Porsche Panamera Hybrid

A Turbo S model debuts atop the 2012 Porsche Panamera lineup, along with a hybrid model. Whoever said, "You can't have it all" has never driven a 2012 Porsche Panamera. With most other cars, luxury and performance are either mutually exclusive or require compromises on each end of the spectrum. Not so with the Panamera, as the wizards at Porsche somehow blended the best of both worlds. For 2012, the performance end of the scale gets pushed a bit farther with the introduction of a new Panamera Turbo S model that generates an impressive 550 horsepower (compared to the anything-but-standard Turbo's 500 hp). There's also a new Panamera Hybrid that promises V8 performance with V6 fuel economy. These new models boost the Panamera lineup to seven models. And even if you choose one of the more basic V6 trims, we doubt you'll be disappointed. There's more than enough power for the average driver and plenty of the luxury trappings that continue into the higher reaches of the model line. Drawbacks are few. The Panamera can only accommodate four passengers, though these passengers can be full-sized adults and will find a high level of comfort in any seat. Options are quite expensive, sending the price skyward in no time, but that's par for the course for cars in this segment, and isn't likely to deter this Porsche's wealthy demographic. The Panamera's unconventional styling will likely be the main issue for many shoppers.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the new entry-level model in the German automaker’s lineup, slotting below the larger C-Class. Unlike the CLA-Class, which has a coupe-like roofline, the A-Class sedan has a side profile that’s more upright. Originally introduced in 1997 outside the U.S., the Mercedes-Benz A-Class was a tall, small hatchback made for the European market. The car featured an odd exterior design with a short hood to make it more maneuverable in the city. As a result, the car appeared unusually tall and stubby. It was also one of the first Mercedes models to feature a front-wheel-drive configuration. Mercedes-Benz introduced a second-generation model in 2004. Like its predecessor, this iteration of the A-Class was short, stubby and tall, keeping its oddball looks. Like its predecessor, the second-generation A-Class was a front-drive model. In addition to the four-door hatchback, the second generation A-Class was available as a two-door. Mercedes-Benz added an all-electric model in 2010, two years before this generation ended production.

Mercedes-Benz introduced the third-generation A-Class in 2012, still remaining unavailable in the U.S. Gone is the controversial tall and stubby look in favor of a more conventional four-door hatchback. Based closely on the Concept A, the third-generation A-Class featured better driving dynamics and for the first time was also available with all-wheel drive. It launched with range of gas and diesel engines in Europe including the 208-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four found the CLA 250 and GLA 250 paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This generation of the A-Class also marked the arrival of Mercedes’ first AMG-badged front-drive-based vehicles with the introduction of the 355-hp A45, which featured an upgraded 2.0-liter turbo-four and a performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system. It eventually got uprated to 375 hp in 2015, the same year the CLA 45 and GLA 45 also received the power bump. The fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class arrived in hatchback form last year for the European market. Mercedes-Benz introduced the sedan variant in the middle of 2018 and it will be the first A-Class to be sold in the North American market. When it launches for the 2019 model year, the A-Class sedan will be available as a single model, the A 220, in front- or all-wheel drive (4Matic in Mercedes-Benz speak) configurations. A 2.0-liter turbo-four paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The fourth-generation A-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to use the new MBUX interface that features two screens instead of the more traditional analog gauge cluster and a center display. If you want a small luxury car with a prestigious badge, the A-Class should be on your list. Mercedes’ small sedan also offers an infotainment system that eschews traditional analog gauges for slick digital displays.

The first practice sessions for the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix got underway today at the Suzuka circuit in dry and warm conditions ahead of the heavy rain showers forecast for qualifying tomorrow. MERCEDES GP PETRONAS pair Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg completed 47 laps and 35 laps of the 5.807km circuit respectively, loved by drivers for its challenging layout, as they worked on the set-up of their MGP W01 cars. “It’s a great feeling to be driving this track again. It’s really fun and a great challenge. I have always loved Suzuka and particularly the first sector which is cool and demanding at the same time. If you get it right, you enjoy it big time. I’m pleased with our practice today as the car looks better than I had expected here and I didn’t face any real issues. “It’s been quite a challenging Friday for me. Unfortunately my morning was hampered by a gearbox issue which cost me some running time at the end of the session which wasn’t ideal. From then on, I just haven’t been as happy with the car here.

I had a lot of understeer which we haven’t established the reason for, so we need to look into that overnight. Things started to come together more on the option tyre which gives me hope that we can build on that progress tomorrow. “It’s been an interesting Friday as we have worked to learn as much as possible from the dry track before the expected rain arrives this evening. Michael had a positive day with the car running well to allow him to get used to the track again and develop his set-up. Nico had a few challenges with a gearbox issue interrupting his programme this morning and a few concerns with the balance this afternoon. We have a lot of information to work with so we expect to make progress overnight. “There is certainly room for further improvements after today’s practice sessions but we have definitely experienced more challenging Fridays this year. Our race pace today looked quite reasonable but of course we are still not good enough to fight at the front of the field. The forecast for tomorrow is predicting rain so the order we saw today may change in different conditions. Michael and Nico did a good job today taking into account the current capabilities of our car and our target is to repeat this level of performance tomorrow and on Sunday.