There’s a lot of hoo-ha in the British Press at the moment over Michael Schumacher’s “confession” that he is the problem with the German Mercedes GP team. If you haven’t seen the comments yet, here they are, as reported by Top Gear’s online magazine:

“It is a fact that I am a bit more relaxed than before”, he said, “and I do not know if my mindset is right for this team.”

“At some point, we will evaluate whether I continue or stop,” he added.

“If anything, I am the problem,” Schumacher admitted.

Top Gear has since pulled the article, which I accessed late last night, pretty much ending the debate about whether the quotes were true or not. Apparently, according to forum sites, an Italian magazine attributed the quotes to Schumacher, who’s manager then complained that they were rubbish. The magazine has since pulled the story from their news site, and it seems every one else is following suit.

There is now speculation that the young Italian/Scottish Paul Di Resta, currently having a stunning rookie season at Force India, will take Schumacher’s place at Mercedes GP next year, but I would guess that that rumour was given more credence by the fake comments attributed to the German driver.

The fact of the matter is, Schumacher, at 42, is being consistenly outpaced, outqualified and currently sits behind team mate Nico Rosberg in the driver standings. He admitted earlier that the “big joy” of racing is not with him this year, and he must be speculating about his future.

I always say Formula 1 is like a soap opera, just faster and with better looking girlfriends. It really is anyone’s guess what will happen when contract negotiations kick in towards the end of the season.

Ciro De Siena – OverdriveTV

Other properties include a sport-tuned suspension, beefier brakes and AMG wheels.

The luxury car is to be powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 power train with 525 PS (386 kW / 518 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque.

A seven-speed Speedshift MCT transmission has been integrated into the engine, which allows the car to race from 0 too 100 km/h in less than five seconds. Watch this space to find out more about the upcoming Mercedes ML63 AMG.

In case you need reminding, the twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 mill produces 612 PS (450 kW / 604 hp) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque. Though earlier reports had hinted at the possibility, we are still not sure about the automaker’s plans to completely drop the V12 production.

Based on persisting rumours, chances are that this could be the end of V12, as Merc could go for the fuel-efficient V8l instead.

It looks like if you want something fast and German and muscular, you will have to give Mercedes Benz a call. While their main rivals seem to have gone a bit soft in terms of design, Merc are cranking it up continuously with wider wheel arches, angrier front ends and even more aggressive rear ends.

Have a good look at this, the new Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, to give the car it’s full title. It’s not the first C Coupe Black, that arrived a few years ago with a warning letter to owners asking them to please drive in perfect conditions or else risk certain death. Oh, and sign here so you can’t sue us when that happens.

This new model is even more insane, if that’s possible. Employing the legend-in-its-own-day 6.2 litre naturally aspirated V8 (which they call the 63, but hey, what’s 100cc between friends) the new C 63 Black delivers 380kW, or 620hp. That is quite remarkable, given that it’s the lightest and smallest Mercedes to make use of that engine. The C63 that you can buy right now for around R800 000 in South Africa puts out 336kW, nothing to sneeze at but almost paltry in comparison.

Acceleration from standstill to 100km/h is at a claimed 4.2 seconds; fast, but I must admit I thought it would crack the 4 second barrier. The engine borrows heavily from the internals developed for the SLS AMG Gull-Wing, and given that this car is lighter and more track focused, we wonder which would be fastest around a track. Have Mercedes accidentally built a C-Class faster than it’s flagship supercar?

If track driving is your thing, Merc will set you up with the Black Series Track Package, which makes this car even more track orientated. But you’d have to be a seriously wealthy track day enthusiast to run one of these, given that the showroom model stands at over R800k. Deliveries start in 2012 and I wouldn’t be surprised if you needed over R1.5m of your hard earned Rands to get your hands on one.

Ciro De Siena -OverdriveTV

Full specifications of the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series

Displacement: 6208 cc
Bore x stroke:  102.2 x 94.6 mm
Compression ratio: 11.3 : 1
Output:   380 kW (517 hp) at 6800 rpm at 6800/min
Max. torque:  620 Nm at 500 rpm
Engine weight (dry): 196 kg
Fuel consumption: 12.2 l/100 km*
CO2emissions:  286 g/km*
Acceleration:   0-100 km/h in 4.2s*

The engine specs of this Mercedes baby say that the options include five petrols and four diesels. The petrol power trains are expected to produce 109 PS (80 kW / 108 bhp) to 204 PS (150 kW / 201 bhp), while the diesel counterparts will produce 122 PS (90 kW / 120 bhp) to 204 PS (150 kW / 201 bhp).

The model comes with a two bar grille, LED indicators, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and an upward sweeping shoulder line. Expect this remodeled B-Class on road by end of 2011 or by the dawn of 2012.

The model is reported to have crossed all the technical hurdles and is ready to hit the markets within three years from now. The fuel cell will feature a range of 250 miles and is moving up the target for volume production from 2015 to 2014.

Three Mercedes-Benz B-Class Fuel Cell cars recently made a global trip to prove “the everyday usability of fuel-cell technology”, the immense success of which might have prompted the company to pull forward.

The price of the model is likely to be in line with the B-Class. However, there has been no word on the same from official sources.

So, stay tuned.

The car’s roof doesn’t take much of trunk space despite the car offering a cargo capacity of 6.1 cubic feet (173 liters) regardless of the top’s positioning.

The vehicle is powered by 6.3-liter (6,208cc) V8 engine that produces 563 hp (420 kW / 571 PS) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. This will be linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that can work up the car’s acceleration from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. The vehicle can hit a limited top speed of 197 mph (317 km/h) – akin to the earlier gullwing model.

The engineers at Mercedes have done some remarkable work to strengthen the chassis of this open top car. The SLS AMG Roadster will weigh 3,661 pounds (1,661 kg) which is just 88 lbs (40 kg) heavier than the coupe.

The earlier gullwing model had created much interest among the fans and the convertible version is predicted to be even more popular. Pricing details are yet under wraps, though we expect the car to be released this Fall.

It has been indicated by sources that the company is looking at customer demand for Mercedes S-Class EV. The S-class model would become one of the first EVs in its segment, if approved.

The 2013 S-Class comes up with a head-up display and an interior design, which seems to be inspired from F800 Style concept revealed at the Geneva motor show in March. That could mean that can we expect lightweight seats (made of magnesium and carbon fiber), luxurious wood veneers, and a flowing center console?

The 201bhp, 369lb ft 2.2-litre, four-cylinder motor will be the smallest engine to ever be offered in the S-class. As you know, currently the S-Class model uses S250 CDI. Will Audi respond with an A8 e-tron? Stay tuned.

(Via WCF)

We can’t think of too many ways to make the stunning SLS ‘Gullwing’ any more desirable, and to be honest we wouldn’t have immediately thought of removing those epic doors. But that’s just what Mercedes has gone and done, and the result is this, the SLS Roadster.

As you’ll see in the picture gallery, the car is undergoing final testing before its debut in Frankfurt later this year. Can you just imagine that job, testing one of these to destruction. We’ve got a full gallery and more specs after the jump.

If you look carefully you’ll notice the Merc badges are disguised, this is apparently a symbol that the car is not yet signed off as a production model.

The newly-engineered soft top takes just 11 seconds to open and has been tested on a stationary rig over 20 000 times to make sure that whichever billionaire buys one doesn’t get his hairpiece wet – if he doesn’t want to.

Mercedes say the rag-top has been engineered so that there is “no intrusive flapping, booming, hissing, clattering or howling”. Good to know. It’s also safe up to 196mph, which is quick.

Usually convertibles are much heavier than the coupe equivalent, not only because of all the extra machinery required to move the roof, but because the resulting loss of rigidity from chopping the roof away means the car has to be reinforced with heavy beams. However because the door assembly of the SLS is already so heavy, the Roadster is only 2kg heavier. Which is basically a big lunch.

The best part? Having the sound of that magnificent 6.2 litre V8 filter directly into the cockpit. I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it.

The C-Class Coupe, which is all new, will be debuted in Geneva next month. It has retained the face-lifted sedan and estate design.

Under the hood, it has retained the same engine options. But the AMG versions may sport a change. It is being speculated that the coupe will feature a version of the twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, aspired from the S63 AMG and CLS 63 AMG.

A second AMG variant is also likely to emerge. Called the Sinister C-Coupe Black Series, it may come with a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 with up to 571 PS (420 kW / 563 bhp) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque.

(Via Autocar)