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Mercedes will have its next-generation 4Matic system ?the first developed entirely in house ? ready for serious S-Class action in the US by next winter, according to AutoWeek. The new system will be biased to the rear, with a 45/55 torque split, and is small enough that the company won’t have to alter the chassis. The new system adds only 159 lbs to the car’s weight, compared to around 200 lbs worth of clockworks for the previous system. The price of admission will be nearly the same, however, with the system adding $3,000 to the price of a base S-Class ($86,000).

The Cadillac 16 Wow, this thing is huge and in a word ?Glamorous. This in my opinion is a 21st Century classic car. Hints of the past with a definite flavor of the future. A long sleek hood reminiscent of the cars of the thirties. A slick study in modern aerodynamics. A gull-wing hood a practical memory of long powerful hoods of days gone by. Ultra luxurious passenger compartment worthy of the title "cabin." A 1000hp engine! While this isn’t yet a production vehicle I think that the design conscious celebrity super rich would prefer this car over the much-hyped Maybach and certainly over the new tank like Rolls Royce. This is the car to be seen in arriving to the Oscars. This is the movie star car. While they did incorporate designer crystal, I am surprised that Cadillac didn’t hire a fashion designer to brand the silk carpeted interior. Perhaps they will in the production model. If I was Cadillac I would get this car seen on the Oscar pre-show and then in the movies. The car would be the talk of the country just like the fashions of the stars. The Maybach for all it’s luxury features (which are cool) is low key in appearance. Easily mistaken for a Mercedes or an Infiniti the car is one for the invisible rich. Appealing more to the bussiness set rather than celebrities. The amazing irony is that in the media attention that the Maybach is receiving the reports never fail to focus on of all things ?the cup holders! Granted they are champagne flute holders, but they are basically cup holders. What happens if you aren’t drinking champagne? Even the supper rich drink the occasional latte. Next up, something a little more realistic ?Crossover Vehicles: What Boomers will be Driving? -------- AUTHOR: Peter Davidson TITLE: One More Cool Observation about the Show DATE: 2/20/2003 10:51:30 PM ----- BODY: One more: Online Experience ?If you visit the website of the show you can access live user controlable web cams. Obviously , not everyone can attend the show in person, but thanks to this kind of technology we can all be there virtually. Check it out. -------- AUTHOR: Peter Davidson

While we were at the Geneva show earlier this month, a curious reader asked us to see if the hybrid batteries located in the rear of the Lexus 450h were indeed encroaching on trunk space, eliminating any chance of a golf foursome lugging their bags to the club for tee-off. As luck would have it, we arrived to the display in time to take a peek, but an excitable PR flack slammed it shut when he spied our digicam. Then, he walked off, ignoring our cries of “damn you, PR flack!,?which receded into the background like the soundtrack of “A Night at the Roxbury?at the fleeing audience’s back. From what we saw, the trunk looks a bit cramped, but barring an official measurement, may still may be of decent size. Buyers in Japan will get a chance to do their own measuring at the dealership, as the cars are going on sale there today.