2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The compact 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is offered in a bewildering array of possibilities overseas, but here in the U.S. it comes only in a few combinations--all four-door sedans, with gasoline V-6 or V-8 engines, taking on entry luxury and sport models like the Audi A4, the BMW 3-Series, the Lexus IS, the Infiniti G37, and the Cadillac CTS.


While there's only a single sedan body style available in the C-Class, it's anything but a one-trick pony. C300 and C350 models are both offered in both Sport and Luxury guise, and there's quite the aesthetic difference between them. The Luxury models carry the familiar Mercedes-Benz grille and a three-pointed star as a hood ornament, along with trim and wheels that give you that austere classic Benz look, if that's what you're in to. Sport models forgo the ornamentation for a flat badge on the grille, as well as a different, less glitzy front-end look--and, for 2011, get new LED running lamps (in bi-xenon-equipped models) instead of fog lamps. The differences between Sport and Luxury models carries through to the interior as well, though it's mainly a matter of trims; in the Luxury, you'll find burled walnut, chrome, and a four-spoke wheel that lives up to the austere Benz image of yore. If you want something more in line with BMW, the Sport is the pick.

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes Benz Maybach In India

German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is contemplating on relaunch of its Maybach for the Indian market. The move comes in the wake of rising demand for the super rich cars in the market. Mercedes Benz Maybach is capable of running at 275km/hr speed and Mercedes may fix the price of this car as Rs51 million in India. The company’s Chief Executive said the Indian luxury car has such a dearth for supercars as the cost may be on par private jets.

The company said that few functionalities of the Maybah 62 include dual tone exteriors, finest leather in elegant shades, electrically operated curtains, tinted glass, a high definition entertainment screen (both front and rear), an electro transparent partition and an adjustable third rear seat.

Mercedes-Benz India managing director and CEO Peter Honegg was quoted by zigwheels.com saying that the Maybach 62 and Maybach 57 S are writing the next chapter in the history.
"These, along with Mercedes-Benz models made some of the finest examples of automotive excellence, worldwide," Honegg said.
"We are happy to offer this epitome of automotive excellence for the discerning Indian customer."

2011 Mercedes-Benz R350

2011 Mercedes-Benz R350

The R350 caters to families with its roomy cabin, compliant ride and available convenience features, but it sacrifices some utility in the name of style.
I tested the diesel-powered R350 Bluetec, and a gas V-6 engine is also offered. The diesel version starts at $51,740, but options made the as-tested price balloon to around $67,000. The R-Class' price range overlaps two of Mercedes' SUVs: the five-seat M-Class and the seven-seat GL-Class. The R-Class is available with seating for six or seven.
Styling
Riding lower than a crossover but looking sleeker than a minivan, the R-Class might best be described as a large wagon. It's nearly as long as Mercedes' flagship S-Class full-size sedan, but wider and taller.
The front of the R-Class has been significantly updated for 2011. It features a new grille, new headlights and new bumper styling. Taken as a whole, the changes give the R-Class a stronger, more substantial look. It's a big improvement, and it works well with the rest of the exterior design, which carries over mostly unchanged.
Ride and handling
One of the best aspects of the R350 Bluetec is its comfortable ride. It can feel floaty on undulating roads and exhibits noticeable body roll when cornering, but the suspension tuning's emphasis on comfort is the right choice for a people-mover like this.
On the highway, the R350 settles down nicely. It feels planted and would be an easy-driving steed on a family road trip.
Classic Mercedes steering tuning yields limited feedback, which isn't out of the ordinary for a luxury-oriented family-hauler. The wheel itself spins smoothly, and the moderate amount of effort required to turn it feels appropriate.
Diesel power
As if the R-Class' styling didn't make it unique enough, it's also one of the few models in the U.S. with an available clean-diesel engine. The diesel V-6 is rated 25 percent better in EPA-estimated combined fuel economy than the gas V-6 engine, but as diesels are prone to do, it also makes more noise. All versions of the R-Class have all-wheel drive.

2011 Mercedes E350 BlueTec Diesel Review

2011 Mercedes E350

At first glance, the 2011 E350 BlueTec looks like just another mid-sized diesel car from Mercedes-Benz. Nothing special, right?
At the heart of the E350 BlueTec is a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that – true to form – produces adequate horsepower and monster torque: 210-hp and 400 lb-ft respectively. Combined with the short gearing in the seven-speed automatic transmission, this Benz just flat-out scoots, hitting 60 mph from a stop in 6.7 seconds.
The electronic assists work hard to keep the rear wheels from peeling out, especially since the torque peaks at only 1,600 rpm. Floor it, feel the gearbox drop a couple – or three! – ratios, and it’s just a quiet, refined shot of power. The gears slur from one to the next with no real sense of change, unless you choose Sport mode where things are programmed to deliver slightly more feedback.

2011 Mercedes E350

For those wondering if the BlueTec is a smelly, noisy mess, the answer is no. The engine is 50-state certified for emissions, and in the E350 provides fuel economy ratings of 22-mpg in the city and 33-mpg on the highway. That’s a massive leap forward from the gas-powered model, which only gets 17/24-mpg. With the 21 gallon fuel tank, the BlueTec has a potential range of over 600 miles between fill-ups.

BUT THERE’S A CATCH

The only complication is Mercedes-Benz’ reliance on urea injection into the exhaust – known as AdBlue – which does require topping up with almost every oil change to keep the NOx emissions low. While not horrendously expensive, it is another regular cost to consider above and beyond the maintenance costs compared to a gasoline-powered equivalent.

2011 Mercedes E350

Regardless, the E350’s extra costs might be swept away after experiencing one yourself. The E-Class sedan is the segment leader in style and poise. The modern, sculpted shape is designed to cut through the air more efficiently, hiding a well-engineered platform with an independent suspension all around that’s adjustable for firmness. The brakes are well sized to bring the 4,059-lb. sedan to heel quickly, while standard 17-inch wheels with 45-series all-season tires do an adequate job of translating the driver’s demands to the pavement.
Visually, every E-Class can be ordered in either traditional Luxury trim with a four-slat grille and a monochrome interior highlighted by Burl Walnut, or with a no-charge Sport package that adds cross-drilled front brake discs hiding behind different 17-inch wheels, a three-bar grille, LED running lights, and a two-tone interior with aluminum accents. Regardless of which you choose, all BlueTec models come with LED taillights, heated power mirrors with integrated turn signals and dual exhaust. 

2011 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe

2011 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe

New spy shots depicting a camouflaged C 63 AMG Coupe prototype have recently surfaced on the internet. Hidden under the black tape, the future model sports a very aggressive and dynamic exterior design, in true Mercedes-AMG style. The list of visual appointments comprises an astonishing single-louvre radiator grille, an impressive front bumper with improved air intakes, LED for the headlights and tail lamps, slightly modified side skirts, quad exhausts, a discreet spoiler and a great rear diffuser to keep the car sitting safely on the road at high speed. Under the hood, the new C 63 AMG Coupe will premiere a naturally-aspirated version of the 5.5 liters V8 unit, which will be capable of delivering a peak output of 422 BHP. Power will be sent to the rear wheels thanks to the new AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT gearbox; also, expect a consistent array of electronic devices and systems to enhance the driving performance. The Affalterbach-based tuner is also secretly developing a Black Series variant for the future C 63 AMG Coupe, which will boast in excess of 500 BHP. Look for this mighty 2-door Merc model to debut around the spring of this year. Check out more spy pics after the jump!

Wheelsandmore 2010 Mercedes SLS AMG gets new tuning

Wheelsandmore 2010 Mercedes SLS AMG

Wheels and More is well known for turning a car into a fortune for car owners who are willing to go one step ahead with their set of wheels. This tuner is quite different from the ones you would find in the automobile market. Rarely do they change the interiors or the exterior nature of the car. They add a new set of wheels to optimize the car’s performance. They do not hand pick cars that need a makeover in terms of the exterior looks. Recently, couple of months back they have fine tuned the Mercedes SLS AMG, magnifying its performance with a boost and a brand new set of wheels. Now Wheels And More is ready with their package for the Mercedes SLS AMG. The kit for the sports vehicle includes the common modifications in the car engine along with a new set of wheels and some other additions.

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 will feature in the 24-hour race in Dubai

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3

The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 has been the talk of the town and the auto world for quite a while now. January 14, 2011 would however be its litmus test day as it gets to participate in its first racing event of the year. There would be three other cars that would be racing alongside at the 24-hour race in Dubai (UAE). One being the Black Flacon from a private team and the other the Mercedes Genre car from Heico Motorsport.
The event is held at the 5.39 km Grand Prix Circuit of the Dubai Autodrome. There would be ninety cars that would be participating in this event which includes the three Mercedes models. The race should be the clearance point of the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 to compete in the FIA GT3 Championship.
For features the SLS AMG GT3 has been fitted with a new front apron with a splitter, a bonnet with central cooling air vent, wider front and rear wings, sideskirts with cooling ducts for the rear brakes, a rear diffuser, and an adjustable rear aerofoil. For engine the car would have the same 6.3-liter V8 engine. The engine however has been tuned to give 600 hp and more.

Mercedez-Benz A-Class and B-Class models to Equip Renault Engines

The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL uses an electric motor doling out 134 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque. A fuel-cell stack is used for generating electricity which gets stored in a lithium-ion battery. While maintaining a terrific fuel economy, the F-CELL does not compromise on the quality of a ride. The only by-product in the process is water and the car takes just three minutes to refuel.