Auto Shanghai

The top S-Class models from Mercedes, the S63 and S65 AMG, made their official debut at the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show. For those geographically challenged, that is in China, an emerging market that more and more automakers are targeting. There is nothing groundbreaking with the new models but the refresh is both noticeable and noteworthy. Some cool technological enhancements are found in the Active Body Control system which provides cross-wind stabilization, the Torque Vectoring Brake system that applies the brakes to the inner rear wheels for precise cornering and the Direct-steer system for responsive handling.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG features the Company's 6.3-liter V8 engine which is good for 525 hp and a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.6 seconds. The S65 AMG offers a 6.0-liter V12 engine putting out 612 hp and an insane 738 lb-ft of torque, which leads me to believe that they will soon begin developing thrusters for the Space Shuttle. This allows the car to perform 0 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds.  Both engines are very close to the previous year's but provide a 3% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emmisions. Hey, you gotta start somewhere. Both models are electronically limited to 155 mph and feature automatic SPEEDSHIFT transmissions (7-speed for the S63 and 5-speed for the S65) with steering wheel mounted paddle-shifters.

Times have certainly changed. A few years ago, it would have been considered an anomaly for a German car manufacturer to officially unveil a key production model at an auto show in China. However, today, Porsche did just that when it showed off their new Panamera super sedan at the 2009 Auto Shanghai. China has huge market potential for all auto manufacturers and this proves it. The Porsche Panamera will be available starting in the fall with a V8 engine available in either 400 hp or 500 hp with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive options. Check out the video after the jump.