Saturday, March 13, 2010

Mercedes SLK AMG Tuned

2010 VATH V58 Mercedes SLK AMG
Mercedes SLK AMG TunedMercedes SLK AMG Tuned
Mercedes SLK AMG TunedMercedes SLK AMG Tuned

Mercedes SLK AMG Tuned

Friday, March 12, 2010

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet Launched in Majorca

The new four seater convertible from the Mercedes-Benz stable does full justice to the hype surrounding its arrival. Armed with a set of premium features, the new 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet provides a luxurious and well-sheltered interior. Armed with one-inch thick canvas top with good sealing capabilities and a solid chassis, the convertible presents a whole set of unique qualities, including the new feature called Aircap.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

The Aircap is essentially a motorized airfoil that works from the windshield header in association with a power-actuated rear wind blocker that rises with the rear headrests to reduce in-cabin air turbulence.

Apart from the Aircap technology, the car provides an improved version of its Airscarf in-seat neck vents, along with seat warmers and a new HVAC system. The car was launched on the Spanish island of Majorca, where officials assured that the car is a four-seasons convertible for four passengers.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

premium Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
That’s certainly the case with the ultra-luxury hybrids out there: the BMW Activehybrid 7 will run you $19,250 more than a 750i, and a Lexus LS hybrid carries a $34,350 premium over an LS460L AWD. With the Mercedes-Benz S-class, however, the hybrid is actually the least expensive variant: an S400 Hybrid undercuts the S550 by $3650.

So even before your first refuel, you’re ahead of the game. And speaking of refueling, the S400 Hybrid gets a not-insignificant 5 mpg better gas mileage than the S550, in both city and highway ratings. Still, its 19/26 mpg figures don’t exactly make it an economy car.
And there is a price to pay in performance. The S400’s 0-to-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds isn’t exactly slow, but neither is it the 5.4-second rocket blast of the S550. Nor does the S400 Hybrid’s big V-6 equal the muscle of competitor hybrid’s V-8’s (their V-8s help explain their higher prices). Still, the S400 is very quick pulling away from a stop, and its powertrain exhibits the same liquid smoothness as the S550. It’s only once you’re moving along that foot-to-the-floor acceleration requests are met with a noticeably less urgent response than in the V-8-powered car. When the S400 is doing its hybrid thing, shutting down the engine as you brake to a stop, restarting when you remove your foot from the brake, the processes are so transparent that the only way to tell is by watching the tachometer.
At $88,825 (before options), the S400 Hybrid is hardly an economy car, nor is its 19 mpg city fuel economy especially green. But the fact that it’s both significantly greener and also a bit cheaper than other S-class models and competitors’ hybrids, make a very strong case for the S400 Hybrid as a smart buy amongst megabuck sedans. And I’d guess that even rich folks are happy when they can both go green and save some green at the same time.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class plug-in hybrid 81 mpg

Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class plug-in hybrid was reported that Mercedes-Benz will offer the next-generation S-Class with a plug-in hybrid variant. At the time, insiders said that with the help of weight reduction and aerodynamic improvements, the S-Class plug-in hybrid sedan
will be able to return an estimated 67 mpg.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class plug-in hybrid, passenger-car development boss Thomas Weber said that the Mercedes-Benz Vision S500 Plug-in Hybrid Concept shown in Frankfurt last year could achieve a fuel-economy of 78 mpg. He said that when the large luxury plug-in sedan hits markets it could hit at least 81 mpg (based on the European hybrid cycle).

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

A luxury-class stalwart for many years, the E-Class has been a test bed for technology that eventually winds up in more modest vehicles.

Drivetrain: The starting point is a 268-horsepower 3.5-litre V-6 or a 5.5-litre V-8 snorting out 382 horses that drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.

-Would you prefer your Mercedes-Benz E-Class with two doors or four?

That's right. This year, one of the German manufacturer's most popular model comes as a traditional four-door sedan and as a new high-fashion two-door coupe.

The ninth-generation E-Class strikes a more ambitious and distinctive form, yet remains instantly recognizable as a member in good standing of the three-pointed-star club.

The new car's roofline also borrows from the more radical-looking CLS-class sedan, which is actually based on the E-Class.

It's a bit of a toss-up as to whether the first E-Class two-door is a visual improvement over the 2009-CLKclass design it replaces.

The new E-Class shows off a cushier interior highlighted by redesigned seats with improved padding and an available massage feature.

E350-designated models come with the familiar 268-horsepower 3.5-litre V-6, while E550 versions offer a 382-h. p. 5.5-L V-8.

Either way, you get standard 4Matic all-wheel-drive on the sedan versions. Seven-speed automatic transmissions handle the shifting duties for the two engines.

Mercedes-Benz's E350 Coupe Rides Like A Six-Figure CL

Mercedes-Benz's E350 Coupe
The silver bullet passed us ferociously and I was left wondering "What kind of Mercedes was that?" It had two doors, an aggressive body kit, four circular headlights and awesome five-spoke wheels.

Did you guess?

Well, it was a W208 CLK430, of course. I adored that car.

Then, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W209 CLK and it was not terribly exciting. Lacking that certain gusto of the original CLK, it did not speak to many male buyers – excluding the Black Series. Soon enough, Brittany Spears was pedaling one around town and I am pretty confident that was equal to stabbing a vampire in the heart with a silver blade.

Fast forward to the 2010 model year. The all-new E-Class made its highly anticipated debut to a lot of critics who said it was an abysmal effort at best. On the other hand, we think it is a great car and its sales would back us up on that claim.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Mercedes set for electric future

Mercedes F800 concept

Mercedes is preparing for all possibilities as we move towards greater electrification of the car. The F800 concept revealed at the Geneva motor show, although only a research vehicle at this stage, previews a flexible architecture for rear-drive models that could support plug-in hybrids, all-electric and range-extender electric cars, or even those powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

Mercedes has already promised that there will be a plug-in hybrid of the next-generation S-Class. At the Frankfurt motor show last September, CEO Dr Dieter Zetsche said it would be capable of 90mpg and have CO2 emikssions of only 74g/km.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 CGI BlueEfficiency, E550 Convertible

2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 CGIthe A208 CLK-Class convertible of 1996 to 2002—this was a masculine-looking car. Today’s recently discontinued generation A209 CLK convertible was more leaning toward the feminine side with nearly 65 percent of purchases having been made by the fairer sex worldwide. With this new A212-generation convertible E-Class (the CLK name exists no more, soon to be followed by the death of the CL name as it becomes the S-Class coupe), Stuttgart wants again to toughen up the image a little for the street version. But not too much.

That is sooo sexist, we know, but it is a real hurdle in discussions with Mercedes experts that cannot be avoided. It’s always strange to us, too, why any premium brand with powerful technology under the hood and racing in its veins sort of shrugs almost in embarrassment at the fact that women buy a majority of this or that model. Do women taint the manly engineer-racer image that much? Does it hurt business? We are left to wonder.

At any rate, we just tested the latest ragtop E-Class in relatively sunny conditions on the mostly German and British Spanish island of Majorca, and she holds up well to those small fairy-tale roads. The 2011 E-Class convertible is still and unavoidably a softer lifestyle purchase, yes, but it’s one a middle-management, manly man can still make without too much concern for his image, even if construction crews might still whistle and call you Cupcake as you pass.

Okay, now that was just plain mean, because we enjoyed the hell out of the open-car lifestyle for these two days and 150 or so miles. We’re not ever going to be 100 percent on-board with the current-look Mercedes edgy face and the rear fender flair action, but we’ll go so far as standing firm at 86.3 percent there, so not too shabby. With this convertible in particular, the straight-on rear view looks a touch chunky in stacked Ferrari California style, which is odd since the top is cloth. But Mercedes wanted people to have semi-decent luggage space with the top open or closed, the cubic feet while open being an awkwardly engineered 10.6 cubic feet. When she’s closed and the plastic roof hamper moves up a touch, it’s a much more useful 13.8 cu. ft. configuration.

And we do, yes, we do prefer thick cloth tops by a slim margin over folding hard tops here at Winding Road. Tempers flair during these debates, but the softies rule.

The versions coming to North America of this body style that completes the W212 E-Class family will be only the 268-horsepower E350 V-6 (tested here as the Euro 288-hp E350 CGI BlueEfficiency) and 382-horsepower E500 V-8. Mark your calendars for mid-May 2010, just in time for summer. Advise your loan officers that you’re looking at around $57,000 base for the E350 and $68K for the E550. Our favorite version of all the engines offered worldwide was for once not the 228-horsepower/398-pound-foot 350 CDI BlueEfficiency (read: the Euro raft of tech touches to save fuel and lower emissions, but non-urea-enhanced as with our BlueTEC with 210 horsepower and 400 pound-feet that we still get in the current R-, ML-, and GL-Class, and should be getting in the new E-Class sedan.).

Mercedes Confirms it Will Sell a Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Mercedes Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Mercedes E-Class

Mercedes has announced that they plan on building an E300 Bluetec Hybrid starting later this year-representing the company's first foray into the world of diesel-electric hybrids. The car will reach European dealerships by early 2011. No word on whether or not Merc has any plans to release the vehicle in the States yet... so if you want it here, start making your voices heard now.

The car will be powered by the 2.2 liter, four cylinder, CDI engine from the E250. Reportedly Mercedes says the car can eek out more then 56 mpg. Granted that number is using British imperial gallons on the European test cycle. But, after doing the conversions and accounting for the fact that US EPA standard mpg estimates are usually 15% lower than European mpg estimates, we end up with roughly 40 mpg US. Considering how big and safe (read: heavy) the E300 is, that is certainly an impressive number.

Mercedes-Benz F800 hybrid at Geneva auto show 2010

Mercedes-Benz F800 hybrid
In Canada, the purchase of a convertible would normally be considered an indulgence, what with its short warm season and inconsistent sunshine. Here in Mallorca, situated in the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain, a proper droptop is almost a Godgiven right, considering the 300 annual days of dazzling sun in which to develop a tan that would rival George Hamilton's. (Public service message alert: Always wear sunscreen!)

Into this milieu Mercedes-Benz drops its new E-Class Cabriolet. With the motto "Four seasons, four people," the company cites the 2011 model's innovative features that prolong top-down driving pleasure when weather and/or driving situations are less than ideal, plus the enhanced safety features and driving dynamics that could only come from a company whose products must contend with 200-kilo-metres-an-hour-plus autobahn speeds. And, yes, Mercedes does sweat those details -- the automaker has said that, thanks to the superior sound-deadening materials in its soft top and the amount of insulation packed into the car, it is possible to have a perfectly normal phone conversation (in hands-free mode, naturally) when travelling at more than 200 km/h.

Mercedes Targets To Sell Up To 1,700 C-class Units This Year

C-class passenger carMercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd is targeting to sell 1,600 to 1,700 units of its C-class passenger car this year.

Vice president of sales and marketing for passenger cars, Florian Mueller, said the target was achievable as the C-class car had proven its capability in terms of sales in the previous years.

Speaking to reporters after the Mercedes-Benz C 250 CGI launch here today, Mueller said the new model was expected to contribute 15 per cent of the total sales of the C-class this year.

"For a start, we have received more than 80 pre-launching bookings of this new model," he said.

Mueller said Malaysians have started to believe in Mercedes-Benz cars which are produced locally (completely knocked down or CKD) rather than foreign-made models (completely built-up or CBU).

"This was well projected in sales last year when only 10 to 15 per cent of our total unit sales were contributed by the CBU cars," he said.

"We have proven that the Malaysian-made Mercedes-Benz does not lose in any aspect against the CBU cars," he added.