Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2011 News

Tesla has issued a voluntary recall for its electric Model S sedan and Model X SUV after discovering a potential manufacturing issue that could stop the electric park brake from functioning properly.

New generation Mercedes-Benz C63-S to pack 375kW of power.

Just in case the letters AMG don’t quite satisfy your need for performance, Mercedes have released details of an even hotter version of the C63. Dubbed Edition 507 (for the horsepower rating), the range -- comprising a sedan, coupe and estate -- is powered by a beast of an engine with outputs of 373kW and 610Nm.That’s an increase of 37kW and 10Nm over the garden variety AMG version, and 0-100km/h acceleration figures are similarly impressive at 4.2 seconds for the sedan and coupe and 4.3 seconds for the estate.The extra oomph comes as a result of a technology transfer from the 6.3-litre eight-cylinder naturally aspirated powerplant adopted from the SLS AMG.The new C63 AMG range is electronically limited to 280 km/h but it’s not just all about the beastly power. There are also aesthetic improvements both inside and out.Brakes have been beefed up too with composite discs standard as well as red painted callipers. The instrument cluster gets some red applications too and if further differentiation is needed from the C63 AMG there’s a list of optional extras available.To prevent any confusion with the regular AMG version there’s a range of exclusive design features. Some of these include two openings for expelling engine heat on the aluminium bonnet, spoiler lip on the boot lid, a set of light-alloy 19-inch wheels or even lighter optional 5 spoke 18-inch alloys.Further details of the 507 will come at the world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show which starts on March 5. It’s scheduled to go on sale in Germany in June and Australia should get it in the second half of 2013. Further details on pricing, availability and specifications will be confirmed closer to the local launch. 

It's the limited-edition Black Series update of the thumping Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, complete with a carbon-fibre weight-loss program and the most powerful engine yet fitted to a C-Class car.The newcomer - officially the C63 AMG Black Series - has 380 kiloWatts and 620 Newton-metres of torque, which translates into a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed beyond 310km/h - provided the compulsory German speed limiter is disabled.A handful of Black Cs will come to Australia next year but there is no firm detail yet on delivery dates or prices.Based on previous Black Series cars, and the current C63 at $152,800, the bottom line is likely to be around $220,000.The Black C has a giant new front bumper with huge air inlets, vents in the alloy bonnet and a rear diffuser, guards widened by 42 millimetres on each side at the rear, and 19-inch alloy wheels. There is also an optional Track Package, although this is not confirmed for Australia.AMG says development of the Black C has its roots in the program for the SLS Gullwing, including its V8 engine and the customer racing program with the car that includes the Peter Hackett version currently competing in Australia."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," says the head of Mercedes-AMG, Ola Kallenius.

The good news is that the cars of the future are not boring electric "golf carts" but sleek and sexy machines.Take for example the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, or even the updated Toyota Prius C. Just as smart, but also featuring powertrain technology that is much further down the line, is the Hyundai Blue2 Concept, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, or the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV with a plug-in hybrid system that extends the use of the vehicle in electric mode.Here is a sample of the green vehicles on the stands at this year’s show:BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept: Making its Australian debut, this is the concept for the coming BMW i8. A conventional 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-diesel mated to a pair of electric motors powers this four-wheel-drive 2+2 sports car. The hybrid combination pumps out 265kW of power and 800Nm of torque, and can run on electric power alone for up to 50km, diesel only for 645km or a combination of both. The lithium-ion battery packs charge in just 2.5 hours from AC mains or 44 minutes on quick charge.Ford: The new Liquefied Phase Injection LPG technology in the Ford Falcon EcoLPi has improved power and torque and decreased fuel consumption (12.5L/100km) and CO2 emissions (203g/km). Ford will also show its long-awaited diesel Territory with a 2.7-litre V6 boasting fuel economy of 8.2L/100km.Holden: The Ecoline Series II Cruze range with a new generation 2.0-litre turbo diesel (5.6L/100km) is Australia’s most fuel-efficient locally-built car. The stand will also feature the Cruze 1.4-litre intelligent turbo induction (1.4 iTi) petrol engine (6.4L/100km manual) and other Ecoline models, including the Commodore E85 flex-fuel and Spark Ignition Direct Injection V6 powered Commodores and Captivas.Honda hybrids: Honda will show the stylish Honda CR-Z coupe petrol-electric hybrid that arrives here later this year, as well as its second-generation Insight hybrid.Hyundai Blue2 Concept: This is the Korean company’s first sedan-style Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) powered by hydrogen. It delivers power of 90kW and fuel economy of 2.8L/100km. Being a concept car, it comes with a host of future electronic aids, such as an automatic opening door system, roof and side cameras to replace mirrors, and a motion sensor-operated infotainment system.Lexus LF-Gh Concept: This concept features the hybrid system already in the Lexus fleet, but is the first time the spindle-shaped grille that will become a feature of future designs will be seen here, and hints at a future grand touring sedan. Lexus Australia chief executive Tony Cramb says the LF-Gh reaffirms that hybrids can be sleek and stylish.Mazda Minagi: This is a crossover concept specifically engineered to be the first with frugal SKYACTIV technology diesel and petrol engines and transmission. The car is an insight into the coming CX-5.Mercedes-Benz C-Class: The range now includes the updated 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission for improved economy. Diesel models come with the ECO start/stop function as standard, and the C250 diesel coupe boasts economy of 5.1L/100km. At the top end of the Benz range, the S350 diesel BlueTec luxury saloon has economy figures of 7L/100km.Mitsubishi ?i-Miev-based electric vehicle concepts: The i-MiEV is about to hit the showrooms and Mitsubishi already has an SUV variant, which will be on its stand. The Concept PX-MiEV has a plug-in hybrid system with fuel economy better than 2L/100km. It is powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors and a 1.6-litre MIVEC engine. The PX-MiEV also features Smart Grid technology that allows the battery to power home appliances during a blackout or at peak times when electricity tariffs are high.Nissan Leaf: The all-electric Leaf hits showrooms next year. The World Car of the Year features a satnav system linked to the "Global Data Centre’’ in Japan so you just press a button to find the closest recharging stations.Toyota Prius C concept & Prius V: The latest in the Prius family are a funky coupe concept (C) and a people mover (V). The Prius C concept shows how stylish the Prius can be and the V shows how spacious it can be. The V also features a lightweight-resin panoramic moon roof, weighing about 40 per cent less than a regular glass roof of the same size. It will be the first to feature Toyota’s new Entune multimedia system with mobile internet and Microsoft’s Bing search engine. The system will offer live weather and traffic updates, along with monitoring the best fuel prices in town.Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion: The BlueMotion has the same 1.6-litre engine with the same output at 77kW and 250Nm as the 77TDI, but its fuel use is just 3.8L/100km compared with 5.12L/100km (77TDI) and CO2 of 99g/km (133g/km 77TDI). The gains are made from a lower idle speed, stop/start technology, aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres.Volvo V60 diesel plug-in hybrid: The world’s first diesel hybrid plug-in goes into production next year. The driver can choose from three modes: Pure, which is all-electric with a range of up to 50km, Hybrid with an average fuel consumption of 1.9L/100km and CO2 of 49g/km, and Power, which boosts total diesel and electric power to 200kW and 640Nm of torque with acceleration to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. The turbodiesel drives the front wheels and an electric motor drives the rear axle. It can be recharged via a regular power socket in 4.5 hours on 10A charge.PLUS: There will also be displays by infrastructure companies including Better Place EV, which has announced plans to begin rolling out infrastructure in Canberra this year.

... as a selection of the world’s most desirable cars are wheeled out in Melbourne.For some, it’s their first visit to Australia and the first time visitors to the Australian International Motor Show can see some of the hero cars of today – and in some cases, the future.Supercar fans get their first glimpse of the stunning Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, which replaces the Murcielago and that now sets the standard for exotic cars.Named after a champion Spanish bull, the carbon-fibre and alloy version of the Aventador rushes to 100km/h from rest in only 2.9 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 350km/h.The powerplant responsible for this is a 6.5-litre V12 with 515kW and 690Nm of torque running through all four wheels.But the exceptional performance pales against the coupe’s styling. It is all low-slung wedge and razor-sharp edges – a work of art that mesmerises from every angle.Lamborghini Melbourne managing director Andrew Smith says the car is two generations ahead in terms of design and technology."The Aventador is a truly exceptional package of design, style and technical perfection," he says.  "Its performance is simply astonishing and is unrivalled in the super sports car arena. It looks amazing in photographs but that is nothing to seeing it in the flesh."Sister company Audi won’t be outdone. It has unwrapped its fiercest R8 supercar, the GT, bristling with 412kW of power and 540Nm of torque from its 5.2-litre direct-injection V10. The all-wheel drive coupe has a price tag of $470,700 and even if you had the cash, Audi Australia says only five examples are allocated for our country."And they’re all spoken for," a spokesperson says.Audi will also show its new A6 that has taken Europe and the US by storm. The sleek sedan will enter Australia with a range of engines that all include fuel-saving systems, including stop-start and energy recovery technology.At the other end of the scale, the baby Audi A1 in its diesel form will make its debut in Melbourne. This will be available this year and become the third engine in the A1 franchise. Audi claims the 66kW 1.6-litre turbo-diesel will sip just 3.8L/100km and expects it to account for 25-30 per cent of the A1 sales.The Germans continue to dominate the performance stands with two Mercedes-Benz models on show for the first time. The first Australian showing of the breathtaking C-Class Coupe and C63 Coupe pair is so impressive they even overshadow the awesome CLS63 AMG – finished in a spectacular red paint and also on display for the first time.The CLS63 impresses with its 386kW/700Nm bi-turbo 5.5-litre V8 that averages 10L/100km – not much more than a Holden Commodore V6. In the AMG version, its output jumps to 410kW and 800Nm. Mercedes-Benz Australia says that despite the leap in power, the fuel consumption is 31 per cent – equal to 4.6L/100km – better than its predecessor.The two C-Class coupes are extensions of the recently upgraded C-Class range, but the styling exercise is condensed and the effect is a startling change from the previous models.Output for the C63 AMG Coupe’s 6.3-litre V8 is 336kW and 600Nm which pushes the two-door to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Yet it is surprisingly low on fuel consumption and emissions, recording an average of 12L/100km.These Mercedes newcomers are joined by 15 other models, including another first – the debut of the new SLK range – before it hits the showrooms in late July. For many prospective buyers, this will be the first time they can come face to grille with the latest Mercedes convertibles.The SLK will initially arrive with three engines – two four-cylinder turbo models, a 135kW SLK200 BlueEfficiency and 150kW SLK250 BlueEfficiency, and the 225kW SLK350 V6. New equipment includes a panoramic roof called "Magic Sky Control" that is made of glass and switches between light and dark at the press of a button.

But even the go-fast two-door looks bland compared to the 380 kiloWatt Black Series beast caught by Carparazzi - complete with giant fender flares - during handling tests in Germany.

... it's time to go back to black at the AMG hotrod shop. Work is well underway in Germany on a C63 Black Series car intended to outrun the rival BMW M3 and Audi S4 later this year, with more than 420 kiloWatts to be fed through the same seven-speed dry-clutch automatic gearbox already in use at AMG.But Black cars are focussed on weight loss as much as power gains, which points to extensive use of carbon fibre and a more exotic treatment for the pumped-out body bits needed to cover the giant wheels on the go-faster Benz.Carparazzi caught the Black Series test car but no-one knows yet if the four-door sedan will make it to production, or if it's just serving as a test mule.  Every previous Black Series cars has been built up from a two-door body, starting with the compact CLK and including the flagship SL roadster, but... C63 AMG black series coupe Will the black beast be a sedan or a coupe? Perhaps both?AMG boss Ola Kallenius has hinted about two upcoming Black Series cars and Carparazzi has also caught the C63 upgrade as a two-door coupe. The Black test car is shown emerging from Mercedes-Benz's technical development centre during handling runs at the Nurburgring test course.Just like the four-door prototype, the latest C-Class coupe has been slapped with much wider wheel arches and also looks to be sitting a little closer to the ground with a four-pipe exhaust system.

The 'Edition 63' car has just been announced as a tickle for existing C63 owners and anyone who might be considering a BMW M3 or even a Nissan GT-R. Only 63 cars are being built and for $169,900 - or $172,900 for the wagon - they come with some worthwhile and desirable tweaking. The 336 kiloWatt engine is unchanged but the 'Edition 63' package adds a self-locking differential, special 19-inch AMG alloy wheels, special designo paint colours - with matt grey as an option - exclusive designo leather in the cabin, an AMG performance studio package including extra leather, illuminated door sills and AMG logs spread over the floor mats and gearlever. "The C 63 AMG – Edition 63 has been specifically built for the Australian market and no other. No other market has been granted this exclusively specified, tailored and identified model," says David McCarthy of Mercedes-Benz Australia. The cars land in November.