Hunted down

PITSTOP

In days long gone, maharajas equipped their sedans with guns and lights to go hunting "� these cars were called shooting brakes. Now Audi seems to be out hunting with their awesome-looking concept called, er, the Shooting Brake.

The Shooting Brake concept, to be unveiled at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show, is a fusion of the futuristic RS Q coupe from the movie I, Robot and the amazingly fun A4 DTM racing car. It will be powered by Audi's already familiar 3200cc 246 bhp V6.

The SB concept debuts a number of electronic systems including the Audi Magnetic Ride, a system in which conventional damper fluid is replaced by magnetorheological (no, really) fluid that will allow you to control suspension settings electronically.

Audi's Multi Media Interface will now have a 3D navigational system and a touch screen monitor to scribble your destination using your fingers. The system is programmed to identify a ll sorts of handwriting as well as Japanese and Latin alphabets, although we don't advocate driving and writing.

The Shooting Brake was meant to be the next all-new Bentley based on the Continental GT, but looks like Audi has hunted down the concept for themselves.

In-genius

The Tokyo show will also see Mercedes-Benz's efforts towards a greener planet in the F600 Hygenius. The concept has a zero-emission, fuel-cell powered motor that puts out a constant 82 bhp, and is capable of a maximum of 115 bhp when given the stick.

The F600 has an electric turbocharger and a lithium-ion battery that gives it a range of 400 km. The battery allows the car the work as a hybrid drive where the best power source is selected automatically.

The F600 sports a host of safety features that includes video cameras embedded in the mirror housings to eliminate blind spots and sensors that disable doors when parked if it senses a car approaching. This green machine will let you plug in most of your home appliances and also keep your espresso hot with its electric cup holders... no kidding. Sorry, Mercedes, we'll take the next-gen Toyota Prius.