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Mercedes-Benz’s chief operating officer, Markus Schäfer, told the U.K. publication Autocar that even though some markets still love their wagons—sorry, estates—”this market is under pressure.”For the U.S., Mercedes said the few station wagon models it sells remain important thanks to loyal customers.Other model segments that Mercedes could shrink or discontinue include coupes and cabriolets, in part because making a beautiful electric cabriolet is an engineering challenge, he said.Station wagons have been all but eliminated in the U.S. thanks to the popularity of crossovers and SUVs, but they are certainly not dead in the hearts of many. Which is why it’s notable that Mercedes-Benz’s chief operating officer, Markus Schäfer, has hinted that the automaker is questioning what role these wagons—called estate models in Europe—will play in the company’s future.

“[With] estate cars, we have to see,” Schäfer told Autocar. “This market is under pressure as more and more customers move to SUVs, and there are just a few markets left for estates and station wagons. So we have to see how the volumes are developing. They’re technically absolutely possible—that wouldn’t be a problem—but it’s more a question of how this niche is developing. I know the U.K. is a great market for station wagons.”Autocar, which is based in the U.K., said it has heard from other Mercedes-Benz representatives that the fact that today’s SUVs are getting more efficient, especially when it comes to designing aerodynamic electric SUVs, means that demand for estate cars is shrinking.

2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S wagon.
Mercedes-AMG

In the U.S., Mercedes sells the E-Class wagon, calling the E450 All-Terrain wagon (top) “quite possibly the most brainy wagon on Earth” and the 2021 AMG E63 S wagon (above) “unexpectedly exotic.” Those positive remarks are in line with the official company line regarding the future of Benz wagons in the U.S.”Station wagons [estates], although occupying a specific niche, remain an important offering to one of our most loyal customer segments,” a spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz USA told Car and Driver.But there’s another concern: Mercedes-Benz’s work on developing more vehicles with electric powertrains could reduce the number of coupes and cabriolets the brand sells, Schäfer told Autocar. “We have to recognize that the demand for cabriolets is dropping around the world. China is not a roadster-covering market, and there are [fewer] buyers in Europe who decide on a cabriolet, compared to some years ago,” he said. “It’s not that easy to build a good-looking cabriolet [as an EV]. It’s an engineering effort. It’s quite a job and a task to keep it in nice proportions and not to lift it too high, with a big battery underneath it. There are some cars out in the market that would not meet our tastes. So we will come up with something better.”
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Ever since it first made its debut back in 1992, the Gran Turismo series has been a favorite title among automotive enthusiasts and gamers alike. With the seventh main title entry in the series well underway, fans of the Sony-exclusive racing game have just been treated to another showcase trailer. Not only does this highlight some of the vehicles that players will have a chance to race, but it confirms a number of the locations and features coming to Gran Turismo 7.
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The trailer begins with a cinematic closeup of a headlight belonging to the Porsche 917 Living Legend concept from 2019. As the camera pulls away, we can see that the concept racer is flanked by several historic models from Stuttgart, including a proper 917, a 962, and what appears to be a 911 GT2 RS. Those machines alone should be enough to excite any virtual racer, but the goodness doesn’t stop there. As “Moon over the Castle” plays in the background, the trailer moves through a bunch of seriously exciting automobiles of all varieties. JDM icons like the A80 and A90 Toyota Supra, GR Yaris, and several different Nissan GT-Rs make a notable appearance, while entries like the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, Ferrari FXX-K, and Bugatti Bolide provide an entirely different level of performance.

Players will also have the ability to customize their ride with an extensive catalog of parts and visual enhancements once again. Whether this be in the form of installing a turbocharger or a designing a new livery, Gran Turismo 7 will allow players to shape their cars however they see fit. That level of adjustability will be crucial for players hunting lap times around the game’s many tracks. Gran Turismo 7 features a ton of locations long-time players will be familiar with, such as Dragon Trail, High Speed Ring, Trial Mountain, and Tokyo Expressway. More famous locales like the Nordschleife and Circuit de la Sarthe are of course present as well. Gran Turismo 7 is slated to arrive on March 4, 2022, for both the PS4 and PS5 consoles.

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Car and Driver’s weekly soap opera explores new emotional depths as the Window Shopping crew reaches into its traumatized youth to recall the utter crap our families once drove. Join us in a terrifying journey into the abyss of shoddy engineering, horrifying quality and really stupid decision making. These are… The Worst Cars of Our Lives. No mention is made of any vehicular hideousness currently resident in our garages. That will be another episode. So what nightmares did we recall? Did someone in this crew actually own a Chevrolet Vega? Yes. Yes, he did. Another panelist recalled his father’s nine-month sojourn with an ’81 Oldsmobile Toronado powered by the infamous diesel V-8 that that GM division foisted upon the world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Another burned his thighs on the hot vinyl of a Chevrolet Citation. While one felt Carroll Shelby had betrayed his kin by getting involved with a lousy front-drive Dodge. Finally, well, the youngest panelist had a pretty good life that included (Gasp!) having to manually wind up the windows in a Toyota Corolla CE! Can you imagine how that has scarred his psyche and burdened soul? Yeah, that’s right. It’s lunacy. Join us for this week’s conflict, comedy and cheating. This time, bad is good. Like, subscribe, and please share on Facebook, Twitter and any other media to which you participate. Also, bring it up in conversation the next time you’re on line at the supermarket. Because like sands through the hour glass, these are the Worst Cars of Our Lives. Then, once you’re done watching and have recovered your grip on reality, go to RoadAndTrack.com to read all the latest stories written by John Pearley Huffman.

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The Subaru WRX enters its third generation with a new platform, new engine, new looks, and a sporty GT model. It’s powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four paired with either a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission. The 2022 WRX will go on sale in the U.S. early next year. Subaru launched the all-wheel-drive, rally-inspired sport compact craze in the U.S. the early 2000s with the WRX. Others followed such as the Ford Focus RS, Mazdaspeed 3, and Mitsubishi Lancer. But those cars have all come and gone, leaving the WRX and the new Volkswagen Golf R as the only remaining vehicles in this space. The pioneering Subie is now entering its new generation with only a bit more power, but it rides on a new platform, boasts improved looks, and adds a new sporty GT model.

The new car is built on Subaru’s Global Platform that currently underpins all of Subaru’s vehicles, excluding the rear-wheel-drive BRZ sports coupe that’s jointly developed with Toyota. Subaru says the new platform improves strength and provides a lower center of gravity. And, of course, all-wheel drive with torque vectoring is standard. Subaru claims to have reduced body roll in the new WRX by mounting the stabilizer bar directly to the body instead of the subframe, and switching to a dual-pinion electric power steering rack should improve steering feel.

Either 17- or 18-inch wheels are available, wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx summer tires. The new WRX retains the same overall sedan shape as before, with a large hood scoop and wide fenders, and its aggressive styling seems to be borrowed from the BRZ. We see the resemblance especially in the taillights. For 2022, the WRX gains only 3 horsepower. The new model is powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine that produces 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The previous WRX used a 268-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four. You can choose from either a six-speed manual transmission (#SavetheManuals) or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
A new GT model (pictured in gray) is available that adds adaptive dampers with comfort, normal, and sport drive modes, suede Recaro front seats with red stitching, and GT-specific 18-inch matte gray wheels wrapped in the summer rubber. An STI model, which is expected to have around 400 horsepower, should also join the lineup soon.An 11.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is the center point of the new car’s interior. The old model had either a 6.5-inch screen or an optional 7.0-inch unit. Like the old model, the new WRX has a black interior with red stitching and carbon fiber accents, and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is available. The 2022 Subaru WRX will go on sale early next year in base, Premium, Limited, and GT models. Those waiting for a hatchback model will be disappointed because Subaru says it’ll only be offered as a sedan for now.
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