Magma Red V6 Slk 320 05 Convertible 03 Slk230 02 Financing Used Black Leather on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ferrari's Vettel sets lap record and take pole position for Chinese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI – Ferrari made Formula One rivals sit up and take notice after an ominous show of speed in qualifying for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. World championship leader Sebastian Vettel took pole position with a lap more than half a second faster than that of Valtteri Bottas, the fastest of the two Mercedes drivers in third place. The German's best time of one minute, 31.095 seconds – a Shanghai circuit record – turned up the heat on a chilly afternoon with Finnish team mate Kimi Raikkonen joining him on the front row. "We thought coming into today that we would be fighting for the pole position," said Bottas, whose reigning champion team mate Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth after aborting his final flying lap. "But it was definitely out of reach today, there was nothing in the lap that we could have gained that much." "I don't know if we can challenge, we're half a second behind today," added Hamilton. "We were quicker in the race in the last race (Bahrain) but they (Ferrari) were able to hold on. They will probably do the same tomorrow." Dominant isn't a word that has been used to describe Ferrari since they chalked up five straight drivers' titles and six consecutive constructors' crowns with Michael Schumacher, but they were imperious on Saturday. The front row lockout was their second in a row after Vettel beat Raikkonen to pole last weekend in Bahrain. "Ferrari were just way too quick," said Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who was fifth fastest but a hefty 0.701 seconds off Vettel's pace. "Somehow they've found a turbo button on the straight because they are really quick and still in the corners they are reasonably quick." Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo added, "Ferrari has had really good pace all weekend and I can't say honestly now that we're going to have their pace tomorrow, but Mercedes definitely look within reach." Ferrari's speed had already stunned rivals after Friday's opening day of practice pointed to a close battle, even if Hamilton was top of the timesheets. With temperatures plunging on Saturday, the scarlet cars seemed to come into their own. Vettel, who holds a 17-point lead over Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton after winning in Australia and Bahrain, is looking good for a hat-trick. No driver has ever won the season's first three races without being crowned champion that year, and the last Ferrari driver to do it was Schumacher in 2004 when he was at the peak of his powers and won the opening five.

Escape the dinosaurs in Jurassic World with Mercedes-Benz [w/video]

This year looks to be a big one for blockbusters. Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron are already hits, and more major premieres are on the way all the way up to the return of Star Wars in December. One of the next highly anticipated flicks due is Jurassic World, and Mercedes-Benz is throwing its marketing muscle behind the movie to showcase some of the brand's rugged vehicles. While we already know about its appearance in the film, the GLE-Class Coupe gets to play a pretty big role because Bryce Dallas Howard's character drives one of the new crossovers around the dinosaur-infested island. As previously teased, a G63 AMG 6X6 also plays a part in the flick. Mercedes is showing off a standard G-Class, Unimog, and Sprinter to do some offroad work in the park, as well. Among the advertising efforts, Mercedes has a print ad for the GLE-Class Coupe with the film's monstrous Indominus Rex dino, and you can check it out in the gallery above. Also, the company has a commercial showing off some of the vehicles in action in the movie, which you can watch below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mercedes-Benz Launches Campaign to Support Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment's Jurassic World The dinosaurs are back Stuttgart. This summer, when the long-awaited next installment of the groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World, arrives in theaters, an entire fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles will share the spotlight. Alongside the iconic G-Class, Unimog, Sprinter models and the all-new GLE Coupe will play a leading role in the epic action-adventure. Mercedes-Benz will accompany the release of the film with a comprehensive co-promotional package that includes a television commercial, print and online advertising, dedicated microsites and social-media activities. The commercial, starring the Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the film, launches today in the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, a custom key visual was developed for all communication in which the all-new GLE Coupe is seen eye-to-eye with the film's fearsome Indominus rex. "In 1997 the Mercedes-Benz M-Class made its first official appearance in the Hollywood Blockbuster 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park'. Today, 18 years later, another Mercedes-Benz car will debut in a significant role in the latest installment of the groundbreaking Jurassic Park series named Jurassic World: the new GLE Coupe", says Dr.

Recharge Wrap-up: Shift to offer Teslas for Hire, Model S P85D beats Ferrari in drag race

A company called Shift plans to provide bikes and EVs for hire. Based in Las Vegas, NV, Shift will provide chauffeured ride services like Uber, but will also include a car- and bike-sharing service that delivers the desired wheels to the customer. Shift's fleet will include EVs like the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive and the Tesla Model S. Shift also promises that you will, "Be on your way within five minutes," which is a pretty tall order. Shift is scheduled to be available to members beginning this fall. Read more at The Car Connection. Nissan UK has confirmed the price of replacement batteries for the Leaf. UK drivers will be able to buy new batteries for 4,920 pounds (or about $7,738). That's considerably more than the price of $5,499 for US customers. Customers get 1,000 pounds back when they exchange their old battery. The original battery is covered under a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty, and most owners will never need to replace it. According to Nissan, only three replacement batteries have been sold out of 30,000 Leafs sold in Europe. Read more at Autocar. The Tesla Model S P85D walloped a Ferrari in an impromptu drag race video. The Ferrari driver pulls up alongside the Tesla and asks, "What you got in there?" before challenging him to a race. The Ferrari gets a head start, but the Tesla pulls out ahead quickly. The video also gets the reactions of some passengers to the car's mighty acceleration. See the video below and read the account of a drag race against a Lamborghini Aventador at Car Throttle. Australian website Drive has chosen their Cars of the Year in various categories. The Tesla Model S was a carryover winner for Luxury Car Over $80,000, but the Mercedes-Benz C200 narrowly overtook it to be crowned the overall winner. Regarding the Model S, one judge says, "This makes every other EV look at least a generation behind." The main thing that held the Tesla back from winning outright was the near-term lack of charging infrastructure. The judges did note Tesla's plans to build a network of Superchargers in Australia, but also pointed out that those plans exclude much of the country so far. See the video below and read more at Drive. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.