Tesla P85D Burns A Mercedes SLS AMG

A German Tesla Model S P85D owner recently had a bit of fun with his kids and wife creating a Tesla commercial of sorts. I think best is just to watch it, but if you are not up for that, I’ll describe and discuss it a little bit below the video.

So, basically, Matthias David sets it up whereby he is a stranger driving a Mercedes SLS AMG behind aTesla Model S P85D. He pulls up behind the Tesla at a red light, and sees two little girls in the rear-facing seats. He’s clearly in a rush and not into the kids. Little does he know that the driver of the Tesla has just put the car in “Insane” mode, and is about to burn his ass.

The girls enjoy waving to him and smiling as they zip off, and the videography is clever as it skips between the silent and fast Tesla P85D and the loud, throaty, archaic-sounding Mercedes SLS AMG. Honestly, people who think the annoying “sound” of a “powerful” car is still cool… well, no offense, but I think it’s time to retire an association that is well in need of retiring. Loud does not necessarily = powerful. And powerful certainly doesn’t have to be loud. The future is coming, and it is electric.

Mercedes AMG May Build Hybrid Supercar To Compete With Porsche 918 Spyder

Once upon a time, you could count upon Mercedes-Benz preferred tuner AMG to push traditional combustion engines to their limits. But we leave in a new day and age where hybrid drivetrains are proving to be even more potent than the nigh-unlimited displacement once afforded by low gas prices.

Motor Trend reports Mercedes AMG is planning to build a new supercar with a hybrid drivetrain that would put it on the same performance plane as the Porsche 918 Spyder. It’s just the latest salvo in the growing conflict I’ve taken to calling the hybrid horsepower wars. These automakers have gone beyond seeing hybrids simply as fuel sippers, and more as a new way to make even more absurd levels of horsepower.

Indeed, it would appear that Mercedes hasn’t been able to find a seat at the high-end of the ultra-performance car market. True, the gullwing-wearing SLS AMG proved popular with buyers, and an electric version even managed to impress Jeremy Clarkson. But Mercedes hasn’t had a ready answer for the top trio of hybrid hypercars, namely the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and of course the LaFerrari.

Enter AMG, which has refocused its mission to bring Mercedes race car technology to production vehicles, including some of the hybrid systems developed for Formula 1. The in-house tuner has already said it was going to pursue both four-cylinder and hybrid projects, but this is going to be more of a halo car loaded with serious racing technology. If that sounds expensive, well, it’s a freakin’ Mercedes, so you better believe it’ll set you back six, maybe even seven figures…if it’s even built. There’s no time frame, name, or other details to really go on beyond Motor Trend’s piece.

AMG hasn’t shied away from electrification projects in the past, and if they could combine a 700 horsepower twin-turbo V8 with half as much power from a pair of electric motors, you’re looking at a 1,000+ horsepower Mercedes hybrid supercar. It’s about time Mercedes takes up its battle banner and enters the Hybrid Horsepower War with a menacing machine all its own.

2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive Makes Official, Expensive Debut

One of the most exciting cars in the electric vehicle world has been the Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell concept. Well the official version will be called the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive, and it retains the crazy horsepower, pure-electric power, and insane speeds of the concept.

And you can only buy it if you live in Europe and can afford to shell out $434,000. That ain’t cheap!

But for that monstrous sum of money, you get one hell of a car. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive packs a 1,200 pound, 60 kWh battery that sends power to four electric motors. The combined output of these motors is 740 horsepower and 737 ft-lbs of torque, way more than its gas-powered cousin.

Thanks to a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, Mercedes kept the SLS AMG Electric Drive’s weight low enough for the electric supercar to go from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Alas, top speed is limited to just 155 mph, and the range is similarly limited to just 150 miles. That’s a far cry from the Tesla Model S, which delivers similar 0-60 times, and more range for about a quarter of the price. If you must have a Mercedes EV though, there is always the B-Class Electric Drive.

Rumor has it that the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive will only be available in Europe though, so most of you won’t have to worry about all of that. Mercedes has definitely crafted an electric supercar, and it looks especially lovely in that electric blue color. But is it good enough to topple Tesla, who is planning their own electric supercar?

Source: Mercedes

2014 Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell Caught Testing, Coming Soon

The Mercedes SLS is the car dreams are made of, with its gullwing doors and gas-guzzling 563 horsepower V8 engine. Yet even one of the fastest cars in the luxury automaker’s lineup stands to get a green makeover. Next year, the 2014 Mercedes SLR AMG E-Cell is set to hit dealerships, and spy shots reveal that the final product seems close to being finished.

Motor Authority’s spies caught pictures of the Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell(so many abbreviations for a single car) testing around Germany’s Nurburgring. Mercedes-Benz will be bringing its zero emissions grand touring coupe to the market for around $300,000, and it will be just a 0.2 seconds slower than its petrol-chugging cousin.

The spy pics, which you’ll have to check out on Motor Authority, reveal a car that looks similar save for a lack of tailpipes. It is still the same gorgeous Mercedes SLS AMG that every car guy dreams of driving, if not owning. Even with a limited top speed of around 150 mph, the specs on the

While Mercedes has been mostly mum on tidbits like range, that’s because the 569 horsepower and 600+ ft-lbs of torque don’t leave a lot of room for “grand touring.” Still, Mercedes is taking a big chance with the E-Cell, though it won’t be alone in the market. The Audi R8 e-tron and BMW i8 will both offering an electric luxury driving experience, and probably for less money. Perhaps the Daimler’s alliance with Tesla Motors (Daimler owns Mercedes) will pay off for the SLS E-Cell and give it an edge over the competition.

Then again, Tesla has set a high bar for all-electric range, and the performance of the Model S sedan is about on par with the Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell. Withrumors of a tri-turbo diesel Mercedes SLS shot down, the E-cell represents a bold move to go all-electric versus a more-popular-and-proven drivetrain. At such a high cost though, if the range isn’t up to par, why not go buy a Tesla Model S that is $200,000 cheaper?

Source: Motor Authority