Brabus Monoblock light-alloy wheels are amongst the most popular aftermarket wheels for owners of Mercedes-Benz and Maybach. Not only do they differentiate themselves with exclusive designs and top quality, but with a series of new Monoblocks, they give customers a variety of options to customize their favorite Benz. The Brabus Monoblock F, G and Q Wheels are not just visually appealing, but are built with quality material and state-of-the-art technology. Monoblock F – the name stands for the new sporty Brabus platinum edition forged wheels with a diameter of 21 inches. The design features offset cross spokes that extend all the way to the outer flange of the rim, making them appear even larger than they already are. Another new forged wheel in the Brabus program is the Brabus Monoblock G wheel. Five striking double-spokes that extend all the way to the outer flange and a novel finish in a combination of titanium-look matte anthracite-colored paint and polished surfaces. State-of-the-art casting technology and four coats of paint in OEM quality characterize the new Brabus Monoblock Q wheels, available in diameters ranging from 18 to 22 inches. Check out the entire gallery Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it. BRABUS Monoblock F BRABUS Monoblock F – the name stands for the new sporty BRABUS PLATINUM EDITION forged wheels with a diameter of 21 inches. The design features offset cross spokes that extend all the way to the outer flange of the rim, making them appear even larger than they already are. The brushed surface adds a special flair as do the two signets cut into the flange that rear ‘BRABUS’ and ‘GESCHMIEDET’ (German for: forged). By using high-tech forging technology BRABUS ensures that Monoblock F wheels are especially light and yet extremely strong. Compared to a cast wheel of the same size they are up to 15 percent lighter. The Monoblock F wheels in sizes 9Jx21 and 10.5Jx21 can be mounted on the Mercedes CL-, GL-, GLK-, M-, R- and S-Class models. BRABUS Monoblock G Another new forged wheel in the BRABUS program is the BRABUS Monoblock G wheel. Five striking double-spokes that extend all the way to the outer flange and a novel finish in a combination of titanium-look matte anthracite-colored...

From the “You’ve got to be kidding” files comes word (actually via FoMoCo) about a woman who was driving near Yellowstone Park and hit a BISON with her shiny new Ford Fusion and lived to tell about it. Not only did she live, but she was so impressed with the Fusion’s sturdiness, she bought another one as a replacement. OK, so here’s the short version: Maureen Edgerton, 51, of West Yellowstone, Mt., was driving home on the night of April 11, when she unwittingly drove her 2007 Ford Fusion into a herd of bison. She was doing 55 MPH, even thought the highway was snowbound at the time, killed several of the migrating brutes and walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. Related Ms. Edgerton, “The crash was like a war scene. By the time it was over the hood was smashed in, the mirrors were ripped from the doors and the windshield was shattered, but the interior of the car wasn’t affected whatsoever. And the car was still running and not leaking fluid. Not even the tires were deflated. Everyone who came to the scene asked ‘what kind of car is this?’ because they couldn’t believe it was possible to walk away from such a crash,” Yeah, I bet they were. Shoot, I was shaking my head just reading the subject line of Ford’s press release. Bison, also commonly known as the American buffalo, are enormous brutes. Most people have only seen them in pictures, but I’ve been up close and personal with them on more than one occasion, actually even touched one once. They’re roughly six feet tall and ten feet long and weigh more than a ton; roughly the size and weight of a Mazda Miata, only with a bad disposition and short curved horns. Not only are they big and imposing, they can get plenty mean if crossed: “Bison are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors to the various U.S. and Canadian National Parks, especially Yellowstone National Park. Although they are not carnivorous, they will attack humans if provoked. They appear slow because of their lethargic movements, but they can easily outrun humans—they have been observed running as fast as 35 miles per hour (56.3 km/h) per hour. Between 1978 and 1992, nearly five times as many people in Yellowstone National Park were killed or injured...

How much money does Honda lose on each hybrid? $0.00. That’s how much Honda loses on each hybrid it sells. In fact, the other day I read that both Honda and Toyota make about a $3,000 profit on each hybrid sold. Of course, that doesn’t include all R&D costs, especially on Honda’s hybrids since Honda hasn’t sold nearly as many hybrid cars as Toyota. Now that Toyota has sold well over a million hybrids, however, development costs have probably been recovered. Yet, not one US automaker has a solid Insight or Prius contender. When will they? Ever? Within the next five years I’d bet gas prices will be about $3.00 – $4.00 per gallon, a price that could make hybrid cars like the Insight and Prius two of the top selling vehicles in America. What will the Big 3 have? Original post: But hybrids aren’t profitable……

Here at The Unofficial Audi Blog , we strive to be a premiere blog of information and news for Audi enthusiasts. We scour the web to bring you resources and help you connect with other Audi fans. If you like to participate in online discussions and forums, you may want to check out the AudiForums.com website. We love that everything and anything Audi-related is discussed. For those that enjoy Audi eye candy, there’s a photo gallery where you can upload and share your own photos of Audi cars. Another website to discuss all things Audi is Audi-Forums.com . This forum boasts over 39,000 Audi enthusiasts with over 17,000 discussions going on. Here is the original:  For the Audi Enthusiast: Audi Forums

For years, manufacturers such as Lexus, Acura, and Cadillac have tried to beat, or at least take some share away from the BMW 3-Series’ firm grip on the luxury sports sedan/coupe market. None, however have come as close as the Infiniti G35. Some say the G35 even surpassed the 3-Series. I for one loved the G35 Coupe. Fun to drive, great handling, great looking, and the best exhaust note this side of $60K. But when BMW hit back with the 335i, Infiniti had to come up with something even better – and they did. For 2008, Infiniti released the G37 Coupe. Styling similar to the G35 Sedan which was (at the time) recently redesigned, the G37 contains a larger 3.7-liter version of the excellent V6 powerplant which powered the previous model. Now sporting a naturally aspirated 330hp, Infiniti is back in the game. We had the Infiniti G37x Coupe – the “x” means that it’s equipped with Infiniti’s Intelligent AWD system. The system keeps the car in RWD until it senses slip, which will allow it to send up to 50% of its power to the front wheels. Our G37x was fully-loaded, equipped with the $1,150 Technology Package, $3,000 Premium Package, $2,200 Navigation Package, $330 illuminated kick plates, and the $1,650 upgraded 18-inch wheels. The Premium package added stuff like a moonroof, upgraded audio, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and Bluetooth, while the Tech package adds Adaptive Cruise Control, Adaptive front lighting, and front pre-crash seat belts. The Navigation package included a hard drive-based nav system, voice recognition, rear back-up camera, and a 9.3-GB hard drive music system. New for 2009 Not much was changed for the 2009 model, except for the addition of a seven-speed automatic transmission which replaces last year’s five-speed. Infiniti has also incorporated their new self-healing clearcoat paint to the G37. Don’t go around keying your G37, but the claim is that small scratches in the clearcoat (not the base coat underneath) will heal themselves after a day or two, which will keep your car’s finish nice and clean over time and eliminate those pesky hairline scratches found in all cars a few years old. You might want to contact Nissan about what type of polish to use and how to wash the car as...

Amid all the financial chaos and apocalyptic overtones at General Motors, Chevy has decided to revive the Corvette Grand Sport. Once a fabled Corvette racecar from the early 1960s briefly revived in the 90s, the Grand Sport adds another high performance option to the Corvette spectrum alongside the ZO6 and the damn impressive ZR1. The new Grand Sport seems to be a real performer and a much bigger deal that Chevy’s 1996 Grand Sport, which was little more than special paint and trim (although I did auto-X against a guy that had a ‘96 GS, and he sure was tough to keep up with). The new Grand Sport package replaces the Z51 handling package option, and aims to give the standard Vette more of a handling advantage, bringing performance closer to the Z06. The car is ready for the track, Chevy claims, with goodies like a dry sump oiling system, differential cooler, Z06-sized brakes and a rear mounted battery. Curiously, or one might say troubling for a track oriented car, the GS is available with either a manual or automatic tranny. Then again, is there a car that GM WON’T put a slush box in? I swear, Americans … anyway, on manual tranny Grand Sports, there are revised gear ratios, and automatic cars get a revised rear axle ratio. Chevy says that a Grand Sport can corner at 1.0 g’s, and is 0.2 seconds quicker to 60 mph than a standard Vette. Both of which are quite believable … Vettes have been pulling g’s like that since the Gen 4 cars. The Grand Sport visually stands out from other, run of the mill Corvettes, with wider front and rear fenders, housing wider rubber wrapped around unique 18 inch front, and 19 inch rear wheels. Other tip offs are the Z06-style front splitter, rear spoiler and functional brake ducts. Another neat feature will be two racing chevron stripes on the left front fender. This was a feature on the 1960 vintage GSs, and something that I’ve always found pretty cool. Basically speaking, the Grand Sport package keeps the more aggressive suspension feel and performance of the Z51 package, but also gives you a name that is dear to Corvette fans as well as a defined, and pretty bitchin’ appearance. The Grand Sport is available in convertible or coupe with the nifty removable roof. The Z06, you’ll...

It just can’t help GM? If you hate GM, then you probably don’t think much of the Chevy Volt . In fact, you might even call it an unrealistic hype machine into which GM has sunk far too much money. That’s the argument the Washington Post makes today , and I have to admit, it’s a pretty persuasive argument. For instance, the article points to numerous analyses, including some done by President Obama’s auto task force, that indicate the economics simply don’t make sense for a vehicle like the Volt. Thus, how can the Volt help GM’s bottom line? For example, even with $4.00 gas, it would still take, minimally, six years for the the Volt to recover its costs compared to today’s Toyota Prius . And, that’s assuming the Volt will only cost $30,000 after huge government tax credits and subsidies. Even at such a cost, it would still take far longer for many other Volt owners to recover their costs compared to a Prius. Thus, this Post editorial suggests pulling the plug on the Volt, and I couldn’t disagree more. I have long argued that the Volt should never have been an excuse not to develop a Prius-contender. Perhaps GM’s lithium-powered BAS hybrid system can fill this void, but cheap quality hybrids will be a necessity for any automaker in the very near future. Fortunately, GM’s billion dollar investment into the Volt could help produce such cheap hybrid vehicles , aside from the Volt. Because much of GM’s Volt investment has been centered around one core technology, lithium-ion batteries, GM could conceivably parlay this knowledge into many different types of hybrid and electric vehicles. Hence, to call GM’s Volt venture a waste that helped lead to bankruptcy and a loss of corporate reputation is pure nonsense. I’ve seen GM’s battery labs. I’ve seen GM’s virtual design center. These two elements alone could make GM’s Volt investment worth the cost, even if the Volt itself is another decade away from any sort of real world, cost-effective impact. Nonetheless, the Volt cannot save GM in the next decade. However, that does not mean the plug should be pulled on the Volt. Instead, it means GM needs to utilize the massive amount of intelligence gleaned from the Volt...

If you’re in the market for the recently introduced Mercedes E63 AMG, the company has just alerted us they’ve launched a new web special dedicated to the model. Borrowing from the success noted by a number of adult websites, the E63 AMG webspecial centers around a university theme (in this case, the E63 AMG University), with visitors having the option to view galleries, technical information and yes, take a test about the model. Unfortunately, one feature typically found on university websites that isn’t available in E63 U is a 24-hour all-access spy-cam into the dorms, but then again, watching two E63′s shower together isn’t really that exciting anyway. View original here:  Mercedes AMG Launches New Mercedes E63 AMG Web Special

If you have been looking around for just the right aftermarket parts to set your new Dodge Challenger apart from the crowd then SEIBON’s Carbon Fiber OEM style parts will do the trick.  SEIBON has available a full array of aftermarket OEM style carbon fiber parts for 2008-09 Dodge Challenger owners including a trunk, rear spoiler, front … Continued here: SEIBON Carbon Fiber Parts for 2008-09 Dodge Challengers

Following up on our recent post about BMW’s M versions of their X5 and X6, the Bavarians have seen fit to tell us what they’ll cost. The short answer, unexpectedly, is: A lot. But more than that, how BMW prices something like this tells us something about their target market, and where they see future sales (and potentially company viability) and company direction. “When the X5 M and X6 M go on sale this fall as 2010 model vehicles, they will retail for $86,225 and $89,725 respectively (including $825 Destination & Handling).” OK, so essentially 86 and 90 large for these guys, that’s the bottom line. And quite the bottom line it is. Plug in 80 – 90 thousand dollars as the price bracket in Craig’s List and see what kind of cars you come up with. Then ask yourself, ‘Would I rather have the sport version of BMW’s SUV, or would I rather have a Ferrari 360- Mint condition – $87500 2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS – $84655 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Sport Utility 4D – $89999 2008 Porsche 911 S Cabriolet – $81988 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible – $89995 (Although I got to say that $90K for a Challenger is nuts). See what I’m getting at? Yes, I know, comparing a new car to a used car, price-wise, might not be all that fare, but c’mon, a BMW X6 M or a Ferrari 360? Exactly. What this does point to, is that BMW thinks there’s enough (more than enough, actually) buyers out there that will plunk down the equivalent of the down payment on a house for the sport version of an SUV. And really, who am I to argue, I’m sure they have whole buildings full of marketing guys that have crunched the numbers on this and figured out that at the end of a given fiscal year, BMW will make money on the whole deal. And yeah, insert the usual old saws about “fools and money” and “sucker born every minute” sort of things, but honestly, $86,225 and $89,725? For what? You want something SUV-like, nice view of the road, AWD, lots of room? Why not buy a Jeep on an Envoy or some such for half that price, and then sink the remainder into something like a good used 911 or an NSX? Maybe I’m in the wrong business. Maybe car sales aren’t that bad of a way to go,...

Will it make GM stronger, smarter? The other day I read that 2 out of 3 Americans want GM and Chrysler to go into bankruptcy? Why? To punish the UAW? Bondholders? Corporate boards and executives? All of the above? Ultimately, do Americans believe that bankruptcy will make these automakers stronger? Or, do they hope they will simply just disappear? Even if these companies successfully emerge from bankruptcy, does it change your opinion about their new vehicles, particularly autos like the Chevy Volt ? See the rest here: Why do you want bankruptcy for GM and Chrysler?

As you may remember, about a month ago we brought you the details of a special concept vehicle known simply as the F-Cell Roadster. Inspired by the legendary Benz patent motor car and featuring design traits of modern F1 race cars, the F-Cell’s 1.2 kW hybrid drive allows the model to reach a top speed of 15 mph and achieve an operating range of 217 miles. Over the weekend, the F-Cell Roadster took to the road, completing a portion of the historic route once traveled by Bertha Benz – a journey that has since been recognized as the first long distance journey in an automobile. Specifically, the F-Cell Roadster started in Manheim, where it was then driven via Ladenburg and Heidelberg before passing its symbolic finish line at the chemist’s shop in Wiesloch – the location where Bertha Benz stopped to refuel in 1888. View original post here: Mercedes-Benz F-Cell Roadster Retraces The Path Of Bertha Benz

Do you have a 2008 Highlander hybrid? 39,100 Toyota Highlanders, including some hybrids, need to have an exhaust clamp repaired. Notices should be arriving in May, but if you bought your Highlander hybrid in 2008, you might want to give Toyota a buzz. Owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. See more here: Toyota Highlander hybrid recall

Talk about something to brag to your friends about. This June, Gotham Dream Cars – an exotic car rental company – is offering their first ever “Legends Dream Car Tour” in the New York area. The company, which normally offers exotic car rental services and group drives (much like World Class Driving ,) struck a deal with legendary Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni. The “Legends” tour will have four total sessions over two days (June 9 & 10, 2009.) The drive will cost a hefty $1495 per driver, but how many other chances will you have to drive with Valentino Balboni? Participants will get four hours total to pilot five cars, 20-30 minutes each. The cars will consist of a Lamborghini LP 560-4 Spyder, Gallardo Spyder, Murcielago, Murcielago LP 640 Roadster, and one other. It would be a very cool idea on this special occasion to offer a couple of classic Lambos to drive, such as the Diablo, Countach, or Miura. Along with the drive, you’ll get breakfast (or lunch, depending on the session,) a meet and greet with Valentino, and some time riding shotgun with Mr. Balboni (and probably scaring the crap out of you.) There are only 40 spots available, so head over to the Gotham Dream Car Tour website and register. © Gearhead Media – Please visit Automoblog.net for more great content. Originally posted here:  Drive a Lamborghini with Valentino Balboni

Over on Ebay I was browsing through the Dodge Challenger section and I came upon a rare one of sorts, Challenger #006 off the line.  The 2008 Challenger SRT8 is the sixth car off the line with tons of documentation to prove it.  The Challenger SRT8 was actually won by a Chrysler employee in a charity raffle.  The car was picked up with … See more here: Ebay: 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 #006 Up For Auction