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Mercedes releases 6x6 G63 AMG specs and pics [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz has finally dropped full details on its insane G63 AMG 6x6. The machine puts 544 horsepower to all six wheels thanks to a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8. A seven-speed gearbox shuttles power to the ground via three sets of portal axles, which helps give this machine a full 15.75 inches of ground clearance. By comparison, the standard G63 AMG sits with just 8.27 inches of ground clearance. The extra lift allows this 6x6 to ford nearly 40 inches of water and run massive 37-inch tires. All told, there are five differential locks on this thing, all controlled by a special "locking logic" that provides the best traction possible for any given situation.
The controls offer up three stages of locking, which we can only assume range from JKLOL to OMGWTF. Right now, AMG says this monstrosity is only a show vehicle, but we imagine it wouldn't take much to convince the team to whip up one of your very own. Check out our full gallery and the press release below for all the nitty gritty. While you're down there, you can also check out the video on the machine one more time.

2016 Malaysian Grand Prix recap: Surprises and missed opportunities

Mercedes-AMG Petronas pilot Lewis Hamilton drove so well in the run-up to the Malaysian Grand Prix that he said before the race, "Honestly, I don't feel anything is going to stop us." On Sunday, the Sepang race showed what it thought of plans and predictions. Heading into the right-hand Turn 1, Sebastian Vettel practically recreated the dust-up at the Belgian Grand Prix three races ago. When Mercedes' Nico Rosberg swept across from the outside line toward the apex, Red Bull's Max Verstappen had to jink right to avoid, touching Vettel's Ferrari on the inside. Vettel speared straight on and hit Rosberg. Vettel's left front suspension broke, ending his race. Rosberg spun and got moving again, but at the back of the pack. That appeared to put Hamilton on a clear run to the checkered flag. His car looked perfect, his pace was perfect, he easily kept Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Verstappen behind. A result that would have seen Hamilton retake control of the Driver's Championship – at Petronas' home race – got crushed on Lap 41 when Hamilton's engine blew down the main straight. That put Ricciardo in the lead, followed closely by his teammate. Just two laps before Hamilton's exit, Ricciardo and Verstappen had battled for second place with some of the best driving we've seen all season. Ricciardo drove as if exorcising the demons of missed opportunities earlier in the year, keeping the young Dutchman behind. The two Red Bulls took the flag fifteen laps later in that order, clocking the first one-two finish for a team other than Mercedes since 2014. It's Red Bull's first one-two since Brazil 2013, when Vettel and Mark Weber took the top steps at the last race of the V8 era. Rosberg recovered to take third in spite of a ten-second penalty for an optimistic pass on Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn crossed the line 12 seconds later, followed by Valtteri Bottas in the Williams and Sergio Perez in the Force India. In another Belgium repeat, Fernando Alonso drove from the back of the grid to finish seventh. Nico Hulkenberg secured eighth, Jenson Button ninth for McLaren in his 300th grand prix, and rookie Jolyon Palmer scored his first point of the season for Renault in tenth. The issue to trump all others from now until next week's Japanese Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton's terrible luck with engines. Power unit gremlins earlier this season helped drop the Brit to 43 points behind Rosberg after the Russian Grand Prix.

Mercedes C350e PHEV will start at 51,000 euros

Mercedes-Benz will start selling its C350 Plug-In Hybrid in Europe next month, for a somewhat reasonable price. The Daimler division has announced the sedan will cost about 51,000 euros ($58,000 US). Which isn't insanely expensive by Benz standards. Mercedes first showed off the model stateside at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month, and the specs were pretty impressive. The car delivers a combined 275 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque from its gas-powered engine and electric motor. The C350 PHEV also offers a 112 miles per gallon equivalent fuel efficiency rating (using the more lenient European driving cycle) alongside a 0-60 mile per hour acceleration time of less than six seconds. And the car can go as far as 20 miles on electricity while reaching a top speed of 130 miles per hour. Both lead-footers and tree-huggers can rejoice at that. Americans won't be that far behind their European brethren, as the model will go on sale as a 2016 model-year version in the US this fall. In the meantime, for some more information on a sedan that we think qualifies as a bit of guilt-free fun, take a look at Mercedes's press release below. Sales release for the C 350 e: Future inside Stuttgart, Feb 02, 2015 Stuttgart – As a plug-in hybrid, the new Mercedes-Benz C 350 e combines an extraordinary level of efficiency, dynamism and comfort. In both its Saloon and its Estate guise, the performance of a sports car makes it a convincing proposition, especially combined with certified consumption figures of just 2.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and a range of up to 31 kilometres in all-electric mode. Both the Saloon and the Estate model are equipped with air suspension and a pre-entry climate control system as standard, delivering a unique level of driving and climate comfort. The C 350 e is available to order now from 50,961.75 euros for the Saloon and 52,627.75 euros for the Estate (prices include VAT). Both vehicles will be at dealerships from March 2015. As a plug-in hybrid, the C 350 e combines a combustion engine with an electric drive system and a high-voltage lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 6.38 kWh, which can be charged from an external power source. Thanks to an intelligent on-board charging system, this takes approximately one hour and 30 minutes at a wallbox. A charging time of around two hours is achievable via a socket.