Nother CarGuy

We’ve seen the teasers. We’ve seen the leaked photos. Now Daimler has officially lifted the veil off its latest concept. Debuting at the Beijing Auto Show this week, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept showcases a new ultra-high-end crossover from the German automaker. And it could very well stand to preview the next-generation production GLS. The Vision Ultimate Luxury sits high like an SUV. But instead of a wagon body-style it adopts a three-box form. So it has a conventional trunk like a sedan, not the liftgate that you’d find most SUVs. Sorta like a Suzuki X90, only bigger. Much bigger: At 5260 millimeters (207 inches) long, 2110 mm (83”) wide, and 1764 mm (69”) tall, the concept is massive. Longer and wider than the current GLS, but sitting shorter to the road. Onto that shape, Mercedes has applied signature Maybach design elements. The narrow headlights flank a finely slatted grille. Like the one we first saw on the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 coup...

Isdera has unveiled the Commendatore GT ahead of its debut at Auto China. Looking rather impressive, the model is a sleek gullwing coupe which features an electric powertrain. The company hasn’t said much about the car but we can see it has a distinctive front fascia with a carbon fiber spoiler and LED-infused headlights. The car also has aerodynamic side skirts, a unique greenhouse and a rounded rear end. Overall, it measures 4920mm (16.1 feet) long, 1950mm (6.4 feet) wide and 1290mm (4.2 feet) tall with a wheelbase that spans 2820mm (9.2 feet). The cabin is undeniably luxurious as it features two-tone leather seats, carbon fiber trim and metallic accents. The car also has a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment system. Another interesting features is the gear selector which is located on a panel which juts out of the center console. Motivation is provided by a massive 105 kWh battery pack which feeds two electric mo...

Audi has been teasing a mysterious model on Facebook and Twitter recently and the company has finally released a revealing teaser image which appears to show the Q8. The company isn’t saying much about the model but promised it will be introduced shortly and this suggests an unveiling at Auto China. Audi went on to say the crossover “carries the gene of the Urquattro” and sports a “new face with luxury class prestige engraved into every detail.” That’s not much to go one but the teaser images show the Q8 will have a wide Singleframe grille and sporty styling cues. Details are hard to make out but the photoluminescent tape reveals a sloping roof which meets a rakish D-pillar. We can also see muscular rear fenders, massive alloy wheels and slender taillights. Since the model was previewed by the Q8 and Q8 Sport concepts, we can also expect a sporty front fascia with large air intakes. The interior promises to be high-tech and luxurious as photos have shown drivers will s...

Skoda is set to reveal an all-new crossover at the Beijing Auto Show this week. We’ve already seen a whole batch of images that have leaked out. And the automaker has released some sketches. But this is the first official glimpse we’ve had at the finished product. Called the Kamiq, it’s a “city SUV” positioned underneath the Karoq and the larger Kodiaq. But don’t start calling your local dealership yet, even if you live in a market where Skoda is represented. Unless you live in China, that is. Because the Kamiq will be exclusive to that market. Little wonder, since China represents Skoda’s largest market worldwide. The Czech automaker has competed there for over a decade now. And since entering the market in 2007, it has sold over 2.35 million vehicles there. Last year alone, it sold 325,000 vehicles in China. The new Kamiq aims to help Skoda nearly double that figure to 600,000 per year by 2020. But it won’t have to go it alone: Skoda says it plans on developing even more ...

Like so many of its rivals, Volkswagen is in the midst of ramping up its EV game. What may very well set it apart is the prototype with which it aims to stake its claim. Unveiled in Alès, France – home to its highly accomplished driver – the new VW I.D. R Pikes Peak racer is set to tackle the famous Race to the Clouds. To get there, the German automaker has devised a racing prototype that it claims is quicker off the line than an F1 car. 2.25 seconds is all it takes to hit 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) from a standstill. That mind-bending performance comes courtesy of an electric powertrain capable of producing 680 horsepower (500 kW) and 881 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. That’d be enough to motivate most road-going supercars, but the ID R weighs much less: under 1,100 kilograms (2,425 lbs), according to the manufacturer. The Lamborghini Huracan Performante, by comparison, weighs nearly a thousand pounds more, packs 40 fewer horses, and over 200 fewer lb-ft of torque. And t...

Earlier this week, it was reported that the new Porsche 991.2 GT3 RS had lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under 7 minutes. Now, we have official conformation as well as the video to prove it. The 6:56.4 minute time was set by Porsche works driver Kevin Estre, who shared the wheel with development driver Lars Kern. The new 911 GT3 RS now joins the 918 Spyder and 911 GT2 RS as the third production Porsche with a notarized lap time of under 7 seconds at the Nordschleife. “No other Porsche model gets as close to racing as the new GT3 RS. Many innovative ideas from top-level motorsport were transferred; for example, from the 911 GT3 R. This is what our philosophy for GT models is about: Highest technology must be fascinating but tangible. In this regard there is no harder test for our ideas than the Nordschleife,” stated Porsche’s VP of motorsport and GT cars, Frank Steffen Walliser. Estre started his record lap at 11:40 AM in ideal driving conditions, with a 14-degree Cel...

Less than a week before its world premiere at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, the Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury Concept has leaked online in all of its glory. As you can see, the vehicle is not exactly a Maybach version of the new GLS, as it was previously reported. It actually looks more like a high-riding luxury sedan. It does get a nice face though, inspired by the Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 studies, a strange rear end, sleek profile, lots of chrome accessories, jacked-up suspension and turbine-style alloy wheels. The images, leaked by Mercedes-Benz themselves, provide us with access into the cabin too, which combines white leather with wood accents and more chrome trim. The top of the dashboard is wrapped in brown leather, and uses the same pattern as the front grille for the air vents. Various Maybach-branded parts, such as the seats, steering wheel, pedals and center console set the Ultimate Luxury Concept apart furthermore, along with the lounge-like rear passeng...

The Indianapolis 500 kicks off next month and Chevrolet will use the event to showcase the new Corvette ZR1. As part of the festivities, the Corvette ZR1 will become the official pace car of this year’s race. The model is relatively stock but it has been equipped Indy 500 badging and safety strobe lights. The model also has the ZTK Performance Package which includes a performance suspension and an adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing. Other performance features include a Brembo carbon ceramic braking system, an electronic limited-slip differential and a magnetic selective ride control system. The car also has a performance data and video recorder as well as 19- and 20-inch wheels that are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Power is provided by a supercharged 6.2-liter LT5 V8 engine which develops 755 hp (563 kW / 765 PS) and 715 lb-ft (968 Nm) of torque. It is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission which enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.85 se...

The covers have just been taken off the new Jaguar XE 300 Sport, complete with the brand’s most powerful four-cylinder Ingenium engine. The model, designed to slot below the V6-powered XE S in the family, pumps out 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter mill. Unlike the XE S which features rear-wheel drive, grunt from the four-cylinder is funneled to all four wheels, allowing the sedan to reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.4 seconds. A number of styling elements distinguish the XE 300 Sport from other variants in the range. For example, there’s dark satin trim on the wing mirrors, spoiler, and front grille surround. Additionally, the car is offered with model-exclusive 19- and 20-inch wheels. Customers can choose between Yulong White, Indus Silver, Santorini Black, and Caldera Red for the exterior paint. Buyers of the XE 300 Sport will also be welcomed by some changes when they step inside, including contrasting yellow stitching on the steering wheel, seats, and door in...

New details along with a teaser image on the upcoming Brabham BT62 were released today. With a dry weight of just 972kg (2,143lbs) and a naturally aspirated 5.4-liter V8 engine, the BT62 boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 730PS (720hp / 537kW). Its performance numbers, which have yet to be detailed, are said to help it set “blistering lap times”, as the BT62 was “designed and engineered to demand more from the driver and reward the limited few who will rise to its challenge”. Thanks to some clever aerodynamic, the “race-inspired car”, as Brabham refers to it, can deliver in excess of 1,200kg (2,646lbs) of downforce. Stopping power is provided by the carbon/carbon brakes, an F1-derived technology, with six-piston calipers on all four corners. The latest teaser image is also the most revealing. The Brabham BT62 carries a massive carbon fiber-made wing at the rear, an aggressively styled bumper and T-shaped LED taillights that flank the ‘Brabham’ lettering. Given the honeycomb...