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The S250 CDI is the first 4 cylinder S class in a long time
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] In compliance with the new Euro 5 emissions regulation Mercedes-Benz have announced a total of four new diesel and petrol engines for the Mercedes Benz S class. Out of the four, three are usual type of engines you see in a Mercedes S class -
A forefather of all Mad Mercedes and what Lorinser did to it in the 70s
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] This is piece of tuning history that I feel is quite interesting for classic Mercedes enthusiasts or those who wants to know a bit of Mercedes tuning over the years. Sometime last year Lorinser celebrated the -
[extract] Sometimes, tuners take a cue from an official manufacturer special like Anderson over here. They
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BRABUS aero and performance options for the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Brabus has launched their styling, handling as well as a slight performance upgrade for the gullwinged Mercedes Benz SLS AMG. Launched sometime last year, the SLS AMG is designed to be a modern 1950s 300SL Gullwing revival and basically replaced the flamboyant SLR McLaren. In standard Mercedes-AMG form, it already looks very impressive right up to the rear section where it does seem slightly plain looking. However, Brabus being a performance tuner, a very Mercedes specific tuner, means that have added some extra Oomph to the looks of the car in total. The aero package consists of a front lip spoiler that reduces lift on the front axle, air inlet surrounds on the front bumper, air outlet surrounds for the vents, a rear fixed edge of bootlid spoiler (which works with the active rear wing), a rear bumper/diffuser setup that fits a newly designed Brabus quad-tailpipe exhaust system that adds 10bhp to the 563bhp 6.3liter V8 engine. This exhaust system not only adds some power but also reduces weight as it only weighs 12kgs instead of the 20kg stock exhaust system. It also has a cabin operated pneumatic bypass valve so that the sound levels can be controlled by the driver. The handling package consists of a height adjustable suspension that allows the SLS AMG to be lowered by up to 40mm and also has driver controlled damper settings to adjust the ride of the car. Brabus has equipped the SLS AMG with 20-inch alloys in 275/30 ZR20 tires at the front and 22-inch rims with 295/25 ZR21 tires at the rear. Brabus has also customized the interior utilizing leather and alcantara with contrasting stitching, a restyled speedometer, Brabus -
After the pictures from the official brochure were leaked on the web, Mercedes Benz has released the official pictures of the new CLS for all to see. This new generation of CLS, the vehicle that has been credited to starting the current crop of 4 door coupes like the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide, VW Passat CC and Audi A7, is based on the current Mercedes Benz E-Class. The car is however wider, longer and even lower than the E-Class (how much more we still do not know as Mercedes has not issued any specification details as yet) and it will be the car that showcases the latest direction taken by all Mercedes Benz cars. According to reports the feature that will be prevalent in new Mercedes cars will be the front grill treatment. The new
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[extract] Mercedes Benz are no longer very logical when it comes to numbering their cars nowadays. For instance, the current W204 C-Class starts off with a C200 CGI and then a C250 CGI which then cumulates in the range topping C63. If it were the good ol
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Mercedes Benz AMG C63 by Markuzzi: A C63 on really illegal steroids.
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The W204 Mercedes Benz AMG C63 is my on my wish list for most outrageous small car-big engine combo and if I could afford the actual purchase price, the maintenance, road tax and insurance may kill me afterwards. The reason why I love this car so much is that it has a sense of humour. I mean, the engineer who designed this car must have had such a fun time oversteering everywhere and shredding rubber everytime he stomps on the accelerator, or 'happy' pedal as I would call it. It is also a favourite of a few German tuners too, who somehow think that the stock arches, both front and back which are already a good deal wider than the stock C-Class Mercedes, isn't wide enough. One of them is a tuner called Markuzzi who in the tuning fraternity could be considered as a wide arch expert. Here, Markuzzi have basically added more visible bulk to the 6.3liter V8 C63, especially at the rear wheel arch and some extra inches on the front too. This high fat, high carbohydrate diet has enabled the C63, which was already on a high protein weightlifter's diet to begin with, to become an incredible hulk of a C63. So much so that the car does not look pretty at all. I think its a body kit too much. It looks like a muscle car from the 1970s instead of a Mercedes AMG. Maybe the AMG here stands for -
The new 2011 Mercedes Benz S63 AMG made its online debut a week after the presentation of the facelifted CL63 AMG luxury coupe. The two cars share the same AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo, which replaces the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 unit. In the 2011 S63 AMG, the hand-built 5.5-liter V8 which combines direct petrol injection with bi-turbocharging and a start/stop system, pushes out 544HP at 5,500 rpm and 800Nm of peak torque between 2,000 and 5,500rpm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels by the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed automatic transmission. The high-performance German saloon accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. Despite an increase in output of 19HP and 170Nm over the outgoing naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8, Mercedes says that with a combined fuel consumption of 10.5lt/100km, the new S63 AMG is more economical than the previous model. Likewise, CO2 emissions have been reduced by almost 30 percent at 244g/km. The updated 2011 model year S63 AMG is distinguished on the outside by the "V8 Biturbo" lettering on the mudguards. It also get a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels fitted with 255/40 or 275/40 R19 tires. On the Inside, there's a revamped instrument cluster with an "AMG V8 Biturbo" starting screen, while the leather upholstery has been enhanced with new contrasting color stitching. Lastly, the revised S63 AMG will be offered in both short and long wheelbase versions. The market launch is planned for end of September.
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HAMANN announces first bolt on accessories for the Mercedes SLS
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
I recently posted about Hamann going ballistic on the looks of the F10 BMW 5 series. Basically Hamann had gone through great lengths in trying to make that car look very aggressive. It had also tried its best, and failed, with the 5series Grand Turismo too (although it wasn't at fault as the car itself looks like a illegitimate child of a 7series, a X6 and with the DNA from a Rover SD1). The latest Hamann Motorsport release is not a BMW, but a Mercedes. The SLS to be precise. This time they have only released a few performance/upgrade parts for the already mad and at the same time fabulous SLS. The most noticeable upgrade featured is the HAMANN alloy rims called the 'Design Edition Race -
For some, a W221 Mercedes Benz S-Class is the epitome of luxurious transport and it is used mainly by the captains of the industry as a means to comfortably ferry them from one power meeting to another. Of course at the other end of the same playing field are pop stars, rap artists, premier league footballers, movie stars, the Russian mafia, Yakuzas that can actually afford such a car but think that it looks too sedate for them. For them you bring in people like Japanese tuning firm Wald so that they can make the car have more street cred. This basically means lots more of the motorsport look by adding diffusers and spoilers as well as those big steam roller sized wheels which have rubber band tires with extremely stiff ride wrecking sidewalls to the car coupled with an extremely lowered ride height, either from stiffer springs or an adjustment towards the air suspension (neither of which benefits ride comfort too). But boy does the W211 S-Class look good. A front bumper/spoiler setup that looks like it came from a Brabus CLS with daytime running LEDs and side slits, different front fenders with slits behind the front wheels, fat side skirts and that rear bumper/diffuser with slits at each side complete with...wait...the usual quad tail exhaust set up that seems to be the norm with all of these performance tuners. The only difference is the quad pipes are oval and look like they
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Mercedes Benz UK in conjunction with the launch of its Specialist Products Division located at Mercedes Benz World in Brooklands, Surrey has previewed the very limited edition Mercedes Benz AMG C63 DR520. The 'DR' here stands for something very simple, in that the engine is 'Dyno Rated' to 520bhp. This C63 is an exclusive 20 unit limited edition (in either sedan or estate form) launched in commemoration to the above mentioned launch. The makers of Awesomely Mega and Grunty Mercedes Benzes, AMG, have fitted the already mad C63 with the AMG Performance Pack as standard to the C63 DR520. The Performance Pack includes AMG
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Shall we talk about a Proton Saga or a new BRABUS E-class Cabriolet?
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
We've been showing you guys all those supercars and mental Mercedes but not many sensible cheap cars. So today show to you a photo of the Proton Saga above, which is an affordable car for the masses. Especially during times where the economy is still sluggish, COE prices high and every penny counts. The Saga would offer ample room for 5, a boot to store your shopping from the Carrefour or Giant across the Causeways and good fuel economy. But I think that's it about the Saga. We'll talk about the newest BRABUS instead as it looks a trillion times better looking and we all need to dream a little as reality bites. BRABUS has decided that the new Cabriolet version of the E-class needs to have its 6.1 liter V8 shoe horned into the engine bay. This engine is based on the base Mercedes V8 which BRABUS adds its own internals and fabulously machined cylinder head as well as those horsepower making camshafts. This time the engine is still slightly smaller than Mercedes' AMG 6.2 liter variant used in the AMG variants of Mercedes Benzes. It still makes 462bhp without the help of any forced induction and in a way is like the AMG engine mentioned above. Torque is about 615Nm, of which all of it is available at 3,100rpm. Quite low for a normally aspirated engine. The horses and torques allow the cabriolet to achieve a 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds. Now the fun thing about a cabriolet is that it brings you that freedom of driving with the wind around you. Knowing Mercedes, the cabriolet would be perfectly designed so that the wind does not buffet too much around you or allow those old people (or any people) with wigs, hats or caps to drive without the worry of their 'headpiece' flying into the countryside. So you add this useful fact to the interior that BRABUS has handcrafted for its owners and you can appreciate open top driving in bespoke quilted leather that is plastered throughout the cabin. Yes. Being an E-class Cabriolet, it seats 4 in full comfort. There is no need for the rear occupants to chop of their legs at the knee to fit in the rear like some supposedly 4 seater coupes. It also has a BRABUS designed bodykit with those side fender vents that add an air of aggression to the standard cabriolet. This is obvious, as those who end up BRABUS versions of a Mercedes are usually slightly more flamboyant than the usual Mercedes customer. Now isn't this piece of news better than reading about a Proton Saga? -
A Benz by a company called Binz. Ironic isn't it? Mercedes Benz has collaborated once again with coach builders Binz, the company from Lorch in Germany for their latest mid-sized limousine based on the new W212 E-Class sedan. Some of you may be unaware but Mercedes Benz always produced these 4 and 6 door mid-sized limousines since the W110 "fintail" series of the late 1960s, mostly with Binz. These long wheelbase E-Classes were produced mainly with 6 doors and 3 rows of seats, mainly for chauffeur driven services like those offered by limousine service companies, hotels, large companies for staff pick-up and also for funeral homes (dead people have relatives that need chauffeuring too). So the latest offering based on the W212 is actually eagerly awaited. Not by you and I, but by the people mentioned above and this time, the base E-Class has been stretched by 1.10meters to 5.98meters. The length is about the length of a Maybach, but you'd note that the car may be long, it is not as wide as one nor as overtly luxurious as one. Now the new Binz Benz has three rows of seats, in addition to the driver the car can still accommodate six passengers comfortably. And with six doors the passengers can be easily reach their seats. For a conference or for gossiping, the middle seats can rotate to face the people at the third row. The usual E-Class creature comforts are provided as well as the usual customization options (bulletproofing included) offered as the car is mainly a coachbuilt car. The seven seater luxury vehicle was given a full review by engineers (both from Mercedes Benz and Binz) to guarantee a high level of torsional rigidity especially after taking into account the extra length grafted to the chassis. As for poke, Binz is offering three models/engines choices of the Benz, all petrol powered. The 204bhp 1.8liter turbocharged 4 cylinder E250 BlueEfficiency, the 292bhp 3.5liter V6 E350 CGI and the 388bhp V8 5.4liter E500. Some may be doubting the capability of the E250 in lugging around the extra weight of the limousine. It has 310Nm of torque, which is at least 120Nm over the old W123 250 limousine made between 1977 and 1985 even though this version may be 200kgs heavier. - a W123 limousine
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Fancy A Bathing Ape (BAPE) Gullwing or something even more bonkers?
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Anyone fancy A Bathing Ape? Or BAPE in short. This Japanese fashion icon of a brand is one of the leaders in Japanese streetwear. The brand is like Fubu, Quicksilver or whatever trendy streetwise fashion you can think of out there. BAPE clothing is flashy, uses original artwork and uses posh materials. Favorite designs feature the famed and iconic ape (from Planet of the Apes) logo is used throughout the whole range of BAPE goodies, accessories, hoodies, jackets, t-shirts and shoes too. Of course, BAPE founder Tomoaki "Nigo" Nagao customizes his own cars to full BAPE specification too. Much to the dismay, shock or joy of others. According to Nigo, the founder of BAPE, the name "BAPE" is short for "A Bathing Ape In Lukewarm Water" which basically is a reference to Japanese people like taking daily long lukewarm baths as a means of over indulgence. Whatever that means, BAPE has made Nigo-San extreme rich. So rich that he recently (sometime mid 2009) spent a thick wad of cash to do a modernized take on the original 1950s Mercedes 300SL Gullwing but with a BAPE theme. The classic 1954 300SL has a BAPE camo paintjob, where you can see the head of the Ape as part of the camo pattern. It has an updated suspension running on current spec AMG rims. But the real piece de resistance is that 6.0liter V8 AMG custom made engine specced for the car. Check out the plaque that has been put on the car. The interior has been trimmed in red leather with some modern amenities like a stonking stereo system and modern air-conditioning. You wouldn -
The most valuable car marque in the world today is BMW. Automotive News reports that BMW has replaced Toyota to take the number one spot in the list of automakers. The study was part of an overall study called the BrandZ Top 100 conducted by Millward Brown research group. The car manufacturers are number 25 and 26 on the list respectively. I suppose Toyota's drop in position was caused by all the controversy caused by its recalls and faults throughout the United States and Europe. Of course somehow Toyota owners in Japan and here in South East Asia do not seem to have any of the problems faced by the people elsewhere. It's a conspiracy I tell you! According to the study, Toyota's value declined by 27 percent to a shade under US$21.8 billion. Meanwhile, BMW also suffered a drop, mainly due to the recent economic crisis. The BMW drop was less at only nine percent, putting its total value also at $21.8 billion.The researchers at Millward Brown seem to think Toyota should recover from the recall crisis and said that the carmaker's aggressive work to rebuild its reputation should do much to restore the company's global standing. Expect them to retake the position soon. The recent credit crunch that caused the recent economic crisis had taken its toll on all car manufacturers. Mercedes Benz (number 53 on the list), who basically seem to have a higher standing here in South East Asia, and Porsche (number 65) have suffered. The former saw their brand value drop by 11 percent and the latter by 31 percent. That somehow does not seem to stop all those towkays from buying the latest E-class anyway. So what is it about the value of a certain brand? Strong brands have the power to create business value. They impact much more than revenues and profit margins. Strong brands create competitive advantages by commanding a price premium and decrease the cost of entry into new markets and categories. They reduce business risk and help attract and retain talented staff. There you have it. A short and concise explanation on the value of a brand and why its supposedly very important. BMW must be doing things right as even with cars that are over-designed to some and nowhere near as ULTIMATE as you'd expect the Ultimate Driving Machine to be. Maybe the Joy of Driving really exists in all those niche marketing vehicles they bring out nowadays. For those curious about the top three in the list, its Google on top, followed by IBM and then Apple. The list can be found here
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The people from the Middle East are at it again. Remember the posting on the Gemballa Ferrari Enzo where a middle eastern client felt that the Ferrari Enzo wasn't radical enough? Now it seems that the pretty fabulous, limited run twin turbocharged V12 AMG Mercedes SL65 Black isn't radical enough for at least one of them. 670 bhp, 1000 electronically limited Newton meters of torque and a 130 or so kilos lighter, 0-100km/h in 3.8seconds and the 200km/h in 11seconds that the standard SL65 can produce isn't enough. So the quite wealthy chap then decides to bring one to BRABUS so that they can breathe some of their magic unto the SL65 Black and name it the BRABUS VANISH. Vanish into the horizon in a blink of an eye that is. BRABUS adds the usual performance mods; larger turbos, new gearbox, better brakes and the usual air filter and exhaust upgrades make the Vanish produce 800bhp with the same electronically limited 1000Nm of torque. It will produce in excess of 1300Nm but current tire technology does not seem to be able to handle that much of torque. So it gets limited and it is a bit of an anti-climax. But top speed isn't limited like in the standard Black. This one would run to speeds over 321km/h instead of a limited 318km/h. Acceleration times were not published by BRABUS as the car seemed to be fresh out of the factory when this piece of news was released. As for the external details. Matt black seems the way to go for ultra extreme BRABUS' as well as blacked out standard SL65 rims. Aside from this the rest of the car seems to be standard (if such a word could be used) SL65 Black. The interior gets suede alcantara and leather re-trim and some custom 'Vanish' kickplates. BRABUS has not mentioned how many units of the Vanish they will produce but going by their last very limited run V12 E-class sedan with that really ridiculous rear wheel arch covers, I'd have to guess that BRABUS may produce 10 units of the Vanish to have some economics of scale (and of course due to customer interest). Somehow a bottomless money pit is a good thing to have. Taste aside. Source: emercedesbenz.com
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Audi AG overtakes Mercedes Benz for the first time in global sales.
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
For the first time, Audi AG surpassed Mercedes-Benz in global quarterly new car sales. The Volkswagen AG premium brand moved 264,100 worldwide, as compared to Mercedes Benz, which sold 248,500 between January to March 2010. For Audi, the quarterly sales result was a new company record and 25.9 percent above the same period last year. The company -
Okay, this will be the last Mercedes based posting from me for this month at least. I promise. We end this trilogy of Mercedes tuner related postings with another Geneva Motor Show preview. Brabus has officially launched the coupe version of the EV12. Last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show they previewed the E V12 in the newly launched W212 E Class chassis and they absolutely went bonkers by shoehorning in that 788bhp twin turbocharged V12 engine as well as putting full rear wheel covers on it. Making the car look like a throwback to some 1930s art deco car but only a million times uglier. Now they've done the same with the newly launched E Class coupe with the exception of the rear wheel covers. Which I think is a sensible deletion. Now how do you get 788bhp and 1420Nm of torque from an engine? Well you take the original twin turbo Mercedes engine, bore it out from 5.5 liters to 6.3liters and change almost everything internally from the crankshaft, camshafts as well as cylinder head honing. It includes two custom high-performance headers with integrated turbochargers and four water-to-air intercoolers. The stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts was also custom-tailored for the confined space under the E-Class Coupe. Brabus has their own bespoke ECU to control the engine and even with enough power to take it into orbit it still complies with Euro IV emissions regulations. And that fact makes it Green enough for me. Now while the engine does make 1420Nm of torque, 320nm of them will be made redundant because if all of them gets unleashed at one go that reinforced 5-speed automatic gearbox will not even last one single full acceleration run. So with a bit of an anti-climax, it gets electronically limited to around 1100Nm. The same as any AMG S65 engine. The chassis has been thoroughly reworked with the front designed to reduce lift on the front axle and to provide all the radiators/water to air intercoolers of the V12 with an optimal supply of cooling air. The air outlets on the sides route air away from the heat exchangers. Another design feature is air ducts that provide the front 12 pot brakes (rears are 6 pots by the way) with cooling air that would be essential to slow down this spaceship when it wants to come out from hyperspace. A wider track means better directional stability at high speeds. Because of that Brabus developed special carbon-fiber sport fenders with integrated air vents for the front axle. Special carbon-fiber rear fenders add 60 millimeters to the width of the coupe on the rear axle. The E V12 Coupe runs on 19-inch combination which are 9.5 inches and 10 inches wide and customers can choose from BRABUS Monoblock designs VI, E, Q and S. Tires in size 265/30 ZR 19 are mounted on the front and 285/30 ZR 19 tires on the rear provide optimal traction. Or try to do so as well as they could with that much torque. Like the four door version the Brabus E V12 Coupe sprints from 0
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[extract] Looks like there will be another Mad Mercedes is on the way. But only for GT racing. Coinciding with the official market launch of the road going AMG SLS on 27 March 2010 Mercedes-AMG has showcased the SLS AMG GT3 for FIA GT3 Racing teams to consider. The SLS AMG GT3 is designed as a racing car for customers competing in sprints and long-distance races. These race series for near-series GT cars are noted for their very varied participants and great excitement. Not least because of their comparatively favorable cost structure, they are enjoying increasing worldwide popularity. Oh yes, favorable for those racing Aston Martins, Maseratis and Ferraris in those GT races most popular in the United States and in Europe. How favorable it is for any small time South East Asian motor racing team is questionable but that
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Hello. We're back with mental Mercedes Benzes again. This time Carlsson has decided to do their own version of the AMG SL65 Black in their own manic little way. The Carlsson Super GT C25 is a fixed head coupe unlike the model the car is based upon, the normal SL65. Like the AMG SL65 Black, the GT C25 has its own bespoke bodywork that dispenses with the folding top and has that fixed roof. Of course this lessens weight by losing all those motors and folding roof parts from the original SL65. The material utilized for the bespoke bodywork is mainly the very light and very strong carbon fibre. All the lights have been changed and from the outside, it is barely recognizable as a Mercedes. The interior is surprisingly a very dull brown with some yellow thrown about here and there. After the fairly outrageous (for a Mercedes) exterior, the show car's interior is pretty subdued. I think it needs a Gemballa like interior with all those garish red quilted leather to really make an impact. Maybe Carlsson wanted a balance that wouldn't chase away prospecting customers as they are only planning to build 25 units of the C25. Anyway, the interior is fully customizable with only 1 unit allocated per country. I wonder if there's any allocated for Singapore or even this region? So what's the other specification like? On the aerodynamic front, the bodywork includes a rear double diffuser and those very wide sculpted arches. According to Carlsson, the car produces zero lift up to speeds of 220mph. The C25 has a fully
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Mercedes-Benz is completing the E-Class family with the introduction of a convertible model that will replace the outgoing CLK drop top. It will compete head on with the BMW 3-Series and Audi A5 cabriolets. Unique to the 2010 E-Class Convertible is a retractable wind spoiler located on top of the front windshield. Called an 'Aircap', the system works in conjunction with a rear deflector to help to direct wind over the passenger compartment. The convertible also gets an electrically operated fabric roof instead of a retractable hardtop. The entry level petrol lineup is the 184HP E200 CGI found in the latest E-Class Sedan. Other powerplants include the 204HP E250 CGI, the 292HP E350 CGI and the top-of-the line E 500 with a 388HP V8 engine. Cabriolet lovers in Singapore, get your cheque books ready!