New Baby Benz: a bit bigger...a lot sportier!

The Baby Benz just got serious.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon C 220 CDI BlueTEC AMG Line Auto

What is it?

Mercedes’ new fourth generation C-Class, the car that the men in Stuttgart hope will woo business car drivers out of their 3-Series BMWs, Audi A4s and Jaguar XFs.

This new Mercedes C-Class is the latest in a line of models that stretches back 32 years, when the Mercedes 190 was the first ‘baby Benz’, renamed C-Class when its successor was introduced.

So what’s new about this one?

Well for a start it looks much more stylish, with sculpted body lines that give it a sleek, sportier look.

Design cues have been taken from the S-Class. It’s also bigger, which helps

It has also taken a distinct turn up-market to emulate a baby S-Class, with lots of the technology and safety features percolated down. For example, collision prevention assistance that applies the brakes if you fail to react in time to a looming hazard.

The fancy wheels aren’t just for show. The new C-Class is a much better drive

In terms of comfort, the cabin has leaped forward in both quality and design. The new C-Class interior has a posh ambiance that will make the other German manufacturers pay attention.

Mercedes has stretched the C-Class a little – it’s now 4686 mm in length – but also trimmed down its weight. The result is a car that is slightly longer but around 70kg lighter.

This has been achieved with a body structure that is half steel, half aluminium, Fuel consumption is improved and CO2 emissions have been cut.

OK, but what’s it like to drive?

Watch out BMW, Merc is playing catch-up. Compared with the previous C-Class, this new one is noticeably better to drive, with taut behaviour and handling that is now close to the benchmark set by the class-leading 3-Series.

The electro-mechanical steering has a good feel and the Airmatic air suspension that will be on most versions has a cushioning ride quality. Refinement is generally very good too, although the 2.2 litre diesel engine gets a bit gruff when you work it hard.

 

The post Mercedes C-Class car review – sleek, sporty, and looking to pull a 3 Series driver appeared first on Business Car Manager.

New Baby Benz: a bit bigger...a lot sportier!

Not Boxy Anymore: Volvo Concept Estate Previews New V90

Volvo’s reputation for boring, boxy cars is well and truly a thing of the past.

Volvo’s little brown shooting brake may sprout into a full-blown luxury wagon. A rendering provided by Germany’s Auto Bild shows what the Concept Estate would look like with two more doors and a roof rack.

Auto Bild says this new model will be designated V90, a short-lived moniker that adorned Volvo’s top wagon in the 1997 and 1998 model years. The magazine says the V90, supposedly built off the next XC90 chassis, will debut in 2015 as the successor to the V70, the Volvo wagon without “XC” body cladding and off-road pretensions sold elsewhere in Europe. Likely, the Concept Estate won’t be sold as-is, which is a shame but understandable given Volvo’s quest for bigger sales.

As Volvo has previously announced, all future models will see four cylinders and potential hybrid power. Auto Bild also mentioned the possibility of a subcompact V20 wagon to compete with the Audi A1 and Mini Countryman. Now that Volvo is letting Americans play with the V60 and the 350-hp V60 Polestar, adding more station wagons might not be the long shot it once seemed one or two years ago.

Not Boxy Anymore: Volvo Concept Estate Previews New V90

The New Audi S3 is a Contender

This car looks good from every angle, and with it’s rally warpaint, it really looks the part.

Rotek Racing officially unveiled its striking Oakley Motorsports-liveried Audi S3 saloon during the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s official Media Day at the historic Donington Park circuit on Tuesday (18 March).

Oakley Motorsports and Rotek Racing gave power to the people by inviting the BTCC’s army of fans to select its 2014 livery from 12 artist’s impressions.

Thousands of enthusiasts flocked to the Rotek Racing and BTCC Facebook pages to choose their favourite colour scheme and the winning Oakley Motorsports design has gone from the drawing board to reality, officially unveiled to the assembled media, VIPs and fans in the Donington Park pit lane on Tuesday (18 March).

The BTCC – Britain’s premier motor racing championship – is experiencing something of a renaissance. For more than half a century it has inspired great motor sporting feats and captivated millions of fans and it continues to soar in popularity, providing spectators with bumper-to-bumper on-track action and unparalleled access to its star drivers and cars.

Each year the championship embarks on a tour of the UK’s greatest motorsport venues, including Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Silverstone, and attracts large trackside crowds of around 40,000 spectators, with a TV audience of approximately 20million tuning in to ITV Sport’s comprehensive live coverage.

Rotek Racing, an Audi Customer Racing team, is led by tin-top star Robb Holland – the first American to contest rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) whose one-off outings in the Dunlop-backed BTCC have heralded a full campaign in 2014.

Holland is now the first American to enter the BTCC full-time and is determined to reach the front in the ultra-competitive championship.

Fusing his larger than life character and approach to racing with prestigious backing from the motorsport division of American brand, Oakley, and a fine and meticulous attention to detail, Holland also aims to make Rotek Racing the most visual, interactive and fan-friendly team on the grid.

“The hard work has been put in by my guys at Rotek Racing and it has been tough watching them work through until the early hours of the morning to ready the car for Media Day,” said Holland. “Nobody was willing to cut any corners and we wanted to make sure that absolutely everything was done right. To see the Audi S3 out here at Donington Park is pretty spectacular.

“You’re always going to be proud of what your guys produce, but to have received so much positive feedback on the car is just fantastic and a testament to all the hard work and the hours put in by the team. I also have to give credit to the fans because they chose spectacularly well and I really do believe that Rotek Racing will have one of the most striking liveries on the grid this year!”

Holland continued: “The 2014 season will definitely be a learning year, as trying to build a new car and develop it with very little testing is a tall order for even the most experienced of teams and there are still quite a few circuits for me to acclimatise to.

“However, I think the Audi S3 saloon will be a good fit, as it’s the first of the new generation S3s to race anywhere in the world. I’m also really glad to have the support of Oakley Motorsports. The BTCC is the perfect high visibility platform to launch its line of motorsports gear here in the UK and across Europe.”

For more on Rotek Racing, visit the official www.rotekracing.com website, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @rotekracing on Twitter.

The post Rotek Racing Unveils Striking Audi S3 BTCC Contender appeared first on Fourtitude.com.

The New Audi S3 is a Contender

The Rarest of All Supercars

This American / Italian hybrid is the rarest of all

The Vector M12 was the Nineties supercar that sadly never had a chance. Just 14 were made before the company went under. Why was the M12 so awesome? It shared theLamborghini Diablo’s V12 along with many other essential components, and thanks to that completely insane fiberglass body, it looked like nothing else on the road and years ahead of its time. It was pretty much an American supercar with an Italian engine. It even has scissor doors.

If you’ve never seen the gorgeous bespoke exotic in action, here’s your chance to see not one, but two Vector M12’s strut their stuff on the open road. Believe us, even capturing these supercars on video is a rare thing.

 

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The Rarest of All Supercars

I Think It"s Sexy

Post by Prestige And Sports Auto.

I Think It"s Sexy

AUDI AG: Global Sales Up

Audi’s figures are looking good

In February, AUDI AG delivered around 117,500 cars to customers around the world, 6.8 percent more than one year ago. Since the beginning of the year, the company’s unit sales have thus increased by 9.3 percent year-on-year to around 242,400 deliveries. Audi sales figures once again climbed in all regions around the world last month. Around one third of the volume growth was achieved in Europe. With significant increases in Germany, the UK and Italy, there was a 5.3 percent increase for the region. In China, Audi completed the sales month – shortened considerably by the New Year holiday – with a 6.9 percent increase over the February 2013 level.

“Audi continued the positive start of the year in February despite noticeable non-recurring effects in important overseas markets,” says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales at AUDI AG. “In Europe, several markets are gaining stability at what remains a low level. In this region we are already scoring with the new A3 Sedan*, which will also be launched in China and the United States, its two most important sales markets, in the upcoming weeks.”

AUDI AG: Global Sales Up

The Rolls Royce Wraith, in England Colours

This article is just for those with a stiff upper lip.  (Actually, I don’t really know what a stiff upper lip is…except that it’s associated with proper English Gentlemen).

The Rolls-Royce Wraith represents everything associated with the brand but with a twist and hint of sportiness. The Wraith is powered by a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12, the same that can be found under the bonnet of the Ghost. The engine in the Wraith has been given a healthy boost up to 632 hp, making this the most powerful road car Rolls-Royce has ever made. We found the power to more than adequate for the size of the car when we tested it.

Here we have a Wraith that has been finished in a very attractive configuration. The majority of the car has been specced in Ensign Red, a deep shade that is almost blood red. The bonnet roof and boot lid of the British car has been painted in a contrasting English white. This is one of the best combinations we have seen and the interior follow the same theme with Hotspur Red leather and Seashell highlights.

Despite the mammoth power and endless torque the Wraith has not sacrificed a drop of class or drama. The car looks fantastic and commands attention and presence like no other, party due to the car sheer size and mass. This example has been finished in a very regal deep purple that look fantastic on the raked roofline and sleek body, a very suiting colour on the 2.5 tonne beast.

 

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The Rolls Royce Wraith, in England Colours