Lexus is experimenting with a no-negotiation experience in a dozen of its U.S. dealerships.

The brand, which is supported by 236 dealerships in the United States, made the announcement at this week’s CAR Management Briefing Seminars.

Lexus Division General Manager Jeff Bracken told industry insiders and reporters that the experiment is founded on an attempt to further elevate the already-praised Lexus customer experience, reports Automotive News.

Even if the program is widely adopted, Lexus will not be the first in the Toyota brand family to employ a no-haggle strategy; Scion dealerships have operated under the “Pure Price” program since the brand was launched in the early part of this century.

It’s unclear whether a shift to no-haggle pricing will buoy sales; Scion has struggled to maintain its low-margin strategy since the economic collapse and the only other brand to employ it on a long-term basis is GM’s now-defunct Saturn brand.

Lexus sales are up more than 13% in 2015; the brand is in the hunt to reclaim the luxury sales volume crown which it lost to BMW in 2011.

Audi is widely believed to be developing an entry-level version of the second-generation R8 powered by a downsized engine, and a new report coming out of England sheds insight into what we can expect from it.

According to Car magazine, the previous-gen model’s naturally-aspirated 4.2-liter V8 engine will be replaced by a brand new 2.9-liter V6 fitted with at least one turbo. The six-cylinder will make approximately 450 horsepower in its initial state of tune, roughly 35 more than the V8 it replaces but 90 less than the top-spec model’s naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10.

The displacement wasn’t chosen at random. China, one of Audi’s biggest markets, slaps tariffs on all foreign-built cars with an engine that displaces over 3.0-liters. Audi’s new mill falls below the threshold with less than 100 cubic centimeters to spare, so it will help boost R8 sales in the world’s largest new car market. An evolution of the mill will be fitted to the next RS 4 for similar reasons.

Previous reports hinted the V6-powered R8 was at least a couple of years away from hitting showrooms. However, since it was designed largely for China Audi likely won’t waste any time bringing it to the market, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it bow in the next couple months.

To the Brits, and according to UrbanDictionary.com, a Yob is “the antithesis of what a good boy should be – rude, obnoxious, violent and stupid.” Coined in the 18th century, it was a popular pastime of the UK’s upper crust to speak backwards derogatorily, hence Yob for boy. The 2015 Range Rover Sport V8 SVR is the perfect example of a Yob.

Still, the SVR is reason enough for us to put on our hooligan finest for a day of cruising in Land Rover’s bad boy.

What is it?
The Range Rover Sport SVR is the more brash and boisterous big brother of the already stellar Range Rover Sport that was revised in model year 2014. A midsized four-wheel-drive luxury SUV, it can be ordered with seating for five, or seven passengers. Our SVR (Land Rover-speak for Special Vehicle Racing) example featured seating for four, with space for an occasional fifth passenger.

For power, the SVR “ripped” the modified 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine from the parts bin of its Jaguar F-Type cousin. The result is a huffed V8 with modified Bosch engine management software that produces 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque, with 0 to 60-mph timing in the neighborhood of 4.2-seconds. Intercoolers with larger under-bumper openings allow for colder air charges, and the subsequent increase in horsepower from this carbon fiber-cladded piece of art.

That trim, fit and reserved engine is mated exclusively to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, which has been tweaked to offer rev-matching and shifts that are twice as fast as those from the regular Range Rover Sport. The eight-speed box is modified with features like Corner Recognition that holds one gear slightly longer, through a turn, or during an overtaking maneuver on a highway. The permanent four-wheel-drive is equipped with a two-speed transfer case for off-roading and other challenging terrain, while the center differential blends traction from a front to rear bias of 50:50 up to 100-percent, as needed.

Speaking auditorially, a two-staged exhaust system with baffles helps intensify the engine’s rasp, thanks to some five-finger discount-style parts acquisitions from Jaguar. Blue painted Brembo performance braking calipers bring the SVR safely to a halt, following a spirited romp on the freeway.

The all aluminum monocoque unibody rides on a cross-linked air suspension while magnetorheological shocks, similar to General Motors’ Magnetic Ride Control, soften or firm up the SVR’s ride as needed while on the fly. Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system returns, as does the Range Rover Sport’s 9.3-inches of ground clearance.

Our top-shelf sampler starts as a base Range Rover Sport V8 and is then festooned with the SVR package whose contents generally include items found on the more pedestrian Autobiography model. For buyers who do not have the requisite need for speed, the RR Sport can be had in six other flavors ranging from SE, HSE, HSE Limited, Supercharged, Supercharged Limited, and Autobiography.

What’s it up against?
While the Range Rover Sport SVR matches up size-wise with other midsize luxury SUVs, its direct competitors are the performance variants of the segment. They include the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Mercedes-Benz M63 AMG, the BMW X5M and in a case of American Muscle, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

How does it look?
All the features that help to make the Range Rover Sport as handsome as it is show up once again on the SVR. They include the floating black Santorini roof with its panoramic sunroof, the black contrasting functional hood and side air vents, and the gaping air intakes under the front bumper for the twin intercoolers. Blacked-out lettering, and SVR badging front and rear, let the rest of the world know this isn’t your run-of-the-mill Land Rover.

At the rear is a pair of chrome-tipped exhaust dumps, subtly enveloped in a rear diffuser tray.

Built like a bulldog, this Ranger is squatty, wide and mean, with all the features a performance vehicle should have, and none of the “Because Race Car” add-ons it shouldn’t. For example, one of those notably missing items is a pair of fog lamps, which we think would only cheapen the look, anyway.

And on the inside?
If you were expecting wood veneer inside, then you’re barking up the wrong Range Rover. Instead, we rode with carbon fiber veneers ($2,300) throughout, and enough aluminum trim to cause Reynolds Aluminum shareholders to call for a stock dividend. The interior’s highlights would have to be the sports seats in front, which are fully bolstered, and feel just like those found in a Jaguar F-Type. The effect carries over into the rear seating area, with a pair of outboard seats mimicking the F-Type look while offering a temporary third seat between them.

Electronically, our tester included the 1,700-watt Meridian Signature Audio system with eight-inch display and Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl Apps for Apple and Android connectivity.

While the steering wheel with paddle shift levers is contemporary Land Rover, items like the gearshift selector and other controls on the center console and dashboard are similar to those found in the Jaguar F-Type. Cargo capacity in the Range Rover Sport is 27.7 cubic feet with the seats in the upright and locked position. Fold them forward and that area grows to 62.2-cubic feet.

But does it go?
Athleticism in an SUV is sometimes a tough concept to swallow. Being a British brand tends to complicate matters further, seeing that a typical LR customer would trend to a supermodel or a Walter Mitty-like bond trader who secretly wishes he was sporting a superhero costume under his gray wool suit. Speak softly and carry a big stick, indeed.

Trust us, that big stick is just waiting in the wings for its curtain call. Roaring to life, the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 gives off a gurgle that rises up to the thunderous roar of a NASCAR Cup Car. It’s when you decide to whomp on the aluminum skinny pedal, that the crescendo starts to build. Subtle at first, it quickly engages the two-stage exhaust system, which takes on the aural behavior of an NHRA dragster.

The electric power assisted steering offered excellent road feel while remaining well weighted for the task. The end result gives the driver loads of confidence at speed. Ride quality is superb with a sense of quiet for most driving situations. Handling was exceptional and enhanced with both rev-matching from the ZF transmission, as well as brake-based torque-vectoring that helps to shorten the radius of a turn at speed. The net result is a vehicle that while slightly top-heavy, still manages to corner with a minimum of understeer.

By the numbers, the Range Rover Sport V8 SVR has been tuned and tested as one of the fastest SUVs on the Nurburgring, with a time of 8:14 on the Nordschleife. Zero to 60 mph comes in about 4.2-seconds, while top speed is limited to 162 mph. We saw none of that, instead seeing 15 mpg in combined driving. The EPA says to expect 14 city/19 highway, with 16 combined.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Land Rover’s Range Rover Sport V8 SVR takes typical British conservatism and tosses it on its head, with one of the most potent SUVs on the planet. With just the right amount of wrong, Jaguar Land Rover, by way of their Special Vehicle Operations division, shows this Yob is capable of throwing down with the best of them.

2015 Range Rover Sport V8 SVR base price, $79,995. As tested, $126,360.
SVR Package, $30,480; Meridian Signature 1,700-watt audio system, $4,150; Adaptive Cruise Control, $1,295; InControl Remote and Protect, $400; Ebony Headliner, $350; InControl Secure, $445; Premium metallic paint, $1,800; SVR Carbon Engine Cover, $2,000; Santorini Black Contrast Roof, $650; Carbon Fiber Veneer, $2,300; Destination fee, $995.

Photos by Mark Elias.

There is seemingly no end in sight for McLaren’s model offensive. The company introduced an entry-level model dubbed 570S at the New York Motor Show earlier this year, and a new report coming out of England finds that two additional variants will join the lineup in the near future.

The first off-shoot will be a convertible version of the 570S dubbed Spider. It will be nearly identical to the 570S coupe but it will feature a hard top that will open or close in seconds at the push of a button. The conversion will make the Spider about 90 pounds heavier than the coupe.

Like the coupe, the 570S Spider will be powered by a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 engine tuned to make 562 horsepower at 7,400 rpm and 442 lb-ft. of torque from 5,000 to 6,000 rpm. It will be able to reach 62 mph from a stop in about 3.2 seconds and go on to a top speed of over 200 mph.

Interestingly, the second 570S off-shoot will be an all-new model designed primarily for long-distance trips. Tentatively called 570S GT, it will use the same V8 as its coupe and convertible counterparts but it will boast a specific body designed to provide more cargo space as well as a more spacious and user-friendly cockpit.

The 570S GT is expected to go on sale next year, and it’s not too far-fetched to speculate that it will be introduced this fall at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The Spider will follow about a year later.

An EPA official said Tuesday that a decision on implementation of the Obama Administration’s 2025 fuel economy guidelines could be years away.

Chris Grundler, Director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), told reporters and industry representatives at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars that final review of the strategy would likely take place no earlier than 2017, and the decision will be up to the EPA administrator–an administrator who will likely be appointed by the next president.

“There is a perception out here that the decision is already made,” Automotive News reports Grundler saying. “That is wrong.”

And while EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy previously downplayed the effects of gas prices on the roll-out of a 54.5-mpg plan, the long review period means any number of factors–economic, political and social–could contribute to the outcome.

McCarthy argued that some buyers are currently choosing SUVs based on short-terrm needs, but the overall average was still up for 2014 as many buyers chose vehicles with better fuel efficiency.

“I expect that we will continue to have more and more fuel-efficient vehicles, and people will still want them,” McCarthy told The Detroit News.

The Administration set 2025 requirements at a combined average of 54.5 mpg back in 2012. Reactions to the announcement were varied; a group of governors protested the increases while FCA Sergio Marchionne said that his automakers weren’t afraid of the proposal.

Volkswagen has confirmed that its 2016 Jetta range will adopt the company’s latest EA211 turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder engine. The Jetta 1.4L should arrive in dealer showrooms by year’s end.

The new direct-injection TSI engine will replace the 2.0L naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine used in the outgoing Jetta S model. The 1.4L will also replace the 1.8T TSI engine currently used in the Jetta SE.

The 1.4L four-cylinder is rated at 150 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The latter comes on at a low 1,400rpm. The 1.4L Jetta will be available with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

According to VW, the Jetta 1.4T TSI will be capable of hitting 39mpg on the highway when mated to the six-speed auto. That represents a 7 percent improvement over the 1.8T and a 13 percent improvement over the 2.0L.

“We are delighted that so many Volkswagen customers are now able to benefit from the performance and fuel-efficiency of our turbocharged and direct-injection engines, whether they choose TDI or TSI technology,” Joerg Sommer, Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, Volkswagen of America, said. “Volkswagen leads the industry with implementation of these engines in North America and we are excited that we are furthering our leadership with the introduction of the latest-generation EA211 engine in the Jetta.”

Pricing for the 2016 VW Jetta will be announced closer to the sedan’s market launch.

Mercedes-Benz has detailed the U.S.-spec version of its 2016 G-Class SUV. The venerable G-Class looks mostly the same for 2016, but gains new powertrains and a few design tweaks.

The 2016 G550 arrives for 2016 with restyled bumpers, bigger wheel arches and standard 19-inch wheels. Inside the rugged SUV gets an updated instrument cluster.

The big news for 2016 is the retirement of Mercedes’ 5.0L V8 in the G550 in favor of a 4.0L turbo V8 lifted from the AMG GT sports car. The new mill produces 416 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, representing improvements of 34 horsepower and 59 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes says the 4.0L will be more efficient than the engine it replaces, but didn’t provide any official fuel economy figures.

Prices for the 2016 G550 will start from $119,900.

The high-performance G63 AMG returns for 2016 with a twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8, but horsepower has been bumped from 544 to 563. Torque remains unchanged at 560 lb-ft.

Pricing for the 2016 G63 AMG will start from $139,900. Despite commanding a healthy $20,000 premium over the regular G550, the G63 AMG is the most popular model in the G-Class range.

Mercedes-Benz will offer the ultimate G65 AMG in the United States for the first time for the 2016 model year. Using a twin-turbocharged V12, the G65 belts out 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. That extra power doesn’t come cheap, with the G65 AMG set to carry an MSRP of $217,900.

All three G-Class models are slated to go on sale in November. The trio is also subject to a $925 destination charge.

Live photos by Brian Williams.

Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing for its all-new GLC compact utility vehicle. The GLC replaces the GLK in the Mercedes lineup for 2016.

Prices for the GLC300 will start at $38,950 for a two-wheel drive model while the 4MATIC all-wheel drive version will retail from $40,950. Those prices exclude a mandatory $925 destination charge.

Both models feature a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission is also fitted as standard.

The GLC is slightly bigger than the GLK it replaces, resulting in a roomier interior. The GLC also boasts more tech than the old GLK, including Mercedes’ latest track pad infotainment controler and an available air suspension.

Fuel economy figures haven’t been released, but the GLC is expected to improve upon the GLK’s 19/25mpg city/highway ratings.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 and GLC300 4MATIC will arrive in dealer showrooms this November.

Volkswagen is upgrading its infotainment and safety systems across the board for the 2016 model year. Despite being closely related to Audi, a corporate sibling often regarded as being quite savvy in realms of tech, the parent company has denied the entry level brand of similar whiz-bang features in the past. That’s not the case any more, as VW aims seeks to differentiate itself from the competition by taking the fight to the technology front.

That’s Infotainment

The powertrain is old news. Volkswagen says that currently 90 percent of all automotive innovations are in the realm of electronic systems. New buyers value connectivity above all else, prompting VW to rapidly upgrade their infotainment systems to meet demand.

Leading the charge is an all-new system called MIB II, and like the neuralyzer in the film of the same name, it aims to make you forget about the company’s outdated systems of old. The Modular Infotainment Platform II — named as such because its Nvidia processor can be plugged in modularly to the VW motherboard (hidden behind a deceptively old school CD player) — will be offered in four different levels.

At the most basic level, what VW calls Composition Color provides the absolute minimum expected in cars these days, offering a 5-inch touchscreen radio with aux-in, SD card slots, Bluetooth and (finally) USB ports that obviate the need for the old MDI cables that worked only with Apple devices.

The next level up, Composition Media, takes all the previous level’s features and adds a JPEG viewer, Sirius XM, HD Radio and the new App-Connect interface that allows for Apple Carplay, Android Auto or MirrorLink integration. Simply plug a cable into your smartphone and get, say, Google Maps right on the 6.3-inch (or 6.5 if you’re in a Golf) screen. Not all apps will have in-dash integration, but thus far the list is pretty impressive: Stitcher, Spotify, CBS Radio, Pocket Casts, Google Play, NPR One, WhatsApp, and Google Hangouts, to name a few. Starting at this level, touchscreens also become capacitive, meaning multi-figure gestures such as pinch-to-zoom and swiping are understood, while reaction times are reduced. Lastly, up to two phones can now be synced to the car’s Bluetooth.

Level three is called, unaccountably, Discover Media. Again, it takes the previous level and adds several features such as 2.5D navigation, one-shot voice destination entry, and the clunkily named Car-Net Guide & Inform, a layer of real-time data such as weather reports, fuel prices and even sports scores on top of the nav system.

The fourth and final level is called Discover Pro, which ups the screen size to 8.0 inches and further adds up to 10GB of jukebox storage and wireless connectivity. A little advertised but neat trick also allows a passenger to enter a destination or control the stereo from a phone or tablet without changing the car’s on-screen display. That way, the passenger can force their poor musical taste onto the cabin while the driver can keep, say, the navigation map front and center and arrive at the destination as quickly as possible. Sadly, the only model to support Discover Pro thus far is the e-Golf.

In addition to the four levels of MIB II, Volkswagen has developed new web interfaces for its Car-Net Safety & Security suite. Until now, its main feature was beaming vehicle locations to a call center for roadside assistance, automatic crash notifications and leading police to stolen VWs. Now, you can do all sorts of useful things like check and activate the windows, lights and door locks from a web browser, phone or smartwatch. It even marks your last parking location, but you can send it locations too, which the nav system will pull from the ether the next time the car is started. Creepily, you can also set speed alerts and “out of bounds” radii to keep Big Brother tabs on your teen drivers or cheating spouses.

Safety Dance

In addition to the impressive array of tech gewgaws, VW is also making a suite of electronic nannies available across the model range for 2016. Many are nothing new, but aside from the Touraeg they weren’t available in the more plebeian wagens of the volks. Now you can get features like Adaptive Cruise Control on models like the Beetle, Jetta, CC, and the many variants of the Golf.

For the uninitiated, ACC lets the car lock onto the car in front, matching speed like a Star Trek tractor beam, using millimeter wave radar. It can even come to a complete stop on automatic transmission cars, but otherwise it functions like regular cruise control. The radar system also allows for the option of rear-end collision alerts and braking assist. If it detects you’re about to smack into an object in front, it issues audio and visual warnings. If those are ignored, or the driver’s response isn’t forceful enough on the brake pedal, the car kicks in additional braking pressure in a last-ditch act of self preservation.

A ring of ultrasonic sensors surrounding the car provide a host of other niceties to help with the arduous tasks of parking distance judging, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic observation. All start with audio warnings but the latter two, if ignored, will intensify with actual automated braking. Likewise, a lane departure warning starts with a vibration in the steering wheel, but kicks up to automatic countersteering if necessary.

Many of these may seem familiar to cutting-edge safety-tech geeks, having appeared on everything from Toyotas to Hondas at least half a model year ago. However, VW has a few additional tricks up its sleeve. The first is a parking assist function that not only pulls a car into a parallel parking space, but backs it in 90 degrees into a traditional perpendicular parking spot. In practice the system feels strange, asking you to operate the brakes without touching the steering wheel lest you override the computer. And of course, a skilled parker could back into a perpendicular space in one fell swoop while the car requires a three-point maneuver.

Lastly, a feature unique to the VW group is a Multicollision braking system. Linked to the airbag sensors, if the system detects a deployment the brakes automatically activate to bring the vehicle to a stop as quickly as possible. This, VW reckons, prevents ricochet collisions that might send the car into other obstacles.

Conclusion

Keen-eyed observers might have noticed the absence of the Passat on the list, but that’s because a refresh of that model is forthcoming, and VW doesn’t yet want to ruin the surprise of whether it will have these systems in place before the big reveal (spoiler alert: it will).

Though prices for MIB II have yet to be announced, the safety systems will range from standard to $1,495 depending on model and trim.

VW’s innovations seems to arrive in spurts. As one of the first automakers to incorporate iPhone interfaces, it seemed to languish while the competition caught up and surpassed it. With MIB II and the new safety systems, VW is leapfrogging once again to the forefront. If VW’s theories about tech-driven consumers are right, these packages should help boost sales in the US.