2003 Mercedes Benz Cl500, 70k Mi, New Tires, Mint!, Nav, Phone, $100k Msrp! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes highlights dangers of counterfeit wheels

Mercedes-Benz Australia is getting the word out that consumers need to make sure they get the real deal when purchasing auto parts. To demonstrate that concept in dramatic fashion, the company bangs an imitation and genuine wheel through a pothole at Holden's proving ground to see what happens. The results speak for themselves. While counterfeiting is often associated fashionable goods like handbags or sunglasses, it wreaks havoc on the auto industry, too. A 2007 study estimated Ford lost $1 billion a year from fake parts, and Aston Martin had to recall a huge swath of vehicles because a sub-supplier used knock-off plastic. To fight the problem here, the US government and some states have passed laws to ban counterfeit components. In this case, Mercedes uses the stunt to argue the fake parts are a safety issue Down Under. While the two wheels look practically identical at first, they definitely don't perform the same. The slow-mo footage of the impact clearly shows just how differently the pair takes the punishment, and why counterfeit wheels are such a safety issue. Related Video:

Hamilton wins at Monza, takes Formula One lead from Vettel

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday with an utterly dominant drive that sent the Briton clear at the top of the Formula One world championship for the first time in a year. The triple champion, who started the last race of the European season from a record 69th career pole position, led Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas to a runaway one-two finish at Ferrari's home track. "I love it here in Italy and I love the passion of the fans," Hamilton declared on the podium jutting out over a sea of red-shirted Ferrari fans, with plenty of boos coming his way amid the cheers. "We did a great job, the team did an exceptional job this weekend," he added. "Mercedes power is definitely better than Ferrari power." Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who had led the standings since he won the Australian season-opener in March, finished third in the final race of the European season and 36.3 seconds behind the winner. Bottas was 4.4 adrift of Hamilton. "It was a difficult day, a difficult start," said Vettel. "My race was fairly isolated, we tried to keep as close as possible but we simply didn't have the pace... You could say it's a bad day but I know the team is on the right way... so I am in a very positive mood despite the numbers." Hamilton is now three points clear of the German, with seven races remaining. Mercedes are 62 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings. The first driver to win two races in a row this season, with Monza following on from Belgium a week ago, Hamilton now leads Vettel 6-4 on victories in 2017. He has 238 points to Vettel's 235. The last time Hamilton led the standings on his own was at Monza a year ago, with now-retired team mate Nico Rosberg emerging as the eventual champion. FEW THRILLS Hamilton and four-times champion Vettel were level on points this year after China in April, with one win and one second place each. If Sunday's race was a dull affair, there was at least plenty of sunshine in marked contrast to the steady rain that drenched fans and delayed qualifying for hours on Saturday. Hamilton pulled away cleanly from his historic pole, and fourth in a row at Monza, and was never challenged as he drove to the chequered flag with the minimum of fuss. It was his third Italian Grand Prix win in four years and 59th career victory – only Michael Schumacher, whose pole record he beat, can boast more – and few have been more straightforward.

Ram 1500 Rebel TRX and Jeep Grand Wagoneer | Autoblog Podcast #642

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Zac Palmer. The big news this go-around is the reveal of the 2021 Ram Rebel TRX and Jeep previewing the 2022 Grand Wagoneer. They also discuss a mysterious BMW M8 mule and the F1-inspired Delage D12. Next, they talk about driving the Lincoln Navigator and Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe before revisiting a recent "Spend My Money" segment with an update from the sender. Autoblog Podcast #642 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2021 Ram Rebel TRX debuts as a Hellcat-powered, desert-running Raptor killer Jeep previews 2022 Grand Wagoneer again What's hiding beneath this mystery BMW M8 mule? (Update) Historic French brand Delage returns with the D12 Cars We're Driving: 2020 Lincoln Navigator 2020 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe Spend My Money update Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: