Italian Compromise

2012 Pagani Huayra (U.S. Spec)

Huayra fans rejoice! Horacio has decided to respect the regulations set by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and spend $5.7 Million on an advanced airbag system. What does this mean? Well, the Huayra won't be here 'til 2013. But, at least it will be making sales here, in the glorious United States of America. It seems that there are changing winds these season.

A New Wind has Come

2012 Pagani Huayra (U.S. Spec)

Some say that due to an airbag fault, it wouldn't arrive here til 2015, and that the equipment inside it was deemed unsafe by U.S. Regulations. All we know is, it's here, it's been approved by the U.S., and they're accepting pre-orders. Pagani's newest supercar, the C9 Huayra, has officially arrived in the U.S. The car made it's official North American debut here in Pasadena, California, at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Why bring Pagani over here? Well, the CEO, founder & owner of the automaker, Horacio Pagani, said that it wasn't for the lack of customers over in Europe. Trust me; there have been many wealthy Americans who've always wanted to add a Pagani to their collection, but unlike most supercars, Pagani isn't in a rush to expand its market. Also, unlike most supercars, the Pagani considers the Huayra a very sophisticated car. So, customers won't only get their supercar. They'll also receive super attention, service, and pampering, all of which the staff is ready to provide. Of course, this means customers won't receive their cars for a while, even after models start selling at the end of 2012. Horacio says that customers must be attended to before orders from new markets can be handled. As of now though, the car is in huge demand in North America, and outside of the continent, so let's see if this works for Pagani. As for the car, each customer will be overjoyed when they receive their copy of this fantastic looking car. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged 730 horsepower AMG V12 engine. Pagani say it will do 0 to 60 in 3.0 seconds flat on its way to a top speed of 230 MPH. Sounds quick, but is it better than it's closest rival from Lamborghini: the Aventador LP700-4? We'll just have to find out.

Black Merc

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series Coupe

For a while now, I've described the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (coupe or sedan) as one of the sickest performance vehicles to ever come out of the skunkworks at AMG. So, if that's true, then the more powerful, much faster, C63 AMG Black Series, must be ultimately sick. Well, when I say that, I mean angry. That 6.2-liter AMG V8 produces 510 horsepower and will do 0 to 60 in just 4.2 seconds. That's as fast as a Jaguar XKR-S. Top speed: some sites say the car is limited to 155 MPH, but in reality, this car will do over 190 MPH. What makes this car better than the Jag is that it looks so much cooler, even though it looks mad, it uses less power but is faster than the Jag which should be good at the pumps, and it'll be less expensive than the Jag when it goes on sale early next year. So it might be a little greener than the Jag, but that doesn't mean it isn't at all angry. Below is the sound capture done by Road & Track of the car taken at the Nürburgring when it was first unveiled. Just by listening to the heavy 6.2-liter V8, you'll be certain that this car will eat Toyota Prius's, Honda Insights, G-Wizs, or any other slow electrical nonsense that it could come across.

Back in Black

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series

First there was the CLK63 AMG Black Series, which Jeremy Clarkson liked very much. Then, the crater-smashing SL65 AMG Black Series came along, which Jeremy liked as well, except for its ride and price. Now, there's this: the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series, and this is as good as it gets. Will Jezza like this one? Well, rumor has it that the car produces 517 horsepower out of its updated 6.2-liter AMG V8 engine. It also will do 0 to 60 in, say, 4.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 190 MPH. So, it has more power than the CLK63, accelerates almost as fast as the SL65, but, as for top speed, it's right in the middle. As you may recall, Jezza drove the standard C63 AMG Sedan in Spain while comparing it to the BMW M3 E92 and the Audi RS4. That car came in second. Now, with this new Black-ified version of the AMG coupe, it's rivals include the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, Audi RS5, and, once again, the BMW M3 E92. Will it do better? Let's find out.

The Teenage TransHelper

2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series

You see this? This is a rather beautiful Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series. This was one of Jeremy Clarkson's favorite cars because of the power, the balance, and the looks. This could even be the official Teenage Transporter car if we can help out. You see, Claudia Hefner, the owner of the car, was recently divorced with her daughter sick in the hospital. Now, she's throwing away all of her husband's belongings. She read my blog and thought maybe I can help purchase this rather magnificent Merc. She wants to sell it to me for $19,993 and she wants me to act fast. I really want to help, because she wants to use the money for the car to save her daughter who has come down with some disease in which she can't describe. We gotta help her out! If we can, I promise I'll provide something extra special for everyone! Maybe a free upcoming racing game? Or some Mercedes-Benz swag from Mercedes-Benz themselves? Anything! We just need to help her out! Please press the yellow button on the top and donate! She will be very grateful!

Maybach is Finally a Failure

2011 Maybach 57

So it's been quite some time, but Daimler, the company behind Mercedes-Benz, finally realize that their high-end luxury brand Maybach is sort of a failure. Let's be honest, it's not the best looking luxury Limo on the planet, and as for the asking price, it's just about outrageous! Still, there are some business tycoons and celebraties that love the brand and want it to stay. So, now it's all up to Daimler. They currently have three options open. 1. Aston Martin has decided to help improve the Maybach brand by putting in their take of luxury and power into their cars, if they choose to. 2. Maybach could become a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz itself. It'll be like AMG, only at a degree of high-end luxury and not high-end performance. 3. Daimler might be forced to kill the brand altogether leaving some wealthy tycoons at a loss. As for me, I really don't care what they do. Maybach hasn't really being enticing to me from the start. If I were to become rich & famous and needed a high-end luxury car, I would get either Mercedes-Benz S600, Rolls-Royce Phantom, or Bentley Mulsanne and hire a driver. Or, better yet, I would get a BMW 760Li M-Sport, Aston Martin Rapide, Maserati Quattroporte GTS, or even a Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG and just drive myself to work since I love driving.

Less wings, More flings

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. Fresh off the presses in Stuttgart, Germany, say hello to the all-new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster. As you can see the iconic gullwings have been replaced with the exciting droptop amenities with the themes of freedom and excitement all integrated into that AMG steering wheel. Since it now lives, the SLS AMG Roadster has been proclaimed the most powerful non-turbo V8 droptop in the world with the same 6.2-liter 563 horsepower AMG V8 engine, a new 0 to 60 time of 3.9 seconds, and a top speed (with the top down) of 195 MPH (197 with the cloth top up). The car might of lost its top, but it hasn't lost its spirit. It's still crazy around corners, and when it comes to noise, it will blow everything out of the water. No prices have been announced yet, but expect them to be in the $200,000 as this thing launches this fall with a worldwide debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.

The Teenage Transporter: Gaming Update

2010 Pagani Zonda R (Trackmania United Forever)

Things are about to get exciting in the racing game world. First, there are some exclusive DLC cars that are available for TDU 2 players across the globe including two iconic classics from Dodge and Lancia, two modern day monsters from Mercedes-Benz and Chevy, and a cop car from Dodge. Then, I've decided to give away a free game to all of my followers, if I can get 300 of them. The game is known as Trackmania United Forever. Right now, you can buy it for $40 and that doesn't include the insanely-created mod cars that you can get with it. But, I'll give you the game plus over 500 extra cars if you're interested. That's a $99 value, all absolutely free. Trust me. There's nothing you can't do with this game. Just hit up my Facebook page and click on the big LIKE button on the top if you want it. Check out the video below to see all the stuff I've mentioned plus the free game.

Mad Merc to the Rescue!!

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Emergency Medical Concept

Make way!! The Emergency Medical Vehicle is coming in, and does it look hot today! Mercedes-Benz has just announced that they will ship an SLS AMG to the EMT service in Germany. The one-off emergency supercar will include some traditional livery, an emergency light bar, and some of the latest communications technology. Of course, any EMT will feel right at home with something fast. Let's not forget that this is the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 car in the world with a 6.2-liter 563 horsepower AMG V8 engine. It will do 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 198 MPH. So, if you're stuck in a can or are in a serious medical condition, don't worry! The SLS is on the job!

Droptop Merc

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

So, the SLS AMG Roadster wasn't at the New York Auto Show. That's alright, because the car is already set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Even before then, Mercedes plan to reveal the car worldwide this summer. Everything you love about the regular SLS AMG is in the roadster, except the gullwing doors. The 6.2-liter 563 horsepower V8 engine's still there. The formula one-styled interior is there as well. The 0 to 60 time might be slightly slower as the roadster will gain some weight. But, ideally, you'll have more fun in this car since it's a droptop. As for the price, expect it to go up as the roadster gathers some extra features that the regular hardtop doesn't have. But still, who wouldn't want the most powerful non-turbo V8 roadster in the world? Probably Alan Sugar, who only loves old man soup and old Rolls-Royce's. Check out my Facebook page for more photos.

Sick Just Turned Black

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe (NYIAS)

You've seen this car in commercials before. It's one of the sickest things to ever come out of Stuttgart: the C63 AMG Coupe. I got an in-depth look at it at NYIAS, and I must say, it looks absolutely, sick! Anyway, this is just the regular AMG Coupe. Later this year, Mercedes will be releasing the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. Yes, the Black label is back and has chosen something sick to be its carrier. You may remember the CLK63 AMG Black was one of the best AMG cars to come out with a brilliant engine and tight handling. After that car came the SL65 AMG Black which proved to be the most powerful AMG models to come out with 738 lb.-ft. of torque and 661 horsepower. Now, the Black has chosen the C63 AMG Coupe to keep the AMG Madness alive. Rumor has it that the new C63 Black will receive a more powerful 6.2-liter AMG V8 engine producing 500 horsepower. Other features include a lowered ride height, a new, wider bodykit, and new rear spoiler. Color choices will be limited to 5, with black and white being the first mentioned. So if you're in for some sick, and are thinking about buying an AMG car, the C63 AMG Black is coming, so get your wallet ready.

Gulf Superior

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gulf Edition

Who said the Ford GT had to be the only supercar to wear the Gulf livery? Mercedes was there during olden racing days, so it deserves a chance. This week at New York, Mercedes-Benz unveiled their premiere silver arrow, the SLS AMG, wearing a very unique Gulf Livery. It might not be as fast the Ford GT, but with the livery on, it just looks better. Besides, it is more powerful than the GT with the 6.2-liter un-Supercharged 563 horsepower V8 engine out-revving the GT's 5.4-liter Supercharged cod. No prices have announced yet, but it would be cool to see this thing on sale.

[Source: Autoblog]

Tennis Power

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG with Roger Federer

More celebrity news today as I found this official pic from Mercedes-Benz of their new CLS63 AMG Coupe alongside Tennis World Champion Roger Federer. These two actually go hand-in-hand in someways. He's a Tennis prodigy with one of the fastest serving arms in the history of the game. The latter is one of the fastest four-door coupes on the planet with a 0 to 60 time of just 4.3 seconds and, with the limiter off, will give the Panamera Turbo a run for its money. He's a gorgeous looking man with a fan base of many, many girls. The latter is a gorgeous looking car, a revolution of the once sought evolution of sporty vehicles. Check out how the rest of the shoot went here.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

No Place to Hide

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster (Courtesy of Road & Track)

Here it is, everyone, almost completely uncovered! This is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, which might make its official debut in New York at the International Auto Show along with the C63 AMG Coupe. Road & Track caught this car in action already prepping for what might be its debut in the big Apple on a side-street. As you can see, since it's a roadster, the iconic Gullwing doors have been replaced with regular doors. But, thankfully, the power output remains the same: 563 horsepower from a 6.2-liter AMG V8 engine, the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in the world. 0 to 60 is done in just under 4.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 197 MPH. Since it's a roadster, expect it to be a little heavier than its hardtop brother. Also expect it to be much more expensive that its brother, up from $183,000 to about $196,000 to $200,000. So you can expect all of this in the all new Roadster. The only thing bothering me now is when this car will officially debut. AMG Boss Ola Källenius told me months ago that this will debut in Frankfurt, Germany at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, we get news that Mercedes-Benz will unveil two new AMG cars in New York. One of them is C63 AMG Coupe. The other must be this Roadster. Well, the only way to find out is to tune in April 23, where I will be at the NY Auto Show taking pictures and blogging about all the awesome stuff there.

[Source: Road & Track]

Mad Merc vs. Sweet Bike

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe

BMW M3s beware! There's a new kid on the block. The all new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe redefines sheer driving pleasure with raw power and speed. Under the hood of this Mad Merc is the remarkable 6.2-liter 451 horsepower V8 engine propelling the car from 0 to 60 in just 4.6 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. And since it's in coupe form, you can expect more crazy drifts and a much wider grin on your face when driving it. This is a fast car, but is it faster then, let's say, an italian superbike?

2011 Ducati 848 EVO

This is the Ducati 848 EVO, one of the greatest superbikes Ducati has ever created, right behind the 1198. Jason DiSalvo took it all the way to a victory at the Daytona 200 a couple weeks ago. A 140 horsepower Testastretta Engine powers this awesome bike all the way up to 160 MPH, about as fast as the Merc. So who would win in a race to the beach: the Steel Horse or the Mad Merc? Well, Mercedes experimented a bit by showing a commercial of who exactly does win such a race. It looks like their new-found relationship with Ducati does come in handy. Check out the race below.

Everyone Loves the Manual

2012 BMW M5 F10 Prototype (Courtesy of AutoBlog)

Look Out Mercedes and Jaguar! The BMW M5 is back, and its bringing more power with it. We're talkin about BMW's new 4.4-liter Twin-Turbocharged 600 horsepower V8 that has been tweaked from the insanely fast X5M. BMW says this car will do 0 to 60 in about 4.0 seconds on its way to a limited top speed 155 MPH. They also recently told me that the car will be available with a 6-speed manual shifter, which should make you manual fans happy. I personally prefer their 7-speed DSG because it's easier to use and shifts faster than the manual. Either manual or automatic, if you live in Europe and decide to buy the car there, you will be given the option of raising the limiter from 155 to about 190 MPH. That's faster than the limit on the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. Could this be the ultimate German sports saloon? We'll have to find out. The car is scheduled to make its official debut sometime this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Tune in then!

Mad Merc to the Rescue!!

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG F1 Safety Car

If you've watched Formula One races on SPEED or whatever channel you get them on, you might've seen this car come out either in the beginning of a race or when the caution flag flies out. This Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is the official Safety Car for the Formula One series. It has all the power and speed of the regular SLS, just with a fancy lightbar and some new rear lights. Former DTM driver Bernd Mayländer pilots this car, and it only comes out in times of need. It seems that AMG has become the significant Safety Team to Formula One racing. And now, they're team has just expanded.

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car

Introducing F1's new ambulance: the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate. When you find yourself in a fix during the Australian GP, this car will come to you in no time to see if you're okay. Hopefully, this car doesn't have to come out at all during the race. It is a good looking thing, but it's a medical car, which means it only comes out when there's been a terrible accident. Hopefully nothing like that happens this weekend. Anyway, look for the AMG F1 Safety Team doing work down under as the F1 season kicks off this weekend.

The World's Fastest Office

2012 Brabus 800 iBusiness 2.0

Some of you might've seen me post something about this car. That was only last year. Brabus has now decided to bring it back along with new tech and a much bigger engine. So welcome everyone, to the all new iBusiness 2.0, the world's most powerful and fastest office. What is it? It's a Mercedes-Benz S-Class that was been tweaked and tuned to be your workplace on the road. Under the hood is Brabus' own 6.3-liter Twin-Turbocharged 800 horsepower V12 engine producing 1,047lb.-ft. of torque. The result is a 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 219 MPH. That's electronically-limited. This car could reach 240 MPH if it wanted to. This is definitely the world's fastest office. It's rival, built by some engineer, had a top speed of 80 and broke down most of the time. Since this is German, and part of it was built by Mercedes-Benz themselves, it won't break down so easily. And inside, it really is an office.

Backseat View

A luxurious office, I should say. All the tech in the backseat is from Apple: the iPads, the iPods, the Video headrests, the TV screens, even the Mac Mini powering most of the technology in the car. All of this Apple stuff has been fine-tuned by Brabus so that the car and the tech are in sync while in work. How's this for an office; there are three iPads in the car. 3! Two in the back, and one in the front. And these aren't ordinary iPads. These are iPad 2's. Yep! So while you're on your to way to the airport or the conference center, you can have a little FaceTime chat with your co-worker or business partner, to make sure everything is in tact before you get there. And get this! Brabus have even created an app for each iPad 2 which allows you to control every bit of the Benz COMAND system, from the Radio to the Navigation System.

Front Seats View

Now, of course none of tech would be in sync if there was no internet. So, Brabus personally fitted the car with a Wi-Fi Network comprised of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and HDSPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) networking to wirelessly wire everything together. A 64GB iPod Touch is mounted in the rear center console and sends music through the Harmon/Kardon sound system or a pair of $500 Sennheiser Sound-Isolating Headphones, which can also be used to surf through 100 channels thanks to a built-in wireless DVBT (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial) TV Receiver.

Rear View

So, as you can see, this car was meant for the Trumps and the Hiltons and the Patels and the Jobs because it really does stand out. The iBusiness 2.0 Tech Package is available for every S-Class model, from the S350 BlueEffieciency to the S65 AMG. For the full package, which includes the 800 horsepower engine, you're gonna need either the S600 or the S65. Those are the only cars that will do the job. What is else is their to say? It's a fantastic car!

The M3 has Met it's Match...from Mercedes

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe

We've seen the new C-Class coupe. Now it's time for its much more powerful AMG relative to step up to the plate. So welcome everyone to the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe, a true M3 fighter. As you can see, it looks just like the new C63 sedan, only there are two fewer doors. The engine is the same Affalterbach''s 6.2-liter 451 horsepower V8 engine. 0 to 60 is done in 4.4 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. This model, in particular, is wearing the AMG Development Package which increases power from 451 to 481, the 0 to 60 from 4.4 to 4.3, and the top speed from 155 to 174. The M3 has always been hailed as the best sports saloon car of all time. Let's see it keep its title with a Mad Merc chasing after it. The C63 AMG Coupe will make its official debut in April at the New York Auto Show, and I will be there for all of the latest creations from Mercedes and the other manufacturers there. 

Brabus finally Get's It!

2012 Brabus 700 Biturbo

Ever since Brabus got a hold of the SLS AMG, they've respected it by only giving it a fair engine tune-up, a new body-kit, and very fashionable wheels. I know that sounds right, but Brabus has done much heavier stuff than that. For example, they took a regular C-Class, put in a Twin-Turbocharged V12 engine in it, and made it go all the way up to 220 MPH. Well, at Geneva, Brabus brought their SLS back, with a 700 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged 6.2-liter V8. That's the Brabus we know. Not only that. They've also fitted it with new exhaust manifolds, a new intake, and an entirely re-mapped exhaust system from the regular SLS. The engine is the same used in the regular SLS. Brabus just managed to put in two massive turbochargers in it, both spinning in the same direction. They've also fitted it with right-turning and left-turning exhaust for improved air-flow. All of this precise customization helps the SLS spread more fear to its competition with a 0 to 60 time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 213 MPH. And, once again, Brabus stands at the top of the tuner charts.