Have you ever seen crash test videos of an old car? Well, neither have I (as far as I can remember) until today, so I’m sharing this video with you. It’s a series of crash test footage for the Mercedes-Benz W123. Watch the video after the jump. Click here to read the rest of Mercedes-Benz W123 Crash Test Video
Mercedes-Benz will unveiled the facelifted A-Class at the Auto Mobil International show in Leipzig in early April 2008. New fuel saving features have been added to the range, with the A150 and A170 baseline models getting the ECO start/stop function. There is also a new 82 horsepower A160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY 3-door model with manual transmission which uses just 4.5 liters of diesel per 100km.
The BlueEFFICIENCY package for the A-Class includes a body that is 10mm lower, an aerodynamically optimised radiator grille with a sealed off rear side, and brake energy regeneration for the onboard electrical systems.
On the interior, the storage area in the center console has been enlarge. There are now new trim elements done up in smoke grey and diagonally brushed aluminium.
More photos after the jump.
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The 5-seater Mercedes Benz B-Class MPV has received a mid-life facelift which features a new hood, grille, front bumper, rear bumper, new side mirrors, and new tail lamps which are brighter. The B-Class also gets a new model called the Mercedes-Benz B170 NGT BlueEfficiency which features a dual-fuel powerplant, able to run on both premium grade petrol and natural gas, which will allow it to travel over 1,000km when it is fully fueled up with both types of fuel.
Automatic start-stop is an optional feature of two of the more economy-oriented models, the B150 and the B170 BlueEFFICIENCY. Mercedes calls it’s start-stop feature the ECO start/stop function. It automatically switches the engine off when the driver shifts to neutral at low speed whilst depressing the brake pedal. A special display appears in the instrument cluster to inform the driver. The moment the clutch is pressed or the brake pedal released, the engine springs back to life in a fraction of a second.
The new B170 NGT BlueEFFICIENCY engine option uses an engine based on the B170. The driver determines which fuel source the engine is running on at the touch of a button using the multifunction steering wheel. This can be done instantaneously even while on the move. The gas reservoirs are located in the rear and underneath the front passenger footwell. It reduces the B-Class boot capacity by 128 liters to 422 liters, which is still sufficient for a decent amount of luggage.
Other new features include automatic hill-start assist which briefly maintains brake pressure after the driver releases the brake pedal to press the accelerator when starting off uphill. This prevents the B-Class from rolling backwards.
There is also an active parking assist feature which searches for an appropriate spot at the side of the road as the B-Class drives by, and if the driver wishes to use that parking spot, assists the driver by performing all steering maneuvers automatically. The empty spot is detected via ultrasonic sensors by the side of the car, and when found, a message is flashed on the dash display.
The driver then engages reverse gear, confirms the display and presses the accelerator. Active parking assist then takes care of the steering, with the driver doing accelerating and braking only. The system works via 10 ultrasonic sensors around the car.
More images after the jump.
Related Posts: Click here to read the rest of Mercedes Benz B-Class Facelift
Mercedes-Benz B170 Test Drive
Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo Test Drive
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The new W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will gain a new specialised range of vehicles known as the BlueEFFICIENCY family. incorporating smart measures and technologies to reduce fuel consumption by up to 12%, while retaining the comfort and safety associated with a Mercedes-Benz. Click here to read the rest of W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class BlueEFFICIENCY
We saw the silver Brabus Bullit showcased in September last year, and it featured a monster 6.3 liter twin turbocharged V12 engine. For Geneva, Brabus has prepared the Brabus Bullit Black Arrow, done up in a special matte black paintjob, with carbon fibre bits all over, though they blend into the exterior work more subtlely because of the black base. The aggressive front bumper also does not stand out as much as the silver Bullit because of the black.
The Brabus SV12 engine is built up from the unit in the Mercedes Benz S 600, bored and stroked from 5.5 liters to 6.3 liters and fitted with larger twin turbochargers. It requires a minimum of RON98 fuel. An entirely new stainless steel high performance exhaust system right from the turbo manifold up back to the tailpipes had to be designed because of the C-Class’s engine bay space constraints. It produces a peak torque of 1,320Nm but this is electronically limited to 1,100Nm and put down to the rear wheels through a reinforced single overdrive 5-speed automatic with a Brabus LSD.
0 to 100km/h takes 3.9 seconds, and the car passes the 200km/h mark in 10.49 seconds. At 24.5 seconds, the 300km/h mark is passed, and top speed is achieved at about 360km/h. This is one seriously rapid car, and to achieve those sort of speeds the bodykit must be wind-tunnel proven.
More photos after the jump.
Related Posts: Click here to read the rest of Brabus Bullit Black Arrow based on W204 C-Class
Brabus Bullit W204 C-Class with 1,320Nm of torque
UPDATE: Apparently this is an innovative use of a single clutch combined with the 7G-Tronic automated transmission (replacing the torque converter for startups), and not a dual clutch transmission. The MCT (Multi-Clutch Technology) acronym refers to a planetary (automatic) transmission’s multiple clutches and bands for each gear.
Mercedes-AMG GmbH finally gets more cogs than their usual 5-speed automatic with their new Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG. The 7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT (Multi-Clutch Technology) uses a clutch to swap gears and moves off with a wet start-up clutch instead of a torque converter.
The AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed gearbox has 4 drive modes - C (Comfort), S (Sport), S+ (Sport plus), and M (Manual). Throttle response and shifts in comfort mode are “softer”, while in S mode shifts are faster and the clutches bite quicker. Shifts are approximately 20% faster than in Comfort mode, and for a further 20% speed improvement you can use S+. Using M mode, a further 10% is cut down for a total of 50% over the C mode - shifts only take 100 milliseconds in the M mode.
Downshifts in S, S+ and M modes use precise double-declutching and can downshift multiple gears, straight from 7th down to 3rd for example. This gives the drive a more sporty feel as the engine and exhaust sound great during double declutching, and also serves to minimize load-change reactions during downshifts.
The gearbox also has a Race Start function. It’s basically a way to get off the starting line with maximum acceleration, and everything including optimum launch revs, the launch itself, and then subsequent shifts are taken care of you, all the way to top speed.
This gearbox is only available in the new SL 63 AMG in which it is mated to a 6.3 liter normally aspirated V8, producing 525 horsepower at 6,800rpm and 630Nm of torque at 5,200rpm. The engine revs up to 7,200rpm, one of the more higher revving V8s around until BMW’s new V8 in the E90/E92 BMW M3 was unveiled.
The SL 63 AMG’s high performance sibling is the force inducted SL 65 AMG powered by a 6.0 liter twin-turbocharged V12 putting out a colossal 1,000Nm of torque and 612 horsepower. This engine is only paired with the 5-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT, as I don’t think the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT or the Mercedes-Benz 7G-Tronic can take that huge amount of torque, and I don’t think many gears are needed with that amount of torque anyway. As it is the SL 65 AMG can go from 0 to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds.
More photos of the SL 63 AMG and SL 65 AMG after the jump. Click here to read the rest of New 7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT
Future Aston Martins could use Mercedes Benz technologies, as the luxury carmaker has had talks with the Daimler AG luxury automobile arm. It also wants to increase its production up to 8,000 cars in 2008 to 2009, up from 7,000 a year in 2007, which would creep very near its Gaydon plant maximum capacity of 9,000 units a year.
The British luxury carmaker is also in talks with LVMH’s Louis Vuitton and PPR’s Gucci on an overhaul of Aston Martin’s merchandise business. The company plans to increase merchandising revenue to US$300 million by 2009, from about US$100 million in 2006.
Here is a video featuring the new Mercedes Benz CLC-Class - essentially a reskinned W203 C-Class Coupe - on the go. Other than moving shots, you will see more details on the car’s exterior and interior, backed with some funky music. Video after jump. Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class on the move
Mercedes-Benz seems to be on a roll this year, with another new model introduced, this time the new 2009 SL-Class. A new baseline model joins the SL family - the SL280, which like the CLS280 is powered by a 3.0 liter V6 putting out 231 horsepower. The SL350’s 3.5 liter V6 now has an increased power output of 316 horsepower and a higher redline of 7,200rpm, while the SL500 and SL600 retains the previous cars engine.
The 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission which is standard on all SL-Class models now simulates double-declutching, which sounds great on downshifts and is easier on the transmission as it matches the rotational speeds of the crank and the tranny before engaging the gear.
New to the SL is the Direct Steer system which is also found in the new CLC. It is based on the familiar speed-sensitive power steering system. New features include a variable rack ratio, which adjusts in line with the steering angle, increasing sharply as soon as this reaches five degrees. It is quite like BMW’s Active Steering, which can take some getting used to at the beginning because the steering ratio is not constant. Active Body Control (ABC) compensates pitch, roll and yaw on the part of the body and adapts the suspension settings automatically to suit the current driving situation.
If you look at the shots of the interior after the jump, you will notice two little fans integrated into the back of each front seat’s headrest. This is the AIRSCARF system, which is a neck-level heating system which sucks in air behind the headrests and channels it through an electric heating element for rapid heating. This air then flows out of special openings in front of the headrests, thus warming the occupants necks, like a scarf. This is of course for the comfort of open top winter driving.
More photos after the jump. Click here to read the rest of 2009 Mercedes Benz SL-Class Details
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Yes, this looks like a new car, but it is in fact the old Mercedes Benz C-Class Coupe given a new name and a new skin, together with over 1,000 component changes. What you get is the left hand drive only, European-only Mercedes Benz CLC-Class. It rides on the old W203 platform but styling has been updated to match the new W204.
The new CLC-Class is available with a choice of 6 engines - 4 inline-4 and 2 V6, and the most popular will undoubtedly be the M271 Kompressor engine in the CLC200K which now produces 184 horsepower.
More photos after the jump.
Related Posts: Click here to read the rest of New Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class unveiled!
VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class on the move!
