Although production of the Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept has yet to be confirmed and even when/if it is confirmed, is likely to be several years away, that didn't stop Mercedes from inviting Auto Express to spend some time with the model, allow the publication to shed the first glimpses of what to expect should MB decide to produce a convertible S-Class.

As for what they thought, a few excerpts from Auto Express' review...

Keep Reading "Auto Express Gets Behind The Wheel Of The Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept"

At the Geneva Motor Show yesterday DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche took the stage, unveiling to the world two new never-before-seen variants of the recently introduced 2008 C-Class: the Vision C 220 BLUETEC and the AMG-Mercedes C-Class DTM 2007.

While on stage, Dieter took a moment to elaborate on the new C-Class lineup: "Since the sales release date at the end of January, more than 55,000 customers in western Europe alone have decided in favour of the new C-Class.  We are confident that the new C-Class will continue the success story of its predecessor, of which more than two million units were sold..."

Keep Reading "DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche Takes The Stage At The Geneva Motor Show"

As if the Mercedes ML63 AMG wasn't already impressive enough, BRABUS has announced they've taken the performance SUV and created what they're calling the WIDESTAR - a higher-horsepowered, better handling, and yes, wider version of the AMG-tuned M-Class.

While the feature list of the BRABUS WIDESTAR is extensive, here's a quick rundown of its various specs. Outside, the body has been widened by 4 centimeters thanks to the use of fender flares, completely new front and rear fascias, and add-on parts for the doors and rocker panels.  To compensate for the added width, BRABUS added custom tailored Monoblock E wheels in size 11Jx23 and also lowered the ML's AIRMATIC suspension some 30mm...

Keep Reading "Geneva Motor Show World Premier:  The BRABUS WIDESTAR (Based On The ML63 AMG)"

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH has announced today that to coincide with the market launch of the new C-Class, they have extended their online "Accessory Configurator" to include both wheel and telematics options.  As for how exactly the new options have been implemented, one example is wheels, in which users of the Accessory Configurator will now be able to select from a varied selection of both standard and optional equipment and in real time, see their selections on a sample vehicle.  Three different viewing angles to see your selection on the virtual model are available, and the ability to change your vehicle's paint color is also present.  Once you've decided on the option (or options) you'd like to incorporate, you can then save your selections to an electronic notepad and present them to an authorized Mercedes-Benz partner for ordering...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Extends Its Online Accessory Configurator To Include Wheel And Telematics Options"

As promised, making their debut today at the Geneva Motor Show are two new members of the smart family:  the smart fortwo BRABUS and the smart fortwo BRABUS Xclusive.  While I won't go into the specifics of both models, seeing as how I've already done so, what I will do is publish the numerous photos that accompany the new models' premier, giving BRABUS smart lovers a small taste of what to expect when each of the two new models hit dealerships this autumn....

Keep Reading "The Smart ForTwo BRABUS And BRABUS Xclusive Make Their World Premier At The Geneva Motor Show"

For the month of February, the Mercedes Car Group is reporting that worldwide sales of the Mercedes Car Group noted a slight dip, dropping 2.1 percent to 82,000 new units (compared to 83,800 units in February 2006).  Individually, however, the Mercedes-Benz brand noted a slight increase in February sales, with the luxury division selling 78,000 passenger cars - a 2.6 percent increase when compared to last February.

As for what helped Mercedes-Benz achieve the increase?  Sales of the C-Class kicked off to a tremendous start, with the newly-redesigned model already receiving around 55,000 orders despite not launching until March 31st.  Sales of the E-Class have also remained positive, with the sedan noting an 18 percent sales increase of 17,000 new units.  And last but certainly not least, sales of both the flagship S-Class and CL-Class have continued to note marked success, with Mercedes delivering 16,900 S-Class through the first two months of the year and 3,400 CL-Class since its market launch in September 2006...

Keep Reading "This Just In:  Mercedes Car Group's Worldwide Sales Drop 2.1 Percent To 82,000 Units"

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.  To kick things off this bright March morning, the first order of business which I must attend to is covering a pair of reviews which I missed over the past two days - reviews which look at both the Mercedes CL500 and the Mercedes SLK Edition 10.

As with all our "Review Roundups," you can find both reviews along with brief descriptions of each immediately after the jump...

Keep Reading "Weekend Review Roundup: Mercedes-Benz SLK Edition 10 And CL500 Put To The Test"

Starting March 3rd, those of you residing in Germany will bear witness to a new commercial aimed to promote Mercedes' 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. Developed by Jung von Matt, MB's new lead agency, the commercial features  a "cleverly coordinated interplay of words and synchronized movements," with four actors demonstrating the the "flawless interaction of the all-wheel drive system from Mercedes-Benz..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes Unveils New Commercial To Advertise Its 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive System"

In financial news, Mercedes-Benz USA is reporting today that in the month of February, sales of the luxury brand totaled 17,304 new vehicles - a decline of 0.3 percent when compared to the previous year. This figure bring's MBUSA's year-to-date sales total to 34,373 new units - a 15.2 percent increase over 2006's two-month YTD total.

As for the models' which helped contribute to this month's near-surpassing of last year's sales figures, the C-Class and E-Class led the way in volume, with the two models noting a combined 30.9 percent sales increase over February 2007.  No model noted a more impressive percentage gain that the CL-Class, however, with the new coupe increasing sales 413.3% to 231 new units...

Keep Reading "Sugar, We're Going Down:  Mercedes-Benz USA's February Sales Drop 0.3 Percent To 17,304 New Units"

Further obliterating the last remaining shred of relevance they may have at one time possessed, Consumer Reports' 2007 New Car Reliability Predictions have found that of every automaker currently in existence, Mercedes-Benz now produces the world's least-reliable vehicles.

Thankfully, however, we have Japan to fall back on, with Toyota and Honda brands holding each of the top five positions.  More specifically, Toyota, Honda, Scion, Acura and Lexus held spots one through five, respectively...

Keep Reading "Consumer Reports' 2007 New Car Buying Guide Ranks Mercedes as Least Reliable"

Mercedes has announced today the newest addition to their communication accessories line - a Bluetooth (HRP) telephone module which allows Blackberry users to connect their handheld devices wirelessly without the needing to connect it to their vehicle.  In addition, the new Bluetooth telephone module also works many other cell phones which support the Bluetooth Hands Free Profile, some of which include the Motorola PEBL U6, Nokia 6131, the Nokia N70, and the Sony Ericsson K610i.

As with previous versions, the new Bluetooth module is remarkably easy to operate.  After the initial pairing with your mobile device, a process that is done with the simple touch of a button, the Bluetooth Telephone Module will from then on automatically detect your cell phone upon entering the vehicle, allowing you to control your device through the vehicle's multifunction steering wheel, the audio system and the instrument cluster.  The entire process functions without any work on your part, allowing your phone to remain in your purse, pocket, or any other place you deem fit...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Extends Bluetooth (HFP) Telephone Module To Include Blackberry Integration"