You are currently viewing eMercedesBenz' past articles published in May, 2008. Our latest stories can be found here.

As automotive enthusiasts, we've all been there before:  a new model makes its debut, and the first thing you think is "Wow, I love the new ___________________ (fill in the blank with your attribute of choice)."  Maybe it's the wheels; maybe its the lights; maybe its the grill.  You probably even wished that same attribute was on another, different model.  For a Lithuanian adept at modeling with PU-foam, I have a feeling it's this sentiment that in many ways inspired the model before you.  You see, the red, curvaceous model before you is a vehicle you're most likely familiar with - a W215 Mercedes CL-Class - but as you can see, it looks like anything but a CL-Class...

Keep Reading "The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Vs. The BMW 6-Series Vs. The Maybach Exelero"

After a test-drive of just over 12,728 km (or 7,909 miles for those of you residing in the U.S.), the new Mercedes-Benz Actros achieved the remarkable, noting an average fuel consumption of just 19.44 liters per 100 km (or 12.39 miles per gallon).  As a result, the 40-ton Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer/tractor combination has become the world's most economical series-production truck, with the Guinness World Records organization officially recording the feat as "The most fuel-efficient 40 ton truck..."

Keep Reading "New Mercedes-Benz Actros Recorded As World's Most Economical Series-Production Truck By Guinness World Records"

Mercedes-Benz has officially confirmed today that the Southern California advanced design studio will be moving from its current location in Irvine to a newly-acquired and even more spacious facility in Carlsbad (formerly the Chrysler Pacifica Advance Design Center).  As a result, designers will now have an area of 3,160 square meters to realize their creative ideas (such as the Mercedes-Benz silverflow pictured above), a substantial improvement over the prior facilities' 1,200 square meters.  The new space will also afford the design team the opportunity to construct 1:1 scale models - something which was previously impossible at the outgoing location...

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Opens New Advanced Design Studio In California"

Last Friday we were the first to bring you details and a sneak peak of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and today, the company has officially taken the wraps off the illustrious SUV. If you caught our previous story you already know the details, but if you're just joining us, here's a quick rundown of the changes.

Outside, a new three-fin grille adorns the 2009 G-Class, as does 19-inch new-look light alloy wheels.  The rest of the G's iconic styling, however, remains as classic as ever.  Power has been taken up a notch in the G500, thanks to the new 5.5-Liter V8 (285 kW/388 hp and 530 Nm of torque).  The result?  Sports-car-like performance, with a sprint from 0-62 mph taking a mere 5.9 seconds.  And last but not least, a new telematics generation makes it way into off-roader, ensuring the utmost in technological wizardry.  Highlights include a now standard Bluetooth hands-free system, a COMAND APS infotainment system with LINGUATRONIC and six-disc CD changer (standard on the G500), and optional Harmon Kardon Logic7 surround sound system featuring 12 high-performance speakers and 450 watts of unadulterated audio pleasure...

Keep Reading "The 2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Officially Unveiled"

The results for Strategic Vision's 2008 Total Quality Awards are in, and this year, two Mercedes models - the S-Class and the SL-Class - both managed to capture wins in their respective categories.  In the "Luxury Car" segment, the S-Class achieved an impressive win with a Total Quality Index score of 950, enough to outperform the second-place Lexus LS by 28 points and also enough to make it the highest ranked of any vehicle on the list.  Further making headlines was the SL, sharing a win with the Chevrolet Corvette Convertible in the "Convertibles Over $30,000" category with a TQI score of 939 (making it the third highest ranked model on the list)...

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz S-Class And SL-Class Take Top Honors In Strategic Vision's 2008 Total Quality Awards"

Attempting to improve upon what is already one of AMG's most remarkable product offerings, Kicherer has unveiled a new tuning package for the Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series which seeks to inject even more performance into the highly capable model.

Titled the "Kicherer Racer," attributes of the tuned CLK63 AMG Black Series include a power increase of about 30 horsepower and 20 Nm of torque (the result of which is a 0-62 mph time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of more than 186 mph); a chassis specially developed for Kicherer by DTM specialist H&R which improves cornering dynamics by several degrees; and a wealth of carbon fiber accents, both inside and out...

Keep Reading "The Racer:  Kicherer Tunes The Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series"

It was 1956 when Mercedes-Benz do Brasil kicked off production in South America, and now, some 52 years later, the company has grown to become Latin America's largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles.  In total, more than 1,600,000 commercial vehicles have been produced at the Brazil facility, with nearly 28,000 Mercedes-Benz trucks sold in the country just last year.

According to Gero Herrmann, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil president, “We are very proud of the market position we reached in Brazil with the production of 1,140,000 trucks and 500,000 buses. This is an unprecedented volume among manufacturers of commercial vehicles in the country..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Do Brasil Is Latin America’s Largest Manufacturer Of Commercial Vehicles"

What better way to kick off a Tuesday morning than with yet another batch of the latest Mercedes reviews?  We couldn't agree more, so to get things underway today comes yet another installment of our now famous Review Roundup segment.  In this episode, a total of three Mercedes models (the C 200 K Estate, the SL 500 and the ML-Class) are all put through their paces, giving those of you considering the purchase of any a small glimpse of what to expect from each.  As is the case with all our Review Roundups, you can find a portion of the first Mercedes review below as well as the full collection of articles immediately after the jump.


Mercedes-Benz C 200 K Estate (via Carpoint.com.au)
Reviewer's rating: 

"The C 200 K's 1.8-litre supercharged in-line four-cylinder engine was reworked for the new C-Class and is a decent mill combining elasticity and reasonably frugal manners. Mated to the standard-fit five-speed automatic with self-shift, the C 200 K Estate uses 8.3L/100km.  As noted in our C-Class review, the auto wants for a cleverer shift but does offer smooth driving when pottering around town..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Review Roundup:  C 200 K Estate, SL 500 And ML-Class"

Although I'm not a huge fan of speculating about Mercedes models several years from production, that hasn't stopped the industrious gentlemen of Auto Bild from doing exactly that.  The publication recently dedicated an entire article to the future Mercedes CLS, providing both future renderings of the four door coupe and a number of design, equipment and engine details...

Keep Reading "Auto Bild Speculates On The Future Of The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class"

Before I begin this bright Memorial Day morning I'd like to take a moment to remember the many brave men and women that have fought and died defending our country, and I'd also like to extend a word of gratitude to those of you currently serving in the armed forces.  All of us here at eMercedesBenz thank you for your dedication and the many sacrifices you've made - our hearts and prayers our with you - and we wish you all a safe and speedy return home.

Because of the holiday stories will be brief today, but after taking the day off Friday, there are a couple things I wanted to bring you so as to avoid falling too far behind in our Mercedes news coverage.  First up, a quick recap of the F1 race that transpired in Monaco over the weekend, so as usual:  if you don't have it TIVO'd, keep reading for the full details of what transpired...

Keep Reading "Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 Race Recap:  Monaco"

Forget the naysayers and the cynics - you have to love the classic appeal of the G-Class.  Even if you don't, you still have to respect any model that's able to hold a prominent place in the Mercedes lineup for nearly 30 years.  Personally, Mercedes can keep the G-Class in the model lineup for the next 100 years and I'll be more than happy to publish each and every update they make to the industrious SUV.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  For now I have to stick to the changes Mercedes is making to the G for the 2009 model year, and as you can see above, the design changes - while subtle - once again aim to bring the SUV's styling more in line with its younger siblings.  Most notably, a new grille featuring three louvres has been added, replacing the former model's seven or so louvres...

Keep Reading "First Look At The 2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class"

In keeping with the morning's review theme, our friend Shiv sent us a tidy grouping of articles which analyze two of the latest models to make their way out of Affalterbach: the C63 AMG and the SL63 AMG.  This, of course, means it time for yet another Review Roundup installment, and we are more than happy to oblige.  As is the case with all our Review Roundups, you can find a portion of the first review immediately below and the full collection of reviews (and highlights from each) directly after the jump.


Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (via The Truth About Cars)
Reviewer's rating: 

"Toggle the AMG’s transmission from C (for Comfort) to M for (Manubetterbereadyforthis), grind the gas pedal into the carpet and the C63 parachutes into Afghanistan with the Tenth Mountain Division, all guns blazing. As you’d expect from a combat-ready sedan, time suddenly slows down. The C63’s massive meats shriek and hop around as they desperately try to do something, anything with 443 ft.-lbs. of torque (torque is more modest 369 lb ft from 2000-6250 rpm). You can hear the V8 nuking gasoline; the mega-motor is screaming like a pissed off bear with a megaphone..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Review Roundup:  C63 AMG And SL63 AMG"

To kick things off this balmy Thursday morning our friend Vincent over at Autoblog.nl alerted us of the fact that his crew recently had the opportunity to test the consummate BRABUS Rocket.  The BRABUS Rocket is - as I'm sure you already know - a Mercedes CLS fitted with a supremely powerful V12 and and a wealth of other performance enhancements, all of which add up to a total power output of 730 hp / 537 kW and an electronically limited peak torque of 1,100 Nm at 2,100 RPM.  It also holds the distinction of being the world's fastest production sedan, hitting a top speed of 227.24 mph on the famous Nardo track. ..

Keep Reading "Autoblog.nl's Video Review Of The BRABUS Rocket CLS"

For the motorsport aficionados amongst you, Mercedes-Benz Accessories has just unveiled the new 2008 Motorsports Collection ensuring that your style reflects your affinity for immense power and speed.  Available in six distinct flavors - Formula One, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, SLR, DTM, AMG and Accessories - the 2008 Motorsports Collection is extensive, to say the least.

Take, for example, the new Formula One collection.  Featuring a predominantly white palette with various grey and red accents, fans of the sport can opt for a sweat top, a knitted pullover, various long and short-sleeved shirts, a windbreaker and a jogging suit, among other things.  For female race fans and children, an equally impressive assortment of clothing and accessories is available, with highlights including a reversible vest, a wellness suit, a fleece jacket, a windbreaker and hooded sweat jacket for the ladies and Formula One kids caps, t-shirts, driver's shirts and pajamas for the little ones...

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH Unveils The 2008 Motorsports Collection"

The A-Class remains true to its role as a technological trendsetter. Mercedes engineers have developed new systems for this compact car that bring major progress in important areas – notably safety, comfort, economy and environmental compatibility.

One major aspect is the further reduction of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Mercedes-Benz has thoroughly re-examined the car, and achieved remarkable results by making detailed improvements: compared to the previous series, the new-generation A-Class consumes around eight percent less fuel per 100 kilometres. The Mercedes hit-list of particularly economical models is headed by Coupé version of the A 160 CDI, which is equipped with a new BlueEFFICIENCY package as standard. This reduces the NEDC fuel consumption of the three-door car to 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres, which is 0.4 litres below the previous figure. CO2 emissions are nine grams lower at 119 grams per kilometre...

Keep Reading "The New-Generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class:  Technology"