All you speed fiends out there will only have to wait until March to get your hands on the next C63 AMG. If you’re more concerned with gas mileage than track times, mark your calendars for this fall. That’s when the 2016 C350 Plug-In Hybrid will go on sale in the U.S.
Mercedes-Benz hasn’t released all of the car’s figures, such as its fuel economy and price, but we do know this much:
The C350’s 1.9-liter, turbocharged I4 and electric motor will generate a total of 275 horsepower
The dash from 0-60 mph will take fewer than six seconds
Its top speed will be 130 mph
It’ll be able to travel 20 miles on pure electricity
Regenerative braking and collision-avoidance tech will be on-board
If you run out of patience and just have to have a partially electric Mercedes, you’ll be able to buy the the S500 Plug-In Hybrid in March … for about $146,000.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
