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There's nothing better than the sound of a big-bore V8 in the morning. That is unless you can lower the car's top at the touch of a button and enjoy it all the more, like we did in the 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG. The new 6.2-liter engine, designed from scratch by the powerhouse AMG division of Mercedes-Benz, features a wildly "oversquare" design; that is, the diameter of the cylinder bores (102.2mm) is larger than the stroke (94.6mm) of the pistons. In other words, you can almost distinguish each discrete explosion as the high-compression (11.3:1) engine bellows through the free-flow dual-tipped exhaust. For gearheads, it's one of those uniquely identifiable exhaust signatures that can only come from an engine of that design.The new V8 is, or will be, at the heart of several 2007 AMG-equipped offerings, and in this application, it produces 475 horsepower at 6,800 rpm, and 465 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. That represents a 30-percent and 24-percent increase over the 2006 CLK55's 5.4-liter output.Surrounding the magnificent new engine is an updated version of the CLK Cabriolet, suitably wearing new badges and bodywork, and new 18-inch wheels surrounding fade-resistant composite-construction front brakes discs. Once again, it appears that the U.S. market will not enjoy a coupe version of the CLK in AMG dress, although we drove one of those as well.Big power, big smile Our drive route comprised a healthy mix of freeway, sweeping rural highways and farm roads that showed off the engine's particularly wide-ranging abilities. Most of the time, the engine loafs around town, shifting at say, 2,000 rpm, using just about an inch or two of the throttle pedal. But that doesn't mean the car is slacking. On the contrary, even at moderate engine speeds below 4,000 rpm, the 6.2-liter V8 is more than capable of propelling the 4,100-pound car with authority. Indeed, the torque plateau begins at just over 4,000 rpm and tops at 5,000.Only when the road straightens out can a driver use all the throttle. When he does, the world goes all streaky and blurry 'round the edges as the tachometer slowly sweeps toward its rev limit just over 7,000 rpm. Speed seems to build exponentially because there are so few shifts occurring, and each gear feels like it lasts twice as long as one would expect from a seven-speed transmission. Most of that's due to the rather tall (2.65:1) final-drive ratio in the rear end, but the effect is one of limitless acceleration. Mercedes claims a 4.7-second 0-62-mph (100 km/h) time (in 2nd gear), and the shift from 3rd to 4th doesn't occur until you've surpassed 100 mph. That's some tall gearing.The car is electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph, but doing the math reveals a real potential for just over 200 mph in 5th gear, assuming it could push that wall of air. The other byproduct is that fantastic soundtrack issuing from the tailpipes. When the conditions are right, you can actually hear spent gases rushing through the system like the great big air pump that it is.

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Popular Science magazine's Best Of What's New 2012 all ate up with cars

Tue, 20 Nov 2012

Popular Science has named the winners in its Best of What's New awards, the victors coming in the categories of aerospace, automotive, engineering, entertainment, gadgets, green, hardware, health, home, recreation, security and software. The automotive category did not go wanting for lauded advancements:
Tesla Model S: the Grand Award winner for being "the standard by which all future electric vehicles will be measured."
BMW 328i: it's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets called out for being more powerful and frugal than the six-cylinder it replaces.

Mercedes and VW battling Uber and Apple to spend billions on Nokia mapping division

Tue, May 12 2015

Whether for autonomous driving or simply better navigation, digital mapping is closely linked with the future of motoring. The sale of a major player in that industry is spurring a showdown between automotive behemoths and tech giants, and it's a fascinating battle to watch unfold. Nokia is selling its Here mapping division, and while the company might not have the name recognition of Google, it controls about 70 percent of the auto market. The business is valued at $785 million, according to Reuters, but is likely to sell for significantly more. Case in point: Uber reportedly submitted a $3 billion bid. Apple has also been rumored to be among those interested in purchasing Here. A trio of German automotive heavyweights is mounting a challenge to Silicon Valley, though. According to Reuters speaking to two unnamed insiders, Daimler, BMW, and Audi are teaming up to submit a joint bid for an undisclosed sum. They're worried that if Here falls under the control of tech companies, then automakers might have limited availability to these vital maps in the future. Nokia bought Here for $8.1 billion in 2007, according to Reuters. The company operates a fleet of vehicles with cameras and LIDAR that drive around the world to create high-definition maps. It also generates even more information by using the GPS data from shipping and trucking companies.

Nissan edges out Tesla for most ZEV credits sold in California

Wed, Oct 22 2014

When it comes to California zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) credits last year, Nissan was selling and Mercedes-Benz was buying. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) put out its ZEV-credits numbers for the year that ended September 30, which is why we now know that Nissan, maker of the battery-electric Leaf, transferred 663.6 ZEV credits out of its account last year. That just edged out the 650.195 credits that Tesla sold. Chrysler's Fiat affiliate was a distant third, but its limited-production Fiat 500E was still able to generate some ZEV credits and then transfer out 235.2 of them. We don't know how much the buyers paid for these credits, since those details are kept private. It's an ever-changing rulebook over at CARB, anyway. On the flip side, Mercedes-Benz had to buy 663.6 ZEV credits in order to comply with clean vehicle-sales mandates in the most populous US state, indicative of the German automaker's gas-guzzling tendencies. Honda has cars that get better fuel economy than your average Benz, but its plug-in vehicles represent just a fraction of total sales and so it had to shell out for 542.5 ZEV credits. Chrysler-Fiat basically tread water, since the 237.8 ZEV credits it required for compliance canceled out gains on the other side of the ledger. Those Dodge Ram pickup trucks don't exactly help matters. Last year, Tesla sold the most ZEV credits while GM purchased the most. Overall, Californians bought about 3.5 million vehicles for the year that ended September 30, including 38,000 battery-electric vehicles, 30,000 plug-in hybrids and 570,000 conventional hybrids. The longstanding ZEV program means that California now has more than 100,000 ZEVs on its roads. Read this for more details on ZEV credit transfers in California. Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: California Air Resources Board via Green Car Congress Government/Legal Green Mercedes-Benz Nissan Tesla Electric California zev credits

Mercedes-benz Clk-class Amg 63 on 2040-cars

Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class for Sale