REPORT: New York Motor Show 2012 hosts the premiere of the new GL-Class (X 166)

During the same interview in which the 2013 demise of the R-Class for the States was announced, MBUSA spokesman Christian Bokich has also confirmed the new generation GL-Class is programmed for world debut at NYIAS 2012. The executive SUV follows a simple, yet effective recipe: more spacious, more powerful, more efficient and more elegant. The exterior was styled in terms with the current design philosophy, whereas the interior holds a deep resemblance with the M-Class (W 166). For the GL 'X 166' series, Mercedes-Benz has prepared a load of helpful safety and dynamics systems, as well as a comprehensive lineup of frugal engines. The top diesel choice is the GL 350 CDI with 265 hp, whereas the high-end GL 500 will be powered by the 4.7-litre biturbo V8 petrol unit probably rated at 408 hp, not 435 hp (just like the ML 550 for the U.S. market only). The GL 63 AMG pinnacle variant will be introduced by summer 2012 and will boast no less than 525 hp of peak output.

Image Credits: Motor Authority


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

REPORT: New generation SL 65 AMG set to storm New York Motor Show 2012

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.

Note: SL 63 AMG pictured.


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World premiere in Geneva - smart BRABUS electric drive: Electric drive reloaded

The smart BRABUS electric drive that will celebrate its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show (8 – 18 March 2012) shows what the sporty version of the smart fortwo electric drive will look like. It will be available from smart centers in 12 countries from the end of this year. In addition to modifications to the exterior and interior styling, its drive has been designed for particularly dynamic and powerful acceleration. Aerodynamic body styling parts, BRABUS sports suspension and BRABUS Monoblock 16/17 inch alloy wheels add to the sporty appeal.


Zero local emissions yet maximum driving fun: the smart BRABUS electric drive proves that cutting edge urban mobility can be combined with lively agility and a sporty look. The electric motor is based on the state-of-the-art drive technology of the new smart fortwo electric drive with output of 60 instead of 55 kW. The smart BRABUS electric drive delivers maximum torque of 135 instead of 130 Nm, which means that it is almost always the fastest to pull away at traffic lights. The new BRABUS sports suspension makes a decisive contribution to driving fun by bringing the vehicle approximately ten millimetres closer to the asphalt. The sporty character is accompanied by special BRABUS sound to match, generated by a sound module.

The smart BRABUS electric drive comes with a BRABUS sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift as a standard feature. The recuperation can be regulated with the help of the shift paddles. And to ensure minimum interruptions to the fun behind the wheel a quick charging function is available as an option. The 22 kW charger enables a completely empty battery to be fully charged in less than an hour.

The smart BRABUS electric drive has a dynamic look that also signals environmental friendliness: the tridion safety cell and door mirror caps are painted in electric green whilst black dominates on all other body parts – even the front grille. Dark BRABUS headlamps, BRABUS "Monoblock VII" alloy wheels measuring 16" at the front and 17" at the rear, and BRABUS Xclusive aerodynamic body styling parts (a front spoiler and a special rear apron insert with double reflectors) round off the sporty look.

In the interior accent trim parts and contrast components also come in electric green. Numerous BRABUS Xclusive components, including the instrument panel and interior door trim in leather look, leather seats, stainless steel sports pedals with rubber nubs, BRABUS hand-brake handle and BRABUS dashboard instruments (cockpit clock and rev counter) convey a subtly dynamic look.

Sporty smarts are called BRABUS – and have been for ten years already. In 2002 smart and the tuning specialist BRABUS from Bottrop founded a joint company. As early as 2003 the first premium models developed by the joint venture smart-BRABUS GmbH were introduced on the market. The smart BRABUS tailor made individualisation programme has also been received very well by smart fans. With paint finishes in thousands of different colours, leather in 30 basic colours and exclusive design variants, six cabrio soft top colours and the extensive smart-BRABUS accessories
portfolio it enables creative customers to configure a smart in line with their own personal wishes.

* Official photos and details courtesy of BRABUS GmbH *

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

Even more zero-emission fun on two wheels - World premiere in Geneva: smart BRABUS ebike

The two-wheel success story from smart is picking up speed. Just a few weeks before orders for the smart ebike start at the end of April, the company will present its vision for a particularly sporty variant at the International Motor Show in Geneva (8 - 18 March 2012). The near-series smart BRABUS ebike study can reach a speed of up to 45 km/h and offers a further enjoyable way of getting around the city and countryside without producing any emissions.


With more style, more power and more exclusiveness this two-wheeler boasts virtues typical of BRABUS. It has a dynamic look with the frame and fork in matt black and components such as quick release skewers, pedals and brake callipers in anodised green providing a striking contrast. The saddle and grips come in green leather. A four-piston brake system is fitted on the front wheel. The matt black four-spoke wheels are made of carbon. Further components that distinguish the smart BRABUS ebike from the smart ebike are Sport Contact tyres, weight-optimised cranks and pedals and the carbon seatpost.

With 500 watts the electric motor is twice as powerful as the motor on the smart ebike. At the same time it was possible to reduce the weight of the ebike by more than ten percent. This makes for agile performance: the two-wheeler that is liable to registration has a top speed of 45 km/h. The rider decides how much assistance to their muscle power they would like from the electric motor with the throttle grip. There is a choice of four power levels with the fourth and highest level providing maximum pushing power. The production version of the smart BRABUS ebike is expected to be available from dealers from the end of 2012.

Sporty smarts are called BRABUS – and have been for ten years already. In 2002 smart and the tuning specialist BRABUS from Bottrop founded a joint company. As early as 2003 the first premium models developed by the joint venture smart-BRABUS GmbH were introduced on the market.

The smart BRABUS tailor made individualisation programme has also been very well received by smart fans. With paint finishes in thousands of different colours, leather in 30 basic colours and exclusive design variants, six cabrio soft top colours and the extensive smart-BRABUS accessories portfolio it enables creative customers to configure a smart in line with their own personal wishes.

* Official photos and details courtesy of BRABUS GmbH *

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

World premiere in Geneva: smart BRABUS electric drive and smart BRABUS ebike - Electric upgrade

For 10 years already smart BRABUS has stood for dynamism and sportiness. Since 2002 the company founded by smart and the tuning specialist BRABUS from Bottrop have brought top versions of the popular car brand to the market. At the Geneva Motor Show the BRABUS versions of the smart fortwo electric drive and the smart ebike will show what these look like in the era of electric mobility. The dynamic character of both models is not only expressed in their appearance, but also in enhanced performance.


"The smart BRABUS electric drive is our sports car with a green heart", says smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler. "Electric driving in the city is more fun than ever with this 2.69 metre short bundle of power.

"The smart BRABUS electric drive will be available from smart centers in 12 countries from the end of this year. In addition to modifications to the exterior and interior styling, its drive has been designed for particularly dynamic and powerful acceleration. Aerodynamic body styling parts, BRABUS sports suspension and BRABUS Monoblock 16/17 inch alloy wheels add to the sporty appeal.

At the same time the near-series study of the smart BRABUS ebike is celebrating its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. The two-wheeler can reach a speed of up to 45 km/h and offers a further enjoyable way of getting around the city and countryside. The production version of the smart BRABUS ebike is expected to be available from dealers from the end of 2012.

"Like all smart BRABUS vehicles these two new models follow our philosophy of more style, more power and more exclusiveness", says Bodo Buschmann, CEO of the Bottrop customiser BRABUS. "In addition to classic BRABUS customers they also appeal to smart electric drive customers who attach importance to environmental friendliness and also want even more sportiness and exclusiveness. Or to put it another way: we give the sporty soul a green heart."

Dynamic and powerful acceleration: the smart BRABUS electric drive

Zero local emissions but maximum driving fun: the smart BRABUS electric drive proves that cutting-edge urban mobility can be combined with lively agility and a sporty look. The electric motor is based on the state-of-the-art drive technology of the new smart fortwo electric drive and has an output of 60 kW. The smart BRABUS electric drive delivers maximum torque of 135 Nm, which means that it almost always wins when pulling away at the traffic lights. The new BRABUS sports suspension makes a decisive contribution to driving fun by bringing the vehicle approximately ten millimetres closer to the asphalt. The sporty character is accompanied by a special BRABUS sound to match, generated by a sound module. The smart BRABUS electric drive comes with a BRABUS sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift as a standard feature. Recuperation can be regulated with the help of the shift paddles.

The smart BRABUS electric drive has a dynamic look that also signals environmental friendliness: the tridion safety cell and door mirror caps are painted in electric green whilst black dominates on all other body parts – even the front grille. Dark BRABUS headlamps, BRABUS "Monoblock VII" alloy wheels measuring 16" at the front and 17" at the rear, and BRABUS Xclusive aerodynamic body styling parts (a front spoiler and a special rear apron insert with double reflectors) round off the sporty look.

In the interior accent trim parts and contrast components also come in electric green. Numerous BRABUS Xclusive components, including the instrument panel and interior door trim in leather look, leather seats, stainless steel sports pedals with rubber nubs, BRABUS hand-brake handle and BRABUS dashboard instruments (cockpit clock and rev counter) lend the interior a dynamic and exclusive look.

Max. speed up to 45 km/h: the smart BRABUS ebike

The smart BRABUS ebike has the features typical of BRABUS - more style, more power and more exclusiveness. It has a dynamic look with the frame and fork in matt black and components such as quick release skewers, pedals and brake callipers in anodised green providing a striking contrast. The saddle and grips come in green leather. A four-piston brake system is fitted on the front wheel. The matt black four-spoke wheels are made of carbon. Further components that distinguish the smart BRABUS ebike from the smart ebike are Sport Contact tyres, weight-optimised cranks and pedals and the carbon seatpost.

With 500 watts the electric motor is twice as powerful as that on the smart ebike. At the same time it was possible to reduce the weight of the ebike by more than ten percent. This makes for agile performance: the two-wheeler that is liable to registration has a top speed of 45 km/h. The rider decides how much assistance to his muscle power he would like from the electric motor with the throttle grip. There is a choice of four power levels with the fourth and highest level providing maximum pushing power.

Successful joint venture: smart BRABUS GmbH

Sporty smarts are called BRABUS – and have been for ten years already. In 2002 smart and the tuning specialist BRABUS from Bottrop founded a joint company. As early as 2003 the first premium models developed by the joint venture smart BRABUS GmbH - the smart fortwo BRABUS coupé and cabrio - were introduced on the market.
The smart BRABUS tailor made individualisation programme has also been received very well by smart fans. With paint finishes in thousands of different colours, leather in 30 basic colours and exclusive design variants, six cabrio soft top colours and the extensive smart BRABUS accessories portfolio it enables creative customers to configure a smart in line with their own personal ideas.

* Official photos and details courtesy of BRABUS GmbH *

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

VIDEO: MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Staff introduce the new F1 W03

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!

Credits: MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Youtube Channel


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

REPORT: New G-Class 2012 and GLK facelift models arrive this April

Everyone was expecting Mercedes-Benz to launch the new GLK facelift at next month's Geneva Motor Show, but it was lately discovered that the German constructor opted for the New York Auto Salon (NYIAS) instead, probably for the public attention to focus solely on the new A-Class. And even though the restyled G-Class 2012, which you can partially see in the (leaked) detail shot on the left, was also on the verge of the official premiere, the moment is postponed till April for the Beijing Motor Show. We do not know anything certain regarding the reveal of the new generation GL-Class, but New York was intensively rumored lately. So, there are busy SUV times coming at Mercedes-Benz, which is highly pleasant news for us.

Image Credits: Spyspots


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

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS: The new 2012 F1 W03 coming next week at Barcelona

The 2012 MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS car, the F1 W03, will be publicly unveiled in the team's paddock at the Circuit de Catalunya next Tuesday, on the 21st of February. The first to try the new car is Michael Schumacher, who will be driving the F1 W03 throughout the day. The test programme then resumes on Wednesday with Nico Rosberg in charge of the wheel, who will also be driving the single-seater on Friday, the last day at Barcelona. Michael will return into the cockpit for a last run on Thursday.


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

The New Mercedes-Benz SL-Class: LIVE Premiere from Detroit on Facebook

MBUSA is giving any Mercedes-Benz fan the possibility to watch the official unveiling ceremony of the new SL-Class roadster live on Facebook from NAIAS Detroit 2012. The stream starts next Monday and will be available between 09:55 AM and 10:20 AM (EST) at the following address:

Mercedes-Benz USA | SL World Premiere LIVE


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Revealed: MP4-27 launches in February!

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).



Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

smart for-us: World premiere at the Detroit Motor Show 2012 - The Rule-Breaker

smart is turning the automotive world upside down once again and challenging ideas about what an urban pickup should look like. In a tongue-in-cheek manner the for-us signals that this is the right car for the young and young-at-heart with active lives who attach importance to low emissions and taking up minimum road space. The smart for-us translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time.


With its exterior dimensions (length/width/height: 3547/1506/1701mm) it could almost go unnoticed on the loading area of a typical pickup, and it also anything but ordinary under the body. Thanks to the state-of-the-art electric drive with a55 kW magneto-electric motor the zero-emission smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. It will celebrate its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (14 - 22 January 2012).

smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says "We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”

Like car2go, the globally successful car sharing initiative from smart for more flexibility in city traffic, the smart for-us is a mobility concept. It has plenty of room for two people and space for two smart ebikes behind them. Thanks to the docking station on the cargo area of the smart for-us their batteries are always charged, and smart for-us drivers can also reach destinations that are out of bounds for cars – for example traffic-calmed zones in the city or isolated park trails.

The design: sassy and robust with extremely short overhangs

Compared with the series-produced fortwo the smart for-us makes a powerful statement and its appearance plays with the martial image of conventional mega-pickups. Nevertheless, it greets the viewer with a friendly yet assertive face. It features convex and sensuously shaped body surfaces. The large brand emblem is proudly sported on the grille, and the front has a pronounced three-dimensional design with an underride guard finishing off the lower part of the front end.

The longer wheelbase (2480 mm/plus 613 mm) and the track that has been widened by 50 mm on each side also emphasise the robust look of the study. At the same time the extremely short overhangs at the front and rear make it exceedingly compact.
The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. When it opens first of all the cargo floor including tailboard retracts by 280 mm, then the tailgate slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900 mm cargo area is then extremely easy to access.

Sleek, taut surfaces in mother-of-pearl white combined with precisely designed technical functional elements in brushed aluminium – the interior is characterised by contrasts. Like in the smart forvision, the whole cockpit boasts aerodynamic styling for interior ventilation. In place of a conventional rear-view mirror the smart for-us features a smartphone accommodated in a holder on top of the instrument panel support. The driver can see what is happening on the road behind with the help of an integrated video camera.

Stylish, uncomplicated, highly functional and easy to individualise – the two seats in the concept car are typically smart. The seat shells, which are open in the middle, are covered with a soft yellow fabric throw giving them a hammock-like seating feel.

Electric drive – zero-local-emission driving fun

The electric drive of the smart for-us is based on the innovative drive concept of the smart fortwo electric drive, which will be launched in the spring of 2012. Thanks to the 55 kW magneto-electric motor the smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. With 130 Newton metres of torque it boasts powerful, lag-free acceleration and it can overtake other vehicles with the greatest of ease. The maximum speed exceeds 120 km/h. The lithium-ion battery has capacity of 17.6 kWh.





Source: Daimler AG

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