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Mercedes-AMG GT and C63 to serve as F1 safety, medical cars

Mercedes has spent nearly 20 years providing the safety and medical cars for Formula 1, so it was hardly a shock when the company announced that the new Mercedes-AMG GT and C63 AMG S Estate would serve as ushers in the F1 circus. The two turbocharged monsters replace the old SLS AMG safety car and C63 AMG wagon medical car, which have served in one trim or another since 2010 and 2008, respectively. The biggest change for either car is, of course, the lightbar. It's been mounted atop a carbon-fiber hoop on the AMG GT that Mercedes says optimizes airflow to that big rear wing. Meanwhile, the location of the lights was confirmed via wind tunnel testing. In the cockpit, two iPads allow the AMG GT's passenger, fuel analyst Peter Tibbetts, to monitor the race's world feed while also keeping an eye on race data. The tablets stay connected via an in-car, wireless internet connection. Changes for the C63 S wagon are less extensive. It gets a lightbar and the usual signaling systems in the headlights and taillights, while the cargo compartment includes both a respirator and a defibrillator, to manage more serious medical emergencies. As with the AMG GT, the C63 is finished in F1's traditional silver safety/medical car livery. Beyond these changes, both vehicles are just as potent as those that can be purchased at dealers. Both cars feature a 4.0-liter, 510-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8, while a seven-speed AMG Speedshift transmission dispatches the grunt with lightning-quick shifts. So equipped, the AMG GT will hit 60 in 3.8 seconds and the C63 can get there in 4.1 seconds. Check out the full gallery of both cars, decked out in their F1 liveries, available up top. Related Video: Mercedes-AMG GT S and C 63 S in action for the 2015 Formula 1® season: Maximum safety, maximum performance Affalterbach, Mar 06, 2015 Baptism of fire on the race track: The GT S and the C 63 S – the new high-performance cars from Mercedes-AMG - provide for maximum safety in the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship™. At the first Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia (12 to 15 March 2015) the GT S will debut on the race track as the Official Safety Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship™. As the Official Medical Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship™, the C 63 S Estate will be on hand to provide fast emergency medical care. Mercedes-AMG has been active continuously at the pinnacle of motorsport since 1996.

Weekly Recap: Autonomous driving goes commercial in Nevada

Nevada granted Daimler Trucks North America the first license to run an autonomous commercial vehicle on public roads in the United States Tuesday, marking another milestone in the technology's rapid advancement. Gov. Brian Sandoval and Daimler truck chief Wolfgang Bernhard promptly used the license to lap Highway 15 near Las Vegas in a newly revealed Freightliner Inspiration Truck. It was a clear signal that autonomous driving is big-rig reality, though it's still a long way from widespread use. Nevada certified two of Daimler's Freightliner Inspiration Trucks, which use the company's Highway Pilot system with a stereo camera, radar, and lane-keeping collision-prevention features to regulate the brakes and steering. The radar component has a long-range sensor that can cover 820 feet at an 18-degree angle and a shorter-range unit that stretches 230 feet at a 130-degree angle. The Inspiration trucks are based on the existing Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model used on US roads. In addition to the autonomous technologies, it also has futuristic design cues, including blue lighting in the front and a new hood and grille. While there are only two Freightliner Inspiration trucks in existence, Daimler expects to bring the Highway Pilot system into mass-produced big rigs by 2025, in time to capitalize on the market's predicted growth. The German truckmaker predicts the global hauling market will triple by 2050, and the United States will be a key part of that growth. Trucks carry 69.1 percent the nation's domestic freight tonnage and hauled 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013, according to the American Trucking Association. Daimler expects autonomous driving to augment this growth, and perhaps evolve the role of the truck driver. Still, the company points out autonomous tech is not meant to replace drivers, but to assist them and relieve fatigue and monotony on long hauls. The driver has to stay in control for passing, in city traffic, and when hooking up the trailer. The company said autonomous driving also offers the potential for improved fuel economy – tests showed a five-percent gain – and lower maintenance costs. Daimler also said the technology could reduce congestion on the road. Much of this is attributable to the constant flow of traffic, which is aided by autonomous driving. While the benefits are becoming increasingly apparent, autonomous technology is still met with skepticism.

Xcar spools up the Mercedes-AMG GT

Xcar has sampled its fair share of high-performance machinery. And a fair few of them have come from Stuttgart and its satellite in Affalterbach. The British video crew had yet to sample the new Mercedes flagship, but it takes care of that in this latest installment. That's right, it's time to check out the new Mercedes-AMG GT. AMG's new twin-turbocharged halo car has a tough act to follow, hitting the scene in the wake of the celebrated Mercedes SLS AMG, what with its gullwing doors and big atmospheric V8. But even with those big, wide rubber shoes to fill, Xcar finds there's plenty to love in the new AMG GT – particularly in the exhaust note, which is far from a given from a forced-induction engine. And with as much as 503 horsepower on tap, Xcar aptly points out that it's as potent as many a supercar from just a few years ago. Yet it's far more reasonably priced – in relative terms, that is. It's enough to not only put BMW's M and Audi's Quattro divisions to shame, but put Porsche on notice in the process. And therein lies the vital question: is it better than a 911? Even a 911 Turbo? That's the answer that Xcar seeks to find in this latest video, but you'll want to watch it for yourself to see what conclusion they've reached. Related Video: