Mercedes-Benz

Volkswagen's 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger has taken out the International Engine of the Year Award for the second year running. The engine, which punches above its weight via the use of a combined turbocharger and supercharger, is only the third to take out the overall award in consecutive years (BMW in 05-06 with its 5-litre V10 and again in 07-08 with its 3-litre twin turbo). Other winners in the 2010 Awards included Fiat with its 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine (New Engine of the Year), Toyota with the 1.8-liter electric-motor-boosted hybrid from the Prius (Green Engine of the Year) and Mercedes-AMG with its 6.2-liter V8 engine (Best Performance Engine and Above 4-liter title). BMW also featured prominently picking up four gongs.  Read More

It's not surprising that Mercedes Benz should begin developing luxury helicopters and luxury yachts. The original meaning of the trademarked Mercedes three pointed star signified mobility on land, on water and in the air, so it is possible that the portfolio will include boats, aircraft, helicopters and other transport products. Unveiled in Geneva this week, the new Mercedes Benz Style EC145 Luxury Helicopter is actually a twin-engine turbine Eurocopter EC145 model with an extensive interior redesign using Mercedes' knowledge of luxury materials, lighting and re-purposing flexibility to offer both luxury ambiance and German practicality. It's all the work of the newly created Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy. Oh, and they're also working on a prototype yacht.  Read More

Mercedes-Benz is now equipping its popular C-Class 180 CGI, 200 CGI and 220 CDI models with BlueEFFICIENCY. Featuring six-speed manual transmissions and ECO start/stop functionality, the company says this technology will reduce the vehicles’ fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 10 percent . The newly-configured C 220 CDI will now consume only 4.4L/100km and CO2 emissions drop to 117g/km. Also added to the line-up for the first time is the C 250 CDI 4MATIC Blue EFFICIENCY four-cylinder 4WD diesel.  Read More

Mercedes is to show an interesting four-door coupe concept car at the world's most important motor show, Auto China 2010. Dubbed the “Shooting Break Concept”, it's part Estate Car and part sports car with extra luggage. It has a sloping tail end, highly practical interior layout and 306 bhp direct injection V6 petrol engine. For all the innovation, it's the machine's dynamic full LED headlamps, due for series production this year, which are the stars. The Intelligent Light System has five functions – country lights, motorway lights, enhanced fog lights, active curve lights and cornering lights – and combines LED technology with Adaptive Highbeam Assist for the first time, leading to a completely new level of safety at night.  Read More

It seems that hailing a fuel-cell powered black cab won't be the only option for Londoners looking to grab a green fare. Now ready for trials, this plug-in electric conversion of the Mercedes Vito can carry up to six people and has a range of 120 kilometers on a single six hour charge.  Read More

Mercedes-Benz showed a meeting of European ministers of economic affairs a prototype electric Vito earlier this week. The informal EU Competitiveness Council meeting in San Sebastian was told the experimental vehicle with its Lithium-ion battery and load capacity of 900 kg would enter limited production this year.  Read More

Formula One will be quite different in 2010 thanks to a number of changes to the rules. The Kinetic Energy Recovery System is gone, front tires will be narrower (from 270mm to 245mm) and most significantly, there will be no refueling during races which will mean fuel tanks will need to be roughly three times larger than 2009. The changes have bred a different size and shape of car, as was evidenced over the last two days when we saw the first of the serious contender’s cars – the 2010 McLaren MP4-25 of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari F10 of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. Demonstrating the drawing power of the Prancing Horse, Ferrari attracted an audience of three million unique visitors to its web site for the launch. The season gets underway tomorrow when …  Read More

The new Silver Arrows Formula One works team was presented in Stuttgart today and though there were no surprises, the line-up was nonetheless formidable. Take a world championship winning team (Brawn F1 2009), add to it substantial long term sponsorship from Petronas, the full weight of Mercedes Benz management, finances and engineering (with the emphasis on engine - the title engine of the last two years) and then slot in the winningest F1 driver in history, and you have a pretty impressive line-up. The most ominous aspect of it all though is that the pairing of Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher is back together. It won two titles at Benetton, reestablished the Ferrari dynasty then Brawn created his own history last year. The car remains under a shroud of secrecy until its track debut next week.  Read More

This week in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz premiered the latest addition to its popular E-Class family - the 2011MY E-Class Cabriolet. The soft-top convertible is the first car to feature Mercedes’ new AIRCAP draught-stop, an air-deflection system that greatly reduces interior wind turbulence for all four passengers, front and back. Mercedes also announced the upcoming release of the much-anticipated SLS AMG. This gull-winged beauty is a stylistic throwback to the classic 1950’s 300SL, but with the technology of today.  Read More