Welcome back ladies and gentlemen - I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.  To kick things off this balmy September morning, Mercedes is once again highlighting the modernity and "extravagant design" of the Mercedes R-Class, all in an effort to convince us that the new R is anything but a four-wheel drive minivan.

How, you ask, does Mercedes plan to alter our perception of the R-Class?

By announcing that the seductively long-legged Jette Joop, world-acclaimed fashion designer and purveyor of the JETTE label, opts to travel in a Mercedes R-Class herself.

According to Jette (who I must admit looks rather model-esque in the above picture), her choice in personal transportation was based on "the vehicle's extravagant, exciting design; its high level of practicality, and its spaciousness".

Does this in any way change my perception of the R-Class?

Unfortunately, no, the undeniable fact remains that the Mercedes R-Class is and will continue to be the world's preeminent minivan; but I am, however, more than willing to continue viewing attractive members of the opposite sex posing flirtatiously alongside the R's sloping hood all with the sole intent of convincing me that I'm wrong.

To learn more, keep reading for the full press release.







OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Jette Joop chooses the R-Class

Stuttgart, Sep 18, 2006
Whether it be for a rock band, a designer or a basketball trainer, the unique vehicle concept that underpins the Mercedes-Benz R-Class is designed to meet the particular needs of modern people in the modern world. The touring SUV provides an exemplary level of ride comfort for the driver, front passenger and rear passengers. This is why the Rolling Stones used the R Class as a shuttle on last year's "A Bigger Bang" tour in the US. Designer and entrepreneuse Jette Joop also plumped for the R-Class because "most of all, I am enthralled by the vehicle's extravagant, exciting design, its high level of practicality and its spaciousness".

With her JETTE label, Jette Joop is one of the most captivating designers on the current scene. Her jewellery, fashion and perfume creations have made her a firm favourite with some of the world's most successful fashion houses. Her designs exude a casual elegance, appearing neither blatant nor contrived, and above all are extremely easy to live with. Similar attributes are displayed by Jette Joop's new car. Since summer 2006, Jette Joop drives a Mercedes Benz R-Class – a vehicle which comes very close to her vision of the ideal car.

Joop is certainly well qualified to judge the design quality of the R-Class. Not only did she study industrial design at the Art Center College of Design in California, she has also worked at Ralph Lauren and Barry Kieselstein-Cord in New York. Joop, who is usually chauffeured around to give herself more time to attend to pressing business, describes the sovereign driving feel and generous interior of the R-Class in short and succinct terms: "Lots of space and light. With luxurious individual seats for a comfortable working environment." And, of course, impressive design quality coupled with hallmark Mercedes craftsmanship of the very highest order.

The Designzentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia Design Centre) certainly seems to share Jette Joop's view, having presented the Mercedes-Benz R Class with its top accolade for outstanding design – the "red dot design award - best of the best" – back in June of this year. Alongside superlative design quality and outstanding comfort, the pioneering 4+2-seater vehicle concept offers a wealth of further benefits including high variability, exemplary safety and prestigious flair. Plus the R-Class gives the driver an all-new motoring experience, delivering a level of handling and driving dynamics that belies a car of this size, thanks largely to a powerful engine line-up with outputs ranging from 140 kW/190 hp to 375 kW/510 hp and a well-balanced chassis offering high safety reserves under all driving conditions.

Standard equipment includes 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with DIRECT SELECT and rear air suspension. Plus there is a comprehensive passive safety package featuring adaptive front airbags, front sidebags, windowbags and, as an optional extra, the PRE-SAFE® preventive occupant protection system which identifies situations that might turn into accidents and "instinctively" prepares the driver and passengers for a possible collision.

Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG