2008 Mercedes-benz C350 Sport Sedan 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Mercedes-AMG GT3 opts for big displacement without a turbo

There was a time when there were numerous categories in sports car racing: GT1, GT2 , GT3... but these days they've all been amalgamated into the latter. That's left a GT3 class packed with competitors and possibly more contentious than ever before. What you see here is Mercedes' new challenger, in official form after being leaked earlier today by the French website Le Point. Replacing the SLS AMG GT3 that won its class (among other races) the Nurburgring 24 Hours in 2013 is the new Mercedes-AMG GT3. Set to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, it's the racing version of the new Mercedes-AMG GT, and aside from looking the business, it has the makings of a highly competitive entry. As you can see, it sits closer to the track surface than the road-going version, and packs more extreme aero – including a front splitter you could serve dinner off of, little winglets to deflect the air away from the front tires, deep side sills, a massive rear wing and (though we can't see it presently) what promises to be a very large rear diffuser. It's also got more ventilation to feed the engine and cool the brakes, and a stripped-out cabin with full roll cage and a steering device that's long since evolved beyond resembling an actual "wheel." To save weight, Mercedes has redone many of the panels out of carbon fiber, but one of the most intriguing elements is what you'd find under that woven hood: instead of adapting the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from the road-going GT, AMG has slotted in the larger atmospheric 6.3-liter V8 from the outgoing racer – coupled to a six-speed sequential gearbox. With its new GT3 entry, Mercedes surely hopes to take a slice of the customer racing market that Porsche in particular has developed into a successful and profitable business over the years. Racing fans, however, will be more interested to see how this puppy fares at Le Mans, the Nurburgring, the Blancpain sprint and endurance series, the United SportsCar Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship and countless national series around the world. It'll have tough competition on its hands, though, from the likes of the Porsche 911 RSR, Audi R8 LMS, Bentley Continental GT3, Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, McLaren 650S GT3, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and countless others that battle for glory on a racetrack somewhere on any given Sunday. World premiere in Geneva for spectacular AMG racing car All-out attack : the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 Affalterbach.

Mercedes-Benz to boost stake in Aston Martin to 20%, lend it some tech

Daimler unit Mercedes-Benz is to lift its stake in Britain's Aston Martin to up to 20% by 2023, making it one of the struggling British carmaker's largest shareholders, Aston said on Tuesday. Aston Martin, popular for being James Bond's carmaker of choice, has suffered a torrid time since it went public two years ago, with its shares losing two-thirds of their value this year. The 107-year-old firm hired Tobias Moers, former CEO of Mercedes-AMG, as its new boss from August. Aston said the increase in Mercedes-Benz's stake, from 2.6% currently, would take place in several stages as part of a wider issue of 250 million shares at 50 pence each. The stock issued to the German group will have a maximum value of 286 million pounds ($372.7 million), it said. The deal will see an existing supply agreement between the two firms, in place since 2013, expanded to give Aston Martin access to key Mercedes' technology, including hybrid and electric drive systems. "We take another major step forward as our long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz AG moves to another level, with them becoming one of the company's largest shareholders," said Aston's chairman and biggest shareholder Lawrence Stroll. The German firm will get the right to nominate one non-executive director to Aston Martin's board after its first shareholding increase, the London-listed firm said. Aston, which has started deliveries of its first sport utility vehicle, the DBX, said on Tuesday it swung into an adjusted core loss of 29 million pounds in the third quarter, versus a profit of 43 million pounds last year. Revenue in the period nearly halved to 124 million pounds, it said. Aston Martin is targeting annual capex of 250 million pounds to 300 million pounds per year between 2021 and 2025. It envisages production volumes of about 10,000 units, revenues of about 2 billion pounds and adjusted core profit of 500 million pounds by financial years 2024 or 2025.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC one-ups old GLK in every way

Meet the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, the latest in the automaker's increasingly impressive run of new or significantly updated (and occasionally renamed) vehicles that's included the immensely good C- and S-Class, and the upcoming GLE-Class – formerly known as the M-Class crossover. Unlike the GLE, which you'll be reading our First Drive on shortly, the GLC is much more than a mid-cycle refresh, representing the second-generation of Mercedes' compact crossover. While it represents a more significant update to the former GLK than the GLE does to the ML, the new GLC shares its looks with the larger vehicle. It's a handsome take on Mercedes' latest design language, featuring a similar rectangular, two-slat grille in the fascia. The greenhouse has hints of C- and S-Class in it, and is the best way of viewing the 4.6-inch stretch to the wheelbase. The taillights, meanwhile, take their inspiration from the S-Class Coupe and AMG GT. The new cabin isn't just prettier, it's more spacious, too. The C-Class and S-Class also serve as inspiration for what is a remarkably attractive cabin. While Audi has long served as the standard for interior design, with the C, S, and now the GLC, Mercedes can stake a claim to Ingolstadt's crown. Like the C-Class, the center stack is a wide, curving design that terminates in the controller for the infotainment system, while a tablet-like display sits up high. Leather, wood, and aluminum cover most every surface we can see in the initial batch of photos, while cool, blue accent lighting adds an extra dose of style. The new cabin isn't just prettier, it's more spacious, too. Thanks to the longer wheelbase, there's an extra 2.2 inches of space for second-row passengers. There's more room for cargo, too. Mercedes claims 20.5 cubic feet – non-SAE, it should be noted – behind the second row, up from 16.5 in the current GLK. While the GLC will be offered with a range of gas and diesel powertrains, US consumers will be offered the GLC300 first. Counterintuitively and like the C300, the entry level CUV uses a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. While we expect 4Matic to be the popular option, Mercedes will also offer a rear-drive-only model. There's no mention of additional powertrains beyond the launch model, although we'd expect the GLC to follow the C-Class' example and add a GLC400 powered by a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6.