Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

Bentley’s Wild Bentayga X Concept Is Proof That Even Ultra-Luxury Wants to Get Dirty

Bentley has spent more than a century perfecting the art of wafting, not wading. Yet here we are: the Bentayga X Concept, a jacked-up, light-bar-wearing, off-road-ready monster that looks like it just escaped from a Dakar bivouac after stealing a private jet on the way out. And somehow, it makes perfect sense.

Officially, Bentley calls the X Concept a “stimulator”—a rolling focus group meant to gauge customer interest in a more hardcore Bentayga. Unofficially, it’s Bentley kicking down the door of the luxury-off-road trend and shouting, “We’re here too.”

Underneath the mud-splattered attitude is the familiar Bentayga Speed, meaning the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 still sends 641 horsepower to all four wheels. That’s more than enough muscle to shove this 2.5-ton SUV through sand, snow, or whatever expensive terrain Bentley owners feel like conquering next.

But this isn’t just a Bentayga with knobby tires. The X Concept rides 55 mm higher and is 40 mm wider, with a track stretched by a massive 120 mm. Ground clearance climbs to nearly 310 mm, and Bentley says it can wade through 550 mm of water—roughly bathtub depth for a vehicle that still has quilted leather seats inside.

The suspension hardware is serious too. The Bentayga’s air suspension and active anti-roll bars remain, meaning it should still cruise with Bentley smoothness on the highway while offering genuine articulation off the pavement. The 22-inch Brixton wheels are wrapped in tall all-terrain rubber, finally giving a Bentayga tires that look like they belong on a trail instead of a red carpet.

Then there’s the vibe. The X Concept wears a roof rack holding four spotlights and—because this is Bentley—an electric go-kart. It’s ridiculous, unnecessary, and completely on-brand. If you’re going to overland in a Bentley, you might as well bring toys.

Bentley plans to show off the X Concept at the FAT Ice Race in Salzburg, where it will be driven by Chris Harris, former Autocar journalist and now one of the world’s most famous automotive broadcasters. Even better, it will be towing Norwegian Olympic skier Hedvig Wessel, because nothing says “brand image” like pulling a world-class athlete across an icy track with a 641-horsepower luxury SUV.

This Bentley isn’t an outlier—it’s part of a growing movement. The first-generation Porsche Cayenne has become a cult hero among off-road modifiers, and manufacturers themselves are joining in. Porsche built the 911 Dakar, Lamborghini unleashed the Huracán Sterrato, and Morgan turned its Plus Four into a rally-ready CX-T. High-end performance cars are no longer afraid of dirt, gravel, or snow.

Bentley’s X Concept fits squarely into that trend, but with its own ultra-luxury twist. Instead of stripping things out for ruggedness, Bentley adds capability without removing the indulgence. It’s not about survival—it’s about conquering the wilderness while still arriving in heated, diamond-stitched comfort.

Whether or not Bentley green-lights a production version, the message is clear: the era of soft-road luxury SUVs is over. The new goal is real off-road credibility, even at six-figure price tags.

And if Bentley does build it? The Bentayga X might become the ultimate status symbol—not for the valet line, but for the trailhead.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

Mercedes-AMG Tests a Secret New Performance Coupe in Subzero Sweden

Even under full winter camo and the weak, bluish light of a Scandinavian January, some cars can’t hide what they are. And whatever Mercedes-AMG is currently hammering through the snowbanks near the Arctic Circle is not just another cold-weather mule—it’s a statement. Wide, low, and aggressively planted, this unnamed prototype looks less like a development car and more like a warning shot.

Mercedes-AMG has brought its next big idea north to Sweden, where temperatures plunge far below zero and roads alternate between polished ice and powdery snow. It’s here, in one of the harshest environments on Earth, that engineers validate everything from throttle response to drivetrain durability. Batteries, gearboxes, suspension bushings, electronics—if it survives here, it’ll survive anywhere. But this isn’t just about testing. This is about proving a point.

At first glance, the silhouette hints at the new CLE coupe, Mercedes’ slick replacement for the old C- and E-Class two-doors. But look closer and the relationship becomes more philosophical than literal. The track looks wider. The stance looks meaner. And the whole car radiates the kind of intent normally reserved for AMG’s most extreme products. This isn’t a CLE with a sport package. This is a CLE that’s been through AMG’s fight camp.

The reason for all this drama? This car will be the second entry in Mercedes-Benz’s new Mythos series—a lineup designed not for mass production but for collectors, connoisseurs, and anyone who thinks “limited edition” should actually mean something. These are halo cars, meant to push design, performance, and desirability beyond what even AMG’s already wild regular lineup offers.

The first Mythos model, the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed, set the tone. With no roof, no windshield, and a design that looked like a modern Le Mans car escaped into traffic, it was a bold, borderline unhinged take on what a Mercedes performance car could be. This second Mythos entry, while more conventional in shape, appears to be no less extreme in ambition.

Mercedes is keeping the technical details locked down tighter than a Nürburgring lap time, but the brand has already confirmed what the visuals suggest: a powertrain worthy of the Mythos badge. Expect something very loud, very fast, and very much engineered to sit above the CLE AMG models in both performance and prestige. This won’t be a numbers-chasing special. It will be a character car—something designed to feel as dramatic as it looks.

And that’s why it’s being frozen, slid, and stress-tested in the Arctic. A Mythos car can’t just be powerful; it has to be unflappable. Whether blasting across an autobahn at 180 mph or carving through a frozen Swedish test track, it needs to deliver the kind of confidence that justifies its exclusivity.

In a world where high-performance cars are becoming increasingly digital, electric, and restrained, Mercedes-AMG’s snow-covered prototype looks refreshingly analog in spirit. Big presence. Big ambition. Big attitude.

Whatever AMG is about to reveal, one thing is already certain: when the camo finally comes off, it won’t be subtle—and that’s exactly the point.

Source: Mercedes-AMG

NEW CARS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class: The World’s Best Luxury Sedan Gets Even Smarter, Quieter, and Faster

If you thought the current Mercedes-Benz S-Class had already reached the top of the luxury-sedan mountain, Stuttgart would like a word. For 2026, Mercedes has quietly—very quietly—reengineered its flagship, sharpening the drivetrain, polishing the ride, and turning the headlights into something that feels more like sci-fi than sheetmetal. The result isn’t a reinvention. It’s something more impressive: a refinement of excellence.

This is still the benchmark car every luxury sedan is measured against. It just got harder to beat.

Powertrains: Smooth, Silent, and Seriously Strong

The headline act remains the S 580 4MATIC’s updated twin-turbo V-8. Now branded M177 Evo, it cranks out 537 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, and thanks to a reworked turbo system, revised camshaft, and a flat-plane crank, it spins up faster and pulls harder than before. Mercedes has also layered in a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that adds instant torque off the line and makes stop-start virtually undetectable.

What does that mean on the road? Less waiting, more gliding. You get V-8 muscle without the traditional noise or vibration, which feels exactly right for a car that treats silence as a feature.

The inline-six gasoline models (S 450 and S 500) are better, too. With up to 472 lb-ft of torque available through overboost, they deliver a kind of effortless shove that makes highway passing feel like a gentle nudge rather than a maneuver.

Diesel fans aren’t left out. The updated OM656 Evo six-cylinder diesel brings cleaner emissions, better efficiency, and stronger low-rpm response, helped by an electrically heated catalytic converter that gets the emissions system working immediately—even on cold starts.

And then there’s the plug-in hybrid. The S 580e and S 450e now deliver up to 577 horsepower and 553 lb-ft, combining six-cylinder power with serious electric assistance. It’s the S-Class for people who want limousine luxury and EV-like efficiency.

Ride Quality That Feels Like the Future

Mercedes didn’t just tweak the suspension. It connected it to the cloud.

Every S-Class now comes standard with rear-wheel steering, which tightens the turning circle in parking lots and improves stability at high speed. But the real party trick is the AIRMATIC suspension with cloud-based damper control.

When another Mercedes hits a speed bump, that information gets uploaded. When your S-Class approaches the same obstacle later, it already knows it’s coming and adjusts the suspension in advance. Yes, your car literally learns from other cars.

Add the optional E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL, and the S-Class can also lean into corners, cancel out body roll, and even lift itself in a side-impact crash to better protect passengers. It’s luxury, but with a physics degree.

Lighting That Thinks for You

Mercedes’ DIGITAL LIGHT system is no longer just clever—it’s borderline theatrical. Using micro-LED technology, the headlights are 40 percent brighter, more precise, and more energy-efficient than before.

The high beams now swivel dynamically, tracking the road rather than blasting light straight ahead. The system can even project warnings onto the pavement—like a snowflake when it’s icy or visual cues when lanes narrow.

This is lighting as a safety system, not just illumination.

Safety, Mercedes-Style: Overkill in the Best Way

The S-Class now offers up to 15 airbags, including rear airbags and inflatable seat belts that spread crash forces across a wider area of the chest. Mercedes’ PRE-SAFE Impulse Side system can even move occupants into a better position before a side impact occurs.

In short, if there’s a safer way to ride in a sedan, Mercedes hasn’t found it yet.

The new S-Class doesn’t shout about its upgrades—and that’s exactly the point. This car doesn’t need to. It simply gets quieter, smoother, faster, and smarter, while everyone else tries to catch up.

In a world rushing toward electrification and automation, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class remains the one luxury sedan that feels completely in control of both the present and the future.

And somehow, it still rides better than anything else on the road.

Source: Mercedes-Benz