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Man makes record-setting drive across the US in 28 hours, 50 minutes

Records, as the say, are made to be broken. Whether that's cramming the most hot dogs down your gullet, running a faster mile, or yes, driving across the United States, odds are that there's someone out there wants to eat more, run faster or drive harder. Speaking of that last example, the record for driving from a set location on the east coast, in particular the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA, has been one that has fascinated gearheads since a guy named Cannonball Baker made the trek from New York to LA in 53 hours, 30 minutes, in 1933.
The competition saw its glory days when Car and Driver's Brock Yates came up with the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (more affectionately known as the Cannonball Run), although the record was most recently set by Alex Roy and his 32-hour, seven-minute trek behind the wheel of a BMW M5 in 2006. Now, there's a new champion, who made the trip from east to west in a scarcely imaginable 28 hours and 50 minutes, behind the wheel of a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG. That's works out to an average speed of 98 miles per hour over the course of 2,813.7 miles.
His name is Ed Bolian, and Jalopnik has a writeup of the epic voyage that details everything from the history of the Cannonball Run to Bolian's preparation and trouble finding co-drivers, to the trip itself. It is well worth a read.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC live from Germany

The introduction of the Mercedes-Benz GLC at Hugo Boss headquarters outside of Stuttgart was another step in the evolution of brand cohesion at the Three-Pointed Star. The twin philosophies reshaping the company's products are "Sensual Purity," the brand's design language, and "Modern Luxury," the umbrella term for its wood-and-technology approach to interior splendor and driver assistance systems. That meant the GLK, already a contrarian in the segment thanks to its "interesting" look and cozy cabin, was an outcast in Mercedes' own SUV lineup. The GLC fixes that, for those of you who thought it needed fixing. Gone are the sharp creases and angles inspired by the G-Class, replaced by a the curves dictated by brand purity. To this writer, it looks like a smaller version of the new GLE. Which makes this corporate exercise another in a line of good-looking-yet-less-distinctive successes. Less confrontational outside, the GLC is downright inviting inside. The cabin that impressed us in the C-Class is equally impressive here, particularly when optioned with the Designo leather and open-pore wood. The rear quarters feel roomier than the additional 1.3 inches in legroom would make you think, and it's the same with the three extra feet of cargo space – there's a lot of room behind the rear seats. One thing to note: the hybrid (which we won't get initially) loses a fraction of that extra room with a slightly higher load floor over the batteries. Although it makes less visual impression outside, the G-Class hasn't been forgotten here. The godfather of the lineup is the reason for stressing the GLC's off-road capability. We don't really believe the GLC will need to pass any off-road exams – at least, not on purpose – but that's not the point. By including such capability, Mercedes establishes a concrete connection with its war-tested and thoroughly badass SUV halo, a connection that none of its competitors can make save for Land Rover. On that subject, due to different regulations, the US-market GLC will have slightly different bumpers; instead of the 31-degree approach angle and 25-degree departure angle other markets get, our model will allow a maximum of 28 degrees front and back. Those numbers put in the same off-road playground as the Range Rover Evoque.

Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion has an absurd name, remarkable vision

We often hear about cars that don't look good in pictures. "You need to see it in person," people say. Well, the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion, which the company brought to Detroit after debuting it at CES, is just such a vehicle. Besides having a very silly name and looking, according to one Autoblog editor, like a suppository, this is a genuinely striking piece of design when viewed in the metal. The shape is aerodynamic in the extreme, but still features subtle details and styling cues. Whether that be the small dorsal ridge on the roof, the simply huge wheels and the Cylon-like, wraparound taillights, despite a fairly uniform shape, there's still a lot to see on the F 015. That's doubly true in the cabin, which is typically luxurious, while also doubling as a rolling lounge withs eating for four. Accessible via barn doors that open up to 90 degrees, the F 015's cabin features fine woods and leathers, as well as seats that swivel around to face each other. Screens abound (there are six in total), and gesture-and-touch-based controls are the order of the day, producing what Mercedes calls a "digital arena." As an autonomous vehicle, MB doesn't offer a lot of technical information on propulsion or guidance systems, simply saying that the pod-like concept could accommodate an electric motor and fuel cell. Take a look at our gallery of live images Mercedes' sci-fi vision, and if there's an auto show coming to your neck of the woods, get out and see this strange and impressive car.