How Soon Is Now: Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Delayed to Summer 2017

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has been delayed. Again.

For Mitsubishi, it’s yet another product-cadence shuffle in an unfortunate chronic procrastination pattern in the United States.  The embattled brand desperately needs a halo vehicle here to expand its current buyer base beyond frugal types and the subprime set. With the Lancer Evolution in retirement, driving enthusiasts who look to the brand as having a heritage rooted in performance models feel written off indefinitely. And now the brand’s best hope for getting more affluent shoppers back into Mitsubishi showrooms has been pushed off to the horizon yet again.

Mitsubishi Motors North America spokesman Alex Fedorak provided us with this latest statement about the model’s rollout, which now will be almost certainly furloughed until the 2018 model year (even though the brand’s consumer site stilllists it as a 2017 model): “Following a thorough evaluation process, we have determined that in order to meet a level of competitiveness that will exceed customer expectations in the United States, the launch of the Outlander PHEV will be delayed until the summer of 2017.”

The model already had been postponed once this year. Company officials had been anticipating that the plug-in would reach U.S. dealerships this summer, with the arrival of a mid-cycle refresh for the Outlander lineup, but things had changed by spring, when Mitsubishi showed the Outlander PHEV in cosmetically correct form—albeit as a prototype—at the New York auto show and then announced a November on-sale date.

Tuned for America

Despite the long delay, the brand continues to promise a vehicle that’s tuned for America. Fedorak said that it will have “better driving characteristics and more features.” As of the New York show, a number of details—including information about the Outlander PHEV’s battery pack—were still subject to change for the U.S. market.

The Outlander PHEV was introduced at the 2012 Paris auto show and originally went on sale in Europe in 2013. There, it has become a surprise hit; it was the bestselling plug-in model on the Continent in both the 2014 and 2015 calendar years, with well over 30,000 sold in 2015, and three out of five Outlanders are sold in plug-in-hybrid form.

That may be part of the reason the model never arrived stateside beginning in 2014—when it was originally anticipated—because it’s definitely under more pricing pressure. And the price is part of the reason why, when it goes on sale here, the PHEV won’t include CHAdeMO Level 3 fast-charging hardware.

The PHEV is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors—one of them operating independently at the rear wheels, with no mechanical connection. Mitsubishi claims that this is one of the few plug-ins that will allow some measure of off-roading and even water fording. It’s already well regarded for drivability in Europe, and its all-electric range is anticipated to be around 20 miles for the U.S. market, from a 12-kWh battery pack.

The move to delay and retune the model could be aimed at achieving a higher official EPA driving range, or perhaps Mitsubishi is attempting a higher-capacity battery (and eligibility for a higher federal tax credit). In this era of sub-$3 gasoline prices and some surprisingly low resale values for electric cars like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and even generally lauded (although sometimes misunderstood) plug-in hybrids such as the Chevrolet Volt, the challenge for Mitsubishi will be to balance driving range, gas mileage, and price in a way that adds up to real value for consumers.

As it stands, the PHEV’s closest rival may end up being a model that wasn’t even on the map when it was first expected in the market: the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid minivan with nearly 30 miles of all-electric driving. That is, if the Outlander arrives when Mitsubishi says it will.

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2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive

Fast enough was supposed to be 193 mph: That was the top-speed forecast offered when the 2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive was launched at the 2016 Geneva auto show. That impressive number has since been revised. During testing on the 7.8-mile circular track in Nardò, Italy, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires worked so well that Alpina decided to raise the terminal velocity to a robust 205 mph. That puts the top-of-the-line Alpina-tuned Bimmer comfortably ahead of the competition from Mercedes-AMG, Bentley, and Porsche.

Starting at $137,995, the Alpina B7 stands at the top of the 7-series lineup, at leastuntil BMW’s own M760i appears. But the Alpina offers a distinctly different character: The M760i will be powered by an updated version of BMW's twin-turbocharged V-12, while the B7 employs a twin-turbo V-8, based on the 750i's 4.4-liter N63 eight-cylinder. Alpina’s designation for its version of the engine, confusingly, is M3; the car’s name contains the suffix Biturbo in other markets. Alpina—closely allied with Munich but still independent—makes extensive modifications that include upgraded turbochargers, its own intake and intercooler setup, special Mahle pistons, an Alpina dual-mode exhaust, and up to 20 psi of boost, lifting maximum output from 445 to 600 horsepower. Peak torque is rated at 590 lb-ft and available on a plateau that stretches from 3000 to 5000 rpm. Funny coincidence there: The M760i also will be rated at 600 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, but it will come with a 155-mph governor (optionally increased to 190 mph, just enough to top the Mercedes-AMG S63’s 186-mph governor). Alpina says the B7 accelerates to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, which may be as conservative as the original top-speed forecast; a 2013 Alpina B7 we tested with a mere 560 horsepower ran to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and we expect the new model to be about 200 pounds lighter.

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In the B7, torque is channeled to all four wheels via the well-proven ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic, albeit reprogrammed for quicker shifting. The BMW xDrive system has been adjusted to deliver a decidedly more rear-biased torque distribution, fitting the dynamic character of this luxury performance sedan. This car is not just about straight-line performance—it’s also about agility and superior cornering. All-wheel steering is included, tuned more aggressively than in the regular 7-series, and the ride height has been lowered, paying dividends in the looks department. The result of these enhancements, and of this fantastic power, is an almost surreal driving experience. The twin-turbocharged V-8 reacts instantly, and its pull is relentless—even as the car nears 200 mph.

Aerodynamic drag builds exponentially with speed, so it takes some time to stack the final dozen mph onto the speedometer. Traffic prevented us from verifying the B7's 205-mph terminal velocity when we drove it on its German home turf. However, we managed to touch an indicated 198 mph on a relatively short stretch of unrestricted Bundesstraße. It is nearly impossible for other drivers to correctly judge the speed of an approaching B7. Extreme caution is advised, and it is good that this two-ton-plus luxobarge is fitted with extremely large brakes that exhibited not a hint of fade during our drive.

Few other large sedans can go this fast or accelerate to such high speeds so quickly. The high-speed stability is virtually unmatched, thanks to the B7's long wheelbase and that all-wheel steering system, which turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels at higher velocities. As such, directional changes at this speed lose their fear factor. The deeper front fascia and the long rear spoiler, designed specifically for the B7, are said to significantly reduce lift, and the car indeed felt planted at all speeds.

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Even though the B7 remains very much an upper-luxury sedan, it delivers a noticeably more sporty driving experience than does the 750i. And that’s true even if you don't exceed legal limits. The Alpina’s exhaust has a far more pronounced growl than the 750i’s. The power steering is nicely weighted; on winding country roads, the B7 seems to shrink to the size of a 5-series. The car shoots out of corners briskly, lets the driver play with a bit of power oversteer, and—if you dare stay on the gas pedal—hurls you toward the horizon with warp-like thrust.

There is plenty on which the eyes can feast, too. Inside, Alpina has enhanced the 7-series cockpit with a number of exclusive accents. The steering wheel is graced by an Alpina logo, and the gears are selected via buttons placed on the back of the steering wheel: Alpina's "Switch-Tronic" is a company exclusive, and we found it works at least as well as the usual paddles (which are available by special request) to keep your hands on the wheel. Alternatively, you can pull back on the console-mounted shifter to upshift and push it forward to downshift, just as in a race car.

One of the most prominent changes to the B7, and an Alpina first, is an instrument cluster with a specific Alpina look. Facilitated by its digital nature, the cluster changes with the driving modes. In Comfort mode, the gauges are entirely blue; the Sport modes add digital speed and selected gear information. Only the Eco Pro mode—yes, it's still there—retains the original BMW design. Choosing Eco Pro feels counterintuitive in such an extremely fast vehicle, even though the European fuel-economy figures—22.6 mpg in the ludicrously optimistic combined driving cycle—suggest superior efficiency. Push hard and it’s easy to consume fuel at twice that rate.

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An obligatory stop at a gas station gave us time to admire the B7's exterior. Beyond the 750i, the B7 is fitted with 20-inch Alpina Classic wheels (21-inch pieces will be available), functional front and rear spoilers, and an impressive four-tip stainless-steel exhaust system. Only the Alpina offers the special colors Alpina Blue and Alpina Green II, as well as the set of silver or gold trim appliqués that have distinguished Alpina models for almost 50 years.

In the B7’s German home market, many Alpina customers skip the decals and the rest of the badging, presenting their Alpinas as nothing more exceptional than a regular BMW. The lowered stance and wheels give it away, of course, but at 205 mph it will pass by so quickly that few will ever know what the heck it was, with or without its identifiers.

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2016 Lexus GS F

What’s a nearly $90,000 hot-rod sedan doing with fixed-rate dampers and a naturally aspirated engine in the year 2016? Besides getting its doors blown off by the competition in straight-line acceleration?

The 2016 Lexus GS F invites senior managers and junior execs to enjoy driving again. Squeal the tires around every cloverleaf, hit 7300 rpm racing down every on-ramp, and terrorize every backwoods holler in a 100-mile radius. In the era of launch control and electrically actuated cupholder covers, the GS F is charmingly old school. It’s a throwback to a time when sports sedans were measured by character rather than horsepower and cornering grip.

One Mode Is Better Than Many

That’s not to say it’s a covered wagon. The GS F offers more selectable settings than a Japanese toilet—four tied to the engine, transmission, and electric power steering, three for the stability-control system, and another three for the torque-vectoring differential.

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It’s that last piece of hardware, which is optional on the Lexus RC F coupe but standard on the GS F four-door, that makes this car feel so alive. By varying the torque distribution between the left and right rear wheels, Lexus engineers taught this 4128-pound sedan to move like an overgrown Miata. (Read our test of the RC F both with and without the hardware here.) The differential makes the car alternately more nimble and more stable, depending on the driver, the conditions, and yes, the mode selected. Driven conservatively—braking early, waiting for the apex, and powering out of the corner as the steering wheel unwinds—the GS F understeers like, well, a Lexus. Run hard—namely by feeding in more throttle earlier in corners—and the car delivers big, easy throttle-on drifts. Slalom mode makes the GS F wag its tail like a dachshund in a sausage factory, but the Track setting makes it utterly obedient, matching a deliberate driver’s inputs with textbook responses.

On the test track, the GS F’s 0.93 g of lateral grip matches that of the BMW M5. In the real world, the Lexus feels nothing like that calculating, ruthless German. The nonadjustable ZF Sachs dampers are a welcome relief from the daunting and often disappointing choices presented by switchable shocks, high-tech hardware that often results in a trio of compromised and imperfect options. The GS F leans in corners, a byproduct of the slightly soft, supremely comfortable ride. It’s the kind of well-controlled body roll that serves as a feedback mechanism, as valuable to the driver as a minute twitch or wiggle in the steering wheel.

The handling isn’t just predictable; it’s accessible—a trait that’s become rare as these expensive sports sedans blend attributes of intercontinental ballistic missiles and roller coasters. In some of these cars, the driver is as much a passenger as anyone in the right-hand seat; the cars are powerful enough that even slow and sloppy driving feels fast. Not so in the Lexus. The GS F is an anachronism, and we mean that in the best possible sense. It delivers rewards in direct proportion to how hard it’s driven.

Slow in Certain Company

And drive it hard you will. That’s a requisite to extract the full thrill from the naturally aspirated V-8. Its 467 horsepower doesn’t peak until 7100 rpm, and the 389-lb-ft torque peak arrives at a relatively stratospheric 4800 rpm. More velvety than Chevy’s small-block but with a gruffer grunt than the Mustang’s Coyote V-8, the Lexus engine has the perfect blend of manners and machismo.

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Without blowers to boost output, the GS F’s V-8 is roughly 100 horsepower short of the engines in its German competitors—the Audi RS7, the BMW M5, and the Mercedes-AMG E63. The Cadillac CTS-V makes another 173 ponies from its supercharged 6.2-liter. At 12.9 seconds through the quarter-mile, the Lexus needs an extra 1.1 seconds to cover that distance of pavement versus the Caddy. In the context of these bruisers, you could make a convincing argument that, with a 4.4-second zero-to-60-mph time, the GS F is only qualified to serve as a nursing-home shuttle.

There’s a genuine Oldsmobile feel to the way the torque-converter-equipped gearbox executes its graceful, hydraulically cushioned shifts. The eight-speed automatic shifts slowly in every mode, whether paddle shifted or not. It also swaps gears flawlessly—every single time. It’s the one dynamic attribute in need of improvement, yet it also suits a car that is every bit as comfortable as it is quick.

Et Tu, Lexus?

There are a few regrettable concessions to modern fashion inside the GS F. The 5.0-liter V-8’s natural tone is augmented by Active Sound Control (ASC), which blats intake resonance out of the front speakers and a deeper exhaust rumble from the rear speakers in Sport Plus mode. In Sport, only the rear speakers play, and in Normal and Eco modes there’s no ASC at all. You also can turn off the ASC manually, and you should, because the engine’s big, brassy intake honk is plenty loud and proud.

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We also recommend keeping both hands on the wheel, lest your right hand drift toward the infuriating mouse/joystick device that controls Lexus’s infotainment system. In other respects, the cabin is a comfortable and pleasant place to consume miles, with supportive buckets, plenty of shoulder and hip room, and clear visibility. The materials exude quality even if the styling is curious at best and downright dissonant in some places, such as the seats that were seemingly stitched by costume designers taking a break from the latest X-Men movie.

The Inevitable

While Lexus has staked out unclaimed turf with its nuanced driving dynamics, there’s a competitor that manages to blend performance and finesse unlike anything else. The 640-hp Cadillac CTS-V, a poster child for modern tech, offers mega performance and nuanced steering for a similar price as the GS F. The Lexus would be a no-brainer at $65,000, but our $87,828 test car had just $2438 in add-ons, more than half of which went for a Mark Levinson premium audio system.

It seems unlikely that the GS F and Lexus’s F outfit can resist the pressure to conform forever. Company insiders tell us that turbochargers are inevitable, and it’s hard not to imagine that adaptive dampers, a snappier transmission, and a general sense of homogeneity would be part of the same package. When the day of reckoning with raw performance arrives, we hope Lexus preserves the GS F’s subtleties.

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Tesla Aside, Resale Values for Electric Cars Are Still Tanking

Never mind those electric-car bargains we told you about mere months ago. Prices have been on such a steep downward trajectory that there’s already an entirely new, sweeter set of deals to be found. You might find a five-year-old vehicle with relatively low mileage, very low operating costs, and nothing wrong with it—for the price of a beater.

The asterisk: That car would most likely be a Nissan Leaf, and you’ll only be able to go about 60 miles before needing many hours plugged in—unless you’re fortunate enough to have fast-charging hardware nearby.

Apparently most people aren’t willing to live with that asterisk or the few others that accompany life with a used electric car. According to the pricing authority Black Book, retail values for the used 2013 Nissan Leaf are at an average 22 percent of the original MSRP—in the range of $8000 to $8500—while that five-year-old Leaf is selling at just 11 percent of its original sticker.

A three-year-old Leaf—a $30,000 to $40,000 car new—returned from lease gets sold at wholesale auction at $6000 to $7000 or, on average, just 18 percent of its original price. For gasoline vehicles, a three-year residual is typically in the 45- to 65-percent range. “To be under 20 percent is fairly telling,” said Anil Goyal, Black Book’s senior vice-president of operations. “A lot of it has to do with demand.”

In all fairness, the original buyers didn’t lose quite that much money. They likely received a $7500 federal tax credit, along with a range of other possible state or local rebates, credits, or incentives; but even factoring those in, owners of a three-year-old Leaf won’t recover much more than 30 percent of their original net cost.

Goyal has tracked electric-car prices as they’ve exhibited a massive slide in the past couple of years, first when an initial round of Nissan Leafs returned from lease in 2014 and more so last year and this year, as the 2012 and 2013 Leaf models, with their expanded trim levels and lower selling prices, came back from lease.

There are a multitude of reasons for the weak used-EV market. Goyal calls demand for the used Leaf “extremely limited” for a number of reasons that include battery degradation, diminished range, and the potential cost of battery replacement. “A lot of the people just can’t seem to find a need for an EV with such a limited range,” he says. But dig deeper, and the question of supply and demand in the electric market gets much more complex—with the interplay of technology, regulation, and market forces leading to some shockingly good deals.

Electric Cars with a Smartphone Shelf Life?

Vehicle life cycles used to be a given. Typically you could buy a car, time that purchase smartly, and know that it wouldn’t change radically in three to five years. And for much of the market, that’s still true. But in the electric-vehicle market, new sticker prices keep edging downward, while new versions with higher battery capacity (Leaf, BMW i3, and Volkswagen e-Golf) are slotting in at the previous year’s price point. And it’s leading some would-be electric-car buyers or lessees to play wait and see with the market—as they would in advance of the next big smartphone or tablet launch.

“The auto industry hasn’t really seen something like this in a while; it kind of mirrors the electronics industry,” said Goyal, noting that some of these models are making others just a year earlier seem “fairly outdated” and inferior in driving range.

Another part of the cold shoulder given to some EVs could have to do with their relatively polarizing styling: for example, the Leaf, i3, and Mitsubishi i-MiEV. “In the past, there has been this trend of having electric vehicles look very different,” said Goyal. “Do you really want to drive that?”

Looks aside, Goyal anticipates that the same set of problems will continue to plague all EVs with a range of 100 miles or less. That group includes the i3 and the Ford Focus Electric, as well as a group of vehicles that are mainly limited to ZEV mandate states—the e-Golf, i-MiEV, Mercedes-Benz B250e, Kia Soul EV, and Fiat 500e.

The impending arrival of vehicles that have a range of around 200 miles or more—including the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Tesla Model 3, and,  potentially, the next Nissan Leaf—is also making matters worse, tempering demand and contributing to the even more rapid plunge in values for sub-100-mile EVs. The Bolt EV is expected to have a base price of about $37,500, which would undercut a number of those 100-mile models and further affect values up and down the market.

Low Gas Prices: Bypass Small and Green

It’s not just pure-electric cars that are running low on resale juice—it’s anything with a plug. The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid has underperformed on the used-car lot, too. It stands at just 31 percent of original value after three years (versus the 47 percent norm for compacts).

Plug-in hybrids like the Volt struggle to keep their value for several reasons, said Patrick Min, senior analyst at TrueCar. On one side, people may not grasp how they work, and those without garage parking might not understand that you don’t need to plug it in all the time. Furthermore, fuel prices continue to be low (now well under $3 per gallon nationally), and with an initial premium of thousands versus a comparable gasoline car and gas prices, it’s just not penciling out.

The compact-car segment has also been hit harder due to low gas prices and consumers’ preference for SUVs and larger vehicles; compacts overall retain about 47 percent of their original value versus 52 percent for the average vehicle, according to Black Book.

How Does Tesla Do It?

The Tesla Model S, on the other hand, retains 62 percent of its value after three years, according to Black Book.

“Tesla resale values are an anomaly if you look at the electric-vehicle competitive set,” said TrueCar’s Min, who points to the brand’s maverick image, different company culture, and over-the-air updates as reasons why the brand stands out—as well as how the vehicles manage to fit in alongside other luxury models. “The Model S finally gave eco-conscious consumers something that fit their image.”

Demand continues to outstrip supply for the Model S and Model X, which is one of the keys to keeping used-vehicle values on the high side. Tesla recently discontinuedits resale value guarantee, which allowed the car to be traded in for a specified (generous) price as an option after 36 to 39 months of ownership. Goyal notes that the program “has created headaches on the accounting side for Tesla,” yet he doesn’t expect that values will fall with its discontinuation.

TrueCar’s Min points to the Tesla Supercharger network as contributing to the strong resale value. “They’re the only one that can keep usage cycle as close as can be to gasoline cars…that usability is unique to Tesla.” Currently, the cobbled nature of public charging networks offers nothing close to that experience.

So can luxury automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Porsche—all of which have confirmed plans for future electric vehicles—expect value retention like Tesla’s? Or a Leaf-like slide? That depends on how well mainstream higher-range models such as the Bolt are received. And then there are things that car buyers tend to take for granted that remain unhappy sticking points for Tesla owners in some cases. “Traditional automakers definitely have a leg up in build quality and consistency, which Tesla has continued to struggle with,” said Min.

One thing we are going to see, anticipates Min, is a continued downward shift in pricing on the affordable 100-mile EVs to better match demand. “Automakers have been doing a pretty good job responding to where prices were, but they are still somewhat inflated.”

A Market Segment Charged with False Pretense

Some of the slide in post-lease EV value comes from the nature of the leases themselves. Many of these cars were initially leased under some very fuzzy figures. Through a so-called subvented lease—done through an automaker’s captive finance company—several of these EVs have been offered at $149 a month, or even less, with very little money down. According to Min, there’s nothing rule-breaking about this strategy, although it’s a cost hit that automakers ultimately take for getting the vehicles out there.

Those strategies are partly out of necessity. With California’s zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate, larger automakers must sell a certain percentage of plug-in vehicles in that state—with tougher requirements to make those vehicles also available in nine ZEV-mandate states in 2017.

“It’s an extremely challenging environment,” summed up Min, pointing to predictions of sub-$3-per-gallon gasoline prices for the next few years. “There definitely seems to be more of a push to meet those ZEV mandates rather than actual consumer demand.”

In the meantime, it’s a win for anyone who’s curious about plugging in. Analysts expect to see prices continue their gradual descent, toward the level of equivalent gasoline models, while driving range rises. The regulation-created era of the $4000 used EV and cheap leases on vehicles with plugs will be here for some time.

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$171,990 SVAutobiography Dynamic Leads 2017 Range Rover Changes

The performance junkies from Jaguar-Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations are putting their signature touch on another Land Rover product for the 2017 model year: The Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic.

Like the $200,490 Range Rover SVAutobiography long-wheelbase model that debuted last year and the smaller $112,345 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR, the new SVAutobiography Dynamic features a beastly 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 that produces 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. Power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission and, as expected from a vehicle wearing the Land Rover badge, is sent to all four wheels.

At $171,990 the SVAutobiography Dynamic arguably falls somewhere in between the ultra-luxurious Range Rover SVAutobiography long-wheelbase and the sporty Range Rover Sport SVR. As its name implies, the Dynamic improves the Range Rover’s on-road performance courtesy of a 0.3-inch drop in ride height, as well as the additions of Land Rover’s Dynamic Response and Adaptive Dynamics systems. The former system relies on dynamic front and rear antiroll bars that are controlled independently, while the latter employs adaptive dampers. Land Rover claims that the two features work together to improve the big box’s handling without compromising its ride comfort.

Comfort is ultimately what the SVAutobiography is about, and the usual array of old-school luxury touches we love in the standard SUV are complimented by the addition of 20-way power driver and passenger seats swathed in diamond-quilted leather; black veneer laid across the dash and door panels; and knurled finishes added to the shifter knob, pedals, and start/stop button. Gray exterior finishes are found on the side vents, grille, tailgate, and a handful of other areas of the body; and model-specific 21- or 22-inch wheels help separate the SVAutobiography Dynamic from the average, run-of-the-mill Range Rovers.

Along with the addition of the SVAutobiography Dynamic trim, the entire 2017 Land Rover Range Rover range benefits from a host of new features. JLR’s InControl Touch Pro infotainment system finds its way into the 2017 model year Rover, bringing with it a more user-friendly operator experience and a big, 10.2-inch touchscreen (up from 8.0 inches). Navigation functions can now be displayed in the vehicle’s digital gauge cluster, as well as on the available rear-seat monitors. On top of this, Land Rover claims that the system is able to learn common routes and commutes, and can also work with Land Rover’s Route Planner mobile app to send continued navigation directions to the driver’s mobile device even after he or she has left the vehicle.

Befitting the Range Rover’s legendary off-road abilities, Land Rover now fits its flagship with a low-traction launch mode that prevents wheel spin on slippery surfaces, as well as a new “all-terrain” information display that shares pertinent off-road information to the driver (such as active assist features and the angle of the front wheels). A speed-limit function that can adjust the vehicle’s speed to match the speed limit of associated road signs is also added to the Range Rover’s list of available tech features, as are an available driver-alertness and a blind-spot assist function that can reign the big Range Rover back into its lane if sensors detect the driver is turning into the path of another vehicle.

Finally, a newly available Advanced Tow Assist function uses the rearview camera to overlay trajectory lines on the camera’s feed to guide the Range Rover’s hitch to a trailer’s tongue. Even more impressive, driver’s can use the Terrain Response controller to steer the vehicle along Advance Tow Assist’s recommended path.

While the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover’s changes may be hard to spot, the vehicle’s noteworthy additional technology features makes us think it’s worth waiting for the updated vehicle, which goes on sale later this year with a starting price of $86,645, or $700 more than the 2016 Range Rover’s base price.

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Oh, May: Mercedes-Benz Previews Stunning Mystery Maybach Coupe

If chef Emeril Lagasse could be hired to help out with a car’s debut, he would be perfectly appropriate for the mystery vehicle Mercedes-Benz is teasing ahead of this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. BAM! We can’t think of a better sound than Lagasse’s frantic catchphrase to introduce this stunning two-door coupe.

And now, if you would pick your jaw up off the floor, we have more exciting news: Whatever this creation is, concept car or production-intent masterpiece, it’s aMaybach. At least, it has a Maybach badge on its haunch, as well as a Mercedes-Benz three-pointed-star hood ornament poking up from its nose. If this is indeed a new Maybach model—or a preview of one—the double badges make sense. Today’s Maybach sedan is really just a mighty special dressed-up S-class dubbed the Mercedes-Maybach S600. This coupe would appear to be walking the same existential line.

Whatever the marketing folks decide, just look at the thing. It certainly isn’t a Mercedes-Benz S-class coupe playing dress-up. Even in this dark, intentionally obscured photo, the car has serious presence. The proportions are more 1930s Bugatti coupe than 2010s-era anything, with a hugely long hood draping into the body sides beneath a low, teardrop-shaped greenhouse and a massive rear overhang in the tapered rear end.

We can’t wait to see the car in full soon.

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