Fastest Porsche GT3

The latest Porsche 911 GT3 has set an incredible time on the go-to track for bragging rights, the Nurburgring. They call it a standard car, meaning it is stripped and tuned to the last inch from the factory.  It is a massive 12 seconds faster than its predecessor, setting a time of 7:12.7.

It is powered by a 493 BHP 4.0-litre engine and with the new times, it is one of the top ten fastest production cars on the planet. 0-100kmph comes in 3.4 seconds leading all the way up to 318kmph. 

It can also be fitted with a six-speed sports manual transmission. It makes the car a little slow in acceleration but pushes up the top speed ever so slightly. 

Mercedes rocketship 

Mercedes has released the latest AMG wagon. We love our wagons here at Shift and last week we touted the latest BMW to come sliding into the scene, the M550d x-drive. Incidentally, the new BMW 5 is yet to be officially launched in Bangladesh but we have a video walkthrough on our site. 

The AMG E 63 is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 holding down 563 BHP, 553lb/ft torque in the standard E 63. The S gets 604 BHP and 627lb/ft. Both the massive wagons reach 100kmph in a dizzying sub 3.6 seconds. We are never seeing this in Bangladesh. Astronomical taxes will keep it out of our reach but we surely can drool from a distance.

MG unleashing a crossover

Remember MG? The British brand started in 1923 and has been going back and forth between utter bankruptcy and mild hopefulness. Currently it is a subsidiary of Shanghai based SAIC Motor. They have revealed their new XS crossover. It looks good with hints of contemporary Hyundai and a lot of Mazda up front. Which is actually not a bad thing at all. Built in China, it is to be offered with a 123 BHP 1.0 or a 164 BHP 1.5. That sounds like an excellent combo. Someone should consider it for Bangladesh. It's a brand with a rich history currently making cars using modern tech offering great efficiency.

Dead Mahindra electric

Mahindra e2o is an electric car made by the Indian automaker hoping to capitalise on the green revolution. It is no Tesla though. The lithium-ion battery pack and 830 kg weight allows it to run 20 km (75 mi). It has a maximum speed of 90 km/h. It looks quite dated although considering it is an electric urban car, the looks must have come secondary on the to-do list. So what happens now? They head back to the drawing board mostly because it is an eyesore. 

Diesel education

Diesels are bad and pollute the environment, right? First part of the question, 'No'. As to the second, what technology really doesn't pollute? Question is how much, and is it worth the long protest lines trying to save confused polar bears? People actually need to know what all this technology does. Jaguar-Land Rover in the UK launched a new diesel education program, teaching people how it isn't bad at all. Perhaps our dealers in Bangladesh could also do such programs promoting hybrids or simply better driving techniques to prevent accidents.  

Trivia: New diesel cars have to adhere to Euro 6 emissions standards. These are more stringent and pollute with 56 per cent less nitrogen oxides (NOx) than previous Euro 5 cars. Modern diesel cars have emissions levels comparable to petrol variants.