Mercedes SL55 AMG Review

After a winter's afternoon spent tear-assing around in Poole Harbour, a thoroughly frozen Mrs F. sank into the SL55's heated seats, switched on the massage button and drifted off into the arms of Morpheous. I immediately began the Sleep Test. How fast could I drive without waking my passenger? Is that the sound of eyebrows arching? Many enthusiasts will insist that the best way to test a 493bhp automobile is to grab it by the scruff of the neck and thrash it to an inch of its life. Please! Have a little respect. The SL55 may be Mercedes' fastest ever production automobile, but it is not a rally-bred Subaru. It's a Benz. It's a big, heavy, luxury car. Tradition dictates that the SL55's driver displays a certain amount of 'decorum'. Progress should be rapid, yet safe and effortless. Hence the Sleep Test.

 

BRABUS K8 Review

Pity the German companies who make their living 'tuning' mainstream motors. All the big German manufacturers (save Porsche) now have their own in-house performance divisions. Audi has its S, BMW has its M, Volkswagen has its R, and Mercedes has its AMG. Your local dealer will sell you an extra hot version of any basic model, complete with warranty and a choice of body mods. It's hard to see what an independent tuner can bring to the party. Case in point: the Mercedes Benz AMG SL55. Why would anyone would want more muscle in a car that pumps out a colossal 500bhp @ 6100rpms? The SL55's V8 Kompressor also generates an epic 516lb.ft. of torque at 2650 - 4500rpms. In other words, Mercedes' uber-SL is fully capable of hurling its occupants from any speed, to any speed, without hesitation, deviation or repetition. In fact, the svelte-looking SL55 is one of those rare machines that can turn forward thrust into physical pain.

 

Mercedes 500SL Review

Blasting down an unrestricted section of autobahn at 125 miles per hour, the new Mercedes SL did something extraordinary: it kicked down. There I was, as nervous as a human cannonball aimed at a brick wall, and the SL just reaches down, grabs some more power, and slings me all the way to 155. All my doubts about Mercedes' range topper vanished. It's totally safe, faultlessly efficient and plenty damn fast. It is, in fact, the perfect car. Oh, OK, the turn indicators sound cheap and nasty. The vanity mirrors are too small, and lack an indent for easy opening. The driver's visor is too tightly sprung; try to find a shallow angle and it just might snap your fingers off. And, um, that's it. It's perfect.

 

Mercedes to Unveil Three Electric, Fuel Cell Concepts in Detroit

Mercedes-Benz says it will reveal a suite of electric-drive concepts under the BlueZero mark at the upcoming 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The three vehicles will combine the BlueZero E-Cell model -- a pure-electric concept driven by a Li-ion battery, the E-Cell Plus diesel-hybrid version, and the BlueZero F-Cell hydrogen vehicle.

 

BMW Recalls M3 With Dual-Clutch Transmission

BMW's dual clutch transmission sounds like a complicated piece of equipment and it is. The dual clutch transmission was built in Munich and the people are not the only one who have had problems using it. BMW itself had a difficult trying to figure it out the first time they tried. But they did manage to figure it out or they would never have installed it in their latest generation M3. However, that doesn't mean that many consumers will understand what it means. BMW has now issued a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the problem with the DCT is that it makes it hard for hard braking. The transmission was built to initiate a multi stage downshift when braking and this can cause the car to stall. So now BMW is asking that the owners of the 2008 and 2009 M3 built with the DCT (which is around 2,500) bring it in for a simple software update. All they need to do is bring it into their nearest dealership and let them fix the problem free of charge. Now BMW owners can brake in peace.

 

Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss

Daimler released today the complete details and image gallery of the Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss that will probably be the star of the show in Detroit in January. As anticipated, the Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss packs a 478 kW/650 hp supercharged V8 engine under its bonnet that's able to take it from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. The top speed of the Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss is 350 km/h (217 mph) and imagine this car will take you this fast with no wind screen in front of you. The Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss price is 750,000 Euros and the company will only build 75 of them. The production of the Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss will begin in June 2009, but the deliveries start date has not been announced yet. The Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss features what the company calls an AIRBRAKE which can be manually deployed during braking at speeds over 120 km/h (75 mph). The Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss has a carbon fiber body and features closed underbody and a rear diffuser for maximum downforce on the rear axle.

 

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss - Auto Shows

217 mph—with no windshield! If you've ever dreamed of having a grand-prix driving experience on the street—and have pockets as stuffed as Scrooge McDuck's—the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss is the thing for you. Serving as the final hurrah for the SLR line, the Stirling Moss sheds both its top and windshield and continues the Mille Miglia–centric theme of the previous SLR 722 and Roadster 722 S special-edition SLRs—722 was both the number and start time of the 300 SLR that won the 1955 event. The driver of that car, of course, was Sir Stirling Moss. This open-cockpit wonder's 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine will make the same 641 hp as the 722. Zero-to-62-mph sprints are expected to be achieved in less than 3.5 seconds, and top speed is a claimed 217 mph. Imagine 217 mph without the protection of laminated safety glass; the two wind deflectors that stand less than an inch tall likely won't do much to protect you from the impact of even a large moth at that speed. This car is hard-core. This Thing Looks AWESOME Even beyond the obvious lack of a roof and windshield, the rest of the Stirling Moss edition's carbon-fiber exterior is radically different from that of other SLRs, beginning with a freshly styled front fascia. Gone are the quad headlights (removed in favor of stacked clusters), as well as the single-slat grille on both sides of the three-pointed star, giving the front a much smoother style. The lower portion of the front now peaks at the center and the larger intake resembles that of the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Two large hood vents are added near the cowl along with a smaller vent in the front on the passenger side. Keep Reading: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss - Auto Shows