92-99 Mercedes 300se 400se 400sel 500sel S420 S500 Front Hood Emblem Logo Badge on 2040-parts.com

Camaro, Mustang, Challenger set for modern pony-car war

Forty summers ago was a magical time for performance-car enthusiasts--specifically for fans of high-horsepower pony cars. The summer of 1969 broke with Detroit in a high-octane horsepower war among the Big Three automakers. With the carmakers trying to outmuscle one another, the winners were the customers.

Mercedes AMG C 63 price & specs – costs from £59,795

Mercedes AMG C 63 price & specs – costs from £59,795 The pinnacle of the new Mercedes C-Class range – the Mercedes-AMG C 63 – had a reveal last month ahead of its public debut in Paris (and got a new name, with ‘AMG’ hyphenated with Mercedes and in front of the ‘C 63′ bit instead of after) and it’s now gone on sale priced from £59,795 for the C 63 Saloon to £67,745 for the C 63 S Estate. Power comes from a new 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 developing 469bhp in the C 63 and a more potent 503bhp in the C 63 S, with 0-62mph times of 4.1 seconds for the C 63 (0.1 slower in the estate) and a modest 0.1 quicker in the C 63 S. Not surprisingly, the C63 gets a more than adequate spec including Nappa Leather AMG sports seats, COMAND, mechanical locking rear diff, dynamic engine mounts, unique tracks front and back, upgraded AMG brakes, quad tailpipes, new front wings to cover the wider track, rear spoiler and 18″ alloys.

Toyota says quake-hit plants escape major structural damage

Toyota Motor Corp. has released the first damage report for its northern Japanese factories in the region hammered by Friday's massive earthquake, saying some equipment and fixtures will need repairs but that the plants sustained no major structural harm. For days after the quake, Toyota had trouble contacting it plants in the northern Japan quake zone, making it difficult to assess their status.