Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 victorious at Nürburgring 24 Hours

A Black Falcon Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 has won a first overall victory at the 2013 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

Bearing starting number 9, the racer car with Bernd Schneider (Germany), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Sean Edwards (GB) and Nicki Thiim (Denmark) went from sixth position on the grid to finish the legendary endurance race 2:39 minutes ahead of their nearest competitor after 88 laps.

"This victory in the 24 hour race at the Nürburgring is the just reward for the loyalty of our customer teams," said Toto Wolff, Head of Motorsport at Mercedes-Benz. "The Nürburgring has always had a great importance and symbolic meaning for Mercedes-Benz, because this is where the legend of the Silver Arrow was born, so it is all the more gratifying to witness the success here today of the AMG customer teams."

A total of seven SLS AMG GT3s competed at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The #63 car entered by Black Falcon and driven by Vimal Mehta (IND), Kaled al Qubaisi (UAE), Daniel Keilwitz and Christian Bracke (both GER) finished in 19th position. The #125 car (Rowe Racing) with Michael Zehe, Reinhold Renger, Marko Hartung and Mark Bullit (all GER) shares the cockpit crossed the line in P27. The #10 car, also entered by Black Falcon and driven by Andrii Lebed (UKR), Andreas Simonsen (SWE), Dennis Rostek (GER) and Hari Proczyk (AUT), spent much of the race under repair and eventually finished in 130th position. The Rowe Racing number 21 driven by Marko Hartung, Kenneth Heyer, Roland Rehfeld and Christan Hohenadel (all GER) had to retire from the race after an accident. In Gullwing #22, the former DTM driver, along with Klaus Graf, Jan Seyffarth and Nico Bastian (all Germany), came home in third place overall.

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2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class officially unveiled

Mercedes-Benz has officially unveiled the 2014 S-Class at the Airbus A380 Delivery Center in Hamburg, Germany.

As with every generation before it, the new S-Class will set standards across the board to retain its accolade as "the best automobile in the world". Overall, the model measures 5,116 mm long, 1,899 mm wide and 1,483 mm tall with a wheelbase which spans 3,035 mm.

"The sophisticated design of the S-Class has always been an expression of luxury and automotive grandeur of its era. And our new S-Class continues this tradition. With its classic architecture and flowing silhouette, it is a modern embodiment of sensual clarity. The design draws a line from the sophisticated, progressive design idiom to the classic elegance of our 1930s cars - intelligence that speaks to the emotions. Stylish sportiness and sensual forms in synthesis with timeless clarity and effortless superiority make the S-Class a true design icon," said design chief Gorden Wagener.

To underline the effortless superiority of the new S-Class, and its ambition to lead, the radiator grille is now larger, upright and distinctly three-dimensional in design. With its long bonnet, the flowing, domed roof line and the gently slanting rear end, the new S-Class has classic saloon proportions. The size and space have been fashioned in such a way that the S-Class appears prestigious, and the powerful roof line is also in keeping with the car's sporty coupé-style intentions.

A character line descending discreetly from front to rear - the brand's hallmark "Dropping Line" - elegantly structures the side wall and generates additional dynamism even when the car is at a standstill. The subtly created convex-concave effect of the entire flank gives rise to an extremely powerful and elongated car body that demonstrates both excitement and calm. The pronounced shoulder above the rear wheel adds further emphasis to the car's athletic character.

Inside, the cabin embodies a classic, superior and cutting-edge saloon. The perfectly coordinated use of materials and colours produces an exclusive interior seemingly cast from a single mould. There is generous use of wood trim, especially in the dashboard and centre console. Metallised switch surfaces with pearl-effect paint finishes in three colour shades to suit the interior colour particularly highlight the outstanding quality.

Under the bonnet, four different engines are avaliable:

The S350 BlueTEC has a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine which produces 258 hp and 620 Nm of torque. This will allow the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 250 km/h.

The S500 features a 4.7-liter V8 petrol engine that develops 455 hp and 700 Nm of torque. It will enable the model to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, before topping out at 250 km/h.

Next up, the S300 BlueTEC Hybrid will reward customers with a 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine which creates 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque.  This allows the car to run from 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 238 km/h.

Lastly, the S400 Hybrid will be powered by a hybridized 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 306 hp and 370 Nm of torque. This enables the luxury sedan to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 250 km/h.

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2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class to be revealed at Airbus A380 delivery center

Mercedes-Benz has just announced the 2014 S-Class will make its world premiere tomorrow in Hamburg, Germany at the Airbus A380 Delivery Center.

We want to remind you that the double-decker A380 is the world's largest passenger airliner and this obviously persuaded the German carmaker to choose the aforementioned location.

"The new S-Class is the epitome of a modern luxury sedan and Hamburg is the perfect place to showcase it to the world," said Joachim Schmidt, Member of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales & Marketing. "The port of Hamburg is a symbol of Germany's export strength and success of German products around the world. In addition, it has developed into the most important European hub for trade with China - the main market for the new S-class."

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is expected to go on sale later this year.

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Mercedes-Benz CLA GT-R by Piecha Design

Piecha Design has recently introduced a modest styling package for the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA.
 
Called the CLA 250 GT-R, the body kit includes a chin spoiler and a pair of matte silver air splitters for the front bumper, along with new side skirts, flared front wings and a set of 10-spoke alloy wheels. The four-door coupe is also equipped with a trunk spoiler and an aggressive rear diffuser that incorporates a four-pipe exhaust system with 90 mm pipes.

Pricing details weren't announced, but the German tuner will reveal this project at the Tuning World Bodensee which is currently taking place in Germany.

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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe by Misha Designs

US tuner Misha Designs has recently released a new styling program for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.

Inspired by the C63 AMG Black Series, the wide body kit, which was built by RDB Customization Center, features an aggressive front bumper with three large air intakes, an unique air-channeling hood, revised side skirts and bulging fenders. There's also a roof spoiler, a low profile trunk spoiler and a sporty rear bumper with an optional carbon fiber rear diffuser.

Customers can also order gloss black 19-inch deep concave 14-spoke alloy wheels, wrapped in Continental Extreme Contact tires which measure 235/35 in the front and the beefy 275/30 in the rear.

Same as the previous SL wide body design, this new body kit is meant to be installed as a full configuration. The surprise may be that the cost is only in four digits, making this upgrade hard to resist.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe PD850 by Prior Design

German tuner Prior Design has released a widebody kit for the pre-facelift Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.

Dubbed the PD850 Black Edition, the body kit is designed to fit all C207 models and made from Dura-Flex fiber reinforced plastic. It includes a front bumper, rear bumper with diffuser, side skirts, front fenders and a front hood add-on. There's also wider rear fenders, a rear trunk spoiler and everything required to mount the parts.

Optional extras are exhaust tips, a complete sports exhaust system and slim-line LED daytime running lights.

The widebody kit will set you back €7,990, excluding painting and installation costs.

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Mercedes-Benz CLA tuned by Brabus

Brabus has recently introduced their new tuning program for the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

According to the German tuner, the sports sedan now features a new rear apron, a four-tailpipe exhaust system and sport springs. There's also 18- or 19-inch Monoblock alloy wheels which are available in five different designs.

Inside, customers can order a bespoke cabin which will be fulfilled by their upholstery shop.

For added performance, the standard engine in the CLA 250 has been equipped with a PowerXtra kit which allows it to develop 245 hp and 385 Nm of torque - an increase of 34 hp and 35 Nm of torque.

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Mercedes CL 500 Black Matte Edition by Famous Parts

Famous Parts has recently introduced their latest conversion based on the Mercedes-Benz CL 500.

Featuring a "Moonshine Deep Black Matte" foil wrap, the luxury coupe has been equipped with a complete Prior Design wide body kit which includes an aggressive front bumper with LED daytime running lights, a ventilated hood, new side skirts, extended wheel arches and a trunk-mounted spoiler.

The German tuner also installed an in-house electronic lowering module, a CL63 AMG sports exhaust system and 21-inch Brabus Monoblock E alloy wheels wrapped in Continental Sport Contact tires.

This masterpiece is currently available for sale, but there's no word on pricing.

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Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept officially revealed

Mercedes-Benz has released the first official images and preliminary details about the upcoming GLA Concept, ahead of its public debut on Saturday at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.

Based on the MFA platform, the crossover measures 4,380 mm long, 1,970 mm wide and 1,570 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,690 mm. It features a large oval grille, a bulging hood, roof rails, raked windscreen and protection plates under the bumpers. There's also muscular wheel arches, an angled tailgate and 20-inch alloy wheels in tires size 255/45 R20.

Inside, the dashboard and other interior parts were borrowed from the A-Class, but add bespoke materials and trim.

Motivation is provided by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine producing 211 hp, with the power being sent to the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system via a seven-speed dual-clutch 7G-DCT transmission. The production version, which will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, will be offered with more gasoline and diesel options, including an AMG variant of the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that develops 354 hp.

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Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 4MATIC announced

Mercedes-Benz has recently announced plans to offer a four-cylinder petrol engine in the GLK.

According to the German carmaker, the GLK 250 4MATIC will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine which produces 211 hp and 350 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the four wheels via a seven-speed 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission, which allows the crossover to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 215 km/h. In terms of efficiency, it returns an NEDC combined fuel consumption of 7.5 to 7.7-liter per 100 km (30.5-31.3 mpg US or 36.6-37.6 mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of 176-180 g/km.

Set to go on sale in June, the GLK 250 4MATIC has a starting price of €44,149 (including VAT).

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