MB's AMG Team Readying a Porsche-killer Engine

Mercedes-Benz is prepping it's AMG unit to create Porsche-killers. Looks like getting their Black Ops F1 team to design their next AMG 4-cylinder engine continues their push...

Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has revealed to motoring.com.au that the next-generation replacement for the current 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder will be engineered in partnership with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, the same black ops engineers that have created the current state-of-the-art petrol hybrid V6 for the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 car.
 

Source: Motoring.com.au

Were there signs that VW was cheating on emissions output?

Photo source: pbs.org

There were some warning signs which hinted that VW was cheating in its emissions numbers. According to Automotive News today:  

"A few years ago, engineers at a Detroit automaker tested and then took apart a diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta, trying to figure out how the car could meet stringent U.S. environmental standards without an expensive selective catalytic reduction system to help neutralize its emissions. 

They were flummoxed. 

They couldn't duplicate the claimed EPA emissions test results on the road. 

But that is as far as it went."

G-Class: Classic Body, and with Horsepower and Torque to spare!

For almost every vehicle on the market, product cycles typically last six to eight years. At the end of that run, the vehicle gets a redesign with either a new or significantly improved structure. That’s not the case for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. First released in 1979, the G-Class has never been redesigned. Instead, Mercedes has opted to continually update the interior appointments, powertrains, and tech features of the “Geländewagen”—as it’s called in its home country—and that's precisely the case for the reworked 2016 model.

The changes for 2016 are mostly minimal. The front bumper and gauge cluster are revised, adjustable shocks with Sport and Comfort modes are newly available for the base G550, and a series of bold new colors is offered.

However, there’s some pretty important stuff going on under the hood. The G550 switches from a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 to Mercedes’ new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. Output increases from 388 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque to 416 horses and 450 lb-ft of torque, and Mercedes says fuel economy improves by 17 percent as well. The G63 AMG model’s twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 also gets a power boost from 544 to 563 horsepower while torque remains the same at 560 lb-ft. Finally, 2016 marks the return of the G65 AMG. Powered by a 6.0-liter V-12, the G65 produces a whopping 621 horsepower and a stump-pulling 738 lb-ft of torque.

source: Motor Authority

Tesla to get 600 Mile Range range by 2017

Better technology, more batteries, or both? Regardless, it doubles today's range.

My referral code: http://ts.la/sahil1254 Elon Musk interview with Danish newspaper Borsen on Sep 23 says autopilot will be out in a month, and fully autonomous driving in 3 years.

Apple Car By 2019...Maybe

As much as I'm a fan of Apple products, manufacturing a car by 2019 sounds like a stretch

Apple Store NYC

According to many sources, and referenced from The Verge, Apple is prepping for car delivery as early as 2019.   My guess is that they are sensing an inflection point in vehicle technology (i.e. batteries, self-driving, and safety) along with disruptive forces driving different supply channels (i.e. ZipCar, Uber and it's competitors).  They certainly have the capital to invest, and they have made significant hires recently.

Mercedes-Benz Crossover SUV coming

I think it's a good segment choice, and concur with the idea that bigger vehicle allows for bigger battery. With 250 to 300 mile range, that's an impressive amount of distance for a ski weekend from NYC to New England or shuttling to and from the Hamptons.

According to Car and Driver, and from MB R&D Board Member Thomas Weber...

"the car will be “cool and emotional.” We expect the fully electric crossover to be a standalone vehicle, separate from any current Mercedes-Benz model line. It will compete with the upcoming Audi Q6 and the Tesla Model X."

Source: Car and Driver

Rooting for BMW That They Don't Pull a VW on Emissions Fraud

I'm an admitted BMW fan, and hope that they do not have the same problems that caused the VW chief to resign earlier this week. 

BERLIN (Bloomberg) -- BMW AG said it doesn’t cheat on emissions tests, responding to a report in German magazine Autobild that the X3 SUV exceeded the European limit for air pollution.

The stock fell as much as 9.7 percent, the most in more than four years, on concerns that the luxury automaker would be enmeshed in the diesel-emissions scandal that led to the resignation of Volkswagen AG’s CEO on Wednesday.

A four-wheel-drive variant of the BMW SUV had emissions more than 11 times the European limit when road-tested by the International Council on Clean Transportation, the same group whose tipoff led U.S. regulators to investigate a gap between the emissions VW and Audi diesel-powered cars in the testing lab and on the road, Autobild said.

“The BMW Group does not manipulate or rig any emissions tests,” the company said in a statement in response to the report. “We observe the legal requirements in each country.”

BMW said it’s not familiar with that road test and that there’s no system in its cars that responds differently to tests than it would operate on the road. Volkswagen has admitted to installing software designed to circumvent regulations by turning on full emissions controls only when the car detects it’s being tested.

Source: Automotive News

Evolutionary Updates to the CLA

From the spy shots, it doesn't look like there are any dramatic changes. It's a popular car and a low price point for MB.   Will be interested  to see what it looks like when completed.

The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class only arrived on these shores in 2013, but it's already approaching the midway point in its life cycle at which point the popular compact sedan will receive a subtle facelift. The changes will mirror those made to the related A-Class hatchback earlier this year.

A prototype for the updated CLA has just been spotted. The car is expected to go on sale in the fall of 2016, as a 2017 model. Most of the changes will be cosmetic,  as the 2016 model year already sees the CLA receive some mechanical upgrades.

Source: Motorauthority

The Buck Stops at Winterkorn

Life is tough when you don't tell the truth....

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down on Wednesday, taking responsibility for the German automaker's rigging of U.S. diesel emissions tests.

"Volkswagen needs a fresh start -- also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation," Winterkorn said in a statement.

Source: Automotive News (subscription required)

Self-Driving trucks in Florida soon

Makes sense to give this a go for long haul rides, too. 

Self-Driving trucks from Pennsylvania firm Royal Truck and Equipment will be on Florida roads by the end of the year.

The rigs, which are part of a Department of Transportation pilot program, can navigate by following a pre-programmed lead car, via remote control, or by using GPS Waypoint navigation. Daimler's self-driving tractor trailers have already been testing in Nevada under a special state-granted autonomous license. But like the Google autonomous cars on the road in California, Daimler's trucks require a human driver to be on board—the vehicles scheduled to deploy to the Sunshine State don't.

Source: Motorauthority.com