2004 Mercedes-benz Sl-class Sl 500 on 2040-cars

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Jalopnik and Consumer Reports see who can pull off the best snow drift

The weather throughout much of the United States is pretty awful at the moment with some combination of extremely low temperatures, inches of snow and maybe some ice underneath it all. The folks at Jalopnik and Consumer Reports are making the absolute best out of a difficult situation by heading to CR's snow-covered test track and attempting to make the longest drift in a quartet of very different performance vehicles. Jalopnik brought along a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S Wagon, a Subaru WRX STI, a BMW 228i and a 1973 Volkswagen Baja Bug (heck yeah!) for the challenge. Also, the track was perfect for this group, with a mix of packed snow in places and still a few inches of unsullied powder in spots too. Ostensibly the goal was to get the tail to step out through a particular corner, but in reality this was more about having hilarious fun in the snow with fast cars. The result just looks like the best time humanly possible in this weather.

Mercedes-Maybach spied inside and out sporting the huge S-Class screen

A new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is well on its way, and that means a new Mercedes-Maybach is following right behind it. We were introduced to the new Mercedes-Maybach strategy over five years ago. At the end of 2019, Mercedes added to the small collection with the GLS 600, bringing an SUV into the Maybach fold. These spy shots mark our first good look inside and outside the next-gen Mercedes-Maybach sedan. We’ll point out the massive screen first. Photos of this huge slab of screen have largely shown it turned off. Now, we get a solid look at the display all lit up and running MercedesÂ’ next iteration of MBUX. The icons and UX look a whole lot like MercedesÂ’ current infotainment system design, just blown up to a much larger size. Mercedes is surely going to hit us with some new out-there features we didnÂ’t know we wanted and may not even use, but thatÂ’s the way it goes with excessive luxury. The gauge cluster is pretty standard for new Mercedes with a flat digital screen. An “EQ” emblem displayed in the cluster also indicates that Mercedes plans to implement its EQ Boost mild-hybrid tech with the turbocharged engine(s) offered in this new generation. The current car comes in S560 (V8) and S600 (V12) variations. We don't know what MercedesÂ’ powertrain plans are for the time being, but the GLS 600 uses 48-volt technology with its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and makes 550 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. Ideally, the smooth and silky V12 sticks around in the top-shelf S-Class as well. As for the design, itÂ’s exactly what one might expect from a Mercedes-Maybach. The wheelbase is stretched compared to the regular S-Class weÂ’ve spied before, and it has the signature slatted grille. Pop-out door handles appear to be carried over from the new S-Class, too. We expect the new S-Class isnÂ’t far from a reveal. ThereÂ’s a chance it still breaks cover this year, even as most automakers face delays from the coronavirus. Once itÂ’s out, the Mercedes-Maybach is likely to follow soon after. Related video:

UK workers strand car on island of asphalt to keep working

Generally speaking, when you illegally park your car, you're likely to get ticketed and towed, but there is probably at least one motorist in Scotland who wishes that was the case. After workers had blocked off a portion of the parking lot for the Edinburgh Waverley railway station, the driver of this Mercedes-Benz S-Class reportedly moved some of the barriers to park in one of the empty spots.
Rather than having the vehicle towed, the work crew simply tore up the asphalt around the leaving just the one parking spot intact, and as you can see in the image above (posted to the Twitter account of Harold Norstad), the crew even built a small asphalt ramp so the car could get off its blacktop pedestal. Since this happened last week, there's no word as to whether the car was eventually moved or towed for the resurfacing work to continue.
Let this be a warning...