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:

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Supervisory Board of Daimler AG extends contract with Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard

In its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG extended the contract of Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, a member of the Board of Management of Daimler, until February 28, 2018.

Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard has been a member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG since February 18, 2010. In that function, he is responsible for Manufacturing and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars and for the entire Mercedes-Benz Vans division.

“We look forward to continuing the excellent cooperation with Wolfgang Bernhard in the Board of Management of Daimler AG and as a member of the Mercedes-Benz Cars team. This management continuity is important for the ongoing consistent implementation of the division’s strategy and for the achievement of our corporate goals,” stated Dr. Manfred Bischoff, Chairman of Daimler’s Supervisory Board.

Wolfgang Bernhard’s contract of service would have expired in February 2013. Pursuant to Section 84 Subsection 1 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG), the Supervisory Board decides on reappointment after the beginning of the last year of a Board of Management member’s current period of office.

Dr. Bernhard was born in Böhen (in Germany’s Allgäu region) on September 3, 1960. After completing high school in Bavaria, he studied at the Technical University of Darmstadt from 1980 until 1986, graduating as an industrial engineer with the special subject of electrical engineering. From 1987 until 1988, he studied at Columbia University in New York, where he gained an MBA (Master of Business Administration). After that, he studied at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt from 1988 until 1990, obtaining a doctorate on the subject of international exchange-rate risks. 

Previous positions at the company:
- Head of the Mercedes-Benz Vans division, 2009

- Member of the Board of Management, COO Chrysler Group, DaimlerChrysler AG, 2002 – 2004

- Deputy Member of the Board of Management, COO Chrysler Group, DaimlerChrysler AG, 2000

- Chairman of the Management, Mercedes-AMG GmbH, 1999

- Center Manager for S-Class Assembly at the Sindelfingen plant and responsible for the start of the new S-Class, 1994

- Project Manager for reducing material costs and increasing productivity at the assembly plants of Mercedes-Benz AG, 1992 – 1993

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Strong first quarter: Daimler increases Group EBIT to €2.1 billion

Daimler AG (stock-market symbol DAI) achieved EBIT of €2,130 million in the first quarter of 2012, which is slightly higher than the high prior-year level (Q1 2011: €2,031 million). Net profit increased by 20% to €1,416 million (Q1 2011: €1,180 million) and earnings per share rose to €1.25 from €0.99 in the first quarter of 2011.

“We have started the year with a strong first quarter. Despite higher investment in future growth and a challenging market environment, we succeeded in surpassing the very good prior-year results in terms of unit sales, revenue, EBIT and net profit,” stated Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We are on schedule to meet our targets for this year as well as our medium-term targets.”

The development of earnings is primarily a reflection of the ongoing growth of unit sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars and Daimler Trucks. There were opposing, negative effects on earnings mainly in connection with the expansion of the product portfolio, including the current product offensive at Daimler Trucks. Exchange-rate movements had a positive effect on earnings.
The decision to reposition the European business of Daimler Buses resulted in charges of €36 million.

The special items affecting EBIT in the first quarters of 2012 and 2011 are shown in the table at the botton of this page. 

First-quarter unit sales up by 9%

In the first quarter of 2012, the Daimler Group sold a total of 502,100 cars and commercial vehicles worldwide, surpassing the prior-year number by 9%.

Daimler’s first-quarter revenue increased by 9% to €27.0 billion. Adjusted for exchange-rate effects, revenue grew by 7%.

The free cash flow of the industrial business decreased compared with the first quarter of 2011 to minus €2.0 billion, due to the normal seasonal development of working capital and in particular to increased inventories. Higher levels of stocks are related to the start of the peak selling season in spring at Mercedes-Benz Cars and the market launch of new products such as the B-Class, the SL and the SUVs. At Daimler Trucks, inventories increased towards the end of the first quarter in anticipation of stronger demand in the NAFTA region and in Asia. Additional factors reducing the free cash flow were the higher level of investment in property, plant and equipment and intangible assets as well as capital contributions in connection with the transfer of the Bergen business to Engine Holding (a joint venture of Daimler and Rolls-Royce relating to Tognum) and the joint venture between Daimler Trucks and Foton in China.

Compared with December 31, 2011, the net liquidity of the industrial business decreased by €1.9 billion to €10.1 billion. This was primarily due to the negative free cash flow.

At the end of the first quarter of 2012, Daimler employed 274,127 people worldwide (end of Q1 2011: 261,718). Of that total, 168,017 were employed in Germany (end of Q1 2011: 164,131).

Details of the divisions

Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved a new record for unit sales in the first quarter of 2012. Total sales by the car division rose by 9% to 338,300 units (Q1 2011: 310,700). First-quarter revenue increased by 8% to €14.9 billion.

With EBIT of €1,252 million, Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved earnings close to the level of the prior-year period (Q1 2011: €1,288 million). The division’s return on sales was 8.4% (Q1 2011: 9.3%).
The development of earnings was primarily driven by ongoing growth in unit sales, especially in Europe and the United States. Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved particularly high growth rates in the C-Class segment and with SUVs. Positive exchange-rate effects also boosted earnings. One of the reasons for the reduction in earnings was the temporarily weaker pricing in China. In addition, there were expenses in connection with the expansion of production capacities as well as higher advance expenditures for new vehicles and technologies.

Daimler Trucks increased its unit sales by 21% to 107,700 vehicles. Revenue rose by 18% to €7.4 billion (Q1 2011: €6.2 billion).

The division’s EBIT of €383 million was lower than in the prior-year period (Q1 2011: €413 million). Return on sales was 5.2% (Q1 2011: 6.6%).

Earnings were affected on the one hand by the positive development of unit sales and revenue in the NAFTA region and Asia. On the other hand, there were expenses relating to the current product offensive. There was another negative impact on earnings from falling unit sales in a difficult market environment in Latin America.

Unit sales by Mercedes-Benz Vans decreased in the first quarter of this year to 51,200 vehicles, primarily due to the market weakness in Western Europe (Q1 2011: 54,000). Revenue of €2.1 billion was above the prior-year level (Q1 2011: €2.0 billion).

The division achieved an operating profit of €168 million (Q1 2011: €173 million). Return on sales amounted to 8.0%, compared with 8.8% in the first quarter of last year.

Despite the lower unit sales, an unfavorable model mix and higher expenditure for research and development, Mercedes-Benz Vans was able to maintain a high level of earnings. This was due in particular to lower warranty costs.

Worldwide unit sales of 4,900 buses and bus chassis by Daimler Buses were below the prior-year number of 7,700 units. The decrease was primarily due to weaker demand for bus chassis in Latin America. The business with complete buses in Europe and the United States remained at a low level. In line with the development of unit sales, revenue of €730 million was lower than in the prior-year period (Q1 2011: €831 million).

The division’s EBIT was minus €103 million (Q1 2011: minus €33 million), primarily due to the decline in unit sales of 37%. Shipments decreased compared with the high levels of the prior-year quarter especially in Latin America. Furthermore, the repositioning of the European business decided upon in the first quarter of 2012 led to charges of €36 million.

As a major element of its strategy, Daimler Buses has started its “GLOBE 2013” growth-and-efficiency offensive. The program is designed to achieve the targeted 6% return on sales in the coming years, and is being rolled out over the entire value chain and at all of the division’s sites. One goal is the more intensive networking of all the plants in the European production network. Within the context of “GLOBE 2013,” Daimler Buses will also utilize existing growth potential in its traditional markets while further expanding its business in new markets.

Daimler Financial Services’ business continued to develop positively in the first quarter. Worldwide, approximately 234,000 new leasing and financing contracts worth a total of €8.3 billion were concluded, representing growth of 20% compared with the prior-year period. Contract volume amounted to €71.6 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2012, remaining stable compared with the end of 2011. Adjusted for exchange-rate effects, there was an increase of 1%. 

The division achieved earnings of €344 million, thus surpassing the prior-year figure of €321 million. The main reason for this positive development was the increased contract volume compared with the first quarter of last year. There was an opposing effect from lower interest margins.

The reconciliation of the divisions’ EBIT to Group EBIT primarily reflects the proportionate share of the results of Daimler’s equity-method investment in EADS, as well as other gains and losses at the corporate level.

Daimler’s proportionate share of the net profit of EADS in the first quarter of 2012 amounted to €133 million (Q1 2011: €74 million). The reconciliation alsoincludes an expense at the corporate level of €35 million (Q1 2011: expense of €189 million).

Outlook

On the basis of the divisions’ planning, Daimler expects its total unit sales in the year 2012 to be higher than the figure of 2.1 million vehicles sold in the year 2011.

Mercedes-Benz Cars assumes that it will further increase its unit sales this year and will grow faster than the market as a whole. The division expects its unit sales in each of the remaining quarters of 2012 to be higher than in the respective prior-year period. Mercedes-Benz Cars will profit from the continuation of strong demand for its cars in the C-Class segment. At the end of March, it launched a new model of the SL, the icon in the sports-car sector. The division anticipates further growth for its SUVs, primarily due to the full availability of the new M-Class and as of September 2012 also of the new GL. In addition, the new generations of the GLK compact SUV and of the G-Class will be launched in June 2012. The new models in the high-volume compact-car segment will also contribute towards growth in unit sales; the new B-Class was launched in November 2011 with the new A-Class to follow this September. And a completely new automobile concept will come onto the market in September: the CLS Shooting Brake.

In regional terms, further growth opportunities are seen for 2012 above all in North America, as well as in China, India and Russia. For the smart brand, an ongoing stable level of unit sales is expected.

Daimler Trucks anticipates another rise in unit sales this year. In Europe, the division intends to develop better than the market as a whole, thus further extending its market leadership. The most important model in this respect is the new Actros. Market effects connected with the introduction of stricter emission regulations in Brazil mean that the sales situation there will be difficult, but Daimler Trucks expects to maintain its good market position. Because the average age of trucks is still very high in the NAFTA region, there is a high demand for replacement vehicles and a renewed increase in unit sales is therefore expected in that market. Growth in unit sales is also anticipated in Japan – driven by the reconstruction work following the natural disaster.

Daimler Trucks is about to take another major step in the development of new sales markets: In India, the division will start production of trucks under the BharatBenz brand in the third quarter. In the world’s biggest truck market, China, Daimler Trucks is pursuing a dual strategy: the sale of high-value Mercedes-Benz trucks for the premium segment in parallel with the sale of trucks in the lower-priced volume market through its cooperation with Foton. The joint venture will begin producing trucks to be sold under the Auman brand in the third quarter. Together with the strategic partner Kamaz, Daimler Trucks is developing the growing Russian market through two joint ventures and is thus further expanding its global presence.

Mercedes-Benz Vans assumes that it will further increase its unit sales in 2012. The launch of the new Citan in the small-van segment will help to revive unit sales in Europe. Overall, the division expects to maintain the level of unit sales in Europe that it achieved in the year 2011. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz Vans expects to sell more vehicles than in the prior year in the United States. And it should be able to participate in the positive development of the Latin American markets due to the launch there of the current model generation of the Sprinter.

Daimler Buses anticipates a decrease in unit sales in the year 2012, whereby complete buses should account for a larger proportion of total unit sales. Weaker demand is expected this year above all in Latin America due to the introduction of the Euro V emission regulations, which led to purchases being brought forward in 2011. A slight recovery of the business with complete buses in Europe is anticipated.

Daimler Financial Services expects to achieve renewed growth in contract volume and new business in 2012. A normalization of credit risks is to be expected – and thus a moderate increase compared with the unusually low level of the year 2011.

Following the significant growth of the year 2011, the Daimler Group assumes that its revenue will increase again in the year 2012. In regional terms, above-average growth rates are expected in the emerging markets and in North America.

On the basis of current market expectations and the planning of the divisions, Daimler aims to achieve Group EBIT from the ongoing business in 2012 that is in the magnitude of the prior year. This target is based on the assumption of currency exchange rates close to their present levels.
The following EBIT targets from the ongoing business have been set for the individual divisions:

- Mercedes-Benz Cars: at the prior-year level 

- Daimler Trucks: at least at the prior-year level 

- Mercedes-Benz Vans: at least at the prior-year level

- Daimler Buses: below the prior-year level

- Daimler Financial Services: slightly below the prior-year level

Later this year, Daimler Buses anticipates expenses of up to €50 million from the repositioning of the European bus business and of approximately €60 million from the repositioning of the North American bus business.

Due to strong demand for its products, Daimler assumes that its worldwide workforce will expand compared with the end of 2011.

For the automotive business, Daimler aims to achieve an annual average return on sales of 9% across market and product cycles. This is based on targeted returns on sales for the individual divisions, to be achieved on a sustained basis as of the year 2013, of 10% for Mercedes-Benz Cars, 8% for Daimler Trucks and 9% for Mercedes-Benz Vans. Daimler Buses has the target of 6% to be reached in the coming years. The target for the Daimler Financial Services division is a return on equity of 17%.

The special items shown in the following table affected EBIT in the first quarters of 2012 and 2011:

Credits: Daimler AG

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

REPORT: Mercedes-Benz approves SLC supercar for serial production

The frequently speculated mid-range supercar from Mercedes-Benz will become reality in 2014, after it got the greenlight for production under the name SLC. The news was separately revealed by Daimler boss Dr. Dieter Zetsche and by chief designer Prof. Gorden Wagener. As in the case of the SLS, the Mercedes-AMG division will also be in charge of the development programme of the new medium-sized hypercar.

Supercars are an essential part of the prestigious history of Mercedes-Benz. The ambitious SLS AMG project has been a market success since the model was premiered in 2009. The idea of a smaller performance coupe positioned below the Gullwing and boasting a lower purchase value has fuelled enthusiastic minds since 2010. Now that the SLC is really coming, things will start heating up as first road test prototypes will be released 'out in the wild'. Compared to the bigger SLS, this new supercar tamed in Affalterbach will display an even more dynamic, youthful and striking exterior styling that will certainly attract a lot of curious eyes.

The entry-level, baby SLS will be fighting for the crown of the class with the legendary Porsche 911, its main opponent. The SLC will feature a lightweight construction, with the chassis and components made up of aluminium, steel and magnesium alloys. The intelligent spaceframe will also allow for a perfect and balanced mass distribution between the two axles, now that it was announced the SLC will have a front-engine architecture and conventional doors.

The heart of the new supercar will likely be a new 4.0-litre V8 powerplant, carefully refined by the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains specialists for maximum performance. We don't know anything about the peak output yet, but we predict at least 400 to 450 hp. Speculators insist there's also an increased chance a basic V6 unit with less than 400 hp and a smaller displacement will complete the engine lineup of the SLC AMG.

Note: SLS AMG pictured.

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

REPORT: Mercedes-Benz to revise naming structure of future cars

We have once reported on a fake return of Mercedes-Benz to the old, pre-1993 entitling for its models, which has not and won't come true any time soon. That's because the Stuttgart-based carmaker will move on with the current nomenclature, set to be enriched with new class designations in the next 2-3 years.

While the standard A-, B-, C-, E-, G-, M-, and S- single letters will still form the basic vehicles in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio, the niche variants will get new names. The future coupe (2-dr or 4-dr) and cabriolet Mercs will receive the "CL" preffix followed by the letter of the class they belong to. For example, the next generation of the E-Class Coupe will be entitled CLE. On the same rule, we shall also get the CLA compact 4-door coupe and the CLC for the forthcoming C-Class Coupe/Cabriolet. Only the CLS won't follow the basic principles and will stay as it is. For the future S-Class Coupe, we feel Mercedes-Benz will stick to the existing CL nameplate.

The upcoming sports vehicles under the Star brand will display the "SL" particle and a different letter depending on the size of the model. The traditional SL-Class is here to stay, as is the SLS AMG or the SLK. Starting 2014, a new supercar below the modern Gullwing will be revealed under the SLC badge, which was wrongly associated with the next generation of the luxury flagship 2-door model.

The new crossovers and SUVs from Mercedes-Benz will also receive new names: the compact class GLA and the GLC replacing the current GLK, both of which evolve from the GL root. At the moment, two aspects remain blurry: will the German constructor preserve the R-Class and will the new M-Class SUV Coupe be called MLC or CLM? We shall get answers to these inquiries from 2015 onwards.

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

DENZA Unveils All-Electric Show Car at Auto China 2012 in Beijing

DENZA unveiled its new all-electric vehicle show car at Auto China 2012 in Beijing. The battery-driven vehicle that defines a new level of sophistication in the Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) segment is the result of the partnership between BYD and Daimler.

Auto China 2012 marks the first appearance of the DENZA brand at a motor show. It is also the first landmark event since the official launch of the brand, which took place in Shenzhen in March this year. The arrival of DENZA marked the first strictly NEV brand in the Chinese market.

“Even before the birth of DENZA, Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. (BDNT) has created a very special ‘first’: When Daimler and BYD made their partnership official in the spring of 2010, they founded the first joint venture in China dedicated solely to New Energy Vehicle. The Joint Venture is making extremely positive progress with the first prototypes of the future production model already out on the streets,” said Ulrich Walker, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BDNT and Chairman and CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia. “We are very much on track with the plans for our DENZA vehicle.”

Over 200 engineers and experts from both companies have gathered and combined their strengths at BDNT’s base in Shenzhen. BYD is providing its expertise in battery technology and e-drive systems, as well as their experience in bringing electric vehicles onto the roads of China. Daimler is contributing more than 125 years of excellence in automotive design and know-how in vehicle architecture, safety and quality.

The concept car unveiled today, a full electric battery-driven model, was designed, and will be built and sold in China. “We are reaching out to those who believe that state-of-the-art technologies and beautiful concepts can blend together into the perfect mobility solution without compromising on safety and comfort, to provide both a modern and green urban lifestyle,” remarked BDNT COO Arno Roehringer while introducing the car at Auto China 2012. “We are creating DENZA not only for the people of today, but also for inspiring our next generations.”

“We brought traditional Chinese elements forward into the next generation with a priority on ergonomic design and some futuristic innovations,” said CEO Lian Yubo, on hand to point out some of the features of the car to the gathering of auto media and various dignitaries. “The rear seating area was designed to feel as much as possible like a lounge area. The lounge character really comes out through the reclining rear seats integrated into the design.” He went on to describe the chrome inside and out, the wood and copper features in the interior, and the ambient light system that runs all throughout the cabin making night driving more pleasant without compromising safety.

The exterior chrome can be illuminated to provide perfected visibility and safety. It is visually integrated with the battery storage area, which succeeds better than most EVs at keeping the batteries out of passengers’ way. Combined with the rear-hinged rear doors, the DENZA concept car is easily accessible, with no awkward battery-related steps to clear while entering or exiting the vehicle.

The DENZA booth at Auto China is carefully designed to reflect the strengths of the car, as well as the values of the company. The main feature is a large white ribbon which flows all around the booth, defining its dimensions and the character of the interior. The sense of movement – like a car on the road - is reinforced by the actual movement of the light in the LED strip along its rocker panel. The LED light is the identical blue found in DENZA logo and in the body paint of the car. This “DENZA blue” color represents the company’s twin conceptual foundations of environmental responsibility and cutting-edge technology.

On DENZA

China is the home of DENZA because of its potential as an NEV market. With its expanding middle class, increasing urbanization, open-minded consumers, and a supportive government determined to reduce their reliance on crude oil, central government expects the number of NEVs in China to rise from its current level of 10,000 to 5,000,000 by 2020 according to the latest NEV industrialization plan. With the launch of its new concept car, and a production model slated for release in 2013, DENZA is “on track”.

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt: Farewell to the last A-Class of the second generation

Since the production started back in 2004, more than one million vehicles of the current A-Class model generation (W 169/BR 169) have come out the assembly line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt. The final car of this series, an A 180 CDI in polar silver, has recently left the factory. The vehicle will arrive at a customer in France. "We are very proud of the success story of the A-Class we will continue to write with the next series. Preparations for the start of the new A-Class are already in full swing.", said Peter Wesp, head of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt.

The new A-Class

In March this year the new A-class celebrated the world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. Up to 18 inches lower than the previous model, the new generation displays a sporty, confident character. As the world's first automobile manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz has completely integrated digital and phone communication and functionality in the telematics concept of the W 176 generation. The new petrol and diesel engines are now more fuel efficient and meet any power requirements. They can be combined with the new six-speed manual gearbox or with the optional automatic transmission with double clutch transmission 7G-DCT. The new A-Class is the first car in its segment to feature a standard radar-based collision warning system with ADAPTIVE BRAKE ASSIST, which decreases the chances of a collision. The first units will be delivered to clients beginning with September 2012.

About the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt

The Rastatt plant was officially inaugurated in 1992, with the E-Class being the first model to be assembled there until 1996. From 1997 onwards, the facility was established as a production site for the new A-Class. Prior to 2004, when the second generation came into force, around 1.1 million compact Mercedes-Benz premium models were sold to clients all over the world. Moreover, the current A-Class series appealed to more than one million customers and, in addition, beginning with 2005, the B-Class was also introduced in the production portfolio of the Rastatt factory. This niche vehicle, marketed as a compact sports tourer, became instantly popular, with total sales exceeding 700,000 units. Therefore, the Rastatt plant is unanimously recognized as a competence center for the construction of compact cars from Mercedes-Benz.

Starting September 2011, the new B-Class (W 246) was introduced in the range. Currently, preparations are being made at Rastatt to welcome the new A-Class, which is celebrating the world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. The new generation of Mercedes-Benz premium compact cars further includes three more sporty, emotional models, including a coupe and an SUV. The five new models will be built in a comprehensive production network comprising the Rastatt plant and the new facility in Kecskemét, Hungary. Three of the five models will be assembled at Rastatt.

Credits: Daimler AG

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

REPORT: Mercedes-AMG terminates cooperation with Ducati

Following this week's official announcement regarding the purchase of Ducati by German automotive constructor Audi, Mercedes-AMG executives have agreed to end the ongoing partnership with the Italian motorbike manufacturer. The Affalterbach-based firm and Ducati have established the marketing collaboration at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November 2010.

The Affalterbach-based firm and Ducati have established their marketing collaboration at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November 2010. Since then, both company have jointly participated at various racing and advertising events as partners and have co-branded several special edition motorcycle models such as the Diavel and the Streetfighter 848.

Lately, it became public the Italians were seeking a new owner and that Audi had suprisingly managed to secure the first-refusal option in case of the sale. Then, we published a report that was stating clearly Daimler had no interest in acquiring the largest stake in Ducati's shares. 

Now, after the Italian brand got eventually sold to Merc's Ingolstadt rival, the step to officially end the agreement with Ducati is a logical move. In a brief statement, officials from Mercedes-AMG GmbH explain the situation: 

“Since the end of 2010 a successful marketing cooperation has existed between AMG and Ducati. The company takeover by a rival car manufacturer has understandably resulted in the end of any further collaboration. The takeover of Ducati was never our aim – our focus lies clearly in developing and producing premium performance cars and we will be concentrating all our energy on this.”

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

The Mercedes-Benz Eyewear Collection Spring/Summer 2012: Eye-catching fashion!

The Mercedes-Benz Eyewear Collection is right on trend with the very latest semi-transparent colours. For example, models in the 2012 spring/summer season are available with sides and rims in expressive red and trendy teal, while timeless hues such as grey, black and brown also remain available.

The Mercedes-Benz Eyewear Collection Spring/Summer 2012 contains many new sunglasses and spectacle frames that combine a casual yet elegant design with functional quality at the highest level. The Mercedes star is the central element adorning the sides of every Mercedes-Benz frame. The classy 3D effect is achieved through a number of intricate production steps, some of which are carried out by hand. This gives every pair of glasses in the collection the characteristic Mercedes-Benz look. Developed by Mercedes-Benz and their cooperation partner Rodenstock, the glasses are available now from specialist retailers.

The Mercedes-Benz Eyewear Collection Spring/Summer 2012 covers a broad range of designs, from young & fashionable to comfortable & elegant all the way to exclusive & luxurious. In addition to these, the models of the Mercedes-Benz Eyewear Drivers Edition have been specially developed for long drives. With the exception of models in the shield style, all sunglasses can be fitted with prescription lenses.

This is an overview of the new models:

Referencing Mercedes-Benz car design, the M4003 polyamide spectacle frame has contoured arms, as do the M3010 and M3011 sunglasses. The Mercedes star on the side adds to the interplay of light and shadow. Different variants with full rims and Nylor half-rims, along with different colour concepts featuring classical shades such as havana and black along with modern, trendy colours like teal, burgundy and sand will delight glasses wearers of every type.

The M2012 to M2015 models reflect the tradition of ultimate technical quality to which both Rodenstock and Mercedes-Benz subscribe: the prescription glasses with their innovative stainless steel arm design are very striking, yet at the same time exceptionally modern and light. Due to the flexibility of the material these glasses do not require spring hinges, so there is nothing to spoil their delicate appearance.

The absolute stars are the M2008, M1017 and M1018 models, a spectacle frame with titanium sheet rim and two sunglasses made from extremely light pure titanium. Stylish rims with a high-set bridge, a special arm design and the integrated hinge milled into the side meet even the highest requirements. Timeless colours such as black, dark brown, titanium grey and gold match this classic look. The two sunglasses M1011 and M1012, made from an ingenious titanium polyamide combination, are the first shield models in this line. Thanks to an innovative design, the arms and nose pads can simply be clicked onto the shield.

New additions to the Mercedes-Benz Eyewear Drivers Edition include the M3006 sunglasses (in a sporty classical style) and the aviator-style M1009 sunglasses. Both are available with Rodenstock SunContrast lenses in green and with polarising lenses in brown. Less reflection and increased contrast mean the eyes remain relaxed for longer and get tired significantly more slowly – a clear safety bonus when driving.

Sunglasses from Mercedes-Benz offer optimal UV protection and comply with international standards DIN EN 1836, ANSI Z 80.3 and AS NZS 1067.

An eye on quality – in car production and for glasses

Mercedes-Benz glasses are subject to the same rigorous testing and quality checks as the company's car production. When creating frames for glasses, quality management starts long before the actual production process, just as it would do for vehicles. Even at the development stage, Rodenstock performs extensive tests on new frames. Every single component of the initial samples is checked thoroughly to ensure it meets quality requirements. Special machines and devices are used to test the components' long-term reliability, for example the stability of the hinge function even after the arms have been folded and unfolded several thousand times. Once a model has gone on sale, a monitoring process kicks in, where every complaint is logged and appropriate optimisation measures are put in place immediately.

About Rodenstock and Mercedes-Benz

Rodenstock and Mercedes-Benz have been licensing partners since 2010. Both companies boast a long, distinguished tradition, the highest quality standards and German engineering par excellence. These two premium brands are always one step ahead of the competition in terms of expertise, technical innovation and ground-breaking design.

Rodenstock is one of the world's leading manufacturers for lenses and frames, operating production sites at 14 locations in 12 countries.

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Avant/Garde Diaries Festival in Los Angeles - Transmission LA: AV CLUB curated by Mike D

Yesterday evening, the multi-disciplinary Avant/Garde Diaries festival “Transmission LA: AV CLUB curated by Mike D”, from 20th April to 6th May 2012, opened at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Los Angeles. Until 6th May, Mike D of Beastie Boys presents the event as official curator, which features a mixture of contemporary art, design, music, film and food. The artists include Peter Coffin, Jim Drain, Will Fowler, Benjamin Jones, Mike Mills, Takeshi Murata and Tom Sachs among others as well as an outdoor pop-up restaurant from Chef Roy Choi and interactive coffee bar designed by Robert McKinley. A special highlight is the artistically staged world premiere of the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé. It offers a glimpse of the all-new midsize four-door luxury coupé scheduled for market launch next year. Entry to the festival is free of charge.


With different exhibitions, concerts, DJ nights, performances and installations, the festival illustrates, in keeping with the title “AV CLUB”,how audio and visual art forms can inspire each another and unleash unimagined synergies. The Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé, too, will be staged in an installation. "What you are seeing is: The Mercedes-Benz A.K.A Benzo Concept Style Coupé, will be bathed not unlike a young infant in an installation of light and sound. We were inspired by our visit to the Design Center and to Mercedes-Benz’s climate tunnel. We have used the car to create an installation that uses light triggered by sound to startling effect translating the car’s dynamics into real movement,” said curator Mike D of Beastie Boys.

The four-door coupé is set in front of a large, matte mirror wall and is illuminated from above by LED panels arranged at a 30-degree angle to accentuate the distinctive, powerfully taut side lines. The LED lights react to a soundtrack that Ad Rock from Beastie Boys produced specifically for the installation. The light reflections, which adjust in line with the music, symbolise the vehicle’s unique aerodynamics. Furthermore, four large beams of light incorporate the visitors into the scene creating an interactive experience.

“This impressive staging emphasizes the exceptionally avant-garde design of the Concept Style Coupé. This vehicle is a style rebel that sets new benchmarks for midsize sports coupés,” said Gorden Wagener, Head of Mercedes-Benz Design.

The Avant/Garde Diaries

“Transmission LA: AV CLUB curated by Mike D” is the sequel to the series of festivals created by Mercedes-Benz that premiered in Berlin last summer with curator and fashion designer Raf Simons. “As time and products change, our brand and the way it is presented changes, too,”
said Anders Sundt Jensen, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. “With the Avant/Garde Diaries we have established a creative platform to present social and contemporary issues and to question the status quo. At Mercedes-Benz, curiosity and the joy of breaking through existing barriers have always been drivers for innovation and progress.”

In the Avant/Garde Diaries festivals, international artists and trend-setters meet under the curatorship of a visionary pioneer in order to present their view of the world of today and their vision of the world of tomorrow, and to exchange views about these with experts and the public. The basis for this is the digital interview magazine that presents exceptional people, as well as style-forming and pioneering ideas, at www.theavantgardediaries.com . In addition, the magazine reports extensively on the festivals taking place in several major cities around the world.

Opening hours of “Transmission LA: AV CLUB”
Sunday: 11 am to 6 pm
Monday: noon to 6 pm
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: noon to 10 pm
Saturday: 11 am to 10 pm

“Transmission LA: AV CLUB”presenting
art, design, music, film and food: 

International reknown artists and musicians
bring acoustic and visual art together

The artists participating in the “Transmission LA: AV CLUB” festival were selected by curator Mike D, a musician, artist, producer and founding member of The Beastie Boys. He lives and works in New York City and Los Angeles. The Beastie Boys had one of the richest, most important careers in hip-hop and rock, introducing rap to a huge new audience and then pushing the frontiers of what a hip-hop group could do. In April 2012 the Beastie Boys received their merited spot at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and can without a doubt be called one of the most important and avant-garde music groups of all times. Mike D is a creative mastermind in many different artistic fields and has an enormous impact on global pop culture. His vision and his network of outstanding people make him one of the most inspiring icons of post-modern society.

The Artists Mike D chose are:

Cory Arcangel
He creates work in many different media, including drawing, music, video, performance, and video game modifications, for which he is perhaps best known. Arcangel’s work has appeared in many museum exhibitions, including a solo exhibition at the Migros Museum in Zurich, Switzerland, and exhibitions at the Barbican Centre in London, England and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois. Arcangel often uses the artistic strategy of appropriation, creatively re-using existing materials such as dancing stands, Photoshop gradients, and YouTube videos to create new works of art.

Mike D: “With Cory Arcangel I like his diversity and complexity. His work explores the relationship between technology and culture.”

Sanford Biggers
A native of Los Angeles and current New York resident, Sanford Biggers uses the study of ethnological objects, popular icons, and the Dadaist tradition to explore cultural and creative syncretism, art history, and politics. An accomplished musician, Biggers often incorporates performative elements into his sculptures and installations, resulting in multilayered works that act as anecdotal vignettes, at once full of wit and clear formal intent. Biggers has won several awards including: The Creative Time Travel Grant, Creative Capital Project Grant, New York Percent for the Arts Commission, Art Matters Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts Award in performance art/multidisciplinary work and others.

Mike D: “Sanford immediately came to mind for this show as his work continues to explore the dialogue and border that exists between music, visual, art, expression, spirituality and the moment. Thankfully he is part of this program.”

Roy Choi
His food truck “Kogi Korean BBQ” has won much recognition, including a Bon Appétit Award in 2009 and “Best New Chef” for Roy Choi by Food & Wine in 2010, the first for a food truck. It was also recognized as one of the Top 5 Food Trucks in the U.S. by gayot.com.

Mike D: “This LA native represents the truly global vision and tastes that can be LA at least in a culinary sense. Roy truly amazes me with his ability to reinvent radically different cuisines presenting them with respect for what they are but completely remixed or reinvented. His work is really analogous to what a hip hop producer or DJ does, chopping up a sample, re-contextualising it, adding beets, maybe a little vocal and on and on. And he makes a hell of a mixed tape.”

Peter Coffin
His work is exhibited internationally and features in several prominent collections. Peter Coffin received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis in 1995, subsequently attending Carnegie Mellon University and receiving an MFA in 2000. He is currently collaborating with Al Jaffee inspired by his undergraduate personal encounter with the modern dance choreographer Twyla Tharp. Often using art history as a departure point for his surreal reinventions, Peter Coffin’s work engages with pre-conceptions about cultural ideals to challenge established perception and interpretation.

Mike D: “Peter is a mad man, genius, and physicist/prankster and keeps a sly wit in cold storage for special occasions.”

Will Fowler
His abstract paintings reference early Modernism, can sometimes take years to complete and often feature the same patterns and shapes that appeared in his previous work. At the NY Armory Show at David Kordansky’s gallery in March 2010, Fowler’s works were the objects of desire: Kordansky moved 13 of them in under two hours. MoMA trustee David Teiger even snagged three of them.

Mike D: “I first saw Will’s work at David Kordansky’s booth at the Armory show in New York City. Even amongst this chaos, his methodical yet witty abstract canvases stayed tight, focused and galvanising. I was sucked in immediately. One can keep coming back to his work which, filled with enough depth that repeat views are a must and rewarded.”

Jonah Freeman & Justin Lowe
Since 2008 Los Angeles based artists Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe have been collaborating on several projects; among others they showed their installations at Ballroom Marfa, Deitch Projects, Miami Art Basel and Country Club at R.M. Schindler ’s Buck House. With its work the duo manifests a fictional parallel universe – part slide show and lecture, part fashion show, part art installation, part rock’n’roll freakout. In the ever expanding narrative universe of their work they have amassed a variety of fictional products, books, magazines, movies, drugs, characters and places. The broader picture of their ongoing body of work could be seen as a form of “expanded cinema” in which the various elements that go into the construction of a narrative film are exploded into separate autonomous pieces.

Mike D: “Work that plays with perception, with time with place with reality. History is by nature revisionist anyway. Was Zabriske point a place or a movie or both? Are they artists from Red Hook or Laurel Canyon? If they were a record would they be the Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo? I am not sure.”

Benjamin Jones
Besides exhibiting sculptures, paintings and drawings at galleries internationally, Benjamin Jones has designed giant blimps, sneakers and board shorts. He animated music videos for M.I.A. and Beck, staged performances with homemade costumes and produced a plethora of zines, comics and art books – all while tinkering on the website-as-art, paperrad.org, which also hosts a much beloved series of his computer-animated cartoons. Jones has defined an aesthetic both handmade and mass-produced, combining cartoon characters, high energy techno music, meta-graffiti, fantasy worlds and sublime colour fields.

Mike D: “Ben’s work can be silent, in that there can be moving animated images without a sound track, but it can be the loudest thing on the planet. I can truly say that his installation will leave visitors stoked or perhaps nauseous or both.”

David Kramer
He is a co-founder of Family Books a book store at the heart of Los Angeles's thriving art scene. His humorous ramblings tell of an American Dream as Sisyphus’ rock. David Kramer’s work has been exhibited throughout North America, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Pierogi 2000 (Bklyn), Feigen Contemporary (NYC), and RoeblingHall (NYC) as well as various venues in Europe. Kramer’s videos, installations, paintings and drawings satirize his own unrequited and boundless desire for things that offer only temporary fulfilment and diversion from the existential condition – things that are quickly used up and discarded and deemed worthless once in the artist’s possession.

Mike D: “I admire David Kramer for his humour and almost sarcastic approach. I’m looking forward to seeing his contribution to AV CLUB.”

Lauren Mackler / Public Fiction
Lauren Mackler founded Public Fiction in Los Angeles in 2010. The physical space, a storefront in Highland Park, provides a site to experiment with installations, performances and shows on a changing topic. The publication of the same name combines ephemera from these experiments with things that happened outside and around L.A. on the same subject.

Mike D: “Lauren Mackler is an energetic magnet for artistic talent on the East side of L.A. I became aware of her from her publication: Public Fiction. What will go down at the show will go way beyond the publication and will really explore the audio visual realms and realities.”

Robert McKinleyRobert McKinley, principal of Robert McKinley Creative Services (RMCS), and co-owner of GoldBar in New York’s Little Italy and the Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York, has become an industry leader in hospitality design and branding. With a career that began within the fashion houses of Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan, and most notably Giorgio Armani, McKinley’s affinity for sophisticated environments was cemented early on with projects including retail store layouts, event design, concepts, and production, eventually leading to branding events for such high-profile clients as Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Ermenegildo Zegna, Boucheron and others.

Mike D: “I’ve been working and hanging out with Robert a lot. He has many facades and is a guarantee for surprises!”

Mike Mills
He has created music videos for musical acts as Moby, Yoko Ono and Air. Air named the fifth song on their album “Talkie Walkie” after Mills. He has also worked as a graphic designer on promotional material and album covers for such acts as Beastie Boys, Beck, Sonic Youth, and Ol' Dirty Bastard. In addition Mike Mills has created graphics for X-Girl and Marc Jacobs, and currently produces his own line of posters and fabrics called Humans by Mike Mills.

Mike D: “Mike is a true Renaissance man: a visual artist, a film maker, a graphic designer, a musician and a personal collaborator even. What am I forgetting Mike? And he does it all with such great flare but a lot of heart.”

Takeshi Murata
He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1997 with a B.F.A. in film, video and animation. Takeshi Murata produces extraordinary digital works that refigure the experience of animation. His innovative practice and constantly evolving processes range from intricate computer-aided, hand-drawn animations to exacting manipulations of the flaws, defects and broken code in digital video technology. Whether altering appropriated footage from cinema (B movies, vintage horror films), or creating Rorschach-like fields of seething colour, form and motion, Murata produces astonishing visions that redefine the boundaries between abstraction and recognition.

Mike D: “Takeshi Murata, like Jim Drain and Ara Peterson, was in the show of the Forth Thunder group that shared ideas, visual art, studio space and even a music project.”

Ara Peterson & Jim Drain
Ara Peterson and Jim Drain are Providence-based artists who have been collaborating in different ways over the past ten years. Both are members of the group Forcefield, whose exciting project in the 2002 Whitney Biennial was one of the major events in new art-making today. The geodesic spheres were developed in collaboration with Eamon Brown during a residency at Pittsburgh’s Mattress Factory, one sphere being shown in the Lyon Biennial, 2004, curated by Bob Nikas. Some of the pinwheels were a component of the Wiggin Village installation at the Moore Space in Miami, December 2004, curated by Larry Rinder. A smaller version of the kaleidoscope piece was first shown at Greene Naftali in 2003.

Mike D: “I am psyched to have the pinwheels as a big part of the AV CLUB. This big format, mind altering installation is one of my favourites. AV CLUB will be at 11, Pinwheels will be 15, what?”

Tom Sachs
He is a sculptor, probably he is best known for his elaborate recreations of various modern icons, all of them masterpieces of engineering and design of one kind or another. A lot has been made of the conceptual underpinnings of these sculptures: how Sachs samples capitalist culture, remixing, dubbing and spitting it back out again, so that the results are transformed and transforming. Equally, if not more important, is how he totally embraces “showing his work”. On a practical level this means that all seams, joints, screws – or for that matter anything holding stuff together – such as foam core and plywood, are left exposed. Nothing is erased, sanded away, or rendered invisible. On a more philosophical level this means that nothing Sachs makes is ever finished.

Mike D: “It is with great pleasure that AV CLUB presents Tom Sachs. It is kind of a full circle thing for me because over a decade ago during a hot summer in NYC a small group of us including myself and Tom kept gathering in the evenings at a friend’s shaved ice stand in lower Manhattan trying to cool off from the savage heat. We wanted to listen to music, so Tom started building different boxes so we could listen to dub while we enjoyed the shaved ice, good company and scenery. One of these, the aptly titled Guru (the name of the aforementioned shaved ice stand) is in the show. These contraptions became bigger and more elaborate as the summer went on and eventually Tom built the Behemoth Toyans that you all will see, feel and hear.”

Sage Vaughn
Wildlife and Wildlives make up the world of artist Sage Vaughn. Swarming brightly coloured butterflies along with strangely dressed kids make for some interesting subject matter, and there is definitely a feeling of tension between the natural and unnatural elements in these paintings. He has had widely acclaimed solo shows in New York, L.A., Geneva and London. Sage also helped illustrate a music video for N.A.S.A. called “Way Down”, feat. RZA and John Frusciante.

Mike D: “Sage is a painter that I am a fan of. I am always excited to see new work of his. He has the chops, imagination and the humour.”

Credits: Daimler AG

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

LEAKED: Flashing Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé shows design direction for future CLA

Prior to the TRANSMISSION LA:AV CLUB festival, the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé emerged today on the internet in a set of unofficial pics. The vehicle previews the design philosophy for the new CLA compact four-door coupe, which is expected to bow at the Los Angeles Auto Salon in late 2012. Seeing this spectacular accomplishment of pure automotive art, expectations are very high regarding the CLA which should end up being pretty similar in real life. 

This new concept car from Stuttgart premieres a striking exterior showcasing a complex and progressive design evolved from the Concept A-Class. The shining diamond grille is there, as are the intricately styled headlights and the powerful front apron. The coupé-ish silhouette is suggested by the rakish, rear-dropping roof line and the muscular profile boasting large wheel arches to house the impressive alloy wheels, that, when in motion, resemble aircraft rotors in full action. The back end completes the whole automobile in an elegant note thanks to the highly distinguishable LED lamps and the astonishing rear diffuser. Inside, the Concept Style Coupé continues the A-Class theme in a more stylish way. The green tones mixed with deep colours such as black, white and grey, and the crazy-looking fabric for the seats and door panels help create a truly awesome atmosphere, whereas the four-seat architecture further adds up to the impression you are travelling inside an elegant and dynamic coupé.


The mindblowing concept will be introduced in front of the audience at the above-mentioned Los Angeles art & music festival, which opens its gates on 20th April and lasts up to 6th May. Mercedes-Benz will also celebrate the world premiere of the Concept Style Coupé at Auto China 2012 in Beijing (23rd April - 2nd May).

Photo Credits: GermanCarForum

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