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| 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan Exposed Without Any Camouflage Posted: 17 Nov 2013 09:31 AM PST  If you were unhappy with the low- quality leaked brochure shots of the all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, maybe we can help, as our spies pulled off a photo shoot of a naked example of the luxury German model while it was being filmed in the USA. The new C-Class, seen here wearing the optional AMG Styling package (again, not to be confused with the upcoming AMG 63 performance version), looks sleeker and more contemporary than the current model, blending the design DNA of the bigger (and more serious) S-Class and the smaller (and frumpier) CLA saloons in an intermediate (size) package. Mercedes has already divulged details and provided official photos of the interior, which raises the bar in terms of styling, and according to the company, quality as well. It also adds new or upgraded features ranging from the optional head-up display projecting info on speed limits, navigation and messages from DISTRONIC PLUS as a virtual image, to a fingertip controlled touch pad within the lower center console for the standard 7.0-inch or optional 8.4-inch color monitor placed on top of the center stack. One of the highlights of the next C-Class is the weight reduction, with Benz stating that the new aluminum hybrid body along with other measures has shaved around 100 kilograms (221 lbs) over its predecessor. Want more? There's also a new four-link front and five-link rear suspension with aluminum components, an optional Airmatic air suspension, which is a C-Class first, with the car gaining all of the available passive and active safety technology introduced on the S-Class and E-Class. Mercedes has been fairly quiet about the C-Class engine lineup, but aside from a rumored hybrid version(s), expect a familiar range of force-fed 4-cylinder and V6 gasoline and diesel units. Unless the Germans are plotting a surprise reveal in LA, we should get our first live look at the next C-Class at the 2014 Detroit International Auto Show in January. Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS                                |
| BMW Partner Restores 54-Year-Old Classic Mini to its Former New Glory Posted: 17 Nov 2013 08:48 AM PST  To mark the revival of Mini production in the Netherlands, the VDL Nedcar plant has restored a 54-year-old classic Mini that was one of the first examples assembled in the country. Located in Born, the former Mitsubishi plant will start manufacturing the all-new Mini hatch under contract starting next summer. The 1959 Austin Seven sporting production number 983 was unearthed last year in an old barn in Groningen, ravaged by the passage of time and as such an ideal candidate for the "reBorn" mission. Restoration work took six months. A few months after its launch in August 1959 as Morris Mini-Minor and Austin Seven, production of the classic Mini began in continental Europe at the Amersfoort-based firm J.J. Molenaar's Car Companies. More than 4,000 units were build there between 1959 and 1966 using components delivered from the United Kingdom. Only 30 cars were built in the first year in Amersfoort, and this Austin Seven is one of them. Mini says it may be the oldest example of the Dutch-built classic Mini currently in roadworthy condition and one of the oldest Minis anywhere in the world. The car spent almost 25 years hidden in an abode before being re-discovered and examined by BMW Group Netherlands employees. They quickly decided to restore it, helped by the certainty regarding its origins. The classic car's chassis and production numbers were easily identifiable and the seats were upholstered – in traditional Dutch style…using real horsehair. Five restoration experts from VDL Nedcar brought the 1959 Austin back to life, stripping it down to its bare bones before gradually piecing it back together again. The small 34 hp four-cylinder engine and the gearbox were given a total overhaul, while some body parts and the door panels had to be rebuilt by hand. By Dan Mihalascu                                                 |
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