LA Motor Show: Huge numbers define new Mercedes S 65 AMG

TWELVE cylinders, two turbochargers, 5,980 cubic centimetres, 621bhp and 738lb.ft of torque are numbers designed to catch the eye. These are the figures boasted by the new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, which has made its motor show debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The stats are good enough to endow the standard-bearing saloon with epic performance, including a 0-62mph time of just 4.3 seconds.

2015 Volkswagen Jetta facelift price & specs – costs from £18,815

The facelifted VW Jetta is now on sale in the UK The Volkswagen Jetta – a VW Golf with a boot – is getting a bit of a facelift for 2015 (although you’d be hard-pushed to see the changes) and now, after its reveal at the New York Motor Show in April, it’s going on sale in the UK. Although the cosmetic changes to the Jetta are minor – the usual tweaks to the back and front, including a revised grill – VW claim the small changes it’s made result in a Jetta that’s ten per cent more aerodynamic (which makes you wonder why they didn’t do it earlier). The visual changes inside are just as minor, with a new steering wheel, new trims and new fabric options, with ambient lighting fitted to the Jetta GT.

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid – details

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will show at Frankfurt The principle difference between the standard Prius and this new plug-in version is – you’ll never guess – that it adds the ability to charge the Prius’ batteries through a domestic outlet. The Prius can be fully recharged in around 1.5 hours, and the new lithium-ion battery pack – which replaces the old nickel-metal hydride pack in the regular Prius – is more compact and of higher output. Toyota claim that the plug-in Prius can cover round 12.5 miles on a full charge in pure ‘Electric Mode’, which is around double that of the normal Prius.