L.A. SHOWCASES POWER
A car show just LOS ANGELES wouldn’t be a car show without the bling of performance and luxury, and this L.A. event does not disappoint. Mercedes offers up two very different cars with its performance-oriented E63 and the ultraluxurious Maybach S650. Porsche, meanwhile, debuted more iterations of its second-generation Panamera sedan.
PORSCHE PANAMERA
What is it? Porsche continues adding models to the newly revised, second-generation Panamera line; in this case the 2017 Panamera 4 and the long-wheelbase Panamera Executive, bringing the count up to eight.
The all-wheel-drive Panamera 4 comes with a new, 330-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 and will serve, along with the base rear-drive model, as the entry-level model to the four-door Panamera lineup.
The all-wheel-drive Executive models, with their 150-millimetre-longer wheelbase, are a whole different matter, representing the top end of the model line. Designed as what Porsche calls a “chauffeur sedan,” this stretched version is available in 4 Executive, 4 E-Hybrid Executive, 4S Executive and Turbo Executive.
Why does it matter? The sales volume may be small, but the cachet of a flagship sedan is huge. The Panamera goes up against such mega-buck German stalwarts as the Mercedes-Benz SClass, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, plus the Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS and Maserati Quattroporte.
Porsche is upping the Panamera’s game with the longer, more exclusive Executive. An already comprehensive list of standard features is augmented with heated comfort seats with multi-way power adjustment in the front and rear, roll-up sun blind behind the rear-seat headrests and adaptive air suspension with an electronically controlled damper system (Porsche Active Suspension Management). The 4S Executive and top-of-the-line Turbo Executive are even more loaded, both models benefiting from rear-axle steering and soft-close doors. On top of that, the 550-horsepower Turbo Executive gets four-zone climate control, ambient lighting and LED main headlights, including Porsche Dynamic Light System.
When is it coming? The Panamera 4 starts at $102,500; the Executive models start at $110,200. Both will arrive in Canada in the second quarter of 2017.
Should you buy it? As a 911 owner, if you simply need a four-seater for a growing family and you don’t want a crossover (which puts you in the minority), the Panamera fits the bill. As the lowest priced allwheel-drive model, the Panamera 4’s new turbo V6 offers plenty of zip; power is up by 20 hp from the same-sized engine of the previous generation. Fuel economy is improved as well. As for the Executive version, size and beaucoup content matter when it comes to stratospherically priced cars.
As an option, all Porsche Panamera Executive models are available with a newly developed, large rear centre console, which can also be equipped with two integrated folding tables and an inductive antenna connection for an additional smartphone. Similarly to the existing Panamera models, the exterior of the Executive versions can be further individualized with a Sport design package.
Another useful equipment option, particularly for the Executive versions, is the latest generation of Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment. The 10.1-inch displays integrated in the backrests of the front seats can be detached for a wide range of uses; when needed, they transform the rear of the Panamera into a fully digitalized workplace. The high-quality displays can also be used as tablets outside the vehicle. Brian Harper
MERCEDES-MAYBACH S650
What is it? The Mercedes-Maybach S650 is the first of the company’s ultra-luxurious droptops. It’s all about rewarding the driver by both pampering and thrilling them at the same time. It sure looks the part with its Swarovski headlamps. The Maybach S650 arrives with seating for four, although it is all about the driver and their favourite passenger. Inside, from the “waterfall-like” upholstery and precision-milled wood trim to the level of equipment, this thing is truly over the top. That’s the pampering side.
Why does it matter? Now the real thrill arrives in the form of the 6.0L V12 twin-turbo engine. This monster kicks out 630 hp and an astounding 738 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,300 rpm. Turbo lag? Fat chance. It wafts several tons of pure opulence to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed transmission. To ensure pamper and thrill live in harmony, the S650 rides on a set of variable dampers that are stepless in operation.
When will Canada get it? The few examples of the Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet will arrive in Canada in the summer of 2017.
Should you buy it? If you desire the ultimate in top-down motoring, Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet is destined to appeal. It also promises exclusivity — only 300 units are being made for worldwide consumption, with just 75 coming to North America. If you want one, act now! As for cost, only the European price was mentioned — 300,000 Euros ($440,000!). Graeme Fletcher
ALFA ROMEO STELVIO
What is it? The SUV version of the phantasmagorical Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan we tested last month built on the same platform and powered by the same engines, including — give a big cheer — the 505 horsepower, Ferrari-derived twin turbo 2.9-litre V6.
Why does it matter? Alfa Romeo has been threatening to “invade” North America for the last few years, but the sole evidence of that has been the rare-as-hen’steeth and completely impractical 4C semi-supercar.
The Giulia adds a degree to practicality to the effort, but you don’t need a marketing degree to know that, to be successful in North America, you need to be selling SUVs and crossovers.
Hence the Stelvio, named after the most famous — and twisty! — mountain pass in Italy, frequented by Italian superbike riders on a mission.
Like the Giulia, base versions are powered by a 2.0-litre turbofour, whose 280 horsepower and 306 lb.-ft. of torque are segmentleading, while Alfa’s sophisticated Q4 all-wheel-drive system is standard on all Stelvios.
Of course, the model that will get everyone’s motor running will be the aforementioned 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio that Alfa claims can scoot to 96 km/ h in 3.9 seconds — the same as the Giulia Quadrifoglio, says Alfa. It also tops out at a supercar-ish 285 km/h. The Stelvio QV also features allwheel drive, a feature not available on the Giulia Quadrifoglio.
When is it coming? Alfa Romeo will only say, for the moment at least, that the Stelvio will come to Canada as a 2018 model. Having missed a few production deadlines already, they’re being a little hesitant at committing. They are, after all, Italian.
Should you buy it? Absolutely! Although we don’t have a price set yet for the Stelvio, look for the base and Ti trims to be price competitive with the equivalent BMWs and Audis while the Quadrifoglio will literally blow everything — including Porsche’s Macan Turbo — in the segment out of the water. Besides, it does have the most distinctive grille in the business, an important consideration in a segment that is becoming increasingly homogenized. David Booth