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Mercedes teases massive new Maybach coupe

Mercedes-Benz hasn't done a lot with its Maybach brand over the last few years. After killing the slow-selling standalone Maybach line, the badge sat unused, until MB slapped it on a luxed-out S600. But today, Mercedes posted a teaser of a new, two-door Maybach on its social media channels. Immediately given away by the Maybach badge on the C-pillar (and possibly one on the nose), we could be looking at a modern-day Exelero – a successor to Maybach's last coupe, a one-off, 700-horsepower rocket ship that deserved all the Darth Vader's car cliches – capable of extremely high speeds and stunning comfort. Everything from the long hood (better to accommodate some monstrous V12 engine) to the windshield's aggressive rake, to the absurdly long tail, signals a 200-mile-per-hour-plus top speed for this concept. And yes, we're thinking this is a concept. Kick the exposure way up with Photoshop and you can see that the side mirrors are too slim to actually function as normal mirrors – they're almost certainly cameras. Other details? Whatever Mercedes calls its new Maybach, it's going to be huge. According to the caption accompanying the teaser, this car is six meters (19.6 feet) long – that's over three feet longer than an S-Class Coupe and nearly four feet longer than a Bentley Continental GT. Like we said, it's enormous. And that's about all we know. Mercedes dropped this teaser out of the blue, nearly two months before the auto show season kicks off in Paris. It's possible the company could continue to tease out a new Maybach concept until early October, but more likely, we'll see an online debut ahead of the Paris show. Stay tuned. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz Facebook Paris Motor Show Maybach Mercedes-Benz Coupe Concept Cars Performance 2016 paris motor show mercedes-maybach

Edmunds ranks the best used cars for 2013

When people ask us what car we would recommend for them, it's usually not easy to answer. To make a useful recommendation we must consider which of the numerous vehicle segments fits their needs best, and then choose one of the many vehicles offered in each segment. For some people, new cars don't meet their expectations of value, because they lose so much of it the moment they are purchased and driven off the dealer lot. For them, there's always the used-car market, where great deals can be found, but cars' histories of reliability and maintenance records - and perhaps that Certified Pre-Owned warranty - become ever-important factors playing into purchase choice.
To help out, Edmunds has done us the favor of assembling a list of the best used vehicles money can buy, covering model years 2006-2011, according to what it considers the most important criteria when shopping for used autos: reliability, safety, value and availability. That means unreliable, unsafe, super-expensive or limited-edition models don't appear on the list, but instead cars from each segment that are more likely to satisfy the general population.
There are some real goodies on the list, including but not limited to vehicles such as the capable Honda Fit, the cultish Honda Accord coupe (which can be had with a 240-horsepower V6 and a six-speed manual transmission some years), and the powerful Chevrolet Corvette. While Edmunds' choice of the Volvo C70 for best used convertible baffled us at first (not that it's a bad car), it redeemed itself by stating that the Mazda MX-5 still is an unofficial top choice if you don't require more than two seats.

Recharge Wrap-up: liquid-cooled Tesla Supercharger, Acenta+ Leaf

A new video offers a close look at Tesla's updated Supercharger. Recently, Elon Musk spoke about the new charging station with a thinner, suppler liquid-cooled cable that is not only easier to manage, but has the potential to handle larger loads and offer quicker recharging. The first examples have been installed in Mountain View, CA, which we can see in this video. Besides the new cable, the new Supercharger also features a solid "button" on the charging handle as well as vents around the bottom of the unit. The video even shows thermal imaging of the new Supercharger, which shows the cable to be cooler than the cameraman usually records. See for yourself in the video above, and read more at Treehugger. Nissan has added a new trim level to the Leaf in the UK. The Acenta+ slots above the Acenta and just below the range-topping Tekna. It comes standard with the 6.6-kW onboard charger and Mode-3 32-amp (EVSE) cable. Using a fast charger, the Acenta+ Leaf can charge to 100 percent in just four hours. "We're delighted to add a new member to the Leaf family in the UK," says Nissan Motor GB Managing Director James Wright. "More than 9,500 Leafs have already been sold here and Nissan is the undisputed leader in the EV market. This new model delivers exceptional value and showcases the Leaf's incredible technology and engineering." Read more at Next Green Car. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia says its vehicles are compatible with B10 biodiesel blend. Malaysia recently announced a mandate for diesel to be sold blended with 10 percent palm-oil based biodiesel, after which, carmakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz came forward with concerns over compatibility with their vehicles. "We have evaluated carefully the influence of B10 Biodiesel blends on our current diesel vehicles for the Malaysian market and we are now able to confirm its compatibility," says Mercedes-Benz Malaysia President and CEO Roland Folger. "We have service intervals of 12,000 km to ensure that our customers are not affected by the diesel quality. Our diesel-powered vehicles currently sold in Malaysia were seen to have run both smoothly and safely with the use of the B10 biodiesel blend." Read more from Paul Tan's Automotive News. Renault has honored its leading electric vehicle dealers with the 2015 Renault EV Awards.