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Weekly Recap: Mercedes continues the pseudo-coupe craze with AMG-tuned CUV

But as BMW's X6 has demonstrated, sport sells in in the crossover segment, and Mercedes is giving the people what they want. BMW proved there is a market for crossover utility vehicles designed to look like coupes – as much as a vehicle with four doors and noticeable ground clearance can look like a coupe, anyway. Now comes the reply from Mercedes-Benz: the GLE Coupe. The rakish crossover is a harbinger of things to come from Mercedes, as it begins the company's transition to a new nomenclature and marks the debut of the AMG Sport line. It also continues the recent coupe craze. Designers from many automakers, like Nissan and Volkswagen, have increasingly turned to swoopy, dramatic styling to make utility vehicles and sedans seem more desirable. By revealing the GLE 450 AMG Sport model first, Mercedes is clearly hoping to cast the GLE Coupe as a sportier, lifestyle-oriented alternative in its lineup of beefy crossovers and SUVs. Mercedes used the word "sport," or a variation of it, 53 times in its press release, so uh yeah, it's sporty. It's not an empty promise: Benz means business with the AMG Sport line. This GLE Coupe gets a 3.0-liter biturbo V6 rated at 362 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque paired with Mercedes' new nine-speed automatic transmission, and it runs with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Specs on the other GLE Coupe models were not disclosed. But as BMW's X6 has demonstrated, sport sells in in the crossover segment, and Mercedes is giving the people what they want. After all, more than 260,000 people have bought X6s since 2008, and Mercedes wants a piece of that. From certain angles, the GLE Coupe even looks vaguely like an X6. "This is really a vehicle that is all about status," said Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager for research firm AutoPacific. "You can buy a SUV that doesn't have the inherent qualities of a SUV, such as cargo hauling. People will likely be drawn to the looks. Coupes are all the rage." BMW, however, isn't running from the fight, and the updated 2015 X6 is arriving in showrooms this month. It also added a smaller sibling, the X4, to its coupe-crossover stable in July. The GLE Coupe arrives next year, though Mercedes hasn't specified exactly when it will hit showrooms from the factory in Alabama, or specified details on the rest of the non-AMG Sport models. In 2008, it was surprising the X6 was a hit. In 2015, it will be even more surprising if the GLE Coupe isn't.

2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S gets faster, more powerful [w/video]

Porsche just isn't letting development of the Cayenne Turbo S cease. The 2014 edition was unveiled at last year's Detroit Auto Show boasting 550 horsepower from the brand's 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8, and it could hit 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds to a 175 mph top speed. Those seemed like very impressive specs for an SUV, but only a year later, the German brand has revealed an even more powerful take on its flagship trim in the model lineup. The 2015 Cayenne Turbo S now makes 562 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque from the same V8. The key to seeing such a significant boost in grunt so quickly is that the two turbos are now integral and are located directly in the exhaust manifolds. Porsche's eight-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox still routes power to all four wheels. All of the tweaks let the SUV hit 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds and a 176 mph to speed. Stopping should come quite rapidly too thanks to 16.5-inch diameter ceramic brake discs up front with 10-piston calipers. Of course, the Cayenne needs to be able to put that added grunt to good use. Porsche claims that the model can lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 7:59.74. Comparatively, the 550-hp Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR previously touted its SUV 'Ring lap record with a circuit in 8:14 in 2014. The Turbo S doesn't try hard to show off its added prowess, though. Up front, the bumper and undersides of the door mirrors are done in high-gloss black paint. Meanwhile, the roof spoiler and wheel arches are body color. The 21-inch wheels with black edges provide a little flash, and LED headlights are standard. The interior should be comfy too with black and creme leather and carbon fiber accents. The whole package rings up for $157,300, plus $995 destination and delivery, and US deliveries start in late April. Check it out in Porsche's video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The new Cayenne Turbo S The top athlete among SUVs At the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche is also introducing the new Cayenne Turbo S – the top model of the sporty SUV model series. Its re-engineered 4.8-liter V8 biturbo engine now develops 570 hp (419 kW) and 800 Nm (590 ft lb) of torque. A chassis that is tuned for maximum driving dynamics and packs a wide range of control systems also makes the Cayenne Turbo S a genuine top athlete.

Jay Leno plugs himself into Porsche's 918 Spyder

As one of the greatest sports car manufacturers of all time, when Porsche puts out a new, ultra-exclusive hypercar, enthusiasts tend to stand up and take note. Jay Leno is no exception, and now, the funnyman is finally getting his time with awesome 918 Spyder.
With his 1963 Porsche 356 and his 2005 Carrera GT flanking a Liquid Silver 918, Leno takes us through the basics of this plug-in hybrid roadster alongside Daniel Eastman of Porsche North America. Following the chat, Leno and Eastman take the German-plated car through the streets of California, testing it in a number of modes and even going on a short, all-electric freeway cruise.
If you're looking to learn more about the 918, or to just here its glorious gas engine at work, you'll want to scroll down and take a look at the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage.