In the official photo set of the new GLK-Class 2012 (X 204), Mercedes-Benz have inserted an image that contains not only the compact SUV, but also the vehicle which can be considered its grandparent: the G-Class 2012 generation. This is not the first occasion when the German carmaker intentionately "leaks" a photo of a forthcoming car using the launch moment of another model from the lineup: in 2008, a few days ahead the official reveal, they previewed the A-Class Coupe facelift in a picture emphasizing the Active Parking Assist of the new B-Class facelift that had just been released by mid-March that year (see the respective photo HERE). Sticking to the Gelandewagen, the photographed example is a G 350 BLUETEC, equipped with a 3.0-litre diesel V6 unit rated at 211 hp. The visual tweaks are minor, but enhance the historical refinement of the G-Class - new alloy wheels, new exterior mirrors and a strip LED daytime running lamps under each of the traditional circular headlights. The interior, the safety and assistance technologies, the telematics as well as the powertrain are the key parts that underwent major upgrades to ensure the 30-year old 4x4 stay fully up-to-date. With the unveiling of the new G-Class 2012 set for Beijing Motor Show in April, there's not much time left till we get the first official details - it's a matter of weeks.
It looks the V12 saga at Mercedes-AMG isn't over yet, as we found out the Affalterbach-based company will unleash the new SL 65 AMG beast early in April, at the NYIAS 2012. Little details are known at this moment, but the sports roadster should retain the current V12 twin-turbocharged engine with a total displacement of 6.0 litres. Most probably, the unit has been tweaked for greater performance and a more efficient ride. The powerplant delivers a high-end torque of 1,000 Nm, with the peak output located somewhere between 630 and 650 hp. Maximum speed is rated at 250 km/h and, upon customer request, could reach 320-330 km/h if the electronic limitation is removed. Hopefully, the new SL 65 AMG will display a more personalized design to set it apart from the SL 63 AMG. Chances are this new and terrific AMG V12 convertible costs well over €200,000.
Mercedes-Benz have nailed it down: the new A-Class is definitely one hell of a looker, not to mention the complete technical package which is easily the best in the compact segment. Surfing the internet for more information on this sporty hatchback, we have found a pleasant gallery of 20 photos that immortalize the sheer beauty and sexiness of the new A-Class. Hit the break and enjoy the artistic pictures!
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg arrive in style at the launch site of their new cars for the upcoming season: the new F1 W03 single-seater meets the new SL 63 AMG sports roadster during the special premiere event organized at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Both drivers together with Norbert Haug and Ross Brawn express their feelings on the new MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS title contender for this year, which is aimed to bring the Brackley-based team at the forefront of Formula 1. Hit play and enjoy the video!
Mercedes-Benz this morning marked two world premieres at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, with the unveiling of the 2012 Silver Arrow, the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W03, and the first public sneak preview of the brand-new Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG. The new high-performance roadster, which develops 537 hp while delivering weight savings of 125 kg and 30% improved fuel economy, was introduced by Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher.
The new Silver Arrow, the F1 W03, has undergone an intensive programme of simulation testing at the team’s technical bases in Brackley and Brixworth. This was followed by a filming day limited to 100 kms at Silverstone on 16 February, and a private test day in Barcelona on 19 February, during which the car ran for 354 km. Michael and Nico shared driving duties on both days.
The new car concept is based on a largely stable set of technical regulations, which nevertheless include two significant changes: revision of the maximum bodywork height at the front of the car, which encouraged the distinctive stepped-nose design; and new restrictions concerning the positioning of the exhausts, designed to prevent the aerodynamic benefit gained from exhaust gases during 2011, the so-called ‘blown diffuser’.
The F1 W03 project was begun in May 2011 and is the first full car produced by a technical team that was strengthened last year with recruitments at every level of the organisation. The new car, which is composed of some 4500 parts compared to 4300 parts in 2011, has nevertheless achieved a lower core weight than its predecessor, is better packaged and more efficient. All mandatory FIA crash tests had been successfully completed at the first attempt by the end of the first week of January 2012.
“The F1 W03 is a car that I believe, and hope, our team can be proud of, and which will deliver the on-track results that everybody has worked so hard to achieve,”Team Principal Ross Brawn commented.“Notwithstanding the distinctive nose design, which is certainly an acquired taste, the F1 W03 is an elegant interpretation of the current regulations, and a clear step forward over its predecessor in terms of detail design and sophistication. Last year, we produced a very bold car and, although its more radical elements didn’t always deliver the results we had hoped for, the experience we gained has been invaluable to the design of the 2012 car. The F1 W03 is also a more integrated package, which reflects the ever-strengthening ties between our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth, and demonstrates that our Silver Arrows works team is taking the next step forward in terms of on-track performance.”
Nico, who drove the first laps in the F1 W03 on 16 February in Silverstone, commented:“We have had a good start to our 2012 testing programme, and it was a great feeling to drive the first laps in the new F1 W03. The car looks good, and is very nicely packaged under the bodywork – all the parts are in harmony, which reflects how well the different departments of our team are working together. From the beginning of our running, we have been able to focus on understanding the car and making good progress with our test programme. It will be very interesting to learn more about where we stand in the next few weeks.”
Michael, who will complete the first full day of official testing with the new car today in Barcelona, commented:“I have done quite a few roll-outs and launches of new cars, but even after all these years, I must say it still feels special. Days like this are precious moments, as they are always filled with hope and anticipation. Already last week, when we were driving the F1 W03 for the very first time, it instantly gave us good feedback and sensations. Starting today, we will work intensively to make it a competitive runner. Obviously, we will only see over the next couple of weeks how big the step is that we have made, but I can say already that the guys and girls back in the factories at Brackley and Brixworth were brilliant in putting in so much effort, and we can only say a big thank you them. I know which reward they would like, and we will definitely try to deliver it. For my part, I am eager to fight again, looking forward to the new season, and I can’t wait for it to begin.”
Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, concluded:“2012 will mark the third season for our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows works team, which was introduced in January 2010, and our target is to take a step forward in on-track performance. A lot of work has been done throughout the last year, not just to design the new car but also to build a technical organisation that is capable of delivering to its full potential, with consistency. Our ultimate goal is to become regular race winners and championship contenders, and so to write another chapter of success in the story of the Silver Arrows which began 78 years ago. Our target this year is to take another step forward on that road.”
Following the car’s launch this morning, the F1 W03 will complete eight full days of pre-season testing over the next two weeks at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W03
Chassis Construction: Moulded carbon fibre and honeycomb composite structure Suspension: Wishbone and pushrod/pullrod activated torsion springs and rockers Dampers: Penske Wheels: BBS forged magnesium Tyres: Pirelli Brakes: Brembo calipers Brake discs/pads: Carbon/Carbon Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion Steering wheel: Carbon fibre construction Electronics: FIA standard ECU and FIA homologated electronic and electrical system
Transmission: Gearbox: Seven speed unit with cast aluminium maincase Gear selectio:n Sequential, semi-automatic, hydraulic activation Clutch: Carbon plate
Daimler AG has entered into a strategic cooperation with the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy. The aim is to highlight and strengthen the commonalities between the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Museo Mille Miglia. Planned activities include a mutual exchange of exhibits.
The first event will be an exhibition featuring five racing cars from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection, which go on display on 15 February 2012 at the Museo della Mille Miglia - a museum whose history is closely linked with what is probably the most famous road race in Europe.
“Mercedes-Benz is part of the high level of continued fascination with the Mille Miglia road race,” says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH. “This collaboration with the renowned museum in Brescia ties in with a tradition of joint projects.” And Cavaliere Attilio Camozzi from the Museo Mille Miglia adds: “Brescia and Stuttgart, the Museo della Mille Miglia and the Mercedes-Benz Museum – both are linked by art and a shared passion for motorsport. This is the basis for a partnership with a great future: sport as the ideal ambassador for economic progress and enrichment of the social life in both cities. Together we are strong.”
Mercedes-Benz is the only foreign automotive brand to have twice won Italy’s legendary 1,000-mile race on the original route. Rudolf Caracciola and Wilhelm Sebastian secured victory in the SSKL model in 1931, and Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the race in 1955 – with a fastest time that remains unbeaten to this day.
The cooperation pays homage to racing history – but it goes even further. Planned activities include exhibiting works of art from the Daimler AG collection at the Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia, which is unique throughout Italy and Europe in terms of its location and exhibition concept.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum
- A place of innovation with 160 vehicles and more than 1,500 exhibits in total - Committed to the history of the brand - then and in the future
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is the only museum in the world that seamlessly documents the 125-year history of the automotive industry from day one. Covering an area of 16,500 square metres on nine levels, it features 160 vehicles and a total of more than 1,500 exhibits. The museum regards itself as a place of innovation and shows that history, too, is always looking ahead to the future.
The exhibition not only presents the exhilarating history of the Mercedes-Benz brand; it also offers an insightful glimpse into the future. This is also reflected in the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz Museum created by van Berkel and Bos of the UN Studio in Amsterdam. The building’s interior is modelled on the double-helix DNA spiral containing the human genetic code. This is entirely in keeping with the Mercedes-Benz brand’s concept of originality based on reinventing the automobile, again and again.
The museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through automotive history, which starts when they take the lift up to the top floor of the museum. From here, two tours lead in opposite directions from the dawn of automotive history in 1886 back to the starting point, sweeping in long curves through the extensive collection - and intersecting at various points along the way.
The first tour runs through seven Legend (Mythos) rooms – each one dedicated to a specific era – that document the history of the brand in chronological order. The second tour features the entire range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles set out in five themed Collection rooms, presenting the brand portfolio and the collection in all their diversity through the decades. Visitors can switch between the two tours at any time. Both tours finish at the ‘Silver Arrows – Races and Records’ banked corner. The exhibition also includes the ‘Fascination of Technology’ section, which offers visitors an insight into everyday life at Mercedes-Benz and also takes a look at the future of the motor car.
Mercedes-Benz Classic
- Making the Mercedes-Benz legend accessible to everyone - Museum, Classic Center, Archive and Club Management - Activities with an international focus
For more than 125 years, the Mercedes star has been shaping the future of the automobile with unique innovations and timeless elegance. Mercedes-Benz Classic gives everyone access to the Mercedes-Benz legend and its traditions – through the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and in a number of other areas and locations.
Mercedes-Benz Classic Centers
The Mercedes-Benz Classic Centers in Fellbach and Irvine (USA) are the first port of call for service and expertise in relation to classic cars bearing the three-pointed star. Classic Center experts restore, check and service classic cars based on the experience and knowledge gained from 125 years of automotive engineering. They have access to 50,000 original parts and custom products can also be manufactured on request.
For prospective buyers of classic cars, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center has something very special: the showroom presents a selection of exclusive Mercedes-Benz vehicles, each of which has been thoroughly checked over in the workshop before being offered for sale. These include vehicles such as the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘gullwing’ and rare compressor vehicles from the pre-war era.
Mercedes-Benz Clubs
Clubs that are officially recognised by Mercedes-Benz provide an important interface between the classic car scene and the manufacturer. Members of the worldwide community of official Mercedes-Benz clubs enjoy a host of benefits including support at events, rallies and trade fairs, as well as exclusive offers from Daimler AG.
The activities of the official Mercedes-Benz clubs are regarded as ‘highly valuable’ by Mercedes-Benz Classic. They aim to ensure that vehicles are perfectly maintained and our traditions are upheld.
Archive and Collection
Often referred to as the company’s memory, the Archive and Collection department preserves documents and vehicles from the history of the company and its products dating back more than 125 years. Providing a level of expertise on all car-related matters that is unique within the automotive industry, it is particularly useful for establishing the authenticity of vehicles. Above all, the archives are used by Daimler AG itself, which draws upon this wealth of information to uphold the traditions of the brand. Selected archives are also made available to the public – primarily to journalists, scientists, historians and writers.
A place where fascinating automotive history is still very much alive
If you look at the notable achievements of the last few centuries, there’s one key invention that stands out as having significantly changed the world: the motor car. This is a story which has captured our imagination for more than 125 years. The Stuttgart region has a number of attractions associated with the history of the motor car – the house where Gottlieb Daimler was born, Gottlieb Daimler’s memorial site, Carl Benz House, the Dr. Carl Benz Car Museum, the Maybach Museum and the Unimog Museum are all well worth a visit.
The Museo Mille Miglia
- Dedicated to the legendary road race through Italy - Divided into nine time periods - An atmosphere that brings motorsport history to life
The Museo Mille Miglia vividly documents the history of the Mille Miglia, Brescia’s legendary motor race. It opened its doors on 10 November 2004. The idea of the museum was conceived and implemented by the Associazione Museo della Mille Miglia Città di Brescia (Museo Mille Miglia Association of the city of Brescia), formed expressly for this purpose by a few Mille Miglia enthusiasts together with the Automobile Club of Brescia.
The museum dedicated to the legendary race for historic cars is situated inside the Monastery of Sant’Eufemia della Fonte, a magnificent building complex just outside Brescia on Lake Garda. Its wonderful location and historical significance add to the prestige of the Museo Mille Miglia.
The Museo Mille Miglia gives visitors a greater appreciation of this extraordinary sporting event, while illustrating a slice of Italian history, culture and social customs between 1927 and 1957 in the regions along the race route.
The museum is divided into nine time periods: seven sections are devoted to the Mille Miglia races between 1927 and 1957; one to the Mille Miglia races between 1958 and 1961; and one to the contemporary Mille Miglia. The exhibition also includes vintage cars associated with the legendary race. The tour is marked throughout by a red line running along the walkway and through all sections of the exhibition.
At the end, the route continues into an area reserved exclusively for institutions and companies, where particular settings or situations that have contributed to the adventure of the historical or current Mille Miglia can be recreated.
Finally, before leaving the museum, visitors can explore some of the rarest and most important collections dedicated to the historic Mille Miglia race, housed in the monastery’s former stables.
Museo di Santa Giulia
- A modern exhibition space covering 14,000 square metres - History, art and spiritual life of Brescia from prehistory through to the present day - A close relationship between building and exhibits
The Santa Giulia city museum in Brescia is housed in the historical complex of a former monastery dating back to the days of the Lombard rule and it is unique throughout Italy and Europe in terms of its design and location. With its modern exhibition space covering approximately 14,000 square metres, it takes visitors on a journey through the history, art and spiritual life of Brescia from prehistory through to the present day.
The Benedictine convent San Salvatore-Santa Giulia was founded in 753 under the last Lombard king Desiderius and his wife Ansa, and it played a very important role in the spiritual, political and economic life, even after the Lombards had been conquered by Charlemagne. According to tradition and as described in Alessandro Manzoni’s great tragedy Adelchi, Santa Giulia provided the setting for the dramatic story of Ermengarda, daughter of Desiderius and rejected bride of the Frankish emperor.
The monastery complex documents a period spanning several centuries with exhibits that include many extraordinary finds from various historical epochs that have shaped the city. In Roman times, the site on which the monastery was later built was a sprawling district with impressive residences known as Domus. The city museum also includes the Lombard Basilica of San Salvatore with its crypt, the Romanesque chapel of Santa Maria del Solario, the nuns’ choir, the sixteenth-century Renaissance church of Santa Giulia and the monastery cloisters.
The most distinctive feature of this museum is the close relationship between its monumental architectural elements and the objects and works of art on display. It has a total of around 11,000 exhibits, including Celtic finds such as helmets and decorative discs, Roman portraits and bronze figures, relics from the Lombard period, burial artefacts, frescos, art collections and handmade objects dating from the Middle Ages through to the 18th century. One of the main highlights is the large bronze statue of a winged Victory, the city’s symbol, which was found in the Capitolium.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has recently issued an official press statement on the reveal of the new single-seater which the team competes with in the 2012 Formula 1 season. The MP4-27 will be revealed during a launch event taking place at a special location to be announced after we enter the new year. The Britons will test their new F1 car during the first pre-season winter testing session at Jerez (7th to 10th February 2012).