Mercedes Benz C- 240 on 2040-cars

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Lewis Hamilton takes pole position at German GP as Ferrari falters

HOCKENHEIM, Germany — Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the German Grand Prix on Saturday, while Sebastian Vettel's miserable form continued for Ferrari as he was unable to even set a time and will start from the back. It got even worse for Ferrari as Vettel's teammate Charles Leclerc was unable to start the last part of qualifying, known as Q3, and is set to begin from 10th place on the grid on Sunday. "I don't know really how we did it today. I'm not quite sure what happened to the Ferraris," Hamilton said. "I think if Leclerc had done a lap at the end, it would have been close between us." Ferrari is winless in 10 races this season and that terrible run looks to continue, while Hamilton is aiming for a sixth win in seven. It was a record-extending 87th pole for the five-time world champion, who is 11 wins shy of Michael Schumacher's record of 91. Hamilton starts on the front row alongside Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who knocked Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas into third place. Red Bull's Pierre Gasly goes from fourth. "A bit disappointed with qualifying and I just struggled," said Bottas, who is level with Hamilton on four poles this season. "Ferrari (were) extremely quick and we knew it would be difficult to beat them ... We've been a bit lucky." Vettel, who crashed at last year's German GP despite leading from pole, looked visibly upset as he climbed out of his car in the team garage. The incident happened during the first part of qualifying, making him one of five drivers eliminated from Q1. The issue appeared to be related to a turbo problem, even more surprising given Ferrari had topped all three practice sessions heading into qualifying. Worried faces in the Ferrari garage turned to sheer horror as mechanics then detected a problem on Leclerc's car, ruling him out of the top-10 shootout in Q3. "Mine was a fuel system problem. It is a shame but we will be trying to understand what happened and not to reproduce it. The car felt great today so it's a shame it ended like this," Leclerc said. "I feel for the whole team. I will give absolutely everything to make everyone smile again tomorrow." Television footage showed a Ferrari fan in the stands sinking his face into his hands in disbelief. Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff was sympathetic when commenting on Ferrari's latest setback. "It is a shame for Ferrari and for Sebastian at his home GP," Wolff told broadcaster Sky Sports, adding.

Race Recap: Singapore Grand Prix is about a safety car and submission

The Singapore Formula One Grand Prix is the Monaco GP of the Orient - a weekend known more for its glamour and time-slot than on-track action, with a temporary circuit that punishes every mistake, usually terminally.
Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas got the best of Free Practice 1, opening the curtain on a possible resurgence of Silver Arrows performance. By the time qualifying was done, though, it was his teammate Nico Rosberg who lined up second on the grid, followed by Romain Grosjean with a beautiful performance in the Lotus, Mark Webber in the Infiniti Red Bull, and Hamilton all the way back in fifth. Behind them were Felipe Massa outqualifying Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button getting the McLaren into eighth, Daniel Ricciardo with another good Q3 effort to get into ninth, and the shocker of Esteban Gutiérrez getting his Sauber into the top ten for the first time this year.
At the front of the pack was Sebastian Vettel. Again. But he was only ahead of Rosberg by a single tenth of a second...

2017 Mercedes GLS brings Benz's flagship SUV up to date

Mercedes-Benz is continuing the revision of its entire crossover lineup with the introduction of the new GLS. A facelifted version of the existing GL-Class, the new GLS aims to serve as the flagship of the German automaker's SUV lineup in the same way that the S-Class does for its sedans, coupes, and convertibles. As an update (rather than a completely new model), the new GLS is physically mostly the same as the GL it replaces, but packs a comprehensive series of revisions to bring it up to date. Those revisions can be seen on the outside, with revised styling front and rear. However the real changes have been made underneath the skin. The seven-passenger interior features a new three-spoke steering wheel, instrument panel with media display, center console with touchpad control, ambient lighting, and even an available air ionization system. The interior trim has been redone as well, with available Designo Exclusive and AMG Line packages to individualize it further. The new GLS will be offered Stateside in four engine specs. The base model is the GLS450, with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Step up to the GLS550 and you get 455 hp (20 more than before) and 516 lb-ft of torque. There's a six-cylinder diesel option in the GLS350d, good for 255 hp and 455 lb-ft. And the performance flagship, of course, is the new Mercedes-AMG GLS63, with 577 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque. The standard versions come with 4Matic all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission with additional settings. The AMG version gets a rearward-biased traction system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox instead. The standard models ride on an improved air suspension with enhanced damping, but the GLS63 adds a Sport+ instead of Off-Road setting on the Dynamic Select controller. There's a low-range gearbox and locking center diff available as well for those who plan to go off-road. Mercedes has fitted the GLS with all its latest electronic systems, including Collision Prevention Assist Plus, Crosswind Assist with Attention Assist, Brake Assist BAS, Pre-Safe braking, and more. The optional Driver Assistance package adds Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, pedestrian detection, cross-traffic assist, active blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and more. There's an optional intelligent LED lighting system and heated adaptive windshield wipers as well.