GregW / Oregon

Stuttgart/Rome – By delivering a new Popemobile to Pope Benedict XVI Mercedes-Benz continues a tradition, which lasts for 80 years now. Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, personally handed over the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, specifically produced for the Pope with special-purpose body, today at the Vatican.

"It is an honour for Mercedes-Benz to be accompanying His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his future journeys with our new Popemobile", said Zetsche at the handover of the new Popemobile in Rome. "As such, we are continuing our long-standing partnership with the Vatican. For more than 80 years now, Popes have been able to rely on the quality, safety and comfort of our Mercedes-Benz vehicles."

The leader of the Catholic Church makes use of the Mercedes-Benz Popemobile at a number of public appearances both at home and abroad. It gives him the opportunity to get as close as possible to the public without having to forego the highest possible levels of safety and comfort. It will be possible to see Benedict XVI tomorrow in the new vehicle for the first time as early as 8th December in Rome, where the Catholic Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception is traditionally celebrated at the Spanish Steps.

The Popemobile is fitted with the latest technological highlights from the current M-Class. In addition, the vehicle also features a new interior design. Compared with the preceding model, the dome has been extended significantly, providing an improved amount of space and more convenient entry access. The view of the Pope has also been significantly enhanced thanks to considerably larger glass panels in the viewing area, together with large illuminated roof lining. The throne, the central design feature in the interior, bears the embroidered coat of arms of the Holy Father.
As with the preceding model, the body of the new Popemobile is painted in diamond white. And to facilitate frequent transport of the modified M-Class by air, Mercedes-Benz has reduced the overall height of the vehicle by a few centimetres, while at the same time improving the internal standing height. Work on the new Popemobile began some nine months ago. The vehicle was designed and produced by Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz has been providing vehicles for the trips and official appearances of the leader of the Catholic Church for more than 80 years now. The first Mercedes-Benz for a Pope was a Nürburg 460 Pullman Saloon, provided for Pope Pius XI in 1930. In the 1960s, Pope John XXIII received a 300d Landaulet in the guise of a Cabriolet with automatic transmission. Subsequently, Pope Paul VI first made use of a Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet, followed by a 300 SEL.

From the 1980s, Pope John Paul II initially also travelled in a vehicle designated as a "Popemobile" - a modified G-Class - to the celebrations in St. Peter's Square. From 2002, he mostly made use of the predecessor to the new Popemobile, which Benedict XVI has also used up until today. After they reach the end of their working lives, the Popemobiles can be viewed as part of the collections on display at both the Vatican and the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

xxGenericSNxx

I've always liked Popemobiles. The W163 he's been using had Maybach wheels which looked very good.

This new W166 styling though, appears to be "quite a base model" save for the bulletproof glass. heh

ipp

Doh... Now I need to change car again...

GregW / Oregon

The seat with it's huge bolsters is obviously designed for the high-G forces of racing.

BlackSL

no amg sports kit or designo interior?

Shrdlu

Note the 20-inch wheels. Dynamic Handling Package w/Airmatic, no doubt.

xxGenericSNxx

Those aren't the ADH 20s. These are:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...BCsseldorf.jpg


The ones on the Pope car look like 19s. And besides, the new MLs can have the 20 ADH rims without ADH from the factory. It's now a standalone option.

GregW / Oregon

Extra large tires on those 20s - those aren't 45-series. Nice Panorama sunroof, too.

Edit: Those are not 20s. Look like 18s. Running Pirelli Scorpion Zeros, but I can't make out the size on the high-res original.

Shrdlu

Could be runflats. If I were the Pope, I would want them despite the rough ride.

GregW / Oregon

Tread pattern does not look like the Pirelli Scorpion Asymmetrico Runflats, but I could be wrong.

GregW / Oregon

I caught that in my edit. Actually look like 18s to me -- those are taller sidewalls than 50-series.

LazKat

Hmmmm... wonder if he got the ambient lighting package? And did they tell him he had to wait due to a leather shortage?

xxGenericSNxx

Probably some kind of special bulletproof type tire?

jbondox

I am sure it is armored also, when I went to the Vatican ( was in the military) and met a few of the Swiss guards we got a nice tour... the motorcade is more advanced than you would suspect. also went to the Easter Vigil the man himself (prior pope) performed. Pope was heading to Malta and we just got back from it so we were there to share our security information with the Maltese Secret Service .

ipp

Nah, don't think so. He's holy, don't need it.

BlackSL

holy or not, he didnt go for rear seat entertainment system... cheap ...

hyperion667

oh boy: religious royalty.........

and the side bolsters are so his old **** doesn't fall out of his seat........



why is this so interesting???

jellies

Apparently the question of the day in the press is -- will the new pope get a new popemobile or will he just keep using this old hand-me-down!

http://www.emercedesbenz.com/autos/m...vi-popemobile/

xxGenericSNxx

When I heard the Pope was resigning the first thing I thought was, what's the next Popemobile? LOL

hyperion667

he's a quitter!!!! LOL