2008 Mercedes Clk 350 Coupe Rwd 3.5l V-6 7-spd Auto With Manual Shift Option on 2040-cars

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SRT Viper dukes it out with Mercedes SLS Black Series in new Head 2 Head

In Episode 36 of Motor Trend's Head 2 Head, now that the Corvette ZR1 is no more, Jonny Lieberman has to look overseas to the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series for a challenger with similar philosophy to the SRT Viper: long hood hiding a high-horsepower engine set way back, rear-wheel drive, tiny trunks. That puts the Viper's 8.4-liter V10 with 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque against the SLS AMG's 6.2-liter V8 with 622 hp and 468 lb-ft.
However, the congruences in philosophy and magnitude of numbers doesn't translate to the driving experiences of the two, which are literally and figuratively on different continents. Lieberman gets a handle on the two of them on Northern California roads, Randy Probst then finds out how, and how quickly, they can lap Laguna Seca.
They both get kudos for being improvements on their original sources, but only one of them can take the win. You can find out by watching the video below.

Ferrari seeks review of Canadian Grand Prix penalty decision

Ferrari has asked for a review of the stewards' decision that cost Sebastian Vettel victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, a team spokesperson said on Monday. Vettel finished first in the race in Montreal on June 9 but lost the win after a five-second time penalty for going off track and returning in what stewards deemed to be an unsafe fashion. Mercedes' Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton was declared the winner instead. Significant and relevant new evidence that was not available at the time is required for a team to submit a 'right of review' under article 14 of the governing FIA's International Sporting Code. The spokesperson said Ferrari, who last week dropped a planned protest against the penalty, had formally requested the review but gave no further details "due to the sensitivity of the matter." Stewards will now have sole discretion to determine whether such a significant and relevant new element existed, with their decision final. If the review is deemed admissible, a secondary hearing will be held. Mercedes has won all seven races so far this season, and the last nine in total, with Britain's five-time world champion Hamilton now 29 points clear of Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas in the standings. Vettel, who was furious with a decision that caused an immediate controversy, is 62 points adrift of Hamilton. Formula One holds its eighth race of the 21 round season in the south of France this weekend at Le Castellet circuit, where the penalty is likely to remain a major talking point. The Williams team requested a right of review last season against a three-place grid penalty handed to Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin, arguing that significant and relevant new elements had emerged. Stewards unanimously rejected the move. Motorsports Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Racing Vehicles F1 Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel

Daimler could sell off Li-Tec's EV battery business

Five-plus years may have been about enough time for Daimler AG to know whether it wanted to be in the battery-pack production business. The Mercedes-Benz parent may stop making electric-vehicle batteries and ultimately sell its Li-Tec battery-cell factory in Germany within two years, according to Bloomberg News which cites Manager Magazin. The beneficiary may be LG Electronics, which would likely take over battery-production duties for models such as Daimler's Smart ED battery-electric vehicle. Daimler is taking a number of steps to improve profit margins, which are thinner than those of its German rivals like BMW. Like its German competition, the company has lagged behind companies such as Nissan, Renault and Tesla Motors in terms of aggressively pursuing growth via plug-in vehicle sales. Daimler spokesman Hendrik Sackmann, in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen, would only say that the battery business is growing "rapidly" and that Li-Tec is developing "according to our plans." "Regarding Li-Tec, we are working on a concept for the future line-up," he added. "The battery cells for the successor of the Smart electric drive won't be provided by Li-Tec." Daimler in 2008 launched Li-Tec as a joint venture with Evonik, though Daimler recently put plans together to buy out Evonik's 50-percent share of Li-Tec, Bloomberg reported last month. Evonik's role was manufacturing electrodes and separators for batteries. Daimler also said last fall that it was looking to cooperate more extensively with Tesla in regards to electric vehicle development. The two companies first said they'd work together in 2009. Featured Gallery 2013 Smart Fortwo ED View 16 Photos News Source: Bloomberg NewsImage Credit: Daimler Green Plants/Manufacturing Mercedes-Benz battery