Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl ad director’s cut reveals C-Class Coupe, SLS AMG Roadster

Mercedes-Benz is throwing its hat into the Super Bowl advertising fray with a pretty new 60-second spot designed to celebrate the company’s 125th anniversary by heralding in a wave of five new models. The spot marks the very first time that the company has ever advertised during the NFL’s ultimate game. In the spot, Mercedes-Benz features four new vehicles, including a very quick peek at the upcoming C-Class Coupe and the SLS AMG Roadster.

The spot features many of the company’s past and current models escaping their owners in a bid to pay homage to the newborn Benz fleet. There are plenty of fantastic vintage Silver Arrows in the spot, along with a soundtrack by Janis Joplin and at least one celebrity cameo (we won’t spoil the surprise on that one). Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster unwrapped in Stuttgart

We were in Suttgart, Germany, this past weekend as Mercedes-Benz took the wraps of its all-new 2012 SLKRoadster. While completely redesigned, there’s no mistaking the two-seater for anything but a Mercedes-Benz – and that’s exactly what the designers had in mind, says the automaker. Gone is the SLR McLaren-inspired front hood, replaced with an aluminum unit capped by a more traditional upright radiator grille. Reappearing after an absence are the side grilles on the front quarter panels, reminiscent of those on the Benz roadsters in the 1950s (and SLS AMG, more recently). Slightly longer and wider than its predecessor, it’s an attractive package. Plus, it cheats the wind with a slippery drag coefficient of just 0.30 (the outgoing model had a 0.32 Cd).

The big news on the hard-paneled automatic drop-top (“Vario-roof”) is the innovative and uber-cool “Magic Sky Control” center panel. Unlike opaque solid steel roofs or heavily tinted glass panels (both are offered on the new SLK), the German engineers have come up with a optional trick glass panel utilizing LCD-type technology that goes from mostly clear when voltage is applied, to mostly opaque when it loses its charge. (Getting technical, it drops measured sun “intensity” from about 1050 watts with an open sky to just 200 watts when closed in “clear” mode. Switch it to “opaque” mode, and the intensity drops to about 45 watts.) While it cuts UV, infrared and visible light significantly, the panel never goes completely opaque. The roof transition takes only a few seconds (it is quicker from dark to light), initiated by a quick tap of an overhead switch.

Initially, the sole engine choice for our shores will be a direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 (SLK350) rated at 302 horsepower. Later, a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.8-liter four-cylinder will debut (SLK250), making 201 horsepower. We’ll likely have to wait a bit longer for the SLK55 AMG, but it promises to be an enthusiast’s delight. We’ll get a closer look at the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK next month at the Geneva Motor Show.

 

Source:Autoblog

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 leaks out

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.

We’ve got good news for the oil-burning fans of United States. Car and Driver is reporting that Mercedes-Benzwants to sell eight diesel models in the land of the free by 2014, and one of those will be a C-Class.

Odds are that the vehicle won’t show up until 2013, and when it does, it will come packing the Silver Arrow’s 2.1-liter turbo diesel mill with 204 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That same engine is likely to find its way into the nose of the GLK as well, though the pint-sized crossover is expected to show its face sooner than its sedan cousin.

The GLK is likely to hit showrooms in the fall of this year as a 2012 model. Car and Driver says that when it does, it could bring some tasty figures to the table, including a 0-60 time in the seven second range and fuel economy in the high 30s.

Currently, Mercedes-Benz serves up a diesel option in its E, M, GL and R-Class models. The S-Class is set to join that party by the end of 2011.

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG

Sometimes, luxury isn’t about having more – it’s about having less, albeit artfully architected. Just ask BMW, which lops off a heaping helping of headroom and cargo space to turn its well-conceived X5 into the costlier, less utile X6. Admittedly, the X6 isn’t particularly artful, but its rival, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport is. Both vehicles are more indulgent – and more costly – despite offering reduced lebensraum and less exotic mechanicals.

Perhaps the originator and best practitioner of this less-is-more movement is Mercedes-Benz, whose designers adroitly took the last-generation E-Class, lopped off gobs of headroom and trunk space, added some CLS badges, and then proceeded to give the four-seater a much larger price tag. Given that luxury and practicality are nearly polar opposites, perhaps this trend shouldn’t be that surprising. The ability to fritter away utility in favor of fashion is arguably the ultimate statement of luxury (“We could be rational, but why be so sensible, dahling?”).

Of course, we needn’t be so cynical – especially when the end result from Mercedes is so striking. The 2006 CLS wasn’t simply a Stuttgart cut-and-shut job – any fool with a pair of working eyes could see that Benz had developed a voluptuous creature that looked downright otherworldly compared to the stodgy E-Class that sired it. Mercedes would go so far as to market the original CLS as a ‘four-door coupe,’ and while pedants broke out in hives upon hearing the term, the reality was that Benz had created something far sexier than an ordinary sedan. The CLS’ sleekly beveled form wasn’t for everyone, but it sparked a rash of imitators in nearly every segment of the industry, from fellow luxury players to workaday sedans. Clearly, Mercedes had no small job when it came to reinventing its style icon.

And this being our first drive of the new-for-2012 CLS family, what better way to start than with the Big DaddyCLS63 AMG range topper?

Having a Mercedes means you have got it all made. It doesn’t totally mean that it is for the privileged ones. But it is a trophy for the hard-earned efforts of investing the money for buying such a luxurious vehicle. Regardless of what model or what year it is made, every Mercedes Benz is a symbol of excellence, and of loads of sacrifice you worked for to have it.

Sure you do not want your Mercedes Benz Car to go astray from its looks to its performance. Every malfunctioning part has to be replaced to maintain that kind of performance it has been noted for. And of course, from the upholstery to the paint job, a Mercedes Benz deserves the right protection it needs from smudges or scratches.

That’s why the Mercedes Benz Car Cover is designed for the most extreme protection possible, regardless of weather or any environmental condition. It protects the vehicle from the sun, rain, bird droppings, minor nicks, scratches and even small hail damage. With the intense rays of the sun, that glossy finish of the Benz is protected from fading. It is also a subtle anti-carnapping device as it prevents prying eyes of conspicuous people. Most of all, it contributes to the campaign of saving water by reducing the frequency for car wash. Best results is seen through the glossy and untarnished paint finish of the Benz even if you leave it for many days while the car cover hugs the body of the vehicle in a deep slumber.

Every make of a Mercedes Car Cover is capable of hosting a variety of models, years, colors and fabrics that suit your needs for vehicle protection. Whether it is an entry level luxury sedan, an SUV, a compact mini, or even a Minibus, they have it all covered. They are custom fitted with above-industry standards kind of fabric that last a long time to ensure the biggest bang for the buck. These makers won’t settle for off-the-shelf materials, but tie up with the world’s leading textile mills to don precise and skillfully crafted manufacturing. They also have the geniuses behind each design to pass durability tests with flying colors, so as to prove their worth and win the customers’ confidence. Every Mercedes Benz Car cover suits up to “T” without the hassles of any form of damage or stain.

Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada

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.