2006 Subaru Impreza Wrx Factory Shifter on 2040-parts.com

Maybach reaches end of the line

Daimler AG is set to announce the closure of its Maybach ultra luxury brand this weekend, according to reports. The underperforming 57 and 62 limousines are to be killed off in 2013, following a decision from chairman Dieter Zetsche who has elected not to invest in their respective replacements for 2014. Following a concept car preview at the 1997 Tokyo motor show, Maybach was resurrected in 2002 after Daimler AG failed to purchase either Rolls-Royce or Bentley from then owners, Vickers.

Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe video promo

Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe video below Mercedes has produced a new video promoting the C63 AMG Black Series, complete with the latest Track Pack & Aerodynamic Pack on show. The new Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe may not have been given Mercedes’ latest V8 powerplant – the 5.5 litre bi-turbo – but it does a sterling job of propelling Mercedes titivated rep-mobile at great speed towards the horizon, with its 6.2 litre V8 capable of getting to 60mph in a shade over 4 seconds. Just in case you might think that driving round in a C63 AMG Black Series Coupe isn’t shouting loudly enough to your friends and neighbours that you’ve shelled out more than three times the price of an entry-level C-Class Coupe, Mercedes has thoughtfully offered a couple of options for the C63 Black Series – the Track Pack and Aerodynamic Pack – that will leave no one in any doubt that your particular C-Class is a cut above the rest.

NHTSA proposes rules for automakers to add sound to hybrids, EVs

Automakers would need to make hybrids and electric vehicles emit sound under rules that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed on Monday. The rules, ordered by Congress three years ago, are meant to protect pedestrians and bicyclists from vehicles that make little sound when using electric power. NHTSA says that designing the vehicles to make noise at speeds below 18 mph would prevent about 2,800 injuries over the life of each model year of vehicles.