NEWS: All the latest...

By Michael Banovsky
Photos courtesy their respective manufacturers

Okay, it's time to unveil photos of the new Porsche sedan, two new German performance SUVs, and the origin of many automotive logos. But the Porsche goes first.

According to Autoweek.com, the long-rumoured, super-secret Porsche 4 door that was never photographed and subsequently crushed well...photographed and not crushed. This photo depicts an early 90s 911, with all of the current 911 styling cues intact. Draw your own conclusions as to why the photo was released...

Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

I wonder: Will this hot ML sell like the old one? If so, only a few fat cats in North America will find homes for the successor to the old AMG Hammer sedan. In other words, a really fast SUV is still quite mental. Best quote from the press release:"
As in a Formula 1 racing car, the seven gears can be changed using the gearshift buttons on the AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel."

From Mercedes-Benz: "The powerful heart of a high-performance athlete beats beneath the bonnet of the ML 63 AMG: as a completely new and autonomous development by Mercedes-AMG, the AMG 6.3-litre V8-engine generates an output of 375 kW/510 hp at 6800 rpm and a maximum torque of 630 Newton metres at 5200 rpm; this makes the new AMG powerpack the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated eight-cylinder engine in regular production.

This unique combination of a high engine speed concept and a large displacement enables the best of both worlds to be achieved: outstanding liveliness accompanied by powerful torque from low engine speeds. The driver of the ML 63 AMG experiences the decidedly sporty character of the new AMG V8-engine in the form of great agility and dynamic responsiveness in all engine speed ranges.

No other off-roader in the direct competitive lineup has a larger displacement and output than the new ML 63 AMG. The AMG 6.3-litre V8-engine provides the performance levels of a sports car, with acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited). Compared to the preceding ML 55 AMG with 255 kW/347 hp and 510 Newton metres, the new ML 63 AMG generates 46 percent more output and 23 percent more torque.

Power transfer in the top M-Class model is via an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission with a DIRECT SELECT shift lever mounted by the steering wheel. Three shift modes specially configured for the sporty performance characteristics of the AMG V8-engine ensure that the power is used to best effect. These shift modes - "S" (Sport), "C" (Comfort) and "M" (Manual) – are selected using a switch in the centre console and differ in their gearshift characteristics and speed.

As in a Formula 1 racing car, the seven gears can be changed using the gearshift buttons on the AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel. The permanent four-wheel drive of the ML 63 AMG is also decidedly sporty in nature: in the interests of the best possible agility and performance on bends, the generous power of the AMG V8-engine is distributed to the front and rear axles on a 40:60 basis. A specially strengthened drive train ensures an optimal power transfer and the reliability typical of a Mercedes."

Audi Q7

After teasing us for about six months, Audi has finally released photos of their new SUV, the Q7. Deliveries start in the new year. Engines are their FSI 4.2L V8 and, well...saints be praised:

"The 3.0 TDI six-cylinder engine features a latest-generation common rail injection system that uses piezo inline injectors, thus combining the high performance of 171 kW (233 bhp) and substantial torque of 500 Nm with exceptional refinement and excellent economy."

Automotive emblems

No, not do-it-yourself jobbies, but an article on the origin of several well-known badges. The article can be found at: Business Week.

Click at your own risk.