2006 Mercedes Clk 350 Convertible, Less Than 53k Miles, Rare Beauty! on 2040-cars

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Man makes record-setting drive across the US in 28 hours, 50 minutes

Records, as the say, are made to be broken. Whether that's cramming the most hot dogs down your gullet, running a faster mile, or yes, driving across the United States, odds are that there's someone out there wants to eat more, run faster or drive harder. Speaking of that last example, the record for driving from a set location on the east coast, in particular the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA, has been one that has fascinated gearheads since a guy named Cannonball Baker made the trek from New York to LA in 53 hours, 30 minutes, in 1933.
The competition saw its glory days when Car and Driver's Brock Yates came up with the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (more affectionately known as the Cannonball Run), although the record was most recently set by Alex Roy and his 32-hour, seven-minute trek behind the wheel of a BMW M5 in 2006. Now, there's a new champion, who made the trip from east to west in a scarcely imaginable 28 hours and 50 minutes, behind the wheel of a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG. That's works out to an average speed of 98 miles per hour over the course of 2,813.7 miles.
His name is Ed Bolian, and Jalopnik has a writeup of the epic voyage that details everything from the history of the Cannonball Run to Bolian's preparation and trouble finding co-drivers, to the trip itself. It is well worth a read.

Europe getting special Mercedes-Benz CLA Edition 1

Last week when we saw the leaked ordering guide for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, one particular image caught our eye showing the interior of the new sedan with a neon yellow stripe on the seats and yellow stitching throughout the cabin. As it turns out, this will be part of a limited-edition model called the Edition 1 about which Mercedes-Benz just released some information.
Usually, automakers wait until later in a vehicle's life to introduce special models like this, but the Edition 1 will be available right out of the gate for the first 12 months the CLA-Class is on sale. The 2014 CLA-Class Edition 1 includes the more aggressive Sport package adding AMG-style fascias and wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights and a lowered suspension; it will be offered only in five colors - unfortunately, Northern Lights Purple is not one of them. In addition to the bright yellow cabin accents, the Edition 1 will get sport seats wrapped in leather and microfiber, a sporty, flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather and real aluminum trim on the instrument panel.
With no mention of the US, we're only left to imagine that this car will not be arriving on our shores, but customers in Europe will definitely be able to enjoy the mean styling and funky interior with prices ranging from 35,402 euros up to 43,940 euros.

VW looking to MAN up, ditch Mercedes van deal

Unlike the US, the commercial truck market throughout the rest of the world is chocked full of competitors from many different automakers. Since 2006, Volkswagen has had a fullsize van called the Crafter that was a result of a partnership with Daimler AG and based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This partnership is supposed to last through 2016, but Reuters is reporting that VW might be looking to end its relationship with Daimler and create its own van in cooperation with German truck and bus maker MAN.
The article says that VW AG has more than a 75-percent stake in MAN, which would essentially be keeping the new commercial vehicle in-house. Even if VW bolts, Daimler still has a deal worked out in the commercial truck industry between its subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso and Renault-Nissan to supply the other with different trucks.