Christmas is only three short days away, and to celebrate the most joyous time of the year, Mercedes has decided to give each and every one of its loyal fans a present to show just how much they care. Although not nearly as grand as Santa delivering a new Mercedes model under your tree, Mercedes has done the next best thing, blessing us with what they're calling the Picture Diary.
What exactly is it you ask..?
According to Mercedes, the Mercedes-Benz Picture Diary is "a screensaver, a diary, a picture gallery and a photo management program all in one. It will allow you to fill your year with personal memories in the form of photographs and text, thereby bringing your computer screen to life."
Although typically I abstain from posting Auto Bild's Mercedes comparison tests, due primarily to the fact that: A) They partake in one almost every other day and B) Even when translated from German they're almost impossible to understand, I still felt it necessary to mention their most recent comparison review, because quite simply, I've always been a sucker for $250,000+ supercars. Models tested include the Mercedes SLR McLaren, the Lamborghini LP 460, the Saleen S7 and the Ruf Rt 12, and surprisingly, the Ruf outperforms its competitors on a number of levels. Here's a few highlights...
The second of today's Inside Line follow-up tests takes another look a the monstrously-horsepowered ML63 AMG, Mercedes' answer to the similarly-equipped Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. And while it's true the Porsche slightly outperformed the ML in some areas, namely on the slalom course and skid pad, the $90,000 Merc excelled in the areas those deliberating between the two would most likely be concerned about: accelerating from 0-60 half a second quicker than the $130,000 Porsche and destroying it in the quarter mile by almost 2 seconds.
So what was Inside Line's final conclusion? Find out after the jump...
While going through our inbox this morning our friend Jinx alerted to us a couple of new reviews recently conducted by Inside Line, the first of which takes another look at the recently-introduced E320 BLUETEC.
In their follow-up test, the reviewers noted diesel E-Class variant for the most part lived up to its billing, closely matching the performance of the E350 while boasting of fuel consumption figures of 35 mpg on the highway and 24.4 mpg in the city. A little short of Mercedes' 26 mpg city / 37 mpg highway claim, but still superior to the E350's 19 mpg / 26 mpg highway (again, factory stated)...
With the arrival of the 2008 C-Class imminent, it's only fitting that Mercedes would release a video showcasing the new model undergoing various development stages... a video which while creating a false hope that some part of the next C will be revealed, ultimately delivers nothing we haven't already seen. But despite the lack of body-cladding, it's still fun to watch the upcoming model navigate a test track.
To learn more, hit play, sit back and enjoy; and a special thanks to CarScoop for posting the video.
While going through our inbox this morning we received a tip from a reader by the name of Henry directing us to a recent photo published by Auto Bild depicting the upcoming Mercedes small SUV: the GLK-Class. Featured on the cover of their newest magazine, it's unclear as to whether or not it's a complete Auto Bild rendering or a modified spy photo, but whatever the case I thought I'd pass it along and let you form your own conclusions.
While we're on the topic of the GLK, however, I was reminded of another email I received a little while back from a reader by the name of peej - one which deals with the rumored SUV and up until now completely slipped my mind. Rather than paraphrase, I'll let you read the email and take from it what you will...
You've read the specs: a monstrous 612 horsepower V12; 0-60 in 4.4 seconds; a top speed that if unrestricted falls around the 200 mph mark. Yes, the Mercedes S65 truly is a remarkable creature. And while one would think that a vehicle of this nature would be praised, that it would be commended for pushing the boundaries of of the luxury genre, it's often ridiculed... ridiculed by whiny little bitches whose wallets and testicles aren't big enough to handle such a beast.
Surely, surely there's at least one one human being on this earth capable of harnessing the S65's power - capable of understanding why exactly Mercedes created a sedan that can reach such tremendous velocities... isn't there...
For those of you waiting patiently for the impending arrival of the next smart fortwo at the Detroit Auto Show this January, DaimlerChrysler today has published the first photos of the lovable minicar on U.S. soil, perusing the streets of balmy California and giving us a small glimpse of what to expect when the new model makes its market debut in the first quarter of 2008. And, in addition to the photos, Daimler has also published a brief-yet-informative press release detailing the new smart, listing various highlights of the model as well as information for those interested in witnessing the fortwo in Detroit.
If you'd like to learn more, hit the jump for the full details...
It's been rumored to be in the works for over five months, but today, it's finally official. Mercedes has taken the wraps off its much ballyhooed "Concept Ocean Drive", a car that up until yesterday was known simply as the S-Class convertible.
Based on the Mercedes S600, the Concept Ocean Drive is a unique, one-off creation designed with the intent of reviving the tradition of large luxury convertibles. Not having to work with production specifications, Mercedes' designers were free to develop what they thought the world's most comfortable and elegant convertible would be composed of, and the result is the vehicle pictured before you...
Much like Britney Spears and her recent foray into the land of scantily-clad debauchery, the 2008 Mercedes C-Class is the latest to cast aside its virtues and journey into the realms of nakedness, as evidenced by this photo taken by a reader of AutoSpies.
Captured at a commercial photo shoot in Capetown, the photo depicts the once wholesome, well-covered model baring all, revealing to the world its deliciously-shaped and extremely well-proportioned arse...
If The Car Connection's rumors are to be believed, Mercedes tomorrow will be releasing the first photos of what's being called the "Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept", or, for those of you keeping track at home, a convertible version of the already impeccable S-Class.
While that's pretty much all that's revealed about the Ocean Drive Concept in TCC's article, we will of course keep you posted tomorrow if and when the photos and details are revealed.
Lifelong Mercedes aficionados are undoubtedly familiar with Bruno Sacco, Mercedes' legendary design director that oversaw the face of the brand for almost a quarter century. From 1975 to 1999, Bruno presided over the design of every Mercedes model produced.
Today, Automobile magazine published an interview they conducted with Bruno that speaks briefly about his favorite creations, current designs and own personal taste in vehicles, all of which provides unique insight into the mind of one of the greatest automotive designers in history...
For those of you deliberating which of the three new opulent Mercedes CL variants you should spend your hard-earned finances on, the astute gentlemen of Automobile magazine recently shared their insight as to what to expect should you opt for the king among kings: the CL600.
Topics discussed include its power attributes, compared to its V8-powered counterparts; it's handling properties, compared to its V8-powered counterparts; and of course, its styling and numerous technological features, compared to... you guessed it... its V8-powered counterparts...
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fabulous, fabulous weekend (or for those of you faced with the task of getting your last minute Christmas shopping taken care of, I wish you a speedy recovery after being subjected to the throngs of crazed bargain hunters and seemingly endless checkout lines).
To kick things off on this
18th day of December, our friends over at ASMA Design sent word of two videos they've posted on YouTube - videos which depict two of their oft-loved, oft-hated creations: the Mercedes S-Class Eagle I, and the Mercedes M-Class Gladiator II. Although the videos are far from professional-grade quality (thanks in large part to the cameraman's nausea-inducing unsteadiness), Mercedes news has been less than abundant lately, and I need to post something...
For fans of the W203 Series Mercedes C-Class, today marked the end of an era. After some roughly 630,000 units, the final current generation C has been produced, ushering out what has become the company's best ever C-Class lineup.
According to Dr. Eberhard Haller, vice president and manager of the DaimlerChrysler plant in Sindelfingen: "Since the series was launched in 2000, the employees at the Sindelfingen plant have produced about 630,000 units of the sedan for customers all over the world. Every single vehicle is an expression of their expertise and their attention to detail. I would like to thank all of the employees for making the C-Class what it is today: one of the most popular automobiles in the upper mid-range segment..."
