![Face to giant face with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class [w/videos]](/gfx/noPic.png)
Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury Mercedes-Benz isn't a brand afraid to put on a show for any old reason at all - like, just because it's Tuesday - but the premiere of the 2014 S-Class, even by the standards we're used to, was Broadway-theater intense. Held at a purpose-built venue inside a hanger at the Airbus factory in Hamburg, the hours-long extravaganza was hosted by two German newscasters and guest-starred Alicia Keyes, an A380, fireworks, every model in the lineup in a choreographed driving routine while The Stig did donuts in an SLS AMG in the rain, and at the very end, burlesque. That's how much the S-Class means to this brand. What's it going to mean to the razor's edge of the mass-market large luxury sedan market? The exterior, that's ripe for debate. But the interior - well, it just hung a sign on the segment that read, "Achtung! This, meine Damen und Herren, is how it's done."Continue reading Face to giant face with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class [w/videos]Face to giant face with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Earnings/Financials, Fisker, Luxury Buying into a new, fledgling automaker is always a big risk - the early-adopter upside has the potential to be great, but the downside can look like the mother of all hangovers. Unsurprisingly, that's the unpleasant financial reality facing Fisker Karma owners as they look to unload their extended-range electric sedans while the company's future bleakens. We've been keeping tabs on used Karma prices on eBay Motors and other websites for some time now, and there's been a steady stream of the voluptuous sedans on offer since not long after they first became available. Early on, we initially chalked that up to speculators, but moved on to imagining disgruntled owners as more and more mechanical and electrical problems were brought to light. Now, however, there's a bumper crop of Fisker models on the used market, with NBC News and Business Insider reporting that pre-owned examples are trading for under half their six-digit MSRPs just one year ago. Around 2,500 Karmas were made, and eBay Motors is playing host to 26 of them alone as this piece is being written. Scan over to AOL Autos' listings, and there are 126 entries. For its part, the embattled startup has yet to declare bankruptcy, but it has laid off most of its employees and hired experts in the field suggesting they will soon. What's more, officials are looking to to recover as much of the $192 million in federal loans the company received, and despite some potential suitors sniffing around, no buyer for the company has emerged. No surprise, then, that Karma owners are looking to unload their models, likely fearing not only for their vehicles' resale values, but also the continued availability of parts and service. Question: If Karma prices continue to crater apace, how soon until shadetree mechanics follow the lead of Bob Lutz's VL Automotive Destino, which bins the Fisker's complex plug-in hybrid powertrain in favor of the supercharged LS9 V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1?Fisker Karma prices tanking on used market originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Dodge, Specialty After almost a year on the market it, it is becoming more clear to Dodge how customers like to option out their Darts, so the automaker has combined popular features into three special edition packages and sweetened the prices. Start with a standard 2013 Dart and add either the SXT or Limited "Special Editions" or Rallye Appearance Group, and you'll save yourself a lot of box checking. The $595 Dart SXT Special Edition takes the trim just above the base model and adds a new grille, dark-tinted headlights and projector fog lights, LED racetrack taillights, cruise control and audio controls on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Limited Special Edition starts with the top-end model and adds a power sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and Nappa leather seats among other features, for $1,810. The Rallye Appearance Group (pictured) is a package for the SXT, and it blacks out the front fascia, throws on 17-inch wheels and some badging for $395. The new special editions are reaching dealers now and could help the Dart's sales to further improve after a slow start. You can find out more about them in the press release below.Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart gets brace of new special edition models2013 Dodge Dart gets brace of new special edition models originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, BMW, Luxury Before we know it, the BMW 1 Series will be no more in the United States. Well, sort of. The current six-year-old coupe and convertible will be replaced by the fancy new 2 Series you see here, spotted completely uncovered during a photo shoot, with the 1 Series nomenclature being reserved for the hatchback and GT models that might not ever make it Stateside. The roofline of the new 2 Series doesn't appear to have to changed all that much from the current 1 Series coupe, but the front and rear fascias have indeed been smoothed out. (Truth time: As much as your author adores the 1 Series, he's always found its rear end to be, well, weird.) It looks good, seen here in M235i guise, with large wheels, slimmer headlamps and large air intakes on either side of the front fascia. The 2 Series is expected to come to the States, likely in M235i and 228i variants, though rumors suggest that we won't get a non-M 235i model. The M235i is expected to be powered by the N55 turbocharged inline-six that we currently enjoy in the 335i sedan, producing something like 320 horsepower. The 228i, unsurprisingly, should use the 2.0-liter turbo-four from the 328i, making around 240 hp. Both engines will almost certainly employ eight-speed automatic transmissions and six-speed manuals. Look for the new coupe to make its official debut in the coming months, with production scheduled to start in November.BMW 2 Series caught uncovered during shoot originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Honda will be returning to Formula One in 2015, confirming rumours which have been circulating since the Geneva show in March.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda is returning to Formula One racing in 2015, after a seven-year hiatus, as McLaren's engine partner, the Japanese carmaker said on Thursday.

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