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Ecclestone wonders if F1's upcoming turbo V6s should get augmented sound [w/videos]

While every team on the Formula One grid is worried about making a good showing in this year's championship at the same time as they develop a brand-new car for next year's championship, Bernie Ecclestone and F1 circuit promoters have a different concern: how next year's cars will sound. The current cars use 2.4-liter, naturally-aspirated V8s that can reach 18,000 revolutions per minute and employ dual exhaust, next year's engine formula calls for 1.4-liter turbocharged V6s that are capped at 15,000 rpm and are constrained to a single exhaust outlet. Ecclestone and promoters like Ron Walker believe the new engines sound like lawnmowers and that the less thrilling audio will keep people from coming to races. If Walker's Australian Grand Prix really is shelling out almost $57 million to hold the race, every ticket counts. As a fix, according to a report in Autoweek, Ecclestone "suggests that the only way to guarantee [a good sound] may be to artificially adjust the tone of the V6s."
However, neither the manufacturers nor the governing body of F1, the FIA, think there will be a problem. Ecclestone fears that if the manufacturers "don't get it right" they'll simply leave the sport, but the only three carmakers and engine builders left next year, Renault (its 2014 "power unit" is pictured), Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari are so embedded that it would stretch belief to think they'd leave the table over an audio hiccup - if said hiccup even occurs. And frankly, these issues always precede changes to engine formulas, as they did when the formula switched from V10 to V8; fans, though, are probably less focused on the engines and more on the mandated standardization of the sport and the spec-series overtones that have come with it.
No one knows yet what next year's engines will sound like, but we've assembled a few videos below to help us all start guessing. The first is an engine check on an Eighties-era John Player Special Renault with a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, after that is Ayrton Senna qualifying in 1986 in the Lotus 98T that also had a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, then you'll find a short with a manufactured range of potential V6 engine notes, and then the sound of turbocharged V6 Indycars testing last year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Any, or none of them, could be Formula One's future.

Roll like His Airness in this Mercedes SLR McLaren previously owned by Michael Jordan

Often called the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan also has an interest in fast machines, as evidenced by the recent announcement that he would be establishing a NASCAR team, 23XI Racing, together with Denny Hamlin and featuring Bubba Wallace behind the wheel. It's hardly surprising, then, that he would also be an owner of multiple supercars, many of which could be seen in the ESPN documentary The Last Dance. One of Jordan's previous supercars, this 2007 Mercedes SLR McLaren, is now up for sale on eBay Motors. Besides its celebrity provenance, this Mercedes SLR McLaren is special for another reason: It's the special 722 Edition, built to commemorate the 1955 Mercedes-Benz win at the Mille Miglia. That winning Mercedes-Benz 300SLR racer, piloted by Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, was car #722 (so designated because of its 7:22 a.m. start time). The SLR McLaren 722 Edition features a 650-horsepower supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine and is able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. Top speed is 209 mph. Good thing the front splitter and rear diffuser are modified for increased downforce at high speeds. The ride height also is lowered and the suspension stiffened compared to the regular car, and larger brake rotors are fitted. The interior brings leather and Alcantara upholstery along with gloss-finished carbon fiber trim. Special black wheels and subtle red "722" badges complete the picture. This car has 1,038 miles on the clock, so it must not have been in heavy rotation with Jordan's many other rides. At this writing, the car has a bid of $35,100 with the reserve not met. We'd guess bidding has a way to go before someone has a realistic chance of driving this baby home, since the Buy-It-Now price is $695,750. Featured Gallery Mercedes SLR McLaren ex-Michael Jordan Auto News Celebrities McLaren Mercedes-Benz Auctions Coupe Supercars

2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG rumbles on stage 4Matic style

Bruce Hornsby and his soothing piano skills helped introduce us to the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but the monstrous E63 AMG sedan needed no entrance music as it rumbled on stage. The 550-horsepower (and up) sedan sat proudly alongside the rest of the redesigned E-Class on stage at the Detroit Auto Show, but stood miles apart in intention and execution.
In addition to a choice of sedan and wagon body styles, the E63 AMG will also offer buyers the choice of the standard 550 hp or an upgraded 577-hp S-Model; regardless of output, all 2014 E63 AMG models will come standard with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.
We already saw the E63 AMG's aggressive styling last week, but now we have a full assortment of live images for you to enjoy as well as the Mercedes-Benz press release, which is also posted below.