2003 Mercedes-benz G500 Base Sport Utility 4-door 5.0l on 2040-cars

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Automakers suspend some business in Russia following invasion

These Russian GAZ Tigr infantry mobility vehicles were destroyed by Ukrainian fighters in Kharkiv on Monday. (Getty Images)   Global auto and truck makers, including Sweden's Volvo Cars and Germany's Daimler Truck, on Monday suspended some business in Russia following that country's invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces invaded Ukraine last week, marking the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II. Many firms have idled operations in Russia following Western sanctions against Russia. Energy giant BP Plc, Russia's biggest foreign investor, abruptly announced over the weekend it was abandoning its 20% stake in state-controlled Rosneft at a cost of up to $25 billion. On Monday, Swedish automaker Volvo Cars said it would suspend car shipments to the Russian market until further notice, becoming the first international automaker to do so as sanctions over the invasion continue to bite. In a statement, the company said it had made the decision because of "potential risks associated with trading material with Russia, including the sanctions imposed by the EU and US." "Volvo Cars will not deliver any cars to the Russian market until further notice," it said. A Volvo spokesman said the carmaker exports vehicles to Russia from plants in Sweden, China and the United States. This came as Russia warned Sweden and Finland not to join NATO or risk facing “serious military-political consequences." Volvo sold around 9,000 cars in Russia in 2021, based on industry data. Earlier on Monday, RIA news agency reported Volkswagen had temporarily suspended deliveries of cars already in Russia to local dealerships, citing a company statement. VW had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. VW previously said it would halt production for a few days this week at two German factories after a delay in getting parts made in Ukraine. Daimler Truck said on Monday it would freeze its business activities in Russia with immediate effect, including its cooperation with Russian truck maker Kamaz. Mercedes-Benz Group is also looking into legal options to divest its 15% stake in Kamaz as quickly as possible, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported. A Mercedes spokesperson told Reuters business activities would have to be re-evaluated in light of the current events. Mercedes-Benz Group, formerly Daimler AG, was the parent company of Daimler Truck before the truck maker was spun off.

Mercedes-AMG GT S aggressively priced at $129,900*

Just a few days ago we brought you leaked information regarding pricing for Mercedes' new flagship supercar. Now the German automaker has confirmed that the new Mercedes-AMG GT S will indeed retail for $129,900 (*plus a $925 destination charge). That may seem like a big chunk of change, and by most standards it is. But it starts to fall into reasonable territory when you put it into context. For one thing, it's not the most expensive Mercedes – not by a long shot. The previous SLS AMG fetched around $200k, and most anything else at the top of the AMG range – like the S63, SL63, G63 or GL63 – will set you back more than the new GT S, and don't even get us started on anything with the V12 and the number 65. The new Maybach S600 will set you back nearly $190k, and that bonkers G63 6x6 goes for over half a million. As for its rivals, the pricing places the AMG GT S right on pace with the Porsche 911 GT3 (whose 475 horsepower the Benz neatly trumps with 503 hp) and a good $20k less than the more powerful 911 Turbo. It also comes closer to the $115,900 that Audi charges for an R8 with a V8 than the $153,900 it gets for the ten-cylinder version, although the Benz edges closer to the latter in terms of output. The pricing does make it a fair bit more expensive than even the top end of the Jaguar F-Type range, which (short of the Project 7 speedster) maxes out at under $100k for the R model. Contrary to its predecessor and the SLR that came before, however, Benz is wisely staying out of Ferrari/Lamborghini/McLaren territory this time around. In short, Mercedes has clearly weighed its pricing strategy carefully. But if $130k is still too rich for your blood, the less potent base Mercedes-AMG GT will follow in the spring of 2016 with less power (quoted at 456 hp) and with a list price that's yet to be announced but promises to be a fair bit lower. In the meantime, deliveries of the GT S are scheduled to commence in April of this year. MERCEDES-BENZ ANNOUNCES PRICING ON ALL-NEW MY2016 MERCEDES-AMG GT S New Sports Car to Start at $129,900* January 23, 2015 - MONTVALE, NJ With the new Mercedes-AMG GT model range, the Mercedes-AMG sports car brand is moving into a new segment. As the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG, the GT has everything you would expect from an authentic Mercedes-AMG, from the characteristic styling, thoroughbred motorsport technology to the optimum weight distribution.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive gets official US launch

It's finally time to plug in the first production Mercedes-Benz-branded electric vehicle in the US. The Daimler division, which also sells a few of its battery-electric Smart ForTwo vehicles here in the states, has officially launched sales of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class ED. Even better, the US will be the first market in the world to give the general public access to the new plug-in. As with many other EV debuts, the flyover states will have to wait a bit. Mercedes-Benz is only selling the B-Class ED in 10 coastal states, including California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Maine, and hasn't said anything about when a broader release might happen. Earlier this month, the US Department of Energy rated the B-Class electric with an 87-mile single-charge range, which is comparable to that of the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3. The other shoe dropped, though, when it was revealed that the model has an 84 miles per gallon equivalent rating, which is about 30 percent less then both of those other EVs. The culprit for the model, which puts out 177 horsepower and has a base price of $41,150, is its heavier curb weight. Check out Autoblog's "First Drive" impressions here.