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Mercedes-Benz Celebrates 125 years with sculpture, battery patent

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Electric

Aesthetics 125 and 1886 Benz Patent-MotorWagen

Daimler celebrates 125 years since Carl Benz’s Patent-MotorWagen – Click above for high-res image gallery

Back on January 29th of 1886, Karl Benz filed the patent for his “vehicle with gas-engine drive.” It’s an important date in the history of the automobile, and Daimler is looking back at that special day that occurred 125 years ago and also using the anniversary of that day to look towards the future.

Daimler is embarking on a world tour to show off its Mercedes-Benz vehicles powered by fuel-cells. Over the course of 125 days, B-Class vehicles fitted with fuel cells will be touted all over the globe. As a nod to the past, the automaker received a new patent 125 years to the day that the original one was created. The bi-polar flat-cell frame is a brand-new technological development that will aid in the creation of lithium-ion batteries.

Mercedes-Benz took advantage of the 125th-anniversary celebrations to use art as a means of highlighting its own future. Thanks to rapid-prototyping technology, engineers were quickly able to produce a sculpture that started life as data in a computer. Called Aesthetics 125, the piece shows the level of technological sophistication available today while hinting at the design language of tomorrow.

Daimler is excited for the 125th anniversary of Mr. Benz’s wagon, and 2011 is chock full of milestones and further reasons to celebrate. Read all about them in the full press-release posted after the jump.

Gallery: Daimler celebrates the 125th anniversary of Carl Benz’s Patent-MotorWagen

Aesthetics 125 and the Benz Patent-MotorWagen

[Source: Daimler]

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Mercedes-Benz Celebrates 125 years with sculpture, battery patent originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 leaks out

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

The facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG wasn’t supposed to see the light of day until the Geneva Motor Show this March, but a sizable batch of photos have leaked out giving us a clear look at what to expect in Switzerland.

On the outside, the C63 gets a set of SL-inspired headlamps with ornate light-piping and LED DRLs mounted in the revised fascia. LEDs make their way to the tail lamps, while redesigned 18-inch wheels fill the wheel wells and frame upgraded brakes.

AMG opted to retain the 6.2-liter V8 instead of fitting its new 5.5-liter biturbo mill, so output remains at 451 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The Development Package will reportedly stick around for 2012, raising output to 481 hp and nixing the 155 mph limiter to allow the C63 to top out at 174 mph. The sports package also includes a few interior tweaks, a carbon fiber trunk spoiler and red calipers that clamp onto 14.2-inch front discs.

However, the biggest change comes in the form of a new transmission. The C63 now sends power to a seven-speed Speedshift MCT auto ‘box which swaps out the conventional torque converter for a high-performance clutch pack said to deliver smoother, more immediate shifts.

After the C63’s big day in Geneva, the revised C-Class will go on sale this fall, with the AMG-fettled version getting a very slight bump in price.

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

[Source: Carscoop, Car and Driver]

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 leaks out originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class styling buck caught in the buff

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class spy shot

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class spy shot – Click above for high-res image gallery

As the smallest member of the Mercedes-Benz line, the A-Class has had a tough time earning much credibility or respect. That could change, though, if the German automaker were able to inject a dose of stylishness and sportiness into the next design, and it appears it may be doing exactly that.

Spy photographers managed to snap off a set of images that appear to show a quarter-scale styling buck of the next-gen A-Class (codename W176), and it’s much lower and more agressive than ever before, complete with some 2012 CLS in the flanks and fascia. As you can see from the green car in the background, Mercedes-Benz appears to be using its BlueZero F-Cell Concept as a basis for the small hatchback’s overall proportions.

Rumor has it that Mercedes-Benz will incorporate thee- and five-door models into the A-Class pipeline, along with a possible crossover to take on the likes of the BMW X1. There could even be an AMG version of the little front-wheel drive machine, with as much as 270 horsepower. Reports indicate that the next B-Class will be based on the same architecture.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz A-Class

[Source: Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class styling buck caught in the buff originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mercedes fast-tracks C-, E- and S-Class hybrids

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Europe, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Along with reports that Mercedes-Benz is stepping up its U.S. diesel presence in a big way comes news that the company is also expanding its hybrid fleet. According to Automotive News, the Silver Arrow is looking to introduce hybridized versions of the company’s C-, E- and S-Class vehicles in just three years. The move is an effort to prepare for ever tightening fuel-economy legislation in both the U.S. and Europe. The report says that European buyers can expect to see the battery-operated C- and E-Class vehicles show up in Europe in 2013 and that a plug-in S-Class hybrid will debut shortly thereafter.

American buyers, meanwhile, will likely see the tech arrive in showrooms six months after their European cousins. According to Herbert Kohler, the company’s head of E-Drive and future mobility, Mercedes-Benz is currently spending half of its $5.6 billion research and development budget on investigating alternative powertrains.

Combined with a heavier diesel mix, the hybrids will go a long way toward upping the Mercedes-Benz corporate average fuel economy.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

[Source: Automotive News]

Report: Mercedes fast-tracks C-, E- and S-Class hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mercedes wants you to think Twitter is fuel

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz engineers test out their “tweet fuel” – Click above to watch video after the jump

Automakers have taken to social media with varying degress of success. On one side, we’ve got the Ford Fiesta Movement and on the other we’ve got… nearly every other automaker’s social outreach. And now, we have Mercedes-Benz.

Four teams of two have been picked to race Dallas at Cowboys Stadium, with one team each leaving from New York, Tampa, Chicago and Los Angeles. Each team is captained by a “celebrity” well-versed in the Twitter universe – an odd combination of “coaches,” but they’ve got what Mercedes wants: 7,087,730 followers, combined.

So how does Twitter factor into the race? Each team needs to collect something Mercedes is calling “tweet fuel” and it’s based on the rather vague description of “twitter activity.”

Said “fuel” will help push the team further in their respective vehicles, with NY behind the wheel of a 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4Matic, Tampa driving a 2011 E550 Cabriolet, Chicago getting the keys to a 2011 GL350 BlueTec and LA will use a 2011 S400 Hybrid. If they “win,” each member will receive a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.

One more note, Mercedes has put out a teaser of a faux Tweet-guided CL, proving once again that automakers are better at contrived stunts than viral videos. Check it out for yourself after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Video: Mercedes wants you to think Twitter is fuel originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

The era of the green(-ish) sports car is fast approaching. Porsche unveiled its 918RSR at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show while Audi enjoys showing off one of its many e-Tron concepts at nearly every expo. Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to pairing up powerful vehicles with electric propulsion, trotting out the SLS AMG E-Cell at the NAIAS and searing our retinas in the process. Now there’s word that AMG is ready to cut fuel consumption across its lineup by partnering its torquey gasoline engines with some kind of hybrid electric powertrains.

According to Daimler’s head of future mobility and advanced engineering Herbert Kohler, it’s a “given” that AMG vehicles in the coming years will be available as hybrids. The AMG family will still be about performance, but – like every other automaker under the sun – fuel consumption is a constant part of engineering discussions going forward.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG: First Drive

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Photos copyright (C)2011 Michael Harley / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is an absolutely stunning piece of machinery. We recently had a chance to steer a C63 fitted with the P31 Development Package around the greater Detroit area, and it now looks like our friends to the north are getting a special edition of Merc’s AMG atom bomb all for themselves.

Dubbed the Affalterbach Edition (it’s named after the German town in which AMG’s skunkworks reside), this C63 wears a unique Magno Allanite Grey paint that is accented with red brake calipers, 19-inch black alloy wheels, carbon fiber mirror shells and a subtle lip spoiler. No tweaks have been made to the C63’s powertrain, but the Affalterbach edition comes standard with the normally optional AMG Performance Package, meaning there’s 481 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque on tap. Sprints to 62 miles per hour will be accomplished in a tidy 4.4 seconds.

Inside, the Affalterbach treatment includes things like AMG sport seats wrapped in Nappa leather, red contrast stitching, carbon fiber trim, and special edition logos placed throughout the cabin. Only 30 units will be sold in the Great White North, starting from $81,500 Canadian when it goes on sale in the spring. Follow the jump for Mercedes-Benz’s official release.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mercedes looking at naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 for AMG

Filed under: Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill

2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

The all-new twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 may be Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division’s much-heralded pride-and-joy engine, but it certainly won’t find a home under the hood of every single AMG product. To that point, AutoWeek reports that Mercedes-Benz is working on a naturally aspirated version of the 5.5-liter V8, slated for use not only in the refreshed SLK55, but in the AMG-fettled version of the C-Class coupe, the C55.

This new mill is claimed to produce around 422 horsepower – 62 more than what’s currently available in the SLK55. New technologies like a cylinder cut-off mechanism will help improve fuel consumption while still sending a larger helping of power to the car’s rear wheels.

AutoWeek also reports that while the upcoming C55 AMG coupe (and its hardcore Black Series version, which is rumored to be in the cards) will use this new 5.5-liter mill, the four-door C63 AMG sedan will retain the 6.2-liter free-breathing V8 that we currently enjoy, and that’s just fine by us.

[Source: AutoWeek | Image: Drew Phillips/Autoblog/AOL]

Report: Mercedes looking at naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 for AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi, Mercedes to double-down on diesels

Filed under: Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Diesel

Audi A3 TDI engine

Diesels have a tough stigma to overcome. Conventional wisdom – or just preconceived notions – characterize diesel engines as loud, slow and dirty. But even without the subsidies the fuel enjoys in Europe, diesels are starting to make an impact in the U.S. market.

Mercedes-Benz recently rolled the fifth of eight diesel models total planned over the next few years. Meanwhile Audi – based on the success of the A3 TDI (accounting for 53% of A3s sold in the U.S.) and the Q7 TDI (43%) – is planning to launch oil-burning versions of the A6 and A8 in the United States as well.

The difference comes down to improving technology (in the form of more advanced particulate filters that keep the exhaust cleaner) and increased availability of the fuel at the pump: studies found that, in 2007, 52% of gas stations in the United States were offering diesel, compared to 35% a decade earlier. Although Mercedes says it does not see the need to subsidize the purchase of diesel models, BMW – a relative newcomer to the diesel game on these shores – offers big incentives to offset the higher purchase costs of diesel models.

Rapidly advancing sales of diesel cars in the United States could, according to Bloomberg, stand to overshadow those of hybrids, whose sales have been slightly dwindling of late.

Report: Audi, Mercedes to double-down on diesels originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2011: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec is one torque-tastic S-Class

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Diesel

2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec

2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec – Click above for high-res image gallery

During the festivities here at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz quietly rolled out the 2012 S350 Bluetec, a diesel-powered S-Class that’s destined for consumption here in the United States. The big news is that M-B will now offer the only diesel-powered flagship luxury sedan here in the States – Audi, BMW and Jaguar don’t offer an oil-burning version of their high-rollers here in the U.S.

Mercedes-Benz neglected to release any technical specifications about the new S350 Bluetec, but as its nomenclature would suggest, it’s powered by the same 3.5-liter Bluetec V6 found in the E-, ML- and GL-Class vehicles. Mercedes has clearly proven that the business case for Bluetec here in the United States is indeed valid, and we’d much rather opt for a diesel S-Class as opposed to the S400 Hybrid.

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec: Detroit 2011

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec

2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec is one torque-tastic S-Class

Detroit 2011: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec is one torque-tastic S-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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