The Mercedes-AMG GT S might just be the perfect grand tourer. It’s undeniably sexy and comfortable inside, yet there’s plenty of tail-happy power on tap if you’re looking for a thrill. It’s not exactly optimized for track performance though, and that’s a fact that AMG knows better than anyone.
A hotter, more hardcore version called the GT R is on the way, and the vehicle is expected to debut at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 23. The news first came from a Michelin press release that has since been deleted, but the cat’s out the bag, so to speak. According to our friends over at Autoblog, the release stated that the GT R will produce 570 horsepower from its retuned 4.0-liter powerplant, which is 67 hp more than the already quick GT S.
Mercedes won’t confirm those numbers at this time, but the vehicle has been spotted testing in the Arctic Circle as well as at the famed Nurburgring, so it’s definitely happening. Whatever the final specs are, we expect the vehicle to shed weight, equip stiffer suspension, include bigger brakes, and wear a more aggressive aero kit compared to its softer sibling. In order to compete with other track-focused sports cars like the Porsche 911 GT3, it has to.
In terms of pricing, all we have is pure speculation. Given the GT S’ MSRP of $129,000, though, it’s very possible the GT R could cost upwards of $140,000.
Read more: Our favorite luxury coupes prove why more than two doors is too many
If the GT R news has you worried that a Black Series variant will get overlooked, not to worry as there is hope. The German brand is still reportedly planning a more powerful version for release around 2018, and if it looks anything like the renderings that popped up last year, it can’t come soon enough.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.