This makes me wonder how much I could get for those extraneous body parts I don’t use like that second kidney.

From autoexpress.co.uk

Power to the diesel! That’s the message from Mercedes, as bosses prepare to follow Audi into the high-performance oil-burning market.

Auto Express can reveal the firm is closer than ever to launching an AMG-badged diesel model. With Audi unveiling its R8 V12 TDI concept at the Detroit Motor Show and Ferrari taking the wraps off its Biofuel F430 prototype, the pressure is on for Mercedes’ performance division to follow suit.

Some of the biggest import auto manufacturers are pushing diesel at the Detroit Auto Show, but not much came from the Americans. GM in particular seems to want to be the Sony of the car world, and push E85 while all the rest push diesel.

I have no problem with other ways to be green it’s really just Lutz’s seeming open hatred for diesel. His quote from the Frankfurt show, “We have the gravest of doubts that diesels are the solution. But we’re forging ahead anyway just in case they become easily fathomable or the cost of the hardware drops or with the fuel economy some of the extreme emissions regulations get lowered.”

I just want to know how all the other manufacturers can be profitable, but GM can’t. At least they and Ford will soon be offering smaller diesels in their trucks, but that’s little consolation for the average driver trying to save on fuel costs.

Anyway, below is an article from afp.com talking more about this, difference in opinion, in the industry. I think GM and Ford should take heed from Karl Brauer of edmunds.com when he says if Honda’s going diesel it’s time to pay attention.

In 1977, the official birth year of Sportservice Lorinser, Mercedes first presented a station wagon named T and, thereby, introduced the first true luxury vehicle in this segment. Who knew that, in 2007, Lorinser would transform this practical body shape into an athletic and muscular powerhouse: the brand new, Lorinser-tuned T model of the C-Class. This vehicle, which has a distinctly brawnier rear than its predecessor, distinguishes itself by the tuning company’s rear apron with horizontal honeycomb grill. Thanks to its three-dimensional shape and cleverly selected contour edges, this upgraded C-Class model can boast unexpectedly dynamic lines. Moreover, the two rear muffler pipes with their sophisticated design and flush fit provide the C-Class with an acoustic arsenal that is second to none. Similarly distinctive design elements from Lorinser’s current Haute Couture of vehicle bodies are the wide fenders with their large air inlets, which guide hot exhaust air away from the brakes and bear a striking resemblance to the flared nostrils of a race horse. However, the first thing the driver in front of you will notice is the striking front apron which the Winnenden tuning company fitted with a honeycomb sport grill. Thanks to the Lorinser suspension lowering kit, this beefier T model will edge its way into the rear-view mirror of the driver in front – just above the asphalt. How quickly it approaches is determined by the question if the customer installed a Lorinser performance enhancement, which is available for most Diesel and Otto engines.

From autonews.com

Mercedes-Benz will launch its Bluetec diesel emissions treatment system in Europe next month — a year after the clean technology made its debut in the US.

Mercedes’ clean diesel engines use various engine and exhaust technologies to reduce emissions, particularly nitrogen oxides.

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(Business 2.0 Magazine) — It’s a wonder criminals get caught in this country. I recently spent a week on the lam, and not once did a policeman give me a second glance.

And it’s not as if I was being inconspicuous — my getaway vehicle was a shiny 2007 Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI, one of only a handful of such rides on the road in California.

Of course, therein lay the problem.

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From CNNMoney.com

FRANKFURT, Aug. 5, 2007 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) — Volkswagen AG is to end its cooperation with DaimlerChrysler (NYSE:DCX) AG and will end the Bluetec diesel campaign started in the US last year in favour of a return to its own TDI branding for diesel vehicles, VW spokesman Hans-Gerd Bode said, confirming a report in the German magazine Wirtshaftswoche.

According to Bodes, the reason for the change can be traced to sharpened US emissions regulations where VW currently has no new diesel products on the market.

‘We will begin in 2008 to offer new diesel vehicles,’ he said.

The report in Wirtschaftswoche said that the cooperation is being ended because the brand Bluetec is associated first-and-foremost with Mercedes, and is therefore problematic for VW.

Bode, however, denied this: ‘We already have 800,000 diesel vehicles running in the US, for that reason we want to go ahead with our TDI brand,’ he said.

From Automotive News Europe

LONDON – Mercedes-Benz will launch its clean-burning Bluetec diesel engines in European markets in early December, at least six months earlier than the automaker originally planned.

The V-6 diesel will be available in the E-class sedan, said Thomas Weber, head of research and development for DaimlerChrysler.

Weber spoke at a media event to demonstrate future hybrid and electric powertrains for Smart cars. He said Smart would offer a start-stop engine option, starting in October.

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This was shown during the 04 Detroit Auto Show so some of you may have seen it already. If so please explain to me what they were thinking. Let me set this up for you.

You’ve got a father driving his son on a trip. They go into a gas station and his friends pull up, in their hopped up riceburners. All the “kids” look about 25 so I’m not sure why the son is still embarrassed to be seen with pops, but he is. The friends kinda make fun of the diesel so dad challenges them to a race. I’m sure you can guess the outcome since it is a MB commercial. I guess the concept of “you can prove you’re still cool” is alright, but the execution is definitely pretty bad. At least to me.

According to CNNMoney, Mercedes’ only diesel sedan will soon be phased out. Though diesel continues to look like a better and better option in the US, to meet emissions standards, most companies will be starting out with heavier vehicles like diesel powered SUVs. The heavier vehicles have easier emissions standards.

The M-class, R-class, and GL-class oilburners are still set to launch soon which is still great news for diesels in general, but I was looking forward to sometime upgrading to the E320 from my Jetta. I can only venture to guess that the issue has to do with emissions. The EPA has issued guidelines for the ADBlue urea SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems, but I believe some things still have yet to be settled, such as what happens when the ADBlue solution runs out.

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From just-auto.com

The new ZF ‘8HP’ transmission will, like its 5HP and 6HP predecessors, be used in passenger car applications with longitudinally mounted engines, and rear-wheel or all-wheel drive configurations. It will, therefore, be no surprise to learn that the 1st application for the 8HP will be the new BMW 7-Series [F01], which CSM Worldwide is currently forecasting to launch in late 2008, rather than 2010.

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