Hot on the heels of the lovely Carlsson S-Class comes more tuner news.  Our friend Vincent over at Autoblog.nl pointed us to a few new offerings by A_R_T, set to debut at the Essen Motor Show at the end of the month.

A_R_T has two new tuning programs in the works, one for the newly redesigned M-Class, and one for the new 2007 S-Class.

Like all good tuners do, A_R_T began by designing a new aerodynamic body kit for the two vehicles, including a new front apron, rear apron and side skirts. To further enhance the look of the vehicles, buyers will have the option of either 18", 19", or 20" A_R_T wheels...

Keep Reading "ART Set To Debut New Products At Essen Motor Show"

In a recent competition held by the German newspaper "Bild am Sonntag," the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class was honored for the second time this week, earning the prestigious "Golden Steering Wheel" in the "Luxury Class" category of their annual awards.

The Bild am Sonntag awards, which are regarded by many as the German car of the year awards, date back to 1976.   Winners are chosen by a panel of German celebrities and industry analysists who test the vehicles, and then award points based on their selections.

In addition to the S-Class, the new Mercedes M-Class and B-Class both performed admirably as well, taking the runner-up spots in the "Off-Roaders" and "Mini-MPV" categories...

Keep Reading "S-Class And Mercedes Honored At Bild am Sonntage Awards"

While browsing the Mercedes-Benz website today, I stumbled upon a new item I haven't noticed before.

Mercedes is offering visitors to their site a free customizable 2006 calendar, available for download.  There is a catch, however; you must be on a PC - the calendar won't work on a Mac.

According to MB's site, the calendar features Mercedes imagery paired with Germany's most beautiful regions, and allows users to save personal dates and notes for 2006 directly to your desktop...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Offers 2006 Interactive Calendar"

I have a confession to make.  I'm in love... with Carlsson.  Of all the Mercedes tuners adding to and often detracting from the beauty of Mercedes, few can compare to the elegance yet "sportiness" of Carlsson. The Carlsson CK55 CLS is, in my opinion, simply gorgeous.

That's why when they sent me photos of their new S-Class, I was pretty excited.  Set to debut at the Essen Motor Show at the end of the month, the new Carlsson S-Class, dubbed the CK50, is the finest example of a tuner S-Class to date.

To begin with, as all good tuners do, Carlsson modified the engine. By increasing the output of the engine from 388 horsepower to 435 horsepower, Carlsson created a luxury sedan that can accelerate from 0-60 in just 5.1 seconds. Add to that a top speed of 182 mph, and you have a Mercedes that can rival the performance most sports cars...

Keep Reading "Carlsson Set To Debut CK50 S-Class"

What do the President, Columbia's largest exporter of cocaine, and the Pope all have in common?  They all need protection.

Sure, they could all drive around in M1 Abrams tanks, but protection isn't enough.  Prominent officials (and drug dealers) want more than just protection, they want protection and luxury.

Thankfully, Mercedes has heard their pleas, announcing today they will be offering an armored version of the S600, dubbed the S600 Guard, beginning in 2006...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Introduces Armored S-Class"

Over the weekend I found this story over at Autoblog.it, and I completely forgot to bring it to you yesterday.

But being a Mercedes site, we had to give love to Udo Haase, a master craftsman who painstakingly recreated Mercedes' legendary 300 SL Gullwing out of pine. The endeavor took Haase roughly 2,500 hours to complete, and was constructed without any screws or nails; only glue was used to hold the pieces together.

Keep Reading "Wooden Mercedes 300 SL Replica"

When it comes to German auto makers, there's no rivalry greater than that of Mercedes and BMW.  It's a delicate subject that I'm sure everyone can weigh in on, and one that I have received numerous emails about.  So to briefly answer your question, here's a quick synopsis of how I view the two companies:

Although the two auto makers compete for similar markets, they are two entirely different creatures. When I view a Mercedes, and when I drive a Mercedes, the underlying trait that I feel defines the vehicles is luxury. Mercedes are first and foremost luxury vehicles, regardless of how fast they may be, and regardless of how they're marketed.

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz CLS Vs. BMW 645"

Although Mercedes' redesigned 2007 S-Class doesn't hit U.S. shores until early 2006, it has already received one of what is sure to be numerous accolades.

In the upcoming "Best of What's New" issue of Popular Science due out in December, the 2007 Mercedes S-Class was chosen as the editor's pick in the "Cars" category. According to the press release, "It [Mercedes S-Class] sees at night, prevents accidents, and leaves most sports cars in the dust: The ninth-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class 550 is more than a simple luxury upgrade..."

Keep Reading "New S-Class Voted "Best of What's New" By Popular Science"

Sales of the Mercedes Car Group, which is comprised of the Mercedes-Benz and smart car brands, continued its positive growth last month, rising 1.3% to 106,500 units.  Sales of the Mercedes Car Group for the first 10 months of the year also grew slightly, up .8% from 2004 with 985,100 units being sold.

For the Mercedes-Benz brand, sales rose 4.6% for the month of October with 94,200 vehicles being sold.  Sales for the first ten months of 2005 also rose slightly, up .4% with 868,100 units being sold to date.  The increase in sales is attributed to the success of Mercedes' new B-Class model, with already more than 37,000 units being sold since June.  An additional push also came from Mercedes newly-redesigned M-Class model, with sales rising 59% over October of 2004 with 9,300 units being sold...

Keep Reading "Mercedes Car Group Sales Rise 1.3 Percent"

Are you tired of the measly 363 horsepower C55 AMG? Do you sit cowering in the corner at night worried that BMW's upcoming M3 will run circles around your poor little C-Class?

If rumors are true, you may soon be able to rest a little easier. Autocar has captured what are believed to be photos of an upcoming Mercedes C63 AMG. Yes, that's right... no more puny 5.5-Liter 363 horsepower V8 producing 376 lb-ft of torque; real men want an earth-bending 6.3-Liter 510 horsepower V8 producing 465 lb-ft of torque...

Keep Reading "New Mercedes C-Class AMG Spotted"

In an article published yesterday, Forbes is reporting that Dieter Zetsche, incoming head of Daimler Chrysler AG, will remain in charge of the Mercedes Car Group, at least until Mercedes is back on track.

When asked by the Bild am Sonntoag newspaper how long he planned on maintaining the two positions, Zetsche responded by saying: "...to begin with, without a time limit - at least until Mercedes is once again well under way... but even beyond that, there is no fundamental necessity to separate the two tasks..."

Keep Reading "Zetsche To Continue Leading Mercedes Car Group"

Do you want to experience the thrill of F1 racing without the multi-million dollar investment?

You're in luck my dear readers, because Sony and Team McLaren Mercedes have just what you've been waiting for.

Now you too can experience the heart-pounding excitement of Formula One racing, direct on your cellphone.

Choose from your favorite McLaren Mercedes drivers, including Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Alex Wurz, and battle for the title in an exciting 16 race world championship.  If you're not in the mood for an eye-straining 16 race world tour, you can also opt for a quick single race...

Keep Reading "Race With Team McLaren Mercedes On Your Cellphone"

DaimlerChrysler reported yesterday that it has halted plans to open a $96 million Mercedes plant in Russia, after an agreement between them and the Russian government could not be reached.  According to a DaimlerChrysler spokesman, "Conditions for local assembly of Mercedes-Benz cars in Russia are not in place at the moment."

Sources close to the matter claim a disagreement between Russia's industry ministry and economy ministry is to blame. Although the industry ministry welcomed DaimlerChrysler's plans for the new plant, the economy ministry preferred to protect Russian automakers from outside competition...

Keep Reading "DaimlerChrysler Puts Russian Mercedes Plant On Hold"

As we promised earlier, we finally have pictures of Mercedes-Benz at the SEMA show.

If you follow automotive news, you probably already know that many car companies use the SEMA show to debut new models, new concept cars, etc.   Unfortunately, Mercedes isn't one of these companies.   There weren't nearly as many Mercedes as we've seen in previous years; however, we were able to find a few custom Mercedes for your viewing entertainment.

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz At The SEMA Show"

In a brief article published today, Forbes is reporting that DaimlerChrysler has lowered its target sales for Mercedes-Benz cars in Germany this year.

In August, Daimler estimated they would be on par with 2004's sales figures, in which they sold 338,100 units.  However, DaimlerChrysler now expects to sell closer to 315,000 units in their home country...

Keep Reading "DaimlerChrysler Lowers Mercedes' Target Sales In Germany"