Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG DTM

The German racing series is king of all touring car championships, and has drawn such notables as Mika Hakkinen, Jean Alesi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, JJ Lehto, David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher to its ranks. While BMW is preparing to take on its arch-rivals in the series soon enough, it's Mercedes-Benz that draws the big talents. And this year looks to be no exception.
Both Ralf and DC will be back behind the wheel of the C-Class AMG– the most decorated car in the series' history – for this year's championship. And while Paul di Resta – Mercedes' reigning champion – has moved the other way up to F1 (driving for Force India this season), David and Ralf won't be the only talents hoisting the Silver Star in DTM this season.They'll be joined by former DTM champ and perennial McLaren test driver Gary Paffett (who has more wins to his name than anyone else in the series), Canadian driver Bruno Spengler (runner-up in 2006 and 2007), emerging talents Jamie Green and Maro Engel, and newcomers Renger van der Zande and Christian Vietoris.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The trick is getting my hands on the keys for a couple of days. As you can see above I managed to do just that.

This particular car came out of the west coast Mercedes-Benz press fleet and it's made the rounds. It has over 15,000 hard miles on the clock. More than a few celebrity posteriors have sat upon these red leather seats. One would assume it's been to the Grammys, the Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars, and we're pretty certain Adam Carolla flogged it during the taping of his yet-to-be-seen response to Top Gear, a show that will air on Speed if it airs at all.

So is there anything left? Let's have a look. As you might expect, aluminum dominates the underside of the SLS AMG. Here we see a double wishbone front suspension made almost entirely of the stuff.
Forged aluminum upper and lower A-shaped control arms locate the wheel in 3D space. A reclined aluminum-bodied coil-over shock provides the necessary support and control.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio

A fitting on the high-pressure steering line on certain 2010 C-Class models and both 2010 and 2011 E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet models may be loose, permitting power steering fluid to leak. The recall affects 85,000 cars.

Loss of power steering fluid can make the vehicles difficult to steer. And while complete steering failure should not be a problem, anything that makes the car harder to steer could contribute to an accident.

Owners of these cars should take them to the nearest MBZ Service center where they will be inspected and if needed, corrected for free.

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for E, GL, M, and R Class

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for E, GL, M, and R Class vehicles from the 2011 model year. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the fuel filter O-ring on those models may have been improperly lubricated, which could cause some unpleasant leakage.

The NHTSA bulletin explains the safety hazard : "Diesel fuel may be deposited on roads and making [sic] those roads slippery, increasing the potential for a crash." That's interesting for a couple of reasons. First, there's no mention of the recall affecting only diesel engines elsewhere in the notice. (A Mercedes-Benz customer care representative has confirmed that the recall applies to all models.) And second, the danger posed by the flaw seems to affect other drivers rather than the owners of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Volkswagen wanted to put its Passat BlueMotion

What's the most you've ever gotten out of a single tank of gas? 400 miles? Maybe 600 miles if you're under diesel power? Volkswagen wanted to put its Passat BlueMotion to the test and see just how many miles it can cover on one tank. A team from the UK's Sunday Times set off from Kent, England with a full tank of diesel – then drove to the south of France and back.
Averaging just over 45 miles per hour, the team watched as 1,527 miles came and went. The 1.6-liter TDI-equipped VW Passat BlueMotion used was a standard production model which features a lower standard ride height, Stop/Start tech, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tires. As two witnesses drove behind them to verify the attempt for the Guinness Book of World Records, the Passat rolled along to the tune of nearly 90 miles per gallon – much higher than the 64.2 mpg rating the vehicle carries.

Bosal Center Muffler Dual offset inlet and single center outlet configuration; 63 in. L x 31 in. W x 7 in

Bosal Center Muffler - Aluminized steel, Direct OE Replacement, Standard OE Replacement
Part Number: BO283713
Manufacturer Number: 283-713
Bosal Muffler Bosal Muffler
Read all 1 reviews
List Price: $554.72
Our Price: $182.08
You Save: $372.64
Free Shipping
Info/Buy
BOSAL CENTRAL MUFFLER, ALUMINIZED STEEL, NATURAL FINISH, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY -- Dual offset inlet and single center outlet configuration; 63 in. L x 31 in. W x 7 in. H; Oval casing; Standard direct fit OE replacement; Made to fit vehicle-specific requirements for backpressure, emissions, sound levels, and sensors; Precision-manufactured to high tolerances for long life; Easy installation.

Fiat taking Chrysler production back to China

As recently as two years ago Chrysler and Chery were more than cozy and working on Chinese-market products that would eventually make their way this way. Nothing ultimately came of it, but Chrysler hasn't given up on the Chinese dream. Or more accurately, Fiat hasn't given up on the Chinese dream on behalf of Chrysler.

Fiat, which has had its own setbacks in trying to find the right joint venture required to do business in China, is now working with Guangzhou Auto. It isn't clear how or even if Chrysler would immediately try again, since The Pentastar's "models were as popular as Chen Shui Bian towards the end of their tenure."

Another route would be for the Chrysler Group to let Jeep lead the charge, since the Jeep brand and small SUVs are a more welcome option for Chinese buyers. It is inevitable that Chrysler will keep trying to crack the world's largest auto market, and if we were presumptuous enough to suggest a way to do it, we'd only need two words: Dodge Hornet.