Mb Certified Cpo Navigation Warranty Iridium Silver 10 Running Boards Camera Md on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes testing C-Class plug-in hybrid modes in Germany

Testing appears to be underway for what would be the first Mercedes-Benz C-Class with a hybrid powertrain. We can see a pair of the prototypes undergoing testing in Germany, with one, a C-Class Wagon, still heavily clad in camouflage and featuring a more noticeable outlet on the passenger side of its rear bumper.
There's also a more production-looking sedan, which features a not-so-discreet flap over its rear-bumper outlet. It's difficult to speculate on power outputs for this fuel-sipping C-Class, although our spies seem to think that this car will feature some combination of a four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor, although just which four is unclear (note, we wouldn't mind if MB fit its 2.0-liter turbo with some batteries and motors). Regardless, the four-pot/electric motor seems like a pretty reasonable combo, although it probably means that Mercedes won't be challenging the six-cylinder-powered system of the BMW ActiveHybrid3 any time soon.
When the plug-in C-Class arrives later this year as a 2015 model, it will likely offer a full range of driving modes, including both gas or electric, only, as well as a more traditional hybrid mode.

Wingsuits are somehow involved in new season of 'Top Gear'

It's a shame that Matt LeBlanc is leaving "Top Gear," but there's a bit of solace in the situation: There's still one more season of him as frontman. BBC just released the new trailer for series 26, and it shows LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid getting into all sorts of shenanigans around the globe. "Top Gear" announced LeBlanc's imminent departure back in May 2018, but he still had to finish one more season before leaving. Thus, the upcoming series will be his last, and it looks like he'll go out in a whirlwind of dust, bent metal, water spray and burnt rubber. The trailer shows everything expected from a season of the storied automotive show (well, everything except Hammond, May, and Clarkson, if you're one of those people). There will be precision driving, dubious stunts, name-calling and gobs of stunning videography. In the short one-minute clip, there are flashes of numerous attention-piquing vehicles. The new Bentley Continental GT, a Bentley Le Mans racer, Porsches, Ferraris, the Aston Martin Vantage, and the Mercedes-AMG GT all make appearances. And for some random fun, the boys are seen in wingsuits (doubtful it's actually them), and playing polo in some three-wheel rickshaws (before wrecking said rickshaws). We'll update with more information as soon as we know when the show will start. Related Video: News Source: BBC Celebrities TV/Movies Aston Martin Bentley Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Porsche Videos Top Gear chris harris matt leblanc rory reid

Are future vehicular hacks inevitable?

Before the hack of the Uconnect system in a Jeep Cherokee resulted in a 1.4-million vehicle recall, the potential software vulnerabilities in vehicles were already a hot topic with Congressional inquiries and even proposed legislation in the US. As cars' interconnected systems gain the ability to go online, they become open to a host of new threats. Automakers are trying to stop this, but it might be too late to put the genie back into the bottle. Throughout 2015, the issue of software security in vehicles has become increasingly vital. For example, the recent Jeep case wasn't even the biggest hack this year. In February, a major flaw was discovered in the BMW Connected Drive service that allowed researchers to remotely lock and unlock the doors and potentially affected 2.2 million cars. The fix was an over-the-air patch for the problem. Automakers are actively working to fix the issues. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi reportedly are using encrypted connections and firewalls in their vehicles to prevent hacking. "Absolute, 100-percent safety isn't possible," Daimler spokesperson Benjamin Oberkersch said to Automotive News Europe. "But we develop our systems, tested by internal and external experts, so they're up to date." These vulnerabilities seem to be popping up more often. A successful hack took $14 in parts from Radio Shack in one case. There was also a 60 Minutes report earlier in the year about DARPA's ability to hack into OnStar to take control of a Chevrolet Impala. Experts aren't so sure companies can contend with hackers' advancement. "The difficulty for the carmakers at the moment is the question whether they can keep pace with advances in technology, and especially hacking technology," Rainer Scholz, executive director for telematics consultant EY, said to Automotive News Europe. "We seriously doubt they can." At this point, vehicle hacks are coming more from researchers looking for holes than from those with malicious intent. Still, the vulnerabilities are definitely there. It's up to automakers to keep patching the problems before they become dangerous to drivers. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post via Getty Images Audi BMW Jeep Mercedes-Benz Safety Technology Emerging Technologies hacking cyber security