Autocar January 5, 2022

TOYOTA’S DECISION to unveil an entire motor show’s worth of new cars, all of them electric, in a single presentation was as remarkable a public insight into a company’s future model plans as any in living memory (see p12). Yet Toyota is not a brand to dip its toe into something to see how it goes. It goes in big, having first carefully weighed up the merits of doing so to avoid merely jumping on a bandwagon. Big, but not all in. Company boss Akio Toyoda said that his firm is not yet wholly sure what the ultimate uptake and technology direction will be for electric cars and, as such, it is keeping all future technology options in play so that it can respond to the needs of its customers as different…

The new Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept is claimed to set new energy efficiency benchmarks to get a “real-world range of more than 620 miles” – 167 more than the EQS flagship EV. The rakish compact saloon is the latest in a long line of design studies made public by the German car maker. It has been conceived to challenge existing EV principles in a programme aimed at hatching new ideas, processes and innovations for adoption on upcoming EVs. The result is a car that, despite conforming to all existing German roadworthiness regulations and providing seating for four adults, is claimed to set a new record for aerodynamic efficiency, with a drag rating of below 0.18Cd. This compares with the 0.20Cd of the EQS. The development programme for the EQXX is said to have…

The Vision EQXX concept is interesting in its own right, but doubly so because it serves as a physical acknowledgment of a harsh truth for car makers: bigger batteries aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution to making electric vehicles more usable. Radical new construction methods, light-weighting processes and, of course, painstaking attention to aerodynamic detail will be utterly crucial as EVs start being produced at volumes comparable to fossil-burners, and especially so given the cross-industry focus on sustainability. However, although the benefits of the EQXX’s design and positioning are plain as day, its principles can’t be applied so readily to bulbous, high-riding SUVs, which are the spécial du jour and look certain to remain so on the menu for the coming years. We are therefore likely to see elements from the concept rolled out…

2015 F015 This luxurious hydrogen fuel cell EV showed Mercedes’ vision for living spaces that could drive with no human input. It took a step closer to that goal last month, gaining approval for level-three autonomous technology to be deployed in the S-Class and EQS on German autobahns. 2018 EQ Silver Arrow This 738bhp single-seater was influenced by the Silver Arrow racers of the 1930s but also embodied Mercedes’ enhanced focus on aerodynamics as it embarked on an EV product offensive. Like the EQXX, it featured an extending rear diffuser to improve airflow at speed. 2020 Vision AVTR Developed with the makers of hit sci-fi film Avatar, the AVTR explored the relationship between machines and humans. Spherical tyres and open sides were its most outlandish cues, but active aero and holographic infotainment more closely previewed…

Prodrive is putting the finishing touches to the first road-going version of its latest Bahrainibacked Dakar Rally car, the BRX Hunter T1+, and intends to have it ready to drive through Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in time for the start of the 2022 event this week. The first road car, built for Bahrain’s Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, spearheads a batch of 25 road-going T1s that will be produced at Prodrive’s Banbury HQ over the next two years. Exact pricing is still being worked out, but it is understood cars will cost around £1.25 million apiece. Prodrive chairman David Richards has previously described the road-going Hunter T1 as “the Ferrari of the desert” and has created the vehicle to be the fastest cross-country production car in the world. An elaborate Prodrive brochure,…

Why build a road-going Hunter T1+? “Many people in remote areas, especially the Middle East, do a lot of desert driving for recreation. There’s a big off-road culture. It seemed logical to propose such a car – and then the crown prince [of Bahrain] became interested in being our first owner…” How different is the roadgoing car from Sébastien Loeb’s Dakar racer? “Not very different, really. It’s a bit more comfortable and quieter in the cockpit, and it rides a bit lower. There can be boot space if the owner wants. But it has the same chassis and suspension and very similar tyres. We intend it to be very, very capable in places where there are no roads.” Why have you chosen that sand colour for the first car? “That’s the crown prince’s choice and…