USA Today Breaking Times

Gordon Wagener has an obsession with speed. The veteran auto designer was standing next to a rendering of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Places towers in downtown Miami, carefully retracing the lines of the balconies that swirled around the altitudinous structure. “You can observe the velocity...it’s akin to a car bumper,” stated Wagener, the chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz. “The movement of these lines wraps around the structure...enhancing its dynamism. The use of geometry remains eternal.” As the German carmaker broadens its offerings to include high-end property, Wagener’s credentials are expanding as well: from sedans and sport utility vehicles to speedboats, the prolific designer is now tasked with bringing the company's aesthetic "vocabulary" to residential spaces housing numerous inhabitants. This progression aligns naturally with the brand’s direction, according to Wagener, who mentioned that Mercedes aims to create an “ecosystem” for their clientel...

The procedure can seem all-encompassing in our daily lives. The obstacles standing between you and your satisfaction have become increasingly bothersome in today’s society. After all, shouldn’t everything be readily available to us? However, with classic cars, the process itself often becomes a significant draw. Starting this immaculate 1973 Datsun 240Z from Nissan’s Heritage collection in Nashville, Tennessee, involved a ritual enthusiasts grew fond of. As I slid into the lowered, black leather bucket seat, I followed instructions to gently engage the throttle lever located on the central console approximately halfway, using just two fingers to manage the resistance. Next, I briefly depressed the clutch pedal for safety reasons and ensured the transmission was in neutral since there wasn’t an electronic mechanism preventing start-up in gear. Then, turning the ignition key resulted in immediate engine response; after one rotation, the 2.4-liter inline six-cylinder fired right up. ...