I ask you, ladies and gentlemen (because I know both of you read this blog even if you keep mum about it much of the time) what exactly is the point of this new device I found from Mercedes-Benz called the Airscarf?

The Airscarf is actually about what it sounds like, in that it’s a heater port that’s up near your neck, and is designed to blow a continuous stream of warm air down and around your neck.  Like a scarf made of air.  Air. Scarf.  Airscarf.

I mean, I understand that it’s Mercedes-Benz.  It has a reputation for luxury surpassing most others and those it doesn’t surpass outright it’s in direct competition with.  But a hot air port designed to blow hot air around your neck?  I know from experience that, most of the time, I wind up shutting my car heater off after a few minutes anyway because that dry heat on my face gets almost painful after a while.  But to have it blowing constantly around my neck?

That’s one gadget I’d love to be able to shut off after a while, Mercedes luxury or no.

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I was actually about to write this one up myself when I saw that Chris had already tackled it. But what I can tell you is this…I really don’t think that car will EVER be available for sale in at least the United States.

Here are three reasons why you’ll likely never see this car on the road.

1. Local police departments need red light runner fines.  No police department in its right mind would ever shoot itself in the foot by letting a car that brakes, automatically, at red lights onto the streets without a fight.  Do you know how many millions of dollars have been spent on cameras to make sure red light runners are caught and promptly billed?  There’s too much riding on this to not act!

2. Insurance companies need a reason to keep premiums jacked up.  The only people with bigger and better lawyers than the criminal justice system is the insurance industry.  If a car comes out that makes red light accidents a thing of the past, it will destroy insurance companies.  Premiums will be all but required to drop in the face of plummeting accident rates, and this does horrible things to insurance companies’ bottom lines.

3. Massive investment is required to make them work.  Not only does that car require a smart chip to determine when the light is about to change, it also requires revamped stoplights to transmit that information in the first place.  Local municipalities will NEVER allow a car to hit the roads that not only removes revenue but also increases expenses, at the very least not without a fight.

So those three reasons are exactly why I wouldn’t look for the autobraking car any time soon.

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The Frankfurt Motor Show offerings continue to get better and this ones directed right at you soccer moms out there with the need for speed. Pictured above is the 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon. As you can see, the car is a station wagon but that doesn’t stop it from being absolutely fierce.

The car is said to feature a 6.3 liter 8 cylinder engine capable of a staggering 525hp. The only bummer? It will probably never see the light of day in North America.

via jalopnik

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Sure Mercedes has come forth in the past to say that they are in fact working on the 2010 SLS AMG but they haven’t released very many details or official images of the vehicle. Today however, they have done just that, as you can see above.

Under the hood the car is said to have a 6.3-liter V8 capable of 563HP and 480 pounds-per-feet of torque. Couple that with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and you get a sprint from 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds nad a top speed of 197.

We’ll have to wait until the Frankfurt Motor Show next week to hear more of the 2010 Mercedes SLS AMG.

via jalopnik

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It has been a while since we have heard of the F-Cell vehicle but today Mercedes has announced that the car is dangerously close to hitting dealerships. In fact, Mercedes says the hydrogen burning F-Cell will be made available in the United States sometime next year. Furthermore, they have let us know that the car will feature 136hp, 290nm of torque and a top speed of 105MPH.

As of now there is no telling where Mercedes plans to debut their F-Cell or at what price but considering the limited availability of hydrogen fueling stations, we’re going to assume it won’t be very widespread.

via jalopnik

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Back in February we were notified that Mercedes’ E-Class Wagon would be officially debuted at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Well, Mercedes seems to have wanted to hype the car up a bit as they have released some official images of the vehicle itself. There’s no official specs yet but rumors say that the car will feature a motorized rear door and 5 engine options to choose form uncluding 292HP and 388HP engines.

We’ll keep you posted as more information on the Mercedes E-Class Wagon emerges.

via WCF

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Last week we let you know that BMW was officially withdrawing from the Formula 1 circuit with came as news after Honda had withdrawn as well.

Well today reports are suggesting the Merecedes may be next to pull out of the sport. Apparantly, talks have been going on within the company over whether or not it would be worth it to continue providing the McLaren and Brawn teams with engines.

Don’t think this is all because of BMW, however, as a Mercedes spokeperson has said that their withdrawal “does not have any influence on [their] Formula One engagement”.

Read (F1-Live)

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To stirr up hype surrounding their soon-to-be released energy efficient vehicles Daimler has released a press releasing showing off their new Road to the Future campaign. This press release doesn’t tell us much in terms of stuff we didn’t already know but below is a list of the release’s highlights, courtesy of AutoBlogGreen:

Mercedes-Benz will offer 58 BlueEFFICIENCY models for sale by the end of 2009 (there are 49 vehicles in the image above, in case you were wondering).

Daimler is using a three-pronged approach to increasing efficiency: better internal combustion engines, more efficient hybrids, and bringing electric and fuel cell vehicles to market.

More information, including updates on “the development of electric mobility,” will be coming at the Frankfort Motor Show this fall. Mercedes unveiled its “Road to the Future” concept at the 2007 show.

Full press release after the break. Be warned, it’s lengthy!
(more…)

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Mercedes Limo

LimousinesWorld has just made available the new Mercedes limousine with loads of custom-designed interior amenities. They have also brought out the RHD Mercedes limousine. Once inside, enjoy drinks from the bar, surf the internet, watch TV, chat with clients or just enjoy the luxurious ride.

Some of the other features include stereo with single CD/DVD system, dual 7-inch flatscreen TV (or 13-incher for the RHD), hands-free intercom, 12v electric ports, armrests with cup holders, vanity console, illuminated hardwood consoles and ice chests. The new Mercedes limo is available on the E-Class and S-Class models, and comes in various sizes to accommodate up to 10 individuals. Pricing is available on request.

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Mercedes wants in the hybrid business and the German manufacturer certainly knows how to make an appearance. Not only is the new S-Class ESF supposed to be a hybrid car but it’s also supposed to pretty luxurious. And since it’s already energy efficient and has the looks to make an impression with the ladies, why not make it extra safe too?

The ESF comes with too sets of airbags, some are conveniently placed inside, nothing special with that, but some are even more conveniently placed outside, which is absolutely special. Under the car there’s a huge braking bag which is ready to deploy every time it “senses an imminent crash”. Besides contributing to the stop of the car the outside airbag manages to lift the front of the car about 8cm from the ground in order to compensate for brake dive.

Mercedes hasn’t stopped there. There are even more safety features available. You’ll find curtain airbags between the seats, airbags within the seatbelts, reflective tires and some inflatable metal structure through the vehicle which should be really useful in case of crashes.

With all that safety around a hybrid car one can’t help but wonder if Mercedes thinks its S-Class hybrid will be a danger on the road or not. I mean clearly those guys are expecting the ESF to crash sooner rather then later right? Leaving jokes aside we’ll be looking forward to see some of these extra safety features implemented in more Mercedes cars. Maybe the competition should be learn a thing or two from Mercedes here.

via Autoblog

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Mercedes-Benz E500 Coupe

The new Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe is a month away from its U.S. release but the first one was delivered to a customer in Germany today. The celebration, held at Mercedes’ E-Class plant in Bremen, witnessed Siegfried Möller taking the keys of his new car, an E500 Coupe in palladium silver.

Mr. Möller claims to have been driving Mercedes models for over 25 years and has received other cars from the Bremen plant in the past.  This new E-Class Coupe currently holds the title of world’s most aerodynamic production car. American buyers will have to wait until next month to take possession of their E-Class Coupes. The car will start at $48,925  for the E350 model, while the V8-powered E550 starts at $55,525.

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Trademark Centenary

The Mercedes Benz company is launching an exclusive edition of the CL Coupe called “Trademark Centenary” to celebrate the one hundredth birthday of these company’s emblems. This CL 500 “100 years of the trademark” model comes with all the new features of the 2009 model. These include improved aerodynamics, new exterior mirrors with bigger lenses and an indicator design in LED technology. Also worth mentioning are a new, upgraded telematics generation with a further development of COMAND APS, a USBinterface in the glove compartment and an SD card slot in the centre console.

The Front Seat Entertainment package is also an available option, with surround-sound system, a 6-disc DVDchanger and SPLITVIEW. Some of the exterior highlights include the past trademarks dating from 1909 in gilded plate brass, which are then inset into the center console. The sporty look is supplied by the new AMG Sports package with powerful looking front and rear aprons. Sales will begin on the 26th of June with a 17,850 euro premium over the standard CL 500.

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Mercedes Benz is already a brand known for providing quality luxury vehicles but it looks like they are adding something more. The luxury car brand has added state of the art audio enhancements to their popular premium packages.

Mercedes-Benz will extend the availability of HD Radio technology on its vehicles to a total of 11 models. It will add six model year 2010 vehicles to the five that already offer the technology, including the CL-, CLS-, E-Coupe, S-, SL-, and SLK-Class models.

The digital audio system will be available as part of popular premium feature packages. Vehicles will be in dealerships by late summer. As announced in August 2008, HD Radio technology is already available in Mercedes M-, R-, GL-, G-Class SUVs and E-Class vehicles.

Available across the country, nearly 2,000 HD Radio stations are on the air with over 1,000 additional new multicast channels (HD2/HD3) that are exclusive to HD Radio listeners. These subscription-free channels feature digitally delivered new music and fresh formats, showcasing “Indie Rock,” “International Hits,” “Solid Gold,” “Pride Radio,” “Country/Southern Rock,” and much more. The technology also provides data services, such as artist names and song titles on the radio display screen.

(Source) Press

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2009 Mercedes SLK55 AMG

A seven-speed automatic with manual control is the only available transmission for the 2009 Mercedes SLK55 AMG and that is probably its weakest link. Mercedes has gone and put in a gigantic hand-built 5.4-liter V8 under In other words, this is one quick little Merc. When you put your foot down at any speed and the SLK55 lunges forward like a runaway train.

There is plenty of grip for spirited driving on paved roads and while its overall responsiveness is a bit disappointing the steering is crisp enough. rimary gauges are clear and easily read at a glance. The climate controls are pretty much idiot-proof but on the downside, sound quality from the advanced Harman Kardon Logic 7 stereo is a huge disappointment. The 9.8-cubic-foot trunk is adequate for a two-person weekend getaway, but not much more than that. The SLK55 makes a fun fellow traveler.

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The major downside of built-in GPS systems is that they become almost useless with the passing of time. Well not exactly useless but after a few years you will surely want to get a new GPS system, one that knows how to play music and video files and that is touch-friendly.

That’s why Mercedes and Harman are going to develop a new system, a hybrid one, that will be built-in future Mercedes models but it will be supporting easy and fast replacement of an external PND. That means the standard design will be upgraded whenever you want to. The screen and controls will be mounted on the dash while a hidden processing box will carry the actual GPS system, music storage, playback, Bluetooth connectivity and all other features. This new GPS kit will be launched in the second half of 2010, and eight new Mercedes cars will carry it.

via Gearlog

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