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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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Auto blog

Here's how Detroit is selling more luxury vehicles than Germany and Japan

Sun, Dec 14 2014

Now there's an attention-grabbing headline, eh? Although the answer to the riddle - pickup trucks and SUVs - might be somehow deflating, the numbers involved deserve a going over. According to TrueCar's figures (click on the table to enlarge), six of the year's ten best-selling vehicles in the US that sell for a transaction price above $50,000 are body-on-frame, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the only foreigner to crack the top five. Every enthusiast knows that pickup trucks are 'Murica's most popular vehicle by a colossal margin, and there have been plenty of reports about the popularity of luxuriously appointed trucks and SUVs, but compare these figures from TrueCar: 70 percent of Chevrolet Tahoe sales have a transaction price above $50K, and The Bowtie is expected to make $3.9 billion in revenue on 66,945 predicted high-dollar sales; 95.1 percent of E-Class sales break $50K, so the German company will make $4.0 billion on 67,006 predicted sales in that pricing sphere. It's about the only time you'll see the Tahoe ranked right next to Mercedes' bread-and-butter sedan. Ram is ahead of those two with $4.2B coming from $50K-plus sales. The Ford F-Series does almost as much revenue as the next three combined, with an expected $10.8 billion coming from sales of trucks over $50K - more than a quarter of the model's total sales, when a base F-150 can be had for about $26,000. Yes, the Germans make a lot more money on fewer sales, but considering the comparison, the bottom line isn't too troubled by such facts. Weighing like-for-like, the full-size Ford walks it in every category; elsewhere, the Chevrolet Silverado outsells the Ram, but the Ram outsells the Chevy by 6.7 percent above $50K. And for all the flak GMC takes over swapping out grilles, the Sierra also outsells the Chevy in the well-appointed segment, 16.1 percent of sales versus 11 percent – the Professional Grade brand is a huge profit center for The General. You'll find more info in the TrueCar press release below. TrueCar finds pickup trucks far outsell premium brands among top 10 vehicles over $50,000 Ford F-Series pickup sales over $50,000 surpass combined BMW 3, 5, 7 Series luxury car sales SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 10, 2014) - TrueCar, Inc., the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform, finds mainstream pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles dominate U.S.

Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept crossover leaked ahead of Shanghai debut

Wed, 17 Apr 2013

With just a few days left before the start of the Shanghai Motor Show, images of the Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept compact crossover have emerged online. The little 'ute is based on the small A-Class hatchback, and though it shares an identical wheelbase, is larger in every other dimension.
Looking like a rough-and-tumble five-door hatchback on the tippy toes of its 20-inch wheels, the GLA is most certainly destined for production in a toned down form that will borrow many bits and pieces from other cars based on this platform like the aforementioned A-Class and the CLA-Class sedan. Carscoop reports that the production version of the GLA will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September of this year, with sales to the public starting in 2014.
Since it's based on the A-Class, we expect that the production GLA-Class will be powered by your choice of Mercedes' 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine and a diesel or two, and will offer transmissions that include the company's seven-speed DCT and perhaps a six-speed manual (at least in Europe). If the GLA follows the same path as the two cars before it, expect a GLA45 AMG producing over 300 horsepower, as well. As for what powers the GLA Concept, that just might remain a mystery until the vehicle is officially revealed in China.

First official shot of Mercedes S-Class Coupe leaks out

Mon, 10 Feb 2014

With the official debut for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe expected tomorrow, it shouldn't be a surprise that some clicky fingers have already managed to uncover an official image of the car before the unveiling. Outside of this sole image, though, there's precious little detail on the new car.
First posted by Autofilou and then picked up by WorldCarFans, the production S-Class Coupe isn't far off from the concept car we saw a few months back in Frankfurt. Like the concept, the leggy production model appears related, albeit distantly, to the S-Class Sedan. The hood and front fascia are longer and lower, befitting of a two-door, while the character lines in the profile are more pronounced. Obviously, the beltline and slim, B-pillarless greenhouse are coupe-only items. We can't see any details on the back of the car, although it does appear that the long hood has a correspondingly short rear deck.
We'll have all the details on the official replacement for the CL-Class when it makes its full debut tomorrow. Until then, what do you think of this lone image? Does it appear that Mercedes has got it right? In terms of design, where would you rank this with the departing CL-Class? Have your say in Comments.

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