All posts by Francis Mitterrand

NEW CARS

Mercedes-Benz VLE: The Electric Grand Limousine That Thinks Like a Van and Drives Like a Benz

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For decades, luxury and practicality have lived in different garages. Limousines delivered comfort and prestige; vans handled the messy business of space and versatility. Now Mercedes-Benz is trying something ambitious: building a vehicle that genuinely does both.

Enter the all-new electric Mercedes-Benz VLE, a machine the company calls a Grand Limousine—and for once the marketing hyperbole might actually fit.

Built on the brand-new Van Architecture, the VLE isn’t just another electrified people mover. It’s a clean-sheet rethink of what a luxury family hauler, executive shuttle, or adventure machine could be in the electric age. And if Mercedes’ numbers hold up, it could be one of the most compelling long-range EVs in the segment.

A Van That Doesn’t Look Like One

The first surprise is the shape.

Rather than the upright slab-sided silhouette typical of MPVs, the VLE sits low and sleek, with a stretched roofline that flows into a smooth rear end. The result is an impressively slippery drag coefficient of just 0.25—a number that would make many sedans jealous.

Up front, Mercedes reinterprets its signature grille with an illuminated frame and a continuous light strip connecting star-shaped daytime running lights. The rear answers with a dramatic inverted-U light signature integrated into the spoiler lip, giving the VLE a distinctive nighttime identity.

It’s still clearly a van. But it’s a van dressed for the opera.

The Interior Is Basically a Moving Lounge

Open one of the electric sliding doors and the VLE’s mission becomes obvious: space.

This is a vehicle that can seat up to eight people, yet the cabin feels closer to a luxury lounge than a minibus. The highlight is the massive Sky View panoramic roof, stretching from the B-pillar all the way to the rear, flooding the cabin with light while ambient lighting wraps the interior in Mercedes’ signature glow.

Then there’s the party trick hidden in the headliner.

At the command of “Hey Mercedes,” a 31-inch retractable 8K panoramic screen glides down from the roof, turning the rear cabin into a cinema, gaming lounge, or mobile conference room. The system supports split-screen viewing and even integrates an 8-megapixel camera for video meetings.

Pair that with an optional 22-speaker Burmester 3D surround system with Dolby Atmos, and the VLE becomes less of a vehicle and more of a rolling entertainment suite.

Seats That Literally Perform a Ballet

One of the VLE’s cleverest ideas is its seating system.

Manual seats feature integrated wheels, allowing them to slide, reposition, or be completely removed and rolled into your garage. Need cargo space for bikes, skis, or camping gear? Pull the seats out and you’re done.

But the real showstopper is Remote Variable Rear Space.

Using the infotainment system or smartphone app, the electric seats can rearrange themselves automatically—almost like a choreographed performance. Mercedes even built preset modes:

  • Baggage Mode: pushes seats forward for maximum cargo space
  • Executive Mode: stretches legroom for VIP passengers
  • People & Baggage: balanced space for passengers and luggage
  • Standard Mode: default seating layout

The top-tier Grand Comfort Seat adds massage, calf support, wireless charging, and an extra pillow—because apparently road trips should now resemble spa visits.

A Limousine Ride… With Van Practicality

Mercedes insists the VLE drives like a proper luxury car—and the hardware suggests they might be right.

The van rides on AIRMATIC air suspension with 40 mm of height adjustment, designed to smooth out rough roads while reducing aerodynamic drag at speed.

More impressive is the seven-degree rear-axle steering, shrinking the turning circle to just 10.9 meters—roughly the same as a compact sedan. That’s a big deal for a vehicle capable of hauling eight passengers.

Translation: parking garages and tight city streets shouldn’t feel like wrestling a bus.

700 Kilometers of Range Changes the Game

Under the floor sits a 115-kWh battery feeding a highly efficient electric drivetrain.

Key numbers:

  • Range: more than 700 km (WLTP)
  • Charging: up to 355 km added in 15 minutes
  • Fast charging: up to 300 kW thanks to 800-volt architecture

The base VLE 300 electric produces 203 kW, while the upcoming VLE 400 4MATIC adds dual motors and more than 300 kW, dropping the 0–100 km/h sprint to 6.5 seconds—sports-sedan territory for something this large.

Even better, the system delivers 93% battery-to-wheel efficiency, an impressive figure for a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a small apartment.

The Brain: Mercedes’ New Operating System

The VLE also marks the debut of MB.OS, Mercedes’ next-generation software platform.

It powers everything from driver assistance to infotainment and navigation, linking the vehicle to the cloud for over-the-air updates and new features long after purchase.

Inside, the MBUX Superscreen stretches across the dashboard with three displays under a single glass surface:

  • 10.25-inch driver display
  • 14-inch central touchscreen
  • 14-inch passenger screen

The system integrates generative AI—including ChatGPT-style conversational abilities—allowing the virtual assistant to handle complex requests with memory and natural dialogue.

In theory, it behaves less like voice control and more like a knowledgeable digital co-driver.

The Van That Wants to Replace Everything

Mercedes clearly envisions the VLE as more than a niche luxury shuttle.

It’s designed to be:

  • a family road-trip machine
  • an executive transport
  • an adventure vehicle with 2.5-ton towing capacity
  • or a mobile office

With up to 4,078 liters of cargo space when the seats are removed, it can haul bikes, skis, boats, or caravans just as easily as VIP passengers.

That’s the whole point of the Van Architecture: one platform capable of morphing into dozens of lifestyles.

The Big Picture

The VLE is Mercedes-Benz attempting something bold: merging the limousine and the van into a single electric flagship.

If it works, it could redefine the luxury people mover the same way the S-Class once redefined the luxury sedan.

And in a world where families, executives, and adventurers increasingly want space, range, and technology in one package, the idea suddenly makes a lot of sense.

Because sometimes the most radical luxury car isn’t a coupe or a sedan.

Sometimes it’s a van.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

NEW CARS

Audi RS3 Competition Limited: A Five-Cylinder Farewell Tour

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Audi has always had a knack for turning odd numbers into magic. Five cylinders, to be precise. From the rally-dominating Sport Quattro to today’s snarling RS3, the company’s turbocharged five-pot has been a mechanical middle finger to conventional engine layouts. Now, 50 years after the engine first appeared, Audi is celebrating the milestone with the RS3 Competition Limited—a £92,885 hot hatch that may also serve as the engine’s swan song.

Yes, that price makes it more expensive than the new RS5, which is the sort of thing that might cause a double take at the dealership. But Audi clearly isn’t trying to move metal here. The Competition Limited is a statement car: a celebration of a half-century of five-cylinder weirdness—and possibly a farewell tour.

The Five-Cylinder Question

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner recently admitted the engine’s future is “still under discussion.” The reason? Euro 7 emissions regulations. The turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder doesn’t currently meet the upcoming standard, and bringing it into compliance would require serious engineering investment.

The problem is scale. This charismatic oddball lives in only two cars: the RS3 and the Cupra Formentor VZ5. That makes the business case tricky.

“I don’t know if we’re able to refinance the investment in EU7 regulations,” Döllner told Autocar. “We will have the discussion at board level.”

Still, he hinted the brand would like to keep it alive, noting the engine gives the RS3 a unique identity among rivals. The Mercedes-AMG A45 relies on a four-cylinder, and the BMW M2 runs a straight-six. Audi’s five-cylinder sits perfectly between them—mechanically unusual and acoustically unmistakable.

If Audi can’t justify the investment, the Competition Limited might end up being the ultimate version of the breed.

Louder, Rawer, More Focused

Under the hood, the headline numbers haven’t changed. The turbocharged 2.5-liter still delivers 394 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, identical to the regular RS3. Audi decided the engine didn’t need more power—it needed more personality.

To that end, the engineers thinned the bulkhead separating the engine bay from the cabin so more induction noise reaches the driver. The exhaust system’s active flaps also open earlier in the rev range, amplifying that unmistakable off-beat five-cylinder soundtrack.

In other words: it’s not faster on paper, but it should feel more alive.

Suspension Nerd Heaven

Where Audi did get serious is the chassis.

The Competition Limited swaps the standard suspension for a set of adjustable coilovers with twin-tube dampers. Up front, those dampers feature remote fluid reservoirs—race-car hardware designed to keep temperatures in check when the car is repeatedly hammered on track.

If that sounds familiar, it should. A similar setup helped make the 2005 Renaultsport Clio 182 Trophy one of the most beloved hot hatches ever built.

Audi also stiffened the rear anti-roll bar and rear springs to sharpen turn-in and reduce body roll. For owners who enjoy fiddling with suspension settings on a Sunday morning, Audi includes a toolkit for adjusting damping.

And there’s plenty to adjust:

  • Low-speed bump damping: 12 settings
  • High-speed bump damping: 15 settings
  • Rebound damping: 16 settings

Front adjustments are accessible from the engine bay, while the rear requires removing the wheels. That might sound like a hassle, but it’s exactly the sort of thing hardcore owners secretly enjoy.

Small Wings, Big Statement

Visually, the Competition Limited leans harder into aggression. The front bumper gets aerodynamic canards and a split chin spoiler, while a new rear wing adds downforce.

The most striking addition, though, is the Malachite Green paint—a deep shade borrowed from the legendary short-wheelbase Sport Quattro. Retro Audi Sport badging and special welcome-light graphics add to the nostalgia.

When you lock or unlock the car, the lights flash in a 1-2-4-5-3 sequence, mimicking the firing order of the five-cylinder engine. It’s the kind of nerdy detail only Audi would think of—and exactly the sort enthusiasts adore.

Inside the Tribute

The cabin continues the celebration.

Deep bucket seats are trimmed in black leather and gold Dinamica microfibre, stitched with contrasting off-white thread. The seatbelts match the stitching, giving the interior a subtle motorsport feel.

The digital instrument cluster switches to white-faced graphics, a nod to the analog dials in the legendary Audi RS2—another icon powered by a five-cylinder.

Rarity Included

Audi will build 750 examples worldwide, split between hatchback and sedan. Only 10 are destined for the UK, all of them hatchbacks.

With a price around £89,000–£92,000 depending on market specification, the Competition Limited sits roughly £26,880 above the standard RS3.

That’s an enormous premium for what is, fundamentally, a compact hot hatch. But then again, this car isn’t really about value.

The Possible End of an Era

If the five-cylinder does disappear, it would mark the end of one of the automotive industry’s most distinctive engines. Few powerplants have such a recognizable soundtrack—or such deep roots in rally history.

The RS3 Competition Limited feels less like a typical special edition and more like a love letter to a mechanical oddity that refused to conform.

And if this truly is the final chapter for Audi’s five-cylinder, it’s going out exactly the way it should: loud, complicated, and just a little bit irrational.

Source: Autocar

News

One Name, Two Souls: Porsche May Merge the Taycan and Panamera

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Porsche’s lineup has long been a study in careful segmentation. Want a four-door Porsche? Easy: choose the electric Porsche Taycan or the combustion-powered Porsche Panamera. Different missions, different platforms, different personalities. But that tidy separation may not last much longer.

According to industry sources, Porsche is exploring a plan to unify its two performance sedans into a single model line—one that would offer petrol, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric variants under the same banner. The move is part of a broader cost-cutting strategy led by newly appointed Porsche CEO Michael Leiters, following a downturn in global sales and the expensive fallout from Porsche’s recent rethink of its electrification strategy under former boss Oliver Blume.

In other words: two cars may soon become one.

Two Sedans, Two Architectures

The Taycan arrived in 2019 as Porsche’s first serious step into the electric era, built on the dedicated J1 platform it shares with the Audi E‑tron GT. Low, wide, and unapologetically futuristic, it was engineered from the ground up to be electric.

Its combustion sibling, the Panamera, plays a different game.

The Panamera rides on Porsche’s MSB architecture, a platform also used by the Bentley Continental GT. It’s larger, more executive-leaning, and available in everything from V6 plug-in hybrids to fire-breathing Turbo models.

They occupy similar territory—four-door performance sedans with Porsche DNA—but they’ve always been engineered as entirely separate programs.

That separation is exactly what Porsche now appears to be questioning.

The Cost of Going Electric (and Back Again)

Developing dedicated EV platforms isn’t cheap—even for a company that charges six figures for its sports cars. Porsche has already written down roughly €1.8 billion tied to delayed platform development and shifting electrification priorities.

Originally, the next-generation Taycan was expected to migrate to the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming SSP Sport architecture, a high-performance EV platform still facing delays. Meanwhile, the Panamera is slated to eventually move from the current MSB platform to a newer combustion-friendly architecture later this decade.

Two separate platforms. Two separate development programs. Two sets of costs.

Unifying the model lines—even if they continue to ride on different underpinnings—could help spread engineering and design expenses across a larger volume.

And Porsche has already proven the concept can work.

Porsche Has Done This Before

The blueprint might already exist in Porsche showrooms.

The Porsche Macan, for example, is sold in both combustion and electric forms in some markets despite being built on entirely different architectures. The same strategy is emerging with the next generation of the Porsche Cayenne, where internal-combustion and electric versions will coexist under the same model name.

From the outside, they’re one family. Under the skin, they’re very different animals.

If Porsche applies that logic to its sedans, the result could be a single unified model range—potentially wearing either the Taycan or Panamera badge.

Size Matters—But Not That Much

Interestingly, the two cars are already closer in size than you might think.

  • Taycan wheelbase: 2900 mm
  • Panamera wheelbase: 2950 mm

That 50-mm difference isn’t trivial, but engineers say it’s manageable if the project is designed from the outset to accommodate multiple architectures.

There’s also the Panamera’s long-wheelbase variant, a popular option in markets like China. That could open the door for a similar stretched configuration in an electric successor.

Imagine a Taycan—or whatever Porsche decides to call it—with limousine-grade rear legroom.

What Would It Look Like?

Styling remains the big unknown.

Porsche’s current approach with the Cayenne may offer clues: the combustion and electric versions share a family resemblance but feature distinct exterior designs to reflect their different powertrains.

Expect something similar here—a shared identity but different proportions and details depending on what’s under the floor.

Electric versions might keep the Taycan’s sleek, cab-forward silhouette, while combustion and hybrid variants could lean closer to the Panamera’s traditional executive-sedan stance.

One badge. Two personalities.

The Bigger Picture

For Porsche, this potential consolidation is about more than just product planning. It reflects a broader industry reality: the transition to electrification is proving more complicated—and more expensive—than many automakers expected.

By merging the Panamera and Taycan into a single model line, Porsche could streamline development, protect profitability, and avoid a painful decision: killing one of its flagship sedans altogether.

And if there’s one thing Porsche hates, it’s giving up a performance segment.

Whether the future flagship wears the Taycan name, the Panamera badge, or something entirely new, one thing seems clear: Porsche’s next four-door may carry two powertrain philosophies under a single identity.

One car for the electric future—and the combustion past that isn’t quite ready to leave.

Source: Porsche