Daily Drive: AMG Plots an Electric C-Class Brawler, Maserati Goes Ghost-Hunting, and America’s Wildest V8s Roar Again

Some mornings the news smells like fresh tires and hot brakes. Today’s one of those. We’ve got Mercedes-AMG quietly sharpening an all-electric C-Class to square up to BMW’s incoming M3 EV. Autocar took a Maserati supercar to Britain’s so-called “Area 51.” There’s a greatest-hits reel of America’s most powerful production engines to toast (preferably with E85). And yes, a golf-course car chase in New York, because 2026 refuses to be boring.

AMG C-Class Electric vs BMW M3 EV: The next great rivalry goes silent

Carscoops’ latest spy shots make it pretty clear: Mercedes-AMG is deep into an all-electric C-Class-sized performance sedan. Think of it as the spiritual successor to the C63—but built on electrons and ambition. The brief is obvious: take the fight directly to BMW’s first electric M3, which Munich has been teasing with quad-motor prototypes and Neue Klasse promises.

What to expect? AMG has talked up its AMG.EA architecture and compact axial-flux motors (those YASA-derived units that make engineers grin like they’ve just found an extra downshift). BMW, meanwhile, is leaning on its sixth-gen eDrive hardware and the kind of motor control wizardry that once made the i3 feel mischievous at city speeds. If both land as intended, we’re looking at sub-3-second 0–60 times, torque that feels like a freight elevator, and chassis electronics running more code than a small fintech startup.

A quick note from the saddle: I spent a damp week with the current C63 S E Performance (671 hp, 752 lb-ft) and it’s a freakishly fast, heavy, clever thing. You feel the mass, sure, but the rear-axle e-boost turn of speed is addictive. A dedicated EV C could fix the packaging and weight-distribution compromises that come with a PHEV. If AMG nails brake feel and keeps steering chatty, BMW’s in for a very long winter test season.

At-a-glance: AMG C-Class EV vs BMW M3 EV (expected)

• What I’ll watch for: brake pedal feel (blended regen), steering feedback at high load, and thermal management on track days.
• Who it suits: urban warriors with a weekend-canyon habit and a Level 2 charger in the garage.

Maserati meets Britain’s “Area 51”: a ghost tour with grip

Autocar’s feature about visiting the UK’s hush-hush test grounds in a Maserati reads like a petrolhead campfire story—razor wire, silence, the odd prototype scuttling by. The right car for that? A Maserati MC20 fits the bill nicely. I drove one last summer and noticed right away how the Nettuno twin-turbo V6 (about 621 hp and 538 lb-ft) wakes up over 4,000 rpm with a rasp that’s more motorbike pit lane than polite Modena.

On lumpy British B-roads, the MC20’s suspension in GT mode is liveable, but hit a gnarly patch and you’ll want the left thumb hovering near the soft-damper button. The steering is pure and quick; visibility is… supercar. Luggage? Two soft bags, and tell your partner to wear the smaller shoes. But threading a Maserati through a fenced-off proving ground at dawn? That’s a straight shot of octane for the memory bank.

• Powertrain: twin-turbo 3.0 V6, rapid-fire DCT, rear-drive calm above 80 mph.
• Best moment: throttle pinned from a crawl, twin snails spooling, chassis squatting like a cat about to pounce.
• Quirk: cupholders that treat any drink bigger than an espresso with deep suspicion.

America’s most muscular production engines: the Mount Rushmore of “more”

Autocar rounded up the most powerful American production car engines of all time, which is a fine excuse to salute the iron (and aluminum) giants:

• Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170: a street-legal berserker. Up to 1,025 hp on E85 from a 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI. Launches so hard your smartwatch thinks you fell down the stairs.
• Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (2020–): 5.2-liter supercharged “Predator” V8 around 760 hp. It idles like a bar brawl and shifts like a dual-clutch should.
• Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C7): 6.2-liter supercharged LT5 at 755 hp. Heat soaks if you abuse it on a 100-degree track day, but the wallop is worth it.
• Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing: 6.2-liter supercharged V8 at 668 hp. The gentleman’s chainsaw—manual gearbox available if you like your opera with feedback.
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C8): a different flavor—naturally aspirated 5.5-liter flat-plane LT6, 670 hp, revs to 8,600 rpm and sounds like it came from Maranello by way of Bowling Green.

Yes, electrics now make four-figure numbers look normal, but there’s still something special about an engine that breathes on its own (or with a big lungful of boost) and shakes the rearview mirror just enough to blur reality.

Ford’s most controversial moments: the blue-oval debate club

Autocar also revisited Ford’s greatest hits of eyebrow-raising. A few that always light up my inbox:

• Edsel: ambitious, misread the room, became a case study rather than a car culture icon.
• Pinto: the safety saga that reshaped how the public judged Detroit’s decisions.
• Mustang II: kept the name alive through the fuel crisis, but purists still mutter.
• Probe and the front-drive panic: the ’80s/’90s identity wobble before the Mustang’s V8 thundered back.
• PowerShift DCT (Fiesta/Focus): owners still trade war stories over coffees and clutches.
• Mustang Mach-E naming: brilliant brand leverage or sacrilege? Depends which Cars & Coffee you ask.

Controversy isn’t always a sin. Sometimes it’s just the toll you pay for trying something different at scale.

Only in 2026: a golf-course car chase

From the “did I read that right?” file: Carscoops reported golfers in New York pausing mid-backswing to watch a Dodge Charger chase a stolen Hyundai across a country club. Nobody orders that on the cart girl’s menu.

• Public service note: if you own certain older Hyundai/Kia models from the infamous “USB theft” era, make sure you’ve had the security software update and consider a steering wheel lock. It’s not pretty, but neither is watching your car jump a sand trap.
• Also: leave the heroics to the professionals. Golf courses are for wedges, not PIT maneuvers.

Quick hits and takeaways

• AMG and BMW are about to redefine the compact supersedan. Expect outrageous pace, nerdy-cool motor control, and lots of talk about brake blending.
• Maserati’s MC20 remains a fabulous reminder that some cars are experiences first, transportation second.
• America’s big-power ICE era went out swinging. If you see a Demon 170 at a light, maybe just admire the taillights early.
• Ford’s history proves that big bets sometimes wear the wrong jersey—until time calls them brave.

Conclusion

The EV age isn’t killing the car enthusiast—it’s just changing the playlist. AMG and BMW are tuning the next great rivalry. Maserati is still out there making memories at sunrise. And the legacy of big American power hums along, a basso continuo under everything new. Keep your software updated, your curiosity louder than your exhaust, and your tires warm.

FAQ

When will the Mercedes-AMG C-Class Electric arrive?

Mercedes-AMG hasn’t given a firm date yet, but development mules are out and about. A reveal within the next couple of years is a safe bet.

How powerful will the BMW M3 EV be?

BMW hasn’t released final numbers. Given current prototypes and competitors, expect mega-torque and a 0–60 mph sprint comfortably under three seconds.

What is the UK’s “Area 51” for cars?

Colloquial shorthand for the UK’s more secretive proving grounds—places with strict access where manufacturers test prototypes away from smartphones and prying eyes.

What’s the most powerful American production car engine?

Dodge’s street-legal Challenger SRT Demon 170 tops recent charts with up to 1,025 hp on E85 from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8.

Are older Hyundai/Kia models still easy to steal?

Many have received software updates that improve immobilizer security. If yours is affected, get the update and consider a steering wheel lock for visible deterrence.