These new Mercedes and Audi motors are in a class of their own

Top-end customers have two new beasts to whet the appetite, the Audi Q8 concept car and the most powerful ever E-Class Mercedes, says Declan Colley.

News of two very exciting — and undoubtedly expensive — new motors from Germany reached us over the holiday period. First up is a massive new SUV from Audi, while the second one is the most powerful E-Class Mercedes of all time.

The new Audi Q8 concept will be launched later this month at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Concept cars are often something which might never see the light of day, but in this case it is understood that the Q8 will see production sooner rather than later.

Indeed Audi describe the car as being “near production” and say the model represents a revolution in SUV design for them.

It is, the company maintains, a direct response to an increasing international demand for premium SUVs that “meld spaciousness with elegant and emotional styling”.

Whatever about the typical design waffle, the fact of the matter is that the Q8 will unlock a completely new segment in the SUV category.

“With the Audi Q8 concept, we have created a new spearhead within our Q model line. Its design strongly evokes sportiness and prestige,” said Audi head of design Marc Lichte.

“What’s more, we believe an important aspect of this show-car is that it offers a spacious interior with four equally comfortable seats, even with the flat roof line.”

The Q8 concept has an imposing front end; the octagonal Singleframe grille is considerably wider and positioned well forward with three-dimensional sculpting.

Audi says many of the design elements are reminiscent of the Audi Ur-quattro of the 1980s, particularly the extremely flat but very wide C-post and the prominent, flared shoulders above the wheels.

Undoubtedly we will be seeing and hearing a lot more about this new car in the very near future.

In the meantime, Mercedes-AMG has wheeled out their latest creation — the E63 version of the new E-Class — and, like its lesser siblings, it is set to carry the fight to the forthcoming BMW 5 Series and in this case to the mighty M5.

Mercedes says that like every AMG variant before it, the new E63 has a raunchy appearance made so by its low-slung carriage and a host of embellishments and design tweaks that may well bring tears to the eyes of every performance car owner.

Described as the most powerful E-Class variant of all time, its under-bonnet muscle, innovative technology, interior refinements and raw good looks combine to single the E63 out as a model aimed at those with ambition to own something unique.

In its base 563 bhp (yikes!) variant, its V8 engine, fitted with an AMG cylinder management system that helps achieve low fuel consumption and emission values, delivers an acceleration time from 0-100km/h of 3.4 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h.

In its more powerful guise, the E63 S-version comes (Holy cow!) fitted with a 4.0-litre, V8 bi-turbo engine powered to bring peak performance to a new level with a 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds and an ungoverned top speed of 300km/h.

Both of these models are available with AMG performance 4-MATIC Plus all-wheel-drive and, for the first time, with AMG 9-speed sport transmission equipped with speed shift, multi-clutch technology and wet start-off clutch.

Its sporty front end reflects the effort that has gone into its styling. Wider and more powerful looking - thanks to its even wider wheel arches, broad front fascia, new grille with silver chrome twin louvers — its squat appearance, cool colours and distinctive AMG lettering work together to inform onlookers that the E63 has a pedigree that is entirely its own.

Mercedes-Benz sales manager in Ireland, Ciaran Allen is confident there are those who will relish the prospect of owning a car he describes as being “as special as the E63 is.”

Prospective owners will be quoted a price at the time of order — and I wouldn’t expect there will be a deluge of prospective buyers - but Mercedes Ireland are guiding a figure in the region of €125,000 for the base model.