LA 2010: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

On the eve of the LA Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off the 2012 CLS63 AMG, the bi-turbo V8 version of its thoroughly restyled and utterly delectable sedan.

AMG's new baby – the M157 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 – is finding a home in nearly every new Mercedes product, and when fitted to the CLS63 the blown mill is good for 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque... in standard form. Option up for the AMG Performance Package and Merc's in-house tuner turns up the boost from 14.5 to 18.8 psi and output rises to 550 hp and 590 lb-ft of twist. Equipped with AMG's seven-gear "Speedshift" MCT automatic tranny, the CLS63 takes an estimated 4.4 seconds to run from 0-60 in standard guise and 4.3 seconds with the AMG pack. Similarly, top speed also rises from 155 to 186 mph with the performance upgrade. And if you care, both variants clock in at 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

In addition to the reworked engine and transmission, the front axle has been widened by nearly an inch and AMG fitted its independent adaptive suspension with electronic damping and a three-stage traction control system. The 19-inch, five-spoke wheels are wrapped in 255/35 tires in front and 285/30s out back, while 14.2-inch drilled and ventilated discs are fitted at all four corners.

A special "Launch Edition" will be available when the CLS63 goes on sale this coming summer and comes coated in matte grey paint with a mix of carbon fiber and piano black interior trim, alcantara headliner and AMG sports seats swathed in "Corteccia Pearl" leather. Make the jump for all the details and specs.

Chrysler 200: elegancia americana

El Chrysler 200 se renueva ofreciendo un diseño más refinado, haciendo patente la dirección que toma Chrysler hacia su nueva imagen.
Sus cambios en el exterior brindan unas líneas más suaves, un frontal totalmente renovado y retoques en la parte trasera. Unas tiras LED en faros y pilotos y unos retoques en los espejos retrovisores completan la transformación. El interior posee un nuevo salpicadero, ventilación mejorada y unos asientos de nuevo diseño mixtos de cuero y tela. Ha mejorado además la insonorización, incorporando vidrio laminado acústico en el parabrisas y ventanillas delanteras.
El tren de rodaje del Chrysler 200 aumenta la anchura de vías y monta neumáticos más anchos (de 225 frente a 215 milímetros) además de una suspensión más baja, concretamente 12 mm. más baja delante y 6 detrás respecto a su antecesor. La gama presentada en el Salón del Automóvil de Los Ángeles ofrece desde un 2.4 litros de 173 caballos hasta un 3.6 V6 de 283 cv. Además ahora dispone de un nuevo cambio de seis velocidades que mejora la los consumos pero manteniendo además la clásica opción del cambio automático de cuatro velocidades.
Este restyling renueva la imagen de Chrysler desde el lujo y la elegancia, y tras la entrada de Chrysler en el grupo Fiat de momento no se espera que este modelo llegue a Europa.

Willow Palin's Homophobic Facebook Freakout

What was Sarah Palin's daughter Willow up to during the premiere of her family's new TLC reality show, Sarah Palin's Alaska? According to TMZ, she was engaged in an epic Facebook war about the show. There are screenshots!

Apparently, a kid named "Tre," who went to school with Bristol and Willow Palin, was not a fan of the show, which he said—and I'm quoting—"is failing soo hard right now." Bristol objected to his characterization. And Willow (TMZ describes her as "the baby bear defending Mama Grizzly") joined in, calling one of her interlocutors "so gay" and another "such a faggot." (TMZ's source says she "normally doesn't use this type of language.") I guess this is how sixteen-year-olds talk on Facebook? Or, uh, everywhere? Hurrah, America.



Willow, by the way, is the Palin daughter whose trashing of a vacant house in Wasilla prompted vicious small-town drama. Here's the full, spirited discussion. Note that there's no specific proof that this is actually Willow and Bristol Palin (I mean: Why black out their last names? And Willow invokes "Matt" before he comments? And why "/b/"ackup?), but if it's not... what a bizarre

Help Choose a Name for the Prime Minister of Russia's Puppy

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently received an adorable puppy as a gift from Bulgaria. He wants to rename it. So Putin has turned over the task of naming his new dog to "all Russians." Though you can participate, too!
The dog used to be called Yorgo, which seems like a pretty good name to us. But it's not good enough for Putin, who is Prime Minister of Russia and the seventh branch of its armed forces. According to RT, his press secretary indicated that "all Russians can submit dog names via the Internet and Putin will look though them all."
So, since this is the internet, we invite you to submit a name! The Village Voice's Foster Kamer has some suggestions here. Obviously, "Puprestroika" would have some resonance, but we also think "Monty" is a great name for a dog, frankly, even if it has nothing to do with Russia.
Though, hey, if Putin wants to go in a different direction, here's a whole list of names that would be great for the dog.

Failed banks in the US: mapping the crisis

 

Failed US banks are on the increase. Photograph: Veer/Getty Images

Failed banks in the US have become such a regular event that many have stopped noticing them. But the effects live on.

Last week, regulators shut down six banks in Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Kansas - making 138 US failed banks this year alone in the wake of the US sub-prime and housing crisis. So far.
And the economy is a big issue in the US midterm elections 2010 - with high unemployment and a recovery that hasn't materialised for many Americans.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures banks for at least $250,000 per customer. It is the body which took over the banks last week - the largest of which was Hillcrest Bank, based in Kansas, with $1.6bn in assets. Also closed last week were First Bank of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida, with $81m in assets; Progress Bank of Florida, based in Tampa, with $110.7m in assets; First National Bank of Barnesville in Georgia, with $131.4m in assets; Gordon Bank in Georgia, with $29.4m in assets; and First Suburban National Bank in Maywood, Illinois, with $148.7m in assets.
What are assets? In the topsy-turvy world of banking assets are money that people owe the bank, such as a mortgage. The total for those that have failed since 2008 is $630bn - that's over $2,000 for every man, woman and child in the US.

Creative Technology jumps into the tablet market... too late, too slowly?

 
Detail of Creative ZiiO 7 tablet: note the non-English script on the return button, bottom right. Photo by charlesarthur on Flickr. Some rights reserved

Creative Technology - the Singaporean company which five years ago vowed to go after Apple over a patent it had which it reckoned the iPod infringed - has come into the tablet market with a range of tablets, including 2 3.2-inch, 7-inch, and 10-inch models, running the Android OS.
And what does it bring to the tablet party that's different from what everyone else is doing? Wellll... that's hard to say. It has built its own processors to run the devices (designed at 3D Labs, which Creative Technology owns), and written its own audio drivers which it says means that you'll get far higher audio quality while listening or streaming (via Bluetooth) to compatible devices.
But in many other ways, Creative's output looks to be lagging behind many other tablet companies. To begin with, they're all running Android 2.1 - and none of them has 3G. This means that they won't automatically be able to access the Android Marketplace (because Android is a phone OS, and devices which don't have 3G or other phone stuff inside them can't be phones, so they can't access the marketplace for phone apps).
Update: Factoring in the prices, though, suggests that these are priced to sell - and so could give rivals quite a run for their money if Creative can get past the Marketplace hassles.
However Mac Aw Kuw Weng, director of corporate marketing, told us that there will be an over-the-air update (via Wi-Fi) to the devices to Android 2.2, which will be available as soon as Google has finished its trials of them - sometimes in late December... early January? Once that's done, then users will have access to the Marketplace. Otherwise they'll have to sideload apps via their computer.