Mac and Merc Boosted

POWER INCREASES ANNOUNCED FOR MP4-12C AND SLS

McLaren and Mercedes have both announced upgrades for their junior supercars, including power increases.

The 2013-spec MP4-12C sees its output boosted by 24bhp to 616bhp, with existing cars getting the same upgrade as a sofware update. Together with some gearbox tweaks, it's enough to trim 0.1sec from the official 0-12mph time - which falls to 8.8sec. Well, every little helps. Other tweaks include more engine noise in the cabin and proper release buttons for the upward-hinging doors in place of the previous touch sensors, which often failed to work. Another useful option is a vehicle lift function to help clear speed-bumps. The basic price rises from £168,500 to £176,000.

Meanwhile, Mercedes has revealed a 'GT' pack for the SLS coupe, with power increased by 20bhp(rising to 583bhp) and with the gearbox reprogrammed to deliver faster shifts. Together they're said to cut the 0-62mph time by a tenth of a second, dropping it to 3.7sec. The GT also gets revised suspension, which offers only the firmer 'Sport' and 'Sport Plus' settings and scraps the 'Comfort' mode of the standard SLS. Prices haven't been announced yet but the GT will be certain to carry a supplement over the standard SLS coupe.

Merc ML350 4Matic BlueEfficiency

Merc ML350 4Matic BlueEfficiency

The first generation ML had its moment of glory when it was featured in the famous Jurassic Park movie. Beyond that, in this country at least, it only appealed to Malaysians who wanted something different. Otherwise, the consensus seemed to be that it was pale in comparison with its German rivals. The ML soldiered on nevertheless and we now see it in third generation guise and there are appreciable differences, of course.

The change in wheelbase length is quite miniscule but the new ML does sit wider and lower than its predecessors. That does make it look sportier. Apparently,ground clearance was sacrificed to attain this urban look and the new ML sits nearly three inches closer to terra firma.

Exterior changes are subtle; in fact, those unfamiliar with the ML - and there are many- won't be able to tell the difference. Fancy LEDs are sprinkled all around the new body. More chrome bits are seen on the front and rear. The overall design edges more towards the classy rather than the rugged. It is easier imagining the ML sitting in a hotel lobby rather than wading through swamp land.

No surprise then that the inside is glitzier than the previous model. Mercedes-Benz still has the upper hand in cabin design. While BMW maintains its driver-centric yet barren interior and Audi tries to have the most amount of lighted buttons and knobs and switches, Mercedes-Benz sticks to the traditional luxury tone it knows so well, and it works. The ML's interior is by far the classiest in its category.

Under the sculpted hood is the updated engine which is still 3,498cc big and is still a V6. What has changed is the way fuel is fed into system. Now the engine sips fuel using direct injection. The result is increased horsepower (up by 34bhp) and lower consumption, 8.5L/100km.

The transmission is the 7G-TRONIC PLUS with Direct Select, which means you get to swap cogs using the paddles on the steering wheel or via the gear lever. Local specs get you the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel-drive system that works together with the electronic stability software. No,it doesn't snow in Malaysia but the feeling that this luxury SUV can tackle mushy ice if it does snow here is pretty much alluring enough for the ML's target market.

Anyway, this ML certainly drives as well as Mercedes-Benz claims. The ML feels better planted than before. lt has less SUV roll and the steering feelback is a lot better. At least, we knew where the front types were pointed.

The best was the throttle response. There was an instantaneous reaction from the V6 engine. Previously, the response was not as fluid as this. It seemed like Unify had replaced the Pony Express to send signals to the V6. Okay,we are exaggerating but you do get the point right? Smoother throttle control allowed us to have better control of the ML, which in turn offered a better driving experience. Fuel consumption too was noticeably lower, averaging around 12L/100km during its stay with us.

On the undulating East Coast Expressway, the air suspension provided a super smooth ride at highway speeds. You could crank up the speed more, even at night when Mercedes-Benz's amazing headlight system 'reads' the road and adjusts the headlight' throw to offer fine visibility. lt goes into high beam when there is no oncoming traffic and dips when it is on an empty highway and stretches the light beam sideways, giving better visibility. So what,you may say. Well, it's good because we do have the odd cow or goat wandering onto our highways.

On rough roads, however, those big 21-inch wheels feel heavy and crash into holes in a slightly harsh manner. That's easily solved if you don't mind trading down to smaller wheels with thicker side walls. It would be a good investment in ride comfort.

All said, the ML has always been different from the rest. The interior, the classy design and the fact that there are not many MLs on the road gives it a certain air of exlusivity. That should appeal to the upper echelon of society.

Mercedes Concept GLA

A Concept That Looks Showroom Ready

• Mercedes is keen to take its slice of the compact SUV market with this four-wheel drive take on the A- and B- Class paltform. Ditch the massive 20in wheels with styled slick tyres for something a little smaller, lose the roof-mounted projector beam lights and you have the GLA, which will be appearing in a Mercedes-Benz dealership near you in 2014.

Sporty SUV Coupe

• This isn't just another SUV according to Mercedes. 'The Concept GLA marks a new approach for us in the compact SUV segment - this is a sporty and more coupe-like evolution of this category of vehicle,' said Merc's maketing boss Dr Joachim Schmidt. What PR drivel - it really is just another SUV, though one that looks stylish enough to keep up with the Range Rover Evoque on the catwalk.

What's Beneath The Concept Skin?

• The GLA will run the same fourpot petrol and diesels as the B-Class; Mercedes showcased the 211bhp turbodiesel in the concept. The seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox and 4Matic four-wheel drive system will also be available.

Lasers For Eyes

• Lesers? Not the weapon for a new Transformer but new lighting technology on the Concept GLA. The lights are actually a combination of laser and LED tech, which give off a shimmering blue-tinged light at the front. They even have rotating vents for cooling. It might sound mad but lasers produce very clear light and can be sharply focussed.

Wacky Concept Ideas

• It wouldn't be a concept car without some oddball elements sneaked into the design. Mercedes is staying on message with removable cameras - so you can stick them on your mountainbike helmet, obviously - and lights on the roof rails, a tyre that continues the alloy wheels' blade design in the tread, and lamps that can used as film projectors.

Mercedes SLS Electric Drive (High Voltage)

AUDI, WHEN IT came to crunch time, was all talk. The much-promised electric R8 never materialised. Too expensive, too little demand, says Ingolstadt on the subject of electric supercars. Mercedes begs to differ.

Developed in conjunction with Benz's UK- based F1 experts in Brixworth, the SLS Electric Drive isn't only the first zero emissions AMG, it's the most powerful production AMG ever. Four electric motors, one driving each wheel entirely indepently of the other, deliver a total of 730bhp and 738lb ft of torque. Despite a lightweight carbonfibre bulkhead and trans tunnel, the dozen lithium-ion battery modules located within that tunnel and mass of the electric motors push weight up from 1695kg to an SUV-like 2110kg.

Lift the vertical-opening gullwing door, vault the wide sill and there's little to suggest the ZE power source or the pushrod dampers up front required, as the existing double wishbone set-up left no room for front driveshafts. The cockpit is fairly cramped, but the driving position near-perfect, that long nose stretching far into the distance and the unfashionably vertical A-pillars creating a view unlike most other supercars. Instead of a nev counter, there's a power gauge with a strip of green lights between it and the speedo to tell you how much engine braking effect you've selected, which you do by tapping the now redundant shift paddles on the back of the wheel.

Being able to apply strong retardation simply by lifting the throttle is brilliant, intuitive fun, effectively making the SLS a one-pedal car. What a shame the full braking effect isn't available when the battery's full as there's mowhere for the charge to go. Never mind, a couple of drag-strip starts should make a bit of room.

Punch the throttle from a stop and the E-SLS feels supercar quick, but nothing more. All the torque vectoring in the world can't disguise that this thing weights 548kg more than the standard car, with zero to 62mph in 3.9sec, a tenth slower than the standard V8-powered SLS.

But from there upwards, a slightly giddy feeling in your gut tells you there's more to the story. A giddy feeling that develops into full-blown nausea. It's that same sensation you get when pinning the right pedal in a Bugatti Veyron, that same dizzying unsureness: I think I'm enjoying myself, but I also think I might chunder. And with no gearshifts to interrupt proceedings, that push is utterly relentless.

There's no waiting for the engine to climb onto its power wave before surfing the thing on to redline. Whatever the speed or situation, ask for more power and it is delivered instantly. While cars like the Tesla Roadster, and even the Leaf, feel rapid at legal speeds, the push in the back tails off before you're satisfied. Not so the SLS, which keeps pulling and pulling, well into three figures.

But the scale of the performance on offer is actually far less exciting than the way it is deployed. We've yet to drive a car that delivers such a perfect illustration of what real torque vectoring can achieve than this battery-powered SLS. Because each of the four wheels is driven by its own motor, torque can be apportion from 0-100% at each corner by the computer.

Comfort Mode, programmed for sale understeer and a reluctance to change direction that makes a Tory Euro-sceptic look open-minded, is so dull you'd have more fun in a long wheelbase S-class diesel. Switch through Sport Mode, to Sport Plus, and it feels like someone's moved the 'engine' back six feet in the chassis. Thee turn-in, the poise, are almost incomprehensible given that gargantuan kerb weight. Steering happens with feet, not hands, yet that agility is backed up by real stability.

On the downside, the now electro-hydraulic steering lacks feel compared to the SLS Black we drove on the same day, and the driving beyond the tyres' grip limits can feel snatchy until you learn to let the four-wheel drive system tidy up those slides for you.

AMG has invested much time to create a unique sound for the E-SLS. The car I drove didn't have the sound effects, so I had listen to some sound files on an iPad instead. They're a Tron-like take on a regular car noise, and rather lacking in character.

The Electric Drive is a fascinating piece of machinery, but at £350,000, would you pay twice the price of a regular SLS for one - add still have the usual battery-car foibles to deal with? Merc claims a 155-mile range, with a recharge taking from three to 20 hours.

Be in no doubt that this SLS is a genuinely exciting machine, but it still feels slightly sterile besides the petrol-engined alternative. So it comes down to having a car that no one else has.

There's a bigger picture, here, though; the lessons from this car will filter down to real-would affordable Mercs. A torque-vectoring electric C- class that handles like a Lotus Elise? That sounds like money well spent.