This is one of the dyno rooms at the AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany. Strapped to the stand on this particular occasion was the 6.3-liter V8 headed for duty in the upcoming SLS gullwing coupe. It's expected to generate 571-horsepower and 507 pound-feet of torque when it goes into production early next year.
According to our editor on the scene, AMG puts all of its engines through a test procedure that includes 800 hours of wide-open throttle operation, pausing only to sample the oil and change dynamometer operators every 20 hours. Yes, that's over a month of full throttle operation before the engine is signed off. That should make anyone who drives an AMG vehicle a little less squeamish about hitting the redline every once in awhile.
With the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe already on the way, a convertible version was all but inevitable. Although it's not that hard to imagine what that convertible will look like, these latest spy shots spell it all out for you.
Most of the design cues revealed here are fairly conventional with a soft top, hard cover and a small wind deflector between the rear seats. As the test car got underway, however, our photographers noticed an additional feature that the current CLK cabriolet lacks.
As you can see, what looks to be an auxiliary wind deflector has been placed at the top of the windshield. We assume it bumps the airflow that much higher to keep it off precious bouffants behind the wheel. We assume it works too, as the Germans wouldn't dare use all their technical know how to develop a mere toy, right? First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Mercedes-Benz has officially announced a U.S.-based version of its AMG Driving Academy. Originally developed at AMG's Alfalterbach home base in Germany, the school is designed to teach driving enthusiasts how to get the most out of AMG's ridiculously powerful cars.
The U.S. version will be held at three different venues:Lime Rock Park, Palm Beach International Raceway and Laguna Seca Raceway. There are two levels, an entry-level Stage I program that lasts one day ($1,895) and a more advanced two-day Stage II program for experienced drivers ($3,495). There's also a special Stage I program at Laguna Seca that will include a drive of the upcoming SLS coupe ($2,295).
Cinema Vehicles states in that ad that it has built cars for many movies including the Eleanor Mustangs for Gone in 60 Seconds, the Torinos for Starsky and Hutch and the Bugs for Herbie Fully Loaded. The company also states that this Benz was a coupe before they hit it with a sawzall.
A record number of the classic Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows (Silberpfeile in German) will make their way to the Goodwood Festival of Speed from July 3-4 to celebrate 75 years since their first racing debut.
It was actually the press that gave the cars the Silver Arrow name after the German government-backed Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars dominated the track between 1934 and 1939. Benz's post-war F1 cars from 1954 and 1955 also took on the Silver Arrow moniker.
The dozen racers will set the record for the largest collection of Silver Arrows ever seen in one location, and the 1934 W25, 1937 W125, 1939 W165 and 1954 W196 will all be in attendance.
For an idea of how much power these bad boys still have, take a look at this vid of the 1938 "Silberpfeile" tearing up Park Avenue.
Wedged between the high-volume entry-level cars and the big-dollar flagships, these midsize sedans are the often overlooked middle children of the luxury sedan world. But as Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton explains in our latest comparison test, they deserve more attention.
They're too fast, to comfortable and too good looking to ignore and choosing a winner wasn't easy. Their performance figures were all close and when it came to features and price, each car had its own strengths. In the end, there was clear winner though. It was fast in a straight line and solid through turns, and it just so happened to have been the least expensive of the three.
For the first time in nearly two years, the average price of diesel fuel has fallen below regular gas. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), it's a "traditional" spring inversion that occurs in the U.S., but there's no doubt that BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen will try to take advantage of the new pricing structure.
All three automakers took the plunge and introduced new diesel models in the last year, but apart from strong sales of Volkswagen's TDI cars, sales have been disappointing. As Bill Visnic points out on AutoObserver, several other manufacturers had diesel programs in the works, but shelved them when got prices plunged.
Now that prices have evened out, and stricter CAFE regulations are on the way, there are some incentives to get those programs moving again. Hard to tell if consumers would respnod at this point, but it seems like it's worth another try given refined and quiet modern diesel engines have become.
Say what you will about Chevrolet (and you will), but it has for decades led the industry in production of sometimes-tasteful, often-not special editions of its cars. In this way, Chevy is very much like the Bugatti Veyron, Maybach and Mercedes-McLaren SLR. Otherwise not so much.
This marks the first time Chevrolet won't produce an Indy pace car replica on the years when the Camaro has paced the race ('67, '69, '82, '93).
This may or may not have something to do with the fact that the company will produce an unspecified number of Bumblebee replica Camaros, timed to go on sale when the second Transformers movie opens this summer.
Here's your chance to vote for your favorite special-edition. Will it be the 2010 Bumblee Camaro? The 2010 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Camaro that won't exist? Or the 1974 Oleg Cassini American Motors Matador?
It's been the king of the large luxo sedan segment for a long time now, so the introduction of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is nothing more than a little insurance that it will remain the class leader. All the changes are minor, but as contributor Matt Davis notes, they come together in a way that adds polish to what is already the standard in the segment.
You may have seen various reports earlier this week concerning the underpinnings of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe. The thrust of the story was the claim that the new midsize coupe was actually built on the smaller C-Class platform instead of the larger, more expensive E-Class sedan architecture.
According to Mercedes-Benz that's not entirely accurate. In a carefully worded statement sent to the media yesterday, Mercedes says that the E-Class coupe shares "more than 60% of its components and technology with the E-Class sedan." It goes on to state that like all luxury manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz "harvests the best of our engineering and technology from across the product portfolio to ensure new models deliver a unique Mercedes-Benz customer driving experience."
So there you have it. The E-Class coupe isn't built on the C-Class platform, but there's a good chance that it shares various technologies with the smaller sedan. At least according to Mercedes-Benz.
Given that the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is now on sale in Europe, the appearance of various upgrades by Brabus should come as no surprise. In typical Brabus fashion, the available options include everything from power increases to new wheel and tires.
For added power, Brabus punches out the standard 5.5-liter V8 to 6.1-liters, New camshafts, reworked heads and a revised exhaust deliver up to 456 horsepower and 453 pound-feet of torque. A height-adjustable coil over suspension system is also available along with six-piston front brakes and up to 20-inch wheels. There's a body kit too, of course.
We've already written about how Benz's CLK successor, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, drives. Now watch it crash. We wonder if the dummies were using the Drive Dynamic seats' massage feature at the time of impact. Then again, Pre-Safe probably cut off the fun a few nanoseconds prior.
A discount Mercedes-Benz? Hardly. More competitive is probably a better description of the this more affordable E-Class. As Senior Editor Erin Riches notes, the new E550 shows no signs of cost cutting despite a sizable drop in its base price. It's still feels over-engineered, and in all the right ways. Will greater affordability make this E-Class a more popular luxury sedan? Or does it stand to lose customers because it's not as exclusive anymore?
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans will cost substantially less than their 2009 counterparts according to a report in Automotive News. In order to bring the new sedans closer to its traditional transaction prices, Mercedes-Benz reduced the base price of the E350 sedan by $4,600 to $49,475. The base E550 sedan gets a $5,400 price cut to $57,175.
The new 2010 E-Class Coupes, which replace the current CLK Coupes, get only minor reductions in price. The base E350 coupe will start at $48,925 while the E550 coupe will start at $55,525.
A diesel-powered E350 sedan is slated to arrive next March followed by a wagon in June and a convertible around the same time.
Think you had a rough Monday? Daimler's was worse.
It started the day by giving up completely on Chrysler. Daimler held on to 19.9 percent of Chrysler in hopes of salvaging its disastrous merger. Well, that didn't work out too well, so Daimler agreed to give up its remaining shares to Cerberus. Daimler also forgave $700M in loans it made to Chrysler and agreed to contribute $400M to Chrysler's pension plans over the next two years. Ouch.
Later in the day, Daimler announced that it had lost $1.86 billion in the first quarter of 2009. Daimler had already written off its stake in Chrysler, so those losses aren't even the result of the earlier agreement.
So there you have it, the Daimler merger with Chrysler is officially a disaster from start to finish. Nice idea, Juergen Schrempp, hope you're enjoying retirement.
At this point we've seen the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in the flesh, but never completely uncovered. These latest shots reveal more exterior detail than ever before and it's looking quite promising.
The shapes of the greenhouse and nose section are clearly visible now and they both show clear signs of the SLS's retro-inspired design. Smaller details like the headlights, drilled brake rotors and vents holes in the front quarter panels add a few more clues to the look of the final design.
This is an occasional series on vehicles that don't get the credit they deserve. Whether it's poor advertising, no advertising or the simple fact that it's hard to appreciate them until you're behind the wheel, these vehicles often fly under the radar of many enthusiasts.
Not very had to figure out why this vehicle doesn't get much attention. The ML is the Mercedes-Benz you buy for your wife. It was born of the SUV boom of the late '90s and is your basic family truckster dressed in Mercedes leather and chrome.
When it receives the AMG treatment, however, it becomes something else entirely. It gets a more muscular stance, bitchin' wheels, a tasteful body kit and of course, the big honking 6.2-liter V8 up front.
Such upgrades aren't always a recipe for success, but in the ML63 they work. Whatever domestication it had before is wiped away by the burbling exhaust, instant torque and tight suspension. It rips corners and pops off full-throttle upshifts that snap your head back.
It'll hit 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and pull low 13s in the quarter-mile. In other words, it can hang with all those fancy new American muscle cars hitting the streets these days.
All that and this ML is still big enough and comfortable enough to drive the kids to school everyday. If we could afford to drop $90K on an SUV, the ML63 AMG would be high on our list.
You may have seen the findings of an IIHS report released earlier this week. It showed the shocking truth behind collisions between vehicles of different sizes. The conclusion? The bigger one wins. To see for yourself, watch the video below.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're running a feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
These are the big guns from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Well, not the biggest guns, but with prices near or above the $100,000 range, they're big enough. The BMW 750Li is all-new for 2009 and looking better than ever. Its 400-horsepower twin-turbo V8 makes it the closest thing to a "Motorsport" 7 Series we have ever seen. The Mercedes-Benz S550 is getting a face-lift next year, but the current model has held up well. And with a 382-horsepower V8 of its own, it doesn't give up much to the new BMW.
One look at the track numbers and you'll be amazed what these 2.25-ton sedans can do. From 13-second quarter-mile sprints to 110-foot stops from 60 mph, these two sedans are perfect examples of what can be accomplished when money is no object. Full details after the jump.
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300 Luxury 4Matic ($47,430 as tested) is a rolling example of this recent quandary. While the sedan's smooth ride and sumptuous interior definitely let you know you're not driving, say, a Kia Spectra, aspects of the in-cabin tech at times made me wish I was in a Kia Soul.
#NYIAS Mercedes gave a quick introduction to the Vision E250 Bluetec sedan yesterday in New York. We took a quick photo. By today, the diesel Benz concept was gone, already whisked off for the Shanghai auto show.
"Vision" is somewhat of a misnomer, because the E250 isn't really a concept. A version of this car, the E250 CDI, is already part of the 2010 E-Class lineup in Europe. But the "Bluetec" indicates the car now has an AdBlue urea tank in back, allowing it to meet Europe's more stringent EU 6 emission standard that goes into effect in 2014. Compared to the current EU 5 standard, this requires a significant cut in NOx emissions.The urea injections would also allow the Mercedes-Benz E250 to get 50-state certification here.
Who's going to buy a four-cylinder diesel E-Class? You are. Consider that the Vision E250 Bluetec has a 2.1-liter turbodiesel four (or 2.2 liters, according to Benz, but displacement is only 2,143cc) good for 204 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque from 1,600-1,800 rpm. That's not much less than the 210 hp and 400 lb-ft in our current E320 Bluetec, and the E250 would be cheaper, Mercedes officials tell us.
Estimated fuel economy ratings on the U.S. test cycle are an incredible 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway -- vastly better than the E320 Bluetec, rated at 23/32.
Mercedes has not yet made a decision about whether to import a production E250 Bluetec, but if it came here, it would replace the diesel E320. This diesel is also under consideration for the GLK. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor
#NYAIS I just spent a couple of hours crawling in and around a Mercedes SLS AMG prototype. The interior was finished, but the outside wore much of the same camouflage as the cars we've seen running around the Nurburgring for months (notice the black tape on the red car above). Photos were not allowed, nor could we open the hood or trunk, but everything else was fair game.
Now we've already published a number of stories on this car, so learning new info with such restrictions wasn't easy. Here's the new stuff we walked away with:
It might be a little premature to be looking past the Mercedes SLS AMG since it won't even hit the road for another year, but today, more than one AMG insider confirmed that a convertible version of the gullwinged supercar will follow it to the market. Of course, it won't have the dramatic gullwing doors of the coupe, but it will get a power-retracting soft top like the one Mercedes used on the SLR.
Cost? We're almost afraid to ask, but it'll make the expected $250,000 price of the coupe look like Tic Tac money.
Look for it to top the Mercedes range in about two years. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
#NYIAS Funny how these things work. We don't really know what the 563-hp 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS "Gullwing" will look like or how much it will cost, exactly. But we know that its steering wheel has a diameter of exactly 14.4 inches, its glovebox can accommodate 3.7 liters of something and that the COMAND infotainment system's short-stroke buttons require only 4 newtons of force to operate.
Mercedes-Benz took a little break from the New York International Auto Show to give a group of journalists a sneak peek at the interior of the SLS "Gullwing," which should go on sale next spring. Don't look for it at the Javits Center, though. It's tucked away at an off-site location. And the body still wears some camo. We won't see the car in its full production glory until the Frankfurt show this fall.
As the latest move in a long striptease of the upcoming Gullwing-door-having Mercedes-Benz SLS sports car, the company has released these sketches of the exterior.
Judging by the anime-style, computer-y renderings, the SLS will have 33-inch wheels carrying tires with a 0.05 aspect ratio and will be fitted with leftover Nissan GT-R headlamp assemblies.
Uh, wait, is that a porthole on the B-pillar? Possibly that is supposed to be the world's most prominent fuel filler. Such is the trouble with early sketches.
Otherwise, the design of the SLS is what most expected, a long-nosed two-seater with a number of retro flourishes nabbed from the 1955-'57 300SL "Gullwing." Beyond the gullwing doors, which Mercedes has taken to calling "swing-wing" doors, the new car references the original with its twin longitudinal hood bulges, big front grille, fender vents and a tapered rear end with tiny, horizontal taillights.
How close are these sketches to revealing the real character and details of the eventual 563-horsepower, seven-speed dual-clutch, $250,000 SLS? We haven't a clue really. But we won't have to wait too much longer to find out. The car should finally be unveiled at this fall's Frankfurt auto show.
#NYIAS We've already written an entertaining and detailed yarn on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. Now, we've just seen the sedan in full glory under a zillion fluorescent lights in New York's Javits Center. Diane Reeves, the Grammy-winning jazz singer, paid tribute to the new E-Class with her song "Better Than Anything."
Apparently, the 2010 E-Class is better than anything except being in love, especially the E63 AMG with its 518 hp, 465 lb-ft of torque and claimed 4.5-second 0-60 time. Discuss.
Also, we now know that the E63 goes on sale in the fall of 2009, likely September. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor
Lexus finally has some competition in the luxury hybrid game, or will starting this summer. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 joins the refreshed S-Class lineup as the company's first production hybrid vehicle. Its drivetrain consists of a V6 gas engine coupled with a 20-hp electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries. Mercedes-Benz claims 29 mpg in combined driving.
The car is a lot more complicated electronic device than any iPod you can imagine. When you're behind the steering wheel, there's a lot of stuff on the menu: ventilation controls, audio entertainment options, navigation system, calibrations for the powertrain and chassis. It's no wonder that car designers have been trying to figure out what to do about operating all this stuff.
Designers have long recognized that a simple touch-panel display possesses superior Human Machine Interface (HMI) qualities, yet they continue to seek a more elegant solution than the customary computer screen jammed in the middle of the dashboard. This is what led BMW to bring us iDrive in 2001, followed subsequently by Audi's MMI and Mercedes-Benz's COMAND. Now even Lexus is headed down this route to the remote-control device, replacing its widely admired touch-panel display with its Remote Touch interface for the 2010 Lexus RX.
It used to be that Mercedes-Benz' AMG department could be counted on to produce the most American-style muscle cars of all the hot Euro sedans.
They were regularly out-handled by their direct competitors, but they usually upped the ante in the engine bay. AMG was a super power in the horsepower wars.
For the 2010 E-Class AMG, which will be unveiled at New York's auto show in April, the company has focused more on handling prowess than ever before and -- gasp! -- the car comes into the hotrod sedan market at a power deficit compared to the supercharged 556-hp Cadillac CTS-V. The new 2010 model uses the SL63's 6.2-liter 518 horsepower V8 along with its Speeshift seven-speed shiftable automatic.
With every new Mercedes, there is a new chance for German tuner Brabus to make it better - or uglier depending on your taste for aftermarket bodywork.
In this case, Brabus has taken the upcoming 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 sedan and punched out its 5.5-liter engine to 6.1-liters. Combined with new camshafts and a reprogrammed ECU, the extra large V8 delivers 456-horsepower and 453 pound-feet of torque.
Also available are various body pieces like a new front bumper that Brabus claims reduces front end lift along with reshaped front quarter panels and a new rear deflector plate and spoiler. The available wheels range in size from 17- to 20-inches while the brake kit features front rotors that measure 14.8-inches with 12-piston aluminum calipers. That ought to do it.
Small cars were all the rage six months ago. Now dealers can't get them off their lots. Of course, they can't really get anything off their lots, but let's not mix up too many issues here.
Hard to tell who's right here. Sure, we probably don't need quite so many full-size SUVs, but does anybody really want to drive a compact hatchback? Maybe when they're 25 and poor, but what about when they're 35 and doing well for themselves?
Everyone always uses Europe as an example, but you know what rich people in Europe drive? S-Class sedans, and 7 Series sedans and A8s. And if they're really rich - Jeep Grand Cherokees. So yeah, they drive small cars when they have to, not because they really want to.
Why bother discussing GT-R vs. ZR1 lap times with your buddies when you can brag about your own personal best lap time?
Because it's expensive you say?
Well, yes it is, but for those who can afford a trip to the AMG Driving Academy, it will be well worth the expense.
At least that's what our Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds says. He spent the better part of three days mastering Schwedenkreuz, Aremberg, Adenauer-Forst in an SL63 AMG. In the end, he was able to pull off a lap of 8:48.9, fast enough to secure bragging rights at track-side bench racing sessions for some time to come.
Like so many luxury cars today, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 is a technological powerhouse. Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Nightview Assist Plus, Attention Assist, PreSafe Braking -it's a long list of features that can easily overwhelm the fact that is fundamentally just a sedan, not a space station.
Senior Editor Dan Pund not only played with all the electronics recently, he actually drove the car too. And once he had sorted through all the buttons and assistants, he came to the conclusion that the 2010 E550 is still quite a nice car to drive, even if you do it all by yourself.
We were skeptical -- very, very skeptical -- about the look of the new E-Class coupe when we saw it only in pictures. Well, we've crawled around it now and while we're still not going to call the thing even remotely beautiful, it is at least, less discordant than we expected.
Somehow it looks lower in person than in the photo. And the body-side surface excitement is less pronounced than it at first appeared. But the headlights? Well, we're still working on that.
We've shown you various spy photos and spy videos of this car over the past couple of years, and now it has an official name: the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Hidden under Viper body panels during its early testing days, the latest prototypes are still covered in camouflage but there's no mistaking the gullwing-style doors and retro bodywork. Yep, this is a modern day 300 SL alright.
We were expecting AMG to unleash a monster of an engine for this exclusive super coupe and we were wrong.
The Mercedes-Benz test track in Unterturkheim is home to the famous vertical curve and now you can experience it firsthand thanks to the Setra S 411 HD "compact" motor coach. Yes, tours of the facility will now include a ride on the 33-foot long, 408-horsepower bus as it careens around the track subjecting its riders to centrifugal forces amounting to twice their normal body weight.
Not hard to see this one coming. With the debut of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe set for the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the appearance of a cabriolet version shouldn't be a surprise to anybody. Sources have told Inside Line that the soft-top version of the two-door E-Class is scheduled for a fall debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Mercedes-Benz hasn't been good with names for quite some time now. The current CLK has little in common with the CL flagship and shares even less with the SLK roadster. In an attempt to restore some order, the CLK will be replaced this summer with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.
As you might have guessed from the new less-confusing nomenclature, this is a two-door version of the E-Class sedan introduced at the Detroit Auto Show. Slippery new bodywork not only gives it a unique look, it also gives the new coupe a drag coefficient of .24, the lowest of any production car in the world.
When it goes on sale this June, the E-Class Coupe will get the same engine lineup as the sedan. Base models get the 3.5-liter, 268-hp V6 while the E550 Coupe will have 382-hp thanks to a 5.4-liter V8.
Don't worry, pedestrian crash test standards aren't out of control just yet. This prototype of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK is simply wearing the latest Daimler prototype disguise package.
The MB engineers don't seem to care about concealing the top, however, mostly because it appears to be unchanged from the retractable hardtop used now. This prototype looks to be about the same size as the current models too, so don't expect anything more than minor styling changes from this new generation of SLK that's expected to debut next year.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're introducing a new feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
This is the car that started the whole "four-door coupe" thing. Seemed like a strange idea at the time, but now the Mercedes-Benz CLS is the old-timer of the low-roof sedan crowd.
Still looks good though, and when you stuff AMG's 6.2-liter V8 under its hood the CLS feels good too. The standard CLS550 is no slouch, but the AMG setup turns the CLS into the low-slung street sleeper that its design has always promised. Just look at these numbers and see for yourself.
Full test numbers and photo gallery after the jump.
In case you hadn't heard, the former Mercedes CLK coupe will be known as the 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe starting later this year. An official unveil is expected at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, but Motorpasion managed to snag this picture of a nearly undisguised prototype. Not bad, eh?
Deep in the land of hideous prototypes, otherwise known as the Arctic Circle, our chilled-to-the-bone photographers caught this 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS out for a test drive. As is customary now for German prototypes, this test mule was clad in all sorts of hard plastic which covers up the vast majority of the actual sheetmetal.
Strangely enough, they didn't see fit to mask off this prototype's roofline, which seems a bit odd given the fact that this is the defining trait of the CLS. Compared to the roofline of the current model, not much has changed. The shape of the C-pillar looks exactly the same, so expect to see most of this sedan's upgrades in the design of the nose and tail sections.
Based on the same chassis as the recently introduced 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, this CLS will most likely retain the same 5.5-liter V8 as its base engine with an AMG upgrade available on the top end.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every one gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're introducing a new feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 is the one of only two AMG models left that doesn't use the latest 6.3-liter V8. Instead, it gets by with an older 5.4-liter V8 that produces 355-horsepower. Sounds meager next to the 500+ horses belted out by the bigger 6.3, but remember this is a 3,500 pound roadster.
Compared to the standard SLK350, the AMG model also gets a fully upgraded suspension, larger wheels and tires, and upgraded brakes. For the record, there's an even more aggressive AMG Performance Package available for an extra $7,000 that adds an even stiffer suspension, new wheels and revised brakes.
Come back with us (and Daimler-Benz) to 1979, the year of Sandinistas, Skylab, the Susan B. Anthony dollar and, oh yeah, the Iran Hostage Crisis. Thirty years ago this month, Mercedes introduced the G-class and damn if they haven't been building those boxes ever since. The company has re-released a number of images of the original vehicle, the 460 series. Enjoy.
#DAS09 At the unveiling of 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class at Detroit's Park Cadillac Hotel on Saturday night, Dr. Thomas Weber, a research/design director on Daimler-Benz's board of management, spent a lot of time talking about the company's Concept BlueZero cars. The BlueZero E-Cell, F-Cell and E-Cell Plus concepts are all variations on the electric-car theme and all are built on Benz's B-Class platform.
Though the E-Class isn't on display in Cobo, the all-electric BlueZero E-Cell is in the Mercedes booth, though curiously it's adjacent to an animated display of the SL63's 518-horsepower, 6.3-liter V8 and seven-speed automatic. So electricity is really the future, hmm?
Still, Daimler has announced that it intends to produce lithium-ion batteries in-house, instead of using an outside supplier, so there's a level of commitment here. Also, the sandwich floor structure of the B-Class is apparently ideal for packaging lithium-ion batteries.
Which would be your preferred scalp-ripper: The 217-mph Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, or the 195-mph Bentley Continental GTC Speed? -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
#DAS09 Mercedes-Benz took over three floors of Detroit's Book Cadillac Hotel (now by Westin) tonight. A good 600-700 people showed up for the jazz band, wine and the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The redesigned E-Class goes on sale in Europe on January 12 and arrives at European dealers in March. We'll see it here in the fall of 2009.
Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler's board of management, gave what is now becoming a familiar speech to warm up the crowd. "Every automaker is feeling the pain right now," he said. "But the automotive sector is the victim of the situation, not the cause."
So Detroit is hurting and the Asian automakers are pulling out of Detroit. So what's left?
Plenty of room for the Europeans apparently. There will be no less than ten world debuts from the other side of the pond at this year's show, a sign that although our market is down, it's can still make or break a new product for most manufacturers. Here's a rundown of what the German et al. will have on display next week.
You may have already seen the sales totals for December, and 2008 as a whole. If not, here's a summary: not good. For a more detailed look, check out the industry wide 2008 sales analysis over at AutoObserver.
We assembled something a little different though. Instead of assessing the big picture, we looked at the sales numbers for individual models. Which new models flopped, which old models recovered, that sort of thing. Some of the results we expected, others were a little more eye opening. See for yourself after the jump.
Mercedes will be bring three new eco-concepts to the NAIAS, all including the name BlueZero.
Named the E-Cell, F-Cell and E-Plus; and are all variations on the electric vehicle concept. The E-Cell uses a pure-ev design, with lithium-ion batteries and electric motors powering the vehicle. The E-Plus uses lithium-ion batteries and electric motors to drive the wheels. It also features a gas-powered engine to charge the batteries for greater range between charges. Lastly, the F-Cell uses hydrogen fuel cells to power the electric motors.
With the SPLITVIEW technology Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce on S-Class vehicles in Europe and China next summer and in the U.S. soon afterward, a front-seat passenger can watch a video on an in-dash monitor while the driver can only view a navigation screen or other info.
Developed by Mercedes-Benz and Bosch, the 8-inch TFT LCD monitor in the center of the dash shows two separate images simultaneously by placing pixels adjacent to one another. A filter then divides the mixed images so that, depending on the seating position, only the pixels that make up one image can be viewed. The front passenger can use a remote control to choose whether to watch a DVD or TV and also has the option of listening to the audio portion of a video using wireless headphones.
Official images have been leaked of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The car is all new, and reflects some of the styling cues seen on recent Benz models; that being a somewhat tortured and overdone skin, with a few too many wrinkles and creases. The car will debut at the NAIAS in January.
If the reports are true, Mercedes-Benz will be dropping their V12 engine. Pressure from environmental groups, tougher emission regulations, and the fact that most MB cars are no longer meant to accommodate a long engine like a V12, has forced Mercedes to re-think as to whether they need that engine. The answer is apparently no. So expect future premium Benz models to be fitted with twin-turbo V8 powerplants instead.
Cerberus Capital Management LP accused Daimler AG of "intentionally and materially" misleading Cerberus before the German automaker sold Chrysler last year. And, of course, Daimler is saying there is no truth to the allegations.
Cerberus, states attorney Peter Henning, is essentially saying that "Daimler gussied Chrysler up to make it look good."
"They made it look better than it was and didn't disclose it, or actually even worse than not disclosing it, made misrepresentations."
Daimler spokesman Han Tjan said Cerberus performed due diligence before the sale and was given all the information it needed to close the deal.
"We reject these allegations as being completely without substance," he said.
It's getting ugly folks, and this during the Thanksgiving holiday no less.
We didn't learn much about the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series at today's press conference that we didn't know already. There will be only 175 of them shipped to the U.S., it gives new meaning to the term "fender flares" and we'll never, ever be able to afford it. Mercedes-Benz helped us out on the last part by announcing the official base price of the SL65 AMG Black Series: $299,000.
Mercedes-Benz announced today that its European 2009 E-Class and S-Class cars will get safety tech next Spring that keeps a driver from nodding off, recognizes speed limit signs, minimizes crash injuries for occupants as well as pedestrians and more.
In unveiling the wide ranging suite of active safety technology in Leipzig today, the German luxury automaker says it intends to create vehicles that can be part of the "thinking" process of driving and also "see, sense and act autonomously."
And, of course, also create cars that sell, since safety tech ranks high on the list of bells and whistles that customers are willing to pay for.
One can on only assume, based on the model name of NV2500, that it stands for Nissan Van, and that it's a 3/4-ton vehicle. Anyone following this blog knows that Nissan will be entering the light commercial truck market, and one vehicle is expected to be a van.
Frankly I'm a bit puzzled by what I see here. To me this looks too much like the old-school Detroit-styled vans (low roof and big snout), rather than like the far more modern Euro-school vans, such as the Mercedes/Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter.
Mike Levine over at PickupTrucks.com (here) dug a little deeper, and discovered that Nissan has trademarked a few other names, further supporting the thinking that "NV" likely indicates "Nissan Van." There's a "NV1500" and "NV3500" suggesting that there will also be 1/2-ton and 1-ton versions. In addition Nissan has trademarked "NP" models, indicating "Nissan Pickup." In fact they trademarked names running from NP1500 to NP5500.
The spreading Wall Street financial crisis is beginning to affect what we will see offered here and around the world--and sooner rather than later. No market is going to get by untouched. Even those OPEC and other oil-rich countries will see some sort of negative effect as it pertains to vehicle choices. AutoObserver has an excellent article on how automakers are addressing this situation:
Sure to become the "next big thing" (well, maybe...), Daimler has launched Car2go, which is a fleet of 50 Smart cars, that can be "hired" as needed to make a quick across town commute, or whatever. This will first be tested with Daimler employees, and then, once the kinks are ironed out, offered to the public.
It's well known that racing has contributed heavily to the design and engineering of vehicles that you and I drive. With that thought in mind the LA Auto Show will feature a display of what future race cars might be like in 2025, what they may offer in terms of technology and safety; and ultimately, how that might be applied to ordinary cars sometime in the future.
The designs are part of the fifth annual Los Angeles Auto Show's Design Challenge, where studios including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are pitted against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design.
So, we're in the midst of the worst financial mess since the great depression, and Bentley and Bugatti are thinking of pairing up, and taking on Rolls-Royce? Are they nuts? Or are they and their customers just sooooo wealthy that they're immune to everything that's going on around them? So what if they or their customers drop a few million on the stock exchange? That must be chump change to these guys.
According to Dieter Zetsche, Mercedes-Benz AG chairman of the board, the ConceptFascination strongly foreshadows the 2009 Mercedes-Benz design. Characteristics of this design will appear in next year's Mercedes-Benz models.
Translation: This is what the all-new 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will look like.
The work of Gorgen Wagener (that's him up on stage), the new global head of design at Benz and the former head of the company's Irvine, California, studio, the ConceptFascination does more than show the Mercedes' new look. It also hints at an all-new model, the E-Class coupe wagon.
Just as the company's CLS blurred the line between coupe and sedan, the Fascination blurs the line between coupe and wagon. "We want to reinvent the shooting brake (that's wagon in Eurospeak)," Wagener told me after the Benz press conference. "We see an opening for a new niche and we want to claim it as our own concept. We want to combine sportiness with functionality, like in the old days with the Volvo P1800 and others."
Then I asked him if such a vehicle would see production. He wouldn't answer, but his eyes gave it away. This thing is for real. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
It's the answer to the question nobody has really asked besides Lexus with its slow-selling LS 600h. This is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid, and Mercedes says it's the most fuel-efficient luxury car on earth.
The German automaker debuted its new green flagship today at the Paris auto show during a low-key press conference, but the news wasn't all that shocking since Inside Line drove the S400 Hybrid a couple of weeks ago in Germany.
Powered by a 275-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack, the S400, accorded to Dieter Zetsche (that's him on the right), Mercedes-Benz chairman of the board, puts out the equivalent of 299 hp while emitting the lowest CO2 levels in the luxury class.
"This is just the beginning," Zetsche told the gathered media today. "With this technology, we can hybridize all of our models in rapid succession. This car proves Mercedes will be able to downsize its emissions without downsizing its products."
The S400 Hybrid will go on sale in America in September 2009. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
The Mercedes-Benz and McLaren relationship may be winding down, but it will go out with a big bang. The automotive duo will show a very special version of the SLR, dubbed the 722 S at the Paris auto show..
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that a German magazine stated that Daimler would like to unload the remaining shares of Chrysler LLC that it now owns. When Cerberus took over the automaker, Daimler held on to almost 20% of the company.
It was also reported that Daimler would likely not lose money on this transaction, and that it could be completed within a few weeks. So far there's been no comment from either company on this deal.
Shades of the '60s-era 600 Pullman, in which I have two comments:
First, this premium limo is a Mercedes and not a Maybach. Does that further signal that the Maybach brand is headed for the crusher?
Second, are we beginning to seeing a trend here in which head-of-state-like limos--as well as premium cars in general--also have to be ballistic-resistant? Both BMW (here) and Mercedes (here) are offering this feature as a factory option. In the past, armored cars were farmed out to speciality shops; not any more. It's certainly a sad commentary of the times.
Ah, the old infrastructure bugaboo... Well, it's good to see that at least the Germans are moving forward on making the ownership and use of an electric vehicle easier by addressing this issue. This is thanks to a joint venture by Daimler AG and energy provider RWE AG.
It's called e-mobility Berlin, and is described as the world's largest joint project for environmentally friendly electric cars. Daimler will provide around 100 electric cars from Mercedes-Benz and smart as well as the vehicle service and RWE will install and operate 500 charging points in customer's homes, workplaces, public parking areas and through agreements with businesses such as shopping centers. The initiative is also being supported by the German federal government.
Arguably the most famous Mercedes-Benz ever made, the S280 in which Princess Diana was killed in, may be sold to the highest bidder.
The Mail, a British newspaper, has reported that the manager of the Paris-based Etoile Limousine, Jean-Francois Musa, wants the wrecked car back. He figures that it has the potential to fetch a seven-figure price. "It's worth a great deal of money," the The Mail quoted Mr. Musa as saying.Here's Inside Line's take: Princess Diana's Crashed Mercedes-Benz Could be Sold
Call me old-fashioned, but I'm big on carrying on tradition when it comes automobiles. Well, that is, to a degree... I'm usually at the head of the class when it comes to promoting new and innovative ideas--but I do have a soft spot when it comes to keeping certain iconic automotive symbols--symbols that are at the heart (essence!) of a specific brand or model. The Gullwing Mercedes is one of them.
Even as a kid growing up, I sensed that when the then next-generation SL "pagoda-roof" sports car models appeared, sans a gullwing version, I knew the world would be forever a bit off-kilter.
I still feel that way. I don't think--in all the years that have passed--that Mercedes has ever, in the minds of many, offered a car that truly replaced the original gullwing. That may be about to change, now that a new gullwing is in the works. Let's hope so.
There is growing speculation in Europe that Daimler could become a target for a takeover.
Sources close to Daimler management told the Financial Times that company executives indeed are very concerned about a possible takeover because of several recent events. The article cites the following as factors that are intensifying concern over a possible Daimler takeover:
• the "audacious" move by Schaeffler, the privately owned maker of ball bearings and car parts, to take over its larger rival Continental. Potential Daimler suitors could come from emerging markets - or even Daimler's home turf;
• Daimler's warning last month on likely lower future profits;
• Daimler shares prices that are down by more than 45 percent in the past 12 months, reducing its market value to the equivalent of $59 billion;
• the collpase in value across the entire auto industry and the industry's "grim outlook" that has put the worth of the world's still largest automaker, General Motors, at barely $6 billion;
• the lack of "an anchor investor" to ward off unwanted suitors as BMW has with the Quandt family as controlling shareholders. Daimler's only large shareholder is the Emirate of Kuwait, with a stake of 7.6 percent as of the end of April. The rest of its stock is free float, split between institutional and private investors. A new investor might be lured to strip Daimler of its 8.8 billion euros of net liquidity or urge it to split off the truck division, as some of its minority shareholders have long demanded, the paper noted.
Had an opportunity recently to spend about 20 minutes driving a loaded (if that word can used) Smart Passion Cabriolet. A few comments:
• It was the worst accelerating car that I've driven in 30+ years. From a dead stop, when giving gas, the 3-cylinder, 999cc engine felt like it was going to stall, rather than move the car forward. I can't imagine what it would be like with a passenger onboard.
• The only way to drive this car is with the auto-manual transmission in "manual mode," using the paddle shifters. Driven in that mode it was actually fun. Still sssslllloooowwww--but fun. In the "auto mode" it will put you to sleep--not a good thing when driving. Also in "auto mode," it's very reluctant to downshift on hills, etc. Frankly, I can't think of a more miserable driving experience. Like I said, "manual mode" is the ONLY way to go with this car--and that is fun! This is the only tranny available; there is no pure manual to be had.
• It requires premium fuel. Are they kidding? In an eco-friendly, save-our-planet car like this?
• Handling? As you might expect, it felt like a micro-mini SUV. It wasn't confidence-inspiring, but that may change with more familiarity.
• Steering seemed a bit slow for a car this tiny.
• While it's capable of 40+ mpg, for a car this size I would expect 70+ mpg.
• $18K or so as equipped--OUCH!
• This car has more "cult" potential than any other car on the market. No question about it, this car is a real conversation starter--a sure plus for shy people (Garrison Keillor would be pleased).
The Smart sort of reminded me of my first car, a '62 VW sunroof. I have fond memories of that car, even though it was as primitive as an anvil. Like that old VW, and despite all the Smart's real-world shortcomings, it's still a hoot to drive. Yes, slow can be fun! I was pleasantly surprised at how good (and stable) it felt at speed, if you can call 40 or 50 mph speed. I would have no problems driving it on back country roads like where I live. Certainly the risk of getting speeding tickets drops to about zero.
Now, if and when they bring over the turbo-powered Brabus Smart--give me a call--ASAP! That should be an ubër hoot to drive.
There currently two Smart dealers here in Maryland, one in Germantown (where I went), the other in Annapolis. Both are paired with Mercedes dealers. Interesting to note that you purchase the car via the Internet, and not the dealer. You merely go to the dealer to pick the car up and have it serviced.
Mercedes-Benz is going turbo big time. By the end of 2010 all Mercedes are expected to be turbo-powered. As always, the reason for going turbo is increased fuel economy by using smaller engines, while retaining the power associated with larger engines.
"All our vehicles will have turbocharged engines in series production by the end of 2010 at the latest," Thomas Weber, Daimler board member responsible for research and development, told Automotive News Europe.In addition there will be an S Class [full] hybrid coming in 2009. Here's Green Car Advisor's take: All Mercedes Cars to be Turbocharged by 2010; Full Hybrid to Join S Class Next Year
After the first round of pseudo spy photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, we can now show you some real spy photos of the 2009 McLaren SLR Speedster in action on the Nurburgring. This is the last variation of the SLR that we'll see as the less-than-successful supercar will go out of production soon. Lighter than any of the previous SLRs, the Speedster should be the fastest and most nimble version yet. Its top speed is said to be over 200mph, bring your helmet.
Looks like the 2010 Mercedes-Benz R-Class is getting some changes. Caught testing recently in Death Valley, this R-Class prototype shows a few minor styling changes on the outside along with modest interior upgrades. Expect to see a front fascia with squared off headlights that mimic the rest of the Mercedes' lineup while the rear end will remain similar to the current model. The overall design of the cabin will remain the same, but the R-Class will add some new technological features to keep pace with other luxury crossover vehicles. Expect to see this refreshed R-Class on sale by the middle of next year.
This is interesting: Mercedes-Benz is asking for a tax break, similar to what's available for hybrid buyers, but applied to new diesel vehicles. If this were to occur—and I hope it happens—it would take some of the sting out of the high cost of diesel fuel as well as the increased purchase cost of a diesel engine option.
The good news here is that the Environmental Protection Agency is considering Mercedes’ claim that the new 50-state-legal, diesel-engine Benzes should be in the same category as hybrids that qualify for the federal Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit. So diesel fans, keep your fingers crossed...
It looks like Mercedes-Benz is jumping on the iPhone bandwagon, by making their cars fully integrated with the latest Apple widget. I hope other car makers will follow suit, especially those that aren't premium brands.
Reports from Europe suggest that the next-generation Mercedes-Benz A- & B-Class are going to be radically different from what they are now, and may go RWD. It sounds like they will be more conventional looking in that they will be targeted at the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and the upcoming Saab 9-2.
These new Baby-Benzes are scheduled to arrive in 2011.
Feeling the increasing pressure of social responsibility, AMG, Mercedes-Benz's in-house performance arm, will no longer be chasing just ultra high horsepower numbers. Instead they will be balancing high performance with a degree environmental restraint with their future powerplants.
Their current top engines, the 6.2L V8 and the 6.0 V12 twin-turbo engines will eventually be replaced with a smaller 5.0 V8 twin-turbo. The 6.2 engine reportedly get miserable mileage under full throttle, and has less low-end power than the previous supercharged 5.5L unit...
After seeing the lackluster lines of the Audi Q5, the sharply creased sheetmetal of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK actually looked pretty good. When we first saw this new compact SUV as a concept, it looked a little overstyled, like Mercedes was trying too hard to give it some personality.
In person, however, the GLK works. Instead of looking like a shrunken down M-Class, the GLK has enough original lines to keep you interested...
OK, that Ford neo-Thunderbird image was posted to get your attention. Guess what... it's one on the list.
So David Kinney, a guy who follows old cars, and who's the publisher of Cars That Matter Price Guide, has listed six now-cheap cars that he guarantees will raise in value over the years...
But wait, we also have a full test on the new Mercedes C63 AMG. Can you believe it's quicker than the last BMW M3 we tested? Zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and it reached the quarter mile in 12.5 seconds at 113.7 mph.
Because of tougher emission requirements and more stringent fuel requirements, both here and in Europe, BMW is ending production of their V8 diesel. They also feel because of turbocharging and direct injection, that 6-and 4-cylinder diesels will be more than adequate for those customers. Mercedes-Benz is also rumored to be following this same path, although nothing officially has been announced yet.
If Bluetec was upstaged by Sheryl Crow last night, Mercedes-Benz officials were resolutely on-message today. At no point was diesel ever not part of the discussion at this morning's press conference at New York's Javits Center. "At Mercedes we believe that Bluetec and soon Bluetec hybrids will keep the luxury SUV alive and kicking," Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, told the crowd.
Accordingly, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class has license to get a little more adventurous with its styling. "The updated M-Class appears even more confident," Lieb noted, pointing out the larger, more unsettling front fascia on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec next to him.
On the way up to the stage, we passed by a 2009 Mercedes ML63 AMG, which takes the aggression even further.
On the eve of the 2008 New York Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz revealed its three 50-state-legal Bluetec diesel trucks at an event that could only be described as, well, loud.
Sure the three V6-diesel-powered trucks (GL, ML and R) were in attendance. But really, they were the sideshow. On center stage was Sheryl Crow and her acoustic guitar...
Maybach's sustainability as a brand is much in doubt. Last year they sold only 146 units worldwide, which is only 10% of what was expected. This is especially grim news when you consider the record amount of Rolls-Royces being sold. Besides the ultra-limited-edition Landaulet, there are no other new models scheduled for introduction...
Should you change your oil at 7,500 miles? How about at 5,000 or 3,000 miles? Depending on who you talk to, and depending on what you drive, those are the accepted oil change intervals that most folks go by.
Now there are research going on by Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), in which the car while in operation, car actually check the condition of the oil, and then let the driver know when the oil is ready to be replaced...
We got a good look at the refreshed 2009 Mercedes SL550 a couple weeks ago, but the Geneva auto show was the official debut of the SL63 AMG. Instead of the SL550's 5.5-liter V8 with 388 horsepower, the SL63 uses a 6.2-liter V8 with 525 hp. It's also the first application of Mercedes' new seven-speed transmission. It's called MCT Sportshift and it combines the smoothness of an automatic with the direct feel of a manual...
Just when we thought we had heard every environmentally conscious term imaginable, Thomas Weber, head of research and development for Mercedes-Benz, threw out a new one. He called the new Mercedes-Benz GLK Bluetec Hybrid a “sustainable utility vehicle.” Catchy, huh?
He was referring to this GLK's diesel-electric drivetrain, which combines a 2.2-liter diesel engine with what Mercedes described vaguely as a “hybrid module.” It delivers 38.8 mpg according to Mercedes-Benz, but more importantly, the hybrid module uses lithium-ion batteries. Mercedes says a similar system will make its production debut in the S400 Blue Hybird next year. If that goes as planned, the Mercedes-Benz S400 Blue Hybrid would be the first production hybrid car to use lithium-ion battery technology. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
Most of the press conferences at the Geneva auto show are pretty lame. They usually involve a top executive making a few obvious remarks, pulling a sheet off a car that has been sitting there all morning and maybe some moderately loud music. Mercedes-Benz is one of the few that makes more of an effort, so this year’s show included an introduction by Dieter Zetsche who rode in on the world's oldest automobile, the Benz Patent Motor Car, with Mrs. Jutta Benz, great granddaughter of Carl and Bertha Benz.
There was also a performance by Chinese acrobats and ballet dancers along with the reveal of the GLK Bluetec Hybrid. What do acrobats have to do with a new hybrid sport-utility? Nothing, but they were more fun to watch than listening to more of Dieter. Click through for videos of all the fun. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
Engineers working on hybrids have long known about the advantages of lithium-ion batteries. They've also know about the disadvantages, such as flame-ups due to excessive heat build up, as well as temperature sensitivity. Those concerns, as well as high costs, have so far kept Li-Ion hybrids out of showrooms.
Now Mercedes thinks they've got these problems licked, and will be introducing a S400 BlueHYBRID powered by Li-Ion batteries...
When I had my '98 Explorer, I kept my Class III trailer hitch attached to the vehicle. It was a good thing I did, as I was rear-ended several times during the time I owned it, and that rear hitch took the brunt of the hit, thus never damaging my vehicle.
Now there's a rear trailer hitch designed specifically for such impacts, in that it compresses to some degree when hit. This portable spare bumper protects your vehicle from rear end collision damage caused by tailgaters, uninsured motorists, bumper-to-bumper traffic, distracted drivers, inattentive cell phone users, drivers with poor judgment, text messengers and lousy parallel parkers...
Inside Line drove the new Mercedes SLK55 AMG along a beautiful strip of the Côte d' Azur where pretty cars are aplenty.
The 2009 model has a new "direct-steer" system and minor exterior design changes. It 5.4-liter torquey V8 is capable of 355 horsepower and zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
As a nice break from all the new cars and concepts, here's a few semi-oldies that have been aged to perfection:
BMW 2002 Tii
Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3
Mitsubishi Galant GTO-R73X
New models and new concepts are fine but these three automakers obviously think there's something to be said for heritage. We agree. --Brian Moody, Road Test Editor
Mercedes-Benz in-house performance bad boys (AMG) may be considering offering high-performance diesel models. Actually, AMG has offered a diesel Benz before back in 2002. This is just one more piece of evidence that diesels are ready for a mass prime-time audience.
Speaking of high-performance diesels rumors, about a year ago I had read that ProDrive may be working on a rally version of the new Subaru diesel...
Leaked images of the new 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL have leaked onto the Net, and are up over at Autoblog. I have to say this give me hope in that not all Benz designers are in a coma. I was beginning to wonder after seeing their GLK concept.
No word yet on what's under the skin, or on model content...
Although the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK was unveiled last month in Germany, it got its official auto show debut today in Detroit. With only minor changes to the front and rear ends, it hardly drew a second glance despite some dramatic music and plenty of very proud-looking Germans giving it a hand.
As Dieter Zetsche noted during the press conference, however, the SLK gets plenty of attention at dealers as the SLK is the best-selling roadster in Mercedes' lineup. With that in mind, the SLK350 was given a boost in power along with improved efficiency...
Did you really think Mercedes-Benz would have a press conference on the 2009 GLK and not pull out the Sex and the City card? Impossible, which is why the new compact sport-ute rolled out with some woman named Kim Cattrall riding shotgun. She's one of the lead characters of the TV show, we're told. Since we spend all of our spare evenings wedging big blocks into straight-axle 55s, Ms...
Mercedes-Benz threw a little party here in Detroit while offering an early, up close look at the Vision GLK Freeside Concept. The event was so fancy we thought maybe they'd throw us out -- it's not that we're not fancy...actually we're not fancy at all. The GLK, on the other hand, is quite stylish and comes off more like a premium SUV than both the BMW X3 and Land Rover LR2.
We've seen pictures before and we already knew it's based on the C-Class wagon...
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 Formula 1 race car debuted at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, pictured, were also at the event. Testing of this new racer has just begun. Below are some of the specs...
The competition for OnStar type services is really heating up. Ford's Sync system has already added features like accident notificaiton and remote diagnostics. Now, Hughes Telematics is confirming details of their system which will be included on many 2009 Mercedes Benz vehicles.
The Hughes system is by far the most comprehensive and includes these features: emergency crash notification, hands free calling, maintenance reminders, recall notification, red light camera alerts, roadside assistance, real time traffic, remote emissions reporting, stolen vehicle locator, turn by turn directions, vehicle tracking, plus news, weather, gas and streaming media...
There are more than 140,000 slot machines in and around Las Vegas. That's about the same number of people who will attend this year's International Consumer Electronics Show which is also in Las Vegas.
And we're not talking just fancy toasters, Wii and big screen TVs. We fully expect a strong automotive showing at this year's show as both Ford and General Motors will be there in force...
As some of you know my background is in design—graphic design specifically. I have my own design business, and have taught graphic design at my alma mater, the Maryland Institute College of Art part time for a dozen years or more. So I like to think that I know something about design. This Straightline gig is also part time—and it satisfies my other love, that being cars, trucks, SUVs, and anything with a motor and wheels...
Looks like Priddy & Company got the drop on the new upcoming baby M-Class, better known as the GLK-Class. This vehicle will go up against the BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Acura RDX and the new Infiniti EX35.
Expect a 270 horsepower 3.5 engine, working through a 7-speed automatic and (of course) AWD. The vehicle will debut at the Detroit Auto Show in a few weeks...
Here's a story that hits close to home, as it happened to my father many years ago. He fell asleep at the wheel once, had an accident, and fortunately came away with nothing more than a broken nose.
Anyway, Mercedes-Benz is in the final testing of a system that will help drivers avert the above scenario. It's called Attention Assist, and the system records the angle of the steering wheel, speed, acceleration, the use of indicators and pedals, as well as external factors such as a side wind or an uneven road surface...
It looks as if Mercedes-Benz is also jumping on the retro bandwagon as word has it that they are going to introduce a sports car with those famous "gullwing" doors.
Frankly, I can't wait. I think this would be a great idea. As wonderful as the new MB SLs are, they have long since lost the mojo that the original 300SL had...
Looks like the upcoming facelift for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL is almost complete. Our spy shooters caught this prototype with virtually no disguise although they do admit to removing a few pieces of black tape with some help from Photoshop. As expected, this SL will get a few minor styling changes up front like new lights, a one bar grille and a more aggressive air dam. The quarter panel vents now look like those used on the SLR supercar while the rear end gets a slightly revised lower valance...
Bernie Ecclestone, famed Formula One Chief, had his Mercedes 540K auctioned off by RM auctions, and it brought in a whopping $8.1 million.
The 540K was a limited-production supercharged roadster that was built in 1936. Only 26 examples were ever built, and at least a few of them made their way on to WW II Hollywood movie sets being driven by actors posing as high-ranking Hitler faithful.
While it's several months out, and we still have Tokyo, SEMA and the LA shows to do, the folks running the Detroit show have let loose with some teaser info regarding this January event.
From the NAIAS October newsletter:
Ford will unveil a new small concept vehicle for the U.S. market that will share the underbody with a concept that Ford unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The Ford Verve (rendering pictured above), revealed in Frankfurt, is a crossover vehicle carried on a small B-segment platform...
Word is out that Maybach is cutting 29 US dealers from their total of 71. There have been rumors for some time that Mercedes-Benz would be doing something drastic with the Maybach brand, as sales are nowhere near where they had hoped they would be. Many feel that the Maybach is nothing more than an über-Mercedes, but with an über-über price tag.
So is this the beginning of the end for Maybach?..
Looks like yet another model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup is getting the Black Series treatment from AMG. This prototype of the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 Black Series was recently spotted at the Nurburgring and it looks every bit as aggressive as its current CLK counterpart. Huge fender flares add a good 10 to 12 inches of width to the car which clears the way for a monster set of wheels and tires. The brake calipers appear slightly different than those on the current SL 55/65 too...
BREAKING NEWS: The McLaren Mercedes team has had all of their points in the constructors' championship stripped away for their role in spying on rivals Ferrari, the FIA announced today.
In addition, the team has also been hit with a 100 million (US) dollar fine and will have their 2008 challenger, the MP4-23, under observation ahead of next season to ensure that intellectual property rights belonging to Ferrari are not implemented.
McLaren Mercedes led the constructors' championship with 166 points, 23 ahead of Ferrari prior to the announcement. The loss of points will also bring a financial penalty to the team in the longer-term...
Walking around the modern, sterile halls of the Frankfurt auto show, with all their escalators and moving walkways, you might get the impression the whole city is stuffy and all-business. But within a couple miles of the Messe, you see things that just wouldn't be possible in the United States. For instance, a Mercedes-Benz dealership where human-size stuffed rabbits are allowed to ride in SLK350s.
Mercedes calls the F 700 the “future of big sedans,” and it is indeed a striking mix of luxury and efficiency. The swoopy sedan is loaded with all manner of future tech, but the biggest news is under the hood. The breakthrough 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine, dubbed DiesOtto because its dual mode of operation combines conventional spark ignition with the compression ignition of a diesel, delivers 258 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque -- good enough, says the literature, to take the luxury sedan from 0 to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds while also providing up to 40 mpg.
This best-of-both-worlds technology is wrapped by a sleek, three-box design penned in Mercedes-Benz’s California design studio under the direction of Gorden Wagener, vice president of Global Advanced Design...
If there was any doubt about the theme of Frankfurt 2007, it was vividly dispelled by Mercedes-Benz’s extravagant, Cirque du Soleil-esque floor show of twirling trees, dancing flowers and giant birds, emphasizing the firm’s commitment to eco-friendly, sustainable mobility.
Oh, and there were some new cars on hand, too — 19 of them, in fact — which Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche called “True Blue Solutions” to the seemingly contradictory goal of melding driving pleasure with social responsibility.
The star of the show was the striking F 700 research vehicle, joined by seven hybrids from five different model series; an E300 Bluetec version of the E320 that was voted “World Green Car of the Year 2007”; three Smart cars with electric, gas-electric and diesel-electric powertrains; an E350 CGI with second-generation gasoline direct injection; B-Class cars with natural-gas and fuel-cell drives; S300 and E300 Bluetec Hybrids; an S400 Hybrid; and the ML450 hybrid, which, when it comes to market in 2009, will be the world’s most economical gas-electric-powered SUV in its class.
The ML’s two-mode hybrid system allows it to be driven with just its two compact electric engines or in tandem with its V6 gas engine, the combined system boasting an output of 321 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. A new four-speed transmission is said to combine the advantages of a multiple-speed automatic with the efficiencies of a stepless CVT gearbox...
Although this Frankfurt auto show marks the world premiere of the 457-hp 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, the highly anticipated sedan was not part of the 14-hour-long Mercedes press conference. It wasn't even mentioned. But we found one. It's hidden away on the third floor of the epic Mercedes display, which takes up an entire hall the size of the Superdome...
During the endless Mercedes-Benz press conference, which included something like 400 cars and even more dancers dressed as trees, we spotted Formula 1 phenom Lewis Hamilton (right) talking up the Mercedes brass. This season the British driver has four poles, three wins and is right now atop the points standings. His Mercedes-McLaren, however, was not part of the four-hour-long dog and Bluetec show. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Mercedes-Benz will debut the ML 450 Hybrid at the Frankfurt auto show. This vehicle uses the two-mode gas hybrid system that was jointly developed by Mercedes, BMW and GM. It reportedly puts out a combined 340 hp and 354 lb.ft of torque, and delivers 30.6 mpg.
The Maybach brand is not preforming up to Mercedes-Benz sales expectations. In fact there's concern that the Maybach brand may actually be hurting MB dealers. Each Mercedes dealer that sells Maybachs had to invest over $500,000 to prepare their dealership to handle the new brand, and many of these dealers are not getting their investment back in terms of sales.
500 Maybach sales per year had been projected, but actual sales have been only 778 cars since it debuted...
Mercedes-Benz USA has introduced the ability to send directions directly from computers to its vehicles. The new technology, called Search & Send, which will be available Sept. 5, has been developed in partnership with Google, Yahoo and DaimlerChrysler Research, Engineering and Design North America.
According to officials, it is being phased into the Mercedes-Benz model line starting with select vehicles equipped with Tele Aid, the company's telematics and emergency response system...
Autoblog (via AN) is reporting that Mercedes-Benz may outsource their transmissions in an effort to save costs. Likely suppliers would be Getrag or ZF.
If this were to come about, expect these outsourced transmissions to be first found on their A, B and C-Class cars, which are much more price-sensitive than their larger cars.
Last week news broke that Mercedes-Benz was taking action against the Chinese company that blatantly copied the Smart car. Now BMW appears to be following the same path against the company that has ripped off their X5, as both these Chinese automakers are thinking about selling these vehicles in Europe. As such, both BMW and Mercedes have complained to the IAA, in hopes of getting these vehicles banned from being sold in Europe.
You obviously shouldn't put much stock into the sheetmetal of this Mercedes-Benz SLC prototype, but judging by the hardware, performance is a priority for this two-seater. Stalked by spy photographers for two days now, the wraps finally came off this afternoon revealing some Dodge Viper bodywork, a set of massive slotted brake rotors and an incredibly long wheelbase. Some handiwork the night before by KGP yielded a 106 inch measurement from wheel to wheel. The true identity of this Mercedes-built supercar is still in question, but whatever it is will be big and fast for sure...
For a while there it looked like the "Bluetec" name and technology, which was developed by DaimlerChrysler, was going to be used by other German brands in order to achieve the US Tier 2 Bin 5 diesel regulations. Both BMW and VW had earlier said they they would be on board with Bluetec.
However last year BMW bowed out, preferring to go their own way. Now VW has backed out stating that they would continue to use the TDI branding...
Mercedes claims their new DiesOtto engine combines the best characteristics of both diesel and gas all into one engine—and in their words: “the future of the gasoline engine.”
The DiesOtto powertrain is a further development of their spark-ignition engine and includes features such as direct gasoline injection, turbocharging, variable valve timing and variable compression and it will be used in conjunction with a hybrid integrated starter/generator module. At its core lies the controlled auto ignition, a highly efficient combustion process similar to that of a diesel. The result is an 1800cc four-cylinder motor producing 238 bhp (175 kW) with torque of 400 nm while delivering 6 l/100 km (47 UK mpg, 40 US mpg) in an S-class.
No big surprise here. It looks as though we'll be seeing the debut of the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG in the not too distant future. The SL roadster is one of the few remaining models in the lineup that hasn't received AMG's 6.3-liter V8 powerplant, so an upgrade from the current 5.5-liter supercharged engine is only a matter of time. Not much changes on the inside, although the cover over the shifter console got us thinking there might be something going on there too...
