by Keiichi (RSS feed) August 18th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
There aren’t so many fans of Russian made cars, perhaps not even in Russia. Still, there is one automotive manufacturer in the country that’s getting a lot of attention. GAZ, who currently manufacturers the Volga Siber at the Gorky Automobile plant (insert Wind of Change chorus here), is getting wooed by a lot of investors wanting to tap into the Russian market. Yep, you guessed it—Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler wants in. And the company will stop at nothing to get the plant to producing the E-Class. And with good reason too.
The Volga Siber is actually based on the Chrysler Sebring platform. As true-blooded Mercedes-Benz fans (you know you are), you should know that there was a time when Daimler and Chrysler were partners. So, why not upgrade the Volga Siber (or its platform) to the E-Class instead? Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
If Daimler and Mercedes-Benz successfully gets their hands on the plant, it will be a big blow to fellow German rival BMW, which has already made its presence felt in Russia. It’s all about who takes the biggest slice of cake, and Mercedes-Benz won’t settle for anything less than the largest.
The company has a lot of rival suitors, though. Indian company Tata motors is just one of them. There’s also General Motors putting the pressure on Tata. It’s worth noting the GAZ Chairman Bo Anderson was once head of worldwide purchasing for GM. Small world, isn’t it? Daimler needs to spend quite a lot to get the wind of change in its favor.
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by Keiichi (RSS feed) August 18th, 2010 at 11:56 am
So which car won this year’s Top Safety Pick? Well, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it’s the Cadillac CTS and the Infiniti M, which are both very impressive in each of their own’s rights. With the competition very tough, it helps if the vehicle has the makings of a strong shell. Something that can survive a rollover while not necessarily being built like a tank. At the least, its roof has to have enough strength to as much as four times its own weight.
Well, that is what clinched the award for the Cadillac and the Infiniti. Since this is Benz Insider, we’re assuming you’re wondering what happened to Mercedes-Benz in this race. Well, the company’s E-Class range was able to join the ranks of these two, along with the BMW 5 Series, Lincoln MKS, Volvo S80, and the Hyundai Genesis. Yes, we know, it’s pretty hard to believe the Genesis is included in the list. It seems those cheap Korean cars are no longer as cheap as they used to be.
Now, you may be wondering that with all these cars being part of the study, it wouldn’t have been that hard at all to pick out winners. Still, you have to take note that not each and every car studied got a “Good” rating. The Lexus GH and the Audi A6 only managed to get “Acceptable” ratings. Heck, Acura’s RL even fell behind with a “Marginal” rating. So you see, you have much to rejoice for with the E-Class’ inclusion.
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by Keiichi (RSS feed) August 11th, 2010 at 3:04 am
It’s been a decade since Mercedes-Benz first rolled out its very first super sports car. Now, the company is celebrating their sports car heritage by presenting eight of their most iconic vehicles down at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It’s going to go down from August 12 to 15. Along with old sports classics are the entire lineup of the E-Class range, a Gran Turismo 5 gaming sled courtesy of Sony, a Maybach exhibition and what everybody is hoping to experience, an SLS AMG test drive booth.
There will also be a private owner of a 1902 Simplex that’ll be gracing the event, driving 1,500 miles from his home just to please the crowds of Mercedes-Benz fans. This car won numerous hill climbs and road races back in its years. A 300SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupe” will also make an appearance from its home in the Mercedes-Benz Museum back in Stuttgart.
The rest of the cars that will be put on display are the following: a 1929 SSK; a 1952 W194 300SL—which ushered in the Sport and Light era—which was the icon that gave the world the Gullwing doors; a 1956 W198 300SL; a 1970 C111-II; a 2011 SLS AMG; and of course, the 2011 SLS AMG GT3 which is set to make its debut in racing later this year.
It’s all happening at Pebble Beach. So if you’re a true Mercedes-Benz connoisseur, you better be there this August!
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) March 15th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
It’s no secret that the Chinese are masters at producing cheap knockoffs; everything from fashion to electronics, and recently even cars. Just like Gucci or Prada, Mercedes-Benz is one of the brands that is often copied. The one copy that stands out the most, and is probably the best one, is a copy of a CLK Cabrio. It’s from BYD (Build Your Dreams), yes that is correct, the same BYD that Mercedes-Benz has entered into a partnership with to produce electric vehicles in China. It’s very interesting to see that a manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz has chosen to work with them instead of suing their ass off (like that would have resulted with anything). The S8, as they call it, is proudly displayed on the BYD website that is packed with info for your enjoyment.
Here are more examples of copied Mercedes-Benz designs.
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) April 14th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Word the web is that Mercedes-Benz will not build a replacement for the CLK63 AMG. Mercedes says that it doesn’t plan on producing an AMG version of the now called E-Class Coupe, stating that positioning is the problem.
An Insider told Autocar at the New York Auto Show that a new version of the CLK63 would be too close to the CLS63 AMG, both in price and positioning – which they say might lead to sales cannibalization. The new E-Class is now being built on the E-Class platform, where as the CLK was built on the C-Class platform.
This will also have an impact on any successor to the CLK AMG Black Series, even though, that car really had no competitor, and was in it’s own totally separate class. I for some reason have a hard time believing in this, not because I don’t trust Autocar or the insider, but because Mercedes has a history of making an AMG version of almost every car in its inventory, so why would this be any different. We shall see.
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) February 9th, 2009 at 12:45 am
We’ve received exclusive spy shots of the next-gen Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe from our very own spy photographer and “Insider”. You’ve seen dozens of such sighting in the past, but I don’t believe we’ve seen pictures of the car this close and (shall we say) personal. In this round of spy shots, we not only get to see the exterior in plain sight, but a glimpse into the interior. The Mercedes interior emblems have been removed, as is customary in test vehicles, but we’re still able to see the rest of the dashboard, steering wheels as well as the shift knob.
Our Insider has also confirmed that Mercedes-Benz is close to officially announcing the next generation E-Class Coupe, so stay tight, we’ll have more info and official pictures very very soon.
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) February 6th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
A new survey from ISO Quality Planning, which helps insurers spot risks, has published findings on which car makes and models get ticketed most often by police. I am sure you already have an idea which cars are cop magnets, but there are definitely some that may surprise you. Here it is.
10 Most Ticketed Cars
1. Hummer H2
2. Scion tC
3. Scion xB
4. Mercedes Benz CLK63 AMG
5. Toyota Solara Coupe
6. Mercedes Benz CLS63 AMG
7. Scion xA
8. Subaru Outback
9. Audi A4
10. Toyota Matrix
Who would have guessed that two Mercedes-Benz AMG models are among them. If you are a lucky bastard that can afford an AMG model, then honestly, not only are a few tickets worth it when you can unleashing the luxurious beast, but I am sure you’re able to pay the ticket with the change you find while cleaning your Benz.
10 Least Ticketed Cars after the break
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) January 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Details and pictures of the upcoming E-Class Coupe keep pouring in, this time we have some fresh images of test vehicles being transported to a test track. The new images reveal a very cool detail about the coupe – a panoramic glass roof. As you can see on the image above, it covers the entire roof. Stay tuned to the news of the upcoming E-Class Coupe, as we learn more and more about it.
source: GlobalMotors.net
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) December 31st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
We’re only a few months away from the Geneva Auto Show, where the E-Class Coupe is supposed to be revealed, but we are being bombarded by the newest spy shots of the upcoming Coupe. Yesterday spy photographers spotted a test vehicle in Wales, and today we get spy shots of another test vehicle, this time in Germany.
This latest shot spots even less camo and is almost fully visible; the only thing covered are the head and taillights. This shot also clearly shows the resemblance to the current CL; I guess we have another name for it then – the baby CL.
Autoblog.it via Jalopnik
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by Muamer Hodzic (RSS feed) December 30th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Spy shots of new Mercedes-Benz models just keep popping up. Just yesterday we got a glimpse at the next-gen CLS, and this morning we get to see numerous spy shots of the new E-Class Coupe, aka CLK, which should go on sale sometimes next year.
Spy photographers spotted the test mule on UK roads, and did not hesitate to capture some great shots of the right-hand-drive Coupe in Llandudno, Wales. As we’ve already discussed in the past, the new Coupe front-end will be based on the Concept Fascination; the pillar-less side is very reminiscent to the current CL-Class.
Autocar also reports that higher-end cupes will get LED daytime running lights, similar to the A5 and A4, as well as some cutting edge technology, like Attention Assist, monitoring the driver condition when driving.
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