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Filed under: Aftermarket , Concept Cars , SEMA , Tuners , SUVs , Mercedes-Benz Click above for a hi-res gallery of the GLK SEMA show cars Perhaps you've heard: Mercedes-Benz has this new SUV called the GLK , and it's not just the Sex and the City audience that's being targeted. The compact ute's getting-to-know-you tour will make a stop at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where four concept versions will be on display. We already told you about RENNtech's hybrid Rally Racer show truck, and now we have some info on the other three versions that'll join it in Vegas. Naturally, BRABUS will represent, skinning the GLK300 Bluetec in Widestar duds, new wheels, and the de rigeur custom interior. No power upgrade yet, it seems, but knowing BRABUS, they'll have a version putting out approximately a trillion horsepower by the time the GLK is in customers' hands. Boulevard Customs is prepping the GLK "Urban Whip" , a garish creation sporting 26" wheels and...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Green , Mercedes-Benz , Volkswagen We knew last month that the Jetta TDI was qualified for the tax credit . Now, word is out that all of the new-generation clean diesels for Volkswagen (TDI) and Mercedes-Benz (Bluetec) will be joining the elite handful of vehicles that qualify for a federal alternative-powertrain tax credit. Formerly reserved for just hybrid vehicles, the diesels have been designated as advanced lean-burn-technology vehicles that meet the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit standards of the IRS. The credits vary based on the vehicle. In the case of Mercedes, the ML320 qualifies for $900 while the GL320 is good for $1,800. If diesel still isn't your thing, the IRS has also qualified several Ford hybrids as eligible too. Of those, the highest credit (a sweet $3,000) goes to those consumers who take home an Escape or Mariner two-wheel drive hybrid crossover. [Source: Automotive News , subs. req'd] Permalink |...
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Filed under: SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , Plants/Manufacturing , Mercedes-Benz As consumer demand for thirsty vehicles continues to wane, Mercedes-Benz is being forced to slow production at the Alabama plant which manufactures their GL- and ML-Class SUVs and the R-Class crossover. Sales of Mercedes domestic trucks fell to 5,090 vehicles in June, representing an 11.9 percent decline from the same period last year. The move marks the first time in more than a decade of U.S. production, that the German automaker has reduced output due to market and economic conditions. The cuts will affect more than 4,000 of the plant's employees, and unfortunately will trickle-down to hurt the countless other companies who provide just-in-time components to support Mercedes production. [Source: Automotive News , subs. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , SUVs , Mercedes Benz click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG Hot on the heels of its revisions to the uber-brick known as the G-Class for 2009 , Mercedes-Benz has released the first batch of pics showing the hotted-up AMG version, the G 55 AMG. Like its lesser brick siblings, the big box on wheels benefits from the same upgrades in convenience, comfort and safety, but also gets a host of styling tweaks. The lipstick on this particular pig is comprised of a new chromed, three-bar grille, the requisite fender flairs, body-color bumpers, chrome trim, stainless steel tube running boards and 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels painted grey. The 5.5L V8 engine has received a modest bump from 500 hp to 507, while torque remains put at 516 pound-feet. All this adds up to an incredible 5.5 second run to 62 MPH for what is perhaps the most unaerodynamic vehicle on sale today. The starting price is 121,618 euro . We hear Britney's already ordered...
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Filed under: SUVs , Mercedes Benz The Mercedes G-Class is like the tux and tails -- its remains in vogue no matter what's happening in the world around it. And like the tux, it looks pretty much like it did when it first arrived, and changes to it still don't come quickly. For the '09 model, the G has been given Mercedes' new corporate face, so you can better associate it with that CL65 you've got parked next to it in the garage. The big news, though, is in the engine bay. The base V8 engine gets a whopping 90-horsepower bump from 292 to 382. Torque also gets seriously goosed from 336 ft-lb to 391. The boosted V8 and the AMG G55 get a much more modest boost of 7 horsepower for an even 500. Otherwise, the squared one gets new wheels and electronics, including a new Telematics system. There is no word yet on whether the celebrity chariot will come to the U.S., but we're sure Britney really wants one. [Source: eMercedesBenz ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Tech , Audi , BMW , Lexus , Mercedes Benz As we reported last month , it appears BMW and Audi, following the lead of Lexus, will begin to offer eight-speed automatic transmissions in their flagship models. Sources are now saying the transmission will be supplied by ZF Friedrichshafen, a familiar German supplier to both marques. Although we don't know all of the specifics, Audi is expected to debut the new slushbox in the range-topping A8 sedan , Q7 SUV , and their future A7 premium model . BMW will likely debut the new gearbox in their premium 7-Series sedan and the X6 Sport Activity Vehicle , according to company sources. The current Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series both use six-speed automatics. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class utilizes a seven-speed automatic of their own design, while Lexus debuted their eight-speed transmission (used in their LS models) four years ago. Increasing the number of forward gears offers advantages in smoothness, acceleration...
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Filed under: SUVs , Etc. , Green , Mercedes Benz , Porsche Click on the image above for high-res shots of this wacky scene Running diesel vehicles on biofuels is a good thing, right? Not always , according to Greenpeace Argentina. It seems that the export of soybeans from Argentina is causing more pollution than was initially estimated. Also, too much of Argentina's native forests are being mowed down for the soybeans. These issues are in stark contrast with two of Greenpeace's stated charters: (1) catalyzing an energy revolution to address the number one threat facing our planet: climate change and (2) supporting sustainable agriculture by encouraging socially and ecologically responsible farming practices . No Greenpeace protest would be complete without some sort of outlandish stunt, and this one follows suit. Because most of the Argentinian biodiesel goes to Germany, a Mercedes-Benz M-Class and a Porsche Cayenne were made to look like bulldozers by men and women wielding German...
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Filed under: New York Auto Show , Coupes , Sports/GTs , SUVs , Green , Mercedes Benz Click above for high-res gallery from Daimler's press conference Just like any good political campaign, Mercedes came to the New York Auto Show touting nothing much as a whole lot. Actually, the faux political rally might have been less than compelling with its old news , but the new M Class sporting 50-state legal BlueTec diesel power is exciting. Almost as exciting as the very original 1965 190 D Mercedes had borrowed to illustrate its long-running experience with Rudy's coal dust motor. The senescent sedan will be helping MBZ recreate Bill Carroll's cross-country diesel-fueled journey to celebrate the U.S.-wide availability of what it's touting as the cleanest diesel ever. BlueTec allows the M-, GL- and R-class oil burners to earn ULEV and TierII/Bin 5 classification. Mercedes says its new diesels are now as clean as gasoline powerplants, and once they drop BlueTec hybrids on us, emissions...
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Filed under: SUVs , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Mercedes Benz Click above for a high-res gallery of the MB GL320 BlueTec Urea injection will finally arrive in the U.S. when Mercedes-Benz launches fifty-state-legal diesel versions of its ML320, GL320 and R320 BlueTec models. Mercedes says these U.S. light-duty diesels will be equipped with AdBlue injection that allows them to meet this country's strict Tier2 Bin5 emissions standards. To live up to that, Mercedes will have to ensure that vehicles are shipped before BMW gets the X5 and 335d into customers hands this fall . The Mercedes vehicles are using a 3.0L turbo diesel V-6 putting out 210 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, while using urea injection (like the diesel BMWs and upcoming diesel VW Touareg and Audi Q7) to almost completely eliminate NOx emissions. Called AdBlue, it is a solution of 2/3 water and 1/3 urea that reacts with NOx to create nitrogen and water. The urea is contained in a 7-gallon (8.5-gallon in the larger...
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Filed under: SUVs , Mercedes Benz Click either image to view high-res galleries Mercedes-Benz has taken a chisel to its original SUV and updated both the M-Class and the high-performance ML 63 AMG model. The M-Class has come a long way since it first debuted as a competent albeit small SUV with doughy styling. It's grown into a much larger shape that's crisper and more expensive looking, and MB has augmented that this year with tweaks to both the front and rear ends. The headlight shape is completely new and dips down toward the grille now, while a new radiator opening between the widely set fog lamps is particularly dominant. A faux undergaurd completes the look of manufactured manliness, while a new rear bumper, tweaked rear taillights and larger side view mirrors round out the exterior upgrades. The interior also gets updated with richer materials and a four-spoke multifunction leather steering wheel. MB has also added a host of infotainment options to the order list, as well...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , SUVs , Supercars , Mercedes Benz , AMG Click above to view more high-res photos The German automakers keep on making more and more powerful sport-utes - some capable of pulling jumbo-jets and driving up buildings - with seemingly no end in sight. But for one owner, a stock Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG just wasn't enough to outperform his neighbor's Porsche Cayenne Turbo, so he had the engine swapped out for the 720-hp 5.5L supercharged V8 from the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The result? 0-60 in 4.2 seconds in a package that's rivaled in its exotic-engined brutality only by the long-departed Countach-powered Lamborghini LM002 . Of course there's only one place on earth that such a unique creation could possibly call home: Abu Dhabi, the same über-wealthy gulf emirate where the obscenely wealthy built Ferrari theme parks and drive $1.4 million hyper-exotics with $14 million license plates . Where else? See it to believe it in the gallery below and in...
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Filed under: SUVs , Euro , Safety , Mercedes Benz The Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen, known contemporarily as the G-Class, is an incredibly capable vehicle. More than able to shuttle the kids to soccer practice and chaperon celebrities to night clubs, as it has been relegated to do in modern times. Climbing walls like Spiderman, however, might be where its capabilities meet their limits. Might be. Somewhere in Eastern Europe (from what we can gather), someone bet someone else €10,000 that he couldn't park his M-B G230 on the roof of a building. Sound ridiculous? Well, the guy hooked up the truck's winch to a bracket atop the building and, as you can see from the pictures, just about made it. The winch gave out when he tried to turn the vehicle right-side-up to park the thing and that's when things went south. Check out the snapshots in the gallery below to see how far south. [Source: Wrecked Exotics] Gallery: Mercedes G-Wagon crash Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Aftermarket , SUVs , Lamborghini , Mercedes Benz , Celebrities Tina Turner is one of the most successful performing and recording artists of all time. She's won eight Grammies, hit the Billboard Top 10 seven times and sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history. Unfortunately she never learned how to drive stick, but having sold over 180 million records, she could well afford (and as The Queen of the Rock & Roll could hardly afford not) to buy a Lamborghini. So Turner bought an LM002, the Lamborghini of sport-utility vehicles, and had the original Countach V12 ripped out and swapped for a V8 out of a Mercedes E500 with an automatic transmission. Naturally, the retrofit also included a thumpin' entertainment system, including a 1500-Watt Blaupunkt stereo and a whole load of lights and mirrors. The conversion originally cost twice the value of the truck itself, at 150,000 deutschemarks. The truck has been workin' for the man every night...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Spy Photos , SUVs , Mercedes Benz The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is right around the corner, where Mercedes is anticipated to unveil the vehicle you see here: the Mercedes-Benz GLK Freeside concept. Official images and details are expected in a manner of days, but someone at Daimler headquarters has apparently let the proverbial cat out of the bag. Like the "Vision" concepts that Mercedes used to give us in the '90s, the GLK Freeside "show-car" is more of a pre-production prototype than a design study, and is tipped to closely mirror what the production GLK will look like. We already got a preview of the production model when the GLK showed up undisguised on the set of Sex and the City , of all places. The "Freeside" moniker, which seems dangerously close to the "Freelander" named used by Land Rover, is not expected to carry over when the little truck goes into production. This leaked photo...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Tuners , SUVs , Euro , Mercedes Benz click image to enlarge Carlsson has applied its tuning magic to the new M-Class with a host of power, visual, and interior upgrades. Starting with the engine, Carlsson's performance kit for the 320 CDI engine boosts horsepower to 269 and torque to 452 lb-ft, and a new exhaust system with quad tailpipes is also available. The suspension can be upgraded with Carlsson's C-Tronic system that lowers the vehicle 40mm, and 22" 11-spoke wheels help fill the wheel wells even more. A subtle front spoiler and a diffuser-look rear skirt are the only exterior modifications. Interior appointments include alcantara and leather seats, a sport steering wheel, aluminum pedals, and illuminated door exit lights. Once again, Carlsson proves that sometimes it doesn't take much to make a better Benz. [Source: Carlsson] Continue reading Carlsson puts some more class in the M-Class Permalink | Email this | Comments
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