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Mercedes-Benz unveils 2011 S63 AMG with twin-turbo 5.5L V8 [w/video]

Jul 30, 2010 Object, video

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Engine downsizing has now come to the almost top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG with the adoption of AMG’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. The new direct-injected V8 bumps output up from a mere 518 horsepower to 571 horsepower along with generating 663 pound-feet of torque between 2,250 and 3,750 rpm. That’s sufficient to propel this behemoth to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds in normal trim or 4.4 seconds if you opt for the AMG sports package.

The 2011 S63 also swaps out its previous torque converter automatic transmission for the multi-clutch unit from the SL63, a move which should lend it a more sporting feel. Just as other automakers get both performance and efficiency benefits from boosted direct-injected engines, the S63’s combine fuel economy numbers have jumped from 16.3 miles per gallon (U.S.) to 22.4 mpg on the EU test cycle. The EPA numbers aren’t yet available, but we would expect a similar real-world increase from the 2010 model’s 14 mpg, though perhaps a bit smaller since the EPA’s testing methodology won’t show any benefits from the S63’s new automatic start-stop feature. Official press release and driving footage video after the jump, spanking new high-res gallery below.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz unveils 2011 S63 AMG with twin-turbo 5.5L V8 [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz unveils 2011 S63 AMG with twin-turbo 5.5L V8 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 5.5litertwinturbov8, from-the-sl63, luxury, mercedes-benz, mercedesbenzs65amg, multi-clutch transmission, s-class, s63, s63amg, sports

Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown

Jul 30, 2010 Object

Filed under: Sedan, Lexus, Reviews, Luxury

The entry-level luxury sedan segment doesn’t command the enthusiast attention of, say, the ultra-premium luxury sports sedan. But if you ask automakers to choose between the two, we’d wager that most would rather have a best-in-class $35,000 sedan than a world-beating $70,000 sports tourer.

The reason? Very few fortunes are made selling a few thousand highfalutin’ rocket launchers, but bottom lines can easily be bolstered or crippled based on the success or failure of a plush, high-volume cruiser. Luxury marques from Acura to Volvo have experienced varied levels of success at the low end of the luxury market, but few have enjoyed the consistent sales dominance of the Lexus ES. In the past decade, Toyota has cranked out over 600,000 copies in the U.S. alone, with another 650,000 units shipped around the world. And those sales have traditionally been overwhelmingly of the retail variety with little or no incentives. Not bad for what many consider a glorified Toyota Camry.

Enthusiasts take note: Lexus didn’t reach such lofty sales levels with a rear-wheel-drive architecture or pavement-punishing quantities of horsepower. The road map to success for the ES has been simple: a soft, compliant ride; a pampering interior; and unmatched quality. The fifth-generation ES350 has built nicely on those attributes with smoother power, a quieter cabin and more technology. But the competition is still striving to overtake the ES in sales, so Lexus has gone and given its top-selling sedan a mid-cycle refresh for 2010. We spent a week in a Starfire Pearl ES350 to see if it still had the goods to remain a top option in the entry-level luxury segment.

Photos by Chris Shunk / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown

Review: 2010 Lexus ES 350 is soft-riding royalty that’s lost its crown originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2010 lexus es, 5.5litertwinturbov8, a-friend-via, a-top-option, es 350 review, es350review, featured, from-the-sl63, mercedes-benz, multi-clutch transmission, power, review, s-class, s63amg

Twin-Turbo Temptresses: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63, CL65 AMG

Jul 24, 2010 Object, news

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

How does one make the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class more exclusive than it already is? If you’re Mercedes, you unveil the gonzo AMG variants. Appearance-wise, changes are minimal for the 2011 CL63 and CL65 AMG, save for the addition of Mercedes’ new corporate face, which includes the standard LED running-light strip and some small tweaks to the rear fascia. The big news, however, centers on the changes underhood.

Gone is the naturally aspirated 6.3 6.2-liter AMG V8 in favor of a smaller and more powerful 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged mill. In base form, this V8 cranks out 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque (increases of 18 and 125, respectively), and with the optional AMG Performance Package, these numbers increase to an even more robust 563 hp and 664 lb-ft. Sweet stuff, and when matched with Mercedes’ AMG Speedshift seven-speed automatic, 0-60 runs will take just 4.4 seconds (4.3 if you opt for the more powerful setup). What’s most impressive, though, is that even with this added power boost, fuel consumption has been reduced by 27 percent. The range-topping CL65 AMG will carry over its 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12, though Mercedes has managed to coax an additional 17 horsepower from it for 2011. Output for the CL65 is now rated at 621 horses and 738 lb-ft of torque.

Both AMG CLs get a host new standard equipment as well. Mercedes-Benz’s Direct-Steer system is on hand, as is a new crosswind stabilization feature that alters wheel-load distribution to keep things in line during heavy breezes. From there, a new torque-vectoring brake system applies one-sided braking during instances of understeer. The full suite of Mercedes-Benz driver aids is thrown in as well, including drowsiness detection, night-view assist, active lane-keeping assist and blind-spot assist. After all, with so much power on tap, you’ll need a nanny (or several) to help keep things in line. Interior upgrades are similar to what we’ve already seen in the 2010 S-Class.

Official pricing hasn’t been released yet, but expect MSRPs to increase slightly over the 2010 models ($145,200 for the CL63 and $207,170 for the CL65). Shoppers in that tax bracket shouldn’t have any trouble shelling out a few grand extra for the latest in CL-Class exclusivity.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Twin-Turbo Temptresses: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63, CL65 AMG

Twin-Turbo Temptresses: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63, CL65 AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2011cl63amg, 2011mercedes-benzcl63amg, a-new-crosswind, luxury, mercedes cl63 amg, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz cl-class, mercedes-benzcl, mercedes-benzcl63amg, mercedescl65amg, over-the-2010

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party

Jul 22, 2010 Object, news

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

A few months back, word began to spread that AMG is working on a performance version of one of Mercedes’ smallest cars. If true, it would not only mean giving the hi-po treatment to a segment hitherto untouched by the gents at Affalterbach, it could entail swapping a front-wheel drive hatch for a RWD platform. A month later, this small car’s benchmarks were found out: the Golf R, Audi S3 and BMW 1 Series. And a month after that the rumors began to coalesce around the B-Class as AMG’s subject of choice.

It turns out that the A-Class will be the first in line for an AMG makeover and the Ford Focus RS is also one of its targets. The diminutive Benz will get a four-cylinder, direct-injection engine with a pressure-wave supercharger that’s looking at an output of somewhere around 270 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That gumption will reportedly get to the wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox and then navigate yet more clutches in the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.

A two-car line-up is planned: a five-door hatch and a CLS-like sedan. But we won’t see any of this until 2012 or so, when the next-generation A-Class arrives. And the U.S. is only expected to get the sedan version, which will wear the name CLC, salvaged from the C-Class sport coupe that ended production not a moment too soon.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-moment-too, entry, golf, mercedes a-class, mercedes a-class amg, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz a-class, mercedes-benz a-class amg, study-suggests

Audi sells two millionth vehicle in the States

Jul 21, 2010 Object

Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Audi, Luxury

In the grand scale of automotive existence, Audi hasn’t been selling vehicles in the U.S. for that long. The company first landed on our shores in 1970 with the introduction of cars like the Super 90 and 100, which means that chances are some of you out there have socks older than Audi USA. Flash forward 40 years to present day, and the company is celebrating its 2 millionth vehicle sold in the United States. The lucky car just happened to be a new A3 TDI - a fine choice if we do say so ourselves - and was sold through Keyes Audi in Van Nuys, California.

Audi is predicting that it will take considerably less time to hit the 3 millionth vehicle sold mark, and we’re inclined to agree with them. The company says that since 2000, it has doubled its model count here in the land of freedom fries - a trick that’s helped to make Audi a legitimate alternative to the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the hearts and minds of American buyers. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi sells two millionth vehicle in the States

Audi sells two millionth vehicle in the States originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-fine-choice, a-friend-via, audiusa, audiussales, automotive, entry, landed-on-our, like-the-super, mercedes-benz, saab 900

Report: Next-gen Mercedes A-Class to draw influence from Concept Fascination, F800 showcars

Jul 20, 2010 Object

Filed under: Wagon, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

Things are looking up for the much ballyhooed Mercedes-Benz A-Class. While most of the motoring world has been wincing since the Silver Arrow said that it would be reworking its compact segment entry, rumor has it that the German manufacturer is actually contemplating incorporating design cues from a handful of its more successful concepts into the look of the new pint sizer. According to The Detroit Bureau, the A-Class will borrow heavily from both the F800 and Concept Fascination prototypes. We’re not sure whether that means that the final product will be available in both four-door and hatchback trims or if the real deal will simply be a mash-up of the two. Either way, we’re expecting good things here.

The Concept Fascination Prototype first hit the scene back in 2008 and immediately piqued the interest of anyone with a long-roof loving bone in their body. With a long, arching roof line and aggressive rear flanks, the car was all things right in the wagon world. Meanwhile, the F800 surfaced more recently - at this year’s Geneva Motor Show - and wears the corporate nose we see all over the majority of the Mercedes-Benz stable. Blend the two, shrink it to scale, and you probably have a pretty good idea of what the upcoming A-Class will look like. At least that’s what we’re hoping.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]
Concept Fascination photos by Jonathan Ramsey / Copyright (C)2008 Weblogs, Inc.
F800 photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Report: Next-gen Mercedes A-Class to draw influence from Concept Fascination, F800 showcars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-combined-one, a-friend-via, a-pretty-good, copyright, design-style, mercedes, mercedes-benz, north, traffic, volkswagen-, vw u.s.

Video: Fifth Gear joins David Coulthard on the Isle of Man with Benz’s SLS AMG

Jul 19, 2010 Object, video

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, UK, Luxury

David Coulthard was called to the Isle of Man to pilot an SLS AMG for a scene in a 3-D film. To ensure that DC could strut the coupe’s stuff, some of the island’s roads were closed to the public. That meant a place with no speed limits also had no traffic. And that meant Fifth Gear’s Tiff Needell felt the need to join DC and take the wheel himself. His goal: beat David’s top speed of 160 miles per hour. The sound of him making the effort alone is worth following the jump for the video.

[Source: Fifth Gear]

Continue reading Video: Fifth Gear joins David Coulthard on the Isle of Man with Benz’s SLS AMG

Video: Fifth Gear joins David Coulthard on the Isle of Man with Benz’s SLS AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-friend-via, entry, isle, isleofman, luxury, mercedes-benz, sls amg, video, videos

Rumormill: Mercedes to partner with Ducati on new motorbike line?

Jul 9, 2010 Object

Filed under: Mercedes-Benz, Motorcycle, Rumormill

There are a handful of automakers making motorcycles these days: Honda, Suzuki, Peugeot, and of course BMW. That’s about the extent of it, but the latter’s German rivals won’t be letting the Bavarian automaker keep the market all to itself for much longer. At least, not according to a recent round of rumors.

A couple of months ago, a report surfaced that Volkswagen could team up with Suzuki to revive the old NSU motorcycle brand under its own umbrella. Now reports suggest that Mercedes-Benz could follow suit, potentially partnering with Ducati on a two-wheeled venture of its own.

The rumors are spurred by displays during Ducati events, where Mercedes unveiled a special edition SLK and marked the Italian debut of the SLS GT3, but don’t seem to have much more traction than that. A partnership between the German automaker and the Italian motorbike firm could also potentially damage the latter’s close ties with Ferrari, but if the industry has taught us anything in the past few years, the sky’s the limit when it comes to joint ventures.

[Source: eurocarblog]

Rumormill: Mercedes to partner with Ducati on new motorbike line? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: a-friend-via, entry, german, joint-ventures-, mercedes, mercedes-benz, newman, nissan300zx, partnering-with

Silver Arrow concept watch unlocks the heart of the Mercedes SLS

Jul 9, 2010 Object, news

Filed under: Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

If you’re going to make a supercar, you’re going to need the watch to go with it. It’s what upscale customers have come to expect. But while Mercedes-Benz has collaborated with a number of watchmakers in the past, it has yet to release a timepiece to accompany its new flagship, the SLS AMG.

That’s where Faibein Cacheux comes in. The budding French industrial designer has penned the concept watch you see here to compliment the Gullwing supercar. It features a tourbillon movement rotating around a central hub with a power reserve meter at six o’clock, all housed in a titanium case and affixed with a neoprene strap. And like Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Aston Martin transponder, it incorporates buttons to open and close the doors remotely. ‘

Unfortunately the watch is just a concept at the moment, but if Mercedes could display the fortitude to bring the SLS to market, maybe it could do the same for the Silver Arrow concept watch.

[Source: Fabien Cacheux via autoevolution]

Silver Arrow concept watch unlocks the heart of the Mercedes SLS originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: aston-martin, design-style, fabien cacheux, fuelstrike, mercedes benz sls amg, mercedes-benz, need-the-watch, silver-arrow, time, truth-about, watch

Leaked: Mercedes-Benz CL63 and CL65 AMG hit the interwebs

Jul 8, 2010 Object

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

We now have first looks at the two 2011 Mercedes CL models that we’ve really been waiting to see: the CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG. With the front end of the standard model firmed up, there isn’t the massive visual difference there used to be between that one and the AMG versions. The CL63, riding on 19-inch wheels, gets the necessary aggression added to the lower front dam, losing its chrome accent and getting mesh instead. Sharper side and rear skirts maintain the anger, but out back AMG’s trademark twin oval pipes have been replaced with squoval-like tips shaped to fit the cutout. Under the hood is said to be a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V8 with 544 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque - a full 26 ponies more than the outgoing 6.3-liter.

The CL65 gets 20-inch wheels and puts some of that chrome back, applying a strip to the center of the front air dam and rear diffuser so you can tell it apart from the CL63. Or, more specifically, so people can tell your boss’ CL car from yours. It keeps the joined oval pipes we’ve seen on 65-series AMG cars for a few years now. Under its hood resides the 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V12 biturbo giving a stout 630 hp and 737 lb-ft. You can examine both in the gallery of photos below.

[Source: Autoblog.it (translated)]

Leaked: Mercedes-Benz CL63 and CL65 AMG hit the interwebs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2011 mercedes-benz, 2011cl, 2011mercedes-benzcl65amg, a-few-years, a-stout-630, amg, arched-on-top, cl-class, front, makes-the-car, mclaren, mercedes, mercedes-benz