The Mercedes-AMG G63 is About to Get Even More Outrageous

The Mercedes-AMG G63 is About to Get Even More Outrageous
The Cars 3 Trailer is Here and it’s Surprisingly Dark
Ford Takes Away a Silly Guinness World Record from Chevrolet
4 Cheap Ways to Prevent Pricey Problems with Your Car
Lamborghini Trademarks a New Badge for the Aventador
Top 10 Brands With the Best Car Buying Experience for 2016

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The next-generation Mercedes-AMG G63 has been caught on camera by spy photographers.

Earlier this year, spy photographers managed to catch the standard G-Class testing and now we have our first look at the high-performance AMG variant. Similar to the standard G-Class, the next-generation Mercedes-AMG G63 will be wider and lighter, looking nearly four inches wider than the current model. Although the German automaker won't be changing the design much since the G-Class is so iconic, you can expect it to shed quite a bit of weight. Rumor has it that the new G-Class will weigh as much as 881 pounds less than the outgoing model.

Although that number may sound a bit optimistic, keep in mind that the current G-Class has been mostly unchanged for nearly four decades, except for the new AMG models and the 4×4 and 6×6 variants. Expect the interior to receive several upgrades, including new technology borrowed from the E-Class.

The rugged SUV will likely continue to be produced by Magna Steyr in Austria, where the current model is built.

Discuss this story on our Mercedes-Benz Forum

The Cars 3 Trailer is Here and it’s Surprisingly Dark

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The first trailer for Cars 3 has been released.

Heading to theaters June 16, 2017, Disney/Pixar's Cars 3 promises that "everything will change," with the trailer previewing the legendary Lightning McQueen getting pushed out of the sport he loves. Reflecting real life in a way, the new film features a new generation of blazing-fast racers, forcing McQueen to employ the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, to get back in the game. Along with Ramirez, who has her own plan to win, McQueen will get inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet to prove that number-95 isn't through just yet.

Cars 3 is directed by Brian Fee, storyboard artist for Cars and Cars 2, and produced by Kevin Reher, who was responsible for A Bug's Life and the La Luna short.

Ford Takes Away a Silly Guinness World Record from Chevrolet

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Ford and Chevrolet continue to fight over world records.

Whether it's the Ford Mustang vs. the Chevrolet Camaro, or the F-150 vs. the Silverado, Ford and Chevrolet had been competing directly with one another for decades. In late September, Chevrolet set a Guinness World Record with a 40 x 80-foot flag pull at the Texas Motor Speedway, and now Ford has taken the record away.

The company took its all-new 2017 Ford F-450 Super Duty to Homestead-Miami Speedway, where it pulled a 45 x 92-foot U.S. flag over four laps on the 1.5-mile track.

Powered by a 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel V8 engine with 440 horsepower and 925 pound-feet of torque, the F-450 had to travel beyond the 328 feet (100 meters) previous record mark without the flag touching the ground. The pickup officially covered a verified distance of 360 feet (109 meters).

To make it all happen, Ford constructed 45-foot riggings from eyelet to eyelet to enable the F-450 a driving roll-out of the massiave flag. A team of 20 launched and retrieved the flag, ensuring it did not touch the ground.

Discuss this story on our Ford Forum

4 Cheap Ways to Prevent Pricey Problems with Your Car

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Are you stupid rich? Do you like writing big cheques?

Do you enjoy having money fights with your rich pals? Do you smile while watching your savings go up in smoke faster than a Samsung Smartphone? Does shoveling your hard-earned cash into the pockets of your local dealer service centre, or mechanic, make you happy?

If you answered "no" to any and all of the above (we're sure you did), be sure to read on for a selection of tips and tricks that pertain to your ride, and can help avert big-dollar problems, on the cheap. After all, saving money makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and sometimes, saving money on car repairs is a really easy thing to do, when you keep some preemptive maintenance tips in mind.

Here's a look at some proven ways to spend a little bit of money now, in order to prevent spending a lot of money (and dealing with a lot of hassle), later.

#1: Use a Battery Trickle Charger

Mazda CX-9 Battery

Your newer vehicle is full of electronics that are all fancy, and also hard on your ride's battery. What's more, those battery-sucking electronics are ultra-fussy about having a just-right amount of supplied voltage, to do their jobs properly.

Numerous systems, like your ride's alarm, ECU, smart key, and multimedia interface can all draw from the battery, even while your ride is turned off. A whackload of common electronics issues, and especially the really frustrating ones that'll make you Russian-level angry, can be caused by a battery that's low on charge. This is even more likely if you drive your vehicle infrequently, or on frequent, short drives, where the engine isn't running long enough to fully charge the battery.

Enter the trickle charger: an enchanting little device available for as little as $30, and capable of recharging and conditioning your ride's battery while you're not driving it. Just hook the leads up, plug the trickle charger into your wall outlet, and microchips do the rest.

Your investment in a battery trickle charger saves you the potential cost of having a technician diagnose electronics issues caused by low battery voltage, and the cost of visiting a dealership to reset various systems that may become borked when the battery dies, including remote keyfobs, safety systems, radio alarm codes, or even the entire ECU. A trickle charger can also save you the cost and hassle of a tow-truck or boost, as a dead battery might just leave you stranded.

As an added bonus, with a trickle charger, there's no need to remove the battery from that sports car you store in your garage for the winter. Your ride's battery will last longer, too.

#2: Change Your Cabin Air Filter

cabin_air_filter

If you don't know whether your ride has a cabin air filter, or if you don't know what a cabin air filter is, chances are your cabin air filter is plugged near-solid with dirt, pollen, dust, insects and other grossness.

A plugged cabin air filter can cost you piles of cash in numerous ways. First, it makes life hard on your air conditioner, since it has to work harder and more frequently to pump cold air into the cabin through a plugged filter. Second, that excessive running of your AC system wastes fuel and costs you money. Third, a clogged air filter can limit airflow around HVAC system components, causing things to overheat, or allowing excessive ice and frost to build up in the air conditioner, which can cause moisture problems, leaks, or system failure, which you'll have to pay to diagnose. Further, a clogged cabin air filter makes your ride's HVAC system, and especially the windshield defogger, work poorly.

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Typically, cabin air filters are fairly small, so they get plugged fast and need changing about once a year, maybe more. Thing is, they're fairly inexpensive, and most drivers can change a cabin air filter in mere minutes.

Spending $15 to $30 on a new cabin air filter, and searching YouTube for instructions on how to change it, keeps your climate control system happy, prevents premature wear on system components, and may save you time and money visiting a mechanic to figure out why your ride's climate control sucks.

Mechanic Nick Labrie comments, "Cabin air filters are the first thing I look at when a customer comes in complaining of poor performance from their heat or air conditioning system. About eight times out of 10, the customer had no idea this filter existed, or required changing, and a new filter fixes the issue. The customer is usually pretty happy — in most cases, changing a cabin air filter is easy, quick, and cheap"

#3: Change your Spark Plugs

spark-plugs

This is such an easy, cheap job on most four-cylinder engines that it's a wonder mechanics still see problems caused by running old plugs on a regular basis. In many cars, spark plugs are fairly cheap, easily accessible, and if you know how to operate a wrench, you can probably change your own, right in your driveway (but ask a mechanic for help if you're not sure how). Of course, these days, spark plugs last a long time — but they still need to be changed regularly to keep your engine running perfectly. Note that engines with Direct Fuel Injection, marketed as GDI, TSI, TFSI, Skyactiv, and the like, are extra picky about spark plug changes.

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Of course, these days, spark-plugs last a long time — but they still need to be changed regularly to keep your engine running perfectly. Note that engines with Direct Fuel Injection, marketed as GDI, TSI, TFSI, Skyactiv, and the like, are extra picky about spark plug changes.

Why? This type of engine is fussier than most about having a very precise and controlled combustion process within its cylinders, and staying on top of factory-prescribed maintenance, at the specified intervals, is extremely important.

Change the plugs, or change a bunch of other stuff, and the plugs, too: that's the logic here. In a modern engine, past-due spark plugs can foul up quickly, putting more strain on the ignition coils that fire them, which can cause ignition coil overheating and sporadic failure. When fouled plugs start causing coil packs to fail, misfires often result, which cause issues with things like tricky-to-fix valve gunk, Check Engine lights, and even fuel injector damage.

In a multitude of modern engines, dirty spark plugs have a rapidly snowballing effect on other systems and components, so changing your ride's spark plugs on time, especially if you're running a six or eight cylinder engine, can keep you from dishing out a ton of cash on new coil packs, injectors, and valve cleaning, too. Oh, and with new plugs, your ride will burn less fuel.

#4: Use a Code Reader

most common reasons your check engine light is on

Your ride has a complex network of electronic sensors, modules, computers and other gizmos that analyze and alter the way your engine, transmission, emissions system, and numerous other components work. If this sensor network picks up a problem, the likely result is the dreaded "CHECK ENGINE" light. This little illuminated icon of doom can pop up for a multitude of reasons, and what's more, certain detected issues don't cause the light to light up at all.

So, whether your ride feels strange or sluggish, has recently started drinking a lot more fuel, or is showing you its CHECK ENGINE light, a code reader, which plugs into your ride's sensor network, can show you what's up.

Available for as little $30 as a module that Bluetooth-links to your Smartphone, a code reader quickly scans your ride for trouble, shows you what the trouble is, and can save you a trip to a dealer or mechanic to diagnose a strange sensation or CHECK ENGINE light. Further, a code reader is a great investment if you're out shopping for a used ride: hook it up for a scan of the model you're considering, and it could save you big bucks if that machine has a multitude of stored trouble codes lurking.

Lamborghini Trademarks a New Badge for the Aventador

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Lamborghini has filed a trademark to protect "Aventador S," the name that will likely be used on the car when it is refreshed.

The Italian brand filed the trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to protect the name on November 18, 2016. Recent spy photos show that Lamborghini is testing a face lifted Aventador that is likely to be revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, a model that will likely wear this new 'S' badge.

Lambo-Aventador-S

It appears as though the facelift has borrowed some of its looks from the more aggressive Aventador SV, including new air intakes on top of the rear fenders and a slightly revised from end. A new wing in the rear and the new front spoiler should help the car produce more downforce than before as well.

Lamborghini is expected to give the revamped Aventador a slight power bump of somewhere between 20 and 40 horsepower. There is also a chance that this will be the last naturally aspirated V12 that doesn't have any electrification, as the brand moves towards hybrid powertrains.

Discuss this story at our Luxury Lifestyle Forum

Top 10 Brands With the Best Car Buying Experience for 2016

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Automakers are turning to product specialists to enhance the car buying experience.

According to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, owners who work with both a salesperson and product specialist are overall more satisfied with the buying experience than those who work only with a salesperson. This year's study saw the luxury brand average jump from 732 (on a 1,000-point scale) to 801, while the mass-market brand average climbed from 681 to 764.

Now in its 30th year, the study measures satisfaction with the sales experience among new-vehicle buyers and rejecters, those who shop a dealership and purchase elsewhere. Buyer satisfaction is measured on four measures: working out the deal, salesperson, delivery process and facility. Rejecter satisfaction is based on five measures, including salesperson, fairness of price, experience negotiating, facility and variety of inventory.

Check out the top 10 brands with the best car buying experience for 2016 below.

Jaguar (MINI tied)

With a score of 797, luxury automaker Jaguar is actually tied with MINI, a mass-market brand. MINI actually finished top of mass-market brands in last year's study, but this year it fell to second. Among luxury brands, Jaguar is actually towards the bottom of the list, with only Audi (796), Volvo (775) and Acura (769) scoring less.

Land Rover

Although Land Rover improved quite a bit scoring 798 compared to last year's 710, the British automaker is still under the luxury brand average. In addition, most brands saw their scores jump this year, which is evident in the higher averages among both luxury and mass-market brands. But still, Land Rover finished 10th place out of 12 luxury brands last year and in 2016, it improved to finish eighth.

Lexus

A brand that typically does well in J.D. Power's surveys, Lexus is slightly above the luxury brand average with a score of 802. And even though it's quite higher than last year's 741 score, Lexus dropped four places to seventh among luxury brands after finishing third last year.

Lincoln

Lincoln might be considered most improved this year, watching its score jump from 731 to 806. Although it's creeping slightly above the luxury brand average, the American automaker gained a few spots among its luxury competitors after finishing eighth last year. This year, Lincoln came in sixth among luxury brands.

Cadillac

Tying for fourth place among luxury brands with a score of 807 is Cadillac. Last year, the American automaker finished sixth with a score of 738. It's showing improvement, and it's the top-rated American luxury automaker on the list.

BMW

BMW improved quite a bit this year, rising from seventh among luxury brands to fourth. It is however, tied with Cadillac with a score of 807 but it's right on the heels of its main competitor, Mercedes-Benz.

Buick

Some would say Buick is a luxury brand, but in J.D. Power's 2016 SSI Study, it's considered a mass-market brand. It also dethroned MINI for the best mass-market brand with a score of 809, besting luxury automakers BMW, Cadillac and Lincoln. Buick finished in second on the mass-market list last year with a score of 707.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes dropped a spot from second to third among luxury brands this year with a score of 809. Last year it only trailed the top finisher by three points (752 versus 749), but this year there's a wider gap.

Infiniti

Last year, Infiniti finished fourth among luxury brands with a score of 739 but shopers are happier with their experience this year. The Japanese automaker rose to second place with a score of 815 and the top brand should feel threatened if Infiniti stays on track.

Porsche

Once again at the top of the list for the second consecutive year is Porsche with a score of 824. Last year it narrowly beat out Mercedes-Benz by three points, but this year it comfortably led Infiniti by nine points.

Discuss this story on our Porsche Forum

Car Reviews

Monday 21 November 2016