2010 Mercedes-benz R350 Automatic 4-door Wagon on 2040-cars

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Automakers' sound systems: Crank it, don't yank it

Years ago, one of the first things most music lovers did after buying a new vehicle was drive to an aftermarket stereo shop to get the crappy stock components swapped for better gear. And you'd typically get not only better sound but also more bang (and boom) for your buck. But in the past decade or so, the overall quality of OEM audio has dramatically increased, while car electronics became more complex, removing the incentive for most new vehicle owners — and all but the most hardcore DIYer — to start from scratch. In 2010, I did a comparison of the average costs for OEM electronics vs. similar offerings from the aftermarket, and back then automakers' stock premium systems were by far the best bargain — and are probably an even better value now. The premium 14-speaker, 1,200-watt JBL system in the all-new 2019 Toyota Avalon is a prime example of this trend. It's standard on the top two Limited and Touring trims and is available as a $680 audio upgrade on the XLE and XSE. I doubt you can even buy 14 speakers and 1,200 watts of amplification from the aftermarket for 700 bucks, much less have it all installed. And because the system is bundled with Toyota's Entune infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and a surround-view camera, removing the head unit means you would likely lose these features. Another advantage of OEMs and their audio partners is they can design the car around the audio system. In the past, automakers would typically place speakers where convenient for packaging, not for optimal sound reproduction, and audio engineers were forced to compromise. But as with the Avalon's premium JBL audio system, this is starting to change. At a recent behind-the-scenes peek for media into the process of developing the system, Toyota and Harman engineers delved into the minutia of sealing the inner panel of the front doors to create an enclosure for 6x8-inch woofers, making space in the pillars for JBL horn tweeters and extensively measuring the acoustic properties of the interior to tune the sound to the space. I'm met some creative and skilled car stereo installers, but none with a degree in psychoacoustics. The system is also the first to feature Quantum Logic Surround that creates a multi-channel listening experience from two-channel sources. And it includes Harman's Clari-Fi processing that "rebuilds key details lost" in compressed audio formats used by streaming music services and MP3s.

Brabus shows S65 Rocket 900 Desert Gold Edition in Dubai

If it packs 900 horsepower and it's painted gold, you're probably looking at the Brabus Rocket 900 Desert Gold Edition, an extreme S-Class that debuted at the Dubai motor show. The "normal" S65 sports a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 pumping out 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, and that would have been enough for most. But Brabus is there to satisfy those for whom too much is never enough, and so it revealed the Rocket 900 at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, raising the S65's output to 887 hp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. Throw in upgraded aero, suspension, rolling stock, exhaust, and a fully refitted interior, and the Rocket 900 amounts to a complete transformation. Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive system couldn't handle all the twist from the stock S65, so power is transmitted to the rear wheels alone. What sets the Desert Gold Edition apart from the existing Rocket 900 is its gold color scheme. The exterior is swathed in the deep gold paint, the black wheels have a gold rim on them, and even the interior gets gold updates. If you happen to be at the Dubai Motor Show, go check it out. World premiere at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2015 An homage to the Orient BRABUS ROCKET 900 "DESERT GOLD" Edition V12 with 662 kW / 900 HP, 1,500 Nm and 350 km/h plus BRABUS ROCKET 900 – that is the new reference for high performance in the luxury segment. BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone +49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax +49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) builds this supercar based on the Mercedes S 65. BRABUS developed the especially exclusive BRABUS ROCKET 900 "DESERT GOLD" Edition, which celebrates its world debut at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2015, as an homage to the Orient, where BRABUS maintains a company branch and a prestigious BRABUS Flagship Store in Dubai. The exclusive high-performance luxury liner is immediately recognizable not only due to its extraordinary "DESERT GOLD" special paintwork. The appearance of this special model is also characterized by BRABUS carbon aerodynamic-enhancement components and shiny black BRABUS Monoblock F "PLATINUM EDITION" 21-inch wheels with gold pin striping. The BRABUS fine leather interior is finished in a combination of gold and black leather. Gold-colored seams in a quilting pattern created specifically for this special model furthermore distinguish the classy interior appointments.

Autoblog's adventures at the Nurburgring 24-Hour race [spoilers]

The brand-new Audi R8 LMS, said to share 50 percent of its components with the street-legal R8 shown off at Geneva, has won its very first race at the 2015 Nurburgring 24-Hours. The No. 28 car driven by Christopher Mies, Edward Sandstrom, Nico Muller, and Laurens Vanthoor for the Audi Sport WRT team out of Belgium finished only 40.279 seconds ahead of the No. 25 BMW Sport Team Marc VDS Z4 GT3 in second place, for the smallest winning gap since the race began in 1970. Those two cars traded the lead throughout Sunday morning and were less than a minute away from one another for the last two hours. They were part of a total 35 lead changes during the entire race – a record for the event – and both did 156 laps. Third place went to the No. 44 Falken Tire Porsche 997 GT3, one lap down. The Audis did what they always do: lurked close to the front, stayed out of trouble, then pounced when everyone else faltered. For the opening stretches the BMW Z4 teams owned it, running 1-2-3 for a while, but all of them hit trouble. When morning came and the race got over its yellow-flag fever, the No. 28 Audi was in front and stayed there. It was the third Nurburgring 24-Hour win for Audi in four years, the brand's first win only coming in 2012. Last year's winner, the Phoenix Audi team that set a race record by doing 159 laps, had both of its cars retire. One hit an oil patch about 12 hours in, spun and was hit by another car behind, taking on too much damage to continue. The other retired with engine issues. Other Notes Three cars crashed out of the race while leading, after the rains that weren't supposed to happen, happened about 90 minutes in. The No. 20 Schubert BMW Z4 led the first 50 minutes of the race, hopped a crest at Pflanzgarten, landed in a pool of water, and hit the wall on the 30th lap. Then the No. 30 Frikadelli Porsche, with a driver team that included ex-'Ring Taxi driver Sabine Schmitz, hit the No. 31 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 on the approach to Carrousel and crashed out. Then the No. 1 Phoenix Audi, last year's winning car, took the lead but hit the wall after that oil patch near Pflanzgarten and was out of the race. Aston Martin celebrated a class win in the SP8 category with the No. 49 Vantage GT4 N430. This being the tenth anniversary of the Vantage running the Nurburgring-24, this year's car was painted in the same colors as the racecar from ten years ago.