Mercedes-Benz

The first of ten new Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid buses has appeared in Hamburg, Germany as part of a large-scale fleet trial taking place there and in other European cities. Two major features of this latest-generation fuel cell hybrid bus are that it emits no pollutants while in motion and is virtually silent, making it ideal for use in highly congested inner cities and metropolitan areas. From next year, ten of the 30 vehicles that Daimler Buses is producing for European transport operators are destined for the Hamburg transport authority. Hamburger Hochbahn will take delivery of the remaining 20 buses.  Read More

Taking driver-assist technology to the next level is the “Smart Stop” system currently in development by Mercedes Benz. The wireless safety system, which allows intersections to communicate with vehicles, would automatically cause a car to stop at a red light should a driver fail to heed it.  Read More

If your better half has put the kibosh on your dream of owning one of the ten BRABUS E V12 Black Baron’s, then maybe you’ll have a better chance at talking them around to the more family friendly BRABUS Viano “Lounge Concept” if it ever makes the jump from concept car to commercial reality. Described as an “exclusive office and movie theater on wheels” the concept takes a Mercedes van and packs it to the brim with state-of-the-art entertainment technology, so you’re not likely to hear the kids whine, ‘are we there yet?’  Read More

German performance vehicle manufacturer Brabus has done it again with the “world’s most powerful high-performance sedan”. Brabus has a history of churning out high performance sedans, but the new Brabus E V12 'one of ten' unveiled at IAA 2009 outdoes all previous efforts. Dubbed the 'Black Baron', the car features a newly-developed SV12 R Biturbo 800 12-cylinder displacement engine boasting a rated power output of 800hp (788bhp), which is able to propel the car to a ridiculous top speed of more than 370kmh (230mph).  Read More

Having launched its S 400 HYBRID, currently the most fuel-efficient luxury-segment saloon with a petrol engine, Mercedes-Benz is set to show its Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID technology vehicle in Frankfurt next week. Aimed at demonstrating the company’s scalable and intelligently organized set of hybrid systems, and previewing the next model, the compact 15-kW electric motor hardly differs from the S 400 HYBRID, yet is three times more powerful and can be elegantly incorporated into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission.  Read More

We first wrote about the coming reinterpretation of the legendary gull-wing in March. In preparation for its first showing next week at Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes has released a lot more information about the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The super sports car’s technology package which includes an aluminum space frame body, sports chassis with aluminum double-wishbone suspension, and a kerb weight of 1,620 kilograms. The 571 hp AMG 6.3-liter, front-mid V8, runs a seven-speed transmission with dual-clutch in a transaxle configuration. The Gullwing accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 197 mph. The most surprising aspect is the relatively frugal (for a supercar) fuel consumption of 21.4 mpg (combined).  Read More

Mercedes-Benz reckons it won’t be just one technology that paves the way to sustainable mobility. After showing the 200 km range all-electric BlueZERO E‑CELL at the NAIAS in January, the German giant is to create a family of modularly-constructed, liquid-cooled Lithium-ion electric cars by adding two more derivatives of the close-to-production vehicle in Frankfurt next week. The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS extends the range to 600 km using a turbocharged petrol engine as a range extender generator, while the BlueZERO F-CELL is fuel-cell-powered with a range of about 400 km.  Read More

After much discussion about the latest iterations of battery-powered hybrid vehicles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that fuel cell technology had been left behind. Not so. Mercedes-Benz is launching what it says is the world’s first series-produced fuel cell car: the new B-Class F-CELL. This electric car has zero emissions, has a range of 400km, takes three minutes to refuel with hydrogen and consumes the equivalent of 3.3 liters of diesel per 100km in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle).  Read More

Imagine a sports car show held not in an exhibition center, but at the safest racetrack in the world, so the cars can be appreciated in their natural surroundings, without speed limits. The first “International GT & Supercar Show” will be held at Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France on September 26 and 27. Exhibitors include Ferrari, Gumpert, Koenigsegg, Ad Tramontana, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, F&M, Morgan, Audi Wiesmann, Spyker, Mosler, Pagani, Porsche, Saleen, TVR, Yes, Venturi, Alfa Romeo Zagato, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Castagna Milano, Maserati, Lotus, Lightning and Tesla.  Read More