In Affalterbach, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was victorious over some tough competitions. In the “Sportiest Cars of 2010” reader’s survey arranged by the famous car magazine Sport Auto, the gullwing model bagged the award in the “super sports”category. The vehicle garnered the 17.2 percentage of the votes, which left all other competing vehicles behind. The SLS AMG defeated various competitors from different countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, USA, Sweden and France, which clearly shows how famous the SLS AMG is amongst the readers.
The leading series-production and performance-tuned automobiles are faced off against each other on a yearly basis in the sport auto reader’s survey. The total number of cars that took part this year reached 260 vehicles in 25 categories, with a total of 10,000 magazine readers casting their votes. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG did not only win the polls but it was also triumphant when put to the test. The AMG 6.3 litre V8 front-mid engine with dry sump lubrication and 420 kW (571 hp) plus a torque totaling to 650 newton metres, a seven speed dual clutch transmission with a transaxle modification. Additional details include its sporty double-wishbone sports suspension, summing up to an exceptional high tech design, with a guarantee of top of the line driving dynamics.
These specs became even more evident at the “super test” which is very highly considered between the Sport Auto readers and industry experts. The SLS AMG recorded a remarkable total lap time of 7.40 minutes on the highly regarded Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. The reaction received succeeding the sports vehicle’s “super test” was quoted to be – “Respect! The Mercedes sports brand AMG has put a magnificent machine on the road”
Since the SLS AMG was unveiled at the 2009 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main, the SLS AMG has already received various recognitions such as: “GT Car of the Year” (Top Gear, GB), Golden Steering Wheel 2009” (Bild am Sonntag and Auto Bild) and Design Award 2010 (Auto Bild) among others.
One of the marks of a truly world-class luxury car is when its well-received by both fans and critics. And so, being given a positive review from a renowned automotive online trading site fares really well for a carmaker. In this case, the vehicle that was put on the hot seat is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate. The reviewer – none other than Auto Trader.com with road tester Richard Dredge.
The first thing they noticed upon road testing the Estate was the sheer space available for your arms and legs. You could literally stretch out and sleep overnight if you wanted to without feeling like canned tuna in the morning. The air suspension is just as good, making you feel like riding on a tour bus rather than an SUV.
Steering was a plus as well, especially since the Estate is rear-wheel drive. Despite its size and weight, you won’t feel like a lumbering pig when zipping across crawlers on the streets of the urban jungle. Couple its nimbleness with zippy acceleration, and you’ve got a winner in terms of comfort and performance that’ll get you through the drudgery of everyday city driving.
Of course, only the entry model E200 CGI Estate was put through the tests, so you could expect more from higher variants. Still, with a top speed of 140 mph, the E200 is no pushover.
What happens when you pit three SUVs of the same price tag and the same target market against each other? You get one hell of an endorsement for the winning brand, and is best served cold to the losing parties.
The contestants – the BMW X1, the Audi A5 Sportback and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate. Autocar magazine’s benchmark of this test was a Mercedes-Benz C250 CDI in Elegance trim, priced at 29,930 euros. In comparison, the BMW X1 xDrive23rd SE costs 29,900 euros whilst the Audi A5 Sportback in S-Line trim costs 29,975 euros.
With prices are settled, let’s get into specifics. Handling and performance wise, the C250 takes the cake for its 201bhp 2.2-liter diesel that has the highest torque numbers and widest power band compared to the X1 and A5. It also corners better than the other two, maintaining balance and stability even with the throttle planted. The X1, on the other hand, is silent at speed but is heavier and less involving. The A5 just falls short of power with a 168bhp engine, despite its 6-speed transmission.
Cabin wise, Mercedes-Benz barely wins with more luggage space and ride height. Better luck next time to both BMW and Audi.
We are all waiting impatiantly for the next-gen SL, but how about taking the time and looking back at the current model. There is no better way than watching a clip from our beloved Top Gear, and seeing what they had to say about the SL500 when it first came out. This classic clip really shows how the world and Top Gear reacted to the new car and it its numerous features that were not expected from the SL. Take a moment and watch the clip, you won’t regret it.
To go along with our previous post on the BLUETEC initiative reaching Europe, we bring you a review from the guys over at BusinessWeek. John Tayman reviews the ML320 CDI with BLUETEC technology, which as we know is still not available in five US states (California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont) due to their high emission standards. Mercedes of course didn’t want to leave out the five states and has developed an even cleaner Diesel that should come out next year.
It is a very informative article, talking about the overall Diesel industry and how it is changing.
Here is nice quote from the review that really sums up the ML:
Think diesel doesn’t get a bad rap? The ML320 CDI is nimble, fuel-efficient, as clean as anything on the road — and outlawed in five states
This is another great review about the all new Mercedes C-Class, and just like any all the other reviews, they say positive things about it. I don’t think I can ever get tired of watching new video reviews of the C-Class. I see the new C-class here in Germany on a daily basis, well it helps when the car is actually parked in the company lobby, how great is that. I need to remember to my camera with me to work these days and snap some up close pix and post them here. I just keep forgetting.
This is not a double post, AutoExpress reviewed the CL as well, but they did it better, they got themselves the CL600. While there isn’t much difference between the two (550 vs. 600) in the interior or exterior, the engines are certainly different; the 550 has a V8 and the 600 has enormous V12. Similar to the Edmunds review, the guys over at AutoExpress had positive things about the CL, and especially this quote shows it.
There is no doubt this Mercedes is enormously expensive – but it’s one of the most capable cars on the planet.
Edmunds has taken the time and reviewed the new CL550, and has nothing but positive things to say about the gorgeous CL. While it was hard for Mercedes to out do themselves with the new model, they actually did it, and the CL and the many positive reviews are the proof. Here is a great quote that sums the review up.
Most of our time in the CL was spent on roads that rarely complemented its size or intent, yet we still had a hard time finding anything wrong with the big coupe. It looks better, goes faster and feels more comfortable than its nearly perfect predecessor. There’s too much weight on board to throw around quickly, but if you want light buy a Lotus. If you want a luxurious, quiet and fast GT, the CL550 is as good as any car on the road. And thanks to Mr. Hutzenlaub, it looks good doing it.
This is definitely one of the first and few reviews that have been made on the new C-class, and since it is a video, it is ten times better than any other. The Dutch language is so darn difficult to understand, even though it is similar to German, I am not able to understand anything. If you understand Dutch, then that is great for you, if not, just concentrate more on the video and you’ll understand what he is talking about.
The second GL review comes from South Africa and is as good as the previous review if not even better, as it goes into a lot of detail. They touch many of the aspects that potential buyers would like to know, like the traction, suspension, drive train, interior space and other good-to-know things. The last sentance really sums up the vehicle and every other expensive car.
All you want from the ultimate SUV: mega space, pace and luxury, and real off-road ability. It’s huge and can be intimidating to drive, however; potential buyers need to ask themselves whether they really need something this big, or whether they’re just doing it for their egos.
Head over to the Motoring site and read the review
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(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
