2009 Mercedes-Benz

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550, SL600, and SL63 AMG - Auto Shows

The Mercedes-Benz for the rich and famous gets a major overhaul.

Photos

BY JENS MEINERS
January 2008

The cult of youth pervades western civilization. People like to appear youthful, and that's exactly why such cars as the luxurious Mercedes SL keep getting sportier, even though their buyer demographics might suggest a bit more gravitas. Who doesn't want to be good-looking, sporty, and carefree?

The 2009 SL, the second face lift of the current-generation SL (code-named R230 and launched in 2001), will be shown at the Geneva auto show in early March. Just two years ago, the SL's chassis characteristics, steering, and engines were sharpened. But this overhaul is far more extensive, enough so that Mercedes refers to it as a new SL.

What's New?

The look is definitely more contemporary, with the peanut-shaped headlights gone in favor of a more aggressive look that invokes the contemporary CLS four-door. The nose is more pointed; the grille is wider; and new side air outlets, wheel designs (at least 18 inches on all models), and LED taillights up the visual presence on the street. We're not sure how they do it, but the AMG package makes the car look even more menacing.

There are retro touches, too, such as the "power domes" on the hood. The grille design has come full circle; the single-bar grille, last seen in 1989 on the R107 SL, is back. The SL600 gets extra dressing with numerous V-12 emblems inside and out, different interior door panels, special wheels, and specific exhaust tips.

Look for some of these cues from the SL on upcoming cars. "The SL has always pioneered the styling of other Mercedes models," says Hans-Dieter Futschik, head of passenger-car design in Stuttgart.

Carry-Over Engines in the SL550, SL600; Meet the New SL63 AMG

It may look youthful, but the SL moves—and has always moved—with great authority. The 382-hp V-8 in the SL550 and the 510-hp twin-turbo V-12 in the SL600 don't get a power increase. However, the 510-hp supercharged SL55 AMG is dumped in favor of the naturally aspirated 518-hp, 6.2-liter SL63 AMG. But the big news on the AMG is the seven-speed multiclutch system called MCT. Details are thin, but this is a further development of Mercedes' seven-speed automatic that will no doubt shift more quickly and, in this case, operates without a torque converter.

2009 Mercedes-Benz Review

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 and SLK55 AMG - First Drive Review

The Benz roadster gets a minor facelift and a heart transplant.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

February 2008

In an automotive world obsessed with the newest of new vehicles, mid-cycle styling updates don’t generally garner much attention beyond the initial press announcement. But when the visual changes are accompanied with a boost in horsepower, well, consider our interest piqued. Such is the case with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350, which, thanks to a number of improvements to its V-6 engine, makes 32 more horsepower than before, up to an even 300, and 8 more pound-feet of torque, now listed at 266. As with the 2008 model, a seven-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode operated via the shift lever or steering wheel paddles is the only transmission on the SLK350. The SLK also has a new steering rack across the entire range, which consists of the 355-hp SLK55 AMG and the re-christened 228-hp SLK300, née SLK280.

It’s Still a 3.5-Liter, But Not as We Know It

Underneath the hood, the updated “sports” engine is discerned by the red stripes on the engine cover. The 3.5-liter displacement is unchanged; in fact it’s almost the same engine as before. The power increase comes from an increased compression ratio of 11.7:1 (up from 10.7:1) and 7200-rpm redline, an improvement of 1000 revs. The compression ratio is achieved simply with newly designed pistons, but the extra revs required even more changes. A new, single-stage intake manifold made out of plastic improves airflow at higher rpm. Lighter valves with sodium-filled valve stems and conical valve springs also help the high-rpm performance. Finally, the timing chain sprocket has a slightly triangular geometry to reduce vibrations above 6300 rpm. A new air filter design has changed the engine tone to sound more aggressive even though the exhaust is unchanged. The last SLK350 we tested—back when it was available with a manual—did 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. The 2009 SLK350 has a slightly taller final-drive ratio, but the horsepower increase should be good for a 0-to-60 sprint close to 5.1 seconds. That’s just a couple of ticks behind the Porsche Boxster S, which starts at $56,560 for a 2008 model, or $6285 more than a 2008 SLK350. Mercedes claims the pricing will be similar when the ’09 goes on sale in May.

Direct Steering With a Variable Ratio. Huh?

Besides similar acceleration times to the Porsche, the 2009 SLK now has a similar steering rack as well, and this is a good thing considering Porsche’s reputation for excellent steering. Mercedes calls it the direct-steer system, and it works by using a variable-ratio steering rack. At the center of the rack, which corresponds to small movements of the steering wheel, the ratio is lower, or more indirect. As the steering angle increases, so does the steering ratio, so less input is needed to turn the wheels at extreme angles. The result is good straight-line stability combined with easy maneuverability in sharp corners.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Ford Escape Limited V-6 4WD Review

Tested: 2008 Ford Escape Limited V-6 4WD - Short Take Road Tests

BY JARED GALL,

April 2007

You can run, you can hide, but you won’t escape much of anything in the 2008 Ford Escape Limited.

Ford’s Escape launched in 2001 amid questions of whether a Ford sport-utility could survive with a name that only started with an “E” and not the full “Ex.” Perhaps its small size granted it special liberties—if it was about half the size of an Expedition, maybe it only had to plead allegiance to half the naming rule?

Even without that critical second letter, the Escape promptly tied with its Mazda Tribute twin for first place in a comparison test and went on to become the bestselling vehicle in its segment, a position it held for several years.

The small sport-ute segment is rapidly evolving, though, and for 2008, Ford is giving the Escape a face lift. It is still the same old Escape underneath, but with a new look—or a new face on the old look. The Escape’s new face will be instantly familiar to anyone who has seen a Ford SUV in the past decade.

For the Escape, that means cleaner sides and a new nose. A higher, more smoothly chamfered beltline over a barren rocker—less plastic cladding—adds visual height to the side view. A scaled-down, squared-off version of the trapezoidal grille and a power-bulge hood from the Explorer and Expedition mean that each of Ford’s SUVs is as unique as any wiener in a pack of Ball Park franks.

Room Enough for Lurch, Donk, Sasquatch, and Michael Clarke Duncan

Back in 2001, we praised the Escape for its spaciousness, commanding seating position, and class-leading performance. We were pleased with the retention of two of those three attributes. The interior of the Escape is as roomy as ever in both rows, with plenty of space for those in the 99th percentile in both height and circumference. Only when the Escape is packed with the circus tall in the cheap seats will an indulgent driver or front-seat passenger tempt blows from the rear. Behind the second row, there are 29 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Limited—only available with the V-6 and all-wheel drive—Escape we tested comes fitted with leather seats. The Limited Luxury package adds seat heaters and dual-zone climate control for $795. We found all seats—with the usual exception of the rear-middle one—to be comfortable, although none offers any substantial lateral support. Full-size adults in the second row might find that seat too upright for long stints.

The rest of the interior is finished in black plastics of various textures and glosses. Whereas the Escape mimes Ford’s larger utes on the outside, inside it has its own look. The dash and the door panels are molded from a material that falls somewhere between luxurious soft touch and el cheapo hollow hard stock, meaning your elbow won’t sink into the armrest, but at least bumps aren’t going to set off your funny bone or crack the center-console lid.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Aston Martin DBS

Spied: 2008 Aston Martin DBS - Car News

BY STEVE SILER,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFAN BALDAUF

October 2006

Casino Royale star promises 500+ horsepower.

With its completely exposed powder blue paint shimmering in the sun, the 2008 Aston Martin DBS has been caught while testing both on public roads and the track. While its official debut is set for the Geneva auto show in March, the concept’s lack of disguise previews not just the car we’ll get here late next year, but also the look of the new James Bond hero car seen in Casino Royale starting mid-November. Interestingly, the DBS is the first James Bond Aston to be seen in one of the James Bond movies before it has officially been launched.

0610_astdbrs9_245Not surprisingly, Aston Martin officials were relatively mum on specific modifications to the DB9-based supercoupe other than what we can all see by looking at it—specifically, a deeper air dam, larger side vents, larger wheels and aerodynamic modifications all around—but they did confirm a significant increase in the V-12’s power output and a commensurate increase in overall performance capability. Just to mess with us, it seems, Aston Martin slapped the prototypes caught by photographers with “DBRS9” badges, leading many editorial outlets to mislabel the vehicle as the DBRS9, the name of a DB9-based racer that is not, and never will be, street legal. This vehicle, however, is in fact going to be called DBS.

With the Vanquish discontinued after 2006, the DBS becomes the performance flagship of the Aston Martin line. A convertible DBS is “doubtful,” Aston Martin says.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Cadillac STS V-6

First Drive: 2008 - Cadillac STS V-6

BY JARED GALL,

May 2007

Cadillac’s mid-cycle refresh of the STS doesn’t include a 16-cylinder engine, but it gets a much-improved V-6, anyway.

When we first reported on Cadillac’s refreshed 2008 STS from the New York auto show, we quoted the new base engine—a 3.6-liter DOHC direct-injection V-6—at 298 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. Since then, four more of each have been found, bringing the totals to 302 and 272, respectively.

That’s just 18 fewer ponies than in the optional 4.6-liter Northstar V-8, and the V-6 model will likely cost some $9000 less. Nine grand for 18 horsepower!? That rivals some of the deals you’ll find on Shelby Mustangs.

More Power, More Refinement, More mpg, More Gears

We are strong advocates of increasing power in all engines, but this is not an issue we take lightly. Engines cannot be merely stronger; we also prefer them to be smooth and considerate. In this, the STS delights, being noticeably more powerful—up 47 horsepower and 20 pound-feet on the powerplant it replaces—as well as higher revving (7000 rpm versus 6700), better sounding, and marginally more fuel efficient. All that on regular fuel, too.

Attached to that new engine is the six-speed automatic from the STS V-8. Combined with the more powerful 3.6, the duo is good for 0-to-60-mph sprints in a claimed 6.5 seconds, a projection we consider fully doable after our first contact with the car.

As we mentioned in our New York coverage, the 2008 STS receives a new grille inspired by the Sixteen concept. Elsewhere, the exterior is all jeweled up with chrome door handles and trunklid trim plus fender “air extractors” that don’t function since air can’t pass through solid plastic. They look nice, anyway.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

BMW 5-series Review

First Drive: 2008 BMW 5-series

BY JARED GALL,

May 2007

BMW has made small improvements throughout the 5-series, but the real news is not the relocated window switches. It’s the revised six-cylinder engines. That’s why we were summoned to Las Vegas to take our turn behind the wheel of each new model (528i and 535i), as well as the mechanically unchanged 550i and M5. To read more about the mini-Gumball-like rally, click here. To read about the cars and engines, you’re already in the right place.

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six powering the 535i is the headliner of this mid-cycle makeover, a massive improvement of 45 horsepower and 80 pound-feet of torque over the engine it replaces. In the 335i, we found this engine to be a smooth and torquey dream.

Shouldered with a couple hundred extra pounds in the 5-series, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter’s delights are only slightly diminished. After driving all varieties of the 5-series, this is the car that was unanimously voted the best buy. The 200-pound weight saving over the more powerful 550i results in a car that feels more balanced, with a sportier feel and greater willingness to engage and conquer corners on the roads snaking down toward Death Valley’s floor, 282 feet below sea level. Even better, the 535i should be good for scampering to 60 mph in the mid-to-high-five-second range, nearly running with the far more expensive 550i.

As delightful as the engine and ride are, the car is not perfect. Although nicely weighted, the schizophrenic steering is curiously twitchy and numb just off-center. Once the car is bent into a turn, confidence builds, but when traveling in a straight line, the 535i nervously feints after every irregularity in the road. Placing the car near the outside stripe on the pavement takes more faith than it should. This, of course, is a problem present in all 5-series models, regardless of engine choice.

An additional steering problem you can now buy from BMW is an unexpected vibration in the steering wheel, like driving over a mild rumble strip. Consider it the preamble to a rumble strip, as that vibration is the tactile feedback from the lane-departure warning system, a solution that doesn’t alert your friends to your woozy driving but is far more unsettling. We’re about as happy to see this option in the 5-series as we were when that headache iDrive first came out.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Ford Taurus Review

2008 Ford Taurus - Auto Shows

BY STEVE SILER AND MIKE DUSHANE,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY SEELHORST February 2007

If you follow such minutia (or read all 80 pages of our Detroit auto show coverage), you probably already know that the Ford Five Hundred is slated to get a Fusion-style, three-chrome-slat grille and a 260-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 for 2008.

It also shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that the Five Hundred name has garnered precisely zero brand equity in its three years on the market. Blame it on the car’s inadequate power, its lack of competitive safety features, or its utterly forgettable styling.

You might also know that the Taurus, which was once America’s best-selling car, is now out of production after years of neglect and sales that dropped in direct proportion to the number of times Ford cost-cutters said “Put off those Taurus updates for another year.”

The obvious solution (even to people with a marketing degree, apparently) is to ditch the Five Hundred nameplate and revive the Taurus designation for Ford’s big sedan. Why didn’t we think of that? We’re not going to be too hard on ourselves, as Ford itself apparently got this bright idea after it had already introduced the vehicle as the 2008 Five Hundred at the Detroit auto show in January of 2007.

The only problem with this name shuffling is that long-time Taurus buyers may be confused by the re-badged Five Hundred, as it’s a much bigger and more expensive car. But what do we know, Ford has confirmed that it won't de-content the Taurus and chop its $24k price to be competitive with the smaller Toyota Camry and Honda Accord which start around $20,000 for four-cylinder models.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)