2007 Mercedes-benz C230 Sport Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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2015 Austrian F1 Grand Prix switches to alternating current

It's called the Red Bull Ring, guests are welcomed by a statue of a leaping bull, and dominating its layout demands powerful cars that can run it hard. Perhaps all that aggression is what led both Mercedes-AMG Petronas cars to run off the track in the final qualifying session on their final hot laps, a little too aggressive on the charge. Lewis Hamilton was first into the gravel at Turn 1 when he lost his car under braking, but he was still fast enough to get pole ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg, who spun at Turn 8. Rosberg started second. Or perhaps it wasn't the red bull but the scarlet horse that caused The Silver Arrows to muck it up: Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel had Mercedes' attention all weekend, and he'd line up in third just 0.355 off Hamilton's time. Williams truly rediscovered its power, Felipe Massa going fourth fastest, teammate Valtteri Bottas in sixth. Between them was newly-minted Le Mans winner Nico Hulkenberg, yet again – can we say that enough? – pulling the still-not-updated Force India to fifth place on the grid. Max Verstappen led the Renault-powered top-ten duo in his Toro Rosso in seventh, Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver Daniil Kvyat behind him in eighth. Kvyat, however, would start down the order because of a ten-place grid penalty for needing a fifth Renault engine. After that it's back to Mercedes Ferrari power, Felipe Nasr in the Sauber in ninth, Romain Grosjean in with Mercedes power in the Lotus in tenth – but fellow Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado actually started in tenth because of Kvyat's demotion. Before we get to the race, can we take a moment to talk about the shenanigans and gaudy penalties? Kimi Raikkonen waved the Ferrari flag in Canada after a season that's been full of "We didn't get it right this time," and we thought he was back. But no. In Austria the refrain returned, the Finn kicked out of Q1 after another miscommunication with the team – he qualified 18th. If the scenario plays to form, we'll now wait for team boss Mauricio Arrivabene to issue a clarification that suggests Raikkonen missed a step. Daniel Ricciardo parachutes ten spots back for the same reason as his teammate Kvyat, needing a fifth Renault power unit, dropping him to 18th on the grid and forcing him into a five-second time penalty when he comes in to pit.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 thunders into Geneva debut [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz took the opportunity to debut its replacement for the SLS AMG GT3 at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show today, showing off the new AMG GT3. Unlike the road car on which it's based, Mercedes ditched the turbocharged V8 for its awesome 6.3-liter V8, which also powered the GT3's predecessor. That's far from the only change found for the racing variant of the new model, however. Mercedes conducted a serious overhaul of the car's aerodynamics, fitting a huge rear wing and an equally enormous front splitter. The front bumper is also home to a quartet of winglets, which add even more downforce to the front end. As we suspected in our original post on the GT3, the rear of the car has been fitted with a none-too-subtle rear diffuser. The cooling needs of the track have also been enhanced, courtesy of large ducts on the fenders and a deep vent in the hood, while meaty slats sit over the front wheel wells. In addition to the rear diffuser, large ducts have been fitted to both sides of the rear bumper. The AMG GT3 looks like a compelling offer in the world of customer racers, although we won't know that for certain until it hits the track for some competition. That should be later this year at the earliest, as Mercedes is targeting late 2015 for the first customer deliveries. Check out our live gallery of images of the new AMG GT3, direct from the floor of the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. World premiere in Geneva for spectacular AMG racing car All-out attack : the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 Affalterbach. Mercedes-AMG will ring in the 2015 motorsport season at the beginning of March with the sonorous sound of the V8 engine: the new Mercedes-AMG GT3, with which the Mercedes-Benz sports car and high-performance brand is systematically expanding its motorsports presence, will be making its debut appearance at the Geneva Motor Show. Developed to comply with the FIA's GT3 race rules, the racing car will compete in the world's most hotly contested customer race series. Cutting-edge racing technology and spectacular design predestine the new challenger for victories. The new GT3 is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT, which is being launched in just a few days' time. Following an intensive test phase, the new AMG racing car will be shipped to the first customer teams at the end of 2015. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 will blaze new trails in customer sports with its intelligent vehicle concept.

Mercedes GLE-Class shows a new face for the luxury crossover in NYC

Segments don't get much hotter than luxury crossovers at the moment, and that makes for some perfect timing for Mercedes-Benz to unveil the GLE-Class at the 2015 New York Auto Show. As a replacement for the M-Class, the new model offers a more traditional looking alternative to the styling of its swoopy sibling, the GLE-Class Coupe. Mercedes' designers crafted a nose for the GLE that gives it a strong family resemblance to the Coupe, but the rest of the shape bears a chunky, more utilitarian appearance. Elsewhere, the new model sticks with the thick C-pillar and wraparound rear glass of the outgoing M-Class but with sharper edges for a slightly more muscular look. Stepping inside, occupants find all of the German luxury brand's latest styling cues. Mercedes is making a major commitment to adding more plug-in hybrids to its vehicles in the coming years, and the GLE is one step in that process. The lineup includes the GLE550e 4Matic that pairs a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 with electric assistance to produce a total of 436 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The German brand isn't going entirely green, though, and the range also includes the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 and GLE63 S, powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 that produces 550 hp or 577 hp, respectively. Check out the photos above from the show floor to get a full look at this upscale crossover before it arrives at dealers later this year.