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Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4 squares up for production

After showcasing the G500 4x42 in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, Mercedes has confirmed that it's putting the monster truck into production. The Mercedes G500 4x42 is a more extreme take on the legendary Gelandewagen. It ditches the extra set of wheels from the earlier G63 AMG 6x6, but keeps its wider track and jacked-up suspension, complete with portal axles, 22-inch wheels, 325/55-section tires, and a good foot and a half of ground clearance. It also loses the AMG-spec engine in favor of a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 422 horsepower, based on the unit in the C63 and AMG GT. The smaller engine (and smaller axle-count) makes its list price a little easier to swallow than the half-million Benz commanded for the 6x6, but it'll still be a rather large pill. Pricing in Germany is listed at ˆ226,100 – equivalent to over $250k at current exchange rates. That makes it the second most expensive version of the G-Class currently available, behind the G65 that retails for ˆ271,915 (~$309k) in Germany and $217,900 in the US. MBUSA tells Autoblog that there are currently no plans for bringing the G500 4x42 to North America. But if it were to ford the Atlantic, it would likely carry a price tag in the neighborhood of $200k for the privilege of riding higher than just about any other commercially available passenger vehicle on the road. Alle Neuheiten der legendaren G-Klasse ab sofort bestellbar: Der Mercedes-Benz G 500 4x42 geht in Serie Stuttgart, Jun 19, 2015 Stuttgart - Outstanding response to the "Extreme-G": the G 500 4x42 show car proved hugely popular with many customers and is set to enter series production. In the superlative-studded history of the G-Class, the G 500 4x42 is the new highlight in the model range. The technical package consists of the all-wheel drive powertrain including portal axles and the new 4-litre V8 engine with twin turbocharging and an output of 310 kW (422 hp). All the other G-Class models have further improved interiors and powertrains, and meet the highest emissions standard Euro 6. The G 350 d, G 500, AMG G 63, AMG G 65 and G 500 4x42 can be ordered with immediate effect. A new addition to the extreme G-Class model family: the AMG G 63 6x6 is gaining a sibling in the form of the G 500 4x42.

Daimler ponders partnerships with Apple, Google

Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche is willing to consider joint ventures with tech giants like Apple and Google. Don't expect the automaker's vehicles to become just another platform for their software, though. In an interview with a German magazine, the chairman admits "different types" of partnerships could be possible, according to Reuters. As vehicles become increasingly connected, greater expertise is necessary in creating their software. The changing market is an opportunity for tech companies to enter the auto industry. "Google and Apple want to provide system software for cars and bring this entire ecosystem around Apple and Google into the vehicle," Zetsche said, according to Reuters. "That can be interesting for both sides." Although, he was clear no deals had happened, yet. For automakers, the danger of this cooperation is for a vehicle to be just a physical device that runs the software. "We don't want to become contractors who have no direct content with customers any more and supply hardware to third parties," he said in the interview. Zetsche has been working out how to create this balance for a while. Earlier this year, he said that some partnerships with Silicon Valley firms could be helpful. However, data privacy remains a major concern, especially in the wake of multiple vehicle hacks in recent months. In the chairman's opinion, a Mercedes-Benz shouldn't just protect its occupants physically but also their personal information. Related Video:

Cigarette Racing unveils the AMG GT S-inspired 50-foot Marauder

The Cigarette Racing stand at the Miami Boat Show this morning hosted the latest in the eight-year collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and Cigarette Racing: the AMG GT S parked next to the fast-boat it inspired, the Cigarette Racing 50 Marauder GT S Concept. The vinyl ester resin and fiberglass go-fast boat is more than a matching Solarbeam yellow paint job with the coupe that inspired it. Like other carmakers who have partnered with companies outside the industry - such as Nissan's recent tie-up with NASA - there's an exchange of technology involved; Cigarette said that working with AMG on composites and bonding helped them drop 1,000 pounds off the Marauder GT S Concept compared to the standard Marauder twin-engine, which comes in at 14,200 pounds. Customers who order standard Marauders can request the weight reduction (for a price), but we were told that unless they plan to spend most of their time above 100 miles per hour, the extra weight contributes to a smoother ride. Mercedes head designer Gordon Wagener penned the exterior paint job and worked with Cigarette to design the cockpit trim, which would have seen him in familiar surroundings: Cigarette Racing owner Skip Braver is a long-time AMG customer, and the boat company based its bespoke department on the AMG Design Studio in Affalterbach. Every one of its boats is handbuilt in its factory in Opa-locka, Florida using some of the same processes seen in automaking, like bar codes to track the progress of hulls and components, computer controlled paint samples with digital files that can be sent around the world for matching, and doing all the stitching in-house to keep tabs on quality control. The engine compartment holds two, nine-liter, four-valve, DOHC, quad-cam, twin-turbocharged Mercury Racing engines with all-aluminum blocks, each one of them good for an electronically-limited 1,550 pound-feet of torque, and either 1,350 horsepower or 1,550 horsepower depending on whether you run regular 91-octane fuel or 116-octane race fuel. So yes, that's 3,100 hp and 3,100 lb-ft at once, if you go all out. Mercury says they're the most powerful powerful emissions-certified gas-powered marine engines you can buy. The engines don't have knock sensors, though, so you have to turn a key to register the kind of fuel you're putting in, and you can switch from one to the other when two 150-gallon tanks are down to 10-percent full.