When AMG first graced the Mercedes 300SEL in the late '60s, a legend was born. Dubbed the "rote sau" (German for red pig), the full-size Mercedes was no lightweight. But with AMG's help, the 300SEL went on to win its class at the 1971 24 Hours of Spa, placing second overall. From then on, AMG's name was synonymous with pure performance.


AMG is at it again with their Skunk Works-inspired Black Series models: the CLK63 AMG Black Series and the new SL65 AMG Black Series. The German tuning giant is out to one-up the competition, and if the initial reports are any indication of the performance enveloped within the Black Series lineup, the competition stands to lose sizeable sleep.


First sold in the United States in 2007, the public has gotten to know the CLK63 Black Series' carbon fiber-clad front fascia, massively flared fenders and signature gunmetal black badging quite well. For 2009, the CLK63 Black Series gets an extra 25 horsepower thanks to a revised intake and exhaust system, bumping total engine output to an even 500 ponies. This allows the CLK to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. To maintain the same aggressive stance, no significant changes have been made to the CLK63 Black Series' exterior. Looking thoroughly like a DTM car, the CLK63 Black Series will do a good enough job of convincing your neighbors that you are in fact Hans Stuck in disguise. That is, until you upgrade to the SL65 AMG Black Series, where your secret identity will then be suspected to be none other than Lewis Hamilton.

The 4MATIC drive system in the GLK is among the most powerful all-wheel-drive systems there is; its control systems break new ground. Advantages over other systems with a transversely installed drive unit are achieved thanks to the basic compact, light and friction-loss-optimised design with its longitudinally positioned engine and integrated main and transfer case. Fuel consumption, for example, is at the same level as that of a comparable, conventionally driven vehicle, whilst noise and vibration levels are on a par with those in higher vehicle categories.

In cooperation with the dynamic handling control systems ESP®, acceleration skid control ASR and 4ETS, the basic 45:55 percent torque split between the front and rear axle ensures assured and predictable handling. When fine-tuning the control systems the engineers at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre placed particular importance on defined understeer characteristics, as displayed by all GLKmodels even in the most varied of road conditions: on dry roads, in rain, snow, ice or on unsurfaced roads.

A double-disc clutch achieving a basic locking torque of approximately 50 Nm between the front and rear axle is fitted to the central differential. The clutch pack is permanently preloaded via a plate spring. In the case of spinning wheels on one of the two axles, a friction torque is transmitted to the axle spinning more slowly by relative movement of the discs. A sustained improvement to traction and directional stability of the vehicle are achieved through this principle of variable torque shift. Particularly in the case of low coefficients of friction between the tyres and the road surface the traction and stabilising effect of this so-called pre-lock clutch is clearly noticeable.

Top Safety Pick 2009: Key reason to buy: The Mercedes-Benz C-Class gains top marks in US safety test

Stuttgart - The respected Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States has named the Mercedes-Benz C-Class one of its Top Safety Picks for 2009 - the best reason to buy in terms of safety. The C-Class achieved good ratings in all the safety criteria which were examined.

Each year, the experts at the IIHS rate new vehicle models based on stringent safety criteria, thereby providing an important tool to help buyers make a decision. In the latest assessments, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was subjected to front and side crash tests. The safety specialists in the US also evaluated protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. For all three criteria, the C-Class was awarded top marks.

This result is confirmation that the C-Class safety concept, optimised based on the analysis of real-life accidents, also performs extremely well in standardised rating crash tests. With seven airbags, belt tensioners, belt force limiters and NECK PRO crash-responsive head restraints fitted as standard, the Saloon offers its occupants an extremely high level of protection should an accident occur. The body structure has been designed to ensure that, in the event of a frontal collision, the impact forces are distributed over a wide area and on four independently acting impact levels, meaning that the passenger compartment remains largely undamaged. Around 70 percent of all the bodyshell panels are made from state-of-the-art, high-strength steel alloys that minimise weight and maximise safety.

Furthermore, the C-Class is equipped with an anticipatory occupant protection system in the shape of PRE-SAFE® as an option. This Mercedes-Benz innovation uses the time between detection of a potential accident situation and a possible collision to initiate preventive protective measures, thus reducing the loads exerted on the occupants in the event of a crash by up to 40 percent.

By rating the C-Class a Top Safety Pick 2009, the IIHS has confirmed the vehicle's extremely good performance in crash tests conforming to Euro NCAP (the European New Car Assessment Programme) in which the C-Class was awarded five stars, making it one of the safest cars on the market.

Mercedes-Benz is showing the way ahead in environmentally responsible electromobility by presenting its near-series Concept BlueZERO at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Based on a single vehicle architecture, this intelligent, modular concept allows three models with different drive configurations, all of which are able to meet customer requirements in terms of sustainable mobility:

• the BlueZERO E-CELL with battery-electric drive and a range of up to 200 kilometres using electric drive alone
  
  
• the BlueZERO F-CELL (fuel cell) with a range of well over 400 kilometres using electric drive
  
  
• the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with electric drive and additional internal combustion engine as power generator (range extender). This version has an overall range of up to 600 kilometres and can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometres using electric drive alone.
  
  

The three BlueZERO variants are based on the unique sandwich-floor architecture which Mercedes-Benz introduced some ten years ago, initially for the A-Class and then for the B-Class, one of the aims being to integrate alternative drive systems. Advantages of the modified construction include the positive effect of the major drive components on the centre of gravity, their space-saving design and the fact that they are extremely well protected within the vehicle underbody. The five-seater BlueZERO concept cars also set standards in terms of lightweight design, interior layout and body form.