Hybrid cars, including those of the plug-in variety, have been on the road for quite a while. By now, I thought the perception of them as slow or boring would have gone away, especially since models such as the Porsche 918 and Ferrari LaFerrari exist.
I guess I was wrong.
Mercedes-Benz is pushing the point that its upcoming 2015 S-Class Plug-In Hybrid is no snoozer-cruiser. Just look at the parallels between the sedan and its F1 cars the automaker implies in the following video. Mercedes sales chief Ola Kaellenius says, “You’ll see that Nico [Rosberg] and Lewis [Hamilton] pull into the pitstop in their Formula One cars and drive off in an S 500 Plug-in Hybrid. We’re coming with an advertising message that the most advanced technology in the world is developed in the Formula One, parts of which you can now drive on the road.”
The S-Class Plug-In Hybrid’s been on the streets and highways of Europe since September, but it won’t come out in China and the United States until March of next year. When it does, it will pack 436 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, courtesy of a 3.0-liter twin-turbo gasoline V6 paired with an 85-kilowatt electric motor. That powertrain will be good for a 0-62 time of 5.2 seconds. Granted, that’s not F1-fast, but it’s definitely not sleepy-slow. An S550, with its 4.7-liter biturbo V8 and significant torque advantage, hits 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
