Mercedes-AMG E63 News

Lindsay Fox has lots of special stuff in Australia, and Jay 'Jamiroquai' Kay and Rowan 'Mr Bean' Atkinson collect fast cars in Britain, but Leno is special.  The NBC talk-show legend in the USA has been a car buff all his life and has cashed a lot of his success on television into the most amazing collection of cars. His personal fleet is just plain awesome, and that's without counting the one-off specials built for him by GM.Every evening he collects something from his garage - actually a series of aircraft hangers - and takes it on the run home before an early-morning commute to Burbank in Los Angeles for taping of his television show. It's a daily ritual that includes all sorts of cars, right up to an aircraft-engined racer that once ran on the Bonneville salt flats.Right now there is a battle at NBC over Leno's future, after his move from the high-rating Tonight Show into his own program backfired and left a conflict with his replacement Conan O'Brien that could eventually see Leno back where he started.But that is just background fuzz when I sit down to watch a taping of the Leno Show after a thumping good run up the 405 freeway in the latest Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. It's the sort of muscular sedan that fits right in Los Angeles, with plenty of luxury and the sort of explosive V8 power you need for on-ramps and narrow gaps in traffic.The Leno set is heavily car themed, right down to a band backdrop at one end with a giant mural of a 1950s American dashboard. I'm not sure on the car and even one of Leno's assistants, Justin — son of multiple Le Mans winner Derek — Bell cannot provide the answer, but it looks great.As taping begins on show number 81 it takes Leno less than two minutes to work a car reference into the show. Something about the Toyota Prius ... The 60-minute show passes in a blur and I'm soon back in the E63, but I cannot stop myself from wondering what Leno is taking home. A McLaren F1? An all-American Corvette? Perhaps a classic Duesenberg?Next time I'm in LA I'm determined to find the answer. And to discover just how deep Leno's passion runs.Follow Paul Gover on Twitter!

Since cars all deliver on the same basic promise of personal mobility, and many vehicles do it with incredible value and panache, good design can often make the difference between buying and losing.Ian Callum knows it and, after more than four decades of top-class design work on everything from HSV Holdens to Volvos, Aston Martins and now Jaguars, he is the right man to be talking. "This is a time of car design. It's not just styling any more. You really have to understand design, and the elements that make up a good design," Callum says. "We're also seeing a lot of change in the automotive world. The make-up of cars is changing. Designers are going to have an incredible influence."Callum has revolutionised Jaguar design over the past 10 years and just visited Australia to showcase his all-new XJ flagship, which steps right away from anything which has previously worn the brand's leaper mascot. "I didn't want to be a slave to heritage," he says simply.Callum believes good design is simple but incredibly difficult, elegant and timeless, but also challenging and filled with tiny little details. He is rare among designers because he backs his promises with commitment and talent, and is also happy to give an opinion.So, then, how does he judge the work from some of his rivals? Surprisingly, Callum is happy to go on the record with a simple tick-or-cross verdict on the latest designs in showrooms.Here are his ratings: Aston Martin Rapide - tickAudi A5 - tickBMW GT - two crossesBMW X6 - crossFerrari F458 Italia - tickHSV EII Commodore - tickLexus LFA - tickMercedes E-Class - crossMercedes SLS Gullwing - crossNissan GT-R - crossPorsche Panamera - crossRolls-Royce Ghost - tickToyota Prius - tickVolkswagen Golf - tick 

Mercedes-Benz dealers across the country already hold 30 orders for the hot-shot $234,900 E63 AMG sports sedan and order books are running hot. Deliveries start later this month and Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman, David McCarthy, says many of the orders came in even before pricing was announced."A lot of our clients were expecting prices around $250,000," he says. McCarthy says the E63 is $4056 cheaper than the outgoing model. "That's partly to do with exchange rates and partly because of the hard bargaining with Mercedes-Benz Germany," he says. McCarthy says the lower price, combined with additional equipment and features totalling $28,100, delivers "a net customer advantage of $32,156".The E63 has been tailored to the Australian market. It is the only market to get 19-inch wheels as standard, along with a rear spoiler and sun protection package. Based on the new E-Class sedan, the E63 gets a powerful AMG-inspired 6.3-litre V8, AMG Ride Control sports suspension with electronically controlled damping and a new front axle. The high-revving naturally aspirated engine develops 386kW/630Nm and slingshots the car to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.Mercedes-Benz Australia sold about 950 AMG cars last year and is expecting a similar number this year. "Give the economy and the global financial crisis, that's an excellent result," McCarthy says. "AMG in Australia, in terms of market penetration, is continually in the top five markets globally. "I think our customers love the V8s and the AMG brand really resonates with our buyers."

The latest E-Class sedan and coupe are already on the road, the go-fast E63 AMG is confirmed for later in the year, and now comes the station wagon. There will also be an E-Class cabriolet, which should land in the first quarter of 2010 at almost the same time as the E-Class Estate revealed this week.First pictures of the wagon show very little change from the sedan, apart from the obvious stuff around the tail. Still, the car is smoother than the E Estate it replaces, with some innovations including a system which allows the rear seat backs to be folded using handles inside the rear tailgate.The new wagon extends a family line stretching back 30 years and, even with small sales in Australia, it is expected to do well. "The Estate is traditionally around six per cent of E-Class sedan sales, but we have a very strong, loyal buyer group who come to us specially for the E-Class Estate,” says Peter Fedayev of Mercedes- Benz Australia."History has shown they much prefer an estate version of a sedan car as opposed to a luxury SUV. There are some strong concentrations of Estate buyers in particular cities, to the north in Sydney and the East in Melbourne."The new wagon has a carrying capacity of up to 1950 litres and also picks up the increases in passenger space from the E sedan. Nine airbags are standard and, although Benz is yet to confirm the local specification, everything from a drowsiness warning and automatic emergency braking to luxury cabin equipment is available in Europe.The mechanical setup of the wagon is almost identical to the sedan, apart from standard self-levelling suspension at the rear, although the engine choices will be limited. "Customers can expect a choice of four and six-cylinder engines," Fedayev says, without mentioning petrol or diesel power.But he is keener on the overall package. "The Estate gets all the technologies the new sedan gets. The difference between the sedan and the Estate is the luggage space and the availability of a third row of seats," he says."We're expecting it around February next year as part of the introduction phase of the whole new range. The Cabriolet is also expected in the first quarter." There is no news yet on pricing, although the starting price for the new E220 sedan was cut by more than 20 per cent from the previous model.

The images suggest the car is set to debut soon, possibly as early as this month’s New York Motor Show and go on sale overseas shortly after that.

He won five 500cc titles from 1994 to 1998, claiming 54 victories from 137 starts, and only retired after a life-threatening crash that still causes him to limp.Doohan's results make him among Australia's most-decorated international sportsmen, but he has also become a successful businessman since leaving the glamour of Monaco to live with his wife Selina — and nine-year-old daughter Allexis and five-year-old son Jack — on the Gold Coast.His businesses include Global Jet International, an air charter company, the CatHouse restaurant and nightclub at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas, and Czech-based CDT, a company involved in motorsport, which has David Coulthard as a partner.When he is not flying his helicopter or relaxing in his private jet, Doohan likes to slide into a Mercedes-Benz that has been tweaked by the company's hotrod AMG division.What was your first car?A 1975 HJ Holden station wagon I bought in 1982 for about $1400. It was a V8, but also ran on seven cylinders.What do you drive now?A dark grey Mercedes E63 AMG with a 6.3-litre V8 and an S65 with a V12 twin-turbo engine. They are both civilised vehicles with ample room for family. Both have torque when you need it without being aggressive. They are smooth and quiet, but if you want a bit extra they can give it to you. Both are sporty looking cars without being over the top.Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?The drive from Mugello in Italy to Monaco is always good. It's about 400km along the Mediterranean coast through tunnels and along winding roads, bypassing Florence and Genoa. You can cruise at about 130km/h, which is quick enough to enjoy the drive and also take in the views. I would take my wife Selina with me.How far would you drive in an average year?About 10,000km, mostly between my home and the Gold Coast, and around southeast Queensland. I've also got a Mercedes CL65 coupe in Vegas to drive when I'm over there. When I was racing and living in Europe in the 1990s I used to drive a lot more. In 1990 I had a Porsche and I drove to many of the races all over Europe from Monaco.Do you have a favourite motoring memory?Wayne Gardner and I driving back to Monaco after a race at Mugello in the early '90s. I was in a Porsche and he was in a Honda NSX. We weren't racing, but we made sure we got home before the restaurants and bars closed!What would you buy if money was no object?I don't really have a dream car, but the McLaren SLR 722 Edition is a serious piece of equipment. It's a sports car developed by Mercedes and McLaren Automotive and gets from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds.What music is playing in your car?Whatever is on the radio.How much is too much for a new car?It's all relative to what you earn and what your passion is. The problem in Australia is the large taxes on cars. In the US you can pay half the price you would spend on the same car.What should be done to make driving safer?Without a doubt, better education and compulsory driver training is needed in Australia. In Australia they seem to hand out car licences so long as you can start on a hill and do a reverse park. People should be taught how to control a vehicle and what danger signs to look for up ahead so they know what to do to prevent a crash.Are you sponsored by a car company?I don't have any sponsorship. 

Surrounded by hybrid and fuel cell cars of every type and size the stars of the annual Big Apple motorfest remain the muscle cars.

Mercedes-Benz swamped the Frankfurt Motor Show with a range of eco-friendly cars, including seven hybrid cars, eight ultra-clean diesel Bluetec models and several new engines that meet Euro 5 emissions targets due in 2009.However, show goers were stunned by the striking F700 concept sedan, which uses an innovative DiesOtto and hybrid drive system that uses just 5.3 litres per 100km and delivers 127g/km CO2 emissions.The DiesOtto engine, housed in a sleek luxury body called the F700 research vehicle, is claimed to provide the best elements of both diesel and petrol engines. The engine is mated to a new hybrid starter/generator and seven-speed automatic transmission. It is a four-cylinder, 1.8-litre two-stage charging petrol engine that Mercedes says combines the frugal virtues of a diesel with the low emissions of a petrol engine.It can deliver 175kW with the electric motor producing an extra 15kW while torque is 400Nm.Mercedes executives say the car will accelerate to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 200km/h. Apart from the engine and powertrain, the F700 has a sophisticated suspension that uses two laser scanners to view the road ahead and adjust the suspension.The luxury Mercedes also uses a new “human machine interface” with a virtual operating assistant called the avatar which can assist the driver with specific functions, such as adjusting the airconditioning or dialling a phone number.Visually, the F700 is based on the S-Class sedan but has an extra 285mm built into the wheelbase. The rear doors are rear hinged to allow for easy access to the roomy cabin.The big Merc is one of the varied ways carmakers at the show are attempting to create greener machines. Car industry green expert Ted Grozier says the show illustrates how the industry is faring in its efforts to reduce its reliance on gas-guzzling larger vehicles.“The conventional wisdom is that the US will go hybrid and in Europe the diesel is being challenged,” says Grozier, of Green Order, a New York-based advisory group that counts General Motors, among others, as clients for its advice on how to make cars cleaner. “This may be a pivotal year for the industry in the battle for greener cars and the gloves have come off.”Indeed, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler are among those showing cars with low-emission diesel engines and hybrids, featuring electricity to augment traditional fuel motors, as well as hydrogen fuel cell concepts that BMW is researching. It is all part of the effort to make high-mileage, cleaner cars that also meet drivers' expectations for performance.Nissan showed its Mixim concept car, an electric car powered by lithium ion batteries, with the driver's seat in the middle and steering controls inspired by video-game controllers.Unsurprisingly, it is geared toward younger drivers who spend a lot of time behind a computer keyboard. Ford showed off the current models under its ECOnetic label that produces a lower level of emissions.France's PSA Peugeot-Citroen has its 308 BioFlex compact at the show. The car uses biofuels, or fuel obtained from crops. GM goes a step further with a car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The show is also a chance for carmakers to explore new concepts and designs that may or may not take shape on the assembly line. Ford is eager to pique consumer interest in its new subcompact concept car, the Verve.If successful, it could be the basis of a new small car for global sales. It would come to Australia as the next generation Fiesta.Designed in Europe, the Verve concept has a rounded design and is demonstrably smaller than most cars on US roads.The president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry Matthias Wissmann says 1081 companies are at the Frankfurt Motor Show.In total, 88 new models are debuting at the biennial event which runs until September 23.

The car industry uses a web of alliances to survive.Lust, affairs, one-night stands, engagements, marriages and divorces — it can be hard sharing your love. It can also be expensive, especially if the human analogy is applied to the car business.DaimlerChrysler's recent divorce cost the now-solo Daimler AG a cool $33 billion.Daimler and its former partner, now known by her maiden name of Chrysler Group, still share the kids.These include shared components and manufacturing, including the Chrysler Crossfire (based on the previous Mercedes-Benz SLK) and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which uses Mercedes' V6 diesel engine and transmission.Daimler-Benz and Chrysler courted in the late 1990s, sealing their association in 1998 with a new name, DaimlerChrysler.The marriage was mutually beneficial. Daimler gained economies of scale and a new customer for engines, transmissions and an outlet for its old platforms. The previous Mercedes E-Class shares the same platform as the Chrysler 300C.Chrysler gained unprecedented, cost-effective access to the drivetrains used to power its distinctively styled cars.Of the divorce, shareholders of Daimler- Chrysler spitefully said “I knew it wouldn't work”.Marriages may be difficult, but alliances are what keep many car companies afloat.All these inter-relationships are spurred by one goal — profit. So competitive is the car industry that every dollar counts.Making cars cheaper improves profits, even if that means relocating factories to countries with low labour costs, non-existent unions and tax-free government incentives.Few would know that 10 models on the Australian market are made in Thailand. South Africa makes five, there's one from the Czech Republic, three from Slovakia, one from Poland, four from Malaysia and one from Indonesia.Build quality in most cases is as good as you'd expect from a country-of-origin factory.The biggest difference is manufacturing costs. Building a Volkswagen Golf in Germany, for example, costs substantially more than building the same car in South Africa. Sharing components such as engines, transmissions, platforms and bodies with a rival company — or at least one perceived as being a rival — is big business.The platform of the Mazda3 is similar to the Volvo S40 and Ford Focus. Ford has a big chunk of Mazda's shares and owns Volvo outright.The Toyota Aygo, a one-litre hatch soon to be sold in Australia, is built in the Czech Republic with the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107. The only differences are interior trim, grilles, head and tail lights. Everything else, except the badge, is identical.General Motors has a giant web of ownership, component sharing and minor shareholdings. It owns Saab and Hummer, and rebadges cars including the Daewoo Matiz as Chevrolets.GM owned 20 per cent of Fiat until it dissolved the relationship in 2005. But retains component sharing deals and owns 50 per cent of Fiat's JTD diesel engine technology.GM also has 3 per cent of Suzuki (it had 20 per cent until selling down in March 2006) and 7.9 per cent of Isuzu.This relationship crosses with Fiat. Suzuki buys Fiat diesel engines for its European cars but also buys diesels from the PSA group (owner of Peugeot and Citroen) and Renault. Fiat this year will also supply diesel engine's to Saab.The Suzuki Splash, to be launched in Europe later this year is based on the Swift/SX4 platform, but will be rebadged the Opel/Vauxhall Agila for European sales.Fiat sells the Suzuki SX4 as the Sedici in Europe.Suzuki also owns 11 per cent of GM-DAT, the Korean-based company that makes the Holden Epica, Captiva, Viva and Barina.GM sold its 20 per cent of Subaru parent, Fuji Heavy Industries, in 2005. Fuji bought back most of the shares, though Toyota bought in and now owns 8.7 per cent of the company.Toyota also owns Daihatsu and has a big stake in Yamaha. Yamaha has an engineering alliance with Toyota — twin-cam engine and multi-valve heads included — and recently created the V8 engine for Ford-owned Volvo.GM also gets its Saab plant in Sweden to make the Cadillac BLS mid-size car, alongside its Saab 9-3 and 9-5.The Hyundai Sonata's 2.4-litre engine is shared with the Jeep Compass, Dodge Caliber, Chrysler Sebring and Mitsubishi Outlander.Renault has an alliance with Nissan and owns Samsung (Korea) and has a joint venture with Mahindra (India).Porsche's Cayenne SUV is built in Volkswagen's factory in Slovakia alongside the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7. Porsche's Cayman is built in Finland. That's just the tip of iceberg.Peyton Place has nothing on these guys. 

The convertible SLR leads a group of high-performance newcomers set for the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.Codenamed R199, the drop-top, carbon-fibre car has been seen testing in Europe ahead of its show preview on September 13 and sales from the end of the year.And there is more to come, according to European sources. Mercedes is also planning a Frankfurt preview of the AMG flagship in its new C-Class range, an early look at its new compact four-wheel-drive and will release details of a gearbox designed to rival the double-shaft manu-matic that has been a success for Volkswagen.There are also whispers of something new from Maybach. However, there is no official confirmation from Mercedes-Benz.Development of the Mercedes-Benz SLR, designed by McLaren Cars and built at the McLaren Technology Centre in Britain alongside the team's grand prix race cars, has been picking up rapidly in the past year.Sales of the original $1 million, 380km/h coupe were slow at first against rivals including the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT.Then the car was tweaked into a limited-edition 722 model to celebrate the original SLR Stirling Moss drove to victory in the Mille Miglia road race in Italy in 1955.The 722 code reflected his race number and starting time.The droptop is planned to give the SLR a significant kick. European sources say it will be just as quick as the coupe.The car is expected to have a folding soft-top because of limited storage space in the tail.The C-Class star at Frankfurt will be the hotrod AMG model, with the latest 6.2-litre V8 engine already used in a number of cars, including the E63 and CL63.The C63 AMG, coded W204, will need to be quick and refined.It will have to go up against the V8 BMW M3, which is expected to be sold as a sedan as well as a coupe.It will already be on sale when the blaster Benz arrives.Mercedes will also use the Frankfurt show to uncover its compact 4WD, the MLK.The X204 is the baby brother to the ML and will run up against several tough rivals, including the BMW X3. The MLK is expected to have an on-road focus, despite a traditional 4WD body, because it is being built up from the mechanical package used in the C-Class sedan.The new gearbox for Frankfurt is the NAG-2V and will be a departure for Benz, which usually puts all its transmission work into automatics.It is a sports transmission that uses a wet clutch to give the same combination of manual control with automatic convenience as VW's DSG gearbox.It will be fitted to an SL63 AMG for the show.The final newcomer for Frankfurt, still to be confirmed, is a development of the Maybach super-limo.Mercedes has returned the stretched S-Class Pullman to its range and it is believed it will do a similar thing for Maybach, perhaps using a name such as Landaulet.