motor

We know that AMG, the high-performance wing at Mercedes-Benz, has a pretty good handle on engine tweaking—just look at its spring catalog. AMG offers up 14 models, each packing no fewer than eight cylinders and outputs ranging from 355 horsepower to a mind-boggling 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.

And although we've rarely knocked an AMG vehicle for lack of straight-line juice, neither have we been known to heap praise on the entire package, as it's been our experience that these souped-up cars are sometimes overweight and underperforming on the skidpad and during back-road boogies.

Now, lest you think we're making excuses for this new SLK55, AMG's least-powerful car, let us introduce a previously unused AMG performance trick: Mercedes' seven-speed automatic. The German automaker introduced this transmission for 2004, but until now the most powerful engine it was bolted to was the company's 302-hp, 5.0-liter V-8, so all AMG models had to rely on the five-speed automatic. So what are a couple more gear ratios going to do? Let us explain.

The previous-generation car, the SLK32 AMG, had a supercharged and intercooled 3.2-liter V-6 putting down 349 horsepower and 322 pound-feet of torque. The last one we tested ["Topless Toys," C/D, August 2001] weighed 3265 pounds, scampered to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and crossed the quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 110 mph. Now, the SLK55's 24-valve, 5.4-liter naturally aspirated

Despite this fact, the SLK55 outaccelerates its predecessor, ripping to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and clearing the quarter in the 12s—precisely, 12.7 seconds at 111 mph—largely because of improved gearing, not just power. Still not convinced? How about this: The 400-hp Corvette in a recent comparo ["It's-All-About-Me Roadsters," C/D, March 2005] outguns this SLK55 by 45 horsepower and 24 pound-feet of torque, and weighs 155 fewer pounds.

Yet the Vette ties the SLK at 4.3 seconds to 60 mph and loses the quarter-mile race by a 10th, 12.8 versus 12.7 seconds. And that was a six-speed manual Corvette, not the wimpy four-speed automatic. Or consider this: The SLK55 matches its big brother E55 from 0 to 60 mph—despite the E55's 469 supercharged horsepower propelling fewer pounds per pony—and is just 0.2 second slower through the quarter-mile.

Besides the overachieving numbers, acceleration runs are just so darn pleasing in the SLK55. Modulate the throttle for launch to produce an appropriate amount of wheelspin, and then hammer it—the rest is taken care of for you. With the closely spaced cogs, the engine is always kept in a sweet spot between 5000 rpm and the 6700-rpm redline; thus, acceleration is never peaky, just strong and constant, with upshifts executed nearly manual-tranny quick. Mercedes says AMG's modifications to the standard seven-speed netted 35-percent-faster shifts, and the tranny must swap ratios quickly since it has to shift twice before reaching 60 mph in the SLK55. Delayed reactions would spoil any increased performance from the enhanced gearing.

In the United States, the Mercedes-Benz C Class is the smallest vehicle offered by the luxury German automaker, but it is not what you would call an entry-level model. (In Canada, Mercedes offers the smaller B Class as its entry-level model). However, even as the company’s smallest offering, it packs plenty of power and features in and, like all Mercedes models, offers a drive that is among the best in the business.

The C300 has a starting price of $33,600, which is not bad considering what you get for that amount of coin. Despite this being the low-end of the Mercedes lineup, you still get every feature you would expect in a luxury car like Bluetooth, a six-disc and iPod-ready stereo, leather seats, an optional navigation system, power everything, dashboard data system, dual-zone climate control, and HID headlights. For the C300 4Matic, however, you have to add $3,500 to the price tag before you even look at options.

But that price also includes an upgrade to a 7-speed automatic transmission instead of the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Our 4Matic tester also added the Premium 1 Package that included heated seats, rain-sensing wipers, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and auto-dimming mirrors. That package adds $2,300 to the price, bringing the total damage to $40,595. Still, with all those features wrapped in a nice package, it certainly makes the C300 an attractive option.

And under that good-looking sheet metal lies a little beast raring to get going. The C300 is powered by a 228-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 engine that easily propels the sports sedan to highway speed and delivers a quick response when a little extra acceleration is called for to pass slower vehicles. The optional 7-speed gearbox on our tester was silky smooth, something we’ve come to expect testing other vehicles from the automaker.

What is also nice is that you can set the transmission to sport if you want even better response time. The handling on the C300 is also excellent, thanks to the multilink sports suspension. According to Mercedes, the suspension helps improve the driving experience by automatically varying the damping at each wheel as needed. Other modifications to the suspension ensure optimum response to vibration and enhancing the C300’s predictability when driven hard, according to the automaker. We’ll have to take them at their word on that one, since that is one thing we didn’t do. But for what we needed it for, the C300 was a pleasure to drive.

The C300’s design is in line with its power and agility. It features an aggressive exterior styling that is dominated by the large front chrome grille with the oversize Mercedes-Benz star as the centerpiece. It’s a look we really like from Mercedes-Benz, so we’re happy to see it on the C300.

The exterior is also highlighted by a front apron with mesh air intakes, a pair of sculpted, under-door rocker panels and a deep rear apron. Another nice touch are the newly streamlined side mirrors with integrated turn indicators, a sleek look that completes the vehicle’s flowing lines that run from the front grille to the rear, and is capped by polished-chrome tips on the exhaust pipes.

When it comes to wishes and desires then the vast difference of the two opposite sexes of the world, male and female.  If you start guessing the desires of a lady then there are 99% chances that you’ll get messed up with a long list but by looking for the same thing in men, you’ll notice that some of the wishes are common in all the males. A lavishing car, the first and foremost desire of every man of this world and when it comes to the youngsters then the wish for the car resides on having a fast and stylish sports car.
There are many people in the world who are just crazy for the ‘Boom Boom voice’ of the engine of sports car and when we start looking at the sports car4 of the world then many out-class models comes to the mind that have become famous for all times and despite of being old models, people are still crazy for them.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-25 Formula 1 car features a number of modifications in comparison to the previous MP4-24. It has a radical aerodynamic overhaul and a significantly larger fuel tank. The larger tank of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-25 Formula 1 car will help it take advantage of this year’s new regulations. The power of the new racer comes from Mercedes-Benz’s FO 108X V8 2.4 liters engine coupled with a seven speed gearbox.