Top Gear might or might not be gone for good, but while we wait for the BBC to decide what it wants to do, the print and iPad versions are still going strong. They've got talented editors that are much younger than Clarkson or May, so it's not surprising that they're doing interesting, cutting-edge stuff.
This next teaser video shows the behind-the-scenes action of a duel unlike any other before it. We have the yellow Hennessey Velociraptor, which Clarkson has driven for the show, going up against Mercedes' new G500 4x4.
The interesting thing about this Merc is that it's more of a prototype, so seeing its portal axles being put to the test like this is a real treat. This is essentially a 4x4 version of the brutish G63 AMG6x6, which went out of production. It has kept the massively flared wheel arches and the raised suspension.
It also has a new type of engine. Normally, G500 models use the 5.5-liter V8 naturally aspirated unit delivering 388 PS (382-hp). However, German engineers have made a heart transplant by using a de-tuned version of their new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that will send at least 420 ponies to all four wheels via a new automatic transmission. We're talking about the same block as the one used by the AMG GT and C63.
But the Velociraptor has no reason to feel scared. It uses Ford's 6.2-liter V8 engine, which has been blown using a TVS2300 Supercharger System. The result is a farmer's pickup truck that produces 650 horsepower and can get from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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