Spy Photos - Mercedes Benz E-Class Cabrio with top down

The current Mercedes Benz CLK is something of an enigma - built around the C-Class platform, styled like the E-Class, and priced in between the two, the car sits in its own unique segment and has no direct competition from its rivals. Its sales history has been a strong success, especially in the U.S., but the car is set to meet its demise with the arrival of the new E-Class Coupe in a couple of months and the Cabrio in the middle of next year.

Latest spy shots show a prototype for the Cabrio model testing in Germany with the roof down, and as expected it draws heavily from the recent ConceptFASCINATION. The car will be about 10cm longer than the CLK Cabrio that it replaces and it sticks with a traditional folding soft top.

The engine lineup should mirror the Coupe, which means four, six and eight-cylinder units with outputs from 150kW/200hp to 285kW/382hp - the top end model being the E500/550.

The decision to move the CLK to the E-Class platform will allow Mercedes to introduce a new entry-level coupe and convertible based on the C-Class, finally providing the carmaker with a direct competitor to BMW’s popular 3-series two-door models. You can see a preview of such a car in our previous story by clicking here.

The story doesn’t end there, however, as Mercedes is also expected to launch a new ‘shooting brake’ model based on the ConceptFASCINATION, although no official details about its release have been mentioned.

Spy Photos Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The engineers at Mercedes-Benz are working tirelessly to get the all-new E-Class cabrio ready for its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. So much so that they appear to be bringing dates along for a ride in the chop-topped mules.

These newest shots of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible are the first we've seen with the cloth top stowed away, and they reveal an interesting detail: a retractable wind deflector mounted on the top of the windshield.

Like Audi, Mercedes has opted to forgo the folding hard-top treatment for the new E, allowing the automaker to retain the coupe's hard-edged style and keep the curb weight in check. When the E-Class Convertible arrives in dealerships early next year, expect a range of six- and eight-cylinder powerplants, including the range-topping E500.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell Roadster

In a hitherto unique project bridging various fields of profession, the trainees of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz plant have built a Roadster with fuel cell drive. For about a year, more than 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster.

This project involved junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model-building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The prime objective of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into training with hands-on experience.

“This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training,” said Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig. “I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project.”

Tradition meets the future
The Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster uniquely combines state-of-the-art technologies with the history of vehicle construction. As an allusion to the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels. Moreover, the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.

The Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel. The vehicle is powered by the emission-free fuel cell system located at the rear. With a power rating of 1.2 kW the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster reaches a top speed of 25 km/h and has an operating range of up to 350 km.

New Car - BMW M3 Edition

Powerful, aesthetic design, supreme performance and exclusive style – the unique characteristics of the BMW M3 are now available in highly attractive Edition Models focusing on the most outstanding highlights of these outstanding cars.

Based on the BMW M3 Coupé, the M3 Edition Models offer a choice of no less than four highly individual cars boasting perfectly harmonised modifications in body design and interior features as well as special light-alloy wheels and an even lower chassis.

The BMW M3 Edition Models will be entering the market worldwide in July 2009 in Alpine White, Black, Dakar Yellow, and Monte Carlo Blue. In the interest of supreme exclusivity their production period is limited to just six months.

Individual highlights both outside and inside.

On the BMW M3 Edition Models the exterior paintwork and interior design are individually matched to one another. Depending on the respective Edition model, the body comes either in Alpine White Non-Metallic, Black Non-Metallic, Dakar Yellow Non-Metallic or Monte Carlo Blue Metallic. The combination with BMW Individual High-Gloss Satin Chrome accentuates the truly sophisticated character of the Edition Models.

The openings on the engine compartment lid on all models are finished in black, the BMW kidney grille, the side gills and the dual tailpipes on the exhaust system come in dark eloxy-plated chrome. The caps on the special BMW M exterior mirrors are likewise finished in black and are connected to the A-pillars by dual arms extending out of the mirror base finished in body colour.

Special colour highlights add an individual touch also to the interior of the BMW M3 Edition Models. The surfaces on the centre armrest, the centre console and the armrests on the door panels are finished in White on the Alpine White and Black models. At the same time these Edition Models come with interior trim in Carbon Structure Leather with white contrasting seams. The seats in Black Novillo Leather feature bespoke contrasting seams as well as vertical trim stripes on the upper section of the backrest and at the front of the legrest. On the Alpine White and Black models, these features come in white, on the Dakar Yellow and Monte Carlo Blue models they are in the appropriate exterior colour.

As a further feature the armrests and door closing handles at the inside on the Dakar Yellow and Monte Carlo Blue models come with yellow and, respectively, blue contrasting seams. And last but certainly not least, entry trim bars in Checkered Flag Design bearing the “M3“ model designation give all Edition Models yet another highlight.

Special rim design and lowered suspension.
To optimise the looks of the car, all four Edition Models come with specially designed light-alloy rims and a unique suspension: On all models the 19-inch forged M light-alloy rims in double-spoke design are available either in black or in the classic rim colour. And on the Alpine White, Black and Monte Carlo Blue models, the same rims are also available in a special white contrasting colour with polished spokes.

Wallpaper : BMW M3

Mercedes-Benz ESF 2009

2009 is a year in which Mercedes-Benz celebrates several anniversaries in the safety field: in August 1939 the safety pioneer Béla Barényi started his work in Sindelfingen. He invented for example the principle of the crumple zone, a trailblazing innovation which entered series production at Mercedes-Benz in 1959.

With the help of its in-house accident research function, which was founded in 1969, Mercedes engineers in the following years have developed several groundbreaking innovations in passenger car safety. Now it is time for a look behind the scenes, and in this anniversary year, Mercedes-Benz is using the ESF 2009 research vehicle to reveal what its safety spe-cialists are currently working on – with a time horizon that often extends well into the future. The ESF 2009 is the first Experimental Safety Vehicle to be built by Mercedes-Benz since 1974. Like its historic predecessors, it illustrates trail-blazing innovations in the field of safety and makes the progress achieved clearly visible.

These amazing but by no means crazy ideas include inflatable me-tallic sections which give more stability to structural components within frac-tions of a second, as well as the so-called “Braking Bag”. This airbag housed within the vehicle floor is deployed when a crash is deemed to be unavoidable, and uses a friction coating to support the vehicle against the road surface. The ESF 2009 will be premiered on 15 June 2009, at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) Conference in Stuttgart.

“Safety is a central element of the Mercedes-Benz brand. In this respect we have been setting the pace in the market for almost 70 years. For the benefit of our customers and for road users in general. The ESF 2009 shows that we still have plenty of ideas and the absolute will, to lead the automobile in-dustry in this field even in future”, says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The ESF 2009 was developed and built completely in the test vehicle work-shops in Sindelfingen. This safety research vehicle based on the Mercedes S 400 HYBRID features more than a dozen safety innovations, most of which are fully functioning in demonstration mode. “With the ESF 2009, we have chosen this particular time to clearly demonstrate the innovative strength of Daimler. Anybody examining the ESF 2009 in detail will recog-nise that more safety and improved energy efficiency are not necessarily a contradiction in terms. We want to make progress in both fields with new, trailblazing ideas “, says Dr. Tho-mas Weber, the member of the Daimler Executive Board responsible for corpo-rate research and development at Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The following five innovations on the basis of the S 400 Hybrid are among the highlights of the ESF 2009:

PRE-SAFE Structure: The inflatable metal structures save weight or increase the stability of structural components. When at rest, the metal section is in a folded state to save space. If its protective effect is re-quired, a gas generator builds up an internal pressure of 10 to 20 bar within fractions of a second, causing the section to unfold for signifi-cantly more stability.

Braking Bag: This auxiliary brake accommodated in the vehicle floor is a new type of PRE-SAFE® component. If the sensor system con-cludes that an impact is unavoidable, the Braking Bag is deployed shortly before the crash and stabilises the car on the road surface by means of a friction coating. The vehicle’s vertical acceleration in-creases the friction, and helps to decelerate the vehicle before the im-pact occurs.

Interactive Vehicle Communication: The ESF 2009 is able to com-municate directly with other vehicles, or via relay stations. Using “ad hoc” networks and WLAN radio technology, it is e.g. able to receive and transmit warnings of bad weather or obstacles in the road.

PRE-SAFE Pulse: This further development of PRE-SAFE® is able to reduce the forces acting on the torsos of the occupants during a lateral collision by around one third. It does this by moving them towards the centre of the vehicle by up to 50 millimetres as a precautionary measure. As an ac-tive restraint system, it uses the air chambers in the side bolsters of the seat backrests.

Spotlight lighting function: This partial LED main beam specifically illuminates potential hazards. If the infrared camera of Night View As-sist PLUS e.g. detects deer at the roadside or pedestrians on the road, these can be briefly illuminated beyond the normal area covered by the main beams, as if by a spotlight.

Mercedes-Benz is also presenting an innovative PRE-SAFE Demonstrator at the 21st ESV Conference. For the first time this simulator uses a linear motor for this purpose, in order to accelerate the vehicle cabin to up to 16 km/h within a distance of four metres before the impact occurs. The linear drive system, which is similar to that used by the Transrapid train, is freely programmable and also works in the opposite direction. This enables various acceleration profiles and also a rear-end collision to be demonstrated.

The special feature of this sys-tem is that the ‘vehicle occupants’ experience the effect of the PRE-SAFE® functions live, e.g. belt pretensioning, NECK-PRO and the inflatable side bolsters of the seats. Mercedes-Benz is continuing a longstanding tradition with the ESF 2009: for the ESV Safety Conferences held in 1971 to 1975, the safety experts in Stuttgart built more than 30 experimental vehicles and subjected them to crash tests to satisfy the visionary safety requirements of that time. Four of these ESFs (Experimental Safety Vehicles) were presented to the public, and many of the revolutionary ideas such as ABS or the airbag first entered series production at Mercedes-Benz.

Wallpaper : Mercedes-Benz

Source : babez.de

Mercedes Benz CLK Cabrio rolls off the line

While production of the CLK Coupe ceased back in January, the CLK Cabrio has been rolling off the Karmann factory floor in Osnabrück, Germany, right up until today. Karmann is an independent vehicle manufacturer specializing in convertible models and has built a number of cars for major automakers like Mercedes Benz and Audi.

Unfortunately for Karmann, the global economic crisis has hit it hard, causing a number of manufacturing contracts to dry up. This has led to the company filing for bankruptcy and as of Monday next week no more production will be taking place at Karmann until it can emerge from the bankruptcy process, reports Automotive News Europe.

As for the CLK Cabrio, the car will remain on sale until the arrival of the new E-Class Cabrio in the first half of next year. According to Mercedes, there is sufficient stock to last until that time.

Karmann, on the other hand, may have a bright future in the form of a new partnership with German electrical utility Energy Group (EWE). The two companies have stated that their goal is to "explore the integration of electric vehicles into the EWE electricity and telecommunications network", and already a concept vehicle has been produced. Given Karmann’s prickly financial state, however, it may be some time until we see the company back to full scale production.

Mercedes updates the G-Class for 30th birthday

Adding value to a successful design that's been essentially unchanged for 30 years might seem like an unecessary fix, but Mercedes has seen fit to add a few interior updates to its G-Class for its 30th year on the road.

The updates include a new set of 'ergonomically optimized' front seats which ostensibly improve comfort while adding better lateral bolstering for off-road support. Also on the list is a new rear bench seat with more modern appointments, including styling intended to echo that of the front bucket seats.

The new interior is available in either black or gray cloth and black, gray or chestnut leather. High-spec designo leather in black or classic red is also available for order, as is piano lacquer black wood trim. Early in 2010, a Labrador blue designo stone trim will also be available.

A few tech updates made the grade as well, including a now-standard auxiliary jack for music input, and ambient lighting is now available for the interior as well. A media interface for iPod or other USB devices can also be purchased.

Finally, the outside gets a choice of 'palladium silver metallic' or 'designo platinum magno' finishes in addition to the standard colors previously on offer.

The remainder of the range, from trim to powertrain, remains the same as the previous versions, including the G350 CDI, G500 and the 507hp (378kW) G55 AMG. For more on the G-Class and its 30th Anniversary celebrations, check out our story on the Mercedes G-Class EDITION30 models.

Benz News - Mercedes Benz may offer CLS Grand Edition in U.S.

The four-door coupe segment is rapidly growing, but the modern progenitor of the niche, the Mercedes Benz CLS, is still powering along. A brand new special edition dubbed the Grand Edition has just been launched in the UK but the car may eventually be sold in the U.S., according to Mercedes Benz.

The Grand Edition cars are packed with extra equipment as standard and are offered with several unique color options, but essentially they are just a new range-topping trim level for the CLS range. While the latest version is a UK-only package, Mercedes Benz spokesman Rob Moran has revealed to Edmunds that the Grand Edition is being considered for the U.S. and if it does arrive it “won’t be offered until next year's model changeover, MY 2011."

Some of the special features that may be offered on a U.S. version of the Grand Edition include AMG-spec light alloy wheels, unique bumpers and badging, and slight power hikes over the standard models. The current CLS Grand Edition based on the 272hp CLS 350 CDI V6 turbodiesel, for example, features an additional 48hp (36kW) and 37lb-ft (50Nm) of torque.

In keeping with its positioning as the range-topping model in the CLS range (ignoring the AMG model), pricing for the Grand Edition will be set higher than the standard model.

Picture Gallery: 2010 Mercedes Benz CLS Grand Edition

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Benz News - Three-cylinder engine planned for next Mercedes C-Class

Expect to see smaller engines and more hybrid options for future Mercedes Benz models, as high fuel prices and greater environmental concerns push buyers – even luxury oriented ones - towards more efficient vehicles. The solution for most automakers, including arch rival BMW, is to downsize engines and increase the use of forced induction, and this is exactly what Mercedes plans to do for its next-generation of cars.

Mercedes has already shown off its DiesOtto engine, which in prototype form has already achieved 39mpg fuel-economy in the large S-Class saloon, and it’s just months away from launching the new S400 and ML450 hybrid vehicles. A new report from AutoWeek.nl, however, suggests that the automaker has much more drastic plans in store.

Mercedes R&D chief Thomas Weber has revealed that by 2012 almost the full lineup will be available with a hybrid option, and that customers will also be able to opt for three-cylinder engines in certain models. The three-cylinder engines will be much lighter than current four-cylinder designs, not to mention a whole lot more fuel efficient.

Weber went on to reveal that Mercedes is currently looking for a partner to help develop the new three-cylinder engine and that some of the models it will appear in include the Smart ForTwo, A and B-Class and even the next-generation C-Class.

The U.S. market won’t likely see a three-cylinder C-Class for some time to come, however, there’s a strong chance that we will get a four-cylinder model in the not too distant future.

Mustang '5.0' fender badge to return with new 5.0L V8 for 2011?

The Mustang is not just an iconic pony car or a retro-modern throw-back to simpler times. It's a fan-favorite performance vehicle that has a rabid and enthusiastic base of drivers, tuners and manufacturers behind it. So news of the return of the '5.0' badge to the front fender of the 2011 Mustang GT is likely to be met with a roar of approval.

Ford last stuck the 5.0 badge on the Mustang when it was last powered by a 5.0L V8. So now that the 5.0L Coyote V8 is expected to replace the current 4.6L V8, it makes sense that the 5.0 badge would return.

That logic is backed up by reports from a post at MustangSource who claims a Ford parts list contains an entry for the 2011 Mustang with the 5.0 fender badge.

Expect a badge familiar to fans and highly reminiscent of the badge used from 1979-1993 - chrome numbers with a red 'dot' between the 5 and the 0. But also expect it to get a modernized tweak, much like the running horse badge did for the 2010 Mustang.

Check out our article on the upcoming 3.7L V6 and 5.0L - possibly 400hp - V8 Coyote engine for the 2011 Mustang for more info.
Via: MustangBlog

Mercedes-Benz Promo

This Mercedes-Benz promo video shows why an infrared night vision system on high-speed motorcycles may be a good idea