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Brad Pitt Joins Mercedes-AMG as the Brand Teases Its Wildest 4-Door Yet

Mercedes-AMG has never shied away from theatrics, but its latest headline might be its most Hollywood moment yet: Brad Pitt is now officially the newest member of “The World’s Fastest Family.” Yes, that Brad Pitt—fresh off F1: The Movie—has signed on as an ambassador for the brand just as AMG prepares to launch what it claims will be its most advanced four-door performance machine ever.

The timing isn’t accidental. AMG is gearing up for the full reveal of the next-generation AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, scheduled to break cover in 2026. And, if the teasers are any indication, this car marks a turning point both for AMG and for electric performance as a whole.

Vegas, Valets, and V8-Level Drama

To kick off the partnership, AMG staged a promo stunt straight out of a summer blockbuster: a camouflaged GT 4-Door Coupe prototype ripping through Las Vegas with Pitt in the spotlight and Mercedes-AMG F1 star George Russell playing valet-turned-test-driver.

The setup is simple—Pitt waits for his car, only to realize the “valet” is a five-time Formula 1 race winner. What follows is a high-energy demonstration of the prototype’s agility and precision as Russell launches the four-door missile through a private course. The message is clear: AMG wants the world to know that even in a new era of electrification, the brand’s performance personality isn’t going anywhere.

“I had an incredible day in Vegas,” Russell said later. “AMG has created something truly special here.”

Star Power Meets Affalterbach Power

Why bring Brad Pitt into the fold? According to AMG CEO Michael Schiebe, it’s about authenticity and ambition—qualities AMG says mirror the spirit of its next flagship.

Pitt, for his part, seems genuinely enthusiastic. “I’ve always been a fan of performance—on screen and behind the wheel,” he said. “That same dedication to thrill is what defines Mercedes-AMG.”

It’s not the first time AMG has teamed up with Hollywood, but the timing couldn’t be better. Pitt’s F1 movie has already given him racing-cred adjacent status, and aligning him with AMG’s most technologically ambitious product to date makes for a strong narrative.

A New Performance Playbook: AMG.EA

The biggest story isn’t the celebrity endorsement—it’s the technology underpinning the upcoming GT 4-Door Coupe.

This will be the first production model built on AMG.EA, the company’s dedicated high-performance EV platform. And it’s bringing some serious hardware:

  • Three axial-flux electric motors
  • A direct-cooled battery engineered for sustained high-output driving
  • Continuous power levels AMG claims will set new benchmarks for electric performance sedans

Axial-flux motors, known for high power density and compact size, represent a major shift from the radial-flux units used by most EV manufacturers. It’s a bold move, but not an untested one—AMG previewed the tech this summer in the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, which reportedly blitzed around Nardò with record-setting pace.

If the production version inherits even part of that capability, the new GT 4-Door Coupe could redefine what a high-performance EV sedan looks like.

So… What Should We Expect?

While AMG hasn’t released performance figures yet, the tone of its communication suggests the car will chase down (and maybe outrun) heavy-hitters like the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Tesla Model S Plaid.

The Las Vegas stunt hinted at agile handling, immediate throttle response, and the kind of controllability you’d expect from something shaped by AMG’s F1 and GT racing programs.

Combine that with Brad Pitt’s star power and AMG’s flair for drama, and the 2026 world premiere is already shaping up to be a major moment for electric performance.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

NEW CARS

Toyota’s Liquid-Hydrogen, Superconductive GR Corolla Breaks Cover at Fuji—And It’s Wild

Two and a half years after Toyota floated the idea—one that sounded more like sci-fi than motorsport engineering—a race car blending superconductive tech with a liquid-hydrogen–fueled engine has finally torn down a real-world straightaway. And it didn’t do it quietly.

At the finale of the 2025 Super Taikyu Series at Fuji Speedway, the prototype GR Corolla hydrogen racer fired up its engine, hissed with icy vapor, and shot past the press like a rolling physics experiment unleashed. At first glance, it looks like last year’s liquid-hydrogen Corolla—but the similarities end at the sheet metal.

Superconductivity Meets Motorsports

Inside the fuel tank, where liquid hydrogen sits at –253°C, Toyota’s engineers managed something no automaker—or anyone, really—has done before: integrate superconductivity into a moving, violently vibrating, endurance-racing machine.

Superconductivity eliminates electrical resistance at low temperatures. That means the system can extract the same power from the motor with far less current—allowing the engineering team to shrink components and rethink packaging. One of the biggest breakthroughs was placing the pump motor inside the fuel tank itself, freeing up enough space to double tank capacity from 150 to 300 liters.

Kyoto University professor Taketsune Nakamura, one of the foremost superconductivity experts in Japan, didn’t sugarcoat the technical insanity of the project:
“Superconducting motors are being researched and developed worldwide, but there still isn’t a single practical application.”
Putting one in a race car, he added, was nothing short of “totally insane.”

A Week From Disaster, a Day From History

The development process lived somewhere between high-risk engineering and controlled panic. Even days before the first shakedown lap—one week before its public reveal—engineer Ryosuke Yamamoto admitted, voice tight, that he had “no idea what would happen” when the car hit the asphalt.

Yet on November 15, the liquid-hydrogen GR Corolla ran cleanly, safely, and smoothly enough to stun the gathered media. It didn’t just work—it worked well enough that journalists immediately asked the question everyone was thinking:
When does this thing race?

Eyes on the Fuji 24 Hours… Maybe

When broadcaster and hydrogen-car evangelist Yuta Tomikawa asked if the team would bring it to next year’s Fuji 24 Hours, hydrogen-engine project chief Naoaki Ito offered a careful, almost mischievous grin before replying:
“We’ll do our best.”

The Fuji 24 Hours has become Toyota’s proving ground for all hydrogen-powered firsts. In 2021, the world’s first hydrogen-engine race car debuted there. In 2023, Toyota returned with the updated liquid-hydrogen variant. The superconductive version feels like the next natural chapter—if Toyota can get it race-ready in time.

What Comes Next

Toyota isn’t promising anything yet. But the car’s successful demonstration run suggests a competitive debut is not a matter of if but when. With just six months until the next Fuji 24 Hours, the team is already grinding toward the next iteration.

Superconductivity in motorsport still sounds like something ripped from a physics textbook. But at Fuji Speedway, for a few frigid seconds, it was real—loud, fast, and running on the coldest fuel on Earth.

And that’s how revolutions in racing usually start: not with perfection, but with the first lap that didn’t blow up.

Source: Toyota

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Audi Levels Up: Major Hardware and Software Overhauls Hit A5, A6, Q5, and the e-tron Lineup

Audi isn’t waiting for a generational refresh to push its lineup forward. Instead, Ingolstadt is rolling out a sweeping package of hardware and software updates across models built on its Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) and Premium Platform Electric (PPE). Everything from the A5 and Q5 to the all-electric A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron is getting smarter, sharper, and—if Audi’s engineers have anything to say about it—more emotional to drive.

“Our goal is to enhance major model lines and offer customers meaningful upgrades,” says CTO Geoffrey Bouquot. Translation: Audi wants to make its current cars feel like future cars.

More Emotion in the Drive: Enter Dynamic Plus

For drivers who felt recent Audis were a bit too polished, Audi introduces a new drive select mode called Dynamic Plus for the S5 and S6 e-tron. Think of it as the brand’s attempt to reintroduce playful handling without sacrificing quattro confidence.

In the S5, Dynamic Plus taps into the standard quattro sport differential and brake torque vectoring to make the car more alert and more rear-biased when provoked. Over in the S6 e-tron, electric quattro and torque vectoring work together to enable controlled oversteer—yes, Audi is openly talking about drifts now.

ESC automatically switches to sport mode, throttle response sharpens, and the driver’s display swaps to a new Dynamic Plus layout with shift lights, a big round tach, and sports-oriented telemetry. Audi says the result is “pure driving enjoyment,” and for once, that might not be marketing speak.

Electric PPE models also see efficiency boosts thanks to improved regeneration software. They can now brake to a complete stop using regen alone—no friction brakes needed—making commuting smoother while eking out a little more range.

Smarter Driver Assistance, More Capable Parking Tech

Audi’s adaptive cruise assist evolves again, now supporting driver-initiated lane changes. Activate the turn signal on the highway and, where the system determines it’s safe, the car eases into the next lane.

Traffic sign recognition also steps up. Beyond basic speed limits, the new system reads stop signs, uneven-surface warnings, and right-of-way indicators using map data. It can automatically slow the car when necessary, which should reduce those “Oops, that was a 30 zone” moments.

The parking suite gets a major quality-of-life upgrade, including:

  • Reverse Assist, which retraces the last 50 meters of your path automatically;
  • Maneuver Assist, designed to dodge those embarrassing low-speed bumper taps;
  • Trained Parking, which memorizes up to five 200-meter custom parking maneuvers on private property;
  • And garage parking via smartphone, which lets the car pull in or out without you inside.

Digital Matrix LED Headlights: Audi’s Lighting Obsession Continues

Lighting is where Audi flexes hardest, and the A6 now joins the digital matrix LED club. These headlights can project lane guidance patterns, ice warnings, and even illuminate pedestrians more clearly. They also use micro-LED tech for high-contrast visibility in bad weather.

There are three new welcome/light-show animations, eight selectable daytime-running-light signatures, and rear OLED 2.0 taillights with 198 segments per side—each animating dynamically. Audi is officially treating headlights as wearable tech.

Interior Tweaks and a Friendlier Interface

Inside, Audi trades some haptic-touch surfaces for physical controls on the steering wheel—good news for drivers who were tired of tapping at glossy black panels.

The A6 with combustion engines gets reshaped front seats with more support, and all updated models inherit the simplified UI first seen in the Q3. Drivers can switch the virtual cockpit among three layouts: classic instruments, navigation-focus, or driver-assist visualization.

Smartphone mirroring now extends across the main MMI touchscreen, the passenger display, and the virtual cockpit, making Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feel more native than ever.

A Smarter Audi Assistant, Now with ChatGPT

Audi’s in-car assistant gains new AI functions and learns from the vehicle’s logbook. Instead of precise addresses, you can now say things like “Find that Italian restaurant with a view of the Rhine.”

It can also read or draft emails, surface calendar events, adjust driver-assistance systems via voice, and recognize behavioral routines—automatically raising the suspension for steep curbs you frequently encounter, for example.

Factory Dashcam, Finally

Audi integrates a 4K HDR dashcam directly into the mount of the interior mirror. It uses a ring-buffer setup to capture 30 seconds before and after an event, storing everything on an SD card only—nothing leaves the car unless you decide it does.

You can review clips directly in the car’s display and automatically attach metadata like speed and navigation info.

Experience Worlds and In-Car Gaming

Audi introduces “experience worlds,” which mix cabin lighting, climate settings, massage programs, and acoustic cues for three themes: Activating, Relaxing, and Harmonizing. EV models also get Power Nap mode—perfect for charging breaks.

Gaming gets better too: connect a Bluetooth controller and dive into titles like Asphalt Legends or Queen Rock Tour. Pair wireless headphones and the passenger can play in privacy while the driver focuses on the road.

Ordering and Rollout

German-market orders for updated PPC models open in week 48, with PPE models following in week 49. Other countries will receive features and timing tailored to their markets.

Source: Audi

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