Auto News 5

Over the past thirteen years, the silver spoilered brat pictured here has confidently watched its owner acquire - and then rid himself of - a hot red Nissan, two Mazdas, a VR6-powered Volkswagen, three Mercedes-Benzes, five BMWs, and a pair of Porsches. From its heated garage spot, it has snickered at Ferraris outside braving the rain and Aston Martins fighting the cold. And it laughs so hard it pees - Mobil 1, on the floor - every time some expensive, exotic new car sits out overnight, suffering the indignity of being molested by the neighborhood cat.

Yes, the all-electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell Prototype has slightly less horsepower than its gas-powered sibling. But it still has a very impressive 526 horsepower and 649-pound-feet of torque -- the latter available from the moment you mash the pedal to the floor. When you do stomp the E-Cell's accelerator, it will blast 60 mph in four seconds, according to the Benz AMG folks.

With three owners in the past three years, it's been a tumultuous time for Chrysler. The lineup has aged and it's been uncomfortably quiet in terms of new product announcements. The 2011 Grand Cherokee breaks the silence and leads a handful of fresh vehicles into showrooms. While Italian automaker Fiat now controls Chrysler, development of this Grand Cherokee began in 2006, when Chrysler was still tied up with Daimler-Benz (the parent company of Mercedes-Benz). For that reason, the newest Jeep has a lot in common with the Mercedes-Benz ML.