WeeklySA_Admin2022 MERCEDES-AMG SL INTERIOR
If the rear seats aren’t needed the wind deflector can protect front seat passengers from wind at the back of the neck. The headrests are visually integrated into the backrest to make them look sporty.
This is just a teaser of what we can expect from the new Mercedes Benz AMG-SL to be launched later this year. Mercedes says that “it will advance the iconic series with high comfort, remarkable design, precise driving dynamics and optimal packaging”.
To that end Benz says its designers what they call “hyperanalog.”
A good example is the full digital instrument cluster integrated into a three-dimensional visor. The 12.3-inch high-res LCD screen is integrated into a visor directly placed in front of the driver. The design prevents sun reflections. The 2022 version marks the first time the SL has had 2+2 seating for the first time since the 1989 R 129.
FLYING CARS TO COST MORE
The idea of personal-use flying cars was introduced in 1917 and to this day the whole concept of a plane/car mashup normal folks could actually buy mostly remains just that—an idea.
After taking into account the cost of the flying car itself, how much it would be to insure it, how much a flying license costs to acquire, how much it would cost to store and park the thing, the cost-to-benefit ratio seems pretty unappealing.
This is especially when you consider that the type of mogul that could afford a flying car likely already has a private jet or a helicopter at their disposal.
A grounded advice is that just save your money and buy a Ferrari.
You’ll look better in it, and you’ll probably have more fun driving it, too
2022 Passat out the door
Volkswagen announced its intention to drop the Passat from its lineup last year, and the 2022 model year will be this sedan’s last in the U.S.
Nearly 50 years of Passat sales here aren’t going out without a little fizzle, though. In conjunction with the death announcement, VW revealed a Limited Edition trim for the 2022 model year as a sendoff. It features a number of appearance and styling touches to pay homage to the city of Chattanooga where the Passat was manufactured since 2011.
The seats have tags on them reading “Chattanooga 2011” on one side and “1 of 1973” on the other. The latter stands for two things at once. VW plans to build 1,973 Limited Edition models, with the number chosen for the year Volkswagen launched the Passat in Germany — 1973.
Fiat’s Abarth Will Be All-Electric in 2024
The Fiat 500 Electric is already on sale in Europe but the more important piece from Fiat’s EV Day announcement is a performance-oriented one.
Abarth, the badge most recently associated with the snapping and crackling Fiat 500 Abarth, will become electrified.
As far as what that means for the Abarth badge, we assume it means Fiats wearing the Abarth scorpion will sport either more electric motors or more powerful motors than standard models.
The company could also make Abarth-badged Fiat cars sharper handling, to distinguish them from their entry-level stablemates. Ultimately, we’re going to have to wait a few years to see how it all shakes out.
If you’re an Abarth fan that still loves the snarling exhaust note of the 500 Abarth or the 124 Spider Abarth, there’s no major shortage of those on the used market.
