Mitsubishi’s British arm has unveiled a range-topping variant of the short-wheelbase Shogun called Barbarian. The long-wheelbase variant of the Shogun replaced the Montero that was sold on these shores up until 2006.

The Barbarian model stands out from the standard Shogun thanks to upmarket features like chromed mirror caps, two-tone 20-inch alloy wheels and a body-colored spare tire cover. Buyers can order the Shogun Barbarian in Black Pearl (pictured), Frost White, Eiger Grey or Cool Silver.

Inside, the Shogun Barbarian offers a long list of standard equipment including navigation, A/C, leather upholstery on the seats and the steering wheel as well as alloy pedals.

Power comes from a 3.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that sends 197 horsepower and 325 lb-ft. of torque to all four wheels via either a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed automatic unit. Equipped with the manual gearbox, the Shogun reaches 62 mph in 9.5 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 111 mph.

On sale now, the Mitsubishi Shogun Barbarian retails for £31,999 (approximately $54,700), making it the most expensive two-door Shogun currently on sale in the UK.

What’s next?

The Shogun sold all around the world will not return to the United States with a Montero nameplate, but Mitsubishi has confirmed the next-gen model will arrive in U.S. showrooms before the end of the decade with a fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

Details are still scarce, but Mitsubishi claims the next Montero will adopt an angular design inspired by the GG-PHEV concept that bowed at the Tokyo Motor Show last year.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a camper van based on the recently-introduced V-Class at an annual trade show held in Germany. Called V-Class Marco Polo, the van was developed jointly by Mercedes and German camper van expert Westfalia.

When viewed from the outside, the biggest difference between the Marco Polo and the stock V-Class is a pop-up roof made out of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. Inside, the van is furnished like a luxurious apartment with piano black trim and surfaces, LED lighting and beige side panels. Buyers can choose from two shades of cloth upholstery or order the Marco Polo with full leather at an extra cost, while standard hardwood floor inspired by the world of yachting finishes off the premium ambiance.

The van comes generously equipped with two gas burners, numerous cupboards and drawers, a sink, a fridge and a 10-gallon fresh water tank that is protected against frost. The rear bench seat can be turned into a large twin bed by simply pushing a button, and a second twin bed is revealed when the top is popped.

Additionally, the Marco Polo comes standard with a large table and a set of four chairs that can be folded flat and neatly stored in a purpose-built compartment when not in use.

Like the standard V-Class, the Marco Polo is powered by a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine available with either 136, 163 or 190 horsepower. Power is sent to the front wheels via an automatic transmission.

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo is scheduled to go on sale in its home country of Germany later this month but pricing information has not been published yet. Similarly, the Stuttgart-based automaker has not announced whether its latest camper will be offered in the United States.

Volvo and tuner Polestar are reportedly considering launching a performance-focused variant of the V40 hatchback (pictured) aimed squarely at the Audi RS3.

The rumored hot hatch will be powered by an all-new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that will use both a turbocharger and a supercharger to develop 315 horsepower. Also found in the engine bay of the upcoming 2015 XC90 crossover, the four-banger will send the V40 Polestar from zero to 62 mph in less than six seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

British magazine Auto Express speculates the V40 Polestar could be fitted with a Haldex-type all-wheel drive system similar to the one that equips the rugged V40 Cross Country. Whether the hot hatch will feature an automatic or a manual gearbox is up in the air.

Mercedes-Benz has introduced an even sportier trim package for its entry-level four-door coupe, the CLA250.

Offering several AMG-developed upgrades, but without stepping up to the actual CLA45 AMG edition, the ‘Sport Package Plus’ features a sportier front-suspension setup, throatier exhaust components and cross-drilled brake rotors with red calipers.

Red accents can also be found on the front and rear fascias, matching the red stitching on the sport seats. The ‘Plus’ package can also be visually identified by its 18-inch AMG wheels.

The trim level is powered by the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as the standard model, producing 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Buyers can choose from front- or all-wheel-drive configurations, each with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

More power can already be found under the hood of the CLA45 AMG, which squeezes 355 ponies from its 2.0-liter turbocharged mill.

The company has not yet announced pricing for the CLA250 Sport Package Plus, though it is presumably a bit higher than the $31,900 sticker price on the lesser Sport edition.

Tesla has announced that its Supercharger network has delivered an entire gigawatt-hour of electricity in June, reaching the milestone for the first month since the charging stations were deployed throughout the US and abroad.

The company suggests the single-month energy usage accounts for a collective 3.7 million miles driven, 168,000 gallons of gasoline saved and 4.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide offset.

“That’s like driving to the moon and back seven and a half times, and nixing a day’s worth of CO2 from 73,684 Americans,” a celebratory blog post proclaims.

The California-based startup earlier this year reiterated its commitment to allow other automakers to use the proprietary network, as long as they share part of the costs and allow customers to top off for free, though no competitors have officially confirmed plans to take up the offer.

By the end of 2014, 98 percent of the US population is expected to be within 100 miles of a Supercharger. The company is also quickly expanding its network in Europe and Asia, opening eight new sites in Europe just last week.

“You can find a Model S charging at a Supercharger any given second of the day, and to date Superchargers have powered a total of 24.7 million miles of driving – which means the world has been spared the burning of 1.1 million gallons of gasoline,” the company adds.