2006 Mercedes R350-benz Transmission Warranty Until 3/2015 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

World Car Of The Year down to its final four

Judges for the World Car of the Year Award have narrowed down the finalists to just four vehicles. Out of a total of 42 entries, only the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Porsche Boxster/Cayman, Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT-86 and Volkswagen Golf remain standing. For Volkswagen, this marks the second consecutive year the company has had an entry among the finalists, and the fourth time since 2009. In order to qualify, a vehicle must be on sale on two continents during the span of time between January 1, 2013 and May 30, 2013. A panel of 66 journalists from 23 countries then vote on the finalists.
Three vehicles have made the cut for the last round of voting on the 2013 World Performance Car as well, with the Cayman/Boxster and FR-S/BRZ/GT-86 running against the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. Meanwhile, the Renault Zoe, Tesla Model S and Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid are duking it out for the World Green Car Award. Finally, the World Car Design of the Year Award is up for grabs between the Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar F-Type, and the Mazda6. Check out the full press release below. Overall winners will be presented at the 2013 New York Auto Show.

Mercedes previews new C63 DTM racer alongside Edition 1

The new C-Class Coupe will undoubtedly be one of the main points of focus at the Mercedes-Benz pavilion in Frankfurt this year. But the Silver Star automaker will have more than just the base version to showcase. There's be the new AMG C63, and now two additional versions. First up is the Edition 1, the designation Mercedes often applies (in some markets anyway) to launch versions of exciting new models. For the C63 Coupe, the Edition 1 features a raft of upgrades, available in either standard (476 horsepower) or S (510 hp) states of tune. It's done up in one of two exterior appearance packages, in matte gray with either yellow trim or black. The Edition 1 also wears special 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inchers at the back, ceramic brakes, enhanced aerodynamics package, more chrome and gloss-black trim, and an optimized interior with racing buckets. Alongside the Edition 1, Mercedes will also reveal the new DTM racing model in Frankfurt. And following the teaser sketch released the other day, it's giving us our first proper look at the new touring car right here. The new C63 DTM will replace the existing C-Coupe DTM (as it has been formally styled) that has represented the automaker in its local tin-top racing series since 2012 – winning seven races over the past four seasons, but not a championship yet. If looks are anything to go by, the new racing coupe could be up to the task. Special Model to Market Launch: Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe Edition 1: Inspired by Motorsport Affalterbach. Mercedes-AMG is bringing the C 63 Coupe Edition 1 special model to the starting line. The exclusive colour combination in designo Magno Selenite Grey with yellow film coating and black wheels with yellow painted rim flanges reflects the graphic design of the Frankfurt International Motor Show launch version of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM racing coupe which will be used in the DTM next year. The special model is equipped with Performance seats and an aerodynamics package, highlighting its proximity to motorsport. The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe and C 63 S Coupe are also available as "Edition 1" special models from market launch. The extraordinary combination of exclusive design and equipment characteristics is inspired by the optical appearance of future Mercedes-AMG racing coupes which will compete in the popular DTM series in 2016. Two exterior designs address different customer wishes.

Recharge Wrap-up: Daimler spending big for fuel cells, Ford Go!Drive experiment advances

Ford's Go!Drive experiment is entering its beta phase in London. The project, which is one of the automaker's global smart mobility experiments, uses a mobile app for on-demand carsharing of Ford Focus Electric and Ford Fiesta vehicles. The beta phase involves increasing the number of available vehicles from 20 to 50, and collecting new data from users. The program offers one-way rentals and guaranteed parking, with no membership fees and a cost of 26 cents per minute. Ford hopes to get 2,000 drivers involved in the program. Read more at Green Car Congress. Daimler will invest billions of dollars to upgrade the Mercedes-Benz Unterturkheim plant over the next few years. This year alone, it plans to spend $1.06 billion. The company expects cost savings "in the range of hundreds of millions of euros until 2020," while maintaining its workforce of 18,700 employees and adding 150 vocational training positions. The upgrades will allow the plant to become a center for building more efficient engines, hybrid powertrains and fuel cell systems. "Alternative drive systems are an important element of our future mobility," says Mercedes-Benz's Markus Schafer. "Their share of automotive production is set to steadily rise over the next few years, complementing our highly efficient engines within the portfolio. This is what we have laid the groundwork for today." Read more at Reuters, or in the press release below. The Department of Energy is providing $20 million in funding for the development of more efficient high speed industrial motors and drives. Ditching old motors and gearboxes for ones that use integrated power electronics could help decrease the energy consumption of the industrial sector, which currently uses more than 25 percent of the electricity generated in the US. The projects being funded will reduce losses and decrease the size of drive systems used in industries like petroleum refining and natural gas, which could affect the lifecycle efficiency of transportation fuels. Read more at Energy.gov.