News: Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive, Most Powerful EV

More often than not, Mercedes Benz competed unoffcially with the likes of Audi, BMW and Jaguar even to create the most powerful engine for their lineups. Remember the D-segment sedan power fight which involved the E-Class, 5 Series and the A6? Power was everything and this happened mainly because they didn't want to lose, like Jeremy Clarkson.

Mercedes has now joined the EV competition and claims that their new SLS AMG Electric Drive is the most powerful EV car there is in this world. A bold claim it may be but seeing the SLS Electric Drive having 740 bhp and a monstrous 1,000 Nm of torque, that literally dwarfs the petrol SLS with 591 bhp and 650 Nm of torque. 0 to 100 km/h is done in 3.9 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

All 740 bhp and 1,000 Nm of torque comes from four synchronous electric motors that drive all four wheels technically making it four-wheel-drive. Instead of being in the wheel hubs, they're placed on the axles which Mercedes claims reduces unsprung mass. Two gearboxes work independently with two motors each and there is an AMG Torque Dynamics system which provides selective drive to individual wheels to increase grip in different conditions. It comes in three modes as well: Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus.

The motors get their energy juice from a 60 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that gives a range of 250 km and 400 volts at its peak performance. That's a lot of juice to be honest but this advantage comes at a cost, the battery itself weighs about 548 kg though all of it are installed within the transmission tunnel behind the front seats where the petrol tank was in the standard SLS. To shave off excessive fats in this car, a mesh of carbon fibre and aluminium structure replaces the all-aluminium build of the regular SLS and those carbon-ceramic brake discs reduces the weight a slight bit more.

The double wishbone suspension system sees it replaced with independent multi-link ones with pushrod dampers while the wheels are 19-inch in the front and 20-inch at the back. And like all EVs, this electric SLS is quiet as it can be so Mercedes developed a sound generated through 11 speakers. It may have the term concept but the SLS Electric Drive will see sales starting next year for a cool €416,500 (RM 1.6 million) and you can have it in blue chrome.

News: Hyundai Genesis Tuned by Cosworth

Cosworth has dabbled into another project once again and this time, it involves a Hyundai Genesis. To debut in the upcoming SEMA show in the States, this project is called the Cosworth Genesis Racing Series Concept.

The Brit engine experts have shown many a times their capability of creating a powerful engine out of nothing and this bit of Hyundai will be another showcase of their many talents. Of course, it will be the same direct injection 3.8l V6 engine hiding under the bonnet but with a bit of magic Cosworth dust, this engine is now capable of 389 bhp at 6,400 rpm and 440 Nm of torque at 5,100 rpm. That totals up to a gain of 40 bhp and 40 Nm of torque over the standard V6. Sports suspension and brakes made by Cosworth are also made available to cope with the extra power output but specifics have not been revealed.

Matching the power are a few exterior and interior buff ups like a new aero front and blacked out rear diffuser, an integrated rear spoiler, satin-gloss blue finish, gunmetal lightweight racing wheels, bespoke two toned seats, steering wheel and gear shifter. Too bad the pictures shown here are renders of the real thing.

News: HSV GTS 25th Anniversary Revealed

Still wanting a tuner that's covered fully by insurance and maybe, just maybe, came out, hot off the factory with those subzero looking modified body kits on it? You're in luck because Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) has decided to celebrate its 25th year by producing just 140 units of this mad looking beast. Still, lucky as you may be, this car will only be sold in Australia, 125 of them with the remainder 15 being sold in New Zealand.

Not to disappoint you or anything but this special edition has nothing to do with power hikes but aesthetics only. Not that its current powerplant is a disappointment though because inside this special edition GTS is a 6.2l V8 developing a healthy 436 bhp and 550 Nm of torque.

The 25th Anniversary GTS gets a hefty amount of bells and whistles such as new 20-inch forged alloys finished in Satin Graphite that saves 22kg over the standard GTS' or 8% of unsprung weight, vector hood scoops, side vents, updated grille, superflow spoiler, a bi-modal exhaust system and loads of badges. Even though the engine wasn't touched, other performance parts as well as safety are enhanced. The brakes are now six pistoned, there's Rear Park Assist with rear camera as well as Side Blind Zone Alert System which pretty much works like Volvo's BLIS I suppose.

All this can be had for AU$84,990. It may be expensive but try finding the price of a regular GTS and you'll find this the bargain of the century.

News: Suzuki S-Cross Revealed

No, even after the Paris Motor Show, Suzuki has decided to stay mum over the performance specification in the S-Cross. Also, speculations about the S-Cross replacing the dated SX4 turn out to be utter bullfart as Suzuki noted that this will be an all new model from Suzuki competing in an all new segment. The S-Cross's dimensions are as follow: 4,310mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,600mm tall as well as 2,600mm long (wheelbase) which makes it slightly wider and longer than the SX4. All-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive options are available though I have a hunch that majority of the buyers will be moms or young 18 year old girls. Thus, front-wheel-drive will do just fine. 

News: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Facelift and Edizione Tecnica Revealed

Following the teaser previewed a few days earlier, the new Gallardo is in fact a teensy updated model.

Vomit coloured interior. Yuck

The refreshed Gallardo features a facelifted bumper design at the front and at the back highlighted by triangular and trapezoidal shapes, enlarged air intakes as well as Apollo polished alloys. The back bumper etched with the aforementioned shapes also function as an engine air outlet which increases surface area to improve thermodynamic efficiency, or in easier terms, a cooler engine.

As always, there are those, many perceive as having a small penis who prefer their Gallardo-s with a tad bit more flair. Good news for you then because there is a Style package option offering high-gloss black paintwork on the underside of the front spoiler, front and rear grilles and the transverse element of the rear trim available. Good enough?

No? How about a special modification to your Spyder Performante and Superleggera models? If interested, the modification is called the LP570-4 Edizione Tecnica. What it offers is a fixed rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes and three new colour combination exclusive only to the Edizione Tecnicas. Intrigued or disappointed?

News: Bentley Unveils the Continental GT3

After years of not participating in racing competitions, Bentley has officially reentered its racing heritage by unveiling a GT3 specced racer of their Continental GT Speed. And they're serious about it because this race car will be joining races starting late 2013.

No specifics have been revealed about the bespoke concept from Crewe but it is revealed that the Continental GT3 will be rear wheel drive to satisfy regulations and is equipped with state of the art motorsport hardware and a comprehensive aerodynamics package. As it will be FIA compliant, this racer will be eligible in a lot of competitions including 24-hour endurance races. 

According to Bentley's CEO, Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, the Continental GT3 is set to show the world what the Continental GT is capable of in its most extreme form, and establishes a solid foundation for Bentley's long-term motorsport plans. Glad to know they're back and with more variety on the race track, it's a win for everybody.

News: Renault Clio RS 200 Debuts

New Clio RS 200. Turbocharged. Wait, what? Yep, you read it right, Renault has decided to go the turbocharged route with the Clio RS. And if that is too much for you, Clio RS purists, the new track loving Clio will be using a dual clutched auto transmission.

Bad news then? Not really. Firstly, the 2.0l engine is replaced with a 1.6l turbocharged four pot which means lower tax band. Also, it features diamond like carbon cam followers imspired by F1 technology, variable valve timing (VVT), direct injection and an interesting exhaust note. Speaking about exhaust notes, RenaultSport has also explained that the new Clio RS's fart will be synthetically enhanced in a realistic way to exert a more interesting sound.

Like the name of the car, the engine delivers 200 bhp and 240 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 5,600 rpm and that goes to the six-speed dual clutched auto 'box dubbed as EDC ( Efficient Double Clutch) by Renault and can be controlled through flappy paddles behind the steering wheel. The chassis can be setup to cater to your everyday needs or your inner racing freak with Sports or Cup. Sports will mean the grocery shopping tune while the Cup stiffens the car 15% more and lowers the ride height up to 5 mm over the Sport. Press the R.S Drive button and that offers three different tunes - Normal, Sport, Race. All tunes will manage the engine and gearbox mapping, steering feel and throttle response. 

The RS also means a meaner looking body kit and the Clio RS gets an F1 inspired front blade, a diffuser generating 80% of downforce and a spoiler generating 20%. LED DRLs, more aggressive bumpers, dual exhaust pipes, 17-inch wheels and loads of RS badges will be standard on the hot Clio while 18-inch wheels remain an option. I for one am highly anticipating this to come to our shores. Still, this will come into production in 2013 and yes, there will be a long waiting list when it finally arrives.