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Mercedes-Maybach GLS prototype caught testing with its big new grille

The new Mercedes-Benz GLS is a massive tech fortress on wheels, so the Maybach GLS is bound to be a massive tech castle. Last we heard from the gigantic Benz SUV was that it was going to be built at Mercedes’ Alabama plant. With a starting price expected to be around $200,000, itÂ’ll probably be the most expensive vehicle produced in the U.S. These spy shots give us an idea of what weÂ’re going to be looking at when the production SUV is finally revealed. Our first hint that this prototype is a Maybach is the grille. It looks suspiciously similar to the grille on the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Concept with all the vertical slats running down the big maw. Minimal camouflage is disguising the exterior for the most part, but we imagine Mercedes is hiding any of the gaudier parts of the car itÂ’d like to save for a big reveal. The exhaust outlets sure do look a bit different than the regular GLS, but the outside is generally the same as what we see today. As for the interior, thatÂ’s where most of the magic is expected to happen. A significantly overhauled look is inevitable, with the focus on even more luxurious materials than the most expensive norm-core GLS. A rear seat that's fit for a king or two is likely, along with Maybach-exclusive tech to boot. For now, we canÂ’t see in the heavily camouflaged and taped-off windows, leaving us to wonder about the luxury within. This Mercedes-Maybach is expected to compete with other massively expensive SUVs like the Bentley Bentayga or a fully decked-out Range Rover.  Everything thatÂ’s optional on the GLS should come as standard here, including the trick E-Active Body Control suspension. Look for a reveal coming in the not-so-distant future, as this prototype doesnÂ’t look terribly far from production to us. Featured Gallery Mercedes-Maybach GLS View 12 Photos Spy Photos Maybach Mercedes-Benz SUV Luxury

Lewis Hamilton needs to step up in his 200th F1 race

LONDON — Lewis Hamilton will start the 200th grand prix of his Formula One career in Belgium this weekend, but the triple world champion has smaller but more significant numbers on his mind. Refreshed from an August break in the Caribbean, including a trip to Cuba in his role as UNICEF ambassador, the Mercedes driver is 14 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel as he revs up for the second half of the season. A fifth victory of 2017 for the Briton would put the pressure back on Ferrari's Vettel, and Hamilton can celebrate another milestone by bagging pole position on Saturday at the long and fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit. That would see Hamilton, who sportingly relinquished third place to team mate Valtteri Bottas in Hungary before the summer shutdown, match the record of 68 poles set by Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2006. Mercedes has won the last two Belgian Grands Prix, with now-retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg triumphant from pole last year after Hamilton won in 2015. Nobody will be taking anything for granted, however, after Ferrari's one-two win in Budapest at the end of July. "On paper, people will assume that Spa should suit our car because it is a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency is extremely important," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said. "But assumptions are dangerous — we have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next. So we will be making no assumptions." Hamilton has won twice before at Spa, as has Vettel, but the track — a classic blast from the past — has not been particularly kind to him. In 2008, when he won his first title, the Briton was demoted from first to third after the race for cutting a chicane, with then Ferrari rival Felipe Massa savoring victory instead. Spa can often be a lottery, with its capricious weather, and rain could be a boon for Red Bull's Belgian-born Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, who can count on plenty of local support in what amounts to a home race. "I just love the track and it'll be nice seeing so many orange (Dutch) fans in the grandstands," he said. "Spa is my favorite track of the year. You have to get everything right but when you get a good lap it's very rewarding." Belgium could also be good for Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who arrives with a new contract for 2018 in his pocket.

Mercedes to add 10 new plug-ins by 2017

The range of plug-in hybrid models available from Mercedes-Benz is about to see a massive expansion thanks to the German luxury brand's announcement to add 10 of them in the lineup by 2017. At the same time the company is rebranding its PHEV range to carry the simple letter "e." For example, the C-Class model previously known as the C350 Plug-in Hybrid is now renamed he C350e. Some of the models in Mercedes' PHEV range are already known, like the aforementioned C350e, and the luxury brand is hinting at two more. The GLE is confirmed to be the brand's first plug-in crossover at some point after the non-coupe version debuts. The company also seems to suggest the Concept V-ision E might see production. Shown in Geneva, the van is based on the V-Class, which is related to upcoming Metris in the US. Mercedes' lineup of diesel and gasoline-fueled hybrids has helped the brand reduce its fleet emissions in Europe by over 40 percent in the last two model generations. Not all of these new PHEVs might make it to the US, though. Mercedes spokesperson Michael Minielly tells Autoblog the company's confirmed plug-ins are the 2016 S550e and C350e that launches this fall. "We have no further announcements regarding what else will be coming to the US market at this time," he said. The rest of the electrified lineup here includes the E400 Hybrid, plus the B-Class Electric Drive and Smart Fortwo Electric Drive EVs. Strategic hybrid initiative from Mercedes-Benz: Ten new plug-in hybrids by 2017 Stuttgart/San Francisco. Extra impetus for the Mercedes-Benz strategic hybrid initiative: In the run-up to 2017 the company is bringing out a total of ten plug-in hybrid models, i.e. one new model with high-tech hybrid drive every four months on average. Following the successful launch of the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID, this month will see the C 350 e, the second model to feature the progressive drive concept, find its way to dealerships. And what might happen next with the strategic hybrid initiative has just been demonstrated by the Concept V-ision e study at the Geneva Motor Show. Under the new Mercedes-Benz nomenclature, an "e" replaces the words PLUG-IN HYBRID. "Plug-in hybrids are a key technology on the road to the local emission-free future of the automobile," emphasises Prof Dr Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.