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Spy Videos of the SLS AMG Black Series

2012-08-06T15:18:26Z

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series is all over the web now. Months before its debut, there are lots of spy photos of the ultimate car, all because of the rigid testing that the car manufacturer is doing to ensure that it will be one of the best cars that the world will ever see and ride. Seen in Nurburgring most of the time, the wider body kit Black Series is set apart from the standard SLS AMG. The rear diffuser is updated and it is also said that the V8 engine will output more than 600HP.

]]> No updated information about it yet, but expect it to come real soon. For now, watch the spy video and tell us if you like it and if you'd probably buy it once it's released.

Talk about the baddest black series in the forums!

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CL Takes Out Four Cars in Botched Passing Maneuver

2012-08-02T17:46:36Z

Aaand... This is why you need to be extremely careful while passing. Even if you're driving a powerful and agile car like the CL, no amount of engineering will be enough to save you from making bad decisions.

]]> He manages to take out four cars before coming to a stop on the bumper of a black SUV. It's sucks to see people crash, but in this circumstance it's hard not to feel a little bit of vindication. That guy was clearly driving terribly and probably would've crashed eventually anyway. It's just a pity that he had to do it into an Audi, an RX and two other cars.

Moral of the story: Don't be that guy.

What do you think about the accident? Tell us in the forums!

Man Drives 2003 E270 Over 1 Million Kilometers.

2012-08-01T15:55:52Z

One million kilometers. That's 621,000 miles. In a G-Class or a 300D, that number would be impressive. Legendary even. But in a 2003 E-Class? Just goes to show you that Mercedes hasn't lost their touch when building diesels that don't die.

]]> The driver, George Vassilakis, uses E270 CDI as a taxi in Greece. Apart from a new intercooler, clutch, turbine nozzle and regular maintenance, he hasn't had to do any work on the car. His odometer is the only part that's permanently broken. It maxed out at mere 999,999 kilometers.

He's managed quite a feat by going this far, but he's still a ways off from the world record. That title belongs to another Greek taxi driver, Gregorios Sachinidis. He managed to put 2.8 million miles on his 1976 240D before donating the car to Mercedes-Benz's museum. They didn't leave him empty handed though; in exchange, Sachinidis got a new C200 CDI from the factory.

Sometimes slow and steady really does win the race.

via [autoblog.gr]

Talk about this insanely well traveled E-Class in the forums!

Edmunds Shakes Down the 2012 C63 AMG Black

2012-07-31T19:28:06Z

We don't rely on Edmunds to supply us with thrilling car reviews a la Top Gear or the Drive network. We'd expect that type of thing for the C63 AMG Black, but Edmunds address the car a little more soberly, or with some objectivity. Some say their videos have been boring, but I'd say they're actually more informative than anything.

Think of it like a video spec sheet.

]]> That said, the Mercedes C63 AMG Black invites drama. There's no getting around the 510 hp V8 and and 457 lb-ft of torque without it. The sound is key. A throaty V8 burble and growl make every stab of the accelerator a cry for attention. Even the stolid drivers of Edmunds give into the fun at the end by pulling some very Chris Harris-esque driving maneuvers.

Does the C63 AMG Black live up to expectations? Tell us in the forums!

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz Planning Mini G-Class?

2012-07-30T20:29:55Z

The GLA is coming soon, we know that. What we weren't certain of was whether or not Mercedes was going to have another small SUV built on the same platform. If we're to believe the guys at Autobild.de, then the rugged little guy above is next on Benz's list.

They're calling it the GLG. Like the the GLA, this is supposed to be a minature version of their bigger suvs. Where the GLA looks up to the GL class, the GLG looks up to G-wagen. However, unlike the G-wagen, it'll be built on the A-class' front-wheel drive architecture. Doubtlessly it'll be getting a 4Matic version, but that's still no substitute for the triple-differentials, sky-high stance, and do-anything tires of the G. Think of it as a G-class "lite".

]]> Considering the immense popularity of Mercedes' small platform cars, putting out a rugged AWD coupe could be a major hit for the company. But to succeed, it'll have to compete against the forthcoming (and eerily similar) Land Rover DC100.

Admittedly, they're both cool looking little SUVs. In reality, this as close you're going to get to a semi-offroader from anyone. There are plenty of crossover SUVs around, but they tend to do badly in "off-road" situations. Both Mercedes and Land Rover stand to lose some brand cachet if they're not able to out do the Nissan Jukes and Mini Countrymans of the world in the dirt. Then again, we don't imagine that'll be that hard either.

In any case, a small-scale G would be a better fit for people who tend to stay near civilization anyway. A smaller body, less engine, and lighter weight mean it'll probably be a better fit for the urban audience with a taste for the occasional patch of rough road.

We'll keep our eyes open for word from Mercedes on this one.

What do you think? Does a mini G-Class sound good? Tell us your opinion in the forums!

Spy Shots: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Interior Spotted!

2012-07-26T21:10:16Z

We're pretty eager to see the 2014 S-Class. But until Mercedes decides to stop playing coy we'll just have to rely on the occasional batch of spy photos. This time, they managed to get an extremely thorough look at the interior of one of their test mules.

]]> Most intresting is the dash board. Unlike the last gen S-Class that had a screen between two consistent sets of gauges, this one looks to be completely digital. The infotainment screen has also grown notably. Oddly, there's a good chance this was a reaction to Lexus. They've managed to stuff a fat 12.3 in screen into the GS, which isn't even a full size sedan.

The car will make it's debut sometime in the summer next year. When it comes, you can expect to be full with all the technology that Mercedes has to offer. There'll be several different models including a diesel, a hybrid, and a long wheel base model.

via [MotorAuthority]

Join the discussion on the fortcoming S-Class in the forums!

GL Limousine is the Worst Kind of Hybrid

2012-07-25T23:50:50Z

Yes, that is a Mercedes GL front end on a stretched limousine. Yes, they just tacked it to the front of a 12 year-old Ford Excursion. No, you cannot set fire to it legally and without repercussions.

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I guess somewhere along the line the limousine company responsible for this leviathan figured they could make a few extra bucks by telling everyone they had a Mercedes limo. Unfortunately for them, the GL isn't a body-on-frame SUV which makes stretching it a difficult proposition. So of course, they just slapped the front end onto an ancient Excursion.

I guess there's some credence to their claim that the buyer will earn twice as much as a regular Excursion limo because of the MB badge. However, their claim that it "runs for ever" and "never breaks down" is dubious at best. And by dubious, I mean completely false.

You can check it out on ebay here. It's not for sale anymore, but if you really want one, they've got you covered on their website.

Would you take a ride in this "timeless beauty"? Let us know in the forums!

G-Class Owner Turns 18-Month Trip Into 23-Year Journey

2012-07-25T02:26:33Z

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Not a Toyota Land Cruiser or a Land Rover nor any other SUV. Instead, former Lufthansa and Hapag-Lloyd executive Gunther Holfort chose a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen to bring him and his wife Christine to Africa from their home in Germany. Initially, the trip was to take 18 months, but the couple found the trip so enjoyable that they continued their trip - for the next 23 years!

Bought new in 1988, the 300GD model that Gunther and his wife traversed the world with has accumulated more than 800,000 kilometers.When there was no way to drive where they wanted to go, they had it shipped. In a testament to the ruggedness of the vehicle and Mercedes' vaunted reliability, the G has not had a major breakdown. They only periodically replaced parts that wore down over the course of the trip. And what a trip it's been. The G and Gunther have gone through more than 200 border crossings (the Philippines being the 200th). Total, they've logged enough mileage to have gone around the world an equivalent of 20 times.

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You may think that this executive prepped his G wagen to cater to creature comforts. Far from it. The '88 G was already spartan compared to today's standards, but Gunther remove unnecessary parts, including the air conditioning system. And although the 3-liter diesel puts out a meager 85 horsepower only, the G's gearing made that power adequate. Besides, a diesel is less finicky with regard to fuel quality. As any adventurer knows, remote regions don't always have the best fuel quality.

Other adventure essentials like recovery equipment, ropes, a winch and a complement of tools were brought aboard. Since Gunther recognized that hotels and accommodations would be a major part of the expenses, the vehicle was outfitted with a sleeping area. A believer in preventive maintenance, Gunther has actually overladen the G with OEM Mercedes parts, parts which would not necessarily be readily available in the remote corners of the world which the couple found themselves in. All in all, the Model G regularly carries 500 kilos of spares and supplies. For navigation, Gunther uses an old Garmin 75 GPS unit and good old-fashioned paper maps. All this is, as well as the expenses for the trip, was paid out of Gunther's pocket. No factory or other forms of sponsorship whatsoever.

On a regular 100,000 mile basis, Gunther takes the 300GD back to a dealer in Germany for maintenance. At the dealer, the odometer cluster is removed, and a sticker with a number is placed to the left of the odometer, which only goes to 5 digits. It would be nice to see Gunther and his G keep going. But the factory has seen the value of this G class, and it will soon end its journey enshrined at the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.

Pictures by Gunther Holtorf with his Leica film cameras and David Lemke.

Talk about this amazing G-Class in the forums!

S-Class Crash Cuts Down Tree in Russia

2012-07-24T16:50:40Z

The S-Class is good at a lot of things. It's got massive power, comfy seats, and enough technology to make the International Space Station feel inadequate. It's also really, really heavy. Like, two-and-a-half-tons kinda heavy. Thanks to that weight (and this guy's driving) we can add "impromptu lumberjack" to the list of things the S-Class is good at.

]]> Like all good candid driving videos, this one was shot in Russia. The driver attempts to pass a car and oversteers badly. Normally we'd think that traction control would sort this kind of thing out, but it looks like it was turned off. That, or the guy driving suddenly developed an intense hatred for wooded plant life.

The fact that he actually manages to knock over a tree is pretty shocking. Generally trees come out unscathed, but I guess the immense weight of the S-Class was enough to turn it into toothpicks. Also shocking is that everyone made it out okay. I guess that's a testament to the safety features in Mercedes flagship. If only that tree had airbags.

"10th Anniversary" BRABUS Smart Fortwo In the Works

2012-07-21T02:48:35Z

To celebrate 10 years of working together to create premium, customized variants of top-of-the-line mini-cars, smart and tuning specialist BRABUS are once again partnering up--this time to create a 10th anniversary special edition of the fortwo.

The special model will have a limited production run of 100 units and comes with all sorts of exclusive features and furnishings. Based on the smart fortwo BRABUS currently on the market, the anniversary unit will also go for 102 horsepower with a 155-kph top speed.

]]> For the exterior, the vehicle is painted mostly in "liquid silver" save for the headlamps that are colored titanium and the BRABUS insignias that are colored red. The interior sports some black leather with red trim. There's also a sports steering wheel by the tuner and a serial number badge that denotes the limited edition model's place in the sequence.

It was in 2002 when the two companies joined forces, and early the next year, they were able to bring the smart fortwo BRABUS cabriolet and coupe to the market.

"10 years of smart-BRABUS stands for more than 50,000 customised vehicles and lots of delighted customers," said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of smart. "The fact that we already produced more than 10,000 smarts together last year shows that we still have lots of potential for further growth and high profitability with this creative and efficient team."

Smart and BRABUS launched its "tailor made" custom program in Europe a couple of years back, and it has really taken off--so much so that the program will be extended to other major markets, China and the United States, within the year.

Content provided by BenzInsider.com

Does BRABUS make the smart car cool? Tell us what you think in the forums!

Nobody's Garage Queen: One Man's 300 SL Gullwing

2012-07-18T09:37:56Z

Content provided by BenzInsider.com

Without question, one of the most iconic classic cars in the world, Mercedes-Benz or otherwise, is the 300 SL Gullwing. It's beautiful shape, unique doors and outstanding performance combined to make it a true instant classic. First introduced in 1954, the SL (Sport Leicht) was never in abundance. Only 1,400 Gullwing coupes were ever produced.

In truth, the 300 SL was a sweet-looking race car for the street. Underneath the beautiful body was a tube chassis, chosen for weight savings with acceptable strength. Since part of the chassis intruded into the section where a normal door would be positioned, the designers opted for the distinctive gullwing doors.

The result was a car that's as timeless as it is rare. Watch the story after the jump.

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The suspension featured dual wishbones up front while the rear sported swing axles. In 1954, drum brakes were considered adequate, so that's that the car was equipped with. The engine under the hood is the straight six as used in the original 300-series cars. However, it was equipped with a Bosch mechanical injection system which made it a pioneer in the use of fuel injection for cars. Engine output was from 210-220 horsepower, and coupled with the low-slung body, enabled the car to reach a top speed of 160 miles per hour. 80% of Gullwing coupes produced were bought up by the U.S. market.

Today, Gullwing coupes fetch between 600,000 and 900,000 U.S. dollars, depending on the condition. In 1954, one could be had for $8,000. Very few cars would be in mint condition today, since these cars were obviously driven by their original owners as they were meant to be, and some were undoubtedly crashed. But the 60-year old W198 300SL Gullwing continues to be a dream car to a lot of enthusiasts. And perhaps, the consummate collector of this particular Mercedes product is the one featured in the video below. As narrated in the video, this guy saved up for 30 years (nope, not a typo) to buy his dream car. And what does he do with such a rare, collectible and desirable car? Why he drives it like it's supposed to be driven! Not one to put the car in a climate-controlled garage with a trailer to bring it to shows, this owner and his wife travel the U.S. in all kinds of weather and less than optimum roads. In return, the car rewards him with typical Mercedes reliability with high performance to match. As he says, it's so sad to see trailer queens that take tens of seconds to sputter to life and then stumble all of 20 feet before the engine quits. And this writer agrees.

To be sure, icons of the automotive world like the 300 SL Gullwing deserve to be put on a pedestal for posterity. But we doff our hats to owners like these who enjoy their priceless automobiles as they were meant to be driven.

Love the story? Love the car? Tell us what you think in the forums!

Mercedes Confirms Mini-SUV

2012-07-16T15:57:48Z

The A class platform sure is getting around. Besides being the base for the upcoming CLC, Mercedes has officially confirmed they'll be building a compact SUV as well. You might remember in that teaser shot of future models from AMG, there were a few unidentifiable SUVs. Maybe this model (GLA?) was one of them.

]]> Chief Executive of Daimler, Dieter Zetsche, made the announcement at a conference at their Rastatt plant. "The A class represents our offensive in the compact segment," he said, "And there is more to come. The compact SUV will be the third model we will build here in Rastatt." This lines up with what we're seeing from Mercedes any way. The A45 AMG is the pocket rocket, the A-class will be the volume model, the CLA will be their top-tier model, and the GLA will challenge Audi's Q3 and BMW's X1.

According to Mercedes, the market for small luxury cars has never been hotter. They've recieved over 40,000 orders for the A-Class since the car went on sale last June. With the introduction of the CLA, the GLA, and the A45 AMG though, we can only wait and see how well this venture will turn out for them.

Would you be interested in a small Mercedes SUV? Tell us what you think of the GLA in the forums!

SLS AMG Roadster Gets the Vath Treatment

2012-07-12T21:23:07Z

The SLS AMG is a fast car already. No doubt. But like everything with four wheels and an engine, it could be faster. That is where Vath comes in. They're no rookies when it comes to tuning Mercedes. They've worked their black magic on the SLK 55 AMG and C63 AMG as well, turning them up to 565 and 756(!) horsepower, respectively. Now they've turned their focus to the newest coach in the AMG stable: The SLS AMG Roadster. If their past cars are anything to go by, we should expect greatness.

Thankfully, Vath does not disappoint.

]]> Not surprisingly, the SLS AMG looks good in black. Gorgeous, actually. The color fits like the leather gloves on a hitman. Custom three-part forged wheels set off the look with black face and chrome rims. They've got some wide rubber as well; the 20" wheels measure 265 at the front and 315 at the rear. With the power this thing is packing, it'll need them.

Vath supplies the 6.2L V8 with a supercharger, new exhaust, ECU re-tune, enlarged oil cooler, and big, fat, 405mm brakes. All of that is to handle the 702hp and 627 lb-ft of torque going to the rear wheels (See? Told you it needed that rubber).

The kit costs $104,400 in Germany. That's a lot of money to add 8 seconds to it's top speed, but the improved torque throughout the rev-range is a going to be harder to quantify on paper outside of a dyno. Regardless, Vath comes through again with an excellent kit to an already excellent car.

What do you think of Vath's raucous roadster? Tell us in the forums!

Hitler's Benz Bought Over the Internet?

2012-07-11T16:19:54Z

Content provided by BenzInsider.com

How often would you get to buy a Mercedes-Benz car owned by Adolf Hitler over the Internet? That's exactly what Zenop Tuncer, owner of a vehicle repair shop in Edgewater, New Jersey, claims to have done after he purchased a 1942 Mercedes 320 Cabriolet D.

According to the previous owner of the vehicle, an Ohio collector, he didn't know that this was exactly a car made for Hitler. He said that the car came over from the war, and it was his grandfather that brought it to US shores.

]]> Tuncer then purchased it online for Fred Daibes, a real estate developer who actually wanted a 540K model. Tuncer called up Mercedes-Benz to get some parts, issued the reference numbers, and then got a heads-up to look for an eagle with a swastika icon. And there it was.

Tuncer's shop specializes in the restoration of classic vehicles, but it might be that the car would end up unaltered. "I would not touch the car," said Tuncer. "I would keep it the original way. It has a story on it."

According to Daibes, it was Mercedes-Benz that confirmed a bunch of these cars were made specifically for Hitler. One spokesman for the automaker, however, questioned the legitimacy of the claim. "Someone claims something that they think they have, to make something more of the vehicle," said Adam Paige.

In addition, it is said that the 320 isn't a car fit for the top man of the Nazi party; for example, Hermann Goring had a specialized 540K Roadster, and Hitler could be seen in parades driven around on higher-end models such as the 770. Of course, it could be a fleet car used by some lesser general or official.

No matter if the car really has a connection to the Nazis or not, the whole thing still makes for a fascinating story. We'll keep you posted on further developments on this matter if and when they become available.

Source: WCBS

What do you think? Is Hitler's MB really in New Jersey? Tell us what you think in the forums!

Old and New: Mechatronik's 1971 280SE Versus the 2012 CL63 AMG

2012-07-10T22:00:03Z

Normally this comparison wouldn't even be a contest. Despite it's classy pretensions, the average 40 year old Mercedes couldn't hold a candle to the a newer model in performance or luxury coddling.

They key word there, is normally. This particular 280SE 3.5 is anything but.

]]> This classic to kick-ass restoration was created by Mechatronik, a german restomod company that specializes in treating Mercedes. No one would fault the 280E on looks, and with the help of Mechatronic, no one can fault it on performance either. The biggest change is under the hood. Instead of the relatively pokey 2.8L straight-six, the 280SE is packing a 5.4L modern Mercedes V8. With 354 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque this thing will smoke tires with the best of them. They've also brought the brakes and suspension into the 21st century while keeping the rest of car as classy as at came off the lot.

It's modern equivalent, the CL63 AMG, hardly needs an introduction. Coincidentially, the two have similar displacements, but the new Benz has waaay more power. As in, 536 horses of the stuff. the CL is everything you would hope for in a modern Mercedes. But how does it stack up against it's reborn ancestor? See for yourself below.

Which would you pick? Tell us your choice in the forums!