While the new model year is always a time of wonder for us car enthusiasts, this next year promises to be one of the best of all time. After all, in addition to the old favorites such as sports cars, SUVs, sedans and the like, these days we also have the evolution of electric vehicle technology to bring “ooh’s” and “aah’s” to our lips.
While the model year 2014 has a number of cars that can be best described as being HOT, perhaps the hottest is the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Now, ever since watching “Corvette Summer,” an awful movie starring Luke Skywalker back in the day, as a wee lad, I have not been a Corvette fan. Well, the 2014 Stingray might turn out to be the car that washes that sour taste out of my car-loving mouth.
The nearly all-new 2014 model only has two components that the last model also had. On the outside, it is composite and carbon fiber panels that are all sleek lines and low-slung hotness. Under the hood, the car that will be available as a coupe and a convertible will feature a 6.2-liter V8 that is capable of churning out 450 horses and 450 pound-feet of torque. All of this power is pushed to the wheels through either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic transmission to give the 2014 Stingray a standstill-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds.
The other car on the must have list is the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is luxurious to such an extent that it will in many ways replace the recently discontinued, the extravagantly-top-of-the-line Maybach. The new S-Class sports five more horsepower than does the 2014 Stingray thanks to its twin-turbo V8. Additionally, the luxury sedan is loaded with more features than most could even name if given a notepad, pen and half an hour to brainstorm.
The S-Class features something called a stereoscopic video camera that scans the road ahead and reacts, when need be, to avoid accidents. Its Distronic Plus cruise control has been designed to work in stop-and-go environments, while its self-adjusting suspension smooths out bumps and drops.
Of course, on the inside, the 2014 S-Class amazes, soothes, and coddles with a perfuming system built in to its climate control system, heated armrests, and rear seats that give hot stone massages.