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McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari call for unfreezing F1 engines

Formula One is a hugely expensive sport. Not only do you have enormous salaries and logistical expenses, as you would in any other sport, but each team also spends huge sums developing their own chassis from the ground up – and so too do the participating automakers in developing the engines. One of the ways the series organizers mitigate those costs is by freezing development. So once the new crop of V6 turbo hybrid powertrains were developed, that was it. But now three of the of the sport's leading teams are calling on the FIA to unfreeze engine development. Their reason? Unfair advantage. There's little question that Mercedes did the best job of developing its "power unit" to meet the new regulations that took effect at the beginning of this past season. That's how the Mercedes team won all but three of the grands prix this season and finished with at least one car on the podium at every single race. It's also a big part of how the teams that bought their engines from Mercedes this season managed to consistently outperform the other non-works-supported teams. That clear advantage is why Red Bull, Ferrari and now McLaren are calling for engine development to be unfrozen. Their argument is that, under the current locked-down status quo, their engine suppliers (Renault, Ferrari and Honda, respectively) cannot possibly catch up. So unless the FIA and Formula One Management want the next few seasons to be the kind of absolute blow-outs that this past season was, these leading teams argue, the powers that be are going to have to make some changes. For its part, Mercedes naturally counters that unfreezing engine development would send costs spiraling out of control. But then of course it stands to lose the most by re-opening engine development. If those three teams, however, closely intertwined as they are with the three other engine suppliers participating in next year's championship, manage to solicit enough support from the other customer teams and bring the matter to a vote, Mercedes may very well find itself out-numbered. News Source: ESPNImage Credit: Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Motorsports Ferrari McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1 engine

Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid promises 20 miles EV range, 5.9 seconds to 60

Mercedes-Benz has introduced its first hybrid C-Class to the US market with the new C350 Plug-In Hybrid. Despite its fuel-saving purpose, though, this C is not short on firepower. MB paired a 208-horsepower, 258-pound-foot, turbocharged four-cylinder with a 80-hp, 251-lb-ft electric motor for a potent overall output of 275 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. That translates a 0-60 time of just 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 130 miles per hour. For those that aren't interested in such frivolous numbers, though, the C-Class can still impress in more environmentally friendly ways. It can cover 20 miles to a charge and will hit speeds of up to 80 miles per hour (although not likely at the same time). Naturally, fuel economy figures aren't available at this early stage. Beyond those powertrain changes, the C350 Plug-In is still the same relaxed, luxurious baby S-Class, with a class-leading interior that should really benefit from the quiet ride provided by an electric powertrain. Take a look at our full gallery of live images of the new C-Class hybrid, straight from the Detroit's Cobo Hall. Featured Gallery 2016 Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid: Detroit 2015 View 12 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Detroit Auto Show Mercedes-Benz Hybrid Luxury 2015 Detroit Auto Show mercedes c350 plug-in hybrid

Mercedes-Benz releases US-spec 2014 Sprinter details

Last week, Mercedes-Benz released the details for the updated 2013 Sprinter intended for global markets, but this week it has announced what changes are being made to the US-spec version of the van for the 2014 model year, including the Freightliner model. As expected, most of the changes made to the European model will be present on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter when it goes on sale in the US, which is expected to be this fall.
The biggest difference between the Sprinter announced last week and the one headed to our shores is what is found under the hood. While European Sprinters will come with diesel engines and offer the availability of a supercharged four-cylinder gasoline or CNG engine, US Sprinters will still offer the 3.0-liter V6 BlueTEC diesel. This year's Sprinter now comes standard with a new base engine, the 2.1-liter four-cylinder BlueTEC diesel. This smaller engine will produce 161 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, and will be paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission; the optional 3.0 V6 puts out 188 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, and will be mated to a six-speed auto.
Fuel economy for the new Sprinter has not been announced, but Mercedes-Benz has made numerous changes with the goal of improving efficiency. To this end you'll find a new, low-friction rear axle and the optimization for the generator, fuel pump and power steering pump.