Performance – Page 3

Dodge’s Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust starts sounding mean

Coupe / Dodge / Electric / Future Vehicles / Green / Performance / Sedan / Video
August 7, 2024

Filed under: Video,Green,Dodge,Coupe,Electric,Future Vehicles,Performance,Sedan

Continue reading Dodge's Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust starts sounding mean

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2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance First Drive: Overkill through complexity

2024 / AMG C 63 / First Drives / Luxury / Mercedes Benz / Performance / Reviews / Sedan
August 7, 2024

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MALIBU, Calif – The Mercedes C 63 AMG has always been about delightful overkill. The sort of thing that results from a couple people sitting around a workshop after hours and wondering, “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we stuffed that into that?” In the beginning, said stuffing was the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 from the grandest AMGs into the then-humblest, the C-Class compact sedan. While overkill was achieved back then by excessively large displacement, today’s new 2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance does so with another Mercedes staple: gratuitous complexity.

Today’s mightiest C utilizes a kitchen sink approach to excess. Things start with a 2.0-liter inline-four, which doesn’t sound like a sad trombone, but it’s hard not to hear one anyway. It’s also hard not to think that cylinder count will be underwhelming to some, possibly many, regardless of all the other stuff that we’re about to describe. That includes an enormous conch shell of a turbocharger featuring Mercedes F1-derived electrification – an electric motor spools up the turbo before exhaust gases can take over, thereby eliminating turbo lag. To the same end, it also keeps the turbo spooled up when you momentarily lift off the throttle. The overall result is 469 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque sent through an AMG nine-speed multi-clutch transmission, making this 2.0-liter the most powerful production four-cylinder in the world. It also has 18 hp more than that old 6.2-liter. Like it, however, today’s “M139I” 2.0-liter is still hand-built using AMG’s “one man, one engine” method. Our test car’s was built by a Maxímílían Bee£. That’s probably not his last name, so let’s assume his engine-building abilities are superior to his penmanship.

Things don’t end with Herr Bee£, however. As the “S E Performance” bit in its appropriately complex name implies, this is also a plug-in hybrid. But not that kind of plug-in hybrid. You don’t even have to plug it in as the engine keeps it topped up under most circumstances. EPA-estimated range is 3 miles. It’s therefore best to think of it more like a regular hybrid with an absurdly large, 6.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack that provides a commensurately absurd amount of power to a motor that’s packaged within an electric drive unit at the rear axle along with its own two-speed transmission and an electronic limited-slip differential. The motor’s maximum output of 201 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque, or basically the same as a standard Volkswagen ID.4, is only sent to the rear axle through that two-speed gearbox (the maximum output last only 10 seconds, thereafter it’s 94 hp, we didn’t notice a difference during our drive). AMG development engineer Damian Hampen says the second gear engages at 81 to 83 mph to ensure that maximum electric boost is still available at higher, rarely-in-America speeds.

Although the electric motor only sends power to the rear axle, the big Bee£ 2.0-liter still sends its tidings to both axles through an AMG-ified 4Matic+ AWD system that does feature a Drift mode for those times you’ve grown tired of the front axle’s input. Total system output is 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque. As previously stated, overkill performance via gratuitous complexity. The estimated 0-60-mph time is 3.3 seconds.

The complexity extends to the drive modes, of which there are eight that we won’t bore you in describing, especially as you can change individual elements of each on the fly using the clever little control hub on the left side of the steering wheel (pictured above right). This meant we could drive in Sport, Sport+ or Race, but ease up the suspension firmness on bumpier portions of road. We ignored the more electric-forward drive modes as we exclusively were driving on fantastic mountain roads and doing so seemed like a waste. Also, again, 3 miles of range.

With the car in those spiciest drive modes, there’s nothing overtly hybrid-y about the power delivery. It just goes. There is indeed no lag, be it from the electric motor or turbocharger, just a whole bunch of slam-you-in-your-seat torque. The exhaust provides some snap, crackle and pop on overrun between shifts, which is basically the only bit of exciting noise from this powertrain, but then Mercedes “enhances” even that with the back seat speakers.

Plenty was done to the chassis. Not only is the car wider as has been typical, but the wheelbase is 0.4 inches longer than a standard C-Class, which is basically unheard of. Hampen says that this quirk was necessary to accommodate the engineers’ desired tires: 265 front and 275 rear. He also says doing so wasn’t that big of a deal: AMG always had its own body-in-white it could modify in such ways, and production wasn’t impacted because the factory is already set up for different cars going down the same line.

The adaptive “AMG Ride Control” suspension is broadly the same as what you’d find in the C 43, and like that car, it’s hard to think of many places on this continent where the ride won’t be uncomfortably firm and jostling. Even on the generally smooth pavement around Malibu, it got old. It was also necessary to switch the suspension to Comfort and Sport at times to better greet big mid-corner bumps. No denying its road holding, however, as the C 63 effectively scalpeled its way through extremely tight and technical mountain roads. To that end, it has standard rear-wheel steering, but its modest 2.5 degrees of articulation does not draw attention to itself (the EQS goes up to 10 and feels like a Disney ride). The steering is feelsome, too, thanks in part to Mercedes not dialing in a whole bunch of effort just for the sake of perceived sportiness. It feels friction-free and natural. Good job.

Less so the brakes. They are carbon ceramic as standard, but it’s doubtful that’s why the pedal action was inconsistent. There would usually be X amount of initial travel before a firmer foot was needed to increase stopping – in other words, totally normal. In a few corners, though, that initial travel would disappear and we were immediately faced with the firmer response. There didn’t seem to be a correlation with the type of braking or a particular situation and it wasn’t constant. There is regenerative braking present, including a one-pedal drive mode that definitely wasn’t active during our test drive, so that sure seems like the culprit, if by fault or by a quirk in design.

Visually, the 3-inch-wider fenders wrapping those uniquely larger wheels are the easiest telltale this isn’t a C 43. There’s also a unique front fascia that elongates the car by 2 inches, an aerodynamic hood vent, special red badges that’ll be the tell for all future E Performance models, and the first application of the Affalterbach badge to an AMG’s exterior (it replaces the usual Mercedes hood crest). The interior gets unique AMG and hybrid displays, an AMG Performance steering wheel that’s a delight to hold, and the option for AMG Performance seats. We found the standard “Sport” seats to be plenty grippy and abundantly adjustable.

All told, the C 63 S E Performance is a different sort of monster C-Class that caters more to the geekier of us who like to regale their friends, prompted or not, about all the whiz-bang geekery that went into their car. Describing old C 63s was more “V8, F- yeah!” followed by a high-five and a burnout. Maybe all that doesn’t matter. Maybe the world needs to move beyond V8s, and the new C 63 is indeed heaps more powerful than all AMG Cs that have come before, but there’s also something less loveable about this one. Complexity just isn’t as fun as largesse.

2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance First Drive: Overkill through complexity

First Drives / Luxury / Mercedes Benz / Performance / Sedan
August 7, 2024

Filed under: Mercedes-Benz,First Drives,Luxury,Performance,Sedan

Continue reading 2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance First Drive: Overkill through complexity

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2025 Audi Q7 & 2024 Q8 First Drive Review: Audi’s midsize SUVs get midlife updates

Audi / Crossover / First Drives / Luxury / Performance / Reviews
August 7, 2024

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PARK CITY, Utah – It’s not often that I go to a press event to drive four cars, yet here I am, smack dab in the mountains of Utah with scheduled time in the 2024 Audi Q8 and SQ8 as well as the 2025 Audi Q7 and SQ7. The good news is that there are a lot of similarities to these midsize luxury SUVs. The bad news is that despite being refreshed for each of their model years, both (all?) are showing their age.

The Q7 is in its second generation, which started way back in 2016 with the SQ7 joining the lineup for 2020. The Q8/SQ8 might be in its first generation, but even that started in 2019. This mid-cycle refresh is one thing, but there are a few key elements that might only be fixed with a next-generation relaunch.

First, the looks. All four vehicles share the same 118-inch wheelbase, but the Q7 and SQ7 are about 3.5 inches longer overall. This extra length, and the squared-off rear end, allows Audi to shove a third row into the Q7/SQ7. Meanwhile, the Q8/SQ8 gets a sloping rear roofline and a bit more of an athletic presence.

For their respective model years, these midsize SUVs get revised fascias, including grilles and squinty headlights. Bumpers and diffusers have been tweaked. The SQ7/SQ8 get digital OLED taillights and the SQ8 goes a bit further by offering four selectable lighting signatures. Also on hand are new wheel designs and exterior colors. The interior just gets a few new bits of trim, but the screens, layout and design all remain the same.

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Audi didn’t change up the engine options. The Q7 is available with the 45 TFSI – a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with 261 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, available on the Premium and Premium Plus trims. The 55 TFSI, available on the Q7 and standard on the Q8, is a 3.0-liter turbo V6 with 335 ponies and 369 lb-ft of torque. The SQ7 and SQ8 pump up the bass with a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 with 500 ponies and 568 pound-feet of torque. All engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

I didn’t get to sample the base engine, but the 55 TFSI is a solid choice with enough zing for most drivers. When driving around town, the eight-speed automatic does its job in the background, although it falters a bit when pushed – more on that a bit later. Even without the SQ’s fancy active roll stabilization option, the Q7 and Q8 handle like a dream. Both my testers have the optional four-wheel steering, and they attack winding roads with equal aplomb, remaining mostly flat in the corners and making short work of quick slalom-like turns.

Drive modes in all four vehicles include Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual, All Road, for flat dirt roads, and Off Road for more rough stuff. Mind you, I wouldn’t take these vehicles too far afield in their stock form, but it’s nice that Audi will allow drivers to turn off the ESC for those who want to try.

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Getting into the SQ7 and SQ8 is where the fun starts. My test drive takes place on some of the best back roads Utah has to offer, and these midsize SUVs attack them with vigor that belies their large-ish stature. In Dynamic mode, throttle response is immediate, and I’m able to pass slow-moving trucks safely on the short passing sections Utah has seen fit to allow.

Both my SQ testers have the optional electromechanical active roll stabilization, and this tech brings another level of cornering prowess to already fantastic-handling SUVs. This 48-volt system on the front and rear uses an electric motor that rotates the split stabilizer bar in opposite directions, reducing body roll. This means I can maintain more speed in the turns and power out quicker, all while remaining flat and stable.

However, across all four cars, the transmission in Dynamic mode is a bit of a letdown. I can let it go in the Q7 and Q8 since folks choosing those are unlikely to be driving enthusiasts, but it’s a sin in the uprated SQ7 and SQ8. The transmission doesn’t reliably downshift on braking, allowing the car to bog down on corner exit until the computer realizes I want more power. This is something Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have mastered in their Sport modes, and I expect nothing less here. Fortunately, the SQs have a manual mode with paddle shifters to solve the problem, but it’s still something that should be addressed in the Audi’s next generation.

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Another quibble across all four cars is the steering feel. It weights up nicely in Dynamic mode, but there isn’t much communication coming from the road. This is a tough nut to crack with electric power steering, but again, Audi’s rivals just do it better.

It’s hard to get a read on fuel economy on a first drive, but the EPA gives Audi’s midsize crossovers efficiency ratings that are merely OK. Midsize three-row SUVs from the likes of Acura, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo all do it better. The 45 TFSI does the best, returning 20 miles per gallon in the city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. The 55 TFSI sits at 18/23/20, while the SQ7 returns 15/21/17. The SQ8 returns the exact same, but curiously, the two-row Q8 55 TFSI returns 1 mpg worse in the city and combined ratings than the Q7 version.

The Q7/SQ7 in theory has room for seven passengers, but you better hope those sitting in the third row are tiny humans. As a full-sized adult, I’d rather be strapped to the roof like Aunt Edna in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” than endure one minute back there. The second-row seats are also a little cumbersome to flip and fold to allow entry into that third row, but at least the third row is power folding, which is convenient. In the 7 models you’ll get 14.1 cubic feet of space behind the third row (you can see how much that translates into actual stuff here), expanding to 35.7 when the third row is folded. Tuck everything away and you’re looking at 69.6 cubes. That’s about mid-pack in the class. The Q8 with its sloped roofline and shorter body only manages 30.5 cubes behind the rear seats and 60.7 cubic feet of space overall.

The infotainment is pretty easy to figure out, menu-wise, but you really have to push on the tiles to activate them. It won’t accept a simple tap. I’m also not a fan of all the HVAC controls being on a second, smaller screen. Again, I have to really use finger force to activate the tiles, and the screen takes up what could be a valuable small storage location in what is otherwise a storage-light center console.

However, I am absolutely in love with Audi’s configurable digital gauge cluster. Audi was one of the first manufacturers to implement this kind of tech, and it still looks as fresh as it did when I was wow-ed by it those many years ago. Mostly what I dig is the availability of a map, in satellite view no less, front and center in the gauge cluster. And I mean the whole cluster – not a little square or rectangle or circle. The whole thing. Please never change this.

When it comes to the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in this lineup, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that pretty much everything is customizable. You can set the system as a whole to be Maximum or Basic, but you can also dial in the settings for things like your speed and distance warnings, side assist and lane departure warning. You can even set the adaptive cruise control to Comfort, Standard or Sport mode, tell the system to take corners a bit quicker and set the speed limit assist to have some tolerance. However, Audi doesn’t have any kind of hands-free/eyes-up highway driving assistant. Instead, there’s adaptive cruise control and lane centering to relieve some stress of highway driving, but the lane centering isn’t great. It bounces back and forth in the lane and doesn’t really inspire confidence. Like the sport transmission, this is something competitors do better.

The 2025 Audi Q7 starts at $61,795, including $1,295 for destination. Buyers who want the larger 55 TFSI engine will pay an extra $5,300. The fully-loaded Prestige tester is a whopping $88,790. The SQ7 starts at $92,095 including destination, and my tester with every single option sits at $116,540.

The Q8 starts at $75,695, including $1,295 for destination. Our bells-and-whistles tester sits at $100,440. Meanwhile, the SQ8 can be had for $98,895, including destination, but again, our tester has it all and sits at $127,640.

Frankly, those six-figure price tags are pretty hard to swallow when the standard ADAS tech is behind the times and the transmission falls short of a good time. If you can keep the options at bay, then go for it. However, it might be better to wait until the next-generation of these midsize Audis show up.