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Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet fetches record $1.4 million at auction

Alas, G-Wagen fans: The last available 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet has sold to a private Belgian buyer, with all proceeds to benefit the children's sports charity the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. The price tag at the Zoute Sale at Bonhams was a record ˆ1.2 million, or about $1.4 million. We previously dubbed the luxury off-roader " the ultimate safari machine" for its super-extravagant features. Its soft top can be raised or lowered electronically, as can a glass partition to the driver's compartment (wouldn't be a Landaulet without that, now would it, Jeeves?). What's more, the two rear seats can be fully reclined, with leg rests extending from below, and with access to folding tables, 10-inch LCD screen and heated, cooled and illuminated (!) cup holders. As it has the number 650 in its name, however, the Landaulet also features a twin-turbocharged V12 that generates 630 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Bringing up the G-Wagen part of the bargain is a four-wheel-drive system with front, center, and rear differential locks, that sends power to solid portal axles front and rear, which move the differential and drive axles above the wheel centers for additional ground clearance. The grandest G sold Friday in Brussels was reportedly straight from the factory and one of only 99 to be built. No G650 Landaulets were sold in the United States. The Bonhams Motoring Department's fifth annual Zoute Sale also saw the purchase of a 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC Coupe for ˆ805,000 euros ($945,000), the second most-valuable lot of the sale. Related Video:

Mercedes-Benz recalls 3,800 total vehicles in two campaigns

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 3,813 vehicles in two campaigns in the US, and the affected models span the top and bottom of the brand's product range. The larger recall covers 2,956 examples of the 2014 S63 AMG sedan and 2015-2016 S63 AMG 4Matic sedan and coupe. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a software error in the engine control unit can cause the high-performance luxury cars to stall when coasting to a stop. While this can initially appear to be normal operation of the stop/start system, the engine doesn't restart when the driver releases the brake pedal. Getting moving again involves shifting into neutral or park and going through the ignition process. The repair campaign will begin on December 8, and the models will need an update to the engine control unit software. This will also be the second recent recall for the 2015 S63 AMG 4Matic Coupe because another fix will replace their seatbelts. In a more complicated issue, Mercedes is recalling 857 examples of the 2015 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, and the 2016 SLK300 because a weld on the camshafts might be in the wrong place "due to a production deviation at a supplier." Potentially, the important parts could break and damage the engine. Beginning November 30, dealers will replace the affected camshafts as a precautionary measure. RECALL Subject : Engine Stall due to Engine Control Unit Software Report Receipt Date: OCT 14, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V652000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 2,956 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MERCEDES BENZ S63 AMG 2014 MERCEDES BENZ S63 AMG 4MATIC 2015-2016 Details Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. SUMMARY: Mercedes-Benz USA LLC (Mercedes-Benz) is recalling certain model year 2014 S63 AMG sedans and 2015-2016 S63 AMG 4Matic sedans and coupes manufactured May 14, 2013, to September 18, 2015. In the affected vehicles, due to a software error within the engine control unit, the vehicle may stall when coasting to a stop, such as at a traffic light. CONSEQUENCE: The vehicle stall may be interpreted by the driver to be a planned shut-down as part of the ECO-Start-function. However, the engine will not restart automatically after releasing the brake pedal, immobilizing the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Recharge Wrap-up: Porsche 911 hybrid possible, Ecocruise EVs coming soon

The next-generation Porsche 911 could use hybrid power, according to Porsche CEO Matthias Muller. "There is no reason against it and we will see if we have some reasons to do it," Muller says of the model due around 2018. He also suggests that hybrid technology could eventually make its way into all Porsche model lines, but that the Boxster and Cayman would first get four-cylinder versions. Muller cites carbon emissions and "sportiness" as reasons to use hybrid power, pointing to the 918 Spyder as a good example of both. Read more at Car Advice. A B-Class F-Cell from the Mercedes-Benz fleet has hit a benchmark of 300,000 kilometers (about 186,411 miles) in everyday use. The achievement won Daimler an "f-cell award" for hydrogen fuel cell technology and innovation. The 300+ fuel cell cars in the Daimler fleet have driven a collective 9 million-plus kilometers (more than 5.5 million miles). The information gathered from this testing is being used to improve development as the company looks toward expanding commercialization of fuel cell cars. "We have clearly demonstrated that the fuel cell electric drive is ready for the road," says Professor Herbert Kohler of Daimler. "The last hurdles we will overcome in intensive cross-industry and cross-border teamwork." Read more in the press release below. A company called Ecocruise has new EVs coming out soon. Along with electric scooters and service vehicles, Ecocruise develops street-legal neighborhood electric vehicles like the three-wheeled EZip-3, the four-wheeled EZip-4, and the fun looking Cruser Sport (see a prototype in the video below). The EVs are scheduled to go on sale in January of 2015, which is right around the corner. Ecocruise was started after the founder of Kasea Motorsports decided to switch to electric vehicles with the goal of offering providing affordable emissions-free driving. Learn more about Ecocruise and its vehicles at the company's website. The new EU Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) does little to discourage dirty fuels like tar sands and coal-to-liquid, says Transport & Environment (T&E). The FQD requires suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas intensity for transport fuel in the EU by six percent by 2020. The much-delayed FQD doesn't do as much as it could, though, say critics, and it doesn't label dirtier fuel sources as such despite the urging of scientists. T&E, an organization focused on cleaning up EU transport, blames Canada, the US and Big Oil.