Thursday, May 14, 2009

Picture Mercedes Benz E550 2008





Picture Mercedes Benz E550 2008
Can a $37,055 Dodge Charger SRT8 best the Mercedes E63 AMG in any contest born of speed, material, or gravitas? No. It costs, however, about 40 percent as much as the mighty Merc, and a good wheelman or -woman could make up much of the dynamic difference.
Even if it can’t quite keep up with the E63, though, the SRT8 will best most other cars in contests of speed. The Charger’s 370-cubic-inch Hemi produces 425 horsepower, enough for a 4.8-second 0-to-60 run and a top speed of 173 mph, besting the speed-limited AMG by 18 mph. Too bad there’s no American autobahn, but just in case you’ve christened your own, there are ginormous 14.2-inch Brembo brake rotors and four-piston calipers in the front to do battle with momentum.
If the SRT8 is a sharp handler, it’s because this American’s veins run with familiar German blood. Like the Chrysler 300C, it features a chassis lifted from the previous-generation E-class.
As you’d expect of an $86,125 sedan, the E63 AMG is really quite good at everything; technical director Larry Webster declared it “the best Mercedes sports sedan I've ever driven." Much of this has to do with the Benz’s techno-powerhouse 6.2-liter V-8 generating 507 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque—that’s 82 more horsepower than the SRT8 with just over 100cc more displacement. The E63’s engine alone, however, would cost 50 percent more than a Charger SRT8 if you bought a new one from your corner Mercedes shop.
You would have to be blind, deaf, without olfactory glands, and sans nerve endings to confuse the interiors of these two cars, but at least the SRT8 features seats with suede inserts to keep your butt planted during high-speed maneuvers. If you’re feeling a little self-conscious about driving a car from the same company that sells the Caliber, the SRT8’s $49,070 price advantage could buy you an aftermarket forced induction system to make up the horsepower differential, an interior upholstered with sheared beaver pelts for incomparable luxury, and all manner of chrome and billet bling to ensure proper valet placement.
All hip-hoppery aside, the Charger SRT8 blesses its user with speed, moves, and comfort far beyond its price tag. We’d drop the extra $50,000 on a down payment for a house, but if you have $86,125 to spend on a car, you probably juggle assets like we drown in debt.

Mercedes Benz E550 2007




Mercedes Benz E550 2007
We took this 2007 Mercedes-Benz E550 to the test track on July 13. It was a Thursday, and it began like any other day. Just as we always do, we arrived around 8 a.m., set up the ol' radar gun and began to make passes down California Speedway's new drag strip. No big deal, just another day earning the bacon.

Then it happened. The Benz reared back and blitzed the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds. Holy Stephen Hawking Batman, 13 seconds on Thursday the 13th. Kinda makes your skin crawl, doesn't it?

OK, so maybe it's not that weird. Alright, it's not weird at all. But a 13.5-second quarter-mile is freaky quick for a car in the luxury midsize segment. Just a few years ago, an E55 AMG accelerated at that rate and was one of the quickest sedans in the world. To use a technical term, the 2007 E550 hauls ass.

Mercedes Benz Cl 550 4 Matic 2009 Gallery




Mercedes Benz Cl 550 4 Matic 2009 Gallery
This summer, Mercedes-Benz will begin offering its 382-hp CL 550 with standard 4Matic all-wheel drive - the first time any large Mercedes coupe will get such a feature.
Giving the CL greater traction - and therefore better low-grip handling - the coupe's permanent 4Matic all-wheel drive system helps the CL appeal to snow-belt drivers by splitting torque between the front and rear axles at a 45/55 ratio. The CL's center differential uses a twin-plate clutch to manage the torque distribution between the front and rear axles.