. Performance remains pretty close to that of the fixed-top 812, with Ferrari claiming a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 3 seconds, 0-124 mph (200km/h) in 8.3 seconds and a top speed in excess of 211 mph (340 km/h). This is the first front-mounted V12 open-top Prancing Horse in series-production in half a century, the last one being the 1969 365 GTS4, most commonly...

We all knew the Ferrari F8 Spider was coming and the Italian car manufacturer has just taken the covers of its latest mid-engined droptop. Powering the F8 Spider is the same twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 engine as the F8 Tributo coupe to pump out a hearty 711 and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. Ferrari says the F8 Spider accelerates to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.9 seconds, hits 124 mph (200 km/h) in 8.2 seconds, and continues through to a top speed of 211 mph (340 km/h). The engine itself is very similar to the unit that powered the Ferrari 488 Pista, hence why it produces the same amount of grunt. Ferrari also uses exhaust manifolds for the F8 Tributo and F8 Spider made from lightweight Inconel. Ferrari quotes a dry weight with all the available carbon fiber trimmings of 3086 lbs (1400 kg) which is a touch heavier than the F8 Tributo. Like the 458 Spider and 488 Spider before it, the Ferrari F8 Spider uses a retractable hardtop. It takes just 14 seconds to deploy or ...