This article from MB discusses the World Premier at the NY Auto Show on March 24th of the GST Vision R latest show car. Introduction of the R Class will be at the end of 2005 per the article.

********
In line with the slogan “Experience the Grand Sports Tourer,” the long-lead communication campaign for the new Mercedes-Benz R-Class is going into the next round. Of the approximately 200,000 participants who registered for the campaign, DaimlerChrysler selected 50 individuals to attend the New York International Auto Show for the stunning world premiere of the R-Class Grand Sports Tourer. Accompanied by Hans-Peter Wunderlich, who designed the car’s interior, the 50 participants will experience the presentation of the R-Class on March 24 during a spectacular event. In addition, the participants will have the opportunity to get to know the world-famous modern dance choreographer Mark Morris and his interpretation of space at his Dance Center in New York. Morris is the R Class ambassador for the “Space” theme phase. The stay in New York will be rounded out by a visit to the Museum of Modern Art for a tour devoted to the topic of space. Dr. Andreas Roggon, who is responsible for Customer Relationship Management at Mercedes-Benz, underscores the long-lead campaign’s importance for the new R Class. “The long-lead campaign allows us to preposition this unique vehicle concept on the market and to make interested individuals aware of important issues long in advance of the car’s launch,” says Roggon.



Starting in late March, the long-lead campaign will be focusing on issues related to comfort. For this phase, the company was able to engage jazz singer and three-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves as an ambassador. In addition to finding information on the Grand Sports Tourer’s comfort features and new short films with Dianne Reeves, registered users of the website at www.mercedes-benz.com/grandsportstourer can win tickets to a Reeves concert where they will also have the opportunity to meet the world-famous singer backstage.



The fourth and final phase of the long-lead campaign will be launched in June 2005 and will feature “Performance” as its leitmotiv — a concept that is epitomized by skateboard legend Tony Hawk, America’s most successful sports star after Tiger Woods and the R-Class ambassador for this phase of the campaign.



The R-Class, a synonym for dynamic space, will be introduced in the United States at the end of 2005 and will subsequently be launched on the markets in Europe and Asia as well. It combines the advantages of various vehicle concepts, such as the elegance of a sporty touring car, the spaciousness of a minivan and the powerful all-wheel drive of an SUV, to create a distinct character. In a campaign titled “Experience the Grand Sports Tourer” Mercedes Benz has been laying the groundwork for this innovative vehicle’s launch since early 2004. The campaign’s website at www.mercedes-benz.com/grandsportstourer focuses on the four key topics of design, space, comfort and performance.