Italy Welcomed smart Fans for smart times 2011

From August 4 – 7, 2011 1,500 smart fans from 22 countries gathered along the Italian seaside resort of Riccione

From August 4 – 7, 2011 1,500 smart fans from 22 countries gathered along the Italian seaside resort of Riccione for the largest event of the smart community worldwide. Over four days the fans – who came together in Italy instead of Austria for the first time after ten years – shared their passion for the small city car and connected with designers, tuners and experts. Next year the community will congregate in Belgium.

smart times has long become a firm date in the international event calendar for all fans of the small city car. And the participants are prepared to go to great lengths to attend. For example, a group of smart drivers drove an amazing 2.286 kilometres in order to attend the event in Riccione. It had the longest journey to the Italian seaside resort.

From beach volleyball on the beach in Riccione, to a visit to Aquafan, Europe’s largest aquapark, or a lap on one of Italy’s most famous racetracks – the Misano World Circuit – all the items on the programme of this year’s smart times proved very popular. A special highlight was the excursion entitled “smart meets Museo Ferrari” to the home of the world-famous red sports car. At the traditional smart times parade the fans set a further new record: more than 800 smart vehicles drove through the streets of Riccione to the delight of onlookers. Plenty of opportunities to take test drives, to talk at length with smart experts, parties every night and the annual smart flea market rounded off the programme. All the visitors had a great time at the event under the Italian sun and they are already excitedly looking forward to next year’s smart times.

In 2012 the international smart community will gather again in Belgium.

Mercedes-Benz Classic Event To Be Held around the Lake of Constance

Three-country tour at the Lake of Constance from September 23-26, 2010 for Mercedes-Benz Club Members

The impressive countryside round about the Lake of Constance will be the scene of “Mercedes-Benz & Friends” from 23 to 26 September 2010. It kicks off a series of customer-focussed events of Mercedes-Benz Classic and is aimed at the members of the official Mercedes-Benz Clubs. Under this year’s motto, “Stars and high-flyers”, a tour through three countries bordering on Lake Constance is planned, including drives through the Alps over wonderful routes that will also take in peaks.

Participants from 14 nations are expected. They will be travelling in a total of 100 vehicles from many epochs – from the supercharged Mercedes of the 1920s to the Young Classics from more recent brand history. Former racing drivers and current brand ambassadors Roland Asch in a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL racing version (W 121 series), Mika Häkkinen in a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 (W 111) and Dieter Glemser in a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Rally Pagoda (W 113) will be present to give the tour a sporting flair.

The participants will arrive on Thursday, 23 September 2010. For their first evening together a stylish venue has been selected: Montfort Castle in Langenargen, directly situated on Lake Constance. The guests will be brought there by boat. After dinner the schedule for the weekend will be presented to them. The next day starts right off with a tour highlight: the Silvretta High Alpine Road.

Friday, the 24th of September 2010, begins with a drive to the Austrian Alps, to Lech am Arlberg. For the lunch break it’s up and away by cable car: to the 250-year-old Rud-Alpe at an altitude of 1560 metres. In the morning the Silvretta High Alpine Road, one of the most popular and most beautiful mountain roads in the Alps with magnificent views, is on the agenda. It goes a distance of 25.4 kilometres from Montafon valley in the Vorarlberg region via Bielerhöhe and the Silvretta to the Tyrolean Paznaun, the valley of the Trisanna. The group will have covered about 300 kilometres in all by its return to Lake Constance. The evening event will again take place at, or to be more precise, on, Lake Constance: the event ship MS Sonnenkönigin will provide the setting for a wonderful party, taking the guests out into the night.

For Saturday, the 25th of September 2010, the alternatives are a drive through the Appenzeller Land or a shopping trip to Zurich. Those who choose the drive through the mountain scenery of Switzerland will have the opportunity to visit cheese dairies along the 130-kilometre route. “Sönd willkomm auf Schwägalp und Säntis!” is then the call to lunch. Schwägalp, altitude 1352 metres, can be reached by car and affords a typical Appenzell ambience; if the weather is good, the sun terrace invites guests to take a seat in the midst of nature and opens up a great view of Mt Säntis, whose 2502 metre summit with its extraordinary panoramic view can be reached from there by cable car. The evening takes the guests to the Festival Theatre in Bregenz and a very special dinner programme very appropriate to the ambience. The Mercedes-Benz Classics will contribute their share to the evening, parking directly in front of the Festival Theatre on Vienna Symphony Orchestra Square.

This will also be the place for saying goodbyes on Sunday, 26 September 2010, before the participants leave Bregenz in all directions. They will be richer for the unique impressions they have gathered in a circle of “stars and high-flyers” that has a name: “Mercedes-Benz & Friends”.

“Mercedes-Benz & Friends” is also planned for 2011. The event will then be linked with the “125 Years of the Automobile” anniversary. The programme will be announced in good time.

Maybach Supports the Maeght Foundation’s Alberto Giacometti Exhibit

Maybach is supporting a major exhibition being held by Maeght at its foundation's headquarters in Saint Paul de Vence, France

The automotive brand Maybach is supporting a major exhibition being held by the Fondation Maeght between 27 June and 31 October 2010 at the foundation’s headquarters in Saint Paul de Vence near Nice, France, where more than 170 works of art by Alberto Giacometti, one of the most important sculptors and artists of the 20th century will be on display. This event sees the Stuttgart-based luxury car manufacturer enhancing its involvement with contemporary art.

The current Giacometti exhibition being put on by the Fondation Maeght – which was founded by husband and wife Marguerite and Aimé Maeght in 1964 – is yet another highlight in Maybach’s support for the art world, which stretches back for years. The Fondation Maeght is one of the most important private collections in the world. More than12.000 works attract over 200.000 visitors from all over the globe to the South of France every single year. Alongside the Kunsthaus Zurich and the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, the foundation owns one of the most comprehensive collections of works by the Swiss artist Giacometti. “We are delighted to be able to support such an important exhibition”, comments Patrick Marinoff, Global Brand Manager Maybach. “Maybach and the Fondation Maeght both stand for exclusivity, fascination and the very highest calibre.”

Involvement with art has three focal points

For a number of years now Maybach has been helping top international artists and supporting renowned institutions on the art scene. This involvement began in 2005 when the brand cooperated with the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude when they staged their spectacular project “The Gates” in New York’s Central Park. Following further partnerships the luxury brand presented the Maybach Art Cars – designed by Tim Berresheim – in August 2009. The same year saw the brand’s sensational collaboration with David LaChapelle, one of the most famous photographers in the world. His photographs were titled “Exposure of Luxury” and “Berlin Stories” and represented the artistic showcasing of the Maybach Zeppelin limited edition special model and its historic forebear dating back to the 1930s. They celebrated their world premiere at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2009.

As well as working together with individual artists, support for institutions with an international profile forms another main point of focus in Maybach’s involvement with art. It includes a partnership with the Fondation Beyeler as well as the current collaboration with the Fondation Maeght. And for the third year running Maybach will also be present at the St. Moritz Art Masters – taking place between 27 August and 5 September.

A major part of the brand’s activities in this sphere involves combining art with work for good causes. As announced at last year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, for example, David LaChapelle will introduce the world to a young artist set to be mentored by him together with the Wilhelm & Karl Maybach Foundation – very much in keeping with the principles of this foundation, which brings together young, up-and-coming artists and well-known mentors. Both will be present in St. Moritz from 27 to 29 August, where they will be presenting their joint mentoring project.

Through its involvement in art, Maybach is paving new ways for its customers to encounter art, artists and renowned art fairs, the brand itself and its saloons – very much in the spirit of Wilhelm Maybach when he created his legendary car: luxurious and fascinating – and ahead of its time.

smart Fans Unite in Austria for smart times Event

The world's largest gathering of smart fans will congregate in Austria from August 20-22, 2010 for smart times

The world’s largest gathering of smart fans will once again congregate at the old airfield in Zell am Kaprun, Austria from August 20-22, 2010 for “smart times”. This will be the 10th time the congregation of the smart community will take place. In addition to numerous programme highlights visitors will also be able to test drive the smart fortwo electric drive.

In the anniversary year, several thousand smart fans from all over Europe – some of whom have customised their vehicles in creative and often unusual ways – will once again gather in Zell am See/Kaprun to celebrate their passion for smart cars together. Special highlights of the event include the smart convoy, the smart times contest, the party and of course technical discussions with designers, tuners and industry experts.

Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director smart brand and Head of Sales & Marketing at smart says “smart times is pure joie de vivre and it shows the enthusiasm that the smart brand generates like barely any other event. We look forward to thousands of smart fans and a varied programme with a very special highlight: an opportunity to test drive the smart fortwo electric drive.”


An overview of smart times 2010

August 18-19, 2010: pre-events To get into the mood, this year the smart community will have an opportunity to get to know each other two days before the official start of the event. For the first time at the special request of the community the programme will include “power drives” with driving technique experts from the smart BRABUS team.

August 20, 2010: opening celebration The weekend event with smart competitions, shows, action, innovations and exchange of information will kick off on Friday with a spectacular drive up to Austria’s highest mountain – the Großglockner with a height of 3,798 m. In the evening smart times will be officially opened with a celebration on the old airfield.

August 21, 2010: smart times convoy, contest and party At 11 a.m. the starting signal will be given for the legendary convoy around the lake, which still holds the record for the world’s longest car convoy in the Guinness Book of Records. In the afternoon excitement will be provided by smart stunt shows and the smart contest among other things. In addition, smart designers will be on hand to answer questions from fans. In the evening smart is inviting smart fans to an exclusive smart party at Kaprun Castle.

August 22, 2010- smart bazaar: The event will come to an end with the traditional bazaar where fan articles and all kinds of used parts will come under the hammer.