Mercedes-Benz’s 2018 E-class coupe, unveiled last week, features an aggressive front end, including a long sculpted hood, while the rear is similar to that of the S-class and C-class coupes.

Four frameless side windows and the absence of a B-pillar give the car a flowing profile.

The coupe follows the redesigned E-class sedan, which went on sale in late June, and E400 4Matic wagon, which is expected in early 2017. Like the sedan, the coupe moved to Mercedes’ new Modular Rear-wheel- drive Architecture.

The new E-class coupe is 190 inches long, 4.8 inches longer than its predecessor; 56.3 inches tall, up 1.3 inches; and 73.2 inches wide, up 2.9 inches.

Mercedes said the larger footprint gives passengers extra legroom, front and rear shoulder room and headroom.

Under the hood, Mercedes kept the 3.0-liter V-6 biturbo engine in the E400 and E400 4Matic. The engine produces 329 hp and 354 pounds-feet of torque and is matched with a standard nine-speed automatic transmission.

Mercedes says technology features are significantly more advanced than in its predecessor. Like the E-class sedan the coupe has active brake assist, which is standard. The program can autonomously apply the brakes and detect pedestrians crossing in the zone ahead of the vehicle.

The 2018 E-class coupe will debut in January at the Detroit auto show. U.S. sales are to begin in summer of 2017. Pricing will be announced closer to launch, Mercedes said.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20161219/OEM04/312199927/1657

You can also find us on facebook

If you need to make a quick $100 overnight but are hesitant to let a stranger sleep in your bed à la Airbnb, Turo has you covered.

Instead of sleeping in your bed, a stranger will simply pick up your keys and take your car for a spin.

The concept came to life in San Francisco in 2009 and has grown to offer its service in over 4,000 cities across the country, including Charlotte.

Users simply log on and, much like Airbnb, specify their time frame, preferred car type and the features that come with it, and choose from available models. Cars in Charlotte include the practical (2006 Honda Odyssey at $45/day), the luxurious (2012 Land Rover Evoque at $106/day) and the kind geared for adventures (2014 Jeep Wrangler at $84/day).

Descriptions of the car include price, features, a physical description and reviews and like Airbnb, some cars are set up to be instantly booked and others will be delivered to the renter free of charge.

Is there fine print?

You bet. The big things to pay attention to are age restrictions, and the important numbers are 25 and 30.

Anyone under 25 must pay a “Young Driver Fee,” which comes out to 20% of the total trip cost.

For drivers 30 and under, car choices get narrowed down; they’re unable to rent “high value” (vehicles that come in at $50,000 or more on the market) or “specialty” (model year 1990 or older) cars.

Looking to hand over your keys?

If you’re looking to list your car, it’s simple. Listings are free and while listers can manually decide the rental price, Turo will dynamically set the car’s price based on the market value of the car, location and time of year to give users the best income results.

On average, people who list their car on Turo bring in $720 per month.

I’m a little nervous to rent my car to strangers.

Turo gets it, and not only runs extensive background checks on renters, but also provides owners with $1 million worth of liability insurance, meaning cars are covered against theft and physical damage (unless owners waive their protection and stick with their own commercial insurance).

Read more: https://www.charlotteagenda.com/75795/rent-car-charlotte/

You can also find us on twitter

The post Turo, the automotive industry’s answer to Airbnb, now has a Charlotte market appeared first on http://kildare.cashforcarsireland.com/

via Cash For Cars - Locations http://kildare.cashforcarsireland.com/turo-automotive-industrys-answer-airbnb-now-charlotte-market/

General Motors sometimes failed to tell consumers that its used vehicles which it advertised as having been thoroughly checked for mechanical problems had safety problems serious enough to require a recall.CreditBill Pugliano/Getty Images The public has long been wary of used cars and the claims of roadworthiness by the dealers who sell them. On Friday the nations main advertising regulator issued a ruling that consumer groups complained will give used-car dealers too much leeway in the disclosures they are required to make. The Federal Trade Commission in a decision that also drew criticism from some lawmakers said that General Motors and two big used-car chains could advertise their used vehicles as having been carefully inspected and repaired even if the cars might still be subject to safety recalls for problems that had not been fixed. The only requirement would be that the dealers must advise buyers that the cars could be subject to recalls and tell them how to determine if they are. There would be no requirement that any recall problems be specified or that any repairs be made. The ruling follows a succession of high-profile cases in which automakers concealed crucial information from car owners including General Motors failure to disclose a deadly ignition switch flaw Volkswagens misrepresentation of pollution emissions and Hondas failure to report potential safety problems for more than a decade. Used-car dealers in particular have drawn criticism for selling vehicles under recall without addressing their defects including violently exploding airbags that have been linked to 11 deaths in the United States. Under lobbying pressure from the used-car industry efforts to introduce tougher laws for used cars have languished in Congress. Senators who had been among those pressing the F.T.C. to take a harder line criticized the agencys action. The disclosure requirements do more to deceive than fully inform and worse could protect unscrupulous dealers Richard Blumenthal a Connecticut Democrat said in a statement. The ruling in the form of a settlement with G.M. and the two car chains over their advertising claims will be in effect for 20 years. The F.T.C. also proposed a similar settlement with several other car retailers it had been investigating. The settlements could set a buyer-beware precedent for other used-car dealers to adopt consumer groups warned. It is the worst thing the F.T.C. has ever done on any issue because it is allowing false advertising Rosemary Shahan the president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety one of the groups that had been lobbying for months against the settlement. The F.T.C.s action which the agency defended as providing consumers with enough information to make informed purchases is at odds with the position of the countrys main auto safety regulator the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which has called for used-car dealers to fix items subject to a recall before selling a vehicle. But the safety regulator does not have the authority to order such fixes. Safety advocates said the ruling was particularly troubling at a time when the N.H.T.S.A. is struggling with problems including the recall of 42 million vehicles for the exploding Takata airbags that have also been linked more than 180 injuries. Because of the huge number of vehicles with recalled Takata airbags it will take several years to fix them all. Under the F.T.C. decision it would not be necessary to for a dealer to tell consumers that the vehicle they are considering has a Takata bag said Michael Brooks the acting director of The Center for Auto Safety. Read more:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/business/buyer-beware-certified-used-cars-under-recall.html?_r=0 Visit our cars for sale page to see what we have availablehttp://galway.cashforcarsireland.com/cars-for-sale/ The post Buyer Beware: Certified Used Cars May Still Be Under Recall appeared first on http://galway.cashforcarsireland.com/ via Cash For Cars - Locations http://galway.cashforcarsireland.com/buyer-beware-certified-used-cars-may-still-recall/

Giant auto-industry supplier Delphi Automotive (NYSE: DLPH) is gearing up to launch an automated ride-hailing service in at least two cities, one in the U.S. and one in Europe.

Automotive News reports that the company has previously identified Boston, Pittsburgh, London, and Luxembourg as possible sites for its service, and that it expects to announce its decision sometime this month.

In addition to the two cities it will select this month, Delphi is currently gearing up to launch a limited self-driving shuttle service in Singapore.

The use of automotive Ethernet is on the rise as in-vehicles systems support more complex computing needs. RCR Wireless NewsWhat is automotive Ethernet?

Automotive Ethernet is the use of an Ethernet-based network for connections between in-vehicle electronic systems. Ixia has defined it as “a physical network that is used to connect components within a car using a wired network. It is designed to meet the needs of the automotive market, including meeting electrical requirements … bandwidth requirements, latency requirements, synchronization and network management requirements.”

“Automakers are using more and more traditional telecom and IT technology,” said Thomas Schultze, automotive business development director for Spirent Communications. “It is driven by connectivity, but also through all the new safety enhancements. And overall, everything leads to autonomous driving.”

Why is automotive Ethernet becoming more common in vehicles?

The number of vehicles with automotive Ethernet began picking up last year, at which time BMW, Jaguar and Volkswagen all had vehicles on the road with automotive Ethernet. Electronic Design called automotive Ethernet a “hidden trend” at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.

“There is no doubt that consumer demand for advanced driver assistance and infotainment features are on the rise,” said Kirsten Matheus, Ethernet project manager at BMW, as part of the One-Pair Ethernet Special Interest Group’s analysis that the market was picking up. “One-pair automotive Ethernet technology provides a single, centralized network backbone that simplifies the deployment of advanced features.”

The One-Pair Ether-Net Alliance, which supports the advancement of automotive Ethernet, reached more than 300 members earlier this year.

Broadcom, for one, has observed that the use of Ethernet cabling versus the traditional vehicle harness wiring can make a major difference in the weight of the vehicle. Since the harness can comprise 50% of the labor costs of a vehicle, the ability to simplify that system while also supporting more advanced features is an attractive proposition.

Spirent was recently selected by Hyundai as its vendor for automotive Ethernet conformance testing. Schulze said automotive Ethernet is replacing the traditional, often proprietary in-vehicle communications standards such as the controller area network bus and FlexRay, due to limitations on those technology’s bandwidth. So automotive Ethernet is becoming the new communications backbone within the vehicle.

“It’s not just for cameras, it’s not just for infotainment,” said Thomas. “It’s to handle the bandwidth requirements for all the connected car information.”

What are some of the challenges of automotive Ethernet?

Schultze said the use of Ethernet for the in-car network is new to the automotive industry, so testing and validating the technology to ensure that it works properly is a new process for that vertical even though Ethernet has been an established IT technology for decades. Synchronization is particularly important for the in-vehicle network so that it works essentially in real-time, Thomas added, as well as making sure data is not lost as electrical control units communicate with each other. Lost or delayed radar information from the advanced driver assistance system, for instance, could have major safety effects.

Interoperability among components is another major issue for automotive Ethernet, Schultze added, as vehicles are assembled from components made by a wide range of suppliers.

“They have so many different vendors and suppliers within the car that they have to make sure that every component, or every software stack, is really complying to the standard. So therefore, testing and validation is very important,” Schultze said.

Security is another area of challenge for automotive Ethernet, which presents both new potential vulnerabilities for the vehicle as well as the ability to more quickly adapt and address security threats. Jan Holle, security engineer specializing in automotive Ethernet at Escrypt, has said Ethernet is not necessarily applicable in whole for automotive and existing security approaches will have to be modified for vehicle systems. However, Holle said, “automotive security can benefit from all the experience with IT security concepts that we have accumulated over the years, especially with regard to suitable architectures for implementing defense in depth strategies.

Read more: http://www.rcrwireless.com/test-and-measurement/what-is-automotive-ethernet-tag6

We buy any car so contact us for a quote

The post What is automotive Ethernet? appeared first on http://kildare.cashforcarsireland.com/

via Cash For Cars - Locations http://kildare.cashforcarsireland.com/what-is-automotive-ethernet/

IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence system is perhaps best known for helping doctors identify cancer treatments and for beating previous champions at “Jeopardy!”

Now, it might soon become known in the auto industry for helping to make vehicles safer and more personalized.

IBM said today that it has partnered with BMW Group to research how Watson can help with driver-assist functions. A team of BMW engineers will work with IBM researchers and developers at the technology company’s new Watson Internet of Things headquarters in Munich.

Four BMW i8 hybrid sports cars will be connected to IBM’s Bluemix cloud platform “to demonstrate how Watson can enable new conversational interfaces between cars and drivers,” IBM said in a statement today.

“With this agreement, our companies will work together to lay the foundations so that BMW’s drivers can benefit from Watson’s conversational and machine learning capabilities,” Harriet Green, IBM global head of the Watson Internet of Things business, said in the statement.

“Our insight shows that while the car will remain a fixture in personal transportation, the driving experience will change more over the next decade than at any other time of the automobile’s existence,” Green said.

BMW’s agreement with IBM is the latest move by an automaker to get a leg up in the race to develop fully connected vehicles. Automakers and suppliers have invested billions of dollars in recent years to develop technology related to connected and autonomous vehicles.

The i8’s owner manual will be uploaded into Watson, which will allow drivers to ask questions about the vehicle in their “natural” language and receive answers while safely driving, said Niklaus Waser, IBM head of Watson Internet of Things in Europe, in an interview.

Watson will also be able to incorporate traffic updates and weather information to make up-to-the-minute route suggestions, and it will be able to monitor driver behavior to personalize the car to enhance safety, performance and comfort, Waser said.

“We will work together so that BMW drivers can benefit from Watson’s machine learning capabilities,” he said.

IBM this year said it would invest $200 million into the Munich Watson Internet of Things headquarters, where it plans to collaborate with companies in industries including automotive, health care and electronics.

BMW is the first automaker to partner with IBM’s Watson team in Munich. Waser said IBM hopes to collaborate with other automakers in the future, as well.

“There is no reason why we should do this only with BMW, and BMW has not asked for exclusivity,” Waser said.

He did not disclose how many engineers and researchers were assigned to the BMW project.

While BMW is the first automaker to collaborate with IBM with Watson in Munich, it is not the first time IBM has teamed with an automaker on connectivity. It partnered with PSA Peugeot Citroen in 2015 to connect vehicles to the Internet, while General Motors said in October that it would use Watson software to identify driver behavior and market services to motorists using that information.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20161215/OEM06/161219929/bmw-teams-with-ibms-watson-on-driver-assist-technology

We buy any car so contact us for a quote

The popularity of car removal services is growing at a great pace as they offer the customers a quick and easy way to sell their call quickly and get a genuine price in return. Considering the fact, it often gets difficult for the people to sell their old or scrap cars, these car removal services have launched their service through which the customers can find a quick deal on their car on just one call. Old Car removal Melbourne, for instance, offers a cash range of $70 to $20,000 to their clients for their scrap metal Melbourne deal old cars. The company holds vast experience in pulling, removal and accident recovery of vehicles after which they have entered into the business of car removals.

Car removal Melbourne uses eco-friendly disposal procedure, despite the condition of the car. Similarly, one of the other companies that can get the customer a good price for their old car is old car removals, which is based in Melbourne. The company ensures that it follows environment green standards during car salvaging. The LMCT licensed old car wrecker and trader company offers free car removal service with cash with up to $7,999. It specializes in removing all sorts of vehicles such as cars, trucks, vans and utes. The service available for 365 days can be availed through a simple phone call.

Greater Melbourne also has a number of companies that offer car removals such as Metro car removals that are popular for its seamless customer service. The company professionals handle all the paperwork, removal process, and other things so that the customer doesn’t have to face any hassles. The customers can do instant cash payment on the spot and get free quotes over the phone. All these services for car removal come in handy when the customers want to get rid of old, scrap or junk cars.

Read More: http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/dublin-s-empty-buildings-could-they-solve-the-housing-problem-1.2899765

Visit our scrap car page for more info: http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/scrap–cars

The post Car removal services on rising in Australia due to their convenient and quick service appeared first on http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/

via Cash For Cars - Locations http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/car-removal-services-rising-australia-due-convenient-quick-service/

It’s been my good fortune and privilege to serve as the president of the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA), and its 1,100 member dealers, during a robust and exciting period for the automobile industry in Canada.

Not only are Canadian auto sales on track for a fourth consecutive record in 2016, but our industry is in the midst of extraordinary changes and innovations, as automakers, consumers and governments rethink the very concept of transportation.

Almost every week, we’re learning about new advancements in automotive safety features, motive power systems, autonomous vehicles and mobile technology.

Here are some of the highlights from 2016:

Our association was delighted to learn in February that Ontario (starting in 2017) will scrap the $30 fee for mandatory emissions tests on light-duty vehicles. This measure was made to reduce the surplus Drive Clean has accumulated over the last few years.

The TADA’s website — carsandjobs.com — continues to be an important resource for students who want to learn about automotive careers, and for dealers who want to recruit qualified people to fill available positions.

Part of the CCAP is focused on the transportation sector, which is responsible for 35 per cent of Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, the CCAP aims for Ontario to become a leader in low-carbon and zero-emission transportation.

Ontario new car dealers are pleased Minister Bill Mauro has listened to municipal leaders and new car dealers that giving municipalities the authority to tax the family car should not move forward.

It’s a relief to vehicle owners and dealers across Ontario that the government has finally put plans for a car tax in park. Motorists already send about $10 billion every year to the provincial government in licensing fees and taxes.

On behalf of the TADA and its members, I’d like to wish everyone best wishes for a happy holiday season and a Happy New Year, and remember to please drive safely!

Read more: https://www.thestar.com/autos/2016/12/17/highlights-of-2016-in-the-automotive-world.html

We buy any car so contact us for a quote