There’s been so much news from Mercedes-Benz lately that we are honestly a little behind in our usual coverage. Please accept this humble aggregation of recent debuts and announcements as penance.
Mercedes-Benz Vision G-Code Concept
This sleek and rounded crossover looks about as much like a UFO as many other concept cars, but for once it isn’t the design and styling that are the real takeaways. Sure, the light-up grille that changes colors is interesting, but this is actually a big picture car. You can probably guess that this is a hybrid, but it’s not just any hybrid. The Vision G-Code is powered by a combination of a hydrogen and electricity, and that isn’t even the most outlandish thing about its energy system. The paint also conducts solar and wind energy from the surrounding environment into the car’s batteries. Learn more about this concept on Car and Driver.
Back to a more grounded hybrid, this plug-in hybrid electric version of the S-Class appeared at last month’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The European version of this car has already been available, but now Mercedes-Benz is finally rolling out a version spec-ed for the US. With the reveal of the new Maybach in LA and the Pullman still to come next year, the S-Class is quickly turning into one of the broadest families of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Learn more on Autoblog.
2016 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG® S 4MATIC®
Another arrival in LA last month, this is the updated CLS-Class, sporting a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, which is good for 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. This model gets some snazzy MultiBeam LED headlamps in Europe, but the AMG® power is good enough for us to be excited about even without the enhanced lights. Read a full press release here.
AMG® Sport Models Fill in the Gaps
More AMG® news, and this has us really excited. Affalterbach is ramping up production. This year it will move 40,000 cars, and by 2017 it’s expected to move close to 75,000. The key to hitting these numbers is a new AMG® Sport line, which will sit between the base models of any given class and the true AMG® variants. For instance, you can expect an AMG® Sport C-Class in between the C400 and the C63 AMG®. These models will have intermediate power and intermediate pricing, filling in a crucial gap for future clients. Read more here.
Mercedes-Benz Throws Down the F1 Gauntlet
Mercedes-Benz currently boasts the most dominant team in Formula One racing, and Dieter Zetsche, Daimler CEO, has decided that the 2014 World Champions could use some more competition next year. Zetsche has challenged BMW and Audi to enter the ring, calling it the perfect arena to determine bragging rights among the industry’s leading luxury brands. We’ll be waiting to see if the other two German brands answer the call.
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