2018 Genesis G80 Sport RWD – Road Test Review

G80 Sport has the dark, sporty and sinister makeover of our dreams.  This luxury sport sedan has been a popular favorite among CRD writers around the country in the last few years. We’ve watched the brand go from a fledgling offshoot to a stand-alone division whose products threaten Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW ownership of the luxury sedan marketplace. Is it weird to be proud of how far Genesis has come?  Perhaps. 2018 is a big year for the big G.  The model range has the traditional G80 from about $40k, G80 Sport and a new-for-2017 G90 flagship limo.  Soon a …

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2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class by BRABUS – First Look

Well that didn’t take long!  Brabus has revealed their first steps at refining the W213 E-Class today, with upgrades to the aero, styling, power and sound.  Mostly plug-and-play modules for the ride height and the engine power mods — which is great for overseas clients to do themselves.  Also some design upgrades and added aggression via a new performance exhaust.   2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class by BRABUS Red-hot:  Exclusive BRABUS refinement for the new E-Class Mercedes-Benz continues the long success story of the E-Class with the W 213 model series, and BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 …

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401HP 2017 Mercedes-AMG E43 – New 4Matic Hammer!

Nailing the fundamentals has always been a Hammer specialty! This new 401-pony AMG E-Class delivers quite a thwack. The E43’s twin-turbo V6 brings 4Matic traction with a 69-percent rear bias, a nine-speed automatic and adjustable AMG air springs.  Sprint pace is mid-4’s for pricing much friendlier than the $85k E63, which has yet to be seen for this next-gen Mercedes-AMG. A menacing black-out for the exterior trims is nicely set off with standard privacy glass and black-spoked alloys.  The polished lip at speed is a nice accent — matching the black-satin effect of the center star. Fairly subtle side intakes for these …

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Mercedes-Benz New Year´s Reception, Detroit 2016

Update1 – 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class – Official Debut of Ultra-Posh New Cabin, All-New Exterior

This is it!  The 2017 E-Class in all its official glory. A few variants shown here in this official launch packette: from the most trad to the ultra-mod AMG Sport in bright red. A frozen grey E400 quatromattico GDM model is the wildest shown so far, but points strongly toward the new E63’s menace on the roads. The revamp outside is exceptionally sleek and organic; new flowing lines for the glasshouse and every nose and tail element replace some carry-over elements on the current car. All-new is the slightly more formal C-pillar angle than previously shown: a nice nod to …

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Concept Debrief – 1999 RINSPEED X-Trem M.U.V.

Flashbacks can be good…. and they can be bad. The one thing both have in common:  a livid, full-color reminder of something you otherwise never think about. Livid and vivid certainly describes the Rinspeed X-Trem MUV from 1999. The firm was embracing a bit of Americana in the late 90s, and this monstrosity was the ultimate expression of the bright, loud and obnoxious USA, at least as seen from new Geneva.  Less an expression of actual American wants/needs for trucks, and much more a reflection of SoCal life as seen on tv and movies.  The whole machine attempts to embrace …

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The All-New E-Class

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Striptease Begins! Cabin Tech and Design Are Mighty Impressive

The new E-Class from Mercedes-Benz is pretty huge news for all luxury car shoppers. Despite our obsession with the E63 and E550 range-topping models, and their delicious LEDs and black-chrome trims all around, the latest E-Class is not selling well. Its current iteration is a heavy facelift of the car first seen in the mid-2000s, and really needs this deep revamp to take on the 535i in USA sales. A big part of the E-Class’s issues stem from its current cabin. This is generally loveable and very liveable, but the tech is confusing and the overall experience is dark and …

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VAETH V50RS MB E-Class 5

VAETH V50RS Makes MB E-Class V8 into Hidden Hammer

  There are plenty of tuners willing to go completely bonkers on any Mercedes model. Brabus comes to mind with its ultra-fast model range that wears its aggression for all to see. There are more subtle ways to up the performance of an E-Class, however. VAETH tuning of Germany has a new kit called the V50RS based on the E500/E550 that is intensely focused under the metal. Power jumps from 408PS to 550PS via new ECU programming, a new intercooler and fresh exhaust system (behind the back axle.) A big brake kit, giant wheels and a new AirMatic module drop …

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HD Road Test Review – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model

Updated 1.5.2015 With 63 New Photos   When it comes to the rarest of Mercedes-Benz AMG cars and trucks, the S-Models are the absolute top of the pops. And the E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Estate? The ultimate in rare supercars – the S-Model Estate is certainly up there with the most-exclusive cars available. By our estimates, fewer than 200 total S-Model E63 AMGs will come to the United States per year, but even one is a huge blessing.   The E63 Estate is just one click slower to 60-mph than the S-Model sedan. That makes this the 3.6-second wagon king. …

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2014 Mercedes-Benz E400 BlueTec Hybrid – Gibraltar to Goodwood… In One Tank of Diesel?

Is EU Immigration reform debate stymied by classy and comfortable luxury cars!? It seems the E-Class Mercedes-Benz is as good as any passport for slipping from Africa up to the UK on just one tank of fuel… Of course, the Diesel-electric energy solution has long been the preferred method for locomotives – but thought too expensive for cars until Mercedes-Benz and a few French OEMs built them both into one car. It seems to be the best of all worlds – except for Mr. Frnakel’s bladder! 2014 Mercedes-Benz E400 BlueTec Hybrid Official Details below from Mercedes-Benz UK. 1,223-MILES: E-CLASS TRAVELS …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class in 40 New Photos – C300 and C400 Both 4Matic As Standard

Update 6.20.14 The new C-Class is looking very sharp in these photos from London and the English countryside! Please disregard the engine badges and driving position of these photos – our American-market launch cars are the C300 4Matic and C400 4Matic — both with standard all-wheel-drive to start. Down the road there is likely to be a rear-drive C250 model as well. The C400 4Matic is set to be one of the year’s best cars – it brings air suspension to the mid-size luxury class for the first time ever. Air springs are heavenly on the latest crop of Mercedes …

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Update1 New Photos – 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Facelift Brings New Grille, Bumpers and LED Headlights

Official: New generation CLS with the future’s high-resolution precision LED technology: Leading the way with better light Stuttgart Jun 16, 2014   Stuttgart – In the new generation of the CLS-Class, Mercedes-Benz is using the new technology of MULTIBEAM LED headlamps for the first time. High-resolution precision LED modules, each with 24 individually controlled high-performance LEDs, automatically illuminate the road with a hitherto unsurpassed, precision-controlled distribution of exceptionally bright light – without dazzling other road users. A camera positioned behind the windscreen delivers the information with which four control units the ideal light pattern 100 times per second. The anticipatory …

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Road Test Review – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Estate is 3.6-Second Wagon!

INTERIOR GoPro Review Info – Part One   When it comes to the rarest of Mercedes-Benz AMG cars and trucks, the S-Models are the absolute top of the pops. But the E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Estate? Perhaps the ultimate in rare supercars – the S-Model Estate is certainly up there with the most-exclusive cars available. By our estimates, fewer than 200 total S-Model E63 AMGs will come to the United States per year, which is a crying shame. The E63 Estate is just one click slower to 60-mph than the S-Model sedan. That makes this the 3.6-second wagon king. The …

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C-CLass Estate 2015

2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate Ups Wagon Sexiness, Will It Come To USA?

Update1: 5.31.14 Will the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate come to the United States? The answer is most likely a “No.” That is because the Mercedes GLA-Class and GLK SUVs have been doing an admirable job hoovering up crossover demand all by themselves. The recent re-arrival of the E-Class Estate to the US market might point in a new direction for the brand, but we still would give the C400 4Matic Estate only a 50/50 chance of coming over with the rest of the new C-Class range when it arrives in late 2014 to MB dealers nationwide. The good news? Is …

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White Dynamite – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4Matic S-Model

What is it about white cars lately? Perhaps because white was previously the cheapest paint known the man, it got a rough reputation for being about as classy as a burned-out Econoline van. But the new white is indeed new. It is deeper, richer, whiter and ultimately a slinky color that even looks good dirty and at night. It is The Color. The Car? The new E63 AMG 4Matic S-Model.   The BMW M5 might claim a faster Nurburgring lap time, but lags a full half-second behind this bad-ass Benz in 60-mph sprints: 3.7s plays 4.2s. That is a big …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Grows Larger, More Rapid, and More Plush with C300/C400 4Matic

The current C-Class Mercedes-Benz is a consistent seller for the brand, but not quite the desirable and aspirational model that the BMW 3 series is among young executives. Mercedes has taken this to heart, with the American market set to receive two all-new models that are both turbocharged, all-wheel-drive, and much larger inside. Power figures for the C300 4Matic are 235 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of toque via a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, while the new C400 4Matic brings 329 horsepower and a whopping 354 pound-feet of torque. The C400 is powered by a next-gen turbocharged V6 engine, ensuring efficiency at or …

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Cosmetic Car Mods Part 5 – White LED Emblem Baseplate

Cosmetic Car Mods Part 5 – White LED Emblem Baseplate LED emblem base-plate. (Sticks under badge, wired into low-beams) This one is self-explanatory. Can be fun, and also comes in various styles for the rear ends of many brand logo’s as well — making the white outline flip to red under braking. But these are just the single white baseplate I had on my Subaru (briefly). Quality is dismal, and this one was never the exact same oval shape as my OEM Subaru badge — but for $12 or so, you definitely get some up-close curb appeal. Who else has …

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VIDEO + Renders of 8 Future Hot-Rods From German Special Customs — Which Is Your Favorite?

GSC is broadening their scope. They are now applying their trademark upgrade style to brands beyond the Mercedes-Benz star. The latest future projects from German Special Customs work in a hot-to-trot new Range Rover and even an Aventador-from-Hell called the Estatura GXX. Using the names of brands by GSC is a bit touchy, so GSC has these future mock-ups under simplified working titles. Estatura GXX   McLaren P1 Night Glow by German Special Customs   Which do you like best? My choice is probably the E-Class, but I am open to debate! Hey, if you’re not having fun on the …

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2014 E250 BlueTEC

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Style Reset Leaves BMW 528Xi Out Cold

A hard reboot? The “Microsoft recommended solution” – aka ripping the plug from the wall? Factory settings reset? The new E-Class is so hot. It is as if a paper-clip poked the Mercedes design reset brain for ten seconds consecutively,  triggering a full reboot from core system files. Of course, the most noticeable and memorable part of a pretty car is the nose. This new soft graphic is now looking beautiful from its thrummy E250 base configurations, through the rich E350 sedans, wagons and coupes, on to the E400 Hybrid and E550 4MATIC.   All the way up to the …

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