Long rumored, the new “Gullwing” is finally here. Officially dubbed the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, the ‘Gullwing’ name still fits. It has those doors that have been copied by every wanna-be tuner as well as folks like Briklin and DeLorean. And since it’s a Mercedes it’s been engineered and designed to within an inch of what Stuttgart thinks a Gullwing for 2010 should be designed and engineered like.

The quick thumbnail sketch works like this: aluminum spaceframe body with gullwing doors, AMG 6.3-liter V8 cranking out 571 hp, dry sump lubrication, seven-speed semi-auto dual-clutch transmission hanging in a transaxle out back and a aluminum double wishbone sports suspension. All that will add up to quite a car, because Mercedes wouldn’t let it be anything else (now would they). Continue Reading…

It looks like Mercedes Benz is really going ahead with its plans to have hybrids and eco-friendly cars across its entire product range. And here’s a prime example of that: the Mercedes S500 Vision Plug-in Hybrid. Yup, that would be a top of the line S-Class that’s not just a hybrid, but a plug in hybrid at that. Rolled out at this years Frankfurt Auto Show, the S500 Vision Plug-in Hybrid aims to let you have the green-cred of a hybrid, along with all the luxury of a Mercedes S-Class.

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Dunno, maybe I’m jus going soft in the head, too many exhaust fumes or something, but the idea of AMG dumping the majority of its parts catalogue into a wagon strikes me as a great, if somewhat insane, idea. Wagons are so utilitarian and boring. Wagons are the reason why the minivan exists and why SUV sales went through the roof. If you were being logical, and you needed a ride to haul the kids and the dogs and the groceries, you’d have a wagon. But logic can leave rather quickly when it comes to buying cars. Why do you think people buy SUVs? Are there that many people who live at the end of logging roads? No, there are not.

And speaking of a complete lack of logic, check out the upcoming Mercedes-Benz E-Class, E63 AMG Wagon.

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Brabus isn’t messing around when it comes to making ultra-powerful modified cars, mainly from Mercedes. Just a few days after we heard about the Brabus SV12, they give us the E V12 - an ultra-powerful version of the Mercedes E-Class. So powerful in fact, they’re calling it “The World’s Most Powerful High-Performance Sedan.” I don’t doubt that for a minute, considering the specs.

The Brabus E V12 is powered by a twin-turbo V12 engine producing 788 horsepower and 1,047 lb-ft of torque. This is enough for a 0-62 mph time of only 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of over 230 mph (electronically limited to 217 mph.) For a sedan, that’s insanely fast. Hell, for anything, that’s insanely fast. The 6.3-liter V12 engine - called the SV12 R Biturbo 800 - was created by Brabus specifically for this car. Although the engine produces an insane 1,047 lb-ft of torque, that number is limited to 811 lb-ft in the car, surely to save to tires from complete destruction at every stop light. Continue Reading…

Here’s some more heavy German iron set to roll out at the upcoming Frankfurt show: The BRABUS SV12 R. Brabus calls it “The Fastest and Most Powerful Office on Wheels in the World” and with 750 hp, 995 lb-ft of torque on tap and a terminal velocity of 211 mph, I’m not going to start arguing with them.

Essentially the German tuning firm took a Mercedes-Benz S 600 and threw their catalogue at it … and their engineers, aerodynamicists and stylists for that matter and came up with what the well-healed German businessman should be using to get from Frankfurt to Cologne faster than their Gulfstream jet.

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Not that I’m in the habit of selling used cars via this site, but you’ve got to check this out. There’s a really fun site out there called Bring A Trailer. They seem to be serious, old-school sportscar guys with a fetish for old track cars, Alfas and obscure British marques.

Recently they have an add for a Mercedes station wagon that gets the full on AMG Hammer treatment. Clearly, I’m not the sort that is likely to sing the praises of a station wagon (shudder), but when there’s a wagon out there that puts this much power to the ground, and it’s going for not all that much money (hopefully), I’m will to expand my horizons a little.

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