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Xcar spools up the Mercedes-AMG GT

Xcar has sampled its fair share of high-performance machinery. And a fair few of them have come from Stuttgart and its satellite in Affalterbach. The British video crew had yet to sample the new Mercedes flagship, but it takes care of that in this latest installment. That's right, it's time to check out the new Mercedes-AMG GT. AMG's new twin-turbocharged halo car has a tough act to follow, hitting the scene in the wake of the celebrated Mercedes SLS AMG, what with its gullwing doors and big atmospheric V8. But even with those big, wide rubber shoes to fill, Xcar finds there's plenty to love in the new AMG GT – particularly in the exhaust note, which is far from a given from a forced-induction engine. And with as much as 503 horsepower on tap, Xcar aptly points out that it's as potent as many a supercar from just a few years ago. Yet it's far more reasonably priced – in relative terms, that is. It's enough to not only put BMW's M and Audi's Quattro divisions to shame, but put Porsche on notice in the process. And therein lies the vital question: is it better than a 911? Even a 911 Turbo? That's the answer that Xcar seeks to find in this latest video, but you'll want to watch it for yourself to see what conclusion they've reached. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Mercedes stationary batteries, 2015 E-Mazing Race

Mercedes-Benz is following Tesla's Powerwall in selling stationary batteries for home, business, and industrial solar energy storage. The lithium-ion batteries will come in 2.5- and 5.9-kWh capacities, and can be linked together. Daimler's vehicle battery technology, "has proven to work for millions of driven kilometers in the toughest environments of heat and cold, which makes it the best candidate also for stationary use," says Harald Kroeger of Mercedes-Benz. Pricing is unavailable as of yet, but Mercedes promises "competitive" pricing when the batteries go on sale at the Intersolar trade fair (June 10 through 12) in Munich, Germany. Read more at Automotive News, or in the press release below. The third running of the E-Mazing Race competition for electric vehicles is underway in Canada. The race challenges drivers to earn the most points by charging at Sun Country Highway charging stations in a month. Contestants needn't have been at the official starting point nor cross the finish line; they just needed to sign up and download the race app to participate. More remote charging stations offer more points when charging, and participants can also win prizes for photos and using social media. The 2015 E-Mazing Race, which began May 27 and ends June 24, is meant to raise awareness of electric vehicles. Sun Country is working on expanding its EV charging infrastructure in the US, so don't be surprised to see the race encompassing most of North America in the future. Read more at Green Car Reports. Linde has opened a new hydrogen fueling station in Innsbruck, Austria. The station, located in the popular destination city that has twice hosted the Winter Olympics, will allow hydrogen-powered vehicles to cross the Alps and travel between Italy and Germany. The station is capable of 700-bar refueling and can fuel six cars per hour. It was built as part of the HyFive project to create hydrogen fueling infrastructure across Europe to facilitate the rollout of fuel cell vehicles. It is the second public hydrogen station in Austria. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release below from Linde.

2016 Mercedes GLE Coupe priced from $66,025

The folks at Mercedes-Benz are really keeping busy this year with the launch of a host of new products. Among them are a slate of crossovers, including the GLC and GLE-Class. While pricing for those two have already been revealed, the company has finally decided to spill the beans about the cost for the more rakish GLE Coupe. The 362-horepower, 2016 GLE450 AMG Coupe runs $66,025 after the obligatory $925 destination charge on all of MB's vehicles for the model year. That model comes with all-wheel drive, a nine-speed automatic, plus a heap of luxurious standard features. If you want more power, the 577-hp Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S costs $110,225 and includes a more aggressive exterior and Nappa leather interior. Both versions of the German brand's fastback, four-door CUVs arrive at dealers in August. If you're interested, Autoblog has already published full driving impressions for the whole GLE-Class family. While the GLE Coupe is among the newest members of the Mercedes lineup, the G-Class, one of the company's oldest, is seeing some improvements, too. The G550 for $120,825 now benefits from the C63 AMG-derived 4.0-liter V8 making 416 hp and 450 lb-ft, which are gains of 34 hp and 59 lb-ft over the outgoing V8. The SUV also gets styling tweaks, like revised bumpers and larger fender flares. Meanwhile, the G63 AMG offers 563 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque (an extra 27 hp but the same torque as before) for $140,825. The 621-hp G65 AMG tops the range for $218,825. MERCEDES-BENZ ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL 2016 MODEL YEAR PRICING AND PRODUCT UPDATES The unprecedented product offensive continues with a host of exciting new models August 04, 2015 - ATLANTA, Ga. -- Mercedes-Benz USA today announced pricing and product information for the GLC, G-Class, GLE (ML facelift), C450 AMG 4MATIC sedan, and GLE Coupe. This follows the 2016 Mercedes-Benz pricing and model year changes already announced in mid-June 2015. Arriving in dealerships in November 2015, the all-new GLC300 and GLC300 4MATIC represent a compelling new entry in a thriving SUV segment. With a starting MSRP of $38,950*(2WD) and $40,950* (4MATIC) respectively, the all-new GLC features a powerful 2.0 liter turbocharged inline 4 cylinder engine that generates 241hp and 273lb-ft of torque and a new 9-speed automatic transmission.