2005 Mercedes-benz Sl 500~cabriolet~nav~htd/lea~hid~all Options~only 63k on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Smart Cross Connect app changes how ForTwos get used [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The story's been updated with a response from a Smart representative. There are parking spaces, and then there are Fortwo parking spaces. Smart, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler, is looking for a way for its customers to take advantage of the difference. Think of it as a big thing for really small cars. Smart is working on an app for the redesigned Fortwo called Cross Connect that will be available as soon as next month, says Automotive News, citing Smart chief Annette Winkler. The idea is to connect owners of the diminutive two-seat vehicles to, for example, let them tell each other when there's a parking space that's too small for just about any other vehicle but big enough for a Smart. If you think that's a small thing, think again. The Fortwo is 8 feet, 10 inches long. That's almost six feet shorter than a Toyota Prius, which itself isn't exactly a stretch limo. In fact, the length of a Smart Fortwo is just 10 inches longer than the width of a Ford F-150, in case anyone was having misgivings about parking perpendicular in a parallel spot. Parking has become more relevant, and tougher, as more people move to urban centers. For instance, BMW said earlier this month that it would discontinue its DriveNow car-sharing operations in San Francisco because of the challenge of parking vehicles on that city's streets. Other possible amenities with the Cross Connect app including the enabling of personal car sharing as well as information on car washes that offer discounted rates for Smart Fortwo. Yes, there are some out there, apparently, and we salute them. Michael Minielly, a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz, confirmed to Autoblog that the Cross Connect features would be available in November. You can read Autoblog's driving impressions of the 2016 Fortwo here. Featured Gallery 2016 Smart ForTwo: Second Drive View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req.Image Credit: Drew Phillips Green Mercedes-Benz smart Technology Smartphone fortwo

2015 MV Agusta F4 RC superbike debuts with AMG livery

MV Agusta, the Italian motorcycle maker with 37 Constructors Championship trophies earned in Grand Prix racing, returned to the World Superbike Championship for the 2014 season. With one annual campaign under its belt, it has released the customer version of its racing superbike, the F4 RR. The street-legal version will come in two power levels depending on the exhaust: either 205.5 horsepower with the standard exhaust, or 212 hp with the 4-2-1-2 Termignoni race exhaust. At 386 pounds dry, the RC is about 33 pounds lighter than the World Superbike entrant, but it's still heavier than the competition from Aprilia, BMW, and Ducati. It is, though, a little more powerful than all of them in its full-fat guise. Compared to the RR, MV Agusta made changes to the RC that include a new cylinder head, crankshaft, and camshaft, larger fuel injectors and lighter pistons, a lithium-ion battery, and magnesium casings. Titanium connecting bolts affix a carbon fiber fairing done up in the AMG livery of the World Superbike ride. If you want one, act quickly and come strong: only 250 will be produced, at $46,000 a pop. If you're not that keen, there's a high-res gallery above. Featured Gallery 2015 MV Agusta F4 RC View 26 Photos News Source: Asphalt and Rubber Mercedes-Benz Motorcycle Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance world superbike mv agusta f4

Mercedes may not be done with R-Class after all

The idea of blending a three-row SUV and a minivan into a luxury model like the Mercedes-Benz R-Class still seems wonderfully absurd, particularly when you consider that there was an AMG version of that German people-mover. Apparently, though, one of the brand's execs doesn't believe the concept behind the R-Class is all that bizarre. In fact, he thinks it could be time to try again. Wolf-Dieter Kurz, Mercedes' vice president in charge of SUVs and sports cars, believes that crossovers could be a major driver of product variants in the future due to their popularity. There are a lot of design possibilities to explore in the segment, in his opinion. "There was already one that we had in the portfolio – maybe we were too early – which was the R-Class, which we are still selling in China. It's doing good, with 12,000 to 14,000 units per year," Kurz said during the launch of the GLE and GLE Coupe, according to CarAdvice. Under a recent deal, the quirky model is made by AM General and exported out of the US. Kurz even suggested the exact niche that the new model might fill. "So let's say these more, let's say, on-road based but still very roomy, but not station wagon, is definitely an interesting segment also in the future," he said, according to CarAdvice. That almost sounds like a blend of wagon and SUV in a move not too dissimilar from the current Subaru Outback or the old R-Class. One hurdle for any future model reviving the concept of the R-Class is that the company is already bursting with CUVs. Every size is practically already filled with the GLA, GLC, GLE, and forthcoming GLS, plus Coupe variants for some of them.