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Mercedes-AMG GT pressed into service as DTM safety car

DTM is one of the most competitive, fast-paced touring car series in the world. So to set the pace, the marshals need a pretty fast car as well. And that's just what they got with the new Mercedes-AMG GT pictured here. Marking its debut at the Lausitzring speedway this weekend, the AMG GT S safety car is based closely on the road-going model, but like the version that's already in use in Formula One, it's been modified for safety-car duty. That means a low-profile light bar mounted to a carbon-fiber air scoop on the roof – both tested in a wind tunnel – as well as the front splitter and rear wing from the optional Aerodynamics package, and the optional upgraded rolling stock. Inside it's got racing buckets, six-point harnesses, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and special radio equipment. Otherwise it's essentially the same as the road-going model, right down to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual clutch transmission. After all, with 510 horsepower on tap, it ought to be able to stay out ahead of the 490-hp touring cars currently competing in DTM. The new safety car replaces the C63 AMG Black Series coupe that Mercedes previously contributed to the effort, and will alternate with the vehicles furnished by rivals Audi and BMW from race to race. Related Video: Mercedes-AMG GT S: new Safety Car for the DTM: From Formula 1® to the DTM Affalterbach. A new Safety Car celebrates its DTM premiere: at the second DTM race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz (29 to 31 May 2015), the Mercedes-AMG GT S is set to be deployed for the very first time. The new sports car will help to ensure maximum safety on the race track in the world's most popular touring car series. In technical terms, the 375 kW (510 hp) eight-cylinder sports car is for the most part the same as the series production vehicle – just like its counterpart from the FIA Formula 1 World Championship™, the Official Safety Car. In its road-going guise the Mercedes-AMG GT S has turned heads since its market launch in March 2015 and now the sports car is also taking to the DTM stage. The new season of the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) got under way during the first weekend of May in Hockenheim. The second DTM race taking place at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz at the end of May will see the Mercedes-AMG GT S make its first appearance as the official Safety Car.

Mercedes-AMG considering turbo fours, hybrid sixes for future performance sedans

Think of the letters AMG and you'll probably end up picturing a performance sedan with a big V8. Such has become, after all, the Mercedes turning division's calling card. But with the introduction of its 2.0-liter turbo four, AMG is working at turning that notion on its head.
The highly potent engine produces 355 horsepower and is presently installed in the A45 AMG hatchback, CLA45 AMG sedan and GLA45 AMG crossover, giving Benz's smallest family a full range of performance models. But that might not be the full extent of the high-strung four-pot's use.
Speaking with AMG boss Tobias Moers, Britain's What Car? magazine reports that Affalterbach is considering slotting the same engine into larger models, particularly performance sedans like the C-Class. As we recently reported, Mercedes is already preparing to up the power from the turbo V6 in the C400 to slot a C450 Sport in below the C63 AMG. The C450 is expected to offer around 367 horsepower where the CLA45 AMG et al pack 355, but the lighter weight of the four-cylinder engine would likely offset the truancy of those extra dozen horses. Of course such a prospect would be much further down the pipeline than the C450 Sport which is expected to arrive much sooner.

Mercedes Unimog poised for Canadian return

The Mercedes-Benz Unimog, the super-duper heavy-duty off-road workhorse vehicle that the German automaker has been making for more than 60 years, may soon be sold in Canada once again after a hiatus. Regulators had taken issue with both their emissions (super torquey diesel engines don't tend to run real clean) and the fact that some folks would take them out on city streets and even highways (these beasts have a top speed of about 25 miles per hour). Now, regulatory officials are considering allowing the Unimog to be sold in Canada again, albeit under strictly off-road driving regulations, Canada's Driving says. In fact, the diesel trucks apparently run a lot cleaner than they used to, while the torque levels remain off the charts. Naturally, some folks are clamoring for them because of their ability to run on just about any terrain. Hans Mross of Vancouver-based Mross Import Service Ltd., which previously imported the Unimog to Canada, told Autoblog he was "99 percent sure" the Unimog would be brought back to Canada. We'd last reported on the Unimog in April 2013, when Mercedes-Benz said it would start selling 10 different versions of the truck. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mercedes-Benz Unimog View 33 Photos News Source: Driving Mercedes-Benz Truck Diesel Vehicles unimog