L’été en Tunisie

En Tunisie, cet été, et d’ailleurs comme tout été, le paysage autombile se revévie, en termes de Supercars qui viennent elles aussi pour avoir un petit taste de l’environnement Tunisien, plage, et soleil. Cette année, 2017 n’a pas été exceptionnelle par rapport aux précédentes, parce que d’après ce que l’on voit, il y a beaucoup de visiteurs qui sont venues enrichir nos routes déjà riches de voitures exotiques ou de Luxe. Les amateurs Tunisiens de l’automobile n’ont pas manqué à l’occasion pour spotter les nouveaux venus de toute part du monde, au port de la Goulette, à Sousse, à Gammarth, rien ne leur est échappé. Je profite déjà pour remercier leurs efforts, et surout à la page Tunisian Cars.

Commençon déjà par la Lamborghini la plus suivie en Tunisie, c’est une Huracàn Spyder qui cache sous

 

son capot un V10 5,2L qui développe 610 chevaux. Cette voitue a tout l’esprit Lamborghini, avec un esprit et des lignes de design aggressives. le 0 à 100 est parcouru en seulement 3,4 secondes, la vitesse maximale (quoi qu’elle ne sera atteinte sur nos routes est de 325 km/h) pour les amoureux de la Spyder, le toit s’ouvre en quelques 17 secondes, et après folie aux cheveux.

La Lambo Huracàn n’était pas la seule star sur la route, parce qu’il y a sur cette terre un point où, luxe, beauté, intelligence et puissance se rassemblent pour créer une des plus belles voitures au monde, c’est bien évidemment la Mercedes Maybach S600

Basée sur le “yacht” de luxe de Mercedes, qui est la classe S, cette voiture est en compétition directe avec des grandes luxuries telle que La Bentley Mulsanne, et le géant Rolls Royce, mais, à part le luxe intérieur, la Maybach a une très grande présence d’esprit sur la route. Pour la puissance, elle a tout ce qu’il faut, là où il faut, un 6.0L 12 cylindres biturbo de puissance de 530 chevaux et d’un couple maximal de 850 Nm. Bien sur pour un tel luxe, il faut un prix, proche de 200,000$. Bien sur pour différecier, pour nos petits amateurs, il faudra juste regarder derrière la porte passager pour trouver le sigle de maybach.

Comme toute autre, cette petite Porsche Boxter Spyder (ou si vous préférez bien 718) est venue se “rafraîchir” la peinture un peu, venu du Kuwait. Bien sur, elle ne va pas entrer en compétition contre celles qu’on vient juste de revoir, mais elle a toujours la touche de Porsche en elle, avec 300 cheveaux sous le capot, elle sait parcourir 100m en 4.0 secondes. Elle est commercialisée en Tunisie pour le prix de 325,000 dinars.

credit goes to Facebook page M’M Prod

Par contre celle qui peut jouer sur les routes contre la Porsche 718 Boxster est la petite Audi TTS. Elle prend un peu de tout le la famille Volkswagen, de sa soeur Audi A3, de la Golf, mais, elle a un caractère a elle toute seule, déjà au niveau puissance, elle n’est pas loin de la Boxster, 292 cheveaux contre 300, la course de 0 à 100 km/h est pour 4,2 secondes contre 4,0 pour la Porsche, et ce qui pousse la TTS est petit 2.0L furieux en acier.

Revenons un peu aux puissantes et aux folles de la route, et là c’est la Ferrari 599 qui se promène sur nos routes. Large, puissante, et elle porte le badge Ferrari, cette voiture a de quoi se rendre fière. Elle a été produite en 2006, pour être la rivale de la Murcielago. Le monstre à l’intérieur est un 6.0L 12 cylindres en V, 48 valves, sa respration d’air aboutit au refoulement de 620 chevaux. La paticularité avec cette voiture est que la boîte vitesse F1 lui donne la possibilité de changer les rapports en manière éclair, le contrôle de traction vient aussi de F1, et le contrôle moteur aussi et les ordiateurs de bord utilisent aussi la même technologie.

Et qui d’autre est venue se bonzer à part la Mercedes AMG GT S. Cette petite est la remplaçante de la SLS AMG. Bien sur il y a eu que du nouveau, déjà l’ectérieur qui se rapproche plus d’une Porsche 911, avec un habitacle en forme de Greenhouse. Le 6.2L AMG codé M156 n’y est plus et a été remplacé par le M178, un moteur plus petit, qui est à se jour entrain de subir des tests et des développement à Stuttgart. La puissance est de 510 chevaux, c’était moins que la SLS, 100 chevaux de moins, mais le géant allemand se rattrappe.

Comment rendre une Range Rover Evoque plus belle? Tout simplement en réduisant deux portes et en libérant le toit, le résultat est un Coupé Cabriolet impressionant, avec la puissance habituelle (177 chevaux ou 237 chevaux seln le moteur) d’une évoque. Noton bien qu’une évoque en Tunisie est à partir de 150,000 tnd, donc la cabriolet, si par hasard sera plus chère que ça, mais bon.

Tout ce paysage, ne sera complet qu’avec la présence d’une Bentley Continental. Blanche, les jantes noires, aec le logo de Bentley au centre, 521 chevaux, et une vitesse folle. Bien sur, lorsqu’on dit Bentley, on dit stabilité de route, voyez déjà combien qu’elle est large, on dit puissance, déjà évoquée, on dit perection, si vous jetez un petit coup d’oeil sur les ailes avant, la calendre, et la forme, tout participe à aggiper la voiture au sol pour avoir plus de vitesse et de tenue de route.

Audi A7 avec un look sport agressif.

E Class E63 AMG W212 2014 5.5 AMG 585 bhp

Audi R8

 

Mercedes AMG GT C

At the latest Paris Auto Show, Mercedes unveiled the Cabriolet version of the already mighty AMG GT, the car came with one aesthetic tweak : roof goes on and off, and power tweaks.

The engine, mounted on the new AMG models is the same, it is the same 4.OL engine, V8, two turbos, but instead of producing 460 bhp on the regular engine, power was increased to reach 550 bhp, and 680 Nm in torque. All this results in a 0 to 100 kph race in just .6 seconds and 310 kph. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7‑speed dual-clutch transmission. The car uses refined elements of the more powerful sister, the AMG GT R, the rear axle differential is electronically controlled, with limited slip, in addition to that, there is the rear-wheel steering feature. Combined together, the car has better stability and is more enjoyable to drive.

On the outside, resemblance to the AMG GT R continues, from the features : a wide body, large wheels, a large “butt” and everything grew large compared to the AMG GT. Also the GT C comes with a soft top, so you need to sit still while some pistons, electric motors do stuff and magic to get the roof on or off. And you know dear readers, that weight in cars matters, so instead of having a heavy hard top, Mercedes opted for a soft top version, materials used in construction were Magnesium, steel and Aluminum.

Price tag isn’t announced yet, production will start on 2017, with more detailed features about the car, and the AMG 50th anniversary

Mercedes AMG more serious on making a hypercar

The last hypercar from Mercedes was the legendary Mercedes Benz CLK GTR. It was able of doing a lot, and cost a lot too. After the Belgian GP, from “a high level source at Mercedes AMG”, confirmation came to Top gear that the hypercar is coming. 2017 is the 50th birthday, so it could be a good project to mark the dates.

After The AMG GT, and the C63 AMG, Mercedes is allowing production to another car from AMG division, it is said to be a hypercar, with many F1 characteristics, especially for the engine, it could be powered by three electric engines and a thermal F1 engine, exactly the internal combustion engine that is powering the W07 Mercedes car. Coupled with MGU-H and MGU-K units, this engine produces 730 bhp.  AMG CEO confirmed that the car will be fighting against Porsche 918, Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. About the body, it may be a monocoque, carbon-fiber body, with weight reduction to achieve power to weight ratio 1:1.

The body could be similar to Aston Martin and Red Bull fruit of collaboration the AM-RB 001 with more class, and more sensual touch from Mercedes. It could also feature Mercedes technologies like the magic body control, active body control, rear-wheel steering, and even newer. The revealing depends on how fast the minds at Stuttgart are working.

 

Mercedes GLE gets a treatment from LUMMA Design

When you think you can’t make a Mercedes car look any better, a car tuner comes up with an idea to make it look as monstrous, as aggressive, as possible. It is the turn to LUMMA Design to play with one this time. The kit applied is the LUMMA CLR G 800 The toy is the GLE and The result is staggering.

It is the GLE first time to get a widebody kit on the exterior. All the car used to have is a fine Mercedes Benz style, it was good looking, until LUMMA decided to mess things up. The first thing to be noticed, is the reduction in height. LUMMA lowered the suspensions, to acquire higher performance from the car. The tuning program features large air intakes on the front wings, a new front bumper, new side skirts and wider wheelarches. It also features a carbon hood, new rear bumper and diffuser and a rear spoiler. Not only that, but the car has in addition a Carbon-fiber hood. Knowing how heavy Mercedes-AMG cars can get, some weight reduction in the addition program just dictates itself. Carbon fiber was used in making the hood, the side skirts, the air vents, the rear air diffuser, and both of the bumpers. The car sits on 24-inch wheels from the dutch manufacturer Vredestein.

There is a power increase. The 5.5L biturbo V8 has been enhanced to produce 640 bhp, around 70 bhp more compared to the stock GLE 63 AMG coupe. This, along with the aero package, and the height reduction, should improve the top speed and the acceleration. Not that, the SUV from AMG does 0 to 100 kph in 4.2 seconds.

Modifications inside include a lightweight materials usage for some of the cars. Customers can choose between premium leather or wood variations to get the luxury they need.

The official release would be in the Frankfurt Auto Show this September, but with the teaser images, we are sure drooling about it.

Mercedes Self-driving car

It has been a busy year with Mercedes-Benz, I mean the new S class, the C class, the Formula 1 world championship, the AMG GT, the CLS facelift. It was fruitful and for the German constructor, stopping while you are way ahead, is not an option. We all were astounded with the magic done with the S class safety systems, we all said that it is a new step for man toward self-drivable cars, well, here is one, revealed yesterday ( January 6th 2014) at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2015. Mercedes’ official YouTube channel has a video for us and it gives something like this :

Its name is the F 015 concept, or according to Mercedes’ philosophy, it is luxury in motion. What it looks like, it is that, the future of automobile is so close, you may even say that, the future is here. At a first sight, the vehicle doesn’t look like much of a car, yes it has 4 wheels, and 4 doors, but, there is that bonnet part, it is too short, with a very long wheel-base. Dimensions of the car are as follows, it’s 205.5 inches long, 79.4 inches wide, and 60 inches tall. The wheel-base is 142.1 inches which is 9.6 longer than the S class, which is long. The F 015 is streamlined, pointing towards the ground, has futuristic wheels, and a long light bar in the rear. The F 015 chassis is made from carbon-fiber, aluminium and strong steel. The body weighs 40 percent less than production cars nowadays.

The car is commanded by a push of a button, or a finger swipe, to be more up to date with technology, and it comes to you like a puppy who wants to play, it approaches you softly, opens its doors for you and invites you in, the chairs turns for you, and some soft German automated female voice tells you to “Get in”. In addition to that, the car has road and pedestrian recognition systems, it has two different LED light indications, to tell whether the driver is driving or the car is doing it itself. When detecting a pedestrian, undulating lights on the grille indicate to him that F 015 detects them, then according to it, the car stops, draws a laser projected cross walk, and lets the driver know that he/she can cross the road in safety, using that same soft German female automated voice. It can indicate through panels to the driver behind it to slow down, “SLOW” or that it is braking “STOP”, as you know, Mercedes is all about security and crash avoidance. That is how futuristic it is.

The Luxury in Motion is for the individual who wants to retreat to a private place, relieving themselves of the stress and work involved with driving in the ever more hostile urban environment where driving is not enjoyable” according to Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler and head of Mercedes cars.

In the interior, the saloon car, or moving conference room is really from the future, for starters, it is spacious, then there are screens all over the place. These screens are used to channel information between the driver or passengers and the car. Everyone now can take part in controlling the car, choice is offered in destination (of course), drive mode (relaxed or dynamic). The interior is white, with an ambient lighting, a soft blue generally. Chairs rotate easily, in a regular setting, they rotate 30° towards the door to allow a much more easier getting in or out of the car, people inside the car can opt for a more facing each other setting and rotate the luxurious chairs in that order. Doors open to 90° degrees, for a more comfortable get out/ get in. The car carpet is no more, instead of it, there is a hardwood floor, made of open-pore walnut wood. Of course, this car still has a steering wheel, to let the driver feel a bit of control over the car, it is Mercedes’ way to say, the human part is still needed.

Because the car can be controlled from any of the touchscreens, “any passenger can become the driver,” Dieter Zetsche.

What is powering this machine from the future? Mercedes said it would be an electric-drive system, a plug-in hybrid. 2 electric motors, possibly mounted one at each front wheel provide propulsion, the main generators would be a fuel-cell stack, hydrogen tank and lithium sulfate battery pack. Top speed will be around 70 mph.

This car, as smart, and future telling is, is not maybe suitable for us, big engine admirers, because car love is about that power, the noise, the design amongst other things.

Mercedes S class by Mansory

Dr Mansory was known for creating powerful crazy monsters, some of the cars that were tuned by the Mansory program are the  Ferrari F12, Mercedes Benz G class, the Mercedes McLaren SLR and the list goes on. Tunings involve body works, works on engines, exhaust systems… but what if the monster is the finest car in the world, one of the most luxurious cars on earth? Mansory has no problem working with that, and the result is impressive.

The last monster to see the light ever in the Mansory garage, is the S class, with a lot of power, how much you may wonder, 1000 bhp version, and a reasonable 800 bhp version. Note that the base S63 model has a 5.5L V8 that produces just 575 bhp. However, for people at Mansory the power output did not seem like enough. The 1000 bhp version has been fitted with the M1000 kit, a 5.9L V8 engine, that produces 1400 Nm in torque. The kit includes new changes and mods the most of the engine parts. The car has now a new crankshaft, a new turbo, new suction and compression systems.The car goes from stop to 100 kph in just 2.6 seconds, which is faster than The Mercedes SLR, The Chevrolet corvette C6, the Gallardo LP-560, and even the Mercedes SLS AMG and The AMG GT. Top speed is sadly limited to 300 kph. The M800 kit rockets the car in 3.6 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the standard model.

Both the cars were fitted with a new aerodynamic program, which includes new front wider spoiler, roof and rear lips, side skirts, rear diffuser apron, bonnet, side mirror housing and LED daytime. All the aerodynamic pieces were made from carbon-fiber.

The is no price tag on it yet, but it is certain that with a 1000 bhp, one wouldn’t care about the price anymore, it is just about the power and fun of driving

 

Mercedes-Maybach S600

When you look at Mercedes-Benz’s S class, you wonder, if there is a possibility to make it better? The car is so smart it is quite impossible to crash it, it is so luxurious you feel like you are sitting on a feather, so, can Mercedes make a better car? The answer is yes, they can, and it is the Mercedes-Maybach S600.

Two years ago, Mercedes-Benz announced that it wasn’t going to produce any Maybach, and honestly it was sad, but now, it has been decided that the high brand of Mercedes should be revived in the form of a long-wheelbase S600. So you can guess what is powering it, a 6.0L V12 engine, twin-turbocharged, that produces 530 bhp and 850 Nm of torque. Coupled to that enormous engine, a 7-speed AMG automatic transmission. Thanks to the use of various sound isolating materials, Mercedes claims that the Maybach S600 is the quietest car it ever made.

Power and sound isolation are not the most remarkable features of the car, because, wait until you get inside, and there, as they say, where the magic happens. In addition to all the standard S class luxurious features, the Maybach S600 offers a royal luxury. It is in fact fitted with 4 independent seats, the passenger front seat can be folded up so Sir can enjoy himself. The rear seat has individually adjustable backrests and head-cushions. Sir can enjoy himself more with Maybach branded champagne set, hidden between the set, and he can manage his company through a center console, linked to the internet via Mercedes Hotspot. The car has sound amplification system, so that Sir won’t make a lot of effort raising his voice. High quality leather is present almost everywhere, even in the door handles. And thanks to a longer wheelbase, both front and rear passengers can have more legroom space.

On the outside, the car still looks like an S class, although it has a larger front grille, it is 200 mm longer than the standard, has the same wheels on the Maybach 57. On the front, same as the wheels and the steering wheel, you will find Mercedes’s star, The Maybach logo is placed next to the rear passenger window, and you have to get to car’s behind to find more indications.

The S600 Maybach is to compete against Rolls Royce, Bentley and other luxury brands, there is no price tag on it, yet. Production is said to debut in February next year.

Mercedes Benz new teasers

Starting January 2016, Mercedes Benz will rename some of its models, and will expand its base, family, sport and AMG lineups with new models. Today, Thursday, November 27th 2014, Mercedes announced the expansion, and revealed a picture showing two new models.

The models shown are the C450 AMG, and what appears to be, the GLE coupe. GLE you say, what is that? well it is the new M class, that is because of the new nomination system that will used. The GLE will be competing against its like SUV, its direct opponent will be the BMW X6. It will be having a 3.0L twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engine, that produces 329 bhp for the GLE 400 and  5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing over 570 horses for the GLE 63 variant. as far as the C450 is concerned, it will get a more powerful V6, twin-turbocharged, that will produce up to 370 horses.

Mercedes announced that the AMG line up will have developed engine, upgraded dynamics, newer chassis, maybe all-wheel-drive for the coming up models. They said also that they will try to fill the gap between classic and new AMG’s.

“The new Sport models represent a convincing proposition for our customers: genuine sports car technology becomes accessible, appealing to an even broader-ranging clientele worldwide,” “For all our dynamic growth, we remain true to our brand claim of “Driving Performance” says Tobias Moers, AMG CEO.

 

Brabus GLA 45 AMG

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled a year ago the GLA class, everyone was impressed with its qualities as a mini SUV, it was a bigger A Class, but has the luxury of a GL inside. It was fitted with an incredible AMG engine, the 4 cylinders 2.0L that can develop up 370 bhp. There is a new version now, offered by the monstrous Mercedes-Benz tuner : Brabus, and that is The GLA 45 AMG Brabus that can produce now 400 bhp.

The car received many additions, in the Brabus Power Xtra B45 V-Max kit program that adds in all, +30 bhp, thus the total of 400 bhp. The additions are , but not limited to, a rear diffuser, a roof rear spoiler, front spoiler and splitter, and larger front air ducts, bumper trims, and revised side skirts. It comes with LED underfloor lighting (like those used for the SV12 model) activated by simply pulling the door handle or a keyless remote. The power unit is the same as in the GLA 45, the turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, that produce now 400 bhp and 500Nm torques. It has now a stainless steel with four chrome tailpipes exhaust system with butterfly valve . The car will go from stop to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, top speed announced at 168 mph (around 270 km/h).

The CLA 45 Brabus sits on 30 mm taller suspension, or 25 mm lower sports. It comes with a performance 18- to 21-inch wheels and tires. In the cabin, the car is fitted with new custom leather surfaces, aluminium sports pedals, Alcantara seats and aluminium Race paddle shifters. The car also has two-tone stainless-steel scuff plates with backlit Brabus logos.

All Brabus GLA models come with a three-year / 62,000 mile warranty, there is no price announced yet.

Source : Mercedes

Mercedes Benz S63 AMG

With all the luxury that the Mercedes Benz S class offers, Daimler Group did not stop there, but went for more, more luxury and more power. Let’s say that you are an extremely wealthy business man, with a good taste for cars, you’d buy a BMW 7 series or an Aston Martin Rapide, but what if you want to go there drifting in each corner, reaching top speed in the highway, while still enjoying internet connection and a back massage, well, you’d go for the Mercedes S63 AMG.

Like all Mercedes, before this monster was unveiled to the world, it was tested in the roughest conditions, either in the simulators Mercedes has, or in the mighty Nurburgring circuit, torturing corners, a breath taking straight line, it has everything to, after test completion, deliver to the world a powerful monster. And the result is staggering. The S63 Amg is fitted with the M157 unit, a 5.5 liter twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 585 bhp and 900 Nm pf torque. The main characteristics of the M157 is that it has an All-Aluminium crankcase. It is a direct injection petrol engine with piezo injectors. It has 4 valves per cylinder, has an air-to-water intercooler, and Eco start/stop function, and a composite oil pan. What makes each AMG engine so sophisticated is that each one is hand built and has the signature of the engineer who made it. Mercedes says that the car is electronically limited to 186 mph (300 km/h) and unleashed to its full power it can reach 200 mph and more. It is faster than its predecessor, it goes from stop to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds. Like the New S AMG E class, power distribution is 33 % front and 67 % in rear, to equal weight distribution. The power is transmitted to the 4 wheels via a 7-speed automatic MCT gearbox. Gear changes occur in jut 0.1 seconds. If the driver

 

The S63 AMG is 100 kg lighter than its predecessor thanks to a lot of changes, for starters, the All-Aluminium crankcase, and the composite oil pan, help reduce weight, also, the car is fitted with new lighter seats. A new lithium ion battery was introduced and is 20 kg lighter than the standard battery. In addition to all that, the car has an all-aluminium body, body panels, composite brake system (either ceramic or carbon) and a spare wheel recess made of carbon fiber. It has also alloy forged AMG wheels.

The car acquired new front and rear bumpers, with a large air splitter and  two air intakes as the usual AMG front bumper with enlarged front blades. in the rear, the S63 AMG has a rear diffuser, to facilitate air circulation and not creating air vortexes in the back. Stream lines were added in the side of the car. All this makes the car have a low drag coefficient, and a lesser wind resistance. Of course aerodynamics improvement and weight reduction mean a better car handling, and more efficiency, the car achieve up to 23 mpg, 0.4 liter to the 100 km better than the old S63 AMG.

In the inside, it is “Game of Thrones”, a royal luxury is offered. Like the regular S class, the driver has all the state of the art features, supple leathers, exquisite wood garnishment. It has reclining rear seats that can be heated or ventilated, or as a special feature have hot stone massage system. Also, the driver can enjoy a 12 inch TFT screen with navigation systems from Google maps, internet connection, Bluetooth connectivity. In the center of the renewed dashboard, the car is fitted with IWC analog clock. More to that, the car has an AMG steering wheel, fitted with aluminium paddle shifters. To give the car inside a better mood, all lights, are ambient LED. The passengers can enjoy music via improved High end Burmester Surround Sound System or wireless AKG headsets. As far as the rear of the car is concerned, the car is fitted with door-panel mounted armrests, w mini bar, a small pliable table, individual screens, with all the connectivity systems that come with.

All the mentioned above features and improvements come at a great cost, the car costs around €149,880.50 but, it is nothing compared to the driving pleasure.

Sources : caranddriver.com ; leftlanenews.com ; carwalls.com