Mercedes Benz to Add an SLS AMG Black Series in 2013

The paint is hardly dry on the new gullwinged SLS AMG that made its first appearance at Frankfurt, and details of a muscled-up, exclusive Black Series version of Mercedes are already emerging.

According to Autocar, who spoke with Mercedes sources on the forthcoming series, the AMG will tinker with the SLS’s 6.2 liter V8 to boost up horsepower above 600 and torque up to 500 lb-ft (up from 563 hp and 479 lb-ft). Alterations include increased engine compression ratio along with larger air intake manifold.

The performance mods are likely to shave the 0 to 62 time down to 3.5 seconds (from 3.8). The Black Series is also likely to break the 200 mph barrier with a 208 top speed. According to the report, a very few number will hit dealers by 2013 with a price tag of 230,000 pounds (approximately $375,000).

Mercedes-Benz E250 Estate (2010)

The Mercedes E-Class Estate is the most recent in a trio impressive mid-range Mercedes intended at the middle-management business execs.

At slightest that’s the target audience, with the saloon for the 'traditional, no-nonsense exec', the coupe for the 'thrusting, go-getting exec' as well as the Estate for the 'family man exec'.

The E-Class Estate is the model that seems to cover up all the bases. It is probably the best-looking of them all (the Mercedes E-Class design seems to lend itself well to the touring model); it has got plenty of loadspace and with a target market likely to be a golf-playing father-of-two its pretty much strike the bullseye.

Prices haven't been announced yet but Estate buyers will possibly have to pay a £2,000 premium over the saloon. Expect to pay between £32k for the entry-level E200 CDI, around £50k for the E500 and then just over £70k for the E63 AMG version.

There is a raft of models; however the biggest seller is likely to be the diesel-powered E220 CDI. Petrol versions will be a minority sport moreover the bonkers AMG will be meant for Merc enthusiasts only.

However does this standard E-Class represent a sensible buy? Read on to find out.

Reliability and Quality
Mercedes Benz has recovered its once-tarnished reputation for quality but things have absolutely changed over the past few years.

The preceding E-Class scored four out of five in JD Power consumer satisfaction surveys and this is an improvement, therefore things do bode well.

There's little to complain about so far. The diesel engines must be pretty bulletproof and all the fixtures as well as fittings on our test car were up to the highest standards, with a comfortable as well as well-appointed cabin.

There were however, a few dodgy looking plastic panelling on the lower half of dash - a pity as the rest of the interior is of quality.

On the road
The BMW 5-Series remains top of the estate car tree for managing and on-the-road thrills, but the Mercedes Benz E-Class Estate is comes close to eclipsing it as a better all-rounder. It feels taut enough to give you confidence on cornering yet it is not so stiffly sprung that it will displace your nerves when cruising or pootling around town. It is nearly the perfect balance of comfort as well as agility, and in that respects it trumps the rather fidgety 5-Series.

It does have the tendency to understeer in tight corners, although comes close to being the perfect grand tourer on fewer demanding roads.

The engine range is comprehensive with a wide selection of diesels and petrols for all tastes and needs. The CDI models will structure the majority of E-Class Estate sales in the UK, however. Every models, bar the E350 4Matic, the E500 and the E63 AMG flagship, feature Mercedes' Blue Efficiency fuel-saving technology.

We experienced what is likely to be the UK's best-selling version, the E220 CDI, and it doesn't differ wildly from the saloon. It weighs 100kg more, which adds 0.2 second to the 0 to 62mph time, and its 5mph slower at the top end but you are not likely to feel the difference.

Through 167bhp and peak torque of 295lb-ft delivered between 1,400 and 2,800rpm it hardly ever feels underpowered. Certainly, it does make some sort of sense to opt for the gruntier 368lb-ft E250 CDI which will lop a further second off the 8.8 second 0 to 62mph time and provide you that extra oomph for overtaking.

Though Mercedes wants to sell more manuals, only autos were available on our test drive. The manual comes with a hill-hold device to ease step-off meant for the foot-operated parking brake.

There is a good selection of gearboxes: entry-level models get a new six-speed manual, four-cylinder models can be ordered with a smooth five-speed auto 'box and six-cylinder and eight-cylinder versions get the 7Gtronic seven-speeder with a little awkward steering column-mounted gearchanger lever.Both auto gearboxes include a sequential-shift mode as well as selectable sport/comfort modes, but they perform so intuitively that you might as well leave them to do their thing. Ratio changes are absolutely timed and nearly imperceptible.

Steering is well-weighted - if a little light - and brakes are more powerful enough to stop you sharply with no fuss.

Safety and Security
The E-Class Estate has very high safety levels, incorporating the most recent technology that has been introduced on the high-end S-Class.

There are 3 stages of ESP and traction control, a drowsiness detection system, seat belt pre-tensioners, blindspot monitors, lane-keeping assist, a night vision camera along with an emergency braking system that operates automatically if it finds out a collision.

There are also 7 airbags.

Running Costs
For such a huge estate car, a carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of 150g/km for the E220 CDI model fitted with a manual gearbox is extremely commendable.

This means it is eligible for the VED Band G for road tax whereas business users are responsible for the 21 percent Benefit-in-Kind company car tax bracket.

Coupled to 49.6mpg combined economy, this makes the new E-Class Estate a very eye-catching proposition for company car drivers especially if they are downsizing from a big 4x4.

Unfortunately though, it's still several ways off being best-in-business when it comes to costs. Its arch-enemy, the BMW 5-Series Touring, emits around 140g/lm of carbon dioxide (CO2) and averages an unbeatable 53.3mpg, meaning it not only sits in the lower VED road tax Band E, however business users also face a 3 percent lower tax bill (19 percent BIK).

Serious consideration must be given to the more powerful E250 CDI. This has improved performance (it is a second quicker to 60 with its 8.8s dash), but offers exactly the same fuel economy and emissions as the E220 CDI and there is only a £,1500 price premium.

Comfort and Equipment
As a practical load-lugger, the E-Class Estate makes real sense. You acquire plenty of head- and legroom in the front and the rear, and with the seats upright you get a 695 litre load capacity, which is bigger than that offered by the paragon of practicality, the Ford Mondeo Estate. With the seats down you also obtain a Mondeo-beating 1950 litres of luggage space even if they don't leave a completely flat load floor.

The seats are firm and broad but we assume that the side cushions on the front pairing that automatically hem you on tight corners are an needless option that can get irritating after a very long journey.

It's serene in the cabin: road and wind noise is well contained whereas the diesel growl on the E220 CDI may get intrusive when accelerating hard.

The E-Class Estate uses the similar trim levels as the saloon: SE, Avantgarde and Sport. Mercedes says the new car represents a £1,400 saving over the earlier model thanks to increased levels of the equipment.

Heated front seats are standard even on base SE models, as is climate control also an electronic parking aid. There is also an electric tailgate and easy release rear seat levers, self-levelling rear air suspension, front seats, alloy wheels, parking sensors and Bluetooth connection.

The Avantgarde offers larger alloys, LED daytime running lights, leather seats along with 15mm lowered suspension whereas Sport comes with an AMG body kit and alloys and sports suspension.

Used Value
The Mercedes E-Class Estate is not magnificent for residual values. The E350 petrol return as little as 29 percent of their original purchase price after three years/36,000 miles.

The diesels, meanwhile, are the most excellent bet with the E220 CDI returning about 40 percent over the same period; however both results are comprehensively beaten by the BMW 5-Series Touring. Even the least desirable 5-Series returns around 36 percent of its new values 3 years on while the most in demand diesels claw back a fine 46 percent of its value.

The First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

• What is it: A new gullwing supercar that successfully replaces the Mercedes-Benz SLR

• Key facts: 6.2-liter V-8 with 571 horsepower, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and rear-wheel drive

• on sale: April 2010.

• Cost: $250,000 (est.)

It is been unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, and in very few days, High Gear Media heads to Monterey and Laguna Seca to enroll with the 2010
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG for the first drive.

The SLS car is the successor to the present Benz SLR roadster and past coupe, but this time around, the German automaker's put an importance on low weight to go with astonishing power, as it hunts down a few of the track-ready luster that graces most Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The new SLS AMG features a reduce weight of 3,571 pounds thanks to an aluminum spaceframe, which also provides an almost ideal front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52 %.

Inside the lightweight body, the new SLS AMG offers up a single powertrain, an evolution of today's big AMG V-8.That 6.2-liter mill will produce a healthy 571 horsepower, along with 479 pound-feet of torque. With a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, and rear-wheel drive, the SLS AMG will go faster from rest to 62 miles per hour (mph) in a claimed 3.8 seconds--Corvette ZR1 territory but shy of the stunning 3.3 second times turned in by the Nissan GT-R as well as Porsche 911 Turbo.

A Race Start function controls power from launch to preserve driveline parts. A top speed of 196 mph is also claimed, however a push to 200 mph in final development wouldn't come as a surprise and the new gullwing supercar is likely to be the most capable Mercedes ever.

That gullwing body--a heritage cue from the famous Gullwings of the 1950s--is a relatively long shape, with a extended nose to accommodate the big V-8 and a short deck featuring a configurable spoiler for high-speed stability. The SLS AMG is around 183 inches long and it also sports a wheelbase of 105.5 inches. Carbon-ceramic brakes with 15.4 inch front discs and 14.2 inch rear discs are teamed with 19-inch wheels along with tires for stopping capability equivalent to the task.

Styling is conquered by a new front-end treatment that evolves the present SL/SLK-Class shapes. Inside, the dash is parallel to that in the present SLR, but with richer finishes--one of the chief complaints on the SLR centered on its somewhat pedestrian cabin and the COMAND controller figures into the center console design, and will run climate as well as entertainment systems. Mercedes will fit the cabin with leather, aluminum as well as chrome trim, and optionally, carbon-fiber trim, as well.

The two seated SLS AMG will be a limited production motor vehicle, with 3000 - 5000 units produced in all.

Standard features includes the leather trim, COMAND system, an electronic parking brake, keyless ignition, rain sensors, headlamp assist, PARKTRONIC, heated seats, cruise control, AMG floor mats, sports pedals and THERMOTRONIC. Optional goodies consist of a 6-disc DVD charger, Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG sound system, alarm, and numerous AMG paint schemes include the special Alubeam Silver.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Compact Car Launch Delayed Till Next Fall

As U.S. carmakers get serious about building first-class compact cars, one of the most enthusiastically awaited entries is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which will face off against a entirely new 2012 Ford Focus as well as revised models of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic as well as Nissan Sentra.

At present reports say that General Motors will push back the Cruze introduction by three months, from next spring or summer into the third quarter of 2010, to make sure a perfect launch.

The upside is that the extra time will permit all models of the Cruze--presumably meaning different trim levels--to be built prior to the car goes on sale.

The Cruze has received excellent reviews in Europe and Asia, where it is already on sale and it will be built for the U.S. market in GM's Lordstown, Ohio, plant.

Possibly the extra time is good, because the U.S. taxpayers who bailed out GM can only expect the 2011 Cruze does better than the first compact Chevrolet built there: the disreputably unreliable Chevrolet Vega.

The Cruze is powered by a turbocharged along with direct-injected 1.4-liter engine that will offer fuel efficiency as high as 40 miles per gallon, with the equal power as the 2.4-liter engine in today’s 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and the Cobalt will remain in production until the launching of Cruze.

Driverless car parks by itself

If you are a person who would cheerfully hand over the task of parking your car to a computer, there might be a Volkswagen in your future.

Past weekend, Volkswagen Group of America as well as Stanford University's School of Engineering hosted a dedication ceremony on the Stanford campus for the new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) that integrated the "first ever" self-directed parking demonstration by a driverless car.

The car, a VW Passat called Junior, was developed together by VW and Stanford and is the similar one that finished second in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. Driverless cars have come a long way since the first DARPA race in the year 2004, when not one competitor made it over the finish line, much less parallel-parked itself.

VW donated $5.75 million for the latest laboratory, which it called "the next step in the evolution of the two organizations' commitment to drive modernization in automotive development."

"When the new building opens early next year, Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) will offer a home on campus for faculty along with students from around the university to work up advanced automotive research," alleged Jim Plummer, dean of the Stanford School of Engineering.

The company furthermore unveiled the Pike's Peak Audi TT-S, the most recent iteration of driverless vehicles developed all the way through the VW-Stanford partnership.

The World's cheapest car catching on fire - literally

The world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano, is in fire in India as reports emerge of some of the models bursting into flames in recent times due to alleged circuit problems.

Three fires have been reported suddenly occurring in the steering columns of Nanos in India, where 7,500 motor vehicles have been delivered since July.

No injuries have been reported but one customer has refused to allow Tata to inspect the car and instead filed a police report, as per the US financial newspaper The Wall Street Journal.

Tata announced October 26 that they will carry out a pre-delivery audit of all new cars and will observe cars already in customer use, but have avoided the dreaded "recall" word thus far. The Indian automaker blamed the crisis on a short circuit in the switch that controls the headlights, windshield wipers along with the dashboard indicators.

The little Nano is called "The People's Car" due to its historically little price of around Rs 115,000 (€1,700). The car has already received an overwhelming 200,000 pre-orders in India and has revolutionized the way the globe looks at low-priced automobiles.

Almost 100,000 Nanos are likely to be sold nationally in 2010, with export plans in place for Nigeria in 2010 and for Europe in 2011, provided it passes safety testing. In this July, Tata announced its intentions to put up for sale the Nano in Latin America, through Italy's Fiat group, which has a tough presence there.

Japanese automakers' hydrogen vehicle drive

TOKYO – Imagine a car that can be refueled in minutes but emits just water. Sounds like science fiction? Actually it already exists -- Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis has one of this car. So does Honda president Takanobu Ito.

Yet while a few see them as the ultimate environmentally-friendly automobiles, the high production cost means that reasonably priced hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars are still more of a dream than veracity.

Car manufacturers such as Honda, however, are making a renewed push behind the vehicles, which run on electricity generated as a result of a reaction among hydrogen and oxygen, belching out nothing more damaging than water vapor.

"We believe that the fuel-cell electric motor vehicle will be the ultimate form for automobiles in the future," Takanobu Ito added at the Tokyo Motor Show which opened Wednesday.

"It has advantages such as zero CO2 emissions in use and it can travel considerable distances without refueling and it can be quickly refueled," he added.

Honda previous year began delivering about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered cars on lease to US and Japanese customers, including some Hollywood celebrities.

Other automakers also spent more money on the technology, invented in the 19th century by the scientist William Robert Grove from Welsh.

Toyota, pioneer of hybrids powered by a petrol engine also by an electric motor, has said it plans to launch a fuel-cell car by the year 2015. It is applying its hybrid technology to the vehicles, swapping the petrol engine in favor of a fuel-cell stack.

"We cannot concentrate on just one technology," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, the chief engineer of the first-generation Prius hybrid.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda says he expects that sooner or later electric cars will be used for small distances and fuel-cell hybrids for long journeys.

Nissan as well as Mazda have developed their own fuel-cell vehicles and leased them to governments and corporate clients, whereas Suzuki Motor is showcasing a car, a wheelchair and scooter -- all motorized by fuel cells -- at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The very big challenge for manufacturers is to trim down the production cost of hydrogen-powered vehicles -- presently several hundred thousand dollars each.

"There is a feeling that by 2050 fuel cells will ultimately beat electric cars," alleged Ashvin Chotai, managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia.

"In plenty of countries wherever electricity is generated with fossil fuels electric cars are still not a perfect solution, especially in places like China and India where a large number of the energy is produced with dirty coal," he said.

The primary goal of carmakers is for hydrogen for cars to be produced by electrolyzing water by means of renewable energy such as solar power.

Fuel cells have long been seen as an eco-friendly substitute to petrol, but for the moment the majority automakers are focusing their attention on hybrids and plug-in electric cars.

Supporters, on the other hand, see hydrogen-powered cars as the natural next step because they also make use of electricity but can be refueled more quickly than plug-in cars and can travel further sooner than the power runs out.

A few industry experts see a day when compact electric cars are used for short distances and fuel cells for bigger vehicles such as trucks, because hydrogen tanks need a lot of space.

In addition to the high cost, the lack of filling stations and the size as well as weight of the fuel-cell vehicles and present hurdles.

Previous month, Toyota, Honda, Renault-Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, General Motors, Daimler and Kia issued a joint plea for an adequate hydrogen infrastructure network to be built by 2015, from when they believe "a few hundred thousand" of the cars might be commercialized worldwide.

The cause got a very important boost last week when the US Congress approved 187 million dollars in funding for research into fuel cells, seen by followers as the ultimate zero-emission solution.

"There is no way around it. A fuel-cell car gives you power, distance... It gives you short refueling time," alleged George Hansen, GM's head of fuel-cell commercialization in the Asia-Pacific.

"The technology is there and ready to be used. At present it depends on whether governments are willing to get underway the infrastructure, and whether volume production will bring costs down," George Hansen added.