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Auto Blog
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Mercedes-AMG's GT XX is a Direct Shot at BMW M's Electric Future
They share a platform and a reputation for dependability, but these two SUVs aren't clones of each other. What is the Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX? The Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX is a four-door electric grand tourer concept, serving as the bold preview of AMG's first standalone EV. Built on the all-new high-performance platform is not just a styling study—it's a fully running, road-legal prototype with production potential. Powertrain & performance The GT XX packs a tri-motor setup with two rear-mounted axial‑flux motors and one front-mounted booster motor. Axial-flux motors are compact, lightweight, and incredibly efficient, roughly the size of a medium pizza box. They can be stacked in series for even more output—hence the insane numbers. Mercedes claims the AMG GT XX can produce over 1,340 hp with a top speed of up to 233 mph. Battery-wise, it will reportedly use high‑performance oil‑cooled NCMA cells with optimized heating/cooling for sustained power. The automaker also claims ultra-rapid charging at up to 850 kW, adding ~250 mi (400 km WLTP) in 5 minutes. Exterior design: Sexy with purpose It's been too long since a Mercedes-AMG four-door has felt truly sexy rather than just aggressive. The GT XX brings sensuality back while maintaining function-first aerodynamics. Coming in at 17 feet in length, it claims a stunning aerodynamic figure of Cd 0.198, achieved through wheel blades, active aero vents, and functional hood fins. Other touches that help set it apart from any other Mercedes model include integrated headlight speakers for artificial AMG sound, electroluminescent rocker sills, and a rear LED 'Fluid Light Panel' that displays charge status or messages. Interior: Futuristic, yet realistic Inside, the GT XX balances next-gen materials with production-ready tech. It uses sustainable 'LABFIBER' biotech leather & silk alternatives made from silk proteins produced by genetically modified bacteria, which are entirely biodegradable and very light. The 3D‑printed seat shells are custom-fitted via body scanning to ensure maximum comfort for every driver, while the dual hi-res digital displays boast a stripped-down, driver-focused layout for no distractions and the ultimate driving experience. Everything feels buildable today, not some far-off concept. What will it drive like? While no one outside AMG has driven it yet, the tri-motor layout suggests torque vectoring for razor-sharp handling with near-instantaneous power delivery. By delivering true AMG-style dynamics despite being fully electric, it aims to be a grand tourer that can also destroy lap times, blending luxury and extreme performance. Will it be built? Given its road-legal status and production-ready tech, it's highly likely a version of the GT XX will launch by 2026. Expect elements like the active aero, lighting, and drivetrain tech to trickle into future AMG models even sooner. Mercedes-Benz has been losing ground to BMW in EV sales, especially in the U.S, so the GT XX signals a hard reset for AMG's EV strategy, showing they're ready to outdo BMW's M EVs while also pushing the Porsche Taycan and Audi RS e-tron GT and establishing AMG as the performance EV benchmark. This car is both a halo and a warning shot. Final thoughts The Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX is a statement of intent. With over 1,300 hp, ultra-rapid charging, and stunningly functional design, it could redefine what an electric grand tourer can be. If Mercedes-AMG can deliver on this promise, it will be the EV that resets the performance luxury market. Expect to see more AMG concepts and production models inspired by this design soon.
Auto Blog
11-08-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Ian Callum Wants To Turn The Aston Martin Vanquish Into A Strangely Beautiful Wagon
Former Aston Martin Designer Wants Another Shot Ian Callum is arguably one of the finest automotive designers of our time, having worked on several of the most timeless cars of the last 40 years, including the millennial Aston Martin Vanquish. Now in charge of his own design firm, Callum Designs, he's proposed a more practical take on the V12-powered grand tourer, revealing a concept for a Vanquish Shooting Brake, something that Zagato did back in 2017. However, that design was based on the Vanquish of the time, and Callum's is based on the one he penned for 2001, trying to find a place somewhere in the middle. There's just one thing holding this car back from becoming a reality: an interested buyer. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:09 Full screen Chevrolet says a next-gen Camaro is still possible. What could it look like? Watch More A Slightly Odd Wagon The Vanquish 25 Shooting Brake, as it's been named, is listed on the 'Portfolio' section of the Callum Designs site, where the firm shares the ideas it has for reimagining future cars in the hopes that wealthy buyers will take a liking to them and ask for one to be commissioned. These are purely conceptual until that happens, so we won't see Callum's Vanquish wagon on the lawns of Pebble Beach at Monterey Car Week this month. If it ever does get there, it'll certainly look unique. The modernized lower side intakes look like something Jaguar might have produced around this time (where Ian Callum wound up after being contracted by Aston Martin), and the vented hood is also reminiscent of that era's Jag XKR. The diamond-faced wheels add a touch of modernity, as does the beveled glasshouse, and the side skirts with their lower leading edge and gilled flics call to mind single-seat racecars. At the back, the rear view will be narrow, but the car will look dramatic, with the muscular rear arches flowing into an upturned ducktail spoiler. Further down, more carbon fiber either side of the redesigned diffuser reduces the visual height of the car, though from the front three-quarter angle, this vehicle almost has a crossover-like stance to it. In profile, the front two-thirds of the car looks particularly modern, but the rear gives this writer images of a BMW Z1 from the late 1980s, and the wheels make me think of a Tesla, especially with red brake calipers behind them. Does Anybody Want A V12 Wagon? Whether we agree on the looks or not, Callum would surely allow some tweaks to be made, promoting this project as something that would be made 'exclusively for you,' calling it 'a bespoke masterpiece built around your vision, down to the last stitch' – but the looks aren't as exciting as the concept of a practical V12-powered GT that can fit skiis and luggage, something that Ferrari customers have desired and received since the FF. That must be enticing to someone, and the fact that there will certainly be far fewer than the 99 Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brakes out there surely counts for something. Naturally, this sort of bespoke creation will be deep in six- (if not seven-) figure range. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Car and Driver
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2026 Vanquish Volante Drive: The Aston Martin of Aston Martins
Posh, high-performance coupes and convertibles have long been Aston Martin's stock in trade. Modern Aston Martin's pursuit of growth—part of its quest for profitability—has seen the brand expand into sports cars, supercars, SUVs, and ultra-low-production variants thereof. But ultrafast, ultraluxe, and ultralovely grand touring coupes and convertibles remain at the brand's core. Cars like the new Vanquish, which arrived last fall as a stunning coupe, and now the Vanquish Volante, its open-top counterpart. Both stand as the ultimate expression of Aston Martin–ness. That means the Vanquish occupies a loftier perch than the thematically similar DB12, which also is available in Volante form. Differences versus its penultimate sibling can be summarized as: size, style, and motivation. Befitting its status, the Vanquish is the most grandly proportioned of Aston Martin's grand tourers. It is 6.5 inches longer overall, and its wheelbase extends 3.1 inches inches further than the DB12's. All of that extra wheelbase is situated between the base of the windshield and the front axle, as the front of the car effectively stretches forward, a visual totem of the Vanquish's other great differentiator: its V-12 engine, which nestles entirely behind the front axle. view exterior photos Aston Martin The twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V-12 is a fresh design, even as this engine configuration dwindles to a tiny dot in the firmament of modern powertrains. But it burns more brightly than ever, boasting 64 more horses than Aston's last V-12, its 823 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque sent rearward to an eight-speed ZF transaxle, which incorporates an electronic differential. Unleashing that much thrust on public roads (particularly in the crowded environs of New York City) is a challenge, and for a while, we're only able to delve partway into the accelerator's long travel. After crossing the Hudson, we succumb to brief bursts on the Palisades Parkway. They reveal a ferociously reactive powertrain that lets loose a refined roar when provoked. We flap the paddles to extend the music, which is more vocal in Sport than in the standard GT mode, although you can also switch to the louder exhaust mode via a button on the center console. Far outside the city at last, we're able to give the Vanquish Volante more leash. The ZF gearbox—a torque-converter automatic rather than a dual-clutch—manages to be both ultraquick and supersmooth. Powering out of corners or pummeling empty straights, the V-12 just pulls and pulls, with tremendous torque across a wide band—max grunt is available from 2500 rpm. Even at go-directly-to-jail speeds, there's still so much more. Aston claims a top speed of 214 mph. Carbon-ceramic brakes, which were optional on the DBS, are standard on the Vanquish. With just one set of hardware to tune for, Aston's engineers were able to dial in fantastic brake-pedal action that responds more to pressure than to travel and yet doesn't feel overly touchy. It perfectly complements the accelerator-pedal effort and even the steering heft, creating harmony among the major controls. view exterior photos Aston Martin There are four drive modes—GT, Sport, Sport+, and Wet—as well as an Individual setting to mix and match from among them. But the changes they effect are subtle. In any mode, the steering remains perfectly weighted and more relaxed than darty. The Aston Martin–blend Pirelli P Zero PZ4s (275/35ZR-21 front, 325/30ZR-21 rear) are certainly low-profile, and yet this Aston never feels harsh, even over broken pavement—of which we encountered plenty in our drive from midtown Manhattan out to the hinterlands and back. The Vanquish is utterly composed over lumpy, twisting two-lanes tackled at extralegal speeds, the chassis tuning allowing enough compliance to keep from upsetting the car. This is a grand tourer, not a racer. view exterior photos Aston Martin Simon Newton, Aston's director of vehicle performance, says that the convertible was developed alongside the coupe, and that they aimed to deliver the same driving performance between the two. They adjusted for the slight weight difference (Aston says the Volante is about 200 pounds heavier with a claimed 50/50 weight distribution) by increasing the rear spring rates and front anti-roll-bar stiffness each by 7 percent. On the subject of stiffness, the convertible adds a structural crossbrace behind the front seats, and there's extra structure across the top of the rear suspension and in the sills. Like the coupe, the Volante's bonded-aluminum architecture is draped in carbon-fiber body panels. And what panels they are. The Vanquish is, quite objectively, a stunner, no less so in Volante form than as a coupe. The compact-stacking fabric top doesn't interrupt the graceful bodywork when tucked away, and it stows in just a claimed 14 seconds, a feat that can be performed on the move at low speeds. Raise the top (in 16 seconds), and it provides eight layers of insulation from the world outside. view interior Photos Aston Martin The world inside is leather lined and beautifully finished. Like the coupe, the Volante is strictly a two-seater. Those seats are comfortable, and without over-large side bolsters, ingress and egress aren't needlessly challenging. Behind them, small coves can accommodate a small backpack or handbag. You sit deep in this car, with the beltline up around shoulder level and a fairly high cowl. The slope of the dashboard, scooped-out door panels, and a console that's lower than in the DB12 keep the interior from feeling confining, however. The long hood falls away from view, which can be somewhat disconcerting when parking in close quarters, but there is a dedicated hard button to instantly summon the parking cameras (with a choice of views), which is helpful. view interior Photos Aston Martin Aston has retained physical switchgear in the Vanquish, and that's part of what makes this car so welcoming to the driver. Its most future-techy aspect is the standard integration of Apple CarPlay Ultra. The system takes over not just the central touchscreen but the instrumentation display as well. And while you don't have to hop out of it to operate climate controls or other screen-based vehicle systems, it was otherwise unimpressive. We found the system to be glitchy, Siri to be obtuse, and the phone-based navigation to be useless when we were out of cell range. We ended up quitting out of it in favor of the native navigation. Really, the Vanquish Volante is about classicism, not the latest gadgetry. The beauty of long-hood-short-deck proportions, the sound and fury of a V-12 engine, and the experience of open-air driving—those are what's central to this car. These desirable elements make the Vanquish Volante the grandest of grand tourers, one that comes at an equally rarefied price: $489,700 (inclusive of destination and, ahem, gas-guzzler tax). The upcoming supercars are sure to be still more expensive, but while you can pay more for an Aston Martin, this grandest grand tourer strikes us as the ultimate Aston Martin. view exterior photos Aston Martin Specifications Specifications 2026 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible PRICE Base: $489,700 ENGINE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 48-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection Displacement: 318 in3, 5204 cm3 Power: 823 hp @ 6500 rpm Torque: 738 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 113.6 in Length: 192.5 in Width: 78.0 in Height: 51.0 in Trunk Volume: 7–8 ft3 Curb Weight (C/D est): 4500 lb PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 3.3 sec 100 mph: 6.7 sec 1/4-Mile: 11.2 sec Top Speed: 214 mph EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/City/Highway: 16/13/21 mpg Reviewed by Joe Lorio Deputy Editor, Reviews and Features Joe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Bentley's dog-friendly concept previews new electric urban SUV
Bentley is heading to an electric future, and this concept gives us our biggest clues yet what it will look like. The Bentley EXP 15 is a futuristic three-seat grand tourer concept that looks to the future while tipping its hat to the past. This is not a car you'll see on the road any time soon – or ever, in fact. Like all EXP models (EXP standing for Experimental Prototype) this one is a statement of intent, not a showroom model. But it's a bold and brilliant one, offering a taste of where Bentley is headed as it embarks on its journey into electrification with its all-electric urban SUV due to be unveiled next year. Inspired by the legendary 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Coupe – better known as the 'Blue Train' – the EXP 15's proportions are unmistakably grand. There's a long 'endless' bonnet, a rearward-set cabin and a proud upright grille. It's every inch the grand tourer of Bentley lore, albeit wrapped in some very 21st-century tech and style. Just like the original Blue Train car that famously raced across France faster than the train it was named after, the EXP 15 has performance in its DNA – even if we don't yet know the numbers. It's imagined as a fully electric, all-wheel-drive machine, capable of covering big miles in silence and style, with a long range and fast charging. What you can see, though, is dramatic. The front grille remains large and iconic – despite not needing to feed air to a combustion engine – and now acts as a digital canvas lit up with intricate LED detailing. Slim lights frame it like jewellery, while a new 'prestigious shield' tailgate design and muscular rear haunches make for a powerful stance. Active aerodynamics, including deployable spoilers and a rear diffuser, show Bentley is serious about EV efficiency. Perhaps the most intriguing part of EXP 15 is the inside. Bentley's interior designers have let their imaginations off the leash and the result is a remarkable fusion of old-school craftsmanship and the very latest tech. The three-seat layout places the driver and a rear seat behind one another on one side, while the passenger gets a throne-like perch with a canopy that can wrap around them for privacy. Naturally, that seat swivels outwards to aid graceful exits. Then there's the tech. A huge dashboard spans the cabin, capable of switching from digital interface to beautiful wood veneer at the touch of a button. Nestled within is the so-called 'mechanical marvel' – a delightful centrepiece of moving illuminated fingers that's part art installation, part instrument cluster. It's Bentley's way of blending the physical and digital, and it works a treat. Even the boot gets in on the act – lift the rear hatch and you'll find not just storage but picnic seating, an ambient lamp and a fridge for chilled drinks. It's glamping, Bentley-style. Material choices are equally imaginative. A 100% wool textile by Fox Brothers – the firm behind thorn-proof cloth for centuries – features in a damson ombre finish, paired with 3D-printed titanium trim. A fine silk jacquard from Gainsborough Textiles – another British heritage brand – lines parts of the interior, while a new aluminium-based paint finish called pallas gold adds a liquid metal sheen to the bodywork. Cleverly, it's thin enough to let radar signals pass through it, making it future proof for autonomy, too. Bentley design boss Robin Page said 'the beauty of a concept car is not just to position our new design language, but to test where the market's going. It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market – through four generations of the Continental GT – but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it's changing. Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design, and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling.' The exterior follows five design principles that will inform Bentley's future production cars: Upright Elegance, Iconic Grille, Endless Bonnet Line, Resting Beast stance, and Prestigious Shield. There's even a nod to thoroughbred horses in the car's silhouette – gently upright and poised like a champion ready to gallop. Inside, the guiding themes are just as poetic: Wing Gesture design for the dashboard; Bold Gravitas for generous surfaces and real materials; Cocooning Haven for comfort and privacy; Iconic Details like knurled switches and diamond patterns; and Magical Fusion – the blend of digital and mechanical that makes this interior so special. As ever with Bentley, it's not just about looking good – it's about feeling good. EXP 15 is designed to be thoughtful, intuitive and luxurious in equal measure. Whether it's adjusting to your mood, accommodating your pet or serving up a fridge-chilled drink from the boot, this concept has all bases covered. So no, you won't be able to buy the EXP 15 – but you will see bits of it again, especially in next year's Luxury Urban SUV, which will be the first reimagined production Bentley for the electric age.
ArabGT
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- ArabGT
Electric Bentley EXP 15 Breaks Tradition, Reimagines Prestige
Bentley has previewed its most ambitious future yet with the online unveiling of the electric Bentley EXP 15—a jaw-dropping concept that redefines the very definition of luxury in the modern era. When it takes center stage at Britain's 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, this three-door, three-seat behemoth will represent a landmark moment in the history of the British marque. ArabGT's founder `Musab Shashaa will report exclusively on location, bringing us unique insights regarding this long-awaited spectacle. In a time when the auto universe is being rocked on its foundations by technology comes the electric Bentley, which can only be a statement of intent. More than showing evolution, the EXP 15 effects reinvention. From reckless architecture and Spartan interior designed for excess, not accommodation, Bentley is redefining what should be an electric grand tourer. Designing for Tomorrow, Where Heritage Counts Most Visually, the electric Bentley EXP 15 blends refined old lines of a coupe and angular forward-looking statements. Out front, a lit redefinition of Bentley's fabled grille—now laced with luminous crystalline surfaces—announces the agenda right off. It's a motorcar that bows to history but looks forward. Its most surprising feature, perhaps, lies in its three-door configuration—the two doors on one side and one on the other—a deliberately devised arrangement emphasizing exclusivity and Bentely's streak for unorthodoxy. Aboard the Electric Bentley: Three-Person Luxury While most mass production EVs aim for numbers, electric Bentley's EXP 15 delivers a bespoke, intimate cockpit for just three people. It's a triumph of craftsmanship: organic, sustainably-made leather sits alongside hand-shaped aluminium and opulent detail work in wood. Its interior is headed by a horizontally sweeping curved digital instrument panel that connects driver to center of the auto, and in rear, are reclining, rotating, or smart stowage seats—with options for a personal pet corner. Everything's about enhancing that personal luxury experience. Wiring the World: All-Electric with All-Wheel Drive While no complete technical specifications have been unveiled by Bentley, the EXP 15 has been confirmed to be a full electric Bentley that will employ a sophisticated all-wheel-drive powertrain. With extended range and fast recharging, it establishes the benchmark for Bentley's first production EV, which will likely happen within several years. This Concept Electric Bentley draws styling inspiration from one of Bentley's all-time greats, a 1930s Speed 6 racing legend. By tying past and future together not just in styling, but in spirit, it extends that legacy forward. A New Emblem for a New Electric Era To coincide with the EXP 15's debut, also arrives Bentley's re-designed winged logo—the biggest redesign in a time frame of over two decades. More agile, more angular, the re-designed badge draws inspiration from the falcon to relay speed, grace, and forward movement, which reflects the brand's electric future. Electric Revolution Starts for Bentley With EXP 15, Bentley is not just launching a vision—it's penning its future chapter. It's an electric Bentley that's a statement of belief in tomorrow, which brings handcrafted luxury expertise together with future-proof electric power. Although the EXP 15 will not find its way to showrooms in production form, its DNA and soul will shape forthcoming electric production Bentleys. It's a significant step towards a future where British luxury and electric power coexist in complete harmony. Can the electric Bentley maintain the marque's aura of exclusivity in this shifting global EV marketplace? And can the EXP 15 be considered a landmark in luxury auto styling? Get involved and have your say.
