on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2023 Mercedes-Maybach S 680 by Virgil Abloh is maximum fashion with a V12

If the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 wasn’t already exclusive enough for you, listen up. This is the limited-edition Maybach by Virgil Abloh version of the Mercedes-Maybach S 680, and there will only be 150 of them built for the world. The vehicle is the result of a collaboration between Virgil Abloh and Mercedes chief designer Gordon Wagener. Mercedes says the design was finalized prior to AblohÂ’s passing in November 2021. In case youÂ’re unfamiliar with Abloh, know that he was many things throughout his life. HeÂ’s known best for being a fashion designer and entrepreneur, but he was also an artist, philanthropist and architect. As for the car itself, the exterior uses a two-tone paint combo that you might recall from the Project Maybach electric off-road coupe. The bottom half is meant to make you think of sand, while the top half contrasts that in a glossy Obsidian Black finish. The window frames lose their bright look and are painted black to make it as monolithic as possible from the side. Even the forged wheels are painted in the sandy hue. The same theme continues for the interior. ItÂ’s a black and tan two-tone throughout, and MercedesÂ’ Nappa Leather is used to cover surfaces. A unique Mercedes-Maybach and Virgil Abloh logo is inscribed on the center console to denote this carÂ’s special-edition status. YouÂ’ll see the same logo on rear cushions, headrests and door sills. Mercedes even went so far as to modify the infotainment system and its controls for this special edition. The “home” button gets a sandy Abloh theme, and so do the selectable apps on screen. TheyÂ’re decorated with fashion accessories, and theyÂ’re hopefully still as easy to depict and use as MercedesÂ’ standard MBUX icons. As for extras beyond the car itself, every one of these special-edition models comes with a wooden box emblazoned with the Mercedes-Maybach and Virgil Abloh logo. Inside the box, youÂ’ll find a 1:18 replica of the car, a carabiner hook and your two keys. YouÂ’re also going to get a car cover featuring the Virgil Abloh logo with the car, but this one doesnÂ’t fit in the box. If you really want to look the part next to your car, there is a whole line of clothing designed by Virgil Abloh that is launching today, too. It comprises clothing done in shades and hues similar to the car, so you can truly look the part hopping out of your Virgil Abloh Mercedes-Maybach.

Vettel hopes to pull off some Ferrari 'tricks' to end Mercedes F1 dominance

MONTREAL — Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari has a few tricks up its sleeves for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix and will need to conjure up something special if it is to end Mercedes' magical run. Six races into the season, Vettel is not ready to wave the white flag and concede the title to Mercedes, which has racked up six straight wins, five of them with 1-2 finishes. But the German admits the battle had reached a critical juncture. "The next races will be really crucial for us to try and get back to the front and give a much harder time to Mercedes," said Vettel, who finished second in Monaco last month for Ferrari's best result so far this season. "It will be crucial to do it rather sooner than later, but at the moment I am not too fussed, I am not looking at, 'OK this is the date.' "Clearly we are behind, clearly there is a big margin between Mercedes and the rest and we have to lose that gap and get ahead otherwise it will be difficult to turn around. "That is as much realism as you can get."Vettel won from pole position in Canada last year and Mercedes has suggested the high-speed circuit could again favor Italian rivals whose season has yet to get into gear. But Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will like their chances as well on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Hamilton was fastest in Friday's early practice, but damaged his car when he hit the wall in the afternoon. The five-time world champion sits 17 points clear of Bottas at the top of the standings and in his bid to equal Michael Schumacher's seven Canadian Grand Prix victories between 1994 and 2004. Not that Mercedes needed another boost, but Hamilton and Bottas will have new and upgraded engines in their cars for this weekend's race. Ferrari has already introduced its first upgraded powerplants of the season, but Vettel was optimistic tweaks to the car would benefit them on a circuit that plays to some of their strengths. "There is always little tricks you can do, the question is whether they make a difference," Vettel said. "But I am not sitting here trying to paint things black we haven't done a single lap this weekend so I am quite optimistic it was a strong track for us last year. "We have some tricks up our sleeves whether they work or not we will see.

2019 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists revealed

Every fall, we line up a range of new models with the latest and most compelling automotive technology from the past year. We test everything from semi-autonomous systems like Tesla's Autopilot to trick suspension setups like the Multimatic spool-valve shocks on the Chevy Colorado ZR2. We spend months paring down the list to a small group of contenders. After testing, dinner and healthy debate, we tally up the votes and name our winner. For Autoblog's 2019 Technology of the Year Award, our three finalists are the Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise, the Infiniti QX50 with Variable Compression Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG E 53 with EQ Boost. Super Cruise is an advanced SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous system, though Cadillac (unlike some of its rivals) is reluctant to push that point. Cadillac would like you to think of this as an advanced driver assistance feature rather than a semi-autonomous system. Super Cruise allows completely hands-free highway driving. Thanks to a driver-facing camera, the system forces the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road even if hands are off the wheel. Although the CT6 is being discontinued, look for Super Cruise to make its way to other Cadillacs soon. VC Turbo is a little more complicated. Basically, Infiniti's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four can vary the compression ratio on the fly. In general, turbocharged engines are more efficient than naturally-aspirated engines when on boost, but can perform worse at low revs. VC Turbo allows for a best-of-both-worlds situation, increasing the compression at low revs and backing it off once the turbo spools up. The best part is that it does so seamlessly, with only a dash readout letting you know what's going on under the hood. Our third finalist is the EQ Boost 48-volt system in the Mercedes-AMG E 53. Like VC Turbo, EQ Boost does a lot just beneath the surface. Mercedes has developed a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and paired it with a small electric motor. While the car can't run on electricity alone, the motor helps improve both efficiency and performance, smoothing shifts and filling in low-end torque before the turbos spool up. Think torque fill, similar to a McLaren P1. Who can complain about better fuel economy and more torque? Look for the 48-volt system to make its way into most of the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The winner will be revealed next week on Autoblog, and we'll present the award Jan. 15 at the Detroit Auto Show. Related Video: