mercedes-benz

ConceptFascination hints at future of Mercedes E-Class

Fresh on the heels of the reveal of the C250 BlueEfficiency, Mercedes gives us a peek at the future of the E-Class with the ConceptFascination. As the name indicates, we are only looking at a concept. However, with the still handsome, but slightly dated looking, E-Class due for a refresh, we can expect at least the broad strokes of the concept to translate to production.

Under the hood, the ConceptFascination is powered by the same new 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that will be introduced on the C250 BlueEfficiency. Mercedes has already made public its intentions to use this engine … Read more

Mercedes C250 BlueEfficiency gets 45 mpg

The gamut of models spanned by the Mercedes C-class just got a little wider. On one end, you have the CNET Editors' Choice C63 AMG, a rip snorting beast with a 405 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 that chugs gasoline at a rate of 16.2 mpg. Way down on the other end is the newly announced C250 CDI BlueEfficiency Prime Edition, a 204 horsepower four-cylinder that gingerly sips diesel at a rate of 45 mpg. It's hard to believe these two vehicles are cut from the same cloth, but they are.

The heart of the C250 is Mercedes' new … Read more

Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550

Maybe we've been driving too many very nice cars lately, but the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 didn't excite us much when it arrived in the garage. It's hard to follow acts like the Maserati GranTurismo and the BMW M6, and we tend to like shorter, more nimble sports cars. But the SL550 won us over with its handling on winding mountain roads and its striking looks with the sun blazing overhead and a nice ocean-scape in the background.

We were also prepared to be disappointed in the car's cabin electronics when we saw the old-style Mercedes-Benz interface, … Read more

Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz's smallest U.S. sedan, the C-class, continues to impress us, this time with the sport-tuned 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG version. We previously reviewed the C300, and found that its updated electronics put to shame the tech in more expensive models from Mercedes-Benz. With the AMG version we have a car that competes with the BMW M3, not only in cabin tech, but in sheer performance and the exhilarating drive it offers.

The cabin electronics in the C63 are the same as in the C300, with the latest version of Mercedes-Benz's navigation and phone system. The sound produced … Read more

Mercedes-Benz is going HD

Following in the footsteps of BMW, Mercedes-Benz announced it will offer HD radio in some of its 2009 models. HD radio is a digital broadcast that offers CD-quality sound for FM stations. BMW has been offering it on its models for the past year, and now Mercedes-Benz will include it as an option on the 2009 E-, M-, R-, GL-, and G-class, all but the E-class being SUVs.

Most radio stations in major cities have an HD broadcast now. There are approximately 40 stations in San Francisco alone. Because the format requires less bandwidth, many stations have multiple HD channels. … Read more

Huge displacement cars form special class at Pebble Beach

August means the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Monterey Historics to car nuts all over, and this year a special class will be on display: cars with engines displacing over 20-liters. Engines of this size are few and far between, as your typical V-6 displaces 3.5 liters. Even the 16 cylinder, 1,001 horsepower Bugatti Veyron only displaces 8 liters. The 20 plus-liter class at Pebble Beach is more for exhibition, as there are only four cars that fit the bill, with three historics and one recent invention.

The 1913 "Blitzen" Benz appearing at the show … Read more

Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

Although the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 looks tiny, the car is filled with much more tech and horsepower than you would expect. Mercedes-Benz updated the little roadster for the 2009 model year, giving it new styling cues, improving the engine, and loading it with its newest raft of cabin gadgets. The result is a car that may not be the most practical, but scores big on fun.

The SLK350 is a roadster with a fully-powered retractable hardtop. This top compromises trunk space pretty severely, but letting in the sun becomes convenient and easy. Styling changes emphasize sport, with a more pointed … Read more

The 404 130: Where Justin dances like a Muppet

Fridays are always the craziest days at the 404--hopefully you saw today's preshow where Justin danced his little Muppet heart out to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." If you missed it, you can still check out the video below. We have the pleasure of speaking to the great Lou Bakalar today over the phone; he gives us his take on cutting edge tech and we pick his brain about the dangers of driving a taxi in the city. The story rundown is equally zany, filled with strip clubs, celebrity death predictions, vegetable oil automobiles, and of … Read more

How to drive like a billionaire

Today and tomorrow, some lucky people are driving a set of supercars, including a Ferrari F430, a Lamborghini Gallardo, and a Porsche Turbo 997, around the Auto Club Speedway track in Fontana, Calif. To get this lucky, all you have to do is pony up $4,990 to Supercar Life, a company with a fleet of very fast cars that it uses to host track events. The company provides professional instruction to the drivers, taking the morning of the event day to show them how to drive on the track. During the afternoon, the clients take the wheel.

For people … Read more

Photos: Performance testing at Laguna Seca

On the second day of the 2008 Western Automotive Journalists Media Days, we drove a variety of different cars at Laguna Seca. This famous track employs a number of technical turns, not to mention a quarter-mile straightaway, for testing handling and acceleration.

Click here for photos of production cars tested on the track at Laguna Seca.