Car Throttle

Inside the AMG Performance Studio in Southern Germany, there are a team of specialists that make the already insane AMG cars into most hardcore and fastest Mercedes they can be. So far there have been Black Series editions of the CLK, SLK, SL and C Class coupe. Now there's going to be a fifth member of the family, the SLS. This is it here on test at the Nurburgring. Back in 2009, AMG engine boss Friedrich Eichler said the engine in the usual SLS had 'a good deal more to come' and Mercedes revealed that the power plant in the Black Series edition is likely to produce 600bhp and 500lb ft of torque, maybe more. The 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 fitted in the everyday SLS produces 563bhp

This week saw spy shots of Mercedes’ new CLS with a bigger boot. Usually, any saloon or hatchback that comes with a bigger boot is classed in the UK as an estate and estate cars are never usually very cool. They were bought by anyone wanting to lug loads to the dump, collect tons of flat pack furniture from Ikea or for extra space so the dog can come along with the family. But the CLS is a four-door coupe officially which means the CLS seen here is a Shooting Brake. Here’s a little history lesson. ‘Shooting brake’ is a term to describe a two-box car body style that combined coupe features and estate features. The name ‘Brake’ in this case doesn’t mean the

The minicar segment is growing in the United States with the Fiat 500, MINI and Chevrolet Spark entering the marketplace. It is still a small segment though, and one luxury automakers haven't dared to go into yet. Despite leaving us out of the plan for the A1, the car features heavily in Audi's global plans. It has been selling very well overseas, and new spy shots show that Audi is working on an RS1 model. RS1? There isn't even an S1 yet; Audi could be skipping that designation. The RS3 is currently the smallest RS vehicle, and it is powered by the 350-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder that is also used in the TT-RS. We get the TT-RS, but not the hotter version of the A3. That's down

Black Series - AMG speak for "wickeder than normal." And considering most AMG Benz's have a copious dose of wicked in the first place, anything with the Black Series label is usually a bit nutty.  There was the lightweight, tail-happy CLK63 Black, and the 661bhp SL65 Black, so what's next for Benz's top label? Turns out it's a C-class Coupe.  The Coupe is a recent addition to the C-class lineup, and it takes the lower end of the market that the CLK used to inhabit - the other end being occupied by the (also-new) E-Class Coupe.  In addition to the C250 (Turbo 4) and C350 (V6) as well as the "normal" C63 AMG Coupe, pictures surfaced recently of AMG's next "Black" project - a lightened, widebody,

With the demise of the CLK, Merc's Coupe lineup consists of Medium (E-Coupe) and Large (CL.) For those wanting 2-door Benz style in a compact, efficient package, Mercedes will be bringing the C-Class Coupe to the Geneva show, and they've leaked some pictures to whet everyone's appetite. Intended as a competitor for both the 1 and 3 series Coupe (as well as the Audi A5, likely), the C-Class Coupe will split the size gap between the two.  Let's get one thing out of the way first, though.  Seperated at birth? C Class Coupe, circa 2011 above.  Honda Accord Coupe circa 2008 below.  Hmm. Hmm.  Okay.  I'm not going to say Mercedes stole some design elements from Honda for this one.  Let's just say they're similar looking.  That

The Lotus Evora, the first truly new Lotus since the Elise in the mid-ninties, has been universally praised by the press. Balanced, almost supernatural handling, a smooth ride, and the kind of luxury and refinement that has never before been seen in a Lotus vehicle make it worth the crazy $70k+ asking price.  The only drawback?  Although it's not underpowered by any definition, the 3.5L 24v V6 sourced from the Toyota Camry isn't the most exciting or characterful motor on the planet.  Lotus is aiming to fix this problem with the upcoming Evora S, which was recently spied testing near the Nurburgring in Germany. If the rumor mill is to believed (and these days, it's usually more right than wrong), the Evora S will gain additional

The production Mercedes-Benz CLS was introduced in 2004 at the New York International Auto Show and went into production in 2005. For a fashion icon, that is a long time. This years later, the CLS still looks fresh to our eyes but it is time for a freshening. And one is coming, for the 2011 model year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it - for a hit like the CLS, that is the usual formula manufacturers follow. The CLS looks set to show off a more dramatic, edgier styling language for Mercedes. If it looks familiar (besides being a CLS), that's because it echoes the CLS Shooting Break Concept that Mercedes introduced at the Bejing Auto Show. We like the large, dramatic face and the rear haunches

Audi has a goal to become the world's largest luxury automaker by 2015. In the last quarter, they came closer to that goal than ever before, coming at number two, behind BMW. To take over the top spot, the brand has set out to increase its model lineup. It has added the A5, Q5 and the A1 supermini in a relatively short space of time. The next model is something at the higher end of the range, the A7 Sportback. It was previewed a little while back at the Detroit Show. We loved that concept's styling and hope it translates over well to the production Audi A7. From what we can tell based on the camoflauged overall shape, it looks like it is.  Now we just need

What? Really?! A new Dodge Challenger with a Viper engine?! Right ON! Okay, this isn't official (yet) (hopefully) but there's been a Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept roaming the streets of Michigan recently spied. And add to that the Challenger SRT10 Concept made its debut at the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Since the '08 SEMA show, the Viper-powered Challenger has been consigned to the history books and the furtive dreams of gearheads everywhere. But then, next thing you know, spy photogs spotted the super muscle car driving Chrysler’s typical test circuit. Hmmm, it makes one go. Now, seeing a given car driving around the streets of Michigan do not a production confirmation make. But you've got to say it IS hard to explain the

Today is the day for spyshots! New ones have come out for the Aston Martin Rapide, Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz SL, to name a few. The one we're covering here is the Porsche 911, a car which is receiving minor updates. Last year, Porsche updated the 911 range. The GT2 performance series always gets the updates last, and as such is receiving them as Porsche is preparing for the launch of the next-generation 911. The biggest update to the 911 GT2 is a boost of 20 horsepower, attributed to direct injection technology that was debuted on the updated 911 Turbo and GT3. The boost will bring the car's power output to 550 horsepower. Porsche might offer its PDK dual clutch unit, in addition to the