Archive for Mercedes Benz

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Can you tell the difference between the three cars above? Let me help you with that. The top most is the S 63 AMG, and next up is the long wheelbase S 63 AMG, while lastly you have the long wheelbase V12-powered S 65 AMG, which seems to be available only in the long wheelbase form unlike the normally aspirated V8 S 63.

The new S-Class has not been unveiled yet, only due at the Shanghai show this year but these few photos you will find after the jump have already been revealed in Mercedes-Benz Germany’s online configuration tool.

The S 63 AMG uses a normally spirated 6.2 liter V8 putting out 525 PS and 630Nm of torque, mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC transmission (no indication that it has the MCT system), and costs 144,823 Euros in long wheelbase form. Now this is actually cheaper than the V12 S 600.

Here comes the killer. The top of the range in terms of starting asping price is the monster S 65 AMG, with its turbocharged V12 putting out 612 PS and that magical number – a whole 1,000Nm of torque! This baby costs 221,221 Euros onwards. Because of that crazy torque you don’t get the SPEEDSHIFT 7G-Tronic though, as only their 5-speeder can cope with the twisting forces.

Look after the jump for some images extracted from the config tool. The full details with high res images will come along when Mercedes-Benz decides to release the official press release and photos.

Click here to read the rest of Facelifted S 63 and S 65 AMG unveiled early!

Hot on the tail of the new F01 is an updated S-Class, it’s still the W221 but with a mid-life facelift that adds a few aesthetic changes including a more prominent grille up front, a revised bumper, the LED daytime driving lights that we also saw on the new E-Class, LED tail lights at the rear, and an integrated exhaust.

With the facelift also comes the new S 400 HYBRID, which unlike the hybrid-diesel version shown in 2007, is powered by a petrol engine, the 3.5 liter V6 to be exact from the S 350. The 279hp generated by the V6 is complemented by a 20 horsepower electric motor that has 160Nm of torque, integrated with the 7G-Tronic transmission.

The motor acts as a dynamo during braking to recover kinetic energy, recharging the lithium ion batteries with them. The result is an economical 7.9 liters per 100km of combined consumption, impressive for such a large car. I wonder if Mercedes-Benz Malaysia will introduce this here. Companies might just go for it as a company car in their efforts to look green, perhaps as part of their social responsibility programs, plus there is that tax-free period for hybrids. In Germany, the S 400 is less than 10,000 Euros more expensive than the S 350.

Something new is a feature called Active Body Control which is a crosswind stabilisation feature. This is standard on the S 600. The S-Class is expected to run cross-state journeys sometimes, since the bosses here may have to visit branches in other states once in a while. During highway journeys you do get hit by crosswinds which can upset the car’s balance, thus Active Body Control tries to make up for it.

It senses crosswinds via the yaw rate and acceleration sensors that are part of the ESP program, and this data is used to vary the spring load to compensate the effects of crosswinds.

Look after the jump for a full hi-res gallery detailing the changes in the design of the S-Class. It should be quite easy to spot.

Click here to read the rest of 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift: Official Details

Check out this new commercial by Mercedes-Benz touting the safety features of its car. Whether you believe it or not, the creativity of whoever produced the video makes you smile… it shows two guardian angels having a chat, and it’s revealed that one of them has a “dream job”, the guardian angel of a Mercedes-Benz driver.

Click here to read the rest of Mercedes-Benz “Angels” Safety Commercial

The W212 finally gets its AMG model shortly after its launch, the new E63 AMG, powered by a 6.2 liter V8 (not a 6.3 liter that its name hints at) producing 518 horsepower and 630Nm of torque. As you can expect from the numbers, it’s normally aspirated!

The fact that this car only has 11 more horsepower than the W211 shows that AMG has really backed out of the horsepower game, preferring to let Audi have the last laugh with the RS6’s 571bhp. Average fuel consumption has been cut by 12%, something that the new gearbox likely contributed to.

The V8 is mated to AMG’s new SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed auto form the SL63 AMG which is essentially the original 7-speed 7G-TRONIC-based SPEEDSHIFT but with the torque converter replaced with a multi-disc oiled start-up clutch. The transmission has automatic rev-matching and 4 shift modes – C, S, S+ and M. C stands for Controlled Efficiency (not Comfort), where it will shift smoothly and upshift as fast as possible to keep engine speeds low.

The W212 E63 AMG has what Mercedes-Benz calls AMG RIDE CONTROL, which uses electronically controolled dampers for the sports supesnsion. The front axle is new with a 56mm wider track, a tubular stabiliszer bar, new control arms, new wheel bearings and a new bushing geometry. It now uses steel springs while the rear uses AMG spec air springs.

AMG says steel springs are used at the front to ensure sensitive responses while the rear’s air springs with automatic levelling help keep the vehicle at a constant height, as with the E63 being a sedan it’s expected to be loaded up with a family and luggage too.

Brakes are AMG 14.2 inch ventilated and cross-drilled brakes for all four wheels, with the front axle having a two-piece construction. The AMG wheels are 18 inch in size wrapped with 255/40R18 tyres at front and 285/35R18 at the rear. Optional are 19 inchers with 255/35R19 in front and 285/30R19 at the rear.

The steering ratio has been made quicker at 14:1 – 22% quicker to be exact compared to standard W212 models, plus the steering column itsef is more digid. The speed-sensitive servo also has AMG calibration. The ESP system is 3-stage, allowing an ESP SPORT middle-ground for a little more fun before ESP kicks in to save you. ESP can be turned completely off.

Look after the jump for a full hi-res gallery!

Click here to read the rest of V8 powered W212 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG!

Brabus has unveiled its tuning and bodykit package for the W212 E-Class. Bodykits are always subjective but I really don’t get the weird red dot deflector in the middle of the diffuser-like area between the quad tailpipes. But nevermind about that, let’s have a look at the rest of the package.

The Brabus W212 bodykit is manufactured from Pur-R-Rim plastics in OEM quality. There are front sport quarter panels which improve the venting of the wheel houses, thus helping some of that brake heat escape. The Brabus rocker panels also have aerodynamic benefits – they calm the airflow between the wheel houses, and of course also feature the LED entrace lights that has become a Brabus trademark.

There are a few suspension mods to be picked from, ranging from as basic as a lowering kit up to a special control unit for the AIRMATIC air suspension, which were also all tuned to match the high-performance Pirelli and Yokohama tyres that Brabus recommends you wrap their Brabus Monoblock light alloy wheels with. There are also large 12-piston brakes that you can fit.

The E 500 (US market – E 550)’s engine can be equipped with the BRABUS 6.1 liter kit, which uses a special crankshaft and larger pistons to increase displacement to 6.1 liters. The result is 462 horsepower at 6,200rpm and 615Nm of torque from as low as 3,100rpm. You can also fit an anti-slip rear differential with a 40% locking rate.

For the oil burners, the company is still working at developing the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra kits, including a BRABUS ECO PowerXtra BLUE tuning kit for the Mercedes E 350 BlueTEC.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the Brabus W212.

Click here to read the rest of Brabus kits up the W212 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

First of all, what’s with the bicycle wheels??? Actually this is more like an extreme example of retro-futurism as all the first few cars including Henry Ford’s had wheels that looked like this. In actual fact its a modern reenactment of the Benz Patent Motorwagen. This is Mercedes-Benz’s F-CELL Roadster Concept.

It’s powered by a fuel cell located at the rear producing just 1.2 kilowatts, or 1.6 horsepower. It has a range of 350km and a top speed of 25km/h. Perfect for navigating golf courses in style? Check out more hi-res shots after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster Concept

There’s one very easy way to tell the real stuff from the aesthetic replicas when it comes to AMG and M cars. Just check out those huge brakes in the photo above! The W212’s E63 AMG is expected to have a 6.3 liter normally aspirated V8 under the hood, churning out 525 horsepower and 630Nm of torque. The basis of this “prediction” by many publications out there are because it is similiar figures to the SL 63 AMG. It may also get the AMG Speedshift MCT transmission, a planetary transmission automatic gearbox but with the torque converter replaced with a startup clutch. The latest AMG car from Stuttgart is expected to be unveiled at the 2009 New York International Auto Show.

After reporting that top German auto makers BMW and Daimler are planning to perform a cross ownership a couple of days ago, and both companies may exchange up to 7% of shares among each other, German-based Der Spiegel magazine has now revealed the BMW’s single largest shareholder, the Quandt family which holds 46% of the Munich based auto maker is against such a deal.

As mentioned earlier, the Quandt family is worried that Daimler, which owns the Mercedes Benz brand might end up wanting to take over BMW, just like how it took over Chrysler in the later 1990’s. However, an interview with a BMW executive revealed that the 7% exchange in shares is just a speculation in the first place, and that both companies only have an agreement to share purchasing costs for certain parts.

This means that nothing is concrete, since one is saying a different thing, while the other is saying another. We will just have to play the waiting game. On the different note, BMW has a similar agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen, where BMW develops the 1.6 liter petrol engine, which is mostly found in the MINI and in return, the PSA Group helps drive down production costs for both companies with its high purchasing power.

The deal is for 1 million engines where BMW keeps 200,000 for itself, while the PSA Peugeot Citroen keeps 800,000. This is why you can find the 1.6 liter engine from the MINI in the recently launched Peugeot 308. BMW is also planning to work together with Fiat to develop new platforms for small sized vehicles, which may spawn the production of the BMW Isetta and the Fiat Topolino.

The exterior designer of the new F01 BMW 7-Series Karim Habib has left BMW for its rival Mercedes-Benz, where he will head an advanced design studio near Stuttgart. Habib will report to Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener, who succeeded Peter Pfeiffer a few months ago. Another new member of the team who just joined in January this year is Joel Piaskowski, the main designer for the Hyundai Genesis sedan and coupe who has been in Hyundai since 2003.

For the first time in 40 years, Mercedes Benz’s performance division, AMG is presenting its first vehicle developed in-house, the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Gullwing. The auto maker has released some official details regarding the super car, including the fact that this performance car with “gullwing” styled doors is powered by a front-mid mounted M159 AMG 6.3 liter V8 with dry sump lubrication that is good for 571HP at 6,800 rpm.

This naturally aspirated power plant also produces 650Nm of torque at 4,750 rpm, which enables the SLS AMG to propel to the 100 km/h mark in 3.8 seconds and to a top speed of 315 km/h.

With its fuel consumption rated at 13 liters per 100 kilometers, the super car conforms to current and future exhaust emission standards including EU 5, LEV 2 and ULEV. The AMG engine which has a kerb weight of 206 kilograms drives the rear wheels via a carbon-fiber drive shaft that is carried over from the DTM C Class racer, and is coupled with a rear-mounted 7 speed dual clutch transmission.

With aluminium used for the construction of its chassis and body, the SLS AMG features a power-to-weight ratio of 2.84 kilograms per horse power thanks to its 1,620 kerb weight, excluding the driver.

Other features include four driving modes ranging from comfortable to extremely sporty, 3-Stage ESP that includes “ESP ON”, “ESP SPORT” and “ESP OFF”, AMG high-performance composite brakes all-round and weight-optimized AMG light-alloy wheels. The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Gullwing is expected to be launched in spring 2010, with an estimated price tag of 140,000 Euros. Continue reading to view more official images of the prototype.

Click here to read the rest of Stuttgart reveals more details on the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Gullwing

Mercedes-Benz has released one of the first commercial videos for the new W212 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Now green-loving hippies can travel in style, it seems, cheeky video! Check it out after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz E-Class “Hippie” TVC

Stuttgart-based Mercedes Benz has revealed more images of the McLaren SLR Stirling Moss which was the last vehicle produced from the partnership between McLaren and Mercedes. Named after the great racing legend, the SLR Stirling Moss is powered by a supercharged 5.5 liter V8 which is good for a total of 650HP.

With a 5 speed automatic transmission from the SLR 722, it can hit the 100 km/h mark in just 3.5 seconds and can deliver a top speed of 349 km/h despite not having a wind screen. It comes with a two-piece cover that can cover the entire cockpit. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

Click here to read the rest of McLaren SLR Stirling Moss: More images!

According to published reports by German Der Spiegel magazine, Munich and Stuttgart-based premium car makers BMW and Daimler are planning to perform a cross-ownership by swapping shares among each other. Reports suggest that both companies may exchange as much as 7% of shares among each other.

This comes as a result of the world economic turmoil, and that both BMW and Daimler are working to combine their purchasing power to save a considerable amount of money. Der Spiegel also mentioned that the Quandt family who own 46% of BMW is not very pleased with the idea, fearing that a possible take-over might occur.

Lets just keep it as a speculation for now, but we will you bring the latest updates regarding this juicy matter. To think about, it would be weird that BMW has ownership of Daimler, and vice versa.

Mercedes Benz arrived at the Geneva Motor Show with the SLK 2LOOK Edition which is essentially a regular SLK but with a number of features which sets it apart from a regular version. These include two body colour options such as calcite white or black, headlights with black surrounds, 18 inch 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels with mixed tire sizes (front: 225/40 R18, rear: 245/35 R18) that can ordered with titanium silver or a dark “shadow” finish, discreet emblems bearing the 2LOOK Edition logo on the wings and a drought-stop of transparent acrylic glass.

Over on the inside, the 2LOOK Edition features sports seats finished with nappa leather with seat centre panels in white and the contoured bolsters in black, contrasting black-and-white scheme on the doors and centre armrest, carefully finished decorative seams on all leather surfaces, white-painted trim in the black dashboard, black roof lining as well as white-edged floor mats with an embroidered Edition label.

Potential owners can place their orders now, with a number of engine choices including the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, SLK 300 and SLK 350 Sports Engine. Price wise, the 2LOOK Edition demands an extra 2,100 Euros over the standard SLK. Potential buyers can also request for an exclusive obsidian black metallic body finish or the special designo mystic white finish, which is limited to 300 vehicles worldwide. The obsidian black finish costs 580 Euros while the designo mystic white carries a 1,990 Euros price tag. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

Click here to read the rest of Geneva 2009: Mercedes Benz releases the SLK 2LOOK Edition

After recently unveiling both the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class sedan and its two door coupe sibling, the Stuttgart based auto maker will soon launch the wagon and convertible versions at the Frankfurt Auto Show which is set to take place in September this year. Both wagon and convertible models are expected to hit showrooms sometime after the launch.

No information yet regarding power plant options for both models, but a number of engines should be carried over from the sedan and coupe variants; ranging from a 136HP 4 cylinder diesel from the E200 CDI, to the 388HP V8 from the E500 Coupe.