Mercedes and Ducati highlight partnership with pair of matching vehicles

Mercedes and Ducati highlight partnership with pair of matching vehicles

Mercedes-Benz and Ducati joined forces a little over a year ago, and the two brands have chosen the Bologna Motor Show to mark the anniversary. The companies are showing off an SLK 55 AMG and a Streetfighter 848, respectively. Both machines are painted in eye-melting Streetfighter Yellow, and Mercedes-Benz says that AMG may permanently add the color to the personal option list if there's enough demand. The SLK 55 AMG also wears custom yellow contrasting stitching on interior pieces like the sport steering wheel, seats, and dashboard, and a set of yellow-illuminated door sill plates further reinforces the theme.

Neither the SLK 55 AMG nor the Streetfighter 848 boast any performance modifications, which is just fine, since both vehicles offer plenty of giddyup right out of the box. The Benz is the most powerful SLK manufactured to date, with 422 horsepower from a naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8. The Streetfighter 848, meanwhile, is a 132-horsepower machine that weighs less than 500 pounds. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

News Source: Mercedes-Benz

New Ford Ranger becomes first pickup to earn Five-Star Euro NCAP rating

Add another reason to lament the fact that the all-new Ford Ranger will not be sold in the United States: It's safe.

Ford says that en route to earning the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating, the 2012 Ranger earned the best score ever awarded to a pickup truck and the best Euro NCAP rating of any vehicle ever tested for pedestrian protection. Ford will be equipping European Rangers with standard side curtain airbags, side thorax airbags and knee airbags, in addition to its front airbags.

The safety scores for the new model are a big win for Ford. Its 2011 Ranger pickup sold here in the U.S. took a big hit when subjected to revised safety tests implemented this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Both 2011 Ranger models tested received only two-star overall ratings from NHTSA. Domestic Ford Ranger production is scheduled to end in December, with no scheduled replacement.

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