Archive for Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia can probably enter the Malaysian Book of Records now for the most expensive locally assembled car sold in Malaysia if they wish thanks to their new CKD Mercedes-Benz S 500 L.

The local boys from Stuttgart claim that the quality control adheres to the same strict level as the European plant or else the car would not be allowed to be sold, as the S-Class is a very important model for them and there are standards to adhere to. The reason for the local assembly is so that the price can be brought down as a CBU S 500 L could cost over RM400k more than its current price of RM998,888.00.

Under the hood is a 5.5 liter V8 engine producing 488 horsepower and 530Nm of torque between a wide-ish 2,800 to 4,800rpm, decent for a normally aspirated engine. This engine is mated to Merc’s own 7G-Tronic transmission with 7 cogs. 0 to 100km/h takes only 5.4 seconds but although I’ve yet to (and probably never) try it, I bet the car does it with a refinement that’s very different from powerful small cars with that kind of power.

The AIRMATIC system is still there of course, a trademark S-Class feature - the 7-Series only recently added air suspension to the F01 but for the rear axle only. AIRMATIC works together with Adaptive Damping System (ADS) which continuously regulates within 50ms the shock absorber characteristics and takes into account the road conditions, driving style and vehicle load. When the car is in sport mode, the suspension is automatically lowered by up to 20mm to improve handling and aerodynamics.

With such a high-end model, there’s also lots of driver-aid gadgets. The Brake Assist PLUS system detects cars ahead by radar and gives a warning if the gap is too small or the approach speed is too high. It will pre-arm the brakes and brake appropriately even if the driver puts too little pressure on the brake pedal for the kind of stopping power that the system calculates is needed.

DISTRONIC PLUS also uses radar and keeps the S 500 L at the pre-set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead of it, and even works when the car needs to stop to a stand-still. Once the car in front moves again, the S 500 L will accelerate back to the pre-set speed and maintains the pre-set distance.

The instrument cluster can display an infrared view of the road ahead during the night. It uses two infrared headlamps to illuminate the road to a range that’s extended beyond the driver’s range of vision on low beam.

GPS navigation is via the COMAND APS system, which also manages the in-car entertainment and other interior controls. The maps are stored on a hard drive and maps of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are pre-loaded. The S 500 L also adds a TV tuner, Harman Kardon Logic7 audio, and a 6-disc DVD changer to the in-car entertainment system. Rear passengers have their own display (2 displays - one 8 inch display installed on each front seat headrest) so they can watch DVDs or TV or other entertainment devices without distracting the driver.

The front seats have 12-way adjustments, and both the front and rear seats have this design called “multicontour technology” which uses multiple air chambers in the seats which can be individually adjusted. Depending on the steering angle, lateral acceleration and road speed, the piezo valves in the air chambers vary the inflation pressure and volume of the air chambers in the sides of the backrests within fractions of a second, providing the driver and front passenger with better lateral support. The rear seats also have the benefit of a massage function. All seats bear the seal of approval of “Aktion Gesunder Rücken”, a German organisation which tests products for spine-friendly design.

Mercedes-Benz also claims they conducted a scientific study between the S-Class and competing models on an approximately 500km long route and they found that the same driving and traffic conditions, the average heart rate of drivers in the Mercedes saloon was up to six percent (or five beats per minute) lower than that of drivers in competing models.

This probably means the S-Class driver is relaxed and less stressed, allowing him to concentrate on the traffic situation and maintains his performance reserves for safe, confident responses in critical situations.

AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg told Autocar that his division was developing a new “AMG Hammer”, but this time the Hammer would be a “Super Hammer” and will use a diesel engine. Well, the insanely torquey punch of a diesel engine would definitely help the car earn its “hammer” name.

The original AMG Hammer was a W124 Mercedes-Benz 300E powered by the 5.5 liter V8 from the 560SEC, modified to have twin cams and 32 valves. It produced a good 360 horsepower, and to create a Super Hammer you could pay more to get a 6.0 liter that produces 375 horses.

Mornhinweg also said the new diesel AMG car would be built on a smaller car instead of a large car like the CL-Class coupe or the S-Class. This sounds alot like the formula that Brabus has been using, shoving the Brabus twin turbo V12 into nearly all Merc models such as the Brabus Bullit.

If I am not mistaken, the most powerful automobile diesel engine by Mercedes-Benz is currently the 4.0 liter V8 CDI engine found in cars such as the S 420 CDI. It produces 320 horsepower and 730Nm of torque. AMG could tune this up to create a Merc-equivalent to the monstrous 6.0 liter V12 turbodiesel in the Audi Q7. That monster has 500 horses and 1,000Nm of torque and could make an appearance in the Audi R8 too.

Current second generation facelifted Mercedes-Benz SLK

According to Automotive News Europe quoting an unnamed source inside Mercedes-Benz, the next generation Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class roadster set to debut in Spring 2010 will come with a diesel variant, likely to be powered by the new 2.2 liter inline-4 twin-turbodiesel engine from the W204 Mercedes-Benz C 250 CDI.

The engine is from the new OM651 family and uses a a combination of small high-pressure turbo for a strong and lag-free low end start-off and a large low-pressure turbo for a higher power output to produce 204 horsepower at 4,200rpm and 500Nm of torque between 1,600 and 1,800rpm. These figures outperform the baseline SLK 200K’s 1.8 liter Kompressor engine with its 184 PS and 250Nm output - double the torque!

With Audi recently putting a 2.0 TDI engine into the Audi TT and this new announcement that the new Mercedes roadster will have a diesel variant, can we expect the a 2.0d version of the next generation BMW Z4 powered by the 204hp, 400Nm 2.0 liter inline-4 turbodiesel found in the BMW 123d? This could be a possibility, considering BMW diesels have even found their way into the BMW 6-Series.

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Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Ernst Lieb says the German luxury automaker will axe the CLK in its current form (based on the C-Class chassis) and replace it with a 2-door coupe (wow, a new coupe announcement that’s not a 4-door one) based on the E-Class chassis.

Lieb said this was to move the smallest Mercedes-Benz coupe up a segment in order for it to be more competitive against cars such as the hot-selling Audi A5. It would also mean the new E Coupe will be more expensive than the CLK it replaces.

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Mercedes-Benz has launched two special editions of the goliath that is the Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG. One is called the 10th Anniversary Edition while the other is called the Performance Studio edition.

Apparently its to commemorate what happened 10 years ago, when its AMG division decided that even SUVs should be offered with an AMG badge and a highly tuned up engine. That was the birth of the 346 horsepower ML 55 AMG, and I bet you pretty soon we might see something like the X5 M and the X6 M.

Under the hood is the same powerhouse as the standard ML 63 AMG, a hand-crafted 6.2 liter normally aspirated V8 engine producing 510 horsepower and 630Nm of torque, mated to an AMG Speedshift 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission.

The ML 63 AMG Performance Studio edition is done up in a metallic Peridot brown paintwork and even its 21 inch AMG double spoke alloys (with 295/35R21 rubber) are done up to match this colour. On the interior you get a full porcelain-coloured Nappa leather trim with a diamond-like design. This gives the interior leather a more special feel as alot of cars these days come with leather interiors, so the really premium cars gotta take it up a notch.

As for the 10th Anniversary edition, you also get 21 inch AMG alloy wheels but this time in a five-spoke design. The exterior paintwork is available in a choice of three colours which are metallic obsidian black, metallic iridium silver and calcite white (shown in these photos). The interior gets a two-tone nappa leather trim in two different combinations: black and alpaca grey as well as black and beige.

Look after the jump for galleries of both SUVs.

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Mercedes-Benz is adding a second BlueEFFICIENCY model to its W204 C-Class range - the petrol-powered Mercedes-Benz C 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY. Stuttgart claims 8.3 liters of premium grade fuel consumed per 100km, and CO2 emissions of 193g/km.

Peak power for the 3.5 liter V6 engine is 292 horsepower and 365Nm of torque, which is more than the conventional port-injected 3.5L V6 of the C 350 by 20 horses and 15Nm. It is also more fuel efficient by 1.4 liters per 100km. The engine is mated to the 7G-Tronic automatic and takes the car up to 100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

The 3.5 liter V6 engine is claimed to be the world’s first engine (at its time of introduction in 2006) with spray-guided direct injection. In a conventional wall-guided direct injection engine (such as Volkswagen’s FSI), the injector points at an angle at a trough-shaped piston floor. The fuel hits the through, causing it to swirl up and mix with the air.

In a spray-guided direct injection engine, the piston floor is flat and a hollow cone of fuel forms at the injection nozzle thanks to a special nozzle shape. Benefits include the ability to run the engine in lean burn mode over an increased rev range.

Click for hi-res image

Mercedes-Benz is having a last kopek with its SLR before its partnership with McLaren ends. A limited edition 150 unit run of the SLR McLaren Roadster called the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S, essentially a 722 edition of the Roadster body, as the Coupe had previously been released.

This allows you to enjoy the 722’s 650hp supercharged 5.5 liter V8 with the top down. 0 to 100km/h takes only 3.7 seconds and the engine has a peak twisting power of 820Nm. This is up from the non-722 SLR’s 626hp and 780Nm power figures.

Other changes with the 722 Edition include a lowered ride height by 10mm, stiffer springs and shocks, and 19 inch forged aluminium wheels which allow full view of the red calipers, high-resistance carbon fiber ceramic brake discs.

All 150 units are hand-built at McLaren’s Formula 1 workshops in England. Look after the jump for hi-res photos.

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Mercedes-Benz’s special protection unit division has unveiled the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard limousine. These vehicles are generally used for not only rich people but very important people - prime ministers, presidents, royalty, maybe even the Pope, etc.

As you can see from the photos, the S600 Pullman Guard is long limousine based on the S600. It is over 6.3 meters in length and has a wheelbase of 4315mm, about 1150mm longer than the longwheelbase S-Class. The roof is also slightly higher for greater headroom in the interior.

Mercedes-Benz says it is not just an S-Class long wheelbase with an additional body section as it would have been impossible to guarantee long-term stability of the vehicle that way. It fits two (including driver) at the front section and four in the partitioned rear section, with the two rows passengers facing each other.

The Guard in its name indicates it has armored protection. It can withstand military grade small-arms projectiles, grenade fragments and other explosive charges. Other protective features include run-flat tyres, a self-sealing fuel tank and a built-in fire-extinguisher.

Rather than add on these protective components and armour onto a finished vehicle, it is fully integrated into the bodyshell during the production process.

Like the S600, it is equipped with a 5.5 liter twin turbocharged V12 engine producing 512 horsepower and 830Nm of torque. Look after the jump for a hi-res photo gallery.

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So you’ve got the moolah and want to make a green statement. Other than rigging up your large bungalow’s roof with plenty of solar panels, how else can you show how much you’re into the whole save the environment movement? Your car of course. The Prius is too plebian and the LS600h is too Japanese. Here comes the boys at Stuttgart to the rescue with the Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid.

The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid is based on the S350 but adds an electric motor and also the first application of a lithium ion battery in a production car, for a combined NEDC fuel consumption of 7.9 liters per 100km (up by 2.2 liters per 100km compared to the S350) and emissions of 190g/km.

Because of the high-voltage electric components that have been added to the car, Mercedes-Benz engineers have added what they call a “7-stage safety concept” to the car. 1) All wiring is colour coded and marked with safety instructions. 2) Comprehensive contact protection via insulation and newly developed dedicated connectors. 3) Battery is enclosed in high-strength steel housing. Battery cells are bedded in a special gel to dampen any knocks. Battery has a blow-off vent, a rupture disc and a separate cooling circuit. Battery conditions are continuously monitored for safety. 4) Separation of battery terminals, individual safety-wiring for all high-voltage components. In event of malfunction, the entire high-voltaage system is switched off. 5) Active discharging of high-voltage system when ignition is off. 5) During accident, high-voltage system is quickly switched off within fractions of a second. 7) Continuous monitoring for short circuits.

The 3.5 liter V6 from the S350 now runs on the Atkinson cycle and is tuned to produce 279 horsepower (via a new cylinder head, different pistons and a modified camshaft and cam control) and is aided by an electric motor rated for 20 horsepower and a starting torque of 160Nm. Combined torque output for the petrol engine and electric motor is 385Nm, the equivalent of a conservatively-tuned 4.0 liter engine, so you could say the S400 deserves its badge.

Unlike other petrol-electric hybrids which typically use a CVT transmission, the S400 BlueHybrid uses the 7G-TRONIC seven speed automatic transmission. The electric motor also functions as a device for brake energy regeneration for the lithium ion battery, and a starter for the combustion engine, allowing start-stop ability for further fuel savings. The start-stop function is switched off in Reverse gear to prevent it from repeatedly turning on and off during maneuvers such as parking.

Look after the jump for a hi-res gallery of the S400 BioHybrid.

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Mercedes-Benz will be selling a 5,000 unit run of the Mercedes-Benz C250 CDI BlueEfficiency called the “Prime Edition”, featuring the recently unveiled OM651 four cylinder turbodiesel engine.

The C250 CDI slots between the four cylinder C220 CDI and the C320 CDI, producing 204 horsepower and 500Nm of torque thanks to its twin turbochargers, figures that are rather close to the V6 turbodiesel-powered C320 CDI’s 224hp and 510Nm of torque.

Despite being close to the C320 CDI in peak output, the smaller displacement of 2143cc, more advanced turbocharging techniques and other various technical enhancements allow the C250 CDI’s OM651 to achieve a combined fuel consumption of just 5.2 liters per 100km on the NEDC cycle.

This third BlueEfficiency model in the W204 family (the other two are the C180K BlueEfficiency and the C200 CDI BlueEfficiency) features various fuel-saving designs like a smooth underbody cladding, low rolling resistance tyres, an adaptive energy saving power steering pump, and a optimal gearshift indicator on the instrument panel.

The special Prime Edition limited run can be ordered in obsidian black, palladium silver or iridium silver. There is also a special diamond white metallic paint available as a special order.

Have a look at the related links for more technical details on what has changed with the BlueEfficiency C-Class models as well as more information on the new 2143cc turbodiesel, or look after the jump for photos and a video of the C250 CDI.

Related Posts:
New Mercedes-Benz OM651 twin-turbodiesel
W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class BlueEfficiency

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