The 2012 Mercedes GP F1 car is due for its official reveal at Barcelona next Tuesday, but the car has been photographed early during a secret shakedown test at Silverstone yesterday.
As you can see Michael Schumacher was at the wheel during the light run. It’s also evident that Ross Brawn and his merry men have adopted the ‘platypus’ step prevalent on F1 cars this year.
We’ll have more detail on the W03 for you next week.
[Source: F1 Fanatic | Thanks to Ryan for the tip]
A cyclist from the Dutch cycling club OGOTT has come up with a great sneak preview of the new Mercedes-Benz A Class on a recent trip to the Canary Islands. The car appeared to be on an official photography shoot and is scheduled for debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show.
As one would expect the production model A Class looks to be a watered-down version of the Concept A-Class released last year, but all in all it looks like Benz has done a pretty good job.
While the Bangle-like ‘flame surfacing’ won’t be to everyone’s liking it’s great to see such a major player shedding its inherent conservatism to target a broader, and perhaps younger, audience. On this preview it’s perhaps only the the SL-like headlights that may prove to be the only disappointment.
AMG anyone?
[Source: autoblog.nl]
Later today McLaren will take the wraps off its new MP4-27 F1 car. But a recent article in Gazzetta dello Sport has raised questions over McLaren’s future engine partner when F1 swicthes to V6 turbo engines in 2014.
The report claims McLaren has met with new engine maker PURE to discuss a deal that would see them replace Mercedes as the teams’s engine supplier. PURE is headed by former manager to Jacques Villeneuve and BAR Team Principal Craig Pollock.
A McLaren spokesman has quickly dismissed the claims, “McLaren has had absolutely no contact with Pure for many months.
“Moreover, the contact we did have with Pure, many months ago, was of an entirely informal nature, and was merely a courtesy gesture.”
Pollock, too, has said there’s no backroom deal taking place, “The contact between PURE and McLaren was towards the end of last year when we visited all F1 teams to present the PURE powertrain programme.
“This meeting took place with Gilles Simon and myself along with the pertinent McLaren representatives. There has been no follow up meeting or discussions to date.”
For now, this seems like a nothing story. Although, iIt does appear that PURE will be quite aggressive in trying to enter F1 so we’ll keep watching with interest.
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Only 1400 300SL coupés were made and some are more equal than others. Like this 1955 model, for example, which is one of only 29 alloy-bodied Gullwings.
Prior to its auction Gooding & Company said it was expected to sell for around US$2.5-3 million. At the fall of the hammer the bidding stopped at US$4.2 million. Add another 10% or so for fees and the like and you arrive at the hefty US$4.62 million sale price.
If you could, would you?
[Source: Autoblog]
The third-gen SLK was launched in Australia in August last year. It kicked off with just two models, the SLK 200 ($82,900*) and the SLK 350 ($118,900*). Mercedes-Benz Australia has just announced two more models will be added the the range.
At the lower end of the spectrum is the SLK 250 BlueEFFICIENCY ($91,900*) which offers 150kW/310Nm from its 1.8 litre four cylinder engine. Right at the top, though, is the very promising SLK 55 AMG ($155,000*). The fearsome M152 V8 engine gives you an enticing 310kW/540Nm to play with. Sounds like fun, huh!
If that tickles your fancy then check out the rest of the information from Mercedes after the break.
Here we have a selection of images from the floor of the Detroit Motor Show, or more correctly, the North American International Auto Show.
Unlike Tokyo late last year there’s a noticeable lack of weird and wonderful concept creations, but we certainly applaud the appearance of the Honda NSX Concept. It’s easily the clear star of the show in our eyes.
Not so fortunate is the Chevrolet Code 130R concept; a BMW 1 Series Coupé that somehow turned out all wrong. So, too, the Chrysler 700C. Seriously, does anyone actually look at these things before they are put on the stand. And if they do, then we’ll have some of whatever it is they’re smoking please.
Equally, we can’t quite understand the fascination the North American audience has had with the Ford Fusion. Its poor mans Aston Martin-like grille is an embarrassment.
Anyway, there’s 50-odd pictures for you after the break. Why don’t you be the judge and tell us what you like and don’t like.
Chris Harris is perhaps the closest thing magazine journos have to a bona fide celebrity; that is he hasn’t gained his popularity on the back of a TV program or the like. Mostly he’s earned his reputation, and following, on the back of his writing, some part-time racing and a lot of sideways action.
In his first effort for Drive, the latest chicane in his career (no, it’s not the Fairfax publication Australians are familiar with), Harris gets slippy with a 480hp Mercedes-Benz C63. Oh, your eyes aren’t deceiving you, the Benz is running space savers at all four wheels.
At first this seems like an entirely daft and pointless thing to do. But, Harris is trying to make a point. Check out the clip after the break and see if you agree.
There’s also a bonus clip if you missed the announcement of Drive last month.
After a couple of unofficial false starts Mercedes-Benz has now, finally, revealed its new SL roadster. The SL was first launched in 1952 and this is just the sixth-generation to be developed in that time.
While the SL can probably pass as ‘Sporty’, ‘Lightweight’ is still stretching it a bit. The SL500 now tips the scales at 1785kg (-125kg against the previous model) and the SL350 is 1685kg (-140kg). The bulk of the weight reduction has been achieved thanks to an all-aluminium bodyshell.
There are two models at launch, the SL500 and SL350. At the top of the range Mercedes has stuffed a 320kW (435hp) / 700Nm 4.7 litre V8 under the iconic SL hood is enough to shift the roadster from rest to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds. Meanwhile the SL350 features a 3.5 litre V6, which is good for 225kW (306hp) / 370Nm; it can reach triple figures in 5.9 seconds.
Compared the the outgoing model the SL has grown 50mm length and 57mm in width. In turn this allows for a roomier cockpit.
As usual there’s a bunch of electronic goodies covering virtually every aspect of your motoring journey in the SL, but its the fancy wipers that deserve some attention. They’ve been given the title ‘Magic Vision Control’ and Mercedes reckon their clever water jets will ensure no water is sprayed into the cabin when the roof is down. Get this, the wiper blades can be optioned with a heating element too. This means the blades won’t freeze to the windscreen in icy conditions and warm water can be used to help clean the screen.
We also like the ‘kick to open’ hands-free boot system. It’s okay, it’s not as violent as it sounds. All that and more can be found after the break. But first what does Merecdes think about its new SL?
“There are around 900 million cars in the world and thousands of models. But there are only a handful of automotive icons,” claims Dr Dieter Zetsche, Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
“Our SL is one of them: it has class, it has style, it is the ultimate in comfort and luxury. But it combines all that with incredible sportiness and dynamism. You would struggle to find a car that embodies Gottlieb Daimler’s aspiration more perfectly than our new SL: the best or nothing.”
UPDATE: Mercedes-Benz Australia informs us the new SL will launch in the third quarter of 2012.
More official looking images of the sixth-generation Mercedes-Benz SL have appeared on motoring websites around the globe. Oddly, none have shown up on any of the official Mercedes press portals that we have access to. So we’ve nicked a few from Evo and suggest you follow the source link below for more.
While ‘SL’ stands for sport lightweight the car hasn’t exactly lived up to that name in recent years. However, the new SL will shed around 140kg to help swing momentum in the right direction.
The SL will have a full public reveal at the Detroit Auto Show in a few weeks. We’ll bring you the official word from Mercedes when it’s released, which may well be tonight.
[Source: Evo | Thanks to Scott & Prof for the tips]
Once upon a time this pretty Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’ was a firery red colour. The AMG Performance Studio has produced a time lapse video showing the possibilities available to those with money to burn. If we were lucky enough to do just that we’d like to hope we’d pick a better colour for the SLS than Yosemite Blue.
These delightfully grainy images of the impending Mercedes-Benz SL Klasse have emerged on the German Car Forum. It shows the new SL is equal parts spectacular and equal parts, well, pretty ugly. The front three quarter shot shows quite a well sorted design, striking a nice balance between simple and detailed. Whereas the rear three quarter shot shows Benz designers are willing to knock off early from time to time.
Judging by the text in the image above we could be seeing info from Benz in the next few days. It’s expected the new model will be a bit lighter than the old SL, but really, it’s all guesswork until Mercedes releases the official word.
[Source: German Car Forum]
You may know a lot of things about the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupé Black Series. For example, you probably know the official word from Mercedes Australia says all 32 models on their way down under have been sold out. You probably know a ball-tearing Estate version is on its way.
Of course, you will definitely know the C63 Black is powered by one of the world’s great engines; in this case a normally aspirated 6.3 litre V8 producing 380 awe-inspiring kilowatts.
But, did you know its AMG coilover sports suspension and the high performance composite brake system offer ‘racetrack level driving pleasure’?