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Mercedes sues Ferrari-bound F1 engineer for stealing secrets

Mercedes is suing one of its Formula One engineers, one Benjamin Hoyle, claiming he was planning to take sensitive data to a competitor. An experienced powertrain engineer, Hoyle came to Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in 2012 with previous experience at Prodrive and Cosworth. One of four team leaders at the company, Hoyle headed up the performance application department until he notified his employers of his intention not to seek renewal of his contract that expires at the end of this year. Once they found out that Hoyle was switching to Ferrari, the higher-ups at Mercedes reassigned him to other, less sensitive duties, however Hoyle was reportedly discovered accessing race reports and other sensitive data relating to the performance of the team's engines. In response, Mercedes has filed suit against Hoyle, claiming that he "and potentially Ferrari have gained an unlawful advantage." The German automaker is seeking the return of all documents and the payment of its legal fees. It also seeks to prevent Hoyle from working for another F1 team throughout next season. Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains is the Daimler's F1 engine division. Based in Brixworth, UK, it was founded back in 1983 together with Ilmor before Mercedes bought it outright. Aside from the company's own works team, the outfit this year powered Williams, Lotus, and Force India, and previously worked with McLaren as well as Sauber. This is not the first time that a case of industrial espionage has emerged in F1. A similar controversy erupted in 2007 surrounding engineers Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlan. The highly publicized incident became known as "Spygate" or "Stepneygate" and involved the illegal sharing of secrets between Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Martin Meissner/AP Government/Legal Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports Ferrari Mercedes-Benz F1 industrial espionage

Mercedes goes boating again with G63 AMG-inspired Cigarette

Cigarette Racing has another Mercedes-Benz AMG-themed boat headed out to sea. After The SLS AMG-inspired 46-foot Rough Rider in 2010 and the C63 AMG Black Series-inspired 50-foot Marauder in 2012, this year's Miami Boat Show will introduce the 42-foot Huntress, theme provided by the G63 AMG.
The latest Cigarette homage is less overly racy than the ones before, befitting a watercraft modeled off a performance SUV, but don't let the looks fool: there are five Mercury Racing Verado 350SCi outboard engines, each one of them packing a supercharged inline six-cylinder with, natch, 350 horsepower. Those 1,750 horses will be good for 78 miles per hour when you've got some saltwater underneath you.
If you're in South Florida this week, Booth B-23 at the Miami Convention Center could be your best place to see it. Otherwise, like the 536-hp G63 AMG, it could be hard to catch. There's a press release with more information below.

Escape the dinosaurs in Jurassic World with Mercedes-Benz [w/video]

This year looks to be a big one for blockbusters. Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron are already hits, and more major premieres are on the way all the way up to the return of Star Wars in December. One of the next highly anticipated flicks due is Jurassic World, and Mercedes-Benz is throwing its marketing muscle behind the movie to showcase some of the brand's rugged vehicles. While we already know about its appearance in the film, the GLE-Class Coupe gets to play a pretty big role because Bryce Dallas Howard's character drives one of the new crossovers around the dinosaur-infested island. As previously teased, a G63 AMG 6X6 also plays a part in the flick. Mercedes is showing off a standard G-Class, Unimog, and Sprinter to do some offroad work in the park, as well. Among the advertising efforts, Mercedes has a print ad for the GLE-Class Coupe with the film's monstrous Indominus Rex dino, and you can check it out in the gallery above. Also, the company has a commercial showing off some of the vehicles in action in the movie, which you can watch below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mercedes-Benz Launches Campaign to Support Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment's Jurassic World The dinosaurs are back Stuttgart. This summer, when the long-awaited next installment of the groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World, arrives in theaters, an entire fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles will share the spotlight. Alongside the iconic G-Class, Unimog, Sprinter models and the all-new GLE Coupe will play a leading role in the epic action-adventure. Mercedes-Benz will accompany the release of the film with a comprehensive co-promotional package that includes a television commercial, print and online advertising, dedicated microsites and social-media activities. The commercial, starring the Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the film, launches today in the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, a custom key visual was developed for all communication in which the all-new GLE Coupe is seen eye-to-eye with the film's fearsome Indominus rex. "In 1997 the Mercedes-Benz M-Class made its first official appearance in the Hollywood Blockbuster 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park'. Today, 18 years later, another Mercedes-Benz car will debut in a significant role in the latest installment of the groundbreaking Jurassic Park series named Jurassic World: the new GLE Coupe", says Dr.