Mercedes pokes fun at fashion, and themselves, in this hilarious video for Fashion Week Berlin

Over the last few years, Mercedes-Benz has proven that they are one of the best car companies at winning the internet. Sure, they have some usual corporate stuff up on mercedesbenz.tv, but every once in a while they make a video that is absolutely crazy. (Like an anime A-class launch promo for Japan.) 

This time, Mercedes has gone for crazy again. And as usual when they do something crazy, it's crazy awesome. Mercedes obviously takes both fashion, and their sponsorship of Berline Fashion Week very seriously. So seriously, that they've authorized use of the C-111 concept in it. So seriously, that they hired a guy with lots of tattoos to play the main part. So seriously, that they had twin brothers dress in the same outfits. So seriously, that a girl comes over with cake. CAKE!

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but mine for this year might be to live life more like this guy

Larry Wood seems to have certainly lived an interesting life.

As the designer for Hot Wheels cars for 30 years, he probably designed a big part of your childhood. If you bought a Hot Wheels (or had a Hot Wheels bought for you) between 1969 - and the 90's, you probably had a car designed by this man. Motor Trend caught up with Mr. Wood and asked him for his story. This is the story of the man...

Old Toyota Celicas…they looked awesome.

70's Toyota Celicas are some of the best looking cars ever made. They are probably the best looking car to come out of the '70's. There I said it. You can love your 'Cudas, Camaros and Z's, and I understand the appeal, but the Celica, (while muuuuuuchhh slower), just looked so damn cool. 

Sure the Celica's fastback style might have been copied from the Mustang, and the head light style borrowed from the Italians, (Google Fiat Dino) but damn, they did a good job of it. And somehow they blended that mix of Italian and American into a Japanese small car's stature, which somehow made it look even more awesome. 

The 70's Celica is not as well remembered as its other Japanese cousins like the Datsun 510 or the Z, but it should be in that category. The chin spoiler that many people add to the front (such as the one in the video below) is a controversial design element, but personally I like it. Electric Federal's featured video about the Celica has the most plays out of any video they've ever put on Youtube, so I take that as a sign that I'm not the only one who thinks this car is awesome. 

RM Auctions profiles its Jaguar XJ-9 race car

RM Auctions offers a lot of cool cars. From classics and movie star cars, to race cars and crazy steam cars, they have sold some of the coolest cars in the world. Don't believe me? How about this one? Or this one? Or this super crazy thing? RM has sold them all.

But what we've seen only rarely from RM is in depth video coverage of their cars. Their Youtube channel does include video results of the sales of their finest cars, but we haven't seen a lot of meaty in-depth profiles of their cars before they are sold. (Not counting this excellent video) , or this one.)

Recently RM starting posting a few behind the scenes videos to their Youtube channel, and it seems they're adding to that material with a look at their Jaguar XJ-9 race car, which will be offered at their Amelia Island auction. 

Former XJ-R racing driver Martin Brindle shows the viewer what it was like to drive this V12 monster around the track back in its championship days. The only thing missing is a startup and idle of that presumedly mean sounding V12 behind the driver. The Castrol livery of the Jag looks awesome against the plain white backdrop of the studio, looking like the thing is ready to race off at any moment. 

It's nice of RM to do a video like this for us mere mortals who would normally not get the chance to experience machinery like this. Hopefully they'll keep videos like this coming.

Motor Trend takes a Nissan GT-R to Alberta

Nothing like a good road trip. Packing the kids into the minivan for hours of screaming, impromptu bathroom breaks, and spontaneous vomiting is what North America is built on. Somehow those seemingly endless hours sitting in the back third row of a Plymouth Voyager with 300,000kms on it will end up turning into some of our fondest childhood memories. (That's not just my childhood, but everyone's childhood who is between the ages of 25-25 right?)

In Motor Trend's case, because they have the best job IN THE WORLD, they can trade that Chrysler minivan for a Nissan GT-R, and really take a road trip.

Arthur St. Antoine takes a Nissan GT-R black edition through the province of Alberta and makes it all look sooo very good. the video starts off a little slowly, and has a lot of not so hidden marketing (though a lot of it is for Canada, so I'm okay with that. Insert 'merica type Canadian sentiment here)

Highlights of the video include a cave, a glacier, and driving the GT-R in a field. (Nissan if you ever need someone else to borrow one of your cars and drive it into a field, you still have my number from the restraining order.)  Also during the road-trip, Motor Trend manages to close off the highest highway in Canada (surprisingly not in B.C.) and see what the GT-R can do on it. Watch it. Watch it NOW. 

Rusty American Cars - in Japan

Ah the great automotive tragedy. The abandoned classic car. These sad abandoned beasts of old can usually be found rusting away in fields, barns and junkyards across North America. The ever-rusting beast that "someday" the owner will be able to restore. (Full disclosure, I am not without sin, I used to own an abandoned car until I came to my senses and sold it to someone who could give it the TLC it deserved.) 

Where you wouldn't necessarily expect to find abandoned American muscle is in Japan. Abandoned RX-7's and Fairladys? Yes. Abandoned 1970 Camaro Z/28 RS? No. But Wasabi Cars has found what is perhaps the most American abandoned car treasure trove east of Cleveland, Ohio. Take a look:

Road Rage in Cardboard Land

In Lilian Hardouineau's "Little Cars", two cars living in a cardboard cutout world seem to be having a bit of a disagreement. What comes next is a 3 minute battle for survival through the country, and into a cardboard city. Lilian does an amazing job of making everything really look like cardboard. Hopefully it never rains there. 

Motor Trend drives a 4Runner as far North as you can go in North America...

When I was a kid, I once visited my uncle who lived in the Northwest Territories. We were well south of the arctic circle, but the thing I remember most was the temperature. Despite it being early August, the temperature hovered around 9°C (48°F) for most of the time, and got even colder at night. The north is certainly not for people who enjoy sun tanning on the beach and flip flops.  

On the newest Epic Drives video by Motor Trend magazine, Arthur St. Antoine drives Toyota's new 4Runner as far north as you can drive in North America. He drives up Alaska's Dalton Highway, known for being one of the most dangerous drives in in the world. Though he and 4Runner make the drive seem easy as pie. You can imagine how brutal this environment would be in January in your Mom's Corolla.

Click below for Arthur's jaunt up the Dalton, with some fun adventures in between.