Going Crazy: More Doubt Cast on Chronic Fatigue's Link to Virus...

Going Crazy: More Doubt Cast on Chronic Fatigue's Link to Virus...: The idea that chronic fatigue syndrome may be caused by the virus named XMRV — a widely debated theory proposed a few years ago — received ...

2013 Mercedes-Benz CLC sedan to debut at 2012 New York Auto Show

At the 2012 New York Auto Show in April, Mercedes-Benz will hold the world debut to the new CLC sedan. Think of the new Mercedes-Benz CLC as a baby version of the larger CLS sedan currently on sale.While the Mercedes-Benz CLC will definitely open up the market for younger buyers as a higher-volume seller but it won’t be stripped down of all the ‘Benzness.’ “This will be a real Mercedes-Benz,” one executive stressedThe Mercedes-Benz CLC will expand on the C-Class sedan and C-Class Coupe

Mercedes GL V12 expensive engine swap

The fact that Mercedes-Benz makes one of the hottest SUVs out there is not a surprise but what comes as something new is that the tuner specialists at MKB are offering a V12 engine swap package for the GL 500 that comes with an expensive price.“This transplantation of hearts in the GL 500 is not easy to achieve. Even if the V12 fits the engine bay perfectly well. The outstanding knowledge and creativity of modern tuning companies such as MKB shows not in simply pressing a bigger engine into a chassis which was never thought to be equipped that way it shows clearly in the fact that such a conversation cannot be recognized as such by the naked eye. But of course everyone will feel the bigger driving pleasure later on”, as a company statement reads. the aftermarket V12 engine is delivering a total output of 662 horsepower nad a peak torque of 1.200 Nm or 885 lb-ft, the GL being able to hit 100 km/h from standstill in just 4.4 seconds, with a top speed of 270 km/h or 168 mph. In order to stop more efficiently, the GL was fitted with 380 mm ceramic discs with six-piston calipers for the front axle.All this power doesn’t come cheap, in fact it’s quite expensive for 217.568 euros or $294.028 which doesn’t even include the price of the base car, the GL 500. So the obvious question would be: Why not a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S?

AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine signals arrival of new Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series in Middle East

The C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series 6.3-litre V8 engine's howl will strike fear into the hearts of all that dare oppose it. With its maelstrom of hefty torque delivering tremendous pulling power and responsiveness, the raging AMG beast catapults to the edge of the abyss, from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.2 secondsThe Black Series flaring snout delivers air to the large cooling modules through intakes in the striking front apron, whilst spitting engine heat from two openings in the aluminium bonnet. Broad, low, brawny and bulging rear haunches mean the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series is poised for attack, while front struts emphasise the fierce vehicle's width.Adjustable AMG coil-over sports suspension, functional standard equipment and an AMG high-performance compound braking system help keep those that command such ferocity from oblivion.For those that wish to tempt fate, the AMG Track Package is available as an option to enhance the insane power and driving dynamics even further. It boasts sports tyres and active rear-axle transmission cooling, plus the AMG Aerodynamics package including flics, a functionally tuned front splitter and an adjustable carbon-fibre rear aerofoil. From the first glance it is clear that the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series is made for ambitious laps on a closed race track. In visual terms the new high-performance vehicle is reminiscent of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sports car and symbolises the transfer of technology from the sphere of motorsport, which has been part of the corporate philosophy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH for 44 years. With its new C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series, AMG is presenting an exciting sports car for enthusiasts that crave horsepower, and this marks the impressive continuation of the Black Series strategy, which began back in 2006. AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz Cars, is once again demonstrating its expertise when it comes to designing and developing emotionally appealing high-performance cars."AMG has its roots in international The new C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series is the best proof there is for the permanent transfer of technology from the race track to the road. The numerous successes in the DTM, the customer sports range featuring the SLS AMG GT3 and our commitment to Formula 1, where we have been providing the Official F1 Safety Car and the Official F1 Medical Car for the past 15 years, continuously spur on our engineers and technicians. The C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series embodies the new AMG brand claim, Driving Performance, like no other AMG model,Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars,

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Tuned

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a great car on its own, delivering superior performance and driving experience even without any aftermarket modifications. But the folks overandhave a slightly different opinion on this matter. They think the SLS AMG can do better with some more power.The SLS AMG comes standard with a hand-built 6.2-liter DOHC 32-valve AMG V8 engine. This front mid-mounted engine is capable of producing 571 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of peak torqueat 4,750 rpm. Such figures establish this engine as one of the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8. The power is channeled to the wheels via AMG’s transaxle-mounted dual-clutch seven-speed transmission system.Such power should be enough for most of the owners. But owners who want to have an edge onothers and are looking for more power can take in collaboration withmcchip-dk, here. The tuner has boosted the power output of the V8 by 54 horsepower and torque output by 30 Nm. Now, the beast produces 625 bhp and 680 Nm of torque. This has been achieved by a software optimization the tuner has not revealed any data regarding the improvement of performance due to the increased power.Surely the extra horses and torque is appealing and impressive. But these do not come cheap. Thetuner is charging slightly above 8000 euros for the power boost. Again, for someone who has the resources to own a SLS AMG, the price should hardly matter.

Manchester selected to debut the stunning new Mercedes-Benz Concept A-CLASS

Concept A-CLASS will make its UK public debut in an eye-catching and engaging interactive display at the Arndale Centre on 8-9 October 2011.The dynamic, sporty styling of Concept A-CLASS provides an exciting insight into the potential future of the Mercedes-Benz compact car range. Its distinctive features include wing-shaped headlights and side mirrors, a panoramic roof and aviation-inspired interior design.Visitors to the Arndale Centre willencounter a mirrored box surrounded by interactive LED lights, which change colour and pattern in response to sound and movement.At regular intervals, the lights will pulsate in accompaniment to attention-grabbing music, which builds up to a full reveal of the car.Concept A-CLASS will be travelling to the Arndale Centre in a purpose-built transparent container, allowing motorists to view it en route.The ConceptA-CLASS National Tour is a unique experience and we're delighted that Manchester has been chosen as one of the debut cities," commented Ian Digger, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz Manchester Central. "Both visually and technologically, Concept A-CLASS offers a tantalising glimpse of the potential future of Mercedes-Benz."

Mercedes Adds Coupe to U.S. C-Class Line in Bid to Top BMW

Mercedes-Benz, seeking to become the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S., added a two- door compact C-Class to its lineup to attract younger buyers from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s BMW.The C-Class coupe, which arrived at dealerships this month, may boost sales of the nameplate by as much as 20 percent going forward, Ernst Lieb, head of U.S. operations for Mercedesan interview at his office in Montvale, New Jersey. Starting now may help win orders before BMW, which sells its 3- Series in the U.S. as a sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon, introduces an all-new compact line to the market in April.BMW is leading in the U.S. luxury market this year, followed by Mercedes. Both are poised to dethrone Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, which has been the top luxury brand in the U.S. for 11 years, after the Japanese earthquake in March. At $37,220, the new coupe plugs the biggest hole in Mercedes’s offerings.“It’s a dogfight,” Bernhard Glaser, general manager of U.S. marketing and product management, said in an interview in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the new C-Class was demonstrated. “Some months we outsell them, some months they outsell us. What we’re lacking is we don’t have a coupe.The sporty two-door model with standard race-inspired sport seats and a panoramic sunroof comes as the C-Class sedan gets a refreshed interior before a full redesign in 2014. The 2012 four-door starts at $34,800 excluding destination charges, according to Mercedes, up $800 from the previous model.The C-Class is “critical for the luxury race because it creates the most amount of volume for Benz,that tracks automotive sales. “It also opens the Benz brand to potential future buyers by catching them while they’re young with the hopes that they upgrade as they get more affluent and older.”The median age of BMW’s customers is 53 while Mercedes is at 57, according to J.D. Power & Associates studies.BMW “certainly has a younger perception as does Audi and those are the two big companies that Mercedes has lost out to in the last decade“It’s thought of as a more staid, older, established brand. There isn’t anything hip and young about it.”Audi is the high-volume luxury brandThe sporty coupe should appeal to customers in their mid- 30s to early 40s, Steve Cannon, Mercedes vice president of U.S. marketing.

Lively entry points to the brand are really important,The more people you can bring in at bottom end, the likelihood of keeping them in the family, because of our brand, is great.”Mercedes will probably overtake BMW in the first part of next year before the new 3-Series head of BMW’s North America operations, in an August interview in Monterey, California.

Lively entry points to the brand are really important,The more people you can bring in at bottom end, the likelihood of keeping them in the family, because of our brand, is great.”Mercedes will probably overtake BMW in the first part of next year before the new 3-Series head of BMW’s North America operations, said in an August interview in Monterey, California.“In the first quarter of next year will be No. 1, “Mercedes going into 2012 in the first quarter will be in a strong position. Over the course of the year, we still should be ahead of Mercedes.”It will get very competitive Mercedes’s U.S. chief. “The competitiveness will be clearly increasing in the fourth quarter.”While Lexus finished No. 1 last year, its lead narrowed to 9,216 over BMW. Mercedes finished third. Record recalls and an aging product lineup restricted Lexus sales in 2010. This year, it ran short of inventory after the 9-magnitude earthquake in March restricted production. Full output didn’t resume for Toyota City, Japan-based Toyota until this month.BMW’s U.S. sales helped by new 5-Series sedan and X3 sport-utility vehicle, rose 12 percentthrough August to 155,929, giving it the lead for the year. Deliveries of Mercedes vehicles rose 6.1 percent to 148,409 in the U.S. while Lexus’s fell 17 percent to 120,652.Mercedes aims to regain the title of world’s largest luxury automaker from Munich-based BMW by 2020, and the U.S. market is pivotal to that effort, Chief Financial Officer Bodo Uebber told reporters in New York last week. Daimler announced plans in July to invest more than $2 billion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as it adds capacity to begin building the next generation C-Class starting in 2014.

Mercedes-Benz AMG 6.2 M156 V8 engine facing lawsuit over possible defect

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Mercedes-Benz and AMG over an alleged defect involving the M156 6.2-litre AMG V8 engine. The lawsuit claims the defect leads to premature engine wear, and potential engine failure. Mercedes-Benz has previously filed a report about the potential problem but has not issued a recall or stated how many vehicles could possibly be affected.The AMG 6.2-litre engine is found in various Mercedes-Benz AMG models, including the C 63 AMG and E 63 AMG, as well as other models in various tunes. The lawsuit

a previous owner of a Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG who claims that the engine wore prematurely due to problems with the valvetrain.

According to the lawsuit, the engine’s camshafts, made from cast nodular iron, and the associating valve lifters, made from 9310 grade steel, are either not installed properly from the factory, or are not heat treated correctly which causes early wear. The plaintiff
that his now-sold second-hand E 63 suffered engine failure due to considerable wear on the left bank camshaft. The issue was not covered under warranty so he paid US$4594.26 to have the problem fixed.Three months later, the right cylinder bank camshaft suffered the same problem. He then had to sell the car, which put him at a loss of $25,000. All this happened in 2008Mercedes-Benz has been aware of the potential engine problem since 2007, as cited in service bulletin S-B 05.20/20b.Mercedes-Benz is aware of the lawsuit but isn’t allowed to talk about further details prior to the court action.

SLS AMG Black Series of Mercedes Benz to Be Released Soon

Three new halo projects for the halo SLS AMG of Mercedes Benz subsidiary, AMG, was reportedly in the works. According to Tobias Moers, the vehicle development head of AMG has indicated that it has become necessary for the company to offer a black series. The upcoming SLS Black Series will be offered in the United States although it has remained to be seen.However the report also revealed that the two other halo projects may not be offered by Mercedes Benz in the US market. The street version of the SLS AMG GT3 car was confirmed by the company to be able to comply with regulatory requirements and with the focus ofmotorsports in Europe, the Mercedes Benz does not intend to offer the vehicle elsewhereThe SLS E-Cell vehicle is the third project of AMG which the company aims to offer into the market by 2012. The SLS E-Cell vehiclehave an electric motor along with a battery cell instead of a hand-built V8 engine. Due to this, the weight of this upcoming vehicle from Mercedes Benz will increaseA number of measures were made to make the SLS lighter to be able to make the weight around 200 pounds instead of the weight of the typical model of this Mercedes Benz vehicle. The disadvantages that resulted from the additional weight of this Mercedes Benz vehicle will be lessened by the low center of gravity of the vehicle due to the battery according to Moers.The electric motor of this upcoming Mercedes Benz vehicle will also provide around 525 HP as well as 650 of torque. However the possibility of this electric sports car of becoming available in the US market remains uncertain since the company is apprehensive of the expenses it will incur in having it certified in the US especially with the low production volume of the SLS E-Cell vehicle from Mercedes Benz.

Mercedes Adds Coupe to U.S. C-Class Line in Bid to Top BMW

Mercedes-Benz, seeking to become the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S., added a two- door compact C-Class to its lineup to attract younger buyers from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's BMW.

The C-Class coupe, which arrived at dealerships this month, may boost sales of the nameplate by as much as 20 percent going forward, Ernst Lieb, head of U.S. operations for Mercedes
last week in an interview at his office in Montvale, New Jersey. Starting now may help win orders before BMW, which sells its 3- Series in the U.S. as a sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon, introduces an all-new compact line to the market in April.BMW is leading in the U.S. luxury market this year, followed by Mercedes. Both are poised to dethrone Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus, which has been the top luxury brand in the U.S. for 11 years, after the Japanese earthquake in March. At $37,220, the new coupe plugs the biggest hole in Mercedes's offerings.“It's a dogfight,” Bernhard Glaser, general manager of U.S. marketing and productmanagement,in an interview in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the new C-Class was demonstrated. “Some months we outsell them, some months they outsell us. What we're lacking is we don't have a coupe.”The sporty two-door model with standard race-inspired sport seats and a panoramic sunroof comes as the C-Class sedan gets a refreshed interior before a full redesign in 2014. The 2012 four-door starts at $34,800 excluding destination charges, according to Mercedes, up $800 from the previous model.The C-Class is “critical for the luxury race because it creates the most amount of volume for Benz an industry analyst

“It also opens the Benz brand to potential future buyers by catching them while they're young with the hopes that they upgrade as they get more affluent and older.”

The median age of BMW's customers is 53 while Mercedes is at 57, according to J.D. Power & Associates studies.

BMW “certainly has a younger perception as does Audi and those are the two big companies that Mercedes has lost out to in the last
decadeConnecticut. “It's thought of as a more staid, older, established brand. There isn't anything hip and young about it.”

Audi is the high-volume luxury brand owned by Volkswagen AG, based in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The sporty coupe should appeal to customers in their mid- 30s to early 40s,
Cannon, Mercedes vice president of U.S. marketingLively entry points to the brand are really important,“The more people you can bring in at bottom end, the likelihood of keeping them in the family, because of our brand, is great.”Mercedes will probably overtake BMW in the first part of next year before the new 3-Series reaches full production,head of BMW's North America operations“In the first quarter of next year, I would say Mercedes” will be No. 1,Mercedes going into 2012 in the first quarter will be in a strong position. Over the course of the year, we still should be ahead of Mercedes.”O'Donnell is retiring this year and Ludwig Willisch replaces him Oct. 1 as the new head of BMW's North America operations.It will get very competitiveMercedes's U.S. chief. “The competitiveness will be clearly increasing in the fourth quarter.”While Lexus finished No. 1 last year, its leadnarrowed to 9,216 over BMW. Mercedes finished third. Record recalls and an agingrestricted Lxus sales in 2010. This year, it ran short of inventory after the 9-magnitude earthquake in March restricted production. Full output didn't resume for Toyota City, Japan-based Toyota until this month.BMW's U.S. sales, helped by new 5-Series sedan and X3 sport-utility vehicle, rose 12 percent through August to 155,929, giving it the lead for the year. Deliveries of Mercedes vehicles rose 6.1 percent to 148,409 in the U.S. while Lexus's fell 17 percent to 120,652.The results excludevans and Smart cars and BMW's Mini brand, which aren't luxury vehicles.Mercedes aims to regain the title of world's largest luxury automakerfrom Munich-based BMW by 2020, and the U.S. market is pivotal to that effort, Chief Financial Officer plans in July to invest more than $2 billion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as it adds capacity to begin building the next generation C-Class starting in 2014. to the C-Class sedan include 2,000 new parts For the first time, a four-cylinder engine is available along with a new V6. Changes to the interior include a new dashboard with soft-touch material.

Tesla Roadster price slashed to $1,658

There’s small type, too: the leasing customer needs to provide $12,453 due at signing, which includes a $9,900 down payment and $895 acquisition fee but not taxes, title, license, registration, and “locally applied” fees.

The Tesla Roadster has two seats, 248 horsepower and powers from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds.

There’s small type, too: the leasing customer needs to provide $12,453 due at signing, which includes a $9,900 down payment and $895 acquisition fee but not taxes, title, license, registration, and “locally applied” fees.

The Tesla Roadster has two seats, 248 horsepower and powers from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds.

Such performance, of course, likely means expensive insurance premiums. They’re not included in the monthly lease payment.

Like other leases, those leasing the Tesla Roadster can purchase the car after the contract expires or turn the car back in with a fee.

Tesla’s less expensive vehicle, with an approximate price of $50,000, is expected to be available in 2011.

Chevrolet Camaro, 2010

More than 40 years after it debuted as a muscle car competitor to the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro re-emerged in the spring of 2009 as a 2010 model after a several-year hiatus from the manufacturer’s lineup.

The Camaro is available with V6 or V8 engines and in five trims, all of which attract immediate attention. The rejuvenated, fifth-generation Camaro resembles the Mustang in design. But it simultaneously brings the long-standing coupe a new, modern identity and retains the good and bad traits from its now middle-aged history and reputation
East Coast laugh at us whenwinter weather’s arrived.” In Sacramento, that usually means mid-30s, rain and sometimes fog. But there was snow and temperatures in the high 20s with during my week the 2010 Camaro. It’s nice to have a heavy muscle car during inclement weather. In the instance of the Camaro, that only meant it furthered controlled the road.

When it was clear and crisp and visibility was good, the Camaro was even more of a star. People gave a “thumb’s up” to the guy who delivered the car. A guy in a grocery story parking lot was all over the car . . . in a good sort of way. The young woman in the coffee-to-go kiosk I frequent might have left her husband for me — as long as she could drive the car.The car turned heads everywhere I drove it.The retro squared gauge dials on the instrumental panel and lower console are masculine and perfectly fit the car’s image. At night, the combination red and teal-blue colors are complementary.The Camaro coupe may be the longest car I’ve ever driven that has four-person seating but in reality only room for two passengers since there’s little leg room behind the front seats.

Porsche Boxster Spyder 2011

Porsche is among few automakers that can successfully charge more for a model with fewer features than a less-expensive model with more features.

One of the classic Porsches is the 1950s Speedster, which was a bare-bones soft-top. It was fairly inexpensive (for a Porsche) to attract more American buyers. And its lighter weight helped it win races.

The 1950s Porsche 550 Spyder was even more bare-bones, but was a successful competition car not really designed for comfortable road driving. Actor James Dean raced a Speedster and later got killed on a rural California road while driving his new 550 Spyder to a race in which he was to compete.
Now we have the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder, a throwback to the 1950s Speedster although it’s the most costly Boxster) than that decade’s 550 Spyder.The new two-seat Spyder is designed to save weight and thus increase speed and enhance handling. For instance, there are no inside door handles, just fabric pull straps, to save a few pounds. And a power convertible top has been sacrificed for a lighter, rather cumbersome manual two-piece soft top.The mid-engine Spyder also has aluminum, not heavier steel, doors and an aluminum top cover with two sexy looking fairings behind each seat — like those put on classic racing Porsches. Side windows are shorter, and unique spoked alloy wheels are lighter. Light thin-shell sport bucket seats provide good grip, but are manually operated and only slide fore and aft.It doesn’t stop there.automatic climate control system? They’re optional. Power windows and door locks remain, but a navigation system costs extraAddition of weight-adding options, however, seems to rather defeat the purpose of the Spyder. To Porsche, every pound lost with this car means a performance gain.Options also add to the cost, and Porsche isn’t shy about charging a lot for some of them. The base Spyder price is $61,200, but options and a $950 destination charge raised my test Spyder’s price to $70,930. You don’t even want to know the cost of the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which weren’t on my test car.No wonder an unoptioned Boxster Spyder is the lightest car in Porsche’s line, at 2,810 pounds. It’s about 176 pounds lighter than a Boxster S, the next most expensive, and better-equipped, model. There’s also a base Boxster. Both are more comfortable than the Spyder, but not as much fun—at least to hard-core driving enthusiasts.Horsepower from the Spyder’s 3.4-liter “flat” six-cylinder jumps to 320 from 310 for the Boxster S, allowing a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds.Estimated fuel economy is 19 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. It has delightful short throws and works with a moderate-effort, but long-throw, clutch. Also offered is a 7-speed automated manual transmissionThe Spyder has shorter, stiffer springs, harder shock absorber settings and uprated anti-sway bars. All this helps lower the car’s height and center of gravity The Spyder is a blast to drive. Handling is terrific, as are the quick, nicely weighed, steering and strong, easily modulated brakes. The extra-wide tires also help out. the solidly built car’s ride is stiffer, compared to other Boxster models, and wasn’t comfortable on poorly paved suburban streets in my neighborhood.Despite large outside door handles, getting in and out can be a hassle. It’s one of those “drop-in” and “climb-out” cars. Once inside,though, the gauges are easy to quickly read in the functional, no-nonsense interior—like that of the 1950s Speedster.

Aston Marton Vantage S 2011 debuts

The GT4 takes advantage of the Vantage’s immensely rigid bonded aluminium chassis, providing the ideal platform for a race car. Minor racing safety modifications including an FIA approved roll cage and racing ‘bag’ petrol tank along with weight saving measures are made to the standard road car to convert it into a class winning race car.

In 2010, it won its class at the Dubai 24 Hours following this up with further endurance race wins at the
24 Hours, Silverstone 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours. It also won its first major international championship victory in the European GT4 Cup.Revisions are central to the Vantage S, with a quickened steering rack ratio of 15:1 compared to 17:1 on the standard car and a larger
diameter front brake disc with new six-piston front brake calipers

New springs and dampers, and wider rear wheels also contribute to chassis revisions. A stability control system specifically tuned to the Vantage S along with a brake module providing features such as Hydraulic Brake Assistwhich provides assistance in emergency braking situations, and Hill Start AssistBespoke tires have been developed with Bridgestone to optimise road holding enhancing dynamic feel.The Vantage S epitomises every attribute of the V8 Vantage and pushes the driver experience beyond what we have offered before,Martin. “It combines dynamic exhilaration with all the charming finesse, beauty and practicality already associated with the Vantage range.At the core of the Vantage S is the new seven speed Sportshift™ II automated manual transmission, offered as standard and delivers exceedingly rapid gear changes, twenty per cent quicker than Sportshift. The extra gear permits shorter well-spaced ratios taking advantage of the optimum torque, which combined with a shorter final drive ratio of 4.182:1 delivers quicker acceleration and an enhanced sporting feel.The inherent benefits of a single clutch system reduces complexity and significant weight over a dual clutch solution. Sportshift™ II allows the driver to take an increased level of control, modulating the throttle pedal to achieve the desired type of gear change. In addition, the Vantage S features a ‘Sport’ button which quickens the gear changes and gives the driver a more aggressive throttle response while also opening the exhaust bypass valves across most of the engine speed range perfectly characterising the ‘S’ variant.The Aston Martin Vantage S benefits from a new exhaust muffler and bypass valve creating a highly vocal exhaust

New Mercedes Benz Vehicle to Be Offered in the United States

Five versions of the latest compact A-class and B-class of Mercedes Benz will reportedly be offered in the US market according to Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes Benz. The first model for the US market will reportedly become available by 2013.

The four-door B-class, which is the first model of the series of Mercedes Benz, was introduced during the Frankfurt auto show. This model of the vehicle will reportedly be offered in the US. Although the price tag has yet to be announced for its release In the US, the price tag of the vehicle in Germany was at around $35,500.

The latest platform that was used for the Mercedes Benz four-door B-class is reportedly comparable to the CLS. According to the Joerg Prigl, the five-door A-class, SUV, and station wagon will be using the same platform.

who is also the VP for Mercedes-Benz and Smart vehicles, four cylinder diesel and gasoline engines, with sizes from 1.6L up to 2L will be featured on all compact cars.

Although the US market may see the availability of the 1.6L engine, the diesel engines vehicles will not be offered by the company according to Prigl.
The upcoming E-Cell Plus, which is the concept form of the hybrid variant of the Mercedes B-class will not be released into the US market. This upcoming vehicle from Mercedes Benz will reportedly feature both an electric motor and its own three-cylinder engine.However the indicated that a four-wheel drive model from Mercedes Benz may be offered including the bigger 2L engines according to Prigl, who also indicated that the power of the Mercedes Benz vehicle may be increased to over 300HP which would make it pointless to have the six cylinder engine.Some of the technology from the C-class and the E-class Mercedes Benz vehicles may be used on the A-class and the B-class vehicles. These technologies would include the warning system which would be useful each time the vehicles go to other lanes.

Mercedes Benz luxury car sales dwindle in China three months in a row

Uncertainties in the auto sector are not the nightmare of India alone. A number of other countries too are experiencing the same conditions and are rather concerned about their auto sales. There are a few reasons to contribute to these dismal sales figures. This apprehension is now being felt by Mercedes Benz Daimler AG as their luxury car sales gains are slow in the in the fast growing Chinese market.A Mercedes senior execsales were challenging in China. Mercedes Benz has recorded a slowdown hese past 3 months as compared to the previous previous years. The luxury car makers are now finding their sales in China to be rather testing and not as easy as expected. This puts into perspective India, Brazil and other emerging markets that stood steadfast in the face of recession only recently, but will the tide pass this time around or not is yet to be seen.Recent months have seen rising prices, slowdown in economic growth and increasing fuel prices, not to mention increased rates of interest in India. This seems to have affected the auto sector in a rather negative way. A number of auto manufacturers are recording decreased sales and dwindling demand. Car sales have taken a hit and this has got manufacturers concerned about future prospects

Mazda MX-5, 2011

Since its debut in 1989, The Mazda MX-5, still often known to purists as the Miata, has maintained a strong reputation as among the leading small two-seat convertible sports cars in the United States.

Substantially refreshed for 2009 and updated for 2010, the Mazda MX-5 is unchanged for 2011, keeping its same fun factor and value pricing from previous years.

Change isn’t always a good anyway, and it must present a dilemma for Mazda. With the Mazda MX-5, appropriate updates have been warranted through the years. Then again, since 850,000 Mazda MX-5/Miatas have sold (the most of any sports car in history) why mess too much with a good thing?

My test vehicle for the week was the four-cylinder, 167-horsepower grand touring model (lots of option packages) with a retractable hardtop, one of two hardtop trims added in 2007.

Like I have with many other weekly driver test vehicles through the years, I drove the Mazda MX-5 round-trip from Sacramento to the Monterey Peninsula, about a 400-mile trek.

The forecast was for rain throughout the duration of the four-day trip. It rained, yes. But it sure seemed like the meteorologists were doing a lot guesswork. Which was a good thing for my time with the Mazda MX-5.

I had the top down everyday, mostly on cool, crisp, blue sky mornings and while negotiating a short stretch on Highway 1 and then the twists and turns of the famed 17-Mile Drive to Pebble Beach.

Still, about 400 of my week’s 550 total miles with the Mazda MX-5 were on a high-speed stretch of Interstate 5 or secondary state routes with the hard top up.

As it would be in any small vehicle, with trucks or large SUVs in the vicinity, driving confidence wasn’t ideal. Nonetheless, the Mazda MX-5 found its way without issue.

Hyundai Genesis, 2011

The Hyundai Genesis coupe debuted two years ago as a 2009 model, and its styling, acceleration and fair price gave the Korean manufacturer a good, positive jolt in the auto industry.

But Hyundai has extended itself with the 2011 edition options, including the 3.8 liter, V6-powered R-Spec. Previously only available on the smaller-engined 2.0T, the R-Spec model combines 306 horsepower with a six-speed manual transmission. The R-Spec also showcases 19-inch wheels with a gunmetal finish, Brembo brake package with ventilated front rotors, stiffer suspension and sportier trim.

Normal, around-town driving and a few local freeway treks during a week’s test drive are sufficient. But on more than two dozen occasions since 2003, I’ve taken test cars to the Monterey Peninsula. None have performed better on the winding roads over Pacheco Pass and through the twisting, oddly cambered roads en route to Pebble Beach than the Genesis coupe.

The Genesis Coupe simply hugs the road. It embraces any corner, steep grade or drastic descent. If the shifting were a little smoother, the coupe could challenge even sports cars known for being, well, hot-damn sports cars.
My test was the 3.8 R Spec, one of six available trim levels. It has similar features to the 2.0T R-Spec, including 19-inch wheels with summer tires, Brembo brakes, a more firmly tuned suspension, limited-slip rear differential. But it adds the V6 engine.

Ferrari Winter Driving Experience Details Announced

Following the debut of the all-wheel-drive  Ferrari announced that they would offer a winter driving course geared specifically toward getting the most out of the V12 shooting brake in adverse conditions.Based on the ", which Ferrari offers in Italy, the Winter Driving Experience will take place in (where else) Aspen, Colorado. The two-day course will set you back $11,300, or you could pay the $950 guest fee and ride in the car instead of driving.

Each program will take 10 to 12 students who will share 8 examples of the FF.There will be a champagne reception, two group dinners and two group lunches at the track.When not at the track, student will be put up in the Little Neil Resort, which we're assuming is probably a pretty nice place to stay.There will be a photo package, and since this Ferrari, event memorabilia.

$20 for $40 Worth of Golf Balls

The golf ball has a tough, rugged thermoplastic cover, but at its very center contains a heart of gold, which swells with every postputt kiss. Discover your golf ball’s true nature with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of golf balls

Winner of eBay Canada’s

recovers preloved golf balls from more than 2,000 courses and recycles them to be sold at 50%–90% discounts. The company only accepts the top echelon of recovered balls, and subjects the balls that make the cut to a rigorous scrubbing, as well as a grading system that determines price points and ball self-esteem. For example, recycled mint-condition balls are barely used and like new in appearance; recycled grade-A balls have minor imperfections, including minor scuffs, blemishes, and ill-fitting carpenter jeans; and recycled grade-B balls are much like balls that have seen a few games. .

More than 200 makes and models of golf balls are offered, including ($22.99/$18.99/$13.99 a dozen) and ($15.99/$12.99 a dozen). Each ball sold is supported by a 100% money-back guarantee, and orders of more than $129 are shipped for free

Jennifer Lopez takes new love Fiat for a hot, hard ride

Jennifer Lopez has influence in the worlds of fashion and pop music. Fiat also believes the singer/actress is also an ideal spokesperson to market the newly re-introduced Fiat 500.

A 2012 Fiat 500 Cabriolet is featured in a 30-second trailer for Jennifer Lopez's new “Papi” video. The trailer first aired during the first “Monday Night Football” game on ESPN at the start of the 2011 NFL season. The commercial is also featured
Like the Fiat consumer, Jennifer Lopez sees the world as her canvas and is not afraid to express herself; she is continuously drawn to projects that are authentic and real,” Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for the Chrysler Group,Jennifer fits perfectly with the brand not because of who she is but because of what she is –authentic, passionate, modern and a fighter determined to stand out from the rest. As you look at her career path, she embodies the Fiat philosophy, 'Life is Best When Driven.' "

Audi TT 2011

Few of my test cars turn heads or draw compliments, but the bright red 2011 Audi TT coupe I drove attracted an unusual amount of attention.

I expected stares I got from young guys, but was surprised when a middle-aged lady, who looked like the Toyota Camry type
The TT is offered in a variety of trim levels, including a top-line $50,000 convertible. But I tested the base, well-equipped $38,300 TT model, which should satisfy most TT buyers.The latest TT has minor styling revisions, including redesigned front and rear bumpers and radiator and fog light grilles. But watch out for the car’s low front end when approaching low objects.The quiet, high-quality interior has additional aluminum optic accents. Gauges generally can be easily read, although the fuel gauge is tiny and sunlight sometimes causes reflections off gauge surfaces—making them difficult to read. Front cupholders are a little hard to reach from the driver’s seat. And long storage pockets in the doors are too shallow to be of much useHorsepower of the base TT’s turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder engine has been increased from 200 to 211. A $47,000 hot rod 265-horsepower version of the four-cylinder continues to be offered for the TT, but really isn’t necessary for most TT buyers.The base 211-horsepower engine actually produces as much torque as the 265-horsepower engine. And torque, not horsepower, is generally more important during typical U.S. driving.The base TT coupe is plenty fast, hitting 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and quickly doing 65-80 mph passing on highways. Estimated fuel economy is 22 mpg in the city and 31 on highways.The engine shoots power through a responsive six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with an easily used manual-shift feature. Standard all-wheel-drive helps effectively transmit power to the road.Too bad, though, a manual transmission isn’t offered. Without one, the TT sometimes feels as if it’s more of an agile cruiser than a sports car.The front area is roomy, with supportive seats, but the rear seat area is strictly for kiddies or small pets.The hatch is large and heavy, with a rather high opening, although interior indents help close it without getting hands dirty on outside sheet metal. The cargo area is modestly sized , but rear seatbacks flip forward and sit flat to significantly increase cargo volume.TT I tested are automatic air conditioning, power front sport seats, cruise control, 9-speaker sound systemSafety features include a bunch of air bags, including driver and front passenger knee air bags, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution.

Porsche 911 Carrera, 2012 ready for North American debut

The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera, the redesigned seventh-generation sports car icon, will make its North American debut October 14 at Rennsport Reunion IV at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

The new 911 will be shown alongside the world’s most noteworthy Porsche race cars for three days.

The three-day occasion will be highlighted by on-track competition featuring hundreds of treasured vintage and current Porsche race cars.

Every chapter of Porsche’s motorsports history will take to the track, from the nimble 550 Spyder of the mid-50s through the legendary 917 and 956/962 of the 70s and 80s to the GT3 RSR of the last decade.

To additional celebrate the unveiling of the new Porsche 911 Carrera, a special tribute will be paid to racing versions of the iconic 911

Mercedes-Benz Unveils F800 Style Modular-Approach Concept

The chassis for the F800 is a five seat upper-market sedan built to be an electric vehicle, top to bottom. The drive train, however, is modular, allowing for a plug-in hybrid electric or hydrogen fuel-cell electric power trainThat modularity is what sets the Daimler approach to its next-generation concept vehicles apart from other manufacturer's the Style would have a range of about 373 miles per tank of H2 while the model would offer 19 miles all-electric and about the same total range.

All components are inside the F800's front engine compartment and chassis gaps, allowing for a full-sized trunk and passenger area. Mercedes plans to use their advanced F-CELL components drive option while the plug-in would feature Daimler's BlueZero powertrain.Very cool approach from Mercedes-Benz, whose competition from Audi and BMW show that the Germans are definitely on top of the future of auto tech

Ferrari Italia 458 outdrives Lotus, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz

The Ferrari 458 Italia has outdriven 10 of the word's most renowned cars, Audi to Mercedes-Benz, Lotus to Porsche, according to Motor Trend.The automotive magazine named the Ferrari 458 Italia as the "2011 Best Driver's Car" after the 11-lap racetrack drag race and racetrack hot-lapping.Motor Trend drafted a crew of 25 editorsproducers, championship-winning race driver Randy Pobst and Le Mans clasJustin Bell, to test, review and film the cars in the competition's history over six days.

The competition required daily driving, hot lapping on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, plus the full battery of Motor Trend performance tests.The 458 Italia is easily the best mid-engined Ferrari road car yet,""It's an artful mix of race-bred high technology and pure Italian passion that is easily accessible and yet utterly engages the driver. It delivers supercar performance and razor but it's also remarkably comfortable and refined on the street. You could drive it all day, every day."In addition to the 458 Italia, the 2011 Best Driver's Car competition included2012 Audi R8 GT, 2011 Lotus Evora S, 2011 BMW 1M, 2012 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS, 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with Z07 Package, 2011 Nissan GT-R, 2012, Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 2012 Lexus LFA
2011 Porsche Cayman R.

Get Ready for the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series

Mercedes-Benz indirectly confirmed that the Black Series model of the SLS AMG is underway as Tobias Moers, AMG head of vehicle development commented that the Black Series is a “must do” on AMG’s list.

The Black series will be SLS AMG GT3 race car’s street legal model. But much like its racing model counterpart, it will surely be built with high-performance and high-quality materials
that the car will have design upgrades which will include styling update and quilled leather seats.The complete details are not yet clear although mostthat the it will come in 6.2L aspirated V8 engine that will produce 600hp and 677 Nm of torque. The car, because they forecast that it will not sell that much in the US market, will not be available in US.the E-Cell version of the SLS sports car is said to have a 2012 and 2013 model and will also be a

Mercedes-Benz F125 Fuel Cell Plug-in Hybrid Concept

The F125 is intended to demonstrate emissions-free mobility in the luxury segment of the future. It incorporates well-proven concepts and technologies that aren't yet available, but which show great future promise.It features a logical look at how fuel cell drive systems will integrate with plug-in technology and how new hydrogen storage technologies could be incorporated into vehicle design to leverage Metal Organic Frameworks The batteries are lithium-sulphur, something which Mercedes has been exploring as a replacement for lithium-ion as a means of bridging the energy density gap and recuperation rate gaps.

Mercedes 300 SL Roadster for sale

It’s not just the glorious good looks of the 300 SL Gullwings and Roadsters that make them such sought-after classics today, it’s also the outstanding performance and reliability of these models that have caused their values to soar. Here we have a ‘matching numbers’ example that once belonged to 300 SL restoration expert Steve Marx, now freshly serviced and sorted by Mercedes specialist Jim Cosgrove’s Old Time Restoration Center. The car comes complete with its tool roll, jack and owner’s manuals.

MERCEDES-BENZ: Master class

Aussie buyers accept a small capacity turbodiesel in a car the size of the new Benz M-Class SUV?

If they’re smart they will because the 2.1-litre, turbodiesel, four cylinder in the new, third generation ML250CDi kicks out a handy 150kW of power coupled with an astounding 500Nm of torque or pulling power.
The downsizing trend is a sensible approach to future motoring because smaller high output engines offer the same or better performance with vastly improved fuel economy and lower emissions. Other benefits include less weight and materials with a smaller engine and easier packaging freeing up precious space for additional equipment and passengers or luggage.There’s a growing trend to reduce size in every aspect of cars, driven by many factors including affordability, needs, practicality, running costs and environmental concerns.We will eventually get five MLs starting with the ML250CDi and ML350CDi (3.0-litre V6) turbodiesel and the ML350 (3.5-litre V6) an ML500 (4.7-litre V8) petrol models with direct injection. An AMG version is scheduled further down the track with a 5.5-litre, twin turbo petrol V8.The step up to a 2.1 tonne large SUV seems a big ask but the engine makes light work of the task propelling the M-Class with amazing fuel economy rated as low as 6.0 litres/100km. This is in the realms of a small hatchback and gives a theoretical touring range of 1500km on a tank. The engine uses BlueTectechnology and high pressure to optimise efficiency and it drives all four wheels through a seven-speed further fuel economy gains around town. is the name of the game with M-Class because plenty will be available. But the standard car is well equipped offering comfort and convenience features expected from a new gen’ model.example is comprehensive and there’s ample luxury for the predicted entry level purchase price of about $80,000.Options include the On and Offroad package similar to Land Rover’s terrain response that optimises the vehicle for any driving environment. Plenty of other tricky stuff is available.

Kicherer Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Carbon Series

Kicherer has really outdone themselves this time. From the company that tunes Mercedes-Benzes like it's going out of style comes a fully-carbon body kit for the ML63 AMG.The 'Carbon Series' crossover packs some extra power under the hood. Designed for a big performance boost, the ML63 is wrapped in black carbon fiber. The interior also features plenty of carbon fiber pieces along with fitted carbon-leather and Alcantara on the dash, steering wheel and seats.

The crossover sits on a set of huge 23-inch wheels.The ML63 has also gained a PowerConverter and stainless-steel sport exhaust system which helps the crossover put out 532hp and 472lb-ft of torque. This is an increase of 30hp and 7lb-ft of torque compared to the stock model.Kicherer hasn't released the performance specs yet, however they are promising 'exciting acceleration' and a max speed of over 155mph.

Up to 40 ill; possible foodborne illness associated with South Carolina church fundraiser

The food from this event shouldn’t be eaten by any people or animals,medical director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Region 3 public health office, which includes York County.We’ve receivedof more than 40 people who became ill fter eating food purchased at the church. More than 300 plates of food were soldand many people bought barbeque in bulk for freezing and later use.”According to Potter, all of the people who became ill are reporting the same symptoms, mainly vomiting, diarrhea and stomach crampsTests are under way to identify the cause of the illness and we’ll continue to investigate this situation,”While not conclusive, this fundraiser is one thing in common among the people who got sick. As a precaution, we are advising everyone to immediately discard any food purchased at this fundraiser.”

Protein 'Switches' Could Turn Cancer Cells Into Tiny Chemotherapy Factories

Johns Hopkins researchers have devised a protein "switch" that instructs cancer cells to produce their own anti-cancer medication.

In lab tests, the researchers showed that these switches, working from inside the cells, can activate a powerful cell-killing drug when the device detects a marker linked to cancer. The goal, the scientists is to deploy a new type of weapon that causes cancer cells to self-destruct while sparing healthy tissue.This new cancer-fighting strategy and promising early lab test results were reported this week in the online early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Although the switches have not yet been tested on human patients, and much more testing must be done, the researchers they have taken a positive first step toward adding a novel weapon to the difficult task of treating cancer.One key problem in fighting cancer is that broadly applied chemotherapy usually also harms healthy cells. In the protein switch strategy, however, a doctor would instead administer meaning an inactive form of a cancer-fighting drug. Only when a cancer marker is present would the cellular switch turn this harmless prodrug into a potent form of chemotherapy.
The switch in effect turns the cancer cell into a factory for producing the anti-cancer drug inside the cancer cell,a Johns Hopkins chemical and biomolecular engineering professor in the Whiting School of Engineering, who supervised development of the switch.The healthy cells will also receive the prodrug,and ideally it will remain in its non-toxic form. Our hope is that this strategy will kill more cancer cells while decreasing the unfortunate side effects on healthy cells."To demonstrate that these switches can work, the research team successfully tested them on human colon cancer and breast cancer cells in Ostermeier's lab and in the laboratorya professor of pathology and oncology in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.This is a radically different tool to attack cancers "but many experiments need to be done before we will be able to use it in patients."
Ostermeier's team made the cancer-fighting switch by fusing together two different proteins. One protein detects a marker that cancer cells produce. The other protein, from yeast, can turn an inactive prodrug into a cancer-cell killer. "When the first part of the switch detects cancer, it tells its partner to activate the chemotherapy drug, destroying the cell,In order for this switch to work, it must first get inside the cancer cellsdone through a technique in which the switch gene is delivered inside the cell. The switch gene serves as the blueprint from which the cell's own machinery constructs the protein switch. Another approach,would be to develop methods to deliver the switch protein itself to cells.Once the switches are in place, the patient would receive the inactive chemotherapy drug, which would turn into a cancer attacker inside the cells where the switch has been flipped on.Although many researchers are developing methods to deliver anti-cancer drugs specifically to cancer cells, Ostermeier said the protein switch tactic skirts difficulties encountered in those methods.The protein switch concept changes the game by providing a mechanism to target production of the anti-cancer drugs inside cancer cells instead of targeting delivery of the anti-cancer drug to cancer cells

Asthma Inhalers Banned By Obama Admin Due To “Environmental Impact”

Remember how Obama recently waived new ozone regulationsthey were too costly? Well, it seems that the Obama administration is would rather make people with Asthma cough up money than let them make a surely inconsequential contribution to depleting the ozone layerAsthma patients who rely on over-the-counter inhalers will need to switch to prescription-only alternatives as part of the federal government’s latest attempt to protect the Earth’s atmosphereThe Food and Drug AdministrationThursday patients who use the epinephrine inhalers to treat mild asthma will need to switch by Dec. 31 to other types that do not contain chlorofluorocarbons, an aerosol substance once found in a variety of spray products.The action is part of an agreement signed other nations to stop using substances that deplete the ozone layer, a region in the atmosphere that helps block harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun.But the switch to a greener inhaler will cost consumers more. Epinephrine inhalers are available via online retailers for around $20, whereas the alternatives, which contain the drug albuterol, range from $30 to $60.The Atlantic’s Megan McArdle, an asthma sufferer, noted a while back that when consumers are forced to use environmentally friendly products they’re are almost always worsewhich is why every toilet in my recently renovated rental house clogs at least once a week. They knew how to make more energy efficient dryers, which is why even on high, I have to run every load through the dryerhouse twice. And they knew how to make inexpensive compact flourescent bulbs, which is why my head hurts from the glare emitting from my bedroom lamp. They also knew how to make asthma inhalerswhich is why I am hoarding old albuterol inhalers that, unlike the new ones, a) significantly improve my breathingWell, tough cookies asthma sufferers! You should have written bigger checks to the Democratic party while you had the chance.

Insight Into The Architecture Of Life - Freiburg Researchers Discover Supporting Pillars Of The Structure Of Cellular Power Plants

Scientists at the University of Freiburg have discovered a new mechanism that is of central significance for the architecture and functioning of mitochondria, known as the power plants of the cell. With the help of chemical reactions that take place on their inner membranes, these organelles convert food into energy for the metabolism and growth of the cell. The inner mitochondrial membrane features a characteristic architecture that is essential for its role as an energy transducer. Errors in the structure of the mitochondria can lead to serious illnesses in humans, particularly illnesses affecting the muscles and nerves.The inner mitochondrial membrane forms tubular invaginations known as cristae, and these delicate generators of the power plants are surrounded by an outer mitochondrial membrane. The composition of this microstructure, which is identical in all organisms, from unicellular life forms to human beings, has remained a mystery until now. In a joint research project between the Priority the Cluster of Excellence Centre for Biological Signalling Studies and the Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine a team of scientists in Freiburg Bettina Warscheid has discovered an enormous molecular machine composed of six different membrane proteins that is necessary for attaching the cristae to the envelope of the mitochondria in the unicellular model organism baker’s yeast. The study, now published in the renownedDevelopmental Cell, demonstrates that defects in this protein complex lead to the detachment of the cristae, causing severe growth disturbances in the cell.Agnieszka Chacinska from the International Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Poland, the research team was also able to demonstrate that the central component of this fascinating protein machinery is not only essential for the inner architecture of the cellular power plants but also forms molecular contact points between the two mitochondrial membranes.These membrane bridges facilitate the transport of new proteins produced outside into the mitochondria.With their discovery of a supporting pillar of the architecture of mitochondria, the researchers succeeded in solving a much discussed problem in cellular biology and making a significant contribution to our understanding of the structure and functioning of the cellular power plants. The findings could prove to be helpful for explaining numerous mechanisms of illnesses which involve a change in the structure of the mitochondria.

Kicherer Mercedes-Benz ML63 Carbon Series

Kicherer has created a conversion for the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, named the Kicherer Mercedes-Benz ML63 Carbon Series. The program includes a black carbon foil, performance increase, exclusive wheel/tyre combinations and some other carbon fiber parts.The ML63 AMG with a performance increase to 540hp, with a new maximum torque at a full 640Nm. In addition to the new acceleration values, this power also provides for a maximum speed far in excess of 250km/h. Additionally, a specially developed stainless steel sports exhaust system and a Kicherer PowerConverter were installed. With a carbon edition exterior package, the ML63 appears uni-coloured. All cover elements have been refined in the most exclusive foil currently available.Gigantic 23 inch wheels rotate in the wheel cases of the sports They are combined with the electronic chassis adjustment. For the passenger space, the Germans offers a fine interior set in carbon-leather and alcantara.

Mercedes-Benz Sued over AMG V8 Engine Failures

This engine has it all: muscle, linear power delivery, the soundtrack and others. However, it seems that there might be one or two cracks in this story. The 6.2-liter V8 is now being shot at from New Jersey, where a class-action lawsuit has been filed in the Garden State’s District Court,It seems that the engine’s internals tend to wear prematurely, with the most common problems being related to the nodular cast-iron camshafts and 9310-grade steel valves. To be more specific, multiple cases of engine failure have been registered, with the causes allegedly being inadequate thermal treatment of the components, as well as incorrect offsets.And the story doesn’t end here, one of the statements in the lawsuits includes the idea that Mercedes has been aware of these problems since 2007, when the carmaker tried to solve the issue by releasing a service bulletin related to this.It is currently unclear how many units of the V8 are affected by this or if the result of the lawsuit will be a recall of not. Issues like this could seriously affect the carmaker's image, so we are looking forward to seeing what the outcome of the story will be.

Hybrid technology soon to be inescapable

Your next car will probably have a little bit of Toyota Prius or Chevrolet Volt in it, whether you think of yourself as a high-tech fuel saver or not. Technologies pioneered by the 50-mpg Prius and the Volt, which burns no gasoline at all on most trips under 40 miles, will soon be omnipresent.

Virtually every car will be a hybrid, with so many variations of electric-assistance that some manufacturers won't even use the word.
It's a challenge for automakers. They're struggling with how to tell buyers about the new features, which will increase fuel economy in a variety of ways.Customers think 'hybrid' means the Prius," a car mostly powered by gasoline but capable of driving on battery power alone for short distances at low speedsmanaging director of 2953 Analytics. "That's very simplisticTechnology that uses electricity to reduce petroleum consumption can already be found in everything from the battery-powered Nissan Leaf to the 414-horsepower twin-turbo BMW M3's automated stop-start system.The number of vehicles with some degree of electrification will jump from five in 2008 to 116 by the end of 2011

battery maker A123 Systems.

That's just the start.
It could become tough to find a car without electric augmentation in seven or eight years,Lincoln took a major step in the mass-marketing of hybrids when it made a 41-mpg-in-the-city hybrid the base modelMany upcoming vehicles using electrification won't call themselves hybrids.They'll promisebetter fuel economy or performance without getting into nuts-and-bolts tech talk most people don't care about.The base 2012 Buick LaCrosse will promise 36 mpg on the highway and 25 in the city for less than $30,000, thanks to an electric system Buick calls eAssist

BMW 3.0L Diesel Coming to 2012 Dakar Rally

We’re here to tell you not about the course, but about one particularly good looking contender. After Top Gear proved the Evoque was up to the Range Rover name in the Nevada desert, it was only a matter of time before we got a really hardcore version.

Thus, the British Excite Rally Raid Team will race three cars commissioned by RaBe Race Cars. The pictures that were provided of the chassis and suspension setup didn’t get us all excited, but the front end of the car did.es indeed, the Dakar racer has got the pretty face of the new Evoque, but it also has something else that’s worth our attention... something German. Under the bonnet is the 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine from BMW, a favorite with off-road rally teams for its reliability and performance. The six-cylider unit is capable of delivering 275 hp and 650 Nm479.4 lb-ftof peak torqueRally-spec features include6-speed transmission with a two-speed transfer case, a monstrously huge fuel tank and a set of BF Goodrich desert G series tires.We’ve been working on this project for a long time”, the team’s business manager David Jones. “We were approached by a manufacturer, RaBe Race Cars, whose staff has been around the sport for a long time. Seeing our professional approach, they asked if we could work together. We have goals we can assist each other with, so we have now set our sights a bit higher.”We have years of off-road motorsport experience at every level, from club to international works teams. The last 15 years have been devoted to Desert raging and achieving top honors at Dakar. It is little known, but we have built cars for many other teams who race under their own colors and logos

Listen to BMW M5’s engine in your speakers

Being probably one of those technologies where someone will stand out of the crowd Hey, why didn’t anyone thought of this before?”, the German automaker BMW developed a system that “catches” the V8’s sound and broadcasts it in the cabin through the speakers.Future customers of the new M5 generation will feel the engine and exhaust system closer to them thanks to BMW’s “innovation” that brings the sound of the V8 and the exhaust inside the cabin, “playing” it using the car’s audio system.BMW that the technology, named Active Sound Design, can replay the sound inside the cabin in real time using the multimedia system and the driver will be “more connected” to what’s going on under the hood or at the rear end, where the exhaust ends.According to the German, the new system can be adjusted with the Sport, Sport+ or M “buttons”, which besides sharpening the car’s performance will also improve the sound inside the cabin.

Obama plan would make small dent in jobless rate

Even if Congress heeds President Barack Obama's demands to "pass this bill right away" and enacts his jobs and tax plan in its entirety, the unemployment rate probably still would hover in nosebleed territory for at least three more years.Why? Because the 1.9 million new jobs the White Housethe bill would produce in 2012 falls short of what it's needed to put the economy back on track to return to pre-recession jobless levels of under 6 percent, from today's rate of 9.1 percent.That's how deep the jobs hole iseconomy has left 14 million people unemployed and more than 25 million unable to find full-time work.Economists of all stripes pretty much agree that it will be a long, hard road no matter what Congress does. Right now, the Republicans who run the House and the Democrats who lead the Senate aren't finding much common ground.Obama estimates Jobs Act would lower unemployment by just a single percentage point by next year, to just over 8 percent, heading into the 2012 presidential election. before by making overly optimistic job-creation predictions, the White House turned to prominent outside economists to crunch the numbers.The projection of 1.9 million new jobs, a 1 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate and a 2 percentage point increase in the gross domestic product under Obama's plan came from Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. an interview his forecast also is based on an assumption that "the president's entire package is passed by the end of the year," a slim prospect given the current divided leadership in Congress, and that there are no other budgetary policy changes.I assumed that it would be paid forI didn't know when I did that simulation how the president proposed to pay for it."Since thenObama has pay for his $447 billion package with permanent income tax increases of about $150 billion a year, mostly on wealthy individuals and corporations, in addition to spending cuts. That's drawn criticism from Republicans, who say any tax increases could further stall the fragile recovery.who has advised both Republican and Democratic lawmakers,still sticking with his forecast, mainly because the stimulus in the plan, including a temporary reduction in Social Security taxes for both employees and employers and infrastructure spending, would come in 2012 and be paid for laterBeginning in 2013, and certainly into 2014, the plan is a drag on the economy because the stimulus starts fading away,So by 2015, the economy is in the same place as now, as if there were no jobs package.So it's very important to get as many people working as fast as possible,"If we go back into recession, it is going to be very difficult to get out. And it's going to cost taxpayers tremendously.Job creation has ground to a virtual standstill. The economy produced a scant 20,000 net new jobs in June, 85,000 in July and none in August. Economic outputhas been growing this year at an anemic annual rate below 1 percent.The global economy is showing no signs of strengtheningagain facing the possibility of a government shutdown at the end of next week.1.9 million new jobs next year, or 158,000 a month, is somewhat higher than private analyses that suggest the plan would create 100,000 to 150,000 jobs a month. economist for the labor-leaning Economic Policy Institute, calculates it would take job growth of 400,000 every month for three years in a row to get back to the 5 percent jobless rate last seen in December 2007, at the recession's outset.To get down to 5 percent in five years, we need around 280,000 jobs every month," she added. "Right now, we're more than two years into the official recovery, and we're still bumping along at extremely low levels.What if Obama gets none of what he requestedfailure to renew some current anti-recessionarysuch as extended unemployment insurance and the existing Social Security tax break for employees will be a big blow" both to the economy and to the employment picture.The chamber estimates it will take 20 million jobs over the next decade to get the economy back to pre-recession levels. It has its own jobs plan, which includes increased trade, greater oil drilling, quicker road and bridge construction and temporary corporate tax breaks.If you want to go from 9.1 percent down to 5.5 or 6 percent unemployment, you're going to have to grow roughly at 4.5 percent

Arrests Shed Light on a Black Market in Pesticides

Dominican immigrants in Washington Heights have long had a ready weapon against vermin: Tres Pasitos, or Three Little Steps, a granular product so named because after rats eat it, they walk three steps and die. But for all its effectiveness, Tres Pasitos is also illegal. Manufactured in the Dominican Republic, it is imported and sold on the black market in unlabeled containers or small plastic bags like those used by drug dealers. It’s not registered, not controlled, there’s no antidote,” warned Andy Linares, Control Center in Washington Heights.“It’sreally pretty scaryThe recentaccused of selling an illegal, highly potent pesticide apparently smuggled from China opened a window on the underground trade in chemicals used to combat roaches, rats and other vermin in the city’s immigrant neighborhoods. The product at the center of that investigation, which government officials disclosed this week, was sold in a box printed with Chinese characters and an awkward English translationOfficials said the substance contained a toxic chemical in a concentration almost 61 times higher than federal regulations allowedThough several professional exterminatorsthey had never encountered the product, they it was just the latest in a stream of goods that for years had flowed from overseas factories into the supply closets of households and businesses in New York. City health officials sthat since 2005 they had received about 100of poisoningfrom Tres Pasitos and two other anti-pest products favored by immigrants, Tempo and Chinese Chalk. While there were no deaths, about 40 percent of the victims had to be treated in medical centersLower prices and language barriers can steer immigrants toward the underground market, immigrant advocatesSo can cultural biases: immigrants become familiar with products in their homeland and import their preferences, and sometimes the substance itself, when they move to the United States. They pass along their knowledge and techniques to neighbors and friends. It’s word of mouth: get this and do thatowner of Standard PestManagement, a company founded in 1929 and based in Long
Island City, Queens

Government officials have tried for years to clamp down on the trade in Tres Pasitos, which is often used against rodents and which contains that ishighly toxic to humans and petsYet demand remains highThe people will do what they want to doExterminadoraLatina, a companyThey don’t care if it murders a kidDominican immigrant who works at a cafe on Broadway in Washington Heights,that while she did not use Tres Pasitos because she did not have a rodent problem, she was a devoted user of Tempo. Sold as a powder, Tempo is legally available in New York only to licensed applicators. But for years it has been traded briskly on the black market in small quantities. It is supposed to be mixed with water at ratios provided by the manufacturer, but untrained users often sprinkle it undiluted around their homes at hundreds of times its recommended concentration. she bought it in packets from street vendors and, every couple of weeks, poured the powder in a line around the base of her bed and spread it on her kitchen cabinets and walls to deal with cockroaches.It’s far more effective” than products likeRaidshe was aware of the dangerIf there are children aroundshe cautionedyou have to watch outshop owners in neighborhoods that in the 1990s, vendors would openly hawk Tempo from folding tables on the sidewalks.They were goingexterminator in Washington HeightsIt was out of controla clampdown by the authorities has driven the market further underground. In bodegas throughoutstore owners who were asked this week for Tres Pasitos and Tempo reacted as if the request were for crack cocaine. “No way,” one bodega his eyes widening in alarmThat’s illegalYou’ll have to get it on the streetFor years, one of the most popular black market products from China was a stick of chalk loaded with insecticides, including the chemical deltamethrinKnown as Chinese Chalk orMiraculous Chalk, it was used to draw a line along a wall or around a piece of furniture, like a bed or a kitchen table. Insects would die when they touched the line

Russia keeps gas export duty break for Turkey

Russia will postpone for a year cancelling zero export duties for gas destined for Turkey via the Blue Stream pipeline, which would have eased the tax burden for its top gas producer Gazprom , Finance Minister Alexei KudrinThe Blue Stream is an international agreement and we have not been able to implement changes," of the International Monetary World Bank fall meeting. But in any case, Turkey has nothing to lose - this is a matter of Gazprom's income." added that changes may be implemented next year, for the 2013 budgetary cycle. Inter-governmental agreement foresees zero export duty for the pipeline, which runs under the Black Sea, till 2015. The Russian government is increasing spending in preparations for parliamentary elections in December and a presidential poll in March.The finance ministry had said earlier it was hoping for an additional tax revenues of 150 billion roubles $5.38 billion in 2012 from gas producers, mainly Gazprom, which accounts for nearly 80 percent total Russian gas output . We had set for ourselves an income level that we wanted to get to through changes in the gas taxation policy,"There was an option that if we cancel Blue Stream duty breaks then we will ease mineral extraction tax burden on Gazprom. the ministry had said that the cancellation would mean that for Gazprom would total 431 roubles per 1,000 cubic metres in 2012, 502 roubles in 2013 and 544 roubles in 2014.With the zero export duty, Gazprom's would come to 480 roubles from 237 roubles now. In 2013 it was expected to further increase600 roubles and then to 635 roubles in 2014. In 2010 Gazprom shipped 8.1 billion cubic metres of gas via the Blue Stream pipeline

Gold falls more than $ 100

Gold prices tumbled more than $ 100 on Friday, while global stock markets rallied on expectations that the European Central Bank will take new measures to contain the debt crisis, the euro area.

And losses of gold at one point to 6 percent - the largest fall in percentage terms since the financial crisis in 2008 - the lowest level since early August with displays of precious metals to the wave of extensive sales amid doubts among investors to keep as an investment safe in the long term .

The price of gold for immediate sale in late trading in New York of $ 1655.49 an ounce
After it was dropped earlier in the session to about $ 110 less than 1628 dollars per ounce, the biggest drop ever for the precious metal prices in dollars in one day

The U.S. space agency are looking for a satellite fell to the ground and weighing six tons

Trying to NASA, "NASA's" follow the impact of satellite, expired and the weight of six tons, which fell to the ground Saturday morning, but without knowing the place of the fall Ahtamh
Fell satellite of the U.S. and 6.3 tons of weight around the middle of Allelasah fourth but did not know exactly where the fall Ahtamh on what the space agency announced Alamirkahosagt the moon between the hours of 23.23 on Friday night and at 01.09 from the dawn of time Sbtben 03.23 and 05.09, a period which was supposed to be where the "above the part of Canada, and Africa as well as a large part of the Pacific, Atlantic and India." and the moon, "Upper Atamossador Resterh Satellite" the size of a minibus, but he was expected to remain 20 parts only which varies in weight between one kilogram and 158 kg after entering the atmosphere. It is assumed that these parts scattered over an area about 750 miles on the space agency said. NASA has expanded as well as experts to the reassurance all the time of the potential risk to humans. Confirmed that the possibility of injuring a person on the ground to one part of the moon or the occurrence of damage, "very little". The stakes is one of 3,200 to one in the world get any percentage of 0.03%, in a world inhabited by seven billion people, with 90% of its area is inhabited. This moon is the largest satellite of NASA's fall to the ground since 1979 when the fall of the "Skylab" deep and weighs 90 tons on the West Australian. The agency says the U.S. space that the earth is witnessing the fall of the body size of this satellite time and at least one year. Mark stressed Matne expert on NASA, "The wreckage of a number of different sizes enter Earth's atmosphere every day. Since the beginning of space exploration fifty years ago no one was debris falling from space

Find a new Real and Fabregas saves Barcelona from defeat against Valencia

Faltering Real Madrid for the second time in a row earlier this season, after losing to Levante last Sunday, he fell in a goalless draw away to Racing Santander in the opening of the fifth stage of the Spanish league football on Wednesday. And Real Madrid his point seventh in four games, and pour this is in the interest of rivals Barcelona, ​​who play later with the Valencia derby, while exports Malaga order temporarily before the end of the other games. at "the Sardinero," pushing the Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho guns French teenager Rafael Paran since the beginning of the meeting, in the absence of the Portuguese Pepe and Fabio Quintrao, provide the level of pointing out, also missed the German midfielder Sami Khedira after being sent off in a game for the recent defeat Levante Royal Group 1 - zero.
And almost Oscar Serrano opened the scoring but goalkeeper Iker Casillas beyond his ball brilliantly to the corner (48). And tried to Marenao strengthen the squad in the middle of the second half, threw striker Argentine Gonzalo Higuain, rather than German Mesut Ozil (68), and Brazilian Ricardo Kaka instead of Lassana Diarra (76).
Sought Cristiano Ronaldo more than once to get to the keeper, however, Tonio, but failed to achieve his goal to end the game in a draw.

Fabregas saves his team from defeat

 

And the Mestalla Stadium, saved midfielder Cesc Fabregas Barcelona team last season, losing to Valencia in the derby, scoring the equalizer at 2-2 in the 77th minute.

Provide Valencia with a goal scored Barcelona defender to Afrance Eric Abidal error in his team's goal after 11 minutes when he tried to clear a cross Played Jeremy Mathieu within the region, however, Pedro Rodriguez tie the team Catalans after an exchange of football between Fabregas and Lionel Messi (13).

Valencia dominated the game in midfield and managed P Aaltkdm again through Pablo Hernandez, a cross pass from Matthew again, before missing his colleague Roberto Soldado golden opportunity in front of lawmakers and the goal before the end of the first half.

Fabregas and succeeded after a game in common with Messi in the registration of a tie (779, note that the ruling sent off for a Valencia player Jordi Alba in the last minute when he lifted his red card after the words uttered by the government towards.

Malaga win over Athletic Bilbao

Malaga and achieved their third win in a row at the expense of Athletic Bilbao 1 - zero at the "do not Rosalida" to take over the lead temporarily. And international Santiago Cazorla scored the winning goal (62).

Atletico Madrid beat Sporting Gijon

Atletico Madrid and achieved their second win of the season at home to Sporting Gijon 1 - zero at the "Vicente Calderon."

Gijon defender and scored Alberto Laura (28) Atletico target the first error in his team's goal, before hitting the capital club in the second half strongly and enhance the result by Eduardo Salvio (68) and then starred Colombian Radamel Falcao Garcia gaining two (72 and 81)

Beat Levante at Rayo Vallecano

He continued to Levante Deals results and remained without a loss, after his victory over Real Madrid in the previous round, dropped Rayo Vallecano in their own home 2-1 at stadium "Vikas".

Faldo scored (10) and Sergio Ballesteros (29) My goal winner before trimming Raul Tamudo result (72).

The Seville fell into the trap of a draw away to Osasuna zero - zero in the opening round on Tuesday and won the Granada Real Sociedad 1 - zero.

The round ends Thursday where he will meet with Getafe, Espanyol, Real Betis Real Zaragoza.