But it’s here, and it’s not some suburb shed hack-job, being a fully-fledged different AMG model in its own right, and probably the most capable off-roader you could buy at any price, as MotorTrend’s Jonny Lieberman found out, when he recently pitted the six-wheeler against the normal G63.
It all went down in Graz, Austria, less than a stone’s throw away from the Steyr factory that has been assembling the Geländewagen since 1979, on both purpose-built off-road proving grounds and natural ones.
Naturally, the 6x6 cruised up all obstacles with ease, and while the four-wheeled variant is practically just as capable, the bigger vehicles extra traction advantage, extra ground clearance and extra kudos for taking massive jumps in its stride (literally) nudged the polls in its favor.
By Andrei Nedelea
If you fast-forward the clip (we already did it for you), you'll see an older generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class W124 saloon crashing into the rear end of what looks like a Lada (mind you, we could be wrong on this one) with a man seemingly ejected from the car's trunk!
Don't worry, it doesn't look like he was hurt or anything as he immediately got up all by himself and ran back to the car to check out the driver and passengers.
What you do think happened here? Do share your thoughts below in the comments.
As the EPA itself states, “Off-Cycle technologies achieve CO2 reductions that are not reflected in the current test procedures,” and “might include solar panels on hybrids, engine start-stop or active aerodynamics,” concluding that “for model-years 2014 and later, EPA is finalizing a pre-approved list of technologies and credit values. Further, manufacturers will be able to apply for off-cycle technology credits beyond those listed (…) if they present sufficient data to the EPA.”
Actively shutting grilles also count, even though they weren’t directly mentioned – utilization of such tech is on the rise, and not necessarily in the more expensive cars (like Mercedes); Ford, Chrysler and GM are trying it too.
The Germans have no choice but to stop the tradition of having to pay fines for not always meeting efficiency goals. Shockingly, they “paid 27 such fines to the U.S. government from the 1985 to 2011 model years totaling $349 million, records show; the rest of the auto industry paid a combined $495 million over that span.”
Now, new standards are in place, and paying fine after fine is not an acceptable way to move forward. Still, we, and according to our source, “environmental groups” too, are skeptical of the likelihood of actual palpable success in the case of this program, but right now, it’s too early to tell which way it will all go down.
By Andrei Nedelea
No word yet on where Mercedes will unveil the production-ready study, however, since we have three international shows going on this week in Los Angeles, Tokyo and in Guangzhou, China, so we could see it in any of the three.
Since they are related, the AMG versions of Benz's compact crossover will likely adopt the entire powertrain from the A45 AMG comprising a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four producing 355HP (360PS) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft), a dual-clutch seven-speed transmission and all-wheel drive.
We'll keep an eye open and bring on the updates as soon as we get them.
You only need to watch and compare a review of the standard car and one of the Black to see just how different they are, or just scroll down and watch the very fast lap it put down around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, from a dash-cam perspective.
Making 622 hp at the crank, with exactly zero turbo- or superchargers bolted onto its V8 engine, and all the suspension and aero tweaks it takes advantage of, it’s reportedly much better adapted to track driving than the basic SLS.
All of that shows in the time of 7:25.67 it manages to put down, which puts it on par with the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and makes it faster than a Pagani Zonda F Clubsport.
This will definitely be a memorable car for Mercedes for a good few years to come – it’s going out of production around the middle of next year.
By Andrei Nedelea
This is why AutoExpress decided to test the S-Class against a traditional rival like the Audi A8 (albeit the pre-facelift model) and against a vehicle that theoretically belongs to another segment, the Land Rover Range Rover.
One of the reasons the magazine chose the luxury SUV was because it won Best Luxury Car at the 2013 Auto Express New Car Awards, following six consecutive years of S-Class supremacy.
I suspect the award may have had something to do with British pride as well, but can the Range Rover beat the S-Class in a comparative review? You’ll just have to watch the video to find out.
By Dan Mihalascu
Sporty European models have always been highly sought-after in the United States, right from the very earliest days of motoring, and this trend has maintained over the years, creating a very unique yet strong take on that particular corner of car culture.
The US Euro tuning scene is very strong too, with lots of home-grown shops taking already fast motors and turning the performance dial way further than the manufacturer originally intended.
Many cool highly-customized motors turned up, but for me the most enticing definitely had to be the black and red Mercedes C63 AMG coupe, which looked borderline racecar-esque, with its low stance, light wheels and sizable wing on the back. To my knowledge, not that many people modify their C63 AMGs like that, so it’s refreshing to see one taken as far as this one is.
By Andrei Nedelea
The lucky man in the driver's seat is Russian racing pilot, Alexey Karachev, who took the young women, including representatives from Germany, Poland and Russia, for a fast ride around the Moscow International Raceway in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. And if you're asking, the answer is no, we can't really blame him for taking his eyes off the road at the 19 second mark...
You can watch their reactions while being tossed around in the AMG's bucket seat in the following video.
Thanks to its AMG 6.0-liter V12 biturbo engine, the S 65 AMG sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The acceleration time is improved by 0.1 seconds over the previous generation S 65 AMG, thanks to the slightly increased output (+9hp).
That’s pretty impressive for a sedan that tips the scales at above 2 tons (4,409lbs), and fuel economy is not as poor as one would expect: the S 65 AMG averages 11.9 l/100 km (19.8 mph US) – 2.4 l/100 km less than the previous model. That is mainly due to the fact that the EU 6-compliant engine gets a new 7-speed AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox with a wide ratio spread that guarantees a noticeably lower engine speed level than the previous AMG Speedshift five-speed automatic transmission. Furthermore, the S 65 AMG is fitted as standard with an Eco start/stop function.
Visually, the 2014 Mercedes S 65 AMG plays the same understated card as the S 63 AMG and sports the same bodykit. However, it is a little more blingy thanks to the high-gloss chrome splitter, grilles and air deflectors on the side air intakes, and the dedicated V12 radiator grille with six twin louvres in high-gloss chrome. Also in high-gloss chrome are the inserts in the side sill panels and the trim of the high-gloss black rear diffuser insert. The AMG sports exhaust system with its two chrome-plated, separate twin tailpipes and the “V12 BITURBO” lettering on the front fenders round out the exterior modifications.
Naturally, as the most expensive Mercedes S-Class model (it starts from €232,050 in Germany), the S 65 AMG features everything the brand has to offer in terms of technology and luxury, including Magic Body Control with Road Surface Scan, the head-up display and the touchpad, which makes it easier to operate radio, telephone and navigation system. However, Mercedes-Benz will charge extra for AMG ceramic brakes.
Available exclusively with a long wheelbase, the new S 65 AMG will premiere simultaneously at the Los Angeles International Auto Show and at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. Deliveries will begin in March 2014.
By Dan Mihalascu
These are some of the conclusions drawn in this first drive of the CLA done by Consumer Reports. Their car is a CLA250 model, the one most will go for in the States, though they called it poorly equipped in and around its base price of just under thirty grand.
They moved that closer to forty ($36,500) by ticking not that many boxes at all: a ‘premium package,’ special paint, opening panoramic glass roof, wood trim inside and bi-xenon headlights.
In the end, they were not won over by it, primarily because it doesn’t feel like a Mercedes ought to and the attractively low youth-corrupting starting price quickly rises and the CLA almost ends up costing just as much as the proper rear-wheel driven Mercs that we’re used to.
Check out the full video below.
By Andrei Nedelea
In profile, the 2014 E-Class replaces the pontoon-style rear side panels with a new feature line that runs from the rear door to the elongated, LED taillights and, according to the company, emphasizes the side trim that has been shifted downwards and gives the car a more elongated shape.
