2008 Ml320 Cdi Diesel, Pewter With Cashmere Interior. Meticulously Maintained. on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports selling its road-tested roadsters [w/video]

Here's a chance to acquire a celebrity-owned vehicles, and this time at a discount instead of a premium. So the celebrity in this case is Consumer Reports, that magazine that could be equally adored and abhored by car enthusiasts. CR buys all of its test vehicles and usually finds willing second owners within its own ranks, but its opening its small used-car lot to the public. On the forecourt are four roadsters: an automatic 2012 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Quattro S-Tronic with 6,600 miles for $36,500, a manual 2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i with 8,400 miles for $45,000, a manual 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 for $39,500 and a manual 2013 Porsche Boxster with 7,000 miles for $48,000.
Those numbers mean a savings of $9,000 to $10,000 before haggling - each car is listed with an "Asking price" so there could be some wiggle room if you show up with pockets full of dough and eyes full of serious intent. Since the money CR earns from the sales go back into the magazine's budget to buy more test cars, however, it probably won't take any oddball trades, so you can forget about getting any purchasing help from that track-day AMC Javelin project on blocks in the back yard.
The vehicles have been taken care of and spiffed up for sale; buyers will take delivery at the CR test track in East Haddam, Connecticut and get a tour of the facilities. While you're there they'll even take you on a lap around the track so you can feel how your car handles when driven by one of its testers. They will probably not help you with advice on which toaster and dehumidifier to buy - you'll still need to get a subscription for that. Have a look at the video below to see a day in the life of a CR test car.

Mercedes highlights dangers of counterfeit wheels

Mercedes-Benz Australia is getting the word out that consumers need to make sure they get the real deal when purchasing auto parts. To demonstrate that concept in dramatic fashion, the company bangs an imitation and genuine wheel through a pothole at Holden's proving ground to see what happens. The results speak for themselves. While counterfeiting is often associated fashionable goods like handbags or sunglasses, it wreaks havoc on the auto industry, too. A 2007 study estimated Ford lost $1 billion a year from fake parts, and Aston Martin had to recall a huge swath of vehicles because a sub-supplier used knock-off plastic. To fight the problem here, the US government and some states have passed laws to ban counterfeit components. In this case, Mercedes uses the stunt to argue the fake parts are a safety issue Down Under. While the two wheels look practically identical at first, they definitely don't perform the same. The slow-mo footage of the impact clearly shows just how differently the pair takes the punishment, and why counterfeit wheels are such a safety issue. Related Video:

Maybach Coupe Teased by Mercedes-Benz | Autoblog Minute

It looks like a new two-door Maybach is on it?s way. Mercedes teased the internet this week with a Facebook post featuring a picture of a red two-door coupe. Maybach Mercedes-Benz Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos