Launched in 1993 as a replacement for the highly successful 190 range, the C-Class has become one of Mercedes’ main three nameplates, along with the E-Class and the flagship S-Class. Although the C-Class name was first used in 1993 with the launch of the W202 generation, Mercedes considers the 190 sedan as part of the C-Class family history and includes its sales in the total. This is why total deliveries of the C-Class are stand at 10 million units since 1982, when the 190 launched. Of the total amount, more than 2.3 million units are from the current generation C-Class (W204) – sedans, estates and coupes altogether. The sedan is preferred by customers in the U.S., South Africa and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), while the estate has great success in Europe and among business customers. As for the coupe, Mercedes-Benz says it tops the registration lists in virtually all markets, including the U.S., Germany and China. “The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a global success story. Sales of over 10 million C-Class cars speak for themselves. Launched as the ‘Baby Benz’, it is now one of the most popular cars in the premium segment,” said Dr Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president sales and marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. Starting next year, Mercedes will begin production of the fourth-generation C-Class, which will be the first model to be built on four continents: Europe (Bremen, Germany), Africa (East London, South Africa), Asia (Beijing, China) and North America (Tuscaloosa, USA).
As one of the prime markets for exotic supercars and luxury vehicles in general, the oil-rich parts of the Middle East often see high-end tuners vying for the attention of buyers looking to individualize their rides. Germany's DMC may be a fairly new competitor in this rather crowded segment, but it has certainly caught our eye with creations like the Ferrari F12berlinetta SPIA program that forms the base for a new package dubbed the Middle East Edition. One of the highlights of the tuning program is the exclusive matte yellow color, which is real paint and not simply a foil wrap, with a matte black strip running across the top of the Italian supercar. You also get DMC's carbon fiber body kit with a front lip spoiler, extended side skirts, rear diffuser and boot lid spoiler, plus a carbon fiber vented hood and roof scoop, new alloy wheels (21-inches up front and 22-inches at the back), available smoked lights and new tailpipes for the titanium exhaust that gives the car 24 extra horsepower, for a total of 754 hp (764PS) While no photos of the interior were released, the German tuner says that it offers a number of upgrades for the cabin, ranging from new buttons and a re-done steering wheel to a complete makeover.
Luxury and sports car tuning brand Vorsteiner today whisked the covers off the McLaren MP4-VX, which is a fancy name for a new styling and wheel package. Originally teased back in February this year, Vorsteiner's sporting goods for the British mid-engine supercar include a carbon fiber aero kit with a new front bumper featuring a lip spoiler, a rear bumper with a diffuser, and four-piece skirt blades, two of which attach directly to the doors. The tuner emphasizes the fact that all aero components "utilize existing factory mounting hardware and each piece is 100% reversible if the vehicle ever needs to be returned back to its stock form". Completing the MP4-VX program is the company's latest one-piece aluminum forged alloy wheel set with 20-inch rims shod in 245/25/20 tires up front and 21-inch rims housed in 325/30/21 performance rubber at the back.
While not a full-blown tuner itself, Miami-based wheel specialist Vossen, known to the masses mainly for its concave-design rims, gets all sorts of cars in its hands to be fitted with its alloy goods. When that happens and the vehicle in question is special enough, it also takes some artsy photos to share with the world. That's the case with this purple-accent Nissan 370Z Coupe riding on the brand's 20-inch VVSCV4 wheels finished in a bespoke two-tone color theme that matches the rest of the car. Now, while Vossen doesn't provide any other details on the Nissan model, we believe it's fitted with the 370 Vestito aero kit from Japanese tuner Amuse, which consists of a front bumper, side steps, rear bumper, rear wing and front fender trims. We've seen online prices for the aforementioned package (sans the vented hood) starting from about $3,700, excluding painting, mounting and delivery fees, while the 20-inch rims from Vossen can be had from roughly around $2,400 for a set of four. This particular tune also included a customized interior and a high end audio system setup.
Seeing the mostly positive reactions to its Ferrari F12berlinetta "Spia" program, German aftermarket specialist DMC has released a similar cosmetic and performance treatment for the 458 Spider named the "Elegante". DMC starts with the body of the Italian exotic that gains a prominent lip splitter, a new vented hood painted in black, extended side skirts, a blade rear wing, along with carbon fiber mirrors, front wings, rear diffuser and fog light covers. The Elegante rides on 21-inch wheels shod in Pirelli high-performance tires size 255/30 on the front axle, and 22-inch rims in tires size 335/25 on the rear, with DMC offering buyers a wide choice of colors for the forged alloy wheels. For the interior, DMC says it has several options ranging from a redesigned steering wheel and carbon fiber buttons, to a fully re-done cabin from top to bottom. On the performance front, the German company developed a new ECU, which along with the sports stainless steel exhaust system, push output from 570PS (562hp) to 608PS (600hp) and 568Nm (419 lb-ft), with the finishing touch coming from the new sport springs for the suspension.
Honda has revealed the limited-edition Honda Factory Performance (HFP) package for the Accord Coupe V6. The package goes on sale today at select Honda dealers across the United States. Identical to the version shown at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas (except for the flashy showcar colors), the HFP package gives the Honda Accord Coupe a more sporty appearance and distinctive styling cues. On the outside, the HFP package adds 19-inch alloy wheels, a decklid spoiler, front, side and rear underbody spoilers plus HPF badges for each side and the trunk. Interior touches include red illumination and HFP floor mats. Honda says handling is enhanced due to the HFP sport suspension that lowers the ride height by 15 mm (0.6 in). As the HFP is a Honda Genuine Accessory, it comes with a 3-year/36,000 mile (57,936 km) limited warranty when installed on a new vehicle. Honda will only sell 500 units of the 2013 Accord Coupe V6 with the limited-edition HFP package. The price of the package is $4,620 (€3,517), but it doesn’t include installation. Honda says the package was thoroughly tested, with Honda Performance Development (HPD) conducting back-to-back track testing of the Accord Coupe V6 in stock and HFP forms. According to HPD, the Accord with the HFP package including sport and 19-inch summer tires “felt more confident and stable” and was therefore faster on track than the stock car.
Lincoln must be one of the most harshly critiqued brands in recent times; from the stigma of being too closely aligned to Ford's mainstream products to its polarizing design language. Either way, critics have been rather vocal about what direction the company should head - if any at all. Criticisms should be squarely leveled at those PAG-era (Premier Auto Group) directors who thought acquiring European prestige brands would yield great benefits - of which never transpired. This meant Lincoln was left to flounder while resources were directed towards Volvo, Jaguar, Range Rover and Aston Martin. Today PAG is gone - dissected and sold off, which means Lincoln now has the Blue-Oval's full attention, resources and determination to see the brand prosper. Spearheading this newfound vigor is the new MKZ mid-size luxury sedan; it's one of the first models to distance itself from Ford's siblings and makes for an unique design statement amongst the competition. At this stage, there is only a sedan offering, however what if there were enough demand for an MKZ Coupe? What form would it take, and how would it be positioned in the marketplace? Well I'd like to offer one illustrated option in form of this candy-red offering below. Now, elegant as the regular MKZ sedan appears, it's received mixed feedback due to its low, twin-winged grill and narrow headlights. For this two-door study, particular attention has been focused on addressing those criticisms. For example, the front-end pays homage to Lincoln's more recent MKC crossover concept (revealed earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show), with its raised, broader frontal grill and wider headlights. While the hood retains its current proportions, the mid-section has been shortened to emphasize the coupe stance without resembling a land yacht. Other changes to the mid-section are the scalloped, lower chrome sill insertions lifted from the MKC Concept and unique rear quarter glass. The latter has a raised kink before the chrome-work angles sharply back over the heavy C-Pillar - this has been incorporated to distinguish itself from its sedan stablemate and for a stronger emphasis towards the rear haunches. Rear-end changes have been kept fairly minimal with exception of an reshaped trunk lid and reworked tail lights, whilst the rear glass tapers further inward at the base of the C-Pillars. Inside the already svelte MKZ cabin, attention would ideally be paid towards improving materials and ergonomics (cue a better MyLincoln Touch infotainment system) with special consideration targeted at rear seat passenger comfort and access. Primarily this proposal is strictly a 2+2 seat configuration, however the MKZ's CD4 base should allow for a third rear seat if there were a demand for it. Power and drive-train options would carry over from the sedan; so cue the Ford family 2.0L GTDI I-4 EcoBoost, 3.7L TI-VCT V6 and for this study - the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine. These coupled to a 6-speed auto, powering through all four wheels would provide good road manners and stability. Of course, a front wheel drive alternative would also be an option for those who prefer understeering into the oblivion. Suspension upgrades would mimic the change in body configuration with adjustments to damper and roll-bar settings (hopefully to lessen the floaty ride found in the sedan). Competition? Well in terms of local opponents, there is little on the market as of yet; however Cadillac are currently working on an ATS coupe variant which, while not a direct challenger, could serve as one of Lincoln's rivals. Of course there is also the Infiniti Q60 Coupe, Lexus IS (in development), and the established trio of german upmarket offerings from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Any potential on sale date would be at least 2015 at the earliest with Lincoln yet to confirm this segment entrant.
It’s not only Porsche itself that is celebrating the 911's 50th anniversary this year, as a number of tuners have also jumped in on the festive bandwagon. Germany's Cam-Shaft says it's honoring the nameplate's golden anniversary with the release of a special package for the 997-generation (built from 2005 through 2011) 911 Turbo. The highlight, as you can see for yourself in these pictures, is a new retro-style, Gulf Oil foil wrap that will cost you €2,800 (US$3,600) in Germany, plus another €700 (US$900) if you want the full treatment covering the door-sills and visible edges around the boot, hood etc. In the performance department, Cam-Shaft has borrowed Dortmund tuner 9ff's power package that introduces a new sports exhaust system, a larger intercooler, special air-filter, and modified electronics to push output of the 3.6-liter turbo boxer engine from 473hp (480PS) and 620Nm (457 lb·ft) of torque, to 641hp (650PS) and 800Nm (590 lb-ft) respectively. As a result, 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) now comes in 3.8 seconds, 100 to 200 km/h (62mph-124mph) in 6.0 seconds and 100 to 300 km/h (62mph-186mph) in 20.3 seconds. A height adjustable suspension system from Bilstein and a new set of OZ-Ultralegera lightweight rims, along with the option of upgraded bucket seats, complete Cam-Shaft's offerings for the 997 Turbo.
I guess everything has to come to an end, and that's the case for the BMW M3 E92 Coupe, the very last example of which rolled off the assembly line today at the Bavarian firm's plant in Regensburg, Germany. While the related E93 M3 Convertible will continue to be manufactured alongside the regular 3 Series Sedan, Coupe and Convertible at the same factory for a few more months until this September, this is the last time we'll see the famed "M3" badge used on a two-door model. You see, BMW has split its compact executive model's offerings into two different nameplates, with the more family orientated cars keeping the "3-Series" badge, and the sportier looking vehicles like the Coupe and Convertible adopting the brand-new 4-Series moniker. We will see a new M3 in the future, but it will be a four-door sedan model. The patriarch of the M3 family, the four-cylinder E30 generation model, was introduced in 1986 originally as a coupe (there was also a limited run and now highly collectible convertible version). It was followed up by the six-cylinder E36 M3 in 1993, which is the least desirable (and arguably, the softest) of all M3s, and the E46 generation in 2000, which many consider if not the best M3, certainly second after the original. Unveiled in 2007, the E9X generation M3 (E90 Sedan, E92 Coupe and E93 Convertible) was the first V8-powered model in the series. The Coupe was by far the most successful, with BMW delivering more than 40,000 examples worldwide. The sedan M3 added close to 10,000 units to the total, while just under 16,000 units of the convertible edition have been built to date. Over the six years the E9X M3 remained in production, BMW introduced a handful of special edition models including the GTS Coupe, fitted with a bigger and more powerful at 444HP (450PS) 4.4-liter V8, bespoke chassis components and aerodynamic measures, plus a two-seat cockpit, of which only 135 examples were made. Even rarer is the M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) that joined the fray in 2011 in a limited run of 67 units. The Sedan model was powered by the GTS' 444HP (450PS) 4.4-liter V8 and boasted exclusively manufactured lightweight components. To celebrate the triple success of the brand's DTM comeback after winning the drivers’, team and manufacturers’ titles, BMW also launched a limited-run M3 DTM Champion Edition. A grand total of 54 cars were made, one for each DTM race victory notched up by BMW between 1987 and 2012. The story of the M3 Coupe (and Convertible) will continue with the new M4 series that will also mark the return of the straight-six engine to the range, albeit with two, or according to some accounts, three turbochargers.
The Porsche Cayman S is no longer a car for those who could not afford a 911, as you can specify it to match and even surpass its bigger brother in terms of pricing. I mean, the example MotorTrend magazine tested costs a whopping $101,200, apparently because it had a few options each worth “seven grand.” Still, it is explained that can enjoy this car, even if all you specify is the PDK gearbox and the sports exhaust system. Starting at $64,750, it definitely makes a lot more sense, especially since you’ll never get the money you paid for options back when it comes time to sell it on (if you don’t decide to pass it on to your grand-kids, which would be understandable, since everybody seems to like this car a lot). It is argued that with 325-horsepower, and its engine mounted in the middle, it is not “overburdened” with excessive amounts of power and therefore is more of an old-style sports car (a bit along the lines of the Toyota GT-86). In addition, like the Japanese car, some criticize it for the lack of low-down torque, despite having a claimed figure of 272 lb-ft (370 Nm) and a relatively low overall weight. If you don’t have the cash to afford this one now, you can look for a second hand model within a few years’ time – if it’s built like Porsches should be, then you won’t really notice it having had a former owner, and you can always get one of those ‘new car smell’ air fresheners to complete the experience.
With a starting MSRP of a shade under $200,000 in the U.S. and €190,000 in its home market of Germany, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in Coupe and Roadster body styles is positioned in the mid-price range of exotic sports cars. Now, being that Germany's finest car manufacturers are on a mission to cover every single niche, no matter how big or small it is, one shouldn't be the least surprised to learn that Merc's AMG division has set its eyes on the entry-level premium sports car category with a new model priced at around (possibly even under) the $100,000 mark. In this segment, you'll find cars like the Porsche 911 (starts at $84,300) and Audi R8 (begins at $114,900), as well as the upcoming higher-performance versions of the Corvette Stingray and Jaguar F-Type Coupe. The SLS AMG's smaller and more affordable sibling will be named the SLC AMG and it will go on sale in 2015, according to our latest intel. Mercedes has already circulated development photos of the low and wide SLC AMG, which won’t come with gullwing doors in order to reduce costs. To get a better look at the new AMG model, David Kiss from TopSpeed rendered the SLC using spy photos as well as the SLS AMG as a template, since the two cars will share a number of family styling traits. The exclusively two-seater model will ride on a modified front-mid-engine platform sourced from the SLS AMG, with a shorter wheelbase and overall length. It will also be lighter than its bigger brother, while engine choices are believed to include up to three turbocharged V8 powerplants delivering from around 450hp to well over 500hp in the Black Series edition, and possibly an entry level turbocharged V6.
Here's another update from the man who will be directing the fourth movie of the Transformers franchise. Michael Bay revealed that the impressive Pagani Huayra will be part of the robot-cast joining the likes of other supercars such as the Bugatti Veyron and Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, as well as more down-to-earth sports cars, including the new 2014 Corvette Stingray. From what we see and understand, Bay plans to keep us up to date on the vehicles that will form the Autobot and Decepticon armies with a constant flow of releases on his personal blog. Talking about Bay's website, the 48-year old director also addressed rumors regarding the name of the Transformers 4 film. "There are rumors flying around from various media sites about the title of the next Transformers," Bay said. "I wanted you to hear from me directly that we have not yet chosen a title and anything being reported is absolutely not true. When we have a title to announce, I promise you will hear it from me first."
