KLASIX
AUTOMOBILES.
2015 Mercedes GLE Coupe.
The mercedes-benz ‘GLE coupé’ combines a flamboyant nature with the striking robustness of a SUV to create a convincing and dynamic on-road/off-road vehicle. its raised seating position and all-round view is reminiscent of a 4×4 but interlocks well with the styling features such as the flowing side contour, elongated and low greenhouse, radiator grille with a central chrome louvre, and rear end design, that are typical to the company’s sports models. the automobile demonstrates the bridge between intelligence and emotion, and the blend of tradition and modernity to combine sportiness and modern luxury.
Bentley Continental GT V8 S.
When Bentley introduced the Continental GT V8 more than a year ago, the rationale was that the car’s lower-output V-8 engine—which fell short of the output produced by the Conti GT’s W-12—would allow the company to reach new buyers with a less expensive model. Two things muddle this motive: The first is that the V-8 is nearly as powerful as the W-12 and weighs less; the second is that the GT V8’s price tag isn’t far off the W-12’s. Allow us to present the third pillar of the Continental GT V8’s confusion of self: the Continental GT V8 S, a sportier V-8 model that draws closer to the W-12’s output—and likely also its price tag. It will make its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show.The GT V8 S’s prodigious output comes from the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 used in the non-S GT V8, and backs up to the same eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel-drive system. That setup’s rear-biased 40/60 torque split carries over to the V8 S, as well. Bentley says the uprated powertrain is capable of returning a 4.3-second 0-to-60 blast and a 192-mph top speed in the coupe, and a 4.5-second sprint and 191-mph top speed in the convertible.
2015 Bugatti Veyron.
There’s has never been a car like the Bugatti Veyron and there undoubtedly never will be again – at least none that combines so much excess and so many extremes. With just a few dozen built per year since 2005, it is the most powerful, fastest and most expensive car in the world. It also happens to be the most gluttonous.
Let’s consider the evidence. For starters, the standard Veyron’s 8.0-litre W16 engine is boosted by four turbochargers, cooled by ten radiators and produces 1,001 horsepower. That’s enough to propel this long, wide and low coupe to more than 400 km/h. When the first units were produced, the Veyron 16.4 cost a cool $2 million – without options – and its price has continued to climb ever since. Do you really want to know about its fuel consumption? The numbers are a staggering: 41.9 L/100 km city and 15.6 highway for a combined total of 24.9/100 km on the European cycle. Bugatti Veyrons are few and far between in Quebec. Both rare and discrete, these vehicles are more often hidden under tarps in the vast and immaculate garages of mansions and opulent mountainside homes. Occasionally, you see one parked in front of an exclusive club or a circuit reserved for insiders. Test drives? Not on your life.
Land Rover KAHN Defender.
Possibly. But for the type of driving I suspect this Defender will be used for it's a far, far better choice, even with a cost of £6,000 plus VAT. A manual Defender is not a dainty thing to use - have a look into the cabs of most and you'll see drivers lent to the left with a grimace on their face. You can sense the tension as the left leg pumps and the lever is yanked about. It's chuffing hard work. So this automatic, while hardly the most couth of its breed and decidedly indecisive at high speeds where it ricochets between ratios, is a boon. Makes the Defender so much easier to live with if you're driving it regularly. OK, point taken. So are there any other mechanical changes? None, bar a tweaked exhaust routing and a new chunky set of wheels and tyres. The 2.2-litre diesel develops a modest 122bhp and 265lb ft so progress is best described as ‘stately'. But quick enough, plenty quick enough given the frightening lack of feedback and stability. That's nothing new for a Defender and there is a lot of charm to the utilitarian way it interacts with other cars. It doesn't have their manners, but tries hard to be on its best behaviour. It's charmingly rustic and the Kahn mods have done little to change that - a good thing.The bodywork doesn't seem to have been tampered with too much, either.
2015 Porsche Targa.
Porsche brings its classic Targa into 2014 with a look that is probably one of the best modern interpretations of the Targa since its debut in 1965. The company is introducing an innovative roof that is fully automatic and when opened, it stows the roof right behind the rear seats for open-air driving. The cars will be available in all-wheel-drive 4 and 4S editions with the 4 being powered by a 3.4L 350 hp flat engine or the 4S which touts a 3.8L engine and 400 hp. Porsche
BMW I8.
BMW announces the production of its most striking vehicle in years, the i8 plug-in hybrid. The 2+2 features a three-cylinder gas engine with BMW’s TwinPower Turbo technology that works in conjunction with BMW’s eDrive system to deliver a total of 362 hp (420 lb-ft of torque) giving the i8 a 0-62 time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph (120 mph on electric power alone). Being an “i” car, the i8 is all about efficiency, the car has an all-electric range of up to 22 miles and a combined range of up to 310 miles when throwing gas in the mix. As for tech the i8 has it in spades, you’ll find that full-LED headlights are standard and BMW will also offer a world’s first in a production vehicle, optional laser headlights which are significantly brighter than LEDs and consume half as much energy. ConnectedDrive also keeps you connected to your car via BMW’s i Remote smartphone app, updates on nearby charging stations, and a Surround View camera system that gives you a bird’s eye view of the car.The BMW i8 to hit showrooms in early 2014.