Mercedes readying new S-class Maybach

Mercedes S-Class Maybach

Mercedes have officially confirmed that the prestigious Maybach is set to make a comeback, though this time it will be branded under the Mercedes moniker and not as a separate entity.

According to the German premium carmakers “the Mercedes-Maybach embodies “the best” in its most exclusive form.”

Although the previous run of Maybachs may not have been as successful as they would have hoped, Mercedes are now trying a new line of attack on the luxury car market,  with rivals such as Bentley and Rolls Royce firmly in their sights.

“In the same way as it did with the sporty positioning of Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Benz has now therefore established a new offering in the exclusive top segment by introducing a sub-brand with the name Mercedes-Maybach.”

The new flagship model – based on their current S-Class – will be badged as the Mercedes-Maybach S600 and it’s official unveiling is set to take place at next week’s LA Motor Show.

Powering this costly car will be a 6.0-litre V12 with 530hp and 830nm of torque. Also joining the range will be an S500 V8 Maybach and an S400 4Matic.

Set to be 200mm longer than a long wheelbase S-Class, the car will also offer more legroom than the previous Maybach. It can be differentiated from the regular S-Class by its super-luxurious interior – exactly what you might expect in a Maybach. The cabin is awash with premium diamond quartered leather, rich wood and brushed aluminium – every panel has been treated to the finest materials available.

Expected to go on sale in spring 2015, an estimated 600 models are due to make their way to the UK.

So what can you expect to pay for a slice of this exclusivity? The price is said to be £10k to £15k more than a long-wheelbase S-Class, putting the S600 version around the £130,000 mark.

The New 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT Revealed

Mercedes have released images and video footage of the new 2016 AMG GT.
Following the global success of the SLS AMG, the new Mercedes-AMG GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG.
According to the German car manufacturer “the new Mercedes-AMG GT skillfully combines sportiness and emotion and makes not only hearts of sport car enthusiasts’ leaping for joy.”
AMG have taken the old SLS platform and have made a conscious effort to try and reign in what was previously a brutal beast, making this new car much more focused, which would offer the driver a more usable power plant.
Thie AMG GT will offer two different versions of their brand-new M178 twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 as the power plant.
Replacing the spectacular M156/M159 naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8, this new engine will also power a wide range of upcoming AMG models, including the next-gen C63 AMG, a crossover GLC63 AMG, and the next E63 AMG.
The AMG GT’s version makes 456 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 443 lb-ft of torque between 1600 to 5000 rpm. In the upgraded GT S model, the M178 produces 503 horsepower at 6250 rpm, although the peak moves to span 6000 to 6500 rpm when ordered with the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package.
Mercedes claims the standard GT reaches 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 189 mph; the sharper GT S will apparently take another 0.2 second from the sprint to 60 and is capable of 193 mph. The GT S is fitted as standard with active exhaust flaps, which are optional on the standard model. Also worth noting is the fact that AMG has hinted at a GT3 version will be offered somewhere down the line.
The top-spec Mercedes-AMG GT S is expected to reach the UK in the spring of 2015, while the lesser spec’d GT will follow the next year.

What are your thoughts on the new AMG GT, is it an improvement on the SLS?

Sneak peek at the new Mercedes-AMG GT

Mercedes have given us a sneak peek at their next AMG performance car, the Mercedes-AMG GT. 

Although were are only getting a few teasing interior shots of the car, MB say the car will feature “aviation-inspired design” and that it will “define the concept of Modern Luxury”.
After looking at the interior shots they have given us this certainly seems to be true, with the GT clad in fine leather with a striking black and red colour combination, an impressive centre console that emerges from an armrest emblazoned with the AMG logo,  which leads to a large tablet style control centre where you can command the AMG gadgetry that this car is sure to come packed with.
The car won’t be officially revealed until Autumn of this year, but lets hope some more images of the car are released before then. 

The New Lexus F Verison ‘RC F Coupe’

Lexus have finally released more details of their new F Version which they say will be “milestone moment in the history of high-performance Lexus models’ and will be launched at the Detroit Motor Show on 14th January.

Lexus say that the car was designed to be a thoroughbred sports model and the RC F will come equipped with the most powerful 5.0-litre V8 engine Lexus has ever produced, a unit that is projected to deliver an output in excess of 450bhp.

These high performance figures seem have strongly inspired the styling of the car, Yukihiko Yaguchi, the Chief Engineer for the RC F says that “The form of each component is carefully designed to contribute to performance”. The car has a mean muscular shape, with a dramatic grille adorning the front that is joined by aggressive yet functional air ducts. The front wings bear a distinctive L shape which lead back to the sleeker lines that grace the rear. The car reminds me of a gt86 from the back that has been combined with an LFA front.

The luxury car make say there will be three variations of 10-spoke, 19-inch forged alloy wheel designs will be available, including a set hand-polished by their very own craftsmen. Meanwhile, the svelte rear end of the RC F is equipped with an active wing that automatically deploys at speeds above 50mph and retracts again when the speed falls below 25mph. The powerful character of the car is accentuated at the back with the addition of trapezoidal quad-outlet tailpipes. 

The aggressive yet good looking exterior is complemented by a unique and lavish looking interior.

Heading the instrument panel is a dominant central dial that automatically displays different colouring and text size appropriate to the coupe’s four driving modes. Lexus has produced a new steering wheel design which has an elliptical cross-section, a thick grip and what they say are the optimum shift paddle locations. The high-back seats are also new to this car and are finished with an embossed F on the headrests, their styling displays inspiration from modern high-tech athletic sportswear design. Five leather trims will be available, all with contrast stitching. Again Lexus have combined looks with functionality as there are L-shaped rubber slits in the brake and accelerator pedals, which not only looks great but also offer additional grip for the driver.

Judging by the performance figures, styling the Lexus’ past sales in the car market in the past, this car could be a big contender in the sports coupe market. Should other manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes will be worried by this?

Baby Benz all grown up?

Mercedes have released details of their all new 2014 C-Class ahead of its official unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show in January.
And its seems they aren’t playing around, as their biggest selling model and the rival to the 3-Series, the luxury car maker have beefed up the C-Class compared to the outgoing model, with an 8cm increase in wheelbase, while overall the vehicle is 9.5cm longer and 4cm wider. This will apparently offer more room for rear passengers and create more boot space. Yet despite the size increase the car boasts an impressive weight loss with its robust and innovative aluminum bodyshell it sheds 100kg, benefitting the cars fuel consumption.

The midrange baby saloon looks more like something from their S-Class than the previous C-Class we’ve come to know and that’s not surprising considering it borrows much of the new S-Class’s ‘intelligent driving’ tech,  allowing the the car to scan for danger ahead and brake autonomously from 125mph. At speeds under 37mph, the C-Class will follow the car in front at a safe distance and with its EALKA system, it will prevent you from veering overing the lines.  The improvements don’t stop there,  the stylish interior includes a touchpad that recognizes gestures similar to those used on smartphones and in addition to their high tech nav system you get an 8.4-inch central display screen. That’s a lot of tech for a car that is expected to sell for roughly £30,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in spring 2014.

Three engine variants are available at the market launch – a diesel in the guise of the C 220 BlueTEC, offering 70.6mpg and 103g/km CO2 and the two petrol models, C 180 and C 200, the latter of which will be capable of 62mph in 7.5 seconds. After launch Mercedes is set to expand the engine range to include a 1.6-litre diesel engine and furthermore a plug-in hybrid is also due to be released. More interestingly though is the AMG version which is expected to use a new bi-turbo V8 engine capable of making at least 450bhp.

On paper this car looks very promising and with all things considered, a worthy adversary of the 3-series.
Have Mercedes got it right? Will bigger mean better in the battle of the luxury mid-range saloon car?
What do you think of the new C-Class? Leave a comment below.