2006 Mercedes-benz Slk280 Base Convertible 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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AMG-powered Aston Martins still years away

After flirting for several years, Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin have finally tied the knot. Just don't expect to see any offspring to result from the union for at least three or four years.
This according to Auto Express, which spoke with Daimler chief Dr. Dieter Zetsche at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week. AE reports that a new range of AMG-developed turbocharged V8s, transmissions and electrical components will make their way into the successors to the current V8 Vantage and DB9, but that these models are still a few years off.
Purists might balk at the thought of a Mercedes-powered Aston holding true to the brand's heritage. But while David Brown (for whom the DB range is named) may have steered clear of shoehorning in Detroit muscle into his cars, the entirety of the company's current range is powered by engines borrowing technology from Ford, and that arrangement seems to have worked well for Aston until now. And if you're still skeptical, look no further than Pagani and its AMG-sourced engines and you should have all the proof you need that the new relationship between Daimler and Aston could be a success.

Infiniti shows Q30 interior ahead of Frankfurt debut

Infiniti is supposed to debut the all-new Q30 hatchback at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, but as the show is still a couple of weeks away and the company has elected to release yet another image, we aren't sure there'll be all that much to see come Sept. 15. With that in mind, then, we give you the first images of the entry-level hatch's cabin, and they're, um, wow. We knew the Q30 had a lot in common with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class but as these images show, this is far more than a common platform. The steering wheel, instrument cluster, switchgear, and shifter are direct from the Mercedes parts bin. From the looks of the images, the Q30 will even have a Mercedes-style key. This might not garner much attention in the budget ranks – take the Scion iA and Mazda2, for example – but this degree of parts sharing in the premium market is sure to raise some eyebrows. It's also a rather bewildering move for Infiniti. The company is, in effect, selling a Mercedes-Benz to any new customers it attracts. That'll certainly make a Q50 a hard sell when it comes time for an upgrade. Now, in Infiniti's defense, there are some differences in the layout here. The triple nozzle-style HVAC vents have been replaced with a more conventional pair of outlets, and the instrument cluster hood extends over the built-in navigation screen. That design decision, in particular, will certainly appeal to critics of the tacked-on-tablet look offered by Mercedes. The analog buttons for the multimedia system have also been tweaked, with the result looking far cleaner than the mess of buttons offered on Mercedes' products (we wouldn't be shocked to see this layout arrive on a facelifted A-, CLA-, or GLA-Class in the near future, though). Beyond those changes, though, there are multiple Mercedes design hallmarks here, including the location of the controls for the seat adjustments. You can check out the Q30's cabin in both right- and left-hand drive varieties courtesy of the images above. And for comparison's sake, we also included our most recent gallery of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class at the bottom of the page. Have a look and be sure to scroll down for the official press release. September 1, 2015 Countdown Frankfurt: First ever Infiniti Q30 active compact opens its doors before world premiere ? Q30 – The first global Infiniti compact ? Q30 interior design echoes daring expression of exterior ?

Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid ready for 'major role' in urban areas

We finally got a clear look at the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall, but it took until this week to learn what the vision (see what we did there) is that Mercedes-Benz has for the PHEV. Despite it's generous size, Mercedes thinks this is a vehicle that will work well in urban areas. Speaking to members of the media during the Detroit Auto Show, Thomas Weber, Daimler AG management board member and research and development chief for Mercedes-Benz cars, said that the S500 PHEV, "will play a major role in congested areas" and that it will offer "a lot of driving pleasure." Part of that pleasure will come from a 0-62 mile-per-hour time of around 5.5 seconds thanks to a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 and an 80-kilowatt electric motor. The PHEV also has a 19-mile EV range, which will put it at the bottom end of the Three-Pointed star plug-in lineup. The upcoming C-Class plug-in, for example, will likely go, "closer to 50 km [31 miles]," Weber said, according to Green Car Reports. The S500 PHEV will go on sale in Europe later this year and will come to the US in early 2015 but there is no timeline, yet, for the C-Class plug-in (and the standard gas-electric hybrid version) or the even-more-future E-Class hybrids. Featured Gallery 2014 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid: Frankfurt 2013 View 22 Photos News Source: Green Car ReportsImage Credit: 2014 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL Green Detroit Auto Show Mercedes-Benz Electric Hybrid PHEV s500