Thursday, May 31, 2012

Automotive Addicts

Automotive Addicts

MotorTrend Compares The Mercedes C250 And BMW 328i: Video

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:30 PM PDT


If you're shopping for a German luxury sport sedan on a relatively tight budget, and you prefer new cars to used, chances are very good that you'll be cross-shopping the BMW 328i against the Mercedes-Benz C250. Both are comparable in size and price, and both now derive power from turbocharged four cylinder engines.

The BMW gets a 2.0-liter four, rated at 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. This helps the car sprint from 0-60 mph in just 5.6 seconds, yet it still manages to return 36 mpg on the highway. The Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, makes due with a 1.8-liter four, good for 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. That's still enough to propel it from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds, while returning up to 31 mpg on the highway.

While these numbers serve as reference points, the real value of a sport sedan comes from feel. How it communicates to the driver in a corner is, to some degree, even more important than how fast it accelerates off a stop light. Factor in the luxury aspect, and driver comfort becomes equally important.

There's a clear winner in this comparison, and there's really no surprise which car comes out on top. It's worth pointing out that the BMW 328i is all new, while the Mercedes-Benz was last updated in 2007. A new C-Class model is under development, so a comparison between the new 3 Series and the new C-Class may be a closer dogfight.

BMW To Offer Manual Transmission On New M6

Posted: 30 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT


Some automotive purists cannot be convinced of the idea that dual-clutch transmissions or other variations of automated manual gearboxes are better than the traditional three-pedal manual stick-shift. BMW happens to be one of the rare performance and luxury vehicle manufacturers (aham… "driving machine makers") in American that still understands this. BMW understands it so well that they offer a manual gearbox for most of their car lineup, and will reportedly do the same with the new 2013 and 2014 BMW M6.

The new 2013 BMW M5 already offers a 6-speed manual gearbox and the new M6 will follow suit possibly for the 2013 and 2014 model years. Enthusiasts in American will rejoice as BMW keeps hope alive with the effort to save the manuals. Contrary to the matter, BMW is allegedly attempting to convince its executives to lobby for a broader acceptance for automatics. Until that lobbing becomes successful, give me the manual option please!

Second Earthquake Shutters Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini

Posted: 30 May 2012 06:33 AM PDT


Ferrari's 458 Italia Spider. Image: Ferrari

A second earthquake hit Italy's Modena province on Tuesday morning, killing at least 15 people, destroying buildings and damaging infrastructure. The quake, which measured 5.8 in magnitude, struck at 9:00 a.m. local time and was followed by aftershocks as strong as 5.6.

While automakers Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini escaped factory damage in the quake, all three halted operations so that employees could join their families. As Autoweek reports, all three automakers are expected to resume production today.

Motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, also based in the region, was closed following Tuesday's quake as well. It's expected that the Volkswagen Group's latest acquisition will resume production today, too.

The second quake was centered near the towns of Cavezzo, Medolla and Mirandola, but was felt as far away as Tuscany and Umbria. While Italy suffers some 2,000 earthquakes annually, temblors of this magnitude in northern Italy are a rare occurrence.
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