When stats like fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions begin to take greater importance than top speed and century dash times, it is understandable that the Mercedes-Benz pavilion at Geneva is focused on putting out the message of their ‘green credentials’. With the exception of the SLS AMG F1 safety car, all the other displays in their corner of the exhibition are focused on improving fuel economy and CO₂ figures.

However, Mercedes also wants to tell us we don’t need to satisfy all of the traditional petrolhead-cherished qualities in order to be kind to mother Earth as well. With the focus on increasing efficiency, we are looking to extract more power and cruising range from every drop of fuel burned. The room for improvement is such that environmental sustainability and driving pleasure need not be mutually exclusive.

But, doesn’t that sound familiar? Well, that’s because it does. The same message is being trumpeted by Merc’s arch-rivals from Munich, and believe it or not, the official press release from Mercedes on their Geneva displays is titled, “Efficiency can be this dynamic.” Are they kidding?

Mercedes-Benz in Geneva Motor Show 2010.

F 800 Style

Largely speculated to preview the styling to be used in the next gen CLS, the F 800 Style concept is previewed with both fuel-cell drive and as a plug-in hybrid as well. The former has a cruising range of 600km, whilst the latter is capable of 700km and an electric-only range of 30km. Mercedes claims that the packaging of both powertrain systems are sufficiently compact not to intrude into interior space, with various components housed in various cavities within the car’s chassis.

The plug-in hybrid variant mates a 300hp direct injection V6 petrol engine with a 109hp electric motor integrated into the casing of the 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission. According to Mercedes, the system’s combined output is a simple addition of the outputs of both motors – 409hp. The price to pay for that performance, according to Mercedes, is a paltry 2.9 litres/100km and 68 g/km of CO₂. In full-electric mode, the F 800 Style plug-in hybrid is capable of a 120kph top speed.

E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY & C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY

Also introduced at Geneva are revised versions of the C-Class and E-Class diesel models. The E 250 CDI, while maintaining its existing output figures of 204hp and 500Nm, has slashed its consumption and CO₂ emissions by 16% to 4.9 l/100km and 129 g/km respectively. Helping to achieve this is a newly developed ECO shifting programme for the 7G-T auto and lowered final drive (2.47 from 2.65).

The C 220 CDI, meanwhile, enjoyed a 6% cut in FC and CO₂ emission, achieving 4.5 l/100km and 119 g/km respectively. Output remains a formidable 170hp and 400Nm. Improvements made to the engines of both models include a lightened crankshaft, optimized oil pressure regulation and belt drive plus a self-regulating compressor for its turbo. Both models also now feature auto start/stop as standard.

E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID

Scheduled for a 2011 market launch is the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, which combines the 204hp four-cylinder from the E 250 CDI above with a 20hp electric motor to give a combined 224hp power output, while asking for only 4.1 litres of diesel for every 100km travelled. That, in turn, equates to CO₂ emissions of 109 g/km.

E-Class Cabriolet

Also showcased by Mercedes is the recently launched E-Class Cabriolet, with the marketing slogan “four seasons, four passengers”. A total of seven variants are available – four petrol and three diesel, all engine options lifted from the sedan variant as expected.

The E-Class Cabrio features what Merc calls an AIRCAP wind deflector that deploys at the touch of a button, and is claimed to ’significantly reduce’ interior air turbulence. The soft-top is operable at speeds up to 40kph, being able to open and close in just 20 seconds.

Also carried over from the sedan and coupe variants is the lengthy array of on-board electronic gadgets such as ATTENTION ASSIST, PRE-SAFE, Intelligent Light System, and DISTRONIC PLUS Cruise Control.

SLS AMG F1 Safety Car

The final exhibit of the Mercedes pavilion is a very prominent one – the 2010 Formula 1 season safety car, the SLS AMG. Taking over from the SL 63 AMG, this is set to be the highest-performing F1 safety car of all time. It will make its debut at the Bahrain GP on 12 – 14 Mar 2010.

KON

See also:
- Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> W212 Mercedes-Benz E-class – TheGunner (22/2/2009)
- Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – TheGunner (22/3/2009)
- Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Covers off: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – KON (13/9/2009)
- New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Launched in Malaysia – Autoworld.com.my – YS Khong (25/11/2009)
- Mercedes-Benz C 250 CDI – Waiting For Euro 4 Diesel – Autoworld.com.my – YS Khong (27/1/2010)

Recently, BusinessWeek and leading brand consultancy firm Interbrand published their annual Best Global Brands list ranking the world’s top 100 trade marks. For the ninth successive year, Coca-Cola has been ranked the world’s top brand, with IBM, Microsoft, and GE trailing in its wake. The biggest growths were made by Google, Amazon, and Zara, with their brand values increasing by 25%, 22%, and 14% respectively. Not every one had it good though. Notable names such as Merrill Lynch, AIG, and ING were even wiped out from the list altogether.

The world’s most valuable brand.

Perhaps due to the current climate of economic uncertainty, the overall value of the top 100 brands has declined by 4.6% compared to 2008. Brands in the food industry, such as McD, Kellogg’s, and Nestle, registered growth, whereas banks and automakers were hit the worst. You know the news is bad when Hyundai prides itself for having the lowest decline in brand value at 5%. Ferrari registered 0% decline, but everyone else’s brand value took a hit, averaging a 7.4% decline.

The least declining auto brand

Toyota continues to top the list among auto manufacturers, sitting at 8th place with a brand value of US$31b, declining by 8% from 2008. German giants Mercedes-Benz and BMW follow closely at 12th and 15th placing. Toyota’s arch-rivals, Honda, sit three places below the propellor badge at 18th place, with a brand value of US$17.8b.

Still the world’s top auto brand.

American giants Ford, more than US$10b less valuable a brand than Honda, is the 5th biggest auto brand at 49th place. Volkswagen and its subsidiary, Audi, are seperated by ten places at 55th and 65th spots respectively. At 69th place is Hyundai, at US$4.6b, is a more valuable brand than Porsche, Ferrari, and Lexus. Hyundai debuted in this ranking list in 2005 at 84th place, and has been making steady annual growth since then.

“Thanks to eye-catching products like Genesis and the innovative marketing such as the Assurance program, Hyundai is making a big splash in the world market,“ Interbrand said.

Products like the Genesis has helped raise Hyundai’s profile.

BusinessWeek’s “Best Global Brands” special report is featured in the September 28, 2009 issue, on newsstands Friday, September 18th. Expanded content, including full (more) methodology, is available on BusinessWeek.com at www.businessweek.com/go/brand and on Interbrand.com at http://www.thebestglobalbrands.com.

KON

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In-line with the mid-generation facelift of the W221 S-class, Mercedes is now introducing the facelifted versions of the mighty duo – the S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG. Little change is made to the already excellent powertrains of both models, with improvements focused primarily on the aesthetics and electronics.

Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG

According to Mercedes, both the 6.2-litre V8 of the 63 and the 6.0-litre V12 bi-turbo of the 65 continue to produce unchanged output figures, but now give reduced consumption and CO₂ emissions. Paired to these engines are AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT automatic transmissions with DIRECT SELECT manual overriding function. The high-revving V8 is mated to the seven-speed 7G-TRONIC. while the torquey V12 has to make do with only five gears, as its 1000Nm peak torque would, in all probability, rip the 7G-T apart.

Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG

Systems helping out the handling front include a purely mechanical variable rack steering (Direct-Steer in Mercedes-speak), Torque Vectoring Brake, and crosswind stabilisation as part of its new Active Body Control function. Speed Limit Assist, ATTENTION ASSIST, Adaptive High Beam Assist and PRE-SAFE Brakes complete the electronic arsenal.

The looks

The outward appearance of both the S 63 and S 65 have, naturally, been tweaked to bring them inline with the recently launched (in Europe) facelift of the S-class. As usual, while retaining the basic look and proportions of the standard S, these monsters have also received subtle styling treatment from AMG to hint at the (oh, so massive) potency underneath.

The most obvious change from the outgoing model is at the rear lamp cluster, where Mercedes ditched the three-piece look in favour of a one-piece design. The brake and tail lamps now consists of 52 LEDs lighting up to form a distinctive looking double “C” cluster framing the signal and reverse lights. The LED craze continues up front, with a row of LED daytime running lights (a la Audi) mounted at the top of the air intake vents at the front bumper.

Facelift brings double “C” tail light design and daytime running lights.

Rear view: S 63 (left) vs S 65 (right)

Although both the S 63 and S 65 carry the same basic look, minor styling details, obvious only to the sharpest of eyes, set them apart from each other. Up front, the S 63 gets the radiator grille carried over from the standard S-class, while the S 65 features a bolder design that with a trio of twin-chromed slats taken from the S 600. It would be easier, of course, to tell them apart by the badges instead. The S 63 gets “6.3 AMG” letterings stamped on its front fenders, while on the S 65, it’s a fiercer sounding “V12 Biturbo”

Front view: S 63 (left) vs S 65 (right)

At the corners, flared wheel arches house massive rims which also showoff the massive high performance AMG brakes. The S 63 gets a set of 19″ lightweight multi-spoke alloys painted in titanium grey colour. Meanwhile, the S 65 goes a size up with 20″ five twin-spoke forged alloys also painted in titanium grey.

Side view: S 63 vs S 65

The power

Both the S 63 and S 65 go about delivering their monstrous power in very different manners. Both feature engines that are already very familiar to us.  The S 63 takes the naturally aspirated route in the form of the famous high-revving 6.2-litre V8 engine. The S 65, meanwhile, uses two turbos to force feed its smaller 6.0-litre V12 to deliver a massive tsunami of torque available throughout the rev-range. Both cars are electronically limited to a 250kph top speed and achieve sub-five second times for the century sprint.

The highly-acclaimed 6,208cc M156 motor of the S 63 is already seeing action in almost every AMG-badged Mercedes in the model range. It swept two awards at the recent International Engine of the Year 2009 awards, winning the Best Performance Engine and the Above 4.0-litre categories. A 90-degree short-stroke high-revving V8, the M156’s peak torque of 630Nm comes in at 5,200rpm, with peak power (525hp) arriving 1,600rpm later, with the engine eventually redlining at 7,200rpm.

Engine specifications for the S 63 AMG.

In the S 65, the long stroke 60-degree V12 maxes out at only 6,000rpm. But this engine was not built to be a revver. Its main game is and always was going to be torque, dollops of it. Displacing 5,980cc, it features twin turbochargers aided by a powerful air/water intercooler. In its international press release, Mercedes (amusingly, see boxed text below) claims that the intercooler is capable of a “25% reduction in intake temperature at full throttle regardless of the outside temperature”. From there, the turboes take over and ram the air into the twelve combustion chambers at a pressure of 1.5 bar.

At idling, the S 65’s nuclear powerplant already churns out more torques than an on-song BMW 535d. Bring it up to 1,500rpm, you then get 750Nm. It is capable of producing as much as 1,200Nm, but Merc had to curtail it to 1,000Nm in order not to shatter the already re-inforced five-speed automatic transmission. The engine’s peak power of 612hp also comes in a spread, arriving at 4,800rpm and lasting till 5,100rpm. This is as close to a dose of raw muscle from Germany as you’re going to get.

Engine specifications for the S 65.

Both the S 63 and S 65 get AMG SPEEDSHIFT automatic transmissions with steering column mounted levers, dubbed DIRECT SELECT by Mercedes. Three different shifting patterns can be chosen by the driver – Comfort, Sport and Manual. Choosing manual enables the driver to take over the business of shifting gear using the steering wheel shift paddles, completely undisturbed by the electronics, with only an indicator on the dashboard suggesting recommended upshift points. The S 63, with its high-revving V8, gets seven-speeds with its 7G-TRONIC transmission. The high-torque S 65 makes do with two gears less, getting a specially reinforced five-speeder to cope with the mountainous 1,000Nm of torque.

The handling

To help cope with the tremendous amounts of power available to the driver, AMG has armed both the S 63 and S 65 with an array of enhancements to the steering, brakes and suspension systems carried over from the standard S-class, if they weren’t already good enough. One of the most impressive systems carried over is the Direct Steer system, which is already standard in the run-of-the-mill S-classes. It is, in a nutshell, a variable ratio and variable assist steering system in one. What does that mean to the driver?

At angles of five degrees either side of the centreline, the steering turns the front wheels using an indirect ratio for greater stability. Turn more than that, the ratios become more direct, with only slight change in the steering angle needed to turn the wheels. In addition, the steering assistance is speed-sensitive, with more assistance coming in at lower speeds. Totally uncharacteristic of Mercedes in recent years, the Direct Steer system is purely mechanical, which they claim, and we absolutely agree on this, brings about “associated benefits in terms of weight, installation space and susceptibility to faults” thanks to the absence of “elaborate actuators and complex sensors”.

Direct steer keeps S 65 on course.

Now, if you get a little too enthusiastic hammering corners in either of these behemoths, the Torque Vectoring Brakes will step in to the rescue on the onset of understeer. Standard on all models of the S-class range, it works simply by braking the inside rear wheel, resulting in “a yaw moment about the vehicle’s vertical axis” that would tug the car back to its intended course. In laymen’s terms, picture a force pulling the car back to keep it from going off in a tangent.

Traveling along straights, the Active Body Control system with crosswind stabilization works in conjunction with the AMG sports suspension to keep the car on course in the face of strong sidewinds. It works by varying the distribution of wheel loads to help offset the crosswind effects. Furthermore, the active suspension system also helps to minimize body roll during corners by varying the flow of oil in the absorbers. It also features a self-leveling function, ensuring identical handling characteristics regardless of the load carried by the vehicle.

For the anchors, AMG is equipping both the S 63 and S 65 with massive cross-drilled ventilated discs all-round. The discs up front measure 390mm in diameter, and feature double floating calipers, which reduces heat transfer to the brake fluids and have the efficiency of larger fixed calipers. The 365mm discs at the rear, meanwhile, are clamped by a large sliding single frame-type caliper. In wet weather, the braking system self-dries the discs by delivering regular but imperceptible braking impulses to all four wheels to wipe of films of water forming on the brake discs.

When an emergency is detected by the driver suddenly lifting his/her foot off the throttle, the ADAPTIVE BRAKING system primes the brakes, and slam in full force as soon as the pedal is stepped on. At a standstill, the driver can also activate the ADAPTIVE BRAKING system’s HOLD function by stepping on the brake pedal a little further. The brakes would then keep the car stationary until the driver steps on the accelerator again.

Other electronic driving aids include Speed Limit Assist (very useful if you drive either of these on any roads other than the autobahn), ATTENTION ASSIST, Adaptive High Beam Assist, and Night View Assist Plus. Most, if not all, of these electronic systems are already featured in the W212 E-class and have been extensively explored in our preview of the said model.

Availability

The S 63 AMG will be available in both short or long wheelbase versions, retailing at €138k and €145k respectively in Europe (both prices incl 19% VAT). The S 65 AMG will only come in long wheelbase body style, and would cost a whopping €221k (incl 19% VAT). – KON

Best New Engine of the Year

The category of newcomer engines, which included two from BMW was won by Porsche with their new 3.8-litre naturally aspirated flat six. It is rated at an impressive 385bhp max power, but that was not the factor that clinched its award. What impressed the judges most was how Porsche also got the engine to sip less fuel than its predecessor.

According to Marc Noordeloos of Automobile magazine, “Leave it to Porsche to build a near-400bhp engine that returns such impressive fuel economy. Enthusiasts should take comfort in the fact that the naturally aspirated engine may not be dying after all.”

Porsche attributes the impressive economy of this engine to the fact that it uses direct injection, brought over from the Cayenne. That, and a 200cc increase in engine capacity saw the 3.8 gain a healthy 30bhp over the outgoing 3.6 but emit 15% less CO₂.

Green Engine of the Year

VW introduced the 1.4-litre twincharged EA111 engine back in 2006, but today the engine is still good enough to fend off challenges from Mercedes and BMW diesels in addition to hybrids from Honda and Ford.

The 1.3-litre IMA from  Honda pushed it real close, but ultimately lost out because of its massive power deficit in comparison to the TSI, which can be tuned to output as much as 178bhp.

FC and emission figures ultimately clinched it for the VW. When used in the Golf, the TSI emits 144 grams of CO₂ for every kilometre traveled and consumes 6.2 litres of petrol for every one hundred. The Insight betters both these figures, but falls way short of the TSI’s impressive power output.

Best Performance Engine

Taking the title of the Best Performance Engine is none other than the famous 6.2-litre V8 M156 of Mercedes-AMG, which powers everything currently slapped with the 63 AMG badge.

This naturally aspirated high-revver (7,200rpm redline) had to beat two BMW engines, and one each from Jaguar, Porsche and Ferrari to claim its prize.

Best Performance Engine: Mercedes-AMG M156 6.2 V8.

Sub 1-litre

The Sub 1-litre category is actually the best place for Japanese manufacturers to cari makan in these awards. As the Europeans tend to look at the bigger capacities, it leaves room for the Japanese to attack this segment unhindered.

Look no further, the only Japanese winner in this year’s award is here – Toyota’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder 1 KR-FE, which it also shares with the PSA Group. After narrowly winning this segment last year, the three-potter returned to trounce smart’s 799cc diesel into a distant second place.

Sub 1-litre: Toyota 1KR-FE

1-litre to 1.4-litre

The 1.0-1.4 segment sees a VW one-two finish, with two of its 1.4 TSI powerplants occupying the top two berths in this category. The very same engine that took home the Green Engine of the Year award, the EA111, now bags the 1.0-1.4 category as well.

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre

A piece of news that is certain to excite our 308 forummers in Autoworld, the turbocharged version BMW-PSA Prince 1.6-litre engine under their hoods havs won this segment for the third year running, comfortably beating the Toyota Prius 1.8-litre hybrid.

For this award, the version of the engine tested churned 175hp of power and 260Nm of torque, which is the specification level for the 308 GT and the Mini Cooper S.

Third place is taken by another engine that has also seen a reasonable amount of action in Malaysia, Audi’s 1.8-litre TFSI found in the likes of the A4, TT, Skoda Superb and VW Passat.

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre: BMW-PSA Prince

1.8-litre to 2.0-litre

Last year’s winner of the 1.8-2.0 category, Audi’s EA 113 2.0-litre TFSI engine, was finally deposed of its crown, ironically by its successor, the EA 888, another 2.0-litre TFSI engine available in power outputs ranging from 178 to 208bhp, and capable of up to 350Nm of torque.

The EA113, meanwhile, occupies third place, with the BMW N47 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel of the 123d sits between the two Audi powerplants at second. A special mention goes to Subaru for having its first diesel engine even nominated in the category.

1.8-litre to 2.0-litre: Audi EA888 2.0 TFSI

2.0-litre to 2.5-litre

Winning in the 2.0-2.5 category was the new 2.1-litre diesel from Mercedes-Benz introduced in the W212 E-class. Featuring twin-turbos, piezo-electric direct injection, Stuttgart’s latest oil-burner is available in three states of tune – 134bhp, 168bhp and 201bhp.

In second place is the 2.5-litre five-pot motor found in the Audi TT RS, recently previewed here in Autoworld Blog, capable of producing 340bhp and 450Nm. Also among the nominees, but finishing last, is the Honda 2.4-litre K24 engine, which in Malaysia’s market sees action in the Accord and Odyssey.

2.5-litre to 3.0-litre

Here is a category dominated by BMW for the past three years. Two time overall winner of the International Engine of the Year Award (in 2007 and 2008), the BMW N54B30 3.0-litre direct injection twin turbo engine continues to dominate this category for the third year running.

The N54 was BMW’s first turbocharged petrol engine since 1980, but it certainly was worth the wait. Lag free turbo response ensures a healthy 302bhp on tap with 400Nm of peak torque available pretty much all the time.

A distant second is another BMW 3.0-litre twin turbo engine, but a diesel powered variant, one that has seen action in the 335d, 535d, 635d, X3, X5 and X6, the M57. In the 35d state of tune, this engine outputs 282hp peak power and a whopping 580Nm of peak torque.

2.5-litre to 3.0-litre: NMW N54

3.0-litre to 4.0-litre

After being upstaged by the Mercedes-AMG 6.2-litre monster in the Best Performance Engine category, the S65B40 4.0-litre V8 of the BMW M3 redeems some pride by comfortably beating two Porsche 3.8-litre flat six engines to take the 3-to-4 litre category.

Producing 414bhp at its 8,250rpm redline, the S65 replaces the highly successful S54B32 of the E46 M3. The S54 has left a tough act to follow, having walloped this category for no less than six times during its career. For the S65, this is its second victory in this category after winning it in 2008, ensuring BMW’s continued dominance in this segment.

3.0-litre to 4.0-litre: BMW S65B40

Above 4.0-litre

Mercedes and AMG reassume centerstage for the Above-4 category, with the 6.2 V8 M156 returning to shrug off challenges from two BMW powerplants, a Jag, a Cadillac, and a somewhat darkhorse in the form of a Lexus hybrid.

INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR 2009

After deciding the respective categories, judges then form a shortlist from the winner of each category to ultimately decide the winner of the International Engine of the Year award.

For 2009, the tiny 1.4-litre EA111 TSI powerplant from Volkswagen took on defeated the mighty N54 from BMW, ending the Bavarians’ four-year monopoly of the top prize. It wasn’t easy for the little guy though, as the defending champion fought it all the way, in the end losing only by four judging points.

INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR 2009: Volkswagen EA111

Audi increases market share in Asia-Pac and Europe.

Audi continues to soar in the face of the current global recession, with the new Q5, recently launched in Malaysia, driving sales. For May 2009, about 82,800 Audis were sold world wide, a 6.1% decrease from May 2008. Nevertheless, they did increase their overall market share in Europe, going from 3.7% in May 2008 to 3.95 in May 2009.

In the US, market share also rose, as they posted the smallest decline (yes, that’s considered good news) among the premium brands. However, the best of the news came from their China operations, as they smashed sales records for the third consecutive month.

Q5 drives sales for Audi.

BMW sells more than 109,000 vehicles in May

Over in Munich, the BMW Group also posted some impressive figures, with 109,042 vehicles sold world wide. This figures, of course, includes that of MINI and Rolls-Royce. However, it should be noted that this figure still represented an 18.3% decline from the previous year.

Out of the 109,042 cars sold last month, 90,643 wore BMW badges, with the new Z4 raking up 2,365 sales in its first month. MINI, meanwhile, raked up 18,348 sales worldwide (down 19.1% from last year), with Malaysia mentioned as one of the countries where sales actually grew for the sub-brand.

Z4 off to a strong start.

Merc posts increased sales in Germany.

With all the good news coming from Munich and Ingolstadt, Mercedes couldn’t resist in posting their share of the good news as well, as they recorded an 11% increase in sales back home. Worldwide sales declined by 12% from May 2008, as the Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart and Maybach brands all combined to deliver 97,300 sales worldwide, compared to 111,100 for May 2008.

The new W212 E-class has been very well-received in Germany, being the market leader back in their homeland, and contributing to their increase in sales. Also well-received is new S400 HYBRID, which is accounting for 15% of S-class sales.

E-class once again the market leader in Germany.

What Car? Green Car Awards 2009

Ok, don’t be confused. For those of you who don’t know, this is refering to the Green Car Awards 2009 organised by the British auto magazine What Car? (name complete with question mark). Get it? Good. The winners are:

Supermini: Fiat 500 Start&Stop
Price: £9700 CO2: 113g/km Average economy: 58.9 mpg

Small family car: Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe S
Price: £17,495 CO2: 104g/km Average economy: 72.4mpg

Family car: Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D T2
Price: £17,545 CO2: 135g/km Average economy 55.4 mpg

Executive car: BMW 318d ES
Price: £24, 235 CO2: 123g/km Average economy 60.1 mpg

MPV: Citroën Grand C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi SX EGS
Price: £19,095 CO2: 140g/km Average economy 53.3 mpg

SUV: Lexus RX450h SE-L
Price: £50,460 CO2: 148g/km Average economy 44.8 mpg

Sports car: Mini Cooper S
Price: £16,575 CO2: 149g/km Average economy 46.6 mpg

Luxury car: Audi A8 2.8 V6 FSI SE
Price: £49,970 CO2: 199g/km Average economy 34.0 mpg

Technology: Vauxhall Ampera

Editors Award: Tesla

Overall Winner: Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe S

The winning car: Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe S

New Ford Escape coming soon to Malaysia

Ford is set to unveil the facelifted Escape for our shores this week. Autoworld will be bringing you the latest details as soon as we get them. Stay tuned for this one.

Daimler AG and Tesla Motors Inc have recently announced a solidification of their partnership, with the Stuttgart outfit acquiring a 10% stake in the rising electric car maker. The companies have already been working closely together to integrate 1,000 units of Tesla’s lithium-ion batteries and charging systems into Daimler’s electric smart fortwo, due to commence production later this year in smart’s assembly plant in Hambach, France.

 
Tesla Roadster with electric drive smart fortwo.

This collaboration will see Daimler place Prof. Herbert Kohler, Vice President of its E-Drive and Future Mobility division among Tesla’s board of directors. The scope of their collaboration shall include the development of battery systems, electric drive systems and individual vehicle projects.

The bosses at the press conference.

From this partnership, Tesla stands to benefit from having access to Daimler’s expertise in the areas of engineering, production and supply chain, allowing them to, hopefully, get the upcoming Model S onto the production line quicker.

On Daimler’s side, this move keeps them inline with their electric vehicle policy. Plans are already afoot in the company to industrialize lithium-ion technology. Currently, Daimler is the only manufacturer that has all of developing, producing and marketing of batteries for electric vehicles under one roof. Since 2007, they have been having 100 smart electric cars running around in London undergoing trials.

Eventually, electric propulsion will be appearing in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. A fuel-cell powered B-class will commence small-series production this year, while the first battery powered Merc is set for introduction next year. By 2012, all smart and Mercedes electric vehicles will be powered by Daimler’s in-house produced lithium-ion batteries.

Following the recent introduction of the W212 E-class, Mercedes wasted little time in introducing its performance flagship model, the E63 AMG at the New York auto show last month. The published figures, though not unexpected, still make for interesting reading: 6.2 litres, eight cylinders, 525 horses, and 630Nm – a formidable force by any reckoning.

For the next round of engagements in the super saloon arena, the manufacturers are veering away from battling each other with just brute horsepower. A greater emphasis will be placed on efficiency and economy, with efforts on weight reduction and various energy saving measures coming to the forefront. Mercedes quotes improved consumption figures compared to the W211 E63, thanks in no small part to efforts such as brake energy regeneration, and a concerted effort to reduce in-engine friction

From the initial info made available to us, this car holds little surprises. It’s standard AMG fare here, but that’s fine, because there’s little wrong with AMG’s usual handiwork. Like all good AMG Mercs, the E63 cloaks its nuclear firepower under a skin of understated aggression in its bodywork.

W212 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

Exterior

Compared to the outgoing W211 E63 AMG, telling the new W212 E63 from its regular brethren will be an even trickier task, especially against those kitted in the AMG Sports bodywork, especially from the front. The front bumper vents, which are the usual styling cue to differentiate an AMG Merc, are of almost the same shape with the regular. On the E63, they are bigger, but it’s only visible if you put examples of both cars side by side. The tell-tale sign would be the arrangement of the LED bulbs of the fog lamps, where the regular model’s L-shaped configuration is replaced with a flat horizontal row.

The difference in the rear, with the exception of the “E63″ and “AMG” badges adorning the bootlid, is even less pronounced. It features the same unpainted and understated rear diffuser on the AMG Sport bodykit that also visually connects the tailpipes on both sides, though the E63 has quad tailpipes compared to the regular’s two.

Barely distinguished from the standard E at the rear, but quad tails and badges give it away.

There’s little chance mistaking it from the side though, especially at a stand still. First, if the monstrous cross-drilled discs don’t give the game away, the “6.3 AMG” badge on the fenders and the aggressive 18″ five twin-spoke alloys should. Completing the visual differentiation from the regular E-class are a pair of venting slats at the front bumpers just ahead of the wheels.

Surely you can tell it apart from here.

Interior

The interior has received a few touches from AMG which distinguishes it from the standard E-class, but only after the first glance. The first noticeable difference is the gear lever, with one-touch logic interface, back to the centre console from the steering column. Indeed the whole area around the gear lever has been made over, to accomodate the AMG DRIVE UNIT, which controls the various electronic settings of the transmission, suspension, and the ESP.

One-touch gear lever controls 7-speeder; surrounded by controls for AMG DRIVE UNIT.

For the purpose of steering the car, Mercedes is providing a four-spoke AMG sports steering with shift paddles to complete the sporty touch. Behind the wheel, the instrument panel is organised in the same 3+2 binnacle design of the standard E-class, with the temperature and fuel gauges in smaller binnacles flanking the larger clock, speedo and tacho binnacles. Another touch of product differentiation sees the dials printed in AMG style fonts, with the “6.3 V8″ lettering printed on the base of the rev meter and “AMG” printed on the  base of the speedo.

Overall cabin architecture is still from standard E, but minor sporty touches sets it apart.

Powertrain

Like before, Mercedes has opted to go with high capacity and natural aspiration in the engine for their latest AMG E, with the M156 engine under the hood once again. For the W212, the 6,208cc V8 produces a useful 525bhp and 630Nm, while achieving an impressive 12.6 litres / 100km fuel consumption figure.

6,208cc, V8, naturally aspirated – 525hp, 630Nm

Among new features engineered into the powerplant include an improved water cooling system, brake energy regeneration, and on-demand fuel delivery and generator management – all pointing to the direction of improved efficiency. The cylinder walls are finished by a twin-wire arc spray coating process to keep in-engine friction down to a minimum.

Drive to the rear wheels are channeled by a 7-speed semi-automatic transmission dubbed the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT, which uses a wet clutch in place of the usual torque converter. Featuring four driving modes (Controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport Plus & Manual), Mercedes claims shift times as quick as 0.1 seconds in manual mode. On the road, this translates to a century sprint lasting 4.5 seconds en route to the electronically limited 250kph top speed.

0-100kph: 4.5 seconds.

Ride & Handling

On the four corners, Mercedes has equipped the E63 with what it terms the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension system, which is supposed to feel equally at home at Sepang or Jalan Ampang, compromising neither ride nor handling. Stopping power is provided by a quartet of massive 360 mm cross-drilled discs, barely disguised by five-spoke 18″ AMG alloys.

AMG has adopted a unique solution of springing the front axle with steel springs, while hooking the rear with air springs. The spring struts are supposed to give a more sensitive response for the front end, while the air struts, connected to the auto level control system, maintains constant vehicle height regardless of load. The whole setup is wired to a three-mode electronic control system, which varies damping characteristics based on the driving conditions.

Connecting the inputs from the steering to the front wheels is a speed-sensitive rack & pinion setup tuned to a steering ratio of 14:1, which Merc claims is 22% more direct than the standard E. Steering precision and road contact is also supposedly improved by means of a stiffened column and a remapped speed-sensitive servo assistance.

Mercedes claims steering ratio is 22% more direct than standard E.

The 3-stage ESP system is lifted from the AMG parts bin, having already seen action in the SL63 AMG and C63 AMG. Its aforementioned three stages, aptly named ESP ON, ESP OFF and ESP SPORT, can be selected by the driver using the AMG DRIVE UNIT on the centre console.

3-stage ESP keeps the big E in line.

Coupe Version?

The official debut of the E63 AMG  sedan took place last month at the 2009 New York International Motor Show, with official sales in Europe set to commence in August. We have yet to hear any mention of a coupe version of the E63 to complement the sedan, but its appearance surely is just a matter of time.

Sales start August. Malaysia can slowly wait.

As the cliché goes, most of us probably look back to our days in school with fond memories. Unlike the daily stress and grind of working life, your biggest concern in school is whether or not you ‘pass up’ your homework on time. Gramatically speaking though, you definitely wouldn’t have wanted your work to have been ‘passed up’, because the dictionary says ‘pass up’ actually means “to let go by; reject” – which makes me wonder as to who started using this phrase, to the point which it had become so prevalent in our schools?

Back then, we used to sigh whenever the ‘adults’ tell us how they wished they were back in school, as deep in our hearts we were more than happy to swap places with them – for their freedom and their money earning power. While I didn’t quite hate going to school per se, I was more than happy to sit for my SPM and be on my way to university, and eventually the ‘working world’. The trend continued in uni, where I remember most of my friends eagerly awaiting graduation and then the eventual freedom of the ‘working world’.

Now that we are all here, everyone is missing school and uni, and we now become the adults telling kids how we wished we were back in school. What can I say, life is a vicious cycle. While we now do indeed look back to those days with fondness, most of us did not quite live through them with the same sentiment. We went through school dreading every class and eagerly awaiting the bell to go home, though there was no dreading classes in uni, because many people just didn’t bother to turn up.

However, I have recently found a school that you would not only show up at each class full of enthusiasm, but you wouldn’t want it to end. You would probably be bouncing out of bed every morning eagerly anticipating the day’s classes and you would definitely be grinning your way home every evening. After it’s all over, you would still be looking back at the experience with fond memories, wishing you were back in school too.

Ladies & gentlemen, introducing the AMG Driving Academy. Classes start now

Would you skip classes like these?

The Brief

The AMG Driving Academy was founded in 2007 by Mercedes-AMG to partly to ’give keen drivers the opportunity to hone their sporty driving skills under professional guidance and to experience unforgettable events with like minded enthusiasts’, and also, I suspect, partly to serve as an additional source of revenue to fund for projects like the upcoming SLS AMG.

The academy draws on the strength of the AMG brand with the aim of equipping its participants with all the necessary skills to face critical driving conditions. A common wisdom among driving enthusiasts is that driving should not only be safe, it should also be fun and enjoyable. People who properly enjoy driving, with the benefit of proper training, go on to become safe and confident drivers.

According to the brochure, the top priority of the driving academy is to ‘learn more about yourself and your vehicle’, under the guidance of top drivers. It’s not just the driving too, the programmes include classy accomodation with beautiful scenic routes thrown in. It all adds up to a very tempting preposition.

A very tempting preposition indeed.

The Gurus

The team of instructors at the AMG Driving Academy are some of the people with the very best driving credentials on the planet. They are led by chief instructor Reinhold Renger, himself a man of extensive racing experience. Other members of the team include former German Touring Car Championship (DTM) driver Thomas Jäger, and the current Formula One Safety Car drive Bernd Mayländer. A new recruit to the team is distinguished racing driver, Bernd Schneider, winner of five DTM titles and the FIA GT championship.

Chief Instructor Reinhold Renger

Thomas Jäger

Bernd Mayländer: Goes driving F1 safety cars when he’s not teaching.

New addition to the team: Bernd Schneider

The Curriculum

 
“Gentlemen, start your engines.”

For the 2009/2010 ‘academic year’, the AMG Driving Academy is offering eleven different events categorized into five different themes. They range from merely lifestyle-oriented events to winter driving to full-on race training – all under the guidance of the aforementioned driving pros. Depending on programme, participants are exposed to legendary race tracks such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Spa-Francorchamps.

Drives through legendary European tracks await.

The EMOTION skill level has four programmes with fun scenic drives in Mercedes AMG vehicles. Participants can choose from the Bregenz Festival, Chiemgau, DTM and Spirit of AMG tour packages. The Bregenz and Chiemgau packages are essentially sightseeing packages with challenging driving conditions for you to tackle in an AMG vehicle. Meanwhile, for the DTM package, participants take a drive to any one of the Hockenheim, Norisring or Nurburgring to watch a DTM race live, with full access to the Merc-AMG lounge, paddock and a grandstand ticket thrown in.

For a few days, you get almost unlimited driving of the best machines from AMG

The abovementioned programmes include accomodation, catering, tour of AMG’s factory in Affalterbach, and not to mention the chance to drive a proper AMG-tuned Mercedes. A day event consisting of just the tour of the AMG factory and a day’s worth of driving in the AMG Mercs is also available in the form of the Spirit of AMG package. This is a far more affordable package compared to the rest and should appeal to enthusiasts on a limited budget.

Next is the BASIC skill level, with two different programmes – Basic Training Boxberg and Basic Training Power & Passion. The Boxberg course is a one and a half day programme which gives the participants the chance to have a go at a handling course and a high speed oval in addition to receiving full guidance from the AMG trainers. The Power & Passion course is aimed at owners of Mercedes AMG vehicles who opt for the Code 250 AMG Driver’s Package - their participation is covered in the purchase price of their vehicle.

The ADVANCED skill level also contains two programmes – Advanced Training and Winter Sporting. The former consists of a two day training course in Mercedes AMG vehicles on any one of Hockenheim, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps or Zandvoort racing tracks in Europe; while the latter takes the participants to Arjeplog in Sweden, where they are trained to drive through the harshest winter conditions in cars such as the E63 AMG, C63 AMG and SLK 55 AMG.

“Look, ma! Driving on ice!”

PRO skill level takes the game further, continuing the progress in ADVANCED, in the form of Pro Training and Winter Sporting Pro. Pro Training picks up from Advanced Training, putting participants through another two days worth of driving training, but this time in the famous North Loop of the Nurburgring. Winter Sporting Pro, meanwhile, takes the participants back to Arjeplog for even more challenging winter driving.

Participants who complete at least the ADVANCED skill level are entitled to participate in the MASTERS SPORTS TROPHY, where you and at most 24 other drivers undergo an intensive four day training course which covers racetrack training and individual vehicle suspension tuning (yes, you can participate with your very own Merc AMG car). Trained sports therapists are also present to assess each participant’s physical condition as they compete amongst each other for the prize of having the unique prize of a chance to drive the AMG Mercedes C-class DTM.

Chance to drive the AMG Mercedes C-class DTM in the agenda.

Prices

If the above description was good enough to have you packing your suitcases, I hope what follows is good enough to have you checking your bank balance first. Participation is not cheap. The only one day program on offer – the Spirit of AMG tour – costs €285 (RM1.4k), which covers your meals for the day, and the use of an AMG vehicle shared with a partner for the day.

The only other three figure sum in the catalogue is the two day Basic Training Boxberg course at €980 (€850 if you bring your own car). This sum does cover for accomodation in an ‘upmarket hotel’, catering for the entire duration. You also get an AMG vehicle shared with a partner, which brings us to the other advantage of bringing your own car – you don’t have to share.

The rest of the EMOTION programmes cost between €1,200 and €1,500, while for the ADVANCED courses, costs rocket beyond the €2k mark. It starts at €2,090 if you bring your own car, but it goes up to €2,540 should you choose to go through proceedings in an AMG-supplied vehicle shared with a partner. Meanwhile, the four day Winter Sporting course at Arjeplog, in which participants drive in a closed ice-circuit, and have full access to the AMG Lodge, an AMG-owned hotel with exclusive rooms, restaurant, and a large spa, would set would you back a whopping €3,540 (RM17.5k!!).

If you could afford the cash, and come back wanting more, well, there is more. Participation in the Winter Sport Pro programme costs €4,890. You once again go back to Arjeplog, but for a five day programme with even more advanced activities, and have the car all to yourself. Pro Training costs €2,350 with your own car, but you can opt for a hired Mercedes AMG vehicle, with costs varying with model. Similarly, the Master programme starts at €3,690, and you once again have a choice to opt for your favourite Mercedes AMG variant, starting from the SLK 55 AMG to the SL 63 AMG - each with different cost impact.

How do I sign up?

If, after going through all the figures above and working out the sums, you have decided that you can afford a trip to see and experience the very best that AMG can offer, pay a visit to the official website set up by AMG for the Driving Academy.

Should you go, whichever programme you eventually choose might end up costing you a lot of money, but the money is definitely going to be very well spent, whether you’re a driving enthusiast or not. At the very least, it’s a holiday worth considering. Definitely not an opportunity to ‘pass up’.

The proper research and development of a product usually involves a lengthy process of long hours of concept brainstorming, then a long line of concept designs, followed by the actual designing stage, from which prototypes are produced to evaluate various performance parameters. As the prototypes get more advanced, the conditions they are tested in mimic real world operations more and more closely.

Here is where things get a little complicated for the car world. Unlike products like, say, computers or hand phones, where full testing can be done entirely in the sealed confines of the company’s R&D lab, prototype cars must be tested on roads because that’s where they’re used. But, that also means exposing your upcoming products to the prying eyes of your competitors and the public.

So, somewhere along the line, some car manufacturer thought of the idea of sending their prototypes out into the world heavily disguised under a cloak of tape and black cloth. This then gave rise to ’spyshots’, where photographers catch these mysterious cars in action, then have the pictures sold to the highest bidder – usually magazines. The editors of these magazines then splash these pictures across their pages under banners that read something like, “Sighted: The Next 5-series!”

When a model is eagerly anticipated by the public, like how the Proton Exora has been, every spyshot taken further adds to the buzz. Not too long ago, Mazda took full advantage of this themselves released ’spyshots’ of their upcoming Mazda3 under taped disguise. Now, Mercedes is also following this route as part of their marketing activity to build anticipation for a supercar scheduled for release in 2010 – the SLS AMG.

Under wraps: the Mercedes SLS AMG.

Development

The SLS AMG is to be the first car developed in-house by the famous AMG division of Mercedes-Benz. Dubbed as the new Gullwing from Mercedes, the folks from AMG have been working on this project together with specialists from the Mercedes Technology Centre in Sindelfingen since late 2006. Built on the concept of an ‘uncompromising sports car’, this is also going to be the first Merc to feature extensive aluminium construction.

Until now, all Mercs wearing AMG badges have been engineered out of existing models from the parent company’s stable. So, for the first time, with a clean slate to start from, the AMG engineers must have been licking their lips with anticipation. The specs sheet show as much: 6.2-litre V8, 571 hp, dry sump lubrication, seven-speed rear-mounted twin clutch transmisison, 48:52 front/rear weight distribution. The key words that continuously appear in the press release are “light weight” and “low centre of gravity”.

Mercedes-AMG has been working on this since late 2006

Body

For the first time, AMG’s responsibility in styling their product are going beyond spoilers and skirts – they will be designing the entire car. Although the camouflage still effectively keeps most styling details, the overall body shape and proportions already suggest something very different from your neighbour’s old W124 230E. The front view bears more than a passing resemblance to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano - with its longish headlights and a gaping radiator flanked by a pair of smaller intake vents.

Front end has 599 proportions

Like the outgoing SLR, the engine of the SLS is mounted just behind the front axle. This gives rise to its elongated bonnet styling with a short front overhang, and sees that the passenger compartment only occupies the rear half of the wheelbase. As mentioned earlier, the two passenger cockpit is accessed by a pair of ‘gullwing’ doors. The ’spyshots’ only show glimpses of the interior, from which we can make out a very low seating position, red leather trim, brushed metallic centre console finish, a very short gear lever and steering mounted paddle shifters.

A pair of prototypes undergo testing side-by-side. Camouflaging team mocks BMW kidney grille with disguises here.

A glimpse of the interior with Volker Mornhinweg, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG. Note hinges for gullwing doors on top of picture

The rear shots of the car revealed precious few details. There seems to be a pair of integrated exhaust pipes on either side of the bumpers, and also a very high shut-line for the boot. The taillights are unlikely to look anything like those you would see on the picture below. I also trust that the horrendous spoiler that you see in some of these pictures would not make it to production. It has to be a joke by the camouflaging team.

Once again, you wouldn’t expect this to be a Mercedes. Not with a spoiler like that, anyway.

Chassis

While Mercedes continues to keep us guessing on the styling details, they were more forthcoming with information on what lies under the skin of the SLS. For the first time, Mercedes is embracing aluminium as the primary building blocks of its cars. The body panels and chassis features extensive usage of this strong but light weight metal – to meet the targetted 1,620kg kerb weight.

Mercedes also assures us that while this car is lightweight in terms of mass, it is no lightweight in terms of chassis strength and crash protection. The press release from Merc shows a pretty impressive looking diagram demonstrating how side impact forces are dissipated around the passenger cell. Placing the engine behind the front axle also has the distinct advantage of allowing the engineers to use the entire front over hang area as a big crumple zone, not to mention enormous benefits in terms of weight distribution.

Another image was also released, a computer simulation of the car’s chassis in an offset front impact. It shows that despite extensive damage to the engine compartment, and also some of the impact forces transmitted to the rear axle via the transaxle, the passenger cell remains relatively undamaged. Though the simulation parameters were not given, it still appears to be a credible performance.

Computer simulated crash test. Note how the transmission and rear axle also receive impact forces transmitted via the transaxle.

Ride & Handling

Each of the four wheels are held in place by aluminium forged double wishbones. On paper, this provides the dream combination of low unsprung weight (thanks to the usage of aluminium), with the already legendary handling qualities of the double wishbone setup. Complementing the double wishbone setup is a three-stage ESP system that allows the driver to set, at the push of a button, the system to ESP ON, ESP SPORT, or ESP OFF.

Stopping power is provided by a quartet of cross-drilled vent discs made from a ceramic composite compound, which has the combined advantage of reduced weight and higher operating temperatures. As of now, Mercedes only intends to offer these discs as options, but nothing is stopping them from changing their mind to make these items as standard offering come launch time.

Powertrain

Powering the SLS will be a heavily reengineered version of the M156 which is currently powering all the various Mercedes 63 AMG vehicles. The V8 motor, dubbed M159 for this application, continues to displace 6,208cc, but Mercedes has completely reworked the intake system, valve train and camshafts. Additionally, wherever possible, components are upgraded to use higher strength but lower weight material.

Mercedes heavily reengineered M156 to produce the M159

The most crucial change comes in the introduction of dry sump lubrication, which enables the engineers to mount the engine as low as possible in the vehicle, keeping in line with the SLS’ prevailing theme of a lowered centre of gravity. From the external oil reservoir, oil is pumped into the engine via an on-demand high performance pump to ensure optimum lubrication.

All the various improvements are translated on the specs sheet as a 46hp and 20Nm output increase from the M156, as the M159 churns out 571hp @ 6,800rpm and 650Nm @ 4,750rpm. However, despite its 6,208cc displacement, Mercedes markets this engine as a 6.3-litre unit in compliance of German tax laws requiring engine capacities to be rounded UP to the nearest 100cc.

High-revving ”6.3-litre” V8 good for 571hp @ 6,800rpm and 650Nm @ 4,750rpm

The engine’s outputs are sent to the rear transaxle by means of an ultra-light carbon fibre shaft housed inside what Mercedes calls a torque tube. At the receiving end of the torque tube is Merc’s first attempt at a dual-clutch transmission.  The seven speed unit boasts, as per Merc’s claims, ‘fast gear changes with no loss of tractive force’, and also an integrated mechanical differential lock for optimum traction.

This powertrain setup, according to provisional claims by Merc, is good enough to propel the SLS from rest to 100kph in an eye-blinking 3.8 seconds, before maxing out at 315kph.  The front-mid engine with rear transaxle layout has allowed AMG to achieve a balanced 48:52 front/rear weight distribution. Together with the low centre of gravity and double wishbone setup, most of the bases are covered to ensure that the SLS would have at least above average handling characteristics.

Powertrain setup propels SLS to 315kph top speed, while achieving 48:52 weight distribution.

Countdown: T minus 1 year

The SLS represents many firsts for Mercedes. It’s the first car developed from scratch by AMG, the first to use all-aluminium construction, and the first to feature a twin-clutch gearbox - nevermind its German rivals have already begun using these technologies extensively in certain models. Nevertheless, the SLS remains an exciting product to wait for.

Assuming the current credit crunch does not affect the SLS’ development, Mercedes anticipates the conclusion of testing programmes by the end of 2009, with launch pencilled for spring 2010. It’s still a while more, but whatever details that Mercedes has released thus far indicates that the new Gullwing would be worth the wait.

Coming soon: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The curtains are set to come down on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. After almost six years of service, this product of a collaboration between Merc and McLaren will finally be pensioned off, though not before receiving a glorious swansong in the form of the limited edition SLR Stirling Moss. Retaining the original SLR underpinnings, but outrageously styled in reminiscence of the old 1955 300 SLR, only 75 units of this remarkable car will be built.

Its relation with the SLR beyond wearing the same model badge is not obvious at first sight. Mercedes has lopped off the windscreen and roof, and completely redesigned the body shape of the car, leaving only clues of the original model – looking more like a distant cousin than being a mechanically identical brother. Propulsion is provided by the same 5.5-litre supercharged V8 tuned to a massive 650hp. This massive lump can hurtle the SLR Stirling Moss from standstill to 100kph in 3.5 seconds before maxing out at a blinding 350kph.

The new additions to attached to its name plate are placed in honour of British racing legend Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, who famously drove the aforementioned 300 SLR to victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia endurance race. Moss drove his car, famously numbered 722 after his starting time of 7:22am, to victory in a still-standing record of time 10:07:48. Mercedes had already famously honoured this car with the SLR 722 edition in 2007, bearing the number 722 in similar fonts as it was emblazoned on Moss’ car.

Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss

Phasing out the SLR

The SLR McLaren made its world premier in Autumn 2003, as a showcase of the collective technological knowhow obtained throughout Merc and the big Mc’s long-running Formula One partnership. Its nameplate was chosen in honour of (yes, you guessed it) the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.  It has since spawn a roadster variant, the mad-as-maniac 722 edition and the even madder 722 GT.

In the context of the Mercedes family, the SLR name carries huge historical significance. The 300 SLR, even back in 1955, was producing 310hp out of a 2,982cc eight-cylinder engine, and was capable of a top speed of 310kph – truly impressive even by today’s standards. This SLR was also a product of F1 technological knowhow, being based on the 1954/5 Mercedes W196 F1 racer. 

Its racing career was glorious, but short, being prematurely ended by a fatal accident in the 1955 Le Mans 24 hour endurance race. In the incident, one particular SLR driver, driven by Pierre Levegh, rear-ended an Austin Healy and was hurled towards the crowd, injuring more than a hundred people, and killing over 80 – including Levegh himself. This incident led to Merc’s complete and official withdrawal from motorsports until the 1980s.

Despite the tragic end to its short racing career, the SLR remains a truly remarkable machine, having won the Targa Florio, Tourist Trophy, Eifelrennen and the Swedish Grand Prix all in the span of its one year in service. With these glorious memories in mind, Mercedes finally resurrected this nameplate in the 21st century with the SLR McLaren – another F1-inspired technological tour-de-force.

The roadster version was launched in September 2007, shortly before the coupe version ceased production. In April 2008, Mercedes announced that the SLR will be retired in May 2009. Assembly of the 75 units planned the Stirling Moss will take place from June till December 2009, which, in Mercedes’ own words, marks “for the foreseeable future, at least, the final curtain for the SLR.”

SLR nameplate has huge significance in Merc’s history.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (2003-2009)

Styling 

There’s very little of the SLR McLaren’s styling left in the Stirling Moss. In fact, it looked as though the design team ran riot, reworking and reinterpreting every line there was in the SLR McLaren to create this mean-looking machine. The scissor doors stay, as does the huge three-pointed star on the shutline between the bonnet and bumper, but little else.

The F1-inspired styling of the SLR’s nose has been heavily reworked, retaining only its pointed shape at the nose. Same goes to the front fenders with the massive side gills and exhausts. The pair of exhausts on each side has been repositioned from under the fender to inside the side gills, stacked one on top of the other, just like in the ‘55 300 SLR, from which many of the Stirling Moss’ styling cues are derived from.

Styling heavily reworked from SLR McLaren. Car seen pictured with the man himself, Sir Stirling Moss.

Exhausts now stack one on top of another and integrated into side gills, one of many tips of the hat to old 300 SLR 

At a glance, this car looks too extreme to go even beyond a concept stage in a company with such conservative sensibilities as Mercedes, but times have changed. The Stuttgart firm has been getting bolder and bolder in its designs to wrest some share of the enthusiasts’ market from their arch enemies in Munich. Would you expect to see a Mercedes without even a windscreen?

Here, all that protects the two occupants from the stream of air rushing from the front as the car races down the autobahn at breckneck speeds are nothing but a pair of wind deflectors measuring a couple of centimetres high. It’s what Mercedes calls a ‘puristic experience’, and the car also does without a roof and side windows.

The most significant styling element of the Stirling Moss, and also its most obvious reference to the old 300, is the pair of air scoops behind the driver and passenger. In the event of an unfortunate accident with the car turning turtle, the air scoops also serve as a roll bar to improve the occupants’ chances of survival.

Pair of air scoops the most visible styling ‘landmark’ of the Stirling Moss.

The rear end of the car is practically unrecognisable from the SLR McLaren, with only the three point star remaining and nothing else. The taillights have been completely reshaped from the SLR McLaren’s inverted triangular design to a pair of fiercer-looking trapezoidal units. The subtle integrated rear diffuser has been reshaped to be more edgy and obvious in appearance, practically shouting its presence. Even if just reviewed on styling terms alone, this is a Mercedes like no other.

Rear end completely reworked.

Cockpit

When Merc and McLaren were co-developing the SLR, rumour has it that the two firms never quite managed to agree on many key design decisions. McLaren wanted to produce a more focused car, but Mercedes was not willing to sacrifice too much refinement. McLaren wanted manual transmission, but Mercedes insisted auto. McLaren wanted a bare and practical cabin, but Mercedes insisted air-con, leather seats and the lot.

The Stirling Moss, therefore, probably moves the SLR closer to what McLaren had envisioned when they first embarked on this joint venture. Climbing over the high opening aperture of the doors lands you inside one of the most barebones cockpit made that can be found in a Mercedes. It is, however, only barebones in equipment, not material; you get a mixture of leather, carbon fibre and aluminium trim around you.  

Probably the barest cabin in Mercedes’ lineup.

As mentioned earlier, driver and passenger are completely uninsulated from the surroundings, with only a pair of tiny wind deflectors measuring centimetres high protecting their faces from the onrushing streams of wind. There is no windscreen, no roof, and no side windows – there’s no driving this car under rainy conditions. When parked, however, you can enclose the cabin with a pair of tonneau covers stowed in the boot.

Tonneau covers enclosing the Stirling Moss’ cabin.

On the dash, there is no LCD screen, no buttons galore, and none of the usual Mercedes luxuries, not even a radio. You do get a pair of airbags, dual zone climate control, and that’s about it. Mercedes didn’t even bother to hide the screws holding the carbon fibre centre console in place. It houses a pair of central air-con blowers, the basic climate control system, the handbrake (carried over from the SLR McLaren, but still unusual in a Merc), the engine’s start-stop button and a T-shaped gear lever surrounded by aluminium finishing.

Cabin has air-con, err… that’s it.

Indeed, just like the exterior, the interior is also barely recognisable from that of the SLR McLaren - even the steering wheel has been changed. The instrument panel has also been reworked, with the one-piece fascia replaced with a four-binnacle design, each separately housing the speedo, tacho, temp and fuel gauge respectively. As a final touch, to remind the occupants of the car’s special heritage, Mr Moss’ very own signature is engraved into the centre console’s aluminium finishing.

Speedo reads to 390kph. Stirling Moss does ‘only’ 350.

As if as any introduction is needed.

Performance & Drivetrain

In its original form, the SLR McLaren’s 5,439cc supercharged V8 produced 626hp @ 6,500rpm and 780Nm @ 3,250 – 5,000rpm. Even after going through the power sapping torque converter, there was still plenty left to keep the 1,980kg SLR in league with some of the very best from Italy. Official specs published during launch claimed a 0-100kph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 332kph.

For the Stirling Moss, Mercedes trimmed the weight to 1,626kg, and beefed up horsepower output to a nice round figure of 650, also coming at 6,500rpm. Maximum torque is also raised, now rated at 820Nm @ 4,000rpm. Compression ratio has also been slightly raised from 8.8:1 to 9.0:1. As a result, the century sprint time has been trimmed by 0.3 seconds to 3.5, with top speed now at 350kph.

However, if you’re planning to take your buddy on a 350kph joyride, forget it. Assuming you get a stretch of road long enough for you to get to that speed, it can only be achieved with the passenger side of the cabin enclosed by the tonneau cover and the passenger wind deflector removed, such is the significance of aerodynamics in this car.

5.4-litre supercharged V8 good for 650hp & 820Nm

Indeed, for the Stirling Moss, Mercedes picked up from the good work done on the aerodynamics of SLR McLaren, as they continued to refine it further. The closed underbody ensures smooth flow of air through the under-carriage. The rear diffuser has been enlarged and more pronounced, both for cosmetic and aerodynamic effect, resulting in increased down force at the rear axle.

The functioning airbrake, incorporated into the rear lip, raises automatically when the driver applies the brakes at speeds of 120kph and above. In addition, the driver also has the option of manually raising the airbrake, to further improve high speed stability. The bodywork also incorporate air ducts for active cooling of the brake discs. At high speeds, electrically operated flaps would partially close the ducts, until the driver applies the brakes, when the flaps would open again.

Availability

Only 75 units of the SLR Stirling Moss will be built, with assembly set to commence immediately after the SLR Roadster ceases production this May. The privelege of owning one would set the buyer back by a massive €750,000 (that’s RM3.59m). Don’t bother setting the money aside though, they are all sold out to existing customers of the SLR, whom Mercedes has involved throughout the development process.

The Stirling Moss will mark the end of the current generation Mercedes SLR, and what a farewell it is. It is one of the most outrageously designed Mercs of all time. Calling it a bold design would be a massive understatement. The fact that such a car made it beyond the conceptual stage from one of the most conservative manufacturers is utterly amazing. Mercedes deserves praise for making this product, even if it is just in small numbers.

Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss