1988 Mercedes-benz 560 Sl on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC250 First Drive [w/video]

There's nothing wrong with the Mercedes-Benz GLK other than old age, having first sold here in 2009. But with creased, off-road themed styling, a naturally aspirated V6, and a smallish interior, it's out of step with the company's growing line of sport utility vehicles. Even its name is a harsh-sounding outlier. Enter the 2016 GLC. Mercedes calls this model the second generation of the GLK, but it's closer to a total reboot. The new look follows the smooth design of contemporary Benzes. The spotlight engine is now a spunky turbocharged four cylinder, and yes, the GLC is bigger inside and out. As for the name change, that's part of the latest badge realignment, and the "C" indicates the GLC's position as the crossover counterpart to the C-Class sedan. Now firmly integrated into the Mercedes SUV family, the GLC takes a seat at the table between the entry-level GLA and the larger GLE. The GLC's fresh appearance has all of the tenets of modern Mercedes design. We've come to the Alsace region of France to sample this familiar yet evolved utility vehicle. Driving along route A35, we're immediately struck by the turbo four-cylinder's prowess. It's strong from launches when we mash the gas, returns a subtle but pleasing exhaust note, and it's more than capable of picking off slower moving traffic as we dash through the French countryside. We're driving the European-spec GLC250 model, which has the same 2.0-liter engine Americans will get in the GLC300, though the Euro model has 30 fewer horsepower. The US version will be rated at 241 hp and 273 pound feet of torque, the same output as the C300 sedan. The turbo has big shoes to fill, as it gives up 61 hp to the 302-hp V6 used in the GLK. Mercedes is banking consumers won't miss this raw power, as the GLC's inline-four offers the same amount of torque as the GLK's V6, but much sooner in the rev band. Even in its detuned European state, the I4 demonstrates the kind of urgency that Americans prefer for their grocery-getting people haulers. It's paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, upgraded from the GLK's seven-speed. There are paddle shifters, though most Americans won't have reason to use them. Sometimes we grab them and lay on the throttle just for fun, and the GLC responds with bursts of speed. Even in its detuned European state, the I4 demonstrates the kind of urgency that Americans prefer for their grocery-getting people haulers.

Aston Martin and Mercedes will share F1 safety car duties

LONDON — Aston Martin is set to join Mercedes next season as a provider of Formula One's official safety cars, according to media reports on Tuesday. Racefans.net reported that Aston Martin would supply safety and medical cars at 12 of the 23 scheduled races in key markets, with the existing Mercedes cars used at the rest. It said Aston Martin's new DBX SUV, which uses a Mercedes-AMG V8 engine, would be used as a medical car. There was no official confirmation from Aston Martin or Mercedes. Sources indicated to Reuters that the report was accurate, however. Mercedes has been the official provider of the cars, which are deployed in the event of an incident or bad weather to keep the field lapping safely, since 1996 but that deal runs out at the end of this year. A shared supply would make sense for both carmakers, who already have close ties. Aston Martin's executive chairman Lawrence Stroll also owns the Racing Point team, who will race as Aston Martin from next season with four times world champion Sebastian Vettel arriving from Ferrari. Mercedes, a part of Daimler, is set to raise its stake in Aston Martin to up to 20% by 2023. Toto Wolff, principal of the Mercedes factory team, also has a private stake in Aston Martin. Related Video: Motorsports Aston Martin Mercedes-Benz F1

Formula One speeds towards radical thousand-horsepower shakeup

The teams, the drivers, the fans, the circuits... few, if any, were satisfied with how Formula One has shaped up since the current regulations took hold last year. But that doesn't mean they aren't working on it. At a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, the leading parties in the sport outlined a new framework that would radically shake up the cars themselves while keeping costs in check. And the biggest change could see the engines producing around 1,000 horsepower. Although a proposal put forth by Ferrari to ditch the current V6 hybrid engines in favor of new twin-turbocharged units was rejected by Honda and Mercedes, the members of the group approved in principal to increase the fuel flow in the existing engines to dramatically boost output. As it stands, the current 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engines develop around 600 horsepower, with an additional 160 or so kicked in by the electric Energy Recovery System, for a combined output of about 760 hp. What's not clear at the moment is whether the increased fuel flow would necessitate either the return of mid-race refueling (currently banned) or the installation of larger fuel tanks. Red Bull and McLaren also submitted proposals to radically redesign the shape of the cars as well, however a more evolutionary approach was adopted instead. Though far from finalized, the new design would keep the same basic form of the current chassis, but with adjustments to make them more aesthetically pleasing while producing more downforce. Wider tires are also said to be part of the mix. With more power and more grip from the tires and aero, the resulting cars would most certainly end up going much faster than the current ones, which are already starting to nudge the lap records at some of the circuits, many of which were set during the V10 era. The F1 Strategy Group is made up of representatives of the FIA, Formula One Management and six leading teams. The next step will be for the teams' technical directors to iron out how to implement what their bosses have agreed to. If they settle the details fast enough, the revised regulations could be pushed through in time for next season. News Source: AutosportImage Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Motorsports Ferrari Honda Infiniti McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1