SPY: The 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W 205) gets tracked down once again

Just two days after the first scoops, a set of new captures of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W 205) test mule emerged on the interwebs. Given their dimensions, it's fairly easier to make a preliminary opinion based on the exterior styling of the medium-sized limousine. Although the prototype carries some elements of the outgoing generation, it appears the front fascia, hidden under the heavy black cladding, is pretty much the new one, as well as the tailgate area at the rear. The headlights display a teardrop shape and look similar to those seen of the F 800 concept; in addition, the radiator grille might adopt a more upright, solid design, to comply with the new EU safety regulations. The back end details are less visible to the naked eye, but some '4-door coupe' influence from the F 800 can somehow be depicted. We guess the final car could be quite close to this rendition created by Christian Schulte.

Check out more spy photos after the jump!

Image Credits: Motor Authority

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

The 2012 F1 Regulation Changes explained by MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS experts

The Formula One Sporting and Technical Regulations are constantly developing to respond to changes in the sport, improve the show and reduce costs. The 2012 season will be no exception to the rule and thus MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 Team experts express their view on the changes coming up this year. In this episode, they clarify regulations regarding driving etiquette, race suspension, crash tests and safety car.


Driving Etiquette

The regulations say: “Drivers may no longer leave the track without a justifiable reason, i.e. cutting a chicane on reconnaissance laps or in-laps to save time and fuel, and drivers may no longer move back onto the racing line having moved off it to defend a position.”

The expert view - Ron Meadows, Sporting Director: “This is really a formal clarification of how the FIA expect the drivers to behave. There are actually two points… the first is that cutting chicanes or taking short-cuts can be a performance advantage due to running lower fuel levels in qualifying or getting back to the pits faster allowing you to leave your qualifying run later. The second point is aimed at drivers moving twice when racing another car. The FIA are happy for a second movement to defend your position as long as it is not done in the braking zone, and you leave at enough space for the challenging car to go to the outside without running out of track.”

Race Suspension

The regulations say: “There will now be a maximum race time of four hours to ensure that a lengthy suspension of a race does not result in a race that could run up to eight hours if left unregulated. Cars which were in the pit lane when the race was suspended will now be allowed to re-join the cars on the grid in the position they were in at the time of the race suspension.”

The expert view - Ron Meadows, Sporting Director: “The time limit has been brought in so that spectators and TV viewers will know the cut-off point for a race start.

This is a very fair rule as it allows cars that were in the pit lane during a race suspension not to be penalised through no fault of their own. Without this change of regulation, cars in the pit lane would have to join the back of the pack once they had restarted.”

Crash test

The regulation says: “There will be tougher side impact testing and new cars must now pass all required FIA crash tests prior to any on-track testing.”

The expert view - Kevin Taylor, Head of Composites Design: “Clearly the objective of this rule was to guarantee nobody was running an unsafe car in testing. The crash structures are significant aerodynamic parts so the Composite Department had to work extremely closely with the Aerodynamics Department so as to allow maximum development time in the wind tunnel whilst completing the crash test program on time .”

Safety car

The regulation says: “During a safety-car period, all lapped cars will be allowed to unlap themselves and then join the back of the pack, ensuring a clean re-start without slower cars impeding those racing for the leading positions.”

The expert view - Andrew Shovlin, Senior Race Engineer: “During 2010 and 2011 lapped cars were not allowed to overtake prior to a safety car restart. On occasions, particularly near the end of the race, this would result in the leaders getting tangled up with the back markers for the final laps of the race, who themselves were often racing whilst getting a string of blue flags. Good examples were at Interlagos in 2010 and Suzuka in 2011.

This often deprived the spectators of an exciting finish as it allowed some cars to build clear air whilst their competitors were bogged down in traffic. It was also confusing for those watching as the order of cars on track was not the actual race order. For 2012, once the cars have completed two laps under the safety car speed limit, any which are not on the lead lap are allowed to pass the leaders and drive around to the back of the grid.

This will have two important effects, firstly the cars directly behind the safety will line up in actual race order so when the race restarts they are in a position to overtake each other. Secondly, the majority of the field will be on the same racing lap, bunched together and with some of the cars on new tyres. Together with the DRS, this should create exciting racing in the midfield where cars on older tyres will be ahead of cars that have stopped for fresh rubber who are trying to battle their way up the order for points.”

* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS *

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

Naeem Khan Receives "Mercedes-Benz Presents" Title

Naeem Khan, the designer known for adorning starlets in his luxurious collection of impeccably cut dresses, sophisticated gowns and chic separates, receives the distinguished title of "Mercedes-Benz Presents" designer for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 Collections.


"The admiration we have for Naeem Khan's designs and his exceptional reputation throughout the fashion industry make him the ideal 'Mercedes-Benz Presents' designer," said Lisa Holladay, manager of brand experience marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA. "His highly-crafted embroidered pieces and breathtaking gowns that grace the runways of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week are expressions of his precision and expertise, and we are thrilled to support his show this season."

Naeem Khan dresses many of the world's most stylish women including clients such as Beyonce, Penelope Cruz, Katherine Heigl, Emily Blunt, Taylor Swift, Lea Michele and First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2008 Khan was inducted as a member of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America. Naeem Khan continues to evolve as one of the hottest names in the fashion industry today.

"As a lifetime Mercedes-Benz owner, the honor of being chosen as the 'Mercedes-Benz Presents' designer has a very special meaning to me," says Naeem Khan. "I am thrilled to receive this accolade from a brand that shares the same passion for innovative design and quality craftsmanship that I do."

In its ninth year, the "Mercedes-Benz Presents" program continues to create unique experiences that tie fashion and automobile design together while supporting the growing needs of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week designers. Each season, a designer is chosen that demonstrates an unparalleled talent and a dedication to the use of quality materials, unique style and innovative design, all characteristics that define the three-pointed star. Khan joins a prestigious list of past "Mercedes-Benz Presents" designers including Carolina Herrera, Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, Narciso Rodriguez, and CHADO Ralph Rucci.

As part of the Presents program, Mercedes-Benz is featuring a display in the lobby of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week showcasing two examples of superb craftsmanship and design: pieces from the Naeem Khan collection and the 2012 ML63 AMG SUV. Just as a fashion designer creates haute couture works of art, Mercedes-Benz creates one-of-a-kind bespoke vehicles out of the highest-quality paints, leathers and trims. The ML63 AMG on display is the ideal example showcasing the perfect combination of pure performance and chic design roaring with 518 horsepower hand-built engine and an ultra luxe leather interior, featuring hand sewn cross-stitching as well as an optional carbon fiber engine cover and red brake calipers, making this vehicle a fascinating fashion statement.

The display will also be the backdrop for an exclusive invite-only Fashion's Night In event on Thursday, February 9th, to kick off Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Invited guests will take part in a Mercedes-Benz DIY Style Studio to make their own bespoke fashion accessories out of luxe vehicle materials. Naeem Khan will make a special appearance along with event hosts, Nicola Ehrenberg-Uhlig, Head of Conceptual Design Team Color & Trim for Mercedes-Benz, Erica Domesek of P.S. I made this... and accessories designer Paige Novick.

The Naeem Khan runway show is being held on Tuesday, February 14th at 2pm in the Theatre.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is taking place in New York City at Lincoln Center from February 9-16, 2012 with more than 80 designers presenting their Fall 2012 collections including Naeem Khan, Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Rebecca Taylor, Reem Acra, Narciso Rodriguez, Nicole Miller, Charlotte Ronson and Betsey Johnson.

For more information about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, and for a schedule of shows and events, visit: http://newyork.mbfashionweek.com.

ABOUT Naeem Khan
The Naeem Khan collection consists of impeccably cut dresses, sophisticated gowns and chic separates – all embroidered by hand. Khan was born in India and cultivated his vast knowledge of textiles under the watchful eyes of his grandfather and father, both well known in India for designing intricate clothing worn by the royal families. Khan moved to the United States as a teenager and apprenticed for Halston, where he absorbed the ethos of modern restraint, and the secrets of draping and cutting fabric to create a clean, elegant, timeless silhouette. The Naeem Khan line was launched in 2003 in New York and began selling at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Since then the collection has grown to be sold at more than 100 specialty stores across the world.

Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA

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

SPY: Another look inside the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 222)

We've seen the dashboard of the W 222 a couple of times last year, but the latest spy shot is the best one so far, quality-wise. Now, a better visual contact with the upgrades of the interior can be made: a revised door panel featuring the controls for the seat functions, a high-tech steering wheel with two spokes and easy-access buttons, a completely digitalised instrument cluster and a bigger display for the new @yourCOMAND infotainment system (both of which are still in a preliminary phase of development) and a classy, fully wood-trimmed center console gathering all the necessary quick-use controls. The four central air vents of the climate control unit and the analog clock sitting between them are other particular features adding to the sophistication level of the new S-Class.

Check out further spy photos captured in Northern Scandinavia after the break!

Image Credits: Autowereld

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

SPY: First-ever shots of the future 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W 205)

These images come as a nice and unexpected surprise: Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Department have already started work on the future generation of the C-Class (W 205).


The vehicle you see in the spy pics is in fact a test mule for the new medium class model - even though the exterior body comprises parts of the current W 204 C-Class and some design cues of the next generation carefully hidden under camouflage, the underpinnings together with all the secret innovations installed underneath the bodyshell are certainly fully belonging to the W 205. As it's still early for the 2014 C-Class, details are scarce: we do know the new generation will mark a design revolution, heavily influenced by the F 800 Style showcar. General dimensions will go up a bit, to improve passenger comfort, versatility, luggage space and make room in the portfolio for the announced sub-C-Class models. Furthermore, technical novelties could include a new series of powerful and frugal engines, as well as a new rear-wheel-drive platform with better dynamic capabilities and more high-end communication and safety technologies, that are to be partly borrowed from the upcoming S-Class (W 222), expected for late 2012. We are guessing the whole development phase for the W 205 C-Class will take more than two years, so the new generation might be ready for launch in mid 2014.




Image Credits: Autowereld

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

SPY: First scoop of the dashboard of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class (C 117)

Starting summer 2012, Mercedes-Benz will introduce a one-of-a-kind alternative in the compact class: the CLC-Class, industry's first-ever compact 4-door coupe. Inspired by the CLS, the new addition to the lineup of the German carmaker boasts the essential elements that proved successful in the case of its bigger brother: a mind-blowing design consisting of flowing surfaces, intricate styling details and a rakish roof line which contribute to the overall visual coupe effect. Whereas the exterior looks highly individualised, in order to align the new CLC to the range it belongs and reduce costs, Mercedes-Benz designers have somehow sacrificed the style and the uniqueness of the CLC's interior. While we are sure build quality and customization posibilities through the 'designo' programme will score top marks, we can't be very satisfied with the almost total resemblance to the dashboard of the B-Class, as we would have expected a more extravagant approach, due to the fact the CLC is intended to be a niche vehicle. Anyway, last but not least, if UK residents were wondering about if they'd get the new Merc in RHD configuration, the picture above speaks for itself.

Check out more spy shots after the jump!






Image Credits: Autoevolution

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

SPY: 'QR-code' camouflaged 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class spotted in Germany

Following the official confirmation of the A-Class QR Trophy, photographers have ran across a test prototype displaying dozens of QR codes all over the camouflage in Germany. Scanning them offers the great posibility of participating at the special launch event of the new A-Class hatchback this March. Meanwhile, development of the compact car goes on undetered with the winter testing phase happening in Northern Scandinavia.

Check out more photos after the jump!








Image Credits: Autozeitung,Autowereld

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