Standard Jb13 Power Distribution Block on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes E 63 AMG S: UK price from £83,740

The E63 AMG S is the extreme version of what is already an extreme car in the E63, with a power boost that takes it from 549bhp to 577bhp – and throws in an extra 60lb/ft of torque for good measure too – and promises real extreme performance. The problem is, getting that power down to the road. In left hand drive markets that’s solved by simply offering the Mercedes 4WD option – 4MATIC – which does a much better job of transferring power to the road than the regular RWD layout.

Video: A Caterham Supersport and a snow-covered road

Anyone born before the automakers started trying to push front-drivers on us knows that rear-wheel drive and a set of decent tires will get you just about anywhere you want to go, even in deep snow. Skeptical? Take it from EVO magazine, which posted this video of editor Henry Catchpole enjoying a Caterham Supersport in all its sideways glory.

Eterniti Hemera

Eterniti Motors, the new British boutique manufacturer, today released further details of its prototype super-SUV, the Hemera. The Hemera is essentially a heavily re-worked Porsche Cayenne, which features a ‘limousine-like rear cabin' that boasts a plethora of luxury additions such as Maybach-esque twin electric reclining seats, an iPad for each passenger and a drinks chiller. The carbon-composite bodied SUV will be hand-built in London and aims to deliver ‘considerable' driver appeal in addition to its limousine moniker which, according to Eterniti, offer customers the option of being chauffeured as well as being driven.