Latests Cars: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Both V8 engines offer you plenty of gumption regardless of the task at hand. The base trim turbodiesel V6 can feel a bit heavy starting out, but quickly gains the necessary power to instill driver and passenger confidence. All trims are graced with the alertness and smooth operation of the 7-speed auto tranny. The V8s require premium gasoline and all models are quite thirsty . The 2009 GL-Class from Mercedes are some of the quietest large-sized SUVs on the planet. Noises from winds, other traffic and all else is handled very well - even the diesel is coffin-quiet at cruising speeds. The large and easily-read gauges make operating the GLs that much more convenient. They are well-placed and very straightforward to understand. Shifting gears is performed via a steering wheel level located on the column. It requires a bit to get used to, but makes up for that by significantly increasing the room that you are granted in the central console area. All interior materials are of optimal quality and present solid, classy looks and feels . Legroom, shoulder room and headroom are all at least adequate - everyone has plenty of room to do their own thing in both the front and the back. Seating is firm and comfortable and very generously sized. Big doors make entering and exiting simplistic and the step up required to enter is likewise stress-free. The third row of seating is suitable only for children on extended trips . The 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class of large premium SUVs are some of the finest available from any manufacturer. Fresh styling, excellent safety standards, luxurious comfort and loads of optional features make the GL-Class completely worthy of your serious consideration.
300 million that evaporated from the big deal this week. Who Should Tata Buy Next? This one is easy. Based in Birmingham, England, the Lanchester Motor Company made cars from the late 19th century until 1930 when it merged with Daimler. This one is somewhat more confusing. There's Daimler and Daimler. Daimler of Germany is formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and now Daimler AG. This isn't to be confused with Daimler of Britain, which made cars using Gottlieb Daimler's engines. That company traded hands to the British Small Arms Company, then to Jaguar and then to Ford through PAG. The last Daimler made was the Jag XJ-rebadged Daimler Super Eight. With the purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata inherits British Daimler. Chinese Automaker Shanghai Auto (SAIC) merged with Nanjing Auto, which purchased the struggling Rover brand and all its assets. Well, not quite all of its assets. BMW had the Rover brand years ago and never parted with the name. Unwilling to sell it to the Chinese, who were forced to call their cars Roewe, the company sold it to Ford, a better steward and a company that didn't want Rovers out there being confused with Land Rovers. But now, with this deal, that name gets transferred to Tata. This means that, in theory, we can have Indian built Nanos rebadged as Daimlers or Rovers while actual MG/Rover products are being built in China under the name Roewe. If we were Tata, we'd consider selling the Rover brand to SAIC.
Imagine you're overweight. A friend of yours tells you about a diet he got great results from. If you do the one simple thing he did, you'll lose around 1,000 pounds. You'd try it, wouldn't you? That's what's in store for the next generation Range Rover, with plans to give the Posh-UV an all-aluminum chassis. The newer, lighter Range won't arrive until 2012, but engineers have sought approval to build it with a rivet-bonded aluminum monocoque. To do so, it would employ lessons and technology from the Jaguar XJ sedan. In light of the cost involved, such construction would also be spread throughout the Land Rover line. Weight savings for the Range Rover would be around 40-percent, equating to anywhere from 300-500 kg over the current version, a change that would seem to be all pro and no con. Engines would also be borrowed from Jag -- the same lumps expected to power the XF sedan. The 350-450 HP engines would go a lot further in an aluminum Range, as would a speculated hybrid version.
Over the Christmas period I spent as much time as possible on the engine rebuild, a lot of which was included in earlier updates. With the internal rebuild complete and the head back it was time to add some shinny bits. Forget the Haynes Manual - for a rebuild this is what you need! One of the larger bolt on bits is the turbo and exhaust manifold - the picture above shown my nice clean Garret Turbo which is part of the Allard Turbo Stage 2 engine upgrade. This along with a larger inter cooler, new turbo pipes, blanking off the EGR valve and tweaking the injector fuel pump should I hope get the power up from circa 115 / 120 Bhp to around 150 Bhp. As bits are added to the engine I start to find that my workshop is not wide enough and that getting past the engine on its stand becomes more and more of a challenge! In early February I was able to lift the engine off the build stand put it back on the chassis - one step forward and a lot more space in the workshop!
