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Mercedes SL63 AMG revealed, Viper teased again and new cars growing old in the Dash

What we're reading this morning after the holiday about Mercedes' new AMG-powered cruisers, the latest teasers from the snake pit and why new cars seem less new than ever before:

Mercedes unveils new SL63 AMG [Autocar] Taking a bit of the spotlight meant for the reveal of this season's Formula 1 car, Mercedes threw out the first glimpse and details of the new SL63 AMG — including a weight loss of more than 200 lbs., a gain in fuel efficiency of 30 percent and a new 5.5-liter V8 turbo tuned to 529 hp. Mercedes will pump out a few performance numbers for the hardtop convertible before its official reveal in Geneva in a few weeks.

Viper teased yet again [

DriveSRT] The teasing continues for the next non-Dodge Viper set for a world reveal in New York this April, with this shot of red metal and carbon fiber in some kind of scoop arrangement. Rear vent, hood intake — there's no way to tell, but it is enough to get the fans interested for a car that's still months away.

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U.S. consumers holding new vehicles longer than ever [Polk] Recession-hit Americans are unsurprisingly keeping any new cars and trucks they buy on the road longer than at any point in recent history. According to research firm Polk, the average age of a vehicle bought new on U.S. roads has risen to six years; a decade ago, it was just a little over four years. Polk expects the trend to continue for the next few years due to high unemployment — and says the trend should help mechanics and parts companies.

Oil trades near nine-month high at $105/barrel [Bloomberg] Here's your handy-dandy cheat sheet for gas and oil prices: They're going up, and if something bad happens around Iran, they're going way up.

Mini unveils Clubvan Concept, a mini commercial truck [

BMW] Also coming to Geneva will be this concept by Mini dubbed the Clubvan, an idea of how its Clubman wagon could be turned into a commercial truck for people who want more style in their everyday hauling duties than your typical plumber or HVAC guy. Then again, I'm always suspicious of businesses with fancy delivery vehicles; how much are they charging me to cover the cost of looking good?


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