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Daimler ponders partnerships with Apple, Google

Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche is willing to consider joint ventures with tech giants like Apple and Google. Don't expect the automaker's vehicles to become just another platform for their software, though. In an interview with a German magazine, the chairman admits "different types" of partnerships could be possible, according to Reuters. As vehicles become increasingly connected, greater expertise is necessary in creating their software. The changing market is an opportunity for tech companies to enter the auto industry. "Google and Apple want to provide system software for cars and bring this entire ecosystem around Apple and Google into the vehicle," Zetsche said, according to Reuters. "That can be interesting for both sides." Although, he was clear no deals had happened, yet. For automakers, the danger of this cooperation is for a vehicle to be just a physical device that runs the software. "We don't want to become contractors who have no direct content with customers any more and supply hardware to third parties," he said in the interview. Zetsche has been working out how to create this balance for a while. Earlier this year, he said that some partnerships with Silicon Valley firms could be helpful. However, data privacy remains a major concern, especially in the wake of multiple vehicle hacks in recent months. In the chairman's opinion, a Mercedes-Benz shouldn't just protect its occupants physically but also their personal information. Related Video:

2015 Japanese Grand Prix is a little Mercedes, a lot of zen

Just one week on from the issues in Singapore Mercedes-AMG Petronas appeared to have solved its clamp problems and everything else. Daniil Kvyat at Infiniti Red Bull Racing took the two Free Practice scalps on Friday, but when it came time for qualifying the front of the grid looked really familiar: Mercedes' Nico Rosberg took his second pole position of the season, Lewis Hamilton next to him in second. Kvyat had a hand in that, too, the Russian getting into a big accident in Q3 when he put two wheels on the grass heading into the hairpin and veered into the tire wall so hard that he flipped. That ended qualifying before a number of drivers had a chance to improve their times, Hamilton among them. That's how Valtteri Bottas got in third for Willliams ahead of Sebastian Vettel fourth for Ferrari. Felipe Massa had the second Williams in fifth, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari. Daniel Ricciardo lined up sixth for Infiniti Red Bull Racing, a team we're going to have to enjoy watching for the rest of the season since it might not exist come 2016. Romain Grosjean gave Lotus some good news by getting into eighth, the team so strapped for cash that it couldn't get into its hospitality area, so it held press conferences outside and ate at Bernie Ecclestone's Paddock Club. Sergio Perez took ninth for Sahara Force India, and Kvyat slotted into tenth after not setting a time. The Russsian's race would begin from the pit lane once his mechanics rebuilt his car. It wouldn't be a Formula One start lately without someone at the front having clutch problems. This time it was pole man Rosberg, whose power unit got too hot and put him a few horsepower down on Hamilton through Turns 1 and 2. That's half of how Hamilton took the lead from the lights going out, and the Brit kept it throughout the race. Rosberg, however, said his race was lost when Hamilton pushed him wide through Turn 2, a move Hamilton defended. Rosberg finished almost 19 seconds behind his teammate, a gap that probably isn't fully explained by that opening incident. Hamilton's race was so uneventful that we almost never saw him on camera – that is, we saw him so much less than we usually see him when he's out in front and unpressured that Nikki Lauda said he'd ask Ecclestone why the cameras avoided him. The conspiracy theory holds that FOM was punishing Mercedes for not supplying Red Bull with engines next year.

Sales start for $146,000 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug In Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz's first production plug-in hybrid is chock full of astounding numbers, including the price tag. The base price is 108,944.50 euros, or about $146,000 US. If that didn't make your eyes glaze over, the Daimler division is ready to take your down payments now that the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid is officially on sale. Deliveries to European dealerships start in September. Details on the PHEV sedan were divulged last August and it was first shown off at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Benz calls it the, "first luxury saloon with the performance of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a compact model." That's no exaggeration. The car's powertrain that pairs a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo with an electric motor that delivers 436 horsepower and a 0-62 mile per hour acceleration time of just 5.2 seconds. Top speed is 155 miles an hour. On the green side, the car can go as far as almost 21 miles on electric power alone and gets a fuel-efficiency rating, on the more lenient European driving cycle, of 84 miles per gallon equivalent. The car also includes a so-called COMAND navigation system that tweaks how the electric motor is used based on the driver's desired route. Very high-tech. We've got Mercedes-Benz's press release below. Sales release for S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID: First PLUG-IN HYBRID with a star starts With immediate effect the Mercedes-Benz S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID can be ordered for prices from 108,944.50 euros[1]. The S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID blends an ultramodern hybrid drive configuration with the unique innovations and the luxurious equipment and appointments of the S-Class. The luxury saloon with a long wheelbase impresses with unique dynamism and efficiency. Thanks to standard pre-entry climate control it also offers unique climate comfort. In September the first certified three-litre luxury saloon in the world will be arriving at the dealers - a further milestone on the road to emission-free mobility. "The new S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID offers our customers the entire range of innovations that make our new S-Class so successful, and thanks to its intelligent operating strategy ensures outstanding driving pleasure and dynamism combined with the highest efficiency. Moreover, it allows completely emission-free driving for up to 33 km," says Ola Kallenius, Executive Vice-President for Sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is the first luxury saloon with the performance of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a compact model.