1993 Mercedes-benz 400sel Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l No Reserve 3 Day Auction on 2040-cars

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Mercedes C-Class Coupe due to go on sale next December

While we expect to see the coming Mercedes C-Class convertible sometime next year, perhaps at the Paris Motor Show, Auto Motor und Sport reports that the C-Class Coupe will go on sale in December 2015 (probably in Europe first) - it's possible we'll see it debuted at the same time as the cabrio. The German magazine says the two-door will have sharper lines on a body that is four inches longer, almost two inches wider and a fraction of an inch lower than the sedan, dimensional aggrandizement that will be put to good effect on the AMG version coming in 2016. We'll have to wait for information on powertrains, which should hew to the sedan's lineup in addition to whatever else M-B might bring over here, topped off by the 503-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 in the AMG variant. Speaking of which, the 'last-generation' C63 AMG Coupe is still on sale until spring of next year, if you're a fan of the classics. Or you can wait on news of the C-Class four-door coupe, if niches inside of niches are what you're really after.

Daimler and Geely collaborate to develop 'a highly efficient modular engine'

BERLIN — German car maker Daimler said on Tuesday it will cooperate with China's Geely to build next-generation combustion engines for use in hybrid vehicles. Efforts to share development costs come as the growth potential for combustion engines faces the twin threat of the COVID-19 crisis and stricter fuel-efficiency and emission rules. "The companies plan to develop a highly efficient modular engine," a spokesman for Daimler said, adding that it would be used in hybrid drivetrains and manufactured in Europe and China. Geely declined to comment. The modular engine will be used in cars under different marques at Geely and Daimler, a person familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity as the companies are still in the early stages of developing the engine. News of the alliance was a surprise to Daimler's works council at its factory in Untertuerkheim, which specializes in electric and gasoline powertrain assembly. "We are speechless. There was not even a discussion about potential alternative manufacturing locations," said Michael Haeberle, the works council chief for Untertuerkheim. "We have the ability to build four-cylinder engines in Untertuerkheim, but there were no talks about it." Daimler said German factories will be retooled gradually to add electric drivetrains production. Most of the next-generation combustion engines will be made in China, business daily Handelsblatt reported. The alliance with Geely, which owns a 9.69% stake in Stuttgart-based Daimler, means that parts of Daimler's existing partnership with Renault could be pared back. A Renault source told Reuters that the Daimler-Geely project does not mean an end of cooperation between Daimler and Renault. Citing Daimler sources, Handelsblatt said the Daimler-Geely pact would save the German carmaker a "triple-digit million sum" — implying an amount above 100 million euros ($119 million) and less than 1 billion euros. Green Mercedes-Benz Volvo Hybrid Daimler Geely

Mercedes to market Tesla-powered 2014 B-Class EV in U.S.

Looks like another Tesla Motors investor will be looking to cash in on their connection. Autoweek reports Mercedes-Benz will offer their B-Class in the U.S. with Tesla propulsion.
The magazine says their source at the German automaker confirms plans for a B-Class electric-only vehicle. While Tesla already provides battery packs for the battery-powered Smart ForTwo, the B-Class EV will reportedly have Tesla batteries, motor and other components. U.S. residents should be able to procure one sometime in 2014.
The same Mercedes source says plans for a hybrid B-Class have been postponed for now. Adding a range-extending, gasoline-powered engine to an electric vehicle would put the car into a different class for which rebates and incentives aren't as favorable in the States.