Mercedes-Benz Straightline Archives

We're racing headlong into a long weekend and half of us are already checked out. Here's something to push you all the way over the edge into full-on, throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air, ditch-work-early mode: A bunch of gold Mercedes-Benzs all decked out in gold to transport VIPs around the Cannes Film Festival.

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,Miscellaneous

To thank their fans for watching cool videos on YouTube, Mercedes posted a video of the C63 AMG Coupe drifting the Corkscrew-- and later corners -- of Laguna Seca. We'll never complain about huge horsepower cars drifting epically complex corners, but this one was a little light on smoke and high on techno.

Mercedes got the message loud and clear and have now posted a follow-up that features more sliding, more smoke and, unfortunately, the same amount of bad music. Perhaps if we complain again they'll give us a version with ONLY engine sounds?

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,Motorsports,Videos

Remember yesterday when I said that manufacturers need not make up a fake storyline just to feature a hot car on the racetrack? Mercedes gets it.

So, with no justification or plot to speak of, here's the 510 horsepower C63 AMG Black Series. Sure, it's not on a track, but some abandoned roads are close enough. 

Now Mercedes just needs to get the memo that car noises are better than crummy vaguely electronic music and adjust their levels properly.

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Categories: Coupes,Mercedes-Benz,Sports Cars

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 is the newest player in the premium sport convertible segment, and with a base price of over $100,000 and an all-new 429-horsepower twin-turbo V8, it ticks those boxes handily.

But it's not alone in the segment.

BMW also has a twin-turbo V8-powered luxury sport convertible in the form of the 2012 BMW 650i. It has more seats and costs less, but the 4.4-liter V8 in the BMW only makes 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. It's also backed by an eight-speed automatic, while the SL makes do with only seven forward gears.

With more power and less weight, the 2013 SL550 is expected to walk the BMW in performance testing, but is it enough to justify the price and lack of rear seats? Check the numbers after the jump and make the decision for yourself.

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Categories: BMW,Convertibles,Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz AMG has just reached 2-million views on YouTube. (Just like our Chevy Camaro SS track test video.) To celebrate this achievement, Mercedes has decided to sacrifice a set of tires to the powerslide gods and let loose with a C63 AMG Coupe on Laguna Seca.

I guess even a flimsy reason is good enough when you have the means.

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Categories: Coupes,Mercedes-Benz,Sports Cars

An electric Ford Focus will pace this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Virginia, but over in Germany, considerably more firepower is needed for a car in this role. Eh, needed may not be the right word.

So the official safety car for the 2012 DTM season, which starts this weekend, is a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. If you've done any reading on the C63 Black road car, you know that it has AMG's beloved 6.2-liter V8 with various forged bits, and ratings of 510 hp and 457 pound-feet of torque, and a redline of 7,200 rpm. You also know that Dan Edmunds enjoyed driving it at Laguna Seca. And now it has a light rack.

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Categories: Coupes,Mercedes-Benz,Motorsports,Tuners and Modifications

There's no denying that modern racecars are a lot more hospitable than old racecars, especially the really old ones where unbelted drivers were straddling the transmission. Still, the very reclined seating position in a 2012 F1 car is dictated more by the needs of the car (low center of gravity) than the needs of the driver (visibility, comfort).

So here's Nico Rosberg giving you a walkaround, er, a sit-around, of his car. Sometimes, he says, he might want more padding for his ribs while seated in his custom carbon seat, so foam inserts can be added. But said foam must be added judiciously, because, he says, "Foam is very heavy." That's Jacquot's favorite line.

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,Motorsports

Last night Transmission LA: AV Club kicked off at the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles bringing with it the debut of the Mercedes Concept Style Coupe.

The art installation is curated by Mike D of the Beastie Boys and features works by 16 artists including Peter Coffin, jim Drain, Will Fowler, Cory Arcangel and Takeshi Murata. No, I've never heard of them either.

More importantly, the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe (CSC) was in attendance in a dark, mirror-lined room with a music/lighting display setup by Mike D. It was a nightmare to photograph, but gave us our first in-person look at the new entry-level front-drive Mercedes. A Merc executive on the scene told us that we won't see the production version for about a year and that it should follow a traditional auto-show rollout, though no plans have been finalized. Pricing wise, we're looking at a car that costs 3-series money and is intended to lure away A3 and 1-series buyers by being the "most rebellious" car in the MB lineup, a move that they hope will curb the boring reputation they've earned. The car we see here is "80-90 percent' of what we'll see come production.

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Categories: Celebrities,Concept Vehicles,Mercedes-Benz

After months of spy shots, teasers and false hopes about it showing at this auto show or that, the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe -- CSC -- is finally here and will be officially revealed at this year's Beijing Motor Show. And you know what? It looks exactly like the concept which is a very, very good thing.

But don't think this is just another teaser, Merc says this one's for real. "The almost production-standard Concept Style Coupé sets a new benchmark for avantgarde design in the executive segment", said Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz. "Its breathtaking proportions, sinewy fluid surfaces and sculptural lines are the physical expression of our dynamic design idiom."

The CSC is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine making 211-horsepower. It's the same engine we see in the new, related A-Class. The front-drive CSC is equipped with a seven speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The CSC will be on display in LA at the LA: AV CLUB festival at MOCA starting tomorrow. We'll have more on this one from that event.

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Categories: Beijing Auto Show,Mercedes-Benz,Sedans

When spy photos first started to surface of the Mercedes-Benz CLC, the timing seemed right for the CLC to drop at the 2012 New York Auto Show. Mercedes, however, had different plans. During the show they showed off the 2013 SL65 AMG and the 2013 GLK.

That move leaves the door open for Mercedes to show the new four-door coupe either in Paris or to diverge from the show schedule and announce this one at a non-auto-show event in the next few months. 

These spy photos of the CLC caught in Los Angeles this weekend show essentially the same car we've seen before in a very early stage of camo. Either the launch has been pushed for further testing, or this is simply a mule they're still running around for extended durability testing. The only thing we do know is that our man said that this car was small but still impressive in person. We'll have to wait to see it undisguised to make that judgment for ourselves. Until then, there's always the rendering.

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,Sedans,Spy Photos

Even if he's not winning any races, having Michael Schumacher on your team is a huge asset.  Even casual race fans know him. Being the first athlete to crack the billion-dollar mark (Forbes disagrees with the valuation that pegged Schumi at  the B mark in 2005, they claim Woods hit first in 2009) will get you that kind of recognition.

So, besides the racing, Mercedes AMG Petronas is using Michael to promote the sport (and AMG products). Previously, we've seen him talking about the start procedure and burnouts, and now, just days before the F1 race in Shanghai, Schumi's back to talk about steering wheels.

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Categories: Celebrities,Mercedes-Benz,Motorsports

A press release regarding the 2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class titled "The new generation G-Class: Forever young" was released early this morning. The first paragraph details changes to the center console and COMAND, a new LED DRL setup, Blind Spot Assist, and Parktronic. And there, at the very end was this "New to the range are the G 63 AMG with an eight-cylinder biturbo engine and the ECO start/stop system as standard, and the G 65 AMG with twelve-cylinder biturbo engine."

Talk about burying the lead! Here's how I would've done it, "WE DID IT! We did it! We crammed out silliest motor into our silliest vehicle!" And that is why I'm not in PR. Even in a range like the G-class with such low volume, a 612-hp, $364,894 special edition isn't going to be the headline of a model update.

Unfortunately, this model was not included in the U.S. press release and was priced in Euro only. We will have to make do with the new G63 AMG and mourn the loss of the supercharged G55 AMG.

Categories: Mercedes-Benz,SUVs

The redesigned 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is the usual showcase of technological wizardry, with the range-topping GL550 now delivering 429 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. We'd still accept an AMG version, though.

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show,SUVs

Photos of the redesigned 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class showed up on the Internet early, but there was still a good show at Javits today for the media: A band with a full horns/percussion detachment showed up to play "Moves Like Jagger" right before the reveal of the GL450.

Donna showed you a clip in her GLK post; this is the full 2-minute cut of what was really an impressive performance. Really. Musical performances are basically a formality at German automakers' press conferences, but this one was something special. Far better than usual.

And the GL? Well, it goes on sale in September and comes in the same flavors as before -- the diesel GL350 Bluetec, the GL450 and GL550. But the 450 and 550 lose their naturally aspirated V8s in favor of twin-turbocharged and direct-injected V8s. Both displace 4.6 liters (4,663cc), but the GL450 is rated at 362 hp at 5,000 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm, while the GL550 makes 429 hp at 5,250 and 516 lb-ft at 1,800. The GL350 Bluetec has a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 -- it splits the difference between the V8s on torque (455 lb-ft), but as it's a diesel, makes a far more modest 240 hp -- still these are big gains over its predecessor (200 hp, 400 lb-ft).

Everybody gets a seven-speed automatic driving all four wheels through a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. A low-range transfer case is on the options sheet, presumably for the small minority of customers who need it for the boat ramp. Zero-to-60 claims range from 8.3 seconds for the diesel to 6.2 for the GL450 to 5.5 for the GL550. However, you're electronically limited to 130 mph across the board.

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show,SUVs

What you see here is a special-edition version of the already rarefied 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. This European-spec car, painted a matte carbon gray with a matching finish on its forged wheels and standard carbon-ceramic brakes, is part of a 45-unit run.

It's undecided exactly how many of the 45 will come to the United States, AMG's Rob Moran tells us, but whatever the number, they'll come along with the other 2013 SL65s this November. This is a stunning car in matte carbon. The Viper is the headliner at this NY show, but this is the most dramatic-looking car after that.

Our Editor in Chief returned from driving the regular SL550 in Spain and declared it the most structurally rigid, best-handling (ah, well, maybe that's not quite what he said... I skipped lunch) open-top car he has ever driven. Adding more engine can only be a good thing, then, and as before the SL65 has a biturbo, port-injected, 6.0-liter (5,980cc) V12. It's rated for 621 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 738 pound-feet of torque at 2,300 rpm. That's the same torque peak as the old SL65, but this new car has dropped 254 pounds, according to Benz, so it should be quicker. It now weighs in at 4,299 pounds -- not light, mind you, but not bad for a retractable-hardtop convertible with a V12 in its nose.

Claimed 0-60-mph acceleration is 3.9 seconds, but we expect that's a conservative number, as a 2007 SL65 we tested turned in an identical performance.

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Categories: Convertibles,Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show

A high-spirited marching band played Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" as the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK rolled onto the stage at the 2012 New York Auto Show.

Mercedes' entry-level SUV received a refresh for 2013 with a more powerful engine and some style tweaks aimed to make the GLK more athletic.

The 2013 GLK350 will have a reworked version of Mercedes' 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque from 3,500-5,250 rpm. Zero to 60 mph is estimated at 6.5 seconds. Top speed is 130 mph. The GLK350 will continue to be offered with rear- or 4Matic four-wheel drive. Both models feature the new ECO stop/start system for improved fuel economy.

A clean diesel Bluetec GLK250 will be added to the U.S. lineup. It will feature a 2.1-liter inline-four cylinder engine rated at 190 hp with 369 lb-ft of torque.

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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show

Stop us if you've heard this before, but Mercedes-Benz has announced that they are, officially, not interested in buying Ducati. "We have no interest in a takeover of Ducati," a Mercedes spokesman said. This echoes the statement given to Inside Line in Frankfurt last year when CEO of AMG and CEO of Ducati both stressed that the partnership works and a takeover isn't necessary.

How well that partnership (AMG guys like to cross-shop/also buy Ducati products) will work out if Audi ends up buying Ducati has yet to be seen.

Categories: Auto Industry,Mercedes-Benz,Motorcycles

Nobody likes surprises anymore, it seems, as images of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class have been willfully leaked ahead of Benz's Wednesday morning press conference at the 2012 New York Auto Show. As this was an images-only leak, we have nothing more to say about the 2013 GL for the moment, though powertrains should be similar to the recently revamped M-Class. Full details to come within 48 hours.

(Autoblog.nl via Autoblog)

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Categories: Crossovers,Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show,SUVs

Road Test Editor Mike Monticello gives you the pros and cons of the Mercedes-Benz ML along with insight on pricing, safety, and fuel economy plus a list of competitors of the Mercedes-Benz ML to check out including the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Lexus RX, and the Porsche's Cayenne.


For more nfo on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, go to Edmunds.com 


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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,SUVs,Videos

Take a look at the 10 cars with the highest proportion of male buyers and you'll find that many have certain things in common. We're talking phallic, fast and pricey -- these are the models that fuel the fantasies of car-obsessed 14-year old boys, and ease the mid-life crises of affluent 50-year-old men. 

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Categories: Audi,BMW,Chevrolet,Ferrari,Ford,GMC,Mercedes-Benz,Porsche