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Mercedes GP Petronas takes on Nick Heidfeld as test and reserve driver

February 5, 2010 at 4:24 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz

Ex-BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld will be the test and reserve driver for Mercedes GP Petronas this year, after failing to find a permanent race seat for 2010.

The German was linked with a drive at Mercedes before Silver Arrows opted for the returning Michael Schumacher. When that happened, “Quick Nick” was reported to be in talks with Renault and Lotus but none materialised.

“I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team. It’s the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over 50 years

“While I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year,” Heidfeld said.

With Heidfeld on board, Mercedes GP Petronas now has three German drivers!

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Mercedes plays games with gullwing SLS AMG

February 5, 2010 at 1:21 am By Danny Tan Filed Under International News, Mercedes Benz

Although not all of us own iPhones, it’s still somewhat more accesible than the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, otherwise known as “the new Gullwing”. Why do we put these two cool products together? Because moving an iPhone around will be the closest most of us will get to driving the SLS AMG, as Stuttgart has launched a new iPhone application called SLS AMG (a highly creative name we must add).

The SLS AMG app has been “designed to give players a taste of the new super sports car via 360° gameplay featuring the iPhone’s innovative accelerometer technology” says Mercedes. Players can either play alone or pit their skills in races against other players from all over the world. The app is free.

Proving that Mercedes is taking games very seriously, the three-pointed star has also managed to place their hero car on the cover of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3. The gullwing will create history as the first German car to star on a cover of the hit racing simulator series.

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How “old man” Schumacher keeps himself fit

February 2, 2010 at 2:16 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz

The return of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher to Formula 1 makes him the oldest driver on the grid at 41 years of age, and some might question if he still can withstand the rigours of top level racing, especially after his initial plan to step in for Felipa Massa last season was aborted when his neck couldn’t take the strain. The German has now said that although he “resprays” his greying hair, he is in perfect physical shape for Formula 1.

Schumi, who has signed a three-year contract to drive for Mercedes GP Petronas, told German newspaper Bild: “I started to dye parts of my hair in, I think, 2005.” He also revealed he’d had his eyes tested (“I don’t need glasses!”) and had lost the five kilograms gained since retiring back in 2006. Michael now tips the scales at 74kg, which he describes as his ideal racing weight.

Schumacher’s fitness regime involved playing football and swimming. “I jog very little because I’ve had back and knee problems since the age of 14 but what is strange is that I can play three hours of football without a problem but can’t jog for 45 minutes,” he said. “I now swim a lot. Half an hour of breaststroke a day makes an incredible difference.”

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Mercedes-Benz ‘Avoid Surprises’ Viral Video

January 28, 2010 at 12:15 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Mercedes Benz, Videos

Mercedes-Benz Used 1 is the name of Mercedes-Benz’s pre-owned van (or commercial vehicle) program in the UK and various other parts of Europe. In the UK, vans sold under the Used 1 program are under 5 years of age and have less than 100,000 miles on the clock. Qualifying vehicles also get a minimum of 6 months Mechanical Breakdown Insurance.

Definitely sounds like a somewhat serious subject matter but it looks like the even the more ‘serious’ side of Stuttgart has a sense of humor. They produced this viral video and uploaded it online – it’s called “Avoid Surprises”.

In Malaysia, there is no Used 1 commercial vehicle program but there is a passenger car program called “Proven Exclusivity“, which sells used cars that have gone through a 215 point check, are not more than 5 years old and have less than 100,000km mileage.

Check the video out after the jump.
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Mercedes GP Petronas racecar livery launch video

January 26, 2010 at 8:30 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz, Motorsports

Both you and I couldn’t be there at the Mercedes GP Petronas team race car livery unveiling at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, but with the wonders of the internet you can watch a recording unveiling right here, right now, after the jump. There’s much more from the drivers in this video compared to the one posted earlier today, so enjoy!
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Schumacher is not the No.1 driver at Mercedes

January 26, 2010 at 10:53 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz

With the arrival of Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, many expect him to jump straight into the role as the number one driver for the Silver Arrows. But not so, according to Schumi’s old accomplice and team boss Ross Brawn.

“I would dispute this title of the number one driver – the number one driver is the fastest one,” he said. “Whoever is the fastest driver and winning the most races, you can argue is the number one driver. We will give maximum support to both drivers. It will be absolutely evenly split and I think we demonstrated this past season that we gave both Jenson and Rubens absolute equal support,” the Brit said.

“Of course if a championship starts to develop, where one driver has a greater chance of winning the championship, or it becomes numerically possible only for that driver to win the championship, then there may be different priorities. That will be the case this year and it is there for both drivers to establish their positions, beat each other, compete with each other but do it in the correct fashion in a constructive way. That will be the strength of the team to achieve that. We don’t have a number one driver and we don’t intend to have a number one driver,” Brawn told Autosport.

By the way, superstitious Schumi has requested for number three on his car, which was originally going Rosberg’s way. The man only wants odd numbers, and number four isn’t. Looks like Michael has something in common with the Chinese!

Source

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F1: Mercedes GP Petronas reveals 2010 livery!

January 26, 2010 at 10:04 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz

We’ve been waiting for this! The Mercedes GP Petronas team has revealed its 2010 livery at a launch ceremony at the Shining Silver Star’s museum in Stuttgart, also showing off the team drivers in their new outfit. We’re of course talking about seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and compatriot Nico Rosberg. Another German, ex-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld is reported to be the reserve and test driver.

Compared to the official renderings shown when the Petronas deal was signed, the real design features less of the green accents which I thought looked good as a contrast to the silver/black theme. There’s sort of an “unfinished metal” look going on, which I think is quite unusual but cool.

Beneath the livery is a 2009 Brawn BGP001 racer. The proper MGP W01 2010 car with the new livery will break cover once official pre-season testing starts next month.

More images after the jump!
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Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212 Test Drive Review

January 24, 2010 at 7:40 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Mercedes Benz, Test Drive Reviews

Any discussion about the Mercedes-Benz E-Class will without fail include a mention of its eternal rival, the BMW 5-Series. Never mind the Audi A6 or Lexus GS, the folks at Stuttgart must have long accepted the inevitable E versus 5 comparison people will make. But actually, it need not be that way, for both German execs are different cars for different folks, as we find out in this report.

Continue reading after the jump!
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Mercedes tops premium chart, set to bring in diesels

January 21, 2010 at 11:18 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Local News, Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has retained leadership in the local premium passenger car market, eating nearly half of the pie. The company’s total sales of passenger cars slipped by six per cent to 3,903 units last year compared with 4,160 units in 2008, which was an all-time high. It aims to achieve sales of 4,200 units this year with the global market and the automotive industry showing signs of recovery.

“Despite a slight blip, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have once again finished ahead in the premium passenger car segment, cementing our lead with a market share of 49 per cent in the core competitive segment,” MBM’s President and CEO, Peter Honegg said. He also announced plans to bring in diesel powered cars and more models into Malaysia this year, including the facelifted S-Class and a few E-Class Sedan and Coupe variants.

“The new E-Class has created quite a stir and with an overwhelming 600 plus pre-launch orders, we are confident of extending this trend in 2010,” Honegg added. Do look out for our review of the W212 E-Class, which is coming your way soon.

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SL Night and SLK Grand Editions launched by Mercedes-Benz

January 14, 2010 at 9:43 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz has added two more special edition models to the SL and SLK line-ups. First up is the SL Night Edition that is finished in an exclusive designo magno night black body colour. The Night Edition sits on 19-inch AMG wheels in 5-spoke design, silver-painted front brake calipers with the Mercedes logo as well as blacked-out head and tail lights.

The interior of the Night Edition is treated to black nappa leather along with chrome trim. Black finish is also evident on the steering wheel, gear shifter as well on the headliner. The SLK Grand Edition on the other hand has a designo graphite paint finish with 18-inch wheels in triple 5-spoke design, silver fins on the hood as well as blacked-out headlights.

Interior features include the company’s AIRSCARF system and basalt grey nappy leather finish on the seats and door cards. The armrests are treated to designo pearl leather to provide a contrast. The SL Night Edition demands between 3,700 Euros and 5,200 Euros additionally, depending on engine variant while for the SLK Grand Edition, you will have to add between 2,300 Euros and 3,500 Euros. Look for more images after the jump!
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