My Mercedes Car: 2012

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Nissan's Clever Househunter Test Drive Combo in Dubai

When you are on a tight marketing budget, the only way to achieve your goal is to be creative. Nissan's answer to this problem in Dubai was to team with most popular house-hunting site in the Gulf region called Dubizzle.
The Japanese automaker created a new media format for the website that matches the user's home, budget, neighborhood, and family size with the right Nissan model.
Furthermore, once the users single out a house, the HouseHunter Test-Drive app offers the option of being picked up by the Nissan model that matches their lifestyle to go for a ride to view the home.

Novitec Rosso's Performance Outfit for the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider

If you want a louder, faster and more powerful Ferrari 458 Italia Spider that also stands out from the crowd, then you might want to take a look at what German tuning outfit Novitec Rosso has to offer.
Revealed for the first time in public at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 458 Italia Spider comes with a folding hard-top and a 570hp 4.5-liter V8 coupled to a dual-clutch F1 transmission that propels the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) time in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).

Novitec Rosso's engine tune consists of a custom exhaust system said to weigh 21kg (46 pounds) less than the factory exhaust, a carbon-fiber air box with modified air routing and of course, a software upgrade.
These modifications bump output to 601hp (609PS) at 9,100rpm and maximum torque to 569 Nm (420 lb-ft) at 5,400 rpm, with the German tuner claiming a top speed of 325km/h (202mph).

Sunday, April 29, 2012

SPY: The 2013 Mercedes-Benz A 25 AMG 'glides gently' on the slippery Nürburgring

Mercedes-Benz is about to introduce the new A 25 AMG shortly after the market launch of the new generation A-Class in September. The compact sportscar promises to be the ultimate leader of the segment thanks to a series of special features that speak about the dynamic character of the car: the new supercharged gasoline unit, the integral traction system, the adaptive suspension and the multitude of ride management systems developed by AMG for a safe experience even at high speeds.

The 2013 A 25 AMG will sport a newly engineered powerplant at the High Performance Powertrains department in Brixworth, UK: experts and technicians used F1 know-how to tweak the engine for maximum performance. While the total displacement of just two litres might not sound very moving, then prepare to hear the rumored value for the peak output: 350 hp. The impressive amount of power is achieved through high-pressure supercharging and intelligent cylinder management. Handling the situation will be easier for the compact A 25 AMG as the car is set to premiere a new 4x4 platform enhanced to deliver an optimal ride and added grip under any condition. The 350 ponnies will reach the four wheels with the help of a double-clutch, 7-speed automatic transmission similar to those found on the C 63 AMG or SLS AMG.

Image Credits: Autoevolution

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

DTM Hockenheim 2012: Qualifying - Jamie Green on front row as new DTM era begins

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) is the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in qualifying for tomorrow’s race at the Hockenheimring. (Start: 14.00 CEST with live coverage from 13.40 on ARD) The winner of the 2011 grand finale at Hockenheim starts from second on tomorrow’s grid at the same race venue. Green posted a time of 1:34.895 minutes to qualify alongside pole-sitter Mattias Ekström (Audi / 1:34.680). The opening race of the 2012 season sees a Mercedes-Benz driver claim a place on the front row of the grid for the 215th time since 1988.

The new DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé has also booked a place on Row 1 in its very first race. The C-Coupé is the successor to the AMG Mercedes C-Class which, with 85 victories from 159 races, is the most successful car in DTM history.

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) secured sixth fastest time – 1:34.287 minutes – in the first qualifying session of the new DTM season. He starts the season opener from row three on Sunday.

Qualifying 1: Ralf Schumacher secured the best time of the eight Mercedes-Benz drivers in the first qualifying session – 1:34.550 minutes. Just a single second covered positions one to twenty in Q1. Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:34.932), DTM rookie Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:35.167) and Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:35.776) will be in positions 18, 20 and 21 respectively on the grid for the first race of the season.

Qualifying 2: Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:34.390) will start the opening race of the new DTM-era on Sunday from position eleven on the grid. Canadian DTM rookie Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:34.538) and Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé / 1:34.783) will be in positions 13 and 15 respectively for the start of the race. Just eight-tenths of a second separated P1 and P15 in Q2.

Comments on qualifying:

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Second (1:34,895):
„A respectable start to the new season. Obviously, I would prefer to be going into the new DTM era in pole position, but I’m also very satisfied with a place on the front row. Qualifying was a close-fought encounter and I was hard pushed to get into Q4. My Mercedes AMG C-Coupé handles like a dream, and it’s great fun taking the development one step further with every outing. Today, we showed that the car is fast, and I’m sure that we are in with a good chance in tomorrow’s race. I’ve been a part of the Mercedes-Benz DTM family for quite a few years now, and it’s fascinating to watch this race series carry on growing and developing.“

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Sixth (1:34,287):
„Sixth on the grid isn’t too bad, but obviously I would rather be starting from nearer the front. Our THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé is performing very well on this first race weekend of the season. It looks very tight, with all three constructors apparently well matched, so it promises to be a very interesting season. We are in for an exciting race tomorrow, and I’m really up for it. Our car is fast and I’m aiming to do even better tomorrow.“

Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Eleventh (1:34,390):
„We will see for the first time this weekend how the teams compare in the new DTM-era. In the free practice sessions, things didn’t go brilliantly for me, but I'm pleased that we improved from session to session. It should certainly be an exciting season opener on Sunday. Overtaking in the new car will be even easier this year than was the case in the past – so there’s still everything to play for.“

Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 13th (1:34,538):
„P13 is a decent start position for me in the DTM, but I always set myself high goals and I know that there is still a lot of potential for improvement. The team has prepared my stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé very well and I’m looking forward to my first DTM race on Sunday. Hopefully, I can then do even better.“

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé), 15th (1:34,783):
„For the whole of the weekend, I’ve had good speed in my C-Coupé, but I wasn’t able to get the full benefit it qualifying. Unfortunately, I made an error that probably cost me a place in the Top Ten. Now I have to wait and see how my closest rivals line up in the race and then go flat out on Sunday to get a decent result at the start of the new season.“

David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 18th (1:34,932):
„We have a brand new car and so I didn’t have any great expectations for this opening weekend here in Hockenheim. Of course, I’m not satisfied with my qualifying result, but we’ve learned a lot about the new vehicle and now want to improve our performance bit by bit. Hopefully, we can put on a good show for the spectators in the race.“

Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 20th (1:35,167):
„Temperatures were very different in qualifying just now, compared to Friday’s practice sessions. I didn’t find it all that easy to quickly adapt to the change, nor was I totally satisfied with the car’s setup. We’re still working on it. Now I'm hoping for a decent result in my first DTM race.“

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 21st (1:35,776):
„Of course, I'm not satisfied with 21st place on the grid. I was hoping for a much better result in the first qualifying session of the new DTM season. The car has a lot of potential that we must tease out. It won’t be easy in the race to move up to the front of the field, but I will do my best.“

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„What a fantastic start to the 2012 DTM season. Pole position was there for the taking, as Jamie Green showed by posting the best time in Q3. After a braking error in Sector 1, he retook the lead once again in the middle sector by the smallest margin possible, just one thousandth of a second, but then, at the Motodrom, things didn’t quite work out. So it just remains for me to offer my congratulations to Mattias Ekström and to Abt-Audi on claiming pole.

„There’s not much separating the three manufacturers. It’s a wonderful thing for the fans that the new generation of DTM coupés from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are so very closely matched. I want to express our thanks to everyone from ITR, Audi and BMW for their cooperation in building such strong foundations on which to base a brilliant future for the DTM.

„On the first day of competition for the new generation of DTM cars, I would also like to thank in particular all our team members, who have worked so hard to get the new cars up and running. We have put in a lot of hard work and effort to get this far and now’s the time to reap the rewards. Hopefully, we will do exactly that tomorrow.“

Mercedes-Benz Collection miniatures in 1:87, 1:43 and 1:18: The new SL - the legendary sports car now in miniature for collectors' display cabinets

Car enthusiasts have been dreaming of owning their own Mercedes-Benz SL for 60 years. But it is not just the genuine article in the garage that provokes covetous looks. High-grade miniatures of this luxury sports car have also long been sought after. Following the market launch of the new SL, the Mercedes-Benz Collection now includes the roadster – faithfully reproduced in every detail, down to the original paintwork – as 1:87, 1:43 and 1:18 scale models.

The miniatures boast the classic SL proportions and an incredible attention to detail covering everything from the air outlets to the lovingly recreated interior. Developed using the original CAD data, the hand-assembled precision models are extraordinarily faithful to the original and comprise up to 104 component parts. The roadster roof is enclosed separately.

These collectors' models, produced in partnership with the well-known manufacturers Herpa and Norev, are available from Mercedes-Benz sales and service outlets, Mercedes-Benz dealerships, the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the online shop (shop.mercedes-benz.com).

All model cars in the Mercedes-Benz Collection come in Mercedes-Benz designer packaging. A screwdriver is enclosed with the 1:18 scale models, allowing the model to be removed from its screw-fastened packaging with the minimum of fuss. The cars also come with a glove to protect the miniature from fingerprints.

This is an overview of the three SL miniatures: