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Mercedes Vision Tokyo Concept is a minivan for millennials [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz believes that the next generation of drivers would much rather interact digitally with their machines than actually be behind the wheel. To satiate the desires of these tech-obsessed passengers, the company reimagines the minivan as a rolling, autonomous lounge called the Vision Tokyo Concept. The silver lozenge debuts at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. With its rounded edges, plentiful glass, and satiny Alubeam paint, the Vision Tokyo looks like a minivan from the high-tech future out of a William Gibson story. Up front, the windshield wraps all the way around, and the side glass is screen-printed in silver for privacy. The massive grille is illuminated and can even show the sound pattern of the music playing inside. Meanwhile at the rear, red LED lights surround the oval window. While the exterior is fairly minimalist, the Vision Tokyo puts its biggest emphasis on pampering the five passengers inside. They enter through a massive gullwing door in the concept's side, and rather than traditional rows of seats, there's a wraparound couch. Once comfortable, occupants can use LED screens on the walls, and in a truly sci-fi touch there's a holographic entertainment system in the center. Should someone actually need to drive, a seat can also deploy from the couch, and a steering wheel slides into position. Riding in this metallic chariot at least isn't too bad for the environment. The powertrain combines a hydrogen fuel cell and batteries capable of inductive charging. In total, the combo would offer a claimed range of 609 miles – 118 miles purely on electricity and 491 miles from the H2. That kind of driving distance should keep the digital party inside rocking for quite a wild night. Check out the high-res image gallery above and the video below. And for more, stay tuned for our live coverage from the Tokyo Motor Show. Mobile club lounge for young, urban trendsetters Mercedes-Benz Vision Tokyo: Connected Lounge Stuttgart/Tokyo. The Vision Tokyo is the latest trailblazing spatial experience to come from Mercedes-Benz: its monolithic structure, futuristic design idiom and unique lounge ambience in the interior define it as luxurious, young and progressive – thus making it a fitting tribute to the sophisticated megacity and trendsetting metropolis that is Tokyo.

Mercedes-AMG working on a successor to the SLR?

It's been mere days since Mercedes-AMG chairman Tobias Moers told journalists at the LA Auto Show that his brand would not develop a super coupe to challenge the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari LaFerrari - at least, not right now. Nevertheless, German magazine Auto Bild has the story that AMG is "considering" a successor to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which, technically, wouldn't need to be a competitor at the great-white-shark end of the supercar spectrum. According to Auto Bild's sources, Considerations have apparently gone far enough for engineers to be debating whether to develop such a car on the brand's Modular Sports Architecture (MSA) that will support the next-generation SL-Class, which would necessitate a front-engined car, or to do a mid-engined monster. An MSA-based coupe would use a supercharged V6 to power the rear wheels with an electric motor working the fronts, and somewhere around 650 horsepower would get the help of active aerodynamics to make the most of its potential. Production numbers of roughly 3,000 units per year are tied to a price of at least $260,000 or more. Discussions around a mid-engined supercar, on the other hand, go all the way with composite body wrapped around a supercharged V8, a total of of supposedly 1,050 horsepower with the aid of two 125-kW motors on the front axle, all-wheel drive and lots of ground-effects aero to tame it, and a price of "over one million euros" for a limited run of no more than 750 units. Either car would begin with a coupe model, followed by a roadster, a Black Series, and a GT3 version. The SLR could be considered in between these two, but closer to the MSA-based car. A collaboration between Mercedes and McLaren, it made 617 horsepower from a front-mounted, supercharged 5.4-liter V8 and cost $450,000 at a time when the Porsche Carrera GT cost $444,000 and the Ferrari Enzo cost $643,000. It's biggest problem was that it wasn't very good as a supercar, and Auto Bild posits that AMG might want to correct that blemish on the corporate record. Moers said at the auto show that AMG doesn't have the engineering capacity right now to do this kind of car. He also said he thought the marketplace wouldn't accept AMG as a hypercar brand, but talks with customers in prime markets "give me a different view to that." Related Video:

8 cars we're most looking forward to driving in 2015

Now that 2014 is officially in the books, it's time to look ahead. And following our list of the cars we liked best last year, we're now setting our sights at the hot new metal that's coming our way in 2015. Some of these, we've already seen. And some are still set to debut during the 2015 auto show season. But these are the machines that keep us going – the things on the horizon that we're particularly stoked to drive, and drive hard. Jeep Renegade Not the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Not the Ford Mustang GT350. Not the new John Cooper Works Mini. Nope, I'm looking forward to the adorable, trail-rated Jeep Renegade. And that's because I really, really, really like our long-term Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. I do not, however, care too much for the Cherokee's looks, and I really don't like its $38,059 price tag. The Renegade Trailhawk, meanwhile, promises much of the same rough-and-tumble character as its big brother, but at what we expect will be a more reasonable price (I'm personally wagering on the baby Jeep's off-road model starting at no more than $23,000). With a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a nine-speed automatic, it should also be a bit easier to fill than the V6-powered Cherokee. Also, I can't help but love the way the Renegade looks. It's like someone took a Wrangler, squished it by 50 percent and then handed it off to George Clinton for a healthy dose of funk. The interior, with its bright, expressive trims and color schemes should also be a really nice place to spend some time. I'll be attending the Renegade's launch later this month, so I'll have a much shorter wait than my colleagues. Here's hoping the baby Jeep lives up to my expectations. – Brandon Turkus Associate Editor Mazda MX-5 Miata Here's an uncomfortable truth: I'd rather spend a day driving a properly sorted Mazda MX-5 Miata of any generation on a winding road than I would nearly any other vehicle, regardless of power, price or prestige. It's not just that I prize top-down driving and enjoy the Miata's small size because it gives me more road to play with. I just find there's more motoring joy to be had with high-fidelity handling and an uncorrupted car-to-driver communication loop than I do with face-distorting power or grip – let alone valet-stand gravitas. But perhaps most of all, I love Miatas because they can deliver that level of feedback and driver reward at modest speeds that won't put the locals on edge or endanger lives – you can use more of the car more of the time.