1-owner 25k 05 Mercedes Slk55 V8 Roadster Red Best Deal! 04 06 07 Sl 500 55 600 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Child cobalt miners: Automakers pledge ethical minerals sourcing for EVs

BERLIN - Leading carmakers including Volkswagen and Toyota pledged on Wednesday to uphold ethical and socially responsible standards in their purchases of minerals for an expected boom in electric vehicle production. Demand for minerals such as cobalt, graphite and lithium is forecast to soar in the coming years as governments crack down on vehicle pollution and carmakers step up their investments in electric models. To cover its plans for more than 80 new models by 2025, Volkswagen alone is looking for partners in China, Europe and North America to provide battery cells and related technology worth more than 50 billion euros ($59 billion). Talks with major cobalt producers, including Glencore, at VW's Wolfsburg headquarters last week ended without a deal. More than half of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country racked by political instability and legal opacity, and where child labor is used in mines. On Wednesday, a group of 10 leading passenger-car and truck manufacturers announced an initiative to jointly identify and address ethical, environmental, human and labor rights issues in raw materials sourcing. The partnership dubbed "Drive Sustainability" consists of VW, Toyota Motor Europe, Ford, Daimler, BMW, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Cars and truckmakers Scania and Volvo. The alliance "will assess the risks posed by the top raw materials (such as mica, cobalt, rubber and leather) in the automotive sector," said Stefan Crets of the CSR Europe business network. "This will allow Drive Sustainability to identify the most impactful activities to pursue" to address issues within the supply chain.Reporting by Andreas Cremer.Related Video: Image Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images Green BMW Ford Honda Jaguar Land Rover Mercedes-Benz Automakers Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Green Automakers Green Culture Electric Scania ethics mining

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.

Brabus to storm Geneva with 800-hp version of Mercedes SL65 AMG

At no point during our recent drive of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG did we ever think, "You know, this thing sure is slow." After all, Merc's range-topping SL comes fitted with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 capable of sending 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. But just in case you're still all "meh" about what the SL65 throws down, Brabus will gladly come to your rescue with this, the 800 Roadster.
As its name suggests, the 800 Roadster ups the V12's power figures to 800 horsepower and - wait for it - 1,047 pound-feet of torque. Don't get too excited, though - that torque number has been electronically limited to a measly 811 lb-ft since, you know, the transmission would probably explode if you tried to put the full force through it. Nevertheless, these represent increases of 79 hp and 73 lb-ft over the standard SL65, and that means the 800 Roadster can shoot to 62 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds - two-tenths of a second quicker than the Merc its based on. More impressively, hitting 124 mph takes just under 10 seconds, and the droptop will finally top out at an electronically limited - limited! - 217 mph. Holy smokes.
To manage all of that speed, Brabus has engineered a special carbon fiber aero kit that reduces lift, and a unique control module for the SL65's active body control suspension lowers the ride height by one full inch. The 800 Roadster rides on new 20-inch wheels, and a unique limited-slip rear differential was added, featuring a 40 percent locking rate that further enhances performance when you're attempting to control the beast at its limits. Interior upgrades include new leather and alcantara surfaces throughout the cabin, including a leather-clad trunk.