2020 Mercedes-benz Gl-class 450 4matic on 2040-cars

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Artist bent out of shape over ticketed warped truck sculpture

If Germans and traffic cops have one thing in common, it's that they aren't necessarily known for their sense of humor. But at least one German parking enforcement officer had a laugh last week when they ticketed a sculpture of an impossible object. The infraction was for the 'Gross Violation of Physical Laws.' At first, Austrian artist Erwin Wurm was incensed that his sculpture, "Truck", which includes a Mercedes transporter MB100D truck curving up the side of a building, received a parking ticket, according to The Local. Wurm's work often features autos bent and twisted into unexpected shapes. He took to Facebook to express concern that he or the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, might be stuck with the 30-euro bill. However, the ticket was all in good fun. City officials and even the clerk's office were in on the joke. Karlsruhe mayor Frank Mentrup announced he would make sure the ticket was cleared, despite the illegal parking job. "We think it's great if the fine men of this city think for themselves artistically," a spokeswoman for the arts center told CityLab. This isn't the first gravity-defying auto to be used in a work of art. In London, a town with notoriously tricky parking, Vauxhall suspended a full-scale Corsa hatchback from a strip of curved tarmac. It hung around for a few days in February. No word on how many tickets that instillation wracked up. News Source: CityLabImage Credit: Twitter/Sham Jaff Weird Car News Mercedes-Benz Vauxhall parking Corsa

Lewis Hamilton retakes F1 lead with 'miracle' victory in Germany

HOCKENHEIM, Germany – Lewis Hamilton raced from 14th to first to seize a "miracle" German Grand Prix victory in a Mercedes one-two on Sunday and retake the Formula One championship lead from Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who crashed. Vettel, now 17 points behind the Briton after starting eight ahead, led his home race from pole position until rain caused chaos in the closing laps, with the German sliding off and into the barriers. Hamilton, the reigning world champion, took the chequered flag for a record-equalling fourth German Grand Prix win, ahead of his Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. "I've never had a race like this," said the four-times champion, who was summoned to stewards after the race for a pitlane infringement but escaped with a reprimand and the victory intact. "Today I feel like I drove the best that I can remember driving. I didn't make any mistakes." It was the 66th win of his F1 career, and Mercedes' 80th, and minutes after the finish, the skies opened with an array of thunder and lightning and a torrential downpour that would have stopped any race. "Miracles do happen, mate," Hamilton's race engineer Pete Bonnington told him over the radio after a slow-burner that turned into one of the great comebacks of the Briton's already stellar career. Hamilton, who threw himself across the pitlane wall into the arms of his mechanics and also got a bear-hug from delighted Mercedes-Benz boss Dieter Zetsche, seemed about as stunned as anyone. "I really feel that the rain has come down and just washed away any negativity and its a glorious day," Hamilton said, his voice wobbling. "It couldn't have been a better day for me and one that I will always remember." FERRARI NIGHTMARE Beaten by Vettel in his home British Grand Prix at Silverstone two weeks ago, where he went from pole to the back of the field and up to second, he had turned the tables completely. "Love conquers all," declared Hamilton, who had reacted defiantly on Instagram to the booing and hostility from a partisan crowd after his car broke down in Saturday's qualifying. "It's obviously very, very difficult from that position and highly unlikely but you've always got to believe," added the four-times champion, who said a long prayer before the race started. "I really manifested my dream today." For Vettel, it was simply a nightmare – the chance to make big gains slipping through his hands in an instant. He now has 171 points to Hamilton's 188.

2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 First Drive [w/videos]

On the flight out to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 launch. I figured I'd drive down gravel and dirt roads, and then I'd take a Sprinter on a brief, pre-planned, crawling off-road course with Mercedes guides helping me along, Perrier water and fresh pastries at every third checkpoint. I've done off-road drives before, and while they do a perfectly nice job of showing the capability of a vehicle and its four-wheel-drive system, they're usually somewhat predictable and, I guess, safe. I also knew I'd be going to the middle of nowhere, but I assumed that'd just be a small town nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. You know, a city anchored by its ski resort, but with all the amenities of a fully functional community. Something like Revelstoke, BC, where I spent my first night on the trip – kind of out in the wilderness, but a place where my iPhone could still pick up a solid 4G signal. But 24 hours later I found myself in a truly remote, off-the-grid part of the world, faced with a route that was anything but pre-arranged. And I wasn't in a G-Wagen, or some other off-roader – I was going to do all of this in a Sprinter van. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time Autoblog has taken a Sprinter far, far off the beaten path, and isn't the first time we've driven this generation of Mercedes' van. Home base was the CMH Monashee Lodge in Mica Creek, BC – a location so out-there that, according to Wikipedia, it "is no longer incorporated as a village." I had lost cell signal some 50 miles back, and the lodge was the only thing around, with its small staff, my fellow journalists and the Mercedes handlers the only human beings inhabiting the area. (Wait, haven't I heard this one before?) The drive from Revelstoke to Mica Creek was easy – 56 miles, all on Canada Highway 23 that runs alongside the Columbia River. It was breathtaking, with mountain forests still covered in snow from the winter, and the (mostly) thawed river flowing peacefully to my left as I drove north. There were no telephone poles, no stoplights and no traffic save the occasional logging truck. The road signs didn't point to exits toward other towns, but instead warned of possible run-ins with moose or bears, and let me know not to stop on specific parts of the highway unless I wanted to experience an avalanche up close.