Despite a scheduled release date of sometime in November, the lucky chaps over at Inside Line were fortunate enough to get their hands on a prototype Mercedes S550 4MATIC and put it through its paces.

Not surprisingly the test vehicle performed well, with the testers noting that on dry roads the 4MATIC was indiscernible from a standard S550. On icy roads only occasional wheel slips were felt, which were quickly corrected, and on the snow, as you can probably expect, the tester noted much more input from the 4MATIC system...

Keep Reading "Inside Line's First Drive Of The Mercedes S550 4MATIC"

Let's pretend for a second that you're a wealthy Asian investor, looking for a way to showcase your undying affinity for the Mercedes and AMG brands.  Many would choose to start a private collection of vehicles, keeping their good fortune to themselves and not allowing others to partake in their joy... but one investor thought differently. Instead, he decided to sponsor what's being called the "AMG Ultimate Experience Asia," an event that allows anyone from motorsports fanatics to rich businessmen to pilot a total of 35 AMG sports cars in ten different events. The festivities kick off at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Sepang/Malaysia on March 17-19, with other destinations including China, Indonesia and Thailand.

Of course, being a wealthy investor, one must take a second to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and he's done so in striking fashion.  To coincide with the events, the un-named investor has commissioned the custom SLK 55 AMG you see pictured above, a vehicle based on the SLK 55 AMG safety car.  It features a host of F1 inspired upgrades, most of which address the weight and handling characteristics of the car...

Keep Reading "Custom SLK 55 AMG Designed For The AMG Ultimate Experience Asia"

As you can probably tell it's been a painfully slow morning for Mercedes news, so to help pass the time a bit, I decided to head over to eBay to see what strange and unusual Mercedes oddities I could find at the world's largest online collection of crap.

Although I couldn't find anything along the lines of Viktor Ushenko's S-Class or the E-Class pickup truck, I did notice the lovely vehicle you see pictured above, a perfectly restored 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL...

Keep Reading "eBay Find Of The Day:  1962 Mercedes SL-Class"

AAA has announced their selections for 2006's top cars today, naming the Mercedes M-Class their choice in the "SUV $30,000+" category.  The M-Class was one of thirteen different vehicles chosen in the event, with other winners including the Honda Ridgeline in the "Pick Up Truck" category and the Chevrolet Corvette in the "Cool Car" category.

According to John Nielsen, director of the AAA Auto Buying and Auto Repair Network, "From fuel-saving hybrids to sporty, high performance vehicles, those looking to purchase a new vehicle in 2006 will be pleasantly surprised to see they have many makes and models from which to choose from.  The difficult decision consumers may face now is how to narrow their selection to just one."

Keep Reading "M-Class Named One Of AAA's Top Car Picks For 2006"

The kids over at Autospies were lucky enough to get their hands on a brand-new Mercedes GL 450, and while putting it through its paces, they were kind enough to snap a few photos of the GL next to a GMC Yukon for a little sizing comparison.

Although the GL's numbers indicate it's about two inches longer than an Escalade, when viewing it next to the Yukon it doesn't appear to be the monstrosity one might expect.  Rather, the sloped hood and subdued curves give the appearance of a much smaller vehicle than it actually is...

Keep Reading "Mercedes GL 450 And GMC Yukon Sizing Comparison"

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of posting yesterday... some business came up and I was out of the office all day, but I'm back and ready to go.

First up today are rumors that Mercedes and McLaren may be working on additional variants of the always illustrious SLR. WhatCar?, a UK-based automotive publication, recently interviewed Dieter Zetsche, CEO of DaimlerChrysler, when he was quoted as saying "We could do 50-100 cars (SLR's) with certain attributes," even alluding to the fact there could be a roadster version in the works.  Rumors have also been circulating that a smaller, less exensive SLR is in the works, set to do battle with the likes of the Ferrari F430...

Keep Reading "Mercedes And McLaren To Build New SLR Variants?"

Automotive News has run a story today apparently based on an interview with Dieter Zetsche, in which they state that Mercedes will soon start offering less options to customers in an effort to boost manufacturing productivity.

In the article, Zetsche was quoted as saying "We will surely continue to offer greater variety than a brand such as Hyundai," but then went on to say that they will reduce overlapping offers, such as two sport options on the same model.

I'm not going to read too much into the story, because the story is based on one direct quote from Dieter, but I am going to use this opportunity to share my view on Mercedes' options...

Keep Reading "Mercedes To Reduce Options On Passenger Vehicles?"

Posted on March 6, 2006 at 8:30 AM CST

Welcome back ladies and gents, I hope you all had a great weekend. Unfortunately for me, five inches of snow yesterday put a slight damper on my planned outdoor activities, but what can you expect when you live in the Midwest?

To get things started this morning, DaimlerChrysler has put out a press release detailing the sales figures for the Mercedes Car Group.

Mercedes' sales worldwide, much like MBUSA's earlier reported figures, show a significant increase over February of 2005. In total, the Mercedes Car Group has posted sales of 83,800 units, an increase of 16% over last year's numbers.  For January and February combined, Mercedes have noted an eight percent increase over 2005 with 156,000 units sold...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Car Group Notes 16% Increase In February Sales"

In addition to the host of new Mercedes models making their debut at the International Motor Show in Geneva, German supertuner BRABUS has used the event to showcase a few new products of their own.

We've already told you about most of them, but two we've failed to mention are the Brabus Viano Lounge Concept as well as the BRABUS Black Star 101, a vehicle based on the smart fortwo convertible...

Keep Reading "Brabus At The International Motor Show In Geneva"

The sales figures for the last month are in, and Mercedes-Benz USA is reporting their highest ever February on record. The company noted sales of 17,356 new vehicles for the month of Febaruy, an increase of 28.4% over last year. This pushes the year-to-date total of Mercedes-Benz USA up to 29,825 new vehicles.

As you can probably guess, last month's biggest gainer was the all new 2007 S-Class, which noted sales of 3,360 units, an increase of 226.8% over February of 2005. Other sales highlights include the CLK-Class, which noted an increase in sales volume of 31% with 1,911 units sold, as well as the M-Class, which noted an increase in sales of 128.3% with 2,155 units sold...

Keep Reading "MBUSA Reports Record Sales In February"

In a move seemingly geared to attract the world's growing population of pre-pubescent tweens, Mercedes and AOL Music have teamed up to highlight emerging musical talents on AOL's music channel.

Music fans will find prominent Mercedes placement on AOL Music's Breaker program, a section that showcases new talents and allows you to listen and view the artists performing.  In addition, Mercedes is also sponsoring a new "On Our Radar" program which features notable up-and-coming artists such as the Arctic Monkeys and KT Tunstall...

Keep Reading "Mercedes And AOL Team Up To Spotlight Emerging Artists"

Reuters is reporting today that DaimlerChrysler plans to recall the majority of Mercedes S-Class models sold in China, due to potential problems with the fuel tanks.

The recall involves 23,677 S-Class sedans manufactured from October 1998 to March 2005, or if you're the percentage type, 95% of all S-Class models sold in the country...

Keep Reading "Mercedes To Recall S-Class In China"

When traveling down the highway on a cold winter's night, one of the things we most take for granted is the ability to turn the heat on and have our vehicle almost instantly warmed.  In the summer, the same can be said about the air conditioning.

But have you ever wondered what it takes to make this possible?  What prevents the car from becoming too warm (or cold)?  What ensures that while one body part is warmed, another isn't left with an inadequate heat supply?

For climate control engineers, this proves a difficult task.  Vehicle speed, temperature, the level of sunlight and humidity all play a part in the car's interior temperature, and when driving, all are constantly changing; but for a driver to remain comfortable during his travels, the interior temperature must remain constant...

Keep Reading "A Look At Mercedes' Computer Modeled Climate Control"

Have you been longing to add a touch of Japanese tuning goodness to your shiny, new 2007 S-Class?

If so, the boys over at Jonari have you covered.  They sent us info today on the newest addition to the WALD family, the WALD S-Class Executive Line.  Similar in appearance to the WALD CLS, the S-Class Executive Line features new front and rear spoilers, side skirts, a trunk lip spoiler, and roof wing.  The WALD S-Class you see pictured is also fitted with a sport exhaust system and 20x9/10" Aufzahlen wheels, in case you were wondering...

Keep Reading "The 2007 WALD S-Class Executive Line"

Has it really been ten weeks already?  Apparently it has, because as I'm writing this, I'm listening to the brand new Mixed Tape 11.

For those of you who've never heard of the Mercedes' Mixed Tape, its a compilation of 11 MP3's that capture "sounds from around the globe," all made available to you via free download...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Mixed Tape 11 Now Available"