2 Owners, 5.5l 382hp, Nav, Xenon, Amg Wheels on 2040-cars

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On Location at the Portimao circuit in Portugal with Mercedes

Portugal is a beautiful country, full of friendly people, historic cities, stunning coastline and, of course, vineyards. What brought us to Mainland Europe's westernmost country, though, was the high-speed promise of the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao. Mercedes-AMG was kind enough to host the international press launch of its standard-setting C63 and C63 S sedans at the Portuguese racing circuit, and we came away impressed, both with the car and with the track. It's tough work, but somebody's got to do it... Join Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski in Portimao above to learn more about the race track and the country in which it resides, and if you want to see what the circuit looks like from behind the wheel, we suggest you watch the video below. Related Gallery 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S: First Drive View 40 Photos Related Gallery 2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport: First Drive View 19 Photos Motorsports Mercedes-Benz Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Videos Original Video Sedan mercedes-amg portugal mercedes-amg c63 on location portimao autoblog black

2019 BMW X7 vs luxury SUV rivals: Comparing specs and photos

Today we get our first-ever look at the first-ever 2019 BMW X7 crossover. We've actually already had our first-ever drive in an X7 Prototype. And so, we thought it appropriate to follow that up today with the first-ever X7 comparison of specs between BMW's first-ever three-row crossover with legitimate room for seven and its many high-dollar competitors. On paper, the 2019 X7 definitely seems to most closely align with the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class. Their similar dimensions, interior space, engine choices and price would certainly imply where BMW placed the target when developing X7. We used those same elements to determine three-row vehicles likely to be cross-shopped or that should be cross-shopped. These include the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90 and Lincoln Navigator. Yes, the latter is a truck-based SUV as opposed to a crossover, but tell that to all the people lining out the door at the local Lincoln emporium. They do not care, and neither shall we. We also included the 2019 BMW X5, which was completely redesigned for this year and therefore not the first-ever. That makes it less appealing? Either way, lining the new X5 up with the SUV that leapfrogs it atop BMW's SUV hierarchy should provide a good idea of just how much more you get by going up a model number. Engines and model lineup Again, the X7 aligns closest with the GLS, offering a base six-cylinder in its xDrive40i model and an upgrade turbo V8 in the xDrive50i. The Mercedes engines have greater output, but the GLS still accelerates slower than the BMW. As the 2019 X5 offers the exact same engines, we would also expect the X7's fuel economy to be superior to the GLS once its estimates are announced. It should be noted, though, that the GLS offers a high-powered AMG model whereas we anticipate the X7 to offer a plug-in hybrid model comparable to the X5 upcoming xDrive45e model. The other luxury SUVs diverge in their engine choices and model lineup. The Audi Q7 offers a base turbocharged four-cylinder, as does the Volvo XC90 in its T5 model, which we left out of the above chart entirely for space reasons. That the Q7 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6 gets the same fuel economy estimates as the four-cylinder is proof positive that engine is purely around for its lower base price.

Mercedes SL backs into Ferrari 458 Speciale while parking

There are a lot of people with the money to buy nice cars, but an absolute inability to drive them. And that's how this Mercedes-Benz SL ended up beached on the nose of a Ferrari 458 Speciale. It happened at a Virginia cars and coffee event, and that inability to drive we mention doesn't refer to the poor Ferrari owner. According to the YouTube description, the driver of the 380SL was attempting to parallel park when she landed on top of the hot 458. But since the video doesn't start until the Benz has landed, we only have the video uploader's word. But don't click away yet – the Ferrari's owner returned to the scene. Despite a hint of adult language, he's far more calm than we would be in that situation. That doesn't mean he's not angry, decrying the crash as "the dumbest thing I've ever seen." We agree, especially when you notice space between the 458 Speciale and the Nissan 300ZX in front of it. This was by no means a tight or difficult place to park, even without George Constanza's god-given parallel parking skills. Even a semi-competent driver could have maneuvered a vehicle far larger than a 15-foot-long roadster between the two cars with room to spare. Related Video: News Source: Media Gamut Motoring via YouTube Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance Videos mercedes sl-class cars and coffee