Yamaha R7 Ow02 Wr400f R1 Rokon Ranger Suzuki Sv650 1999 on 2040-parts.com

India turns the screw on luxury car makers

Land Rover will still be sending CKD to India despite the rise in import duty India’s economy is growing almost exponentially, as a result of which it has a big, rising middle-class with much the same aspirations as the middle-class in the West. Those aspirations include the accumulation of status symbols considered worthy of representing their success and new wealth, none more so than a good set of wheels. So it’s no surprise that the mainstream luxury car makers – Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMW – are ready, willing and able to provide exactly what India’s middles classes are looking for.

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.

Maserati SUV concept car: the leaked first photo?

Maserati will show an SUV concept car like this at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. It's the long-awaited Maserati 4x4 shown in thinly veiled show car guise; you can expect something very similar on London and Cheshire driveways from 2013. Based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 2013 Maser SUV will have totally new bodywork and a bespoke interior.