Mercedes-Maybach Pullman set for Geneva launch 2017

The second entry into of the new Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand, a Pullman limousine, will make its debut at the Geneva Auto Show, marking the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the best-known Pullman sedan of them all, the 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600. The all-new 2017 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is an impressive limo, measuring 21.3 feet in overall length, fully 3.5 feet longer than the current Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

Powered by a twin-turbo 6.0-liter producing 523 horsepower and 612 lb-ft of torque, the massive Maybach Pullman has a 14.5-foot long wheelbase to accommodate an interior that features a partition between the driver's seat and the rear passenger cabin that has two rear executive seats that can recline up to 43.5 degrees as well as facing jump seats for two additional riders.  In addition to its impressive length, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman stands 5.2-feet tall, nearly 4 inches taller than a standard Mercedes S-Class

Unabashed luxury

Quite apart from providing stately and stylish seating for high-ranking passengers in the comfort and spaciousness for which it is famed, the new Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is of course the embodiment of exclusivity at its highest level," commented Ola Källenius, Member of the Daimler AG Management Board responsible for sales and marketing of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "One can sense the significance and greatness of it in every detail

The interior of the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is upholstered entirely in leather and the center partition features a glass window that can be raised and lowered as well as changed from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. The rear cabin also features standard window curtains, and a retractable 18.5-inch rear monitor

Unique Pullman design

Unlike the ubiquitous stretch limousines on the road today, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman S600 features long side doors for easy access, a rear seat positioned behind the vehicle's C-pillar and a generous area at the front of the rear cabin for the power jump seats (which can be deleted at the buyer's option). The standard Burmester audio setup can be upgraded to a Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System, while customers are also given the opportunity to individually specify colors, equipment and materials to match their preferences

The prices for unarmored models start at around half a million euros ($566,922). The first customers will take delivery at the beginning of 2016, while the U.S. launch is still to be determined

Read More

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake -- a wagon we still want 2015

this new wagon -- which remains a Euro-only offering for now - will start hitting showrooms there this month. Like its sedan sibling, the new Shooting Brake offers a choice of gasoline and diesel engines with outputs ranging from 121 horsepower to 355 horses in the range-topping CLA45 AMG - a variant that also comes standard with M-B's 4Matic all-wheel drive which is optional on the other front-drive members of the family

"Like its big brother, the CLS Shooting Brake, the CLA Shooting Brake is targeted at active customers who are looking outside of the mainstream for a car that impresses with a high utility value," notes Ola Källenius, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars with responsibility for Marketing & Sales. Those seeking a bit more visual distinction without the added performance and expense of going the full AMG route will be able to choose a limited-run OrangeArt Edition that adds unique orange highlights to the bezels around its the bi-xenon headlamps, rim flanges of the AMG light-alloy wheels and lower fascias as well as orange/black sports seats with orange contrast topstitching

Offered in standard, Urban and AMG Line trims as well as the CLA45 AMG itself, the 5-passenger CLA Shooting Brake features bespoke body bits from the A-pillar back to its smartly raked tail. Both a Panoramic glass roof and power liftgate are included in its roster of upline options. The Shooting Brake's more flowing roofline adds nearly 1.6 inches of additional rear headroom and the available cargo space can be increased from 17.5 to 47.8 cu ft by dropping the near-flat folding backs on its 60/40-split rear seat. There are currently no plans to bring the CLA Shooting Brake to America, although we hope Mercedes reconsiders that decision at some point

Read More

Mercedes-Benz 550 SL Mille Miglia 417 bows 2015

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the production sports car win by a Mercedes-Benz 300SL in Italy's grueling 1955 Mille Miglia (1,000 mile) road race, the German automaker debuts in Geneva  a limited edition model called the "Mille Miglia 417" that will go on sale in the U.S. later this fall. The original 300SL that won its class in 1955 was piloted by American John Fitch and left the starting gate at 4:17 a.m. in the morning with co-driver Kurt Gessl aboard. Fitch SL's fifth overall finish and class victory has been overshadowed by the record run by Sterling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, which completed the 1,000 road race from Brescia to Rome and back in 10 hours. That duo's overall win came in a competition-only Mercedes-Benz SLR

The anniversary model is based on the 2015 Mercedes-Benz SL550 coupe equipped with a 429-horsepower twin-turbo 4.7-liter V8 engine mated to a 7-speed transmission. Primarily an appearance package, the Special Edition "Mille Miglia 417" is painted black like Fitch's 300SL Gullwing, but it's a matte finish with contrasting red on the front and rear spoilers, brake calipers and rims on the sport alloy wheels, which measure 19-inches in the front and 20-inches in the rear

Cabin highlights

Interior upgrades include AMG Line sport seats, black center console with contrasting red inlays and edging as well as headrests embossed and embroidered with "SL Mille Miglia." Red is also used to outline the door panels and arm rests, while red seatbelts contrast with the black leather seating. The sport steering wheel is wrapped in red and black Nappa leather. Other trim bits are finished in matte carbon, while the black floor mats are edged in red and embroidered with a "1000 Miglia" logo

The SL Special Edition "Mille Miglia 417" will be available as an SL550 in the U.S.  in the fall of 2015, and pricing will be announced closer to the market launch. Current starting price on the standard 2015 Mercedes-Benz SL550 is about $107,000

Read More

Mercedes-AMG GT3 races into Geneva 2015

Heading to customer hands at the end of this year, the GT3 is rumored to foreshadow a range-topping version of the production GT

Although incorporating much of the basic engineering found in the standard GT, this new GT3 racer takes everything up a notable notch. Finished in 

designo Selenite Grey Magno, the car features a wider and more aggressively contoured body that for the most part replaces aluminum panels with lighter carbon fiber. The GT3 matches its larger front intake and aggressive splitter with a downforce enhancing rear spoiler and lower diffuser. Beneath its skin, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is equipped with a full steel rollcage and a carbon-fiber seat pan

While understandably circumspect about output numbers, Mercedes-AMG does say the new GT3 will be fitted with a "further enhanced" version of the 6.2-liter AMG V8 used in the outgoing SLS AMG GT3 racer. Under FIA rules, the engine will likely be restricted to around 600 horsepower. Whatever the specific pony count, that output is sent to the rear wheels via a new 6-speed sequential racing-style transaxle, which further optimizes the car's weight distribution

Read More

McLaren P1 GTR: On track for greatness

"The best driver's car in the world..."

In creating what it deems has no peer, McLaren Special Operations revisited every functional aspect of the standard P1 supercar in order to extract more performance. The most visible changes can be seen in a deeper front splitter, a wind-channeling lower blade that runs along the P1 GTR's sill area, a revised aft diffuser and a significantly larger rear wing. While fixed, it sits nearly five inches higher off the deck and retains the same F1-style Drag Reduction System with pitch-adjustment found on the P1. Working with articulated flaps ahead of the front wheels, it can increase total downforce by up to 10 percent at 150 mph. New twin exhaust outlets are made from an Iconel/titanium alloy that's nearly 15 pounds lighter than those on the base P1. Closer inspection reveals the glass side and rear windows in the GTR are lighter Polycarbonate and the P1's toughened-glass roof panels are replaced by carbon fiber -- changes that contribute to a total weight reduction of more than 110 pounds. The P1 GTR's more aggressively tuned suspension brings a wider front track and drops the ride height by nearly two inches. Rolling stock changes to 19-inch center-locking alloys wrapped in Pirelli racing slicks

As first seen in the Design Concept, the potent gas/electric hybrid powertrain in the P1 GTR has been thoroughly revamped, adding more robust race-ready components that raise output and add reliability while stripping away street-oriented bits. The remix sees output of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 rise from 727 to 789 horsepower while a more efficient electric motor cranks out 197 horses, up from 176 in the P1. Collectively, the pair puts out 986 ponies - 83 more than the baseline stat - and should endow the GTR with stunning acceleration

McLaren will build only 375 copies of the P1 GTR and all will of these $3 million-plus dream machines will be offered only to current P1 owners. Those fortunate enough to afford one also will be able to participate in a McLaren P1 Driver Program that includes a session at the McLaren Technology Center for a seat fitting, vehicle trim discussion and a driver assessment at the firm's Human Performance Center. From there, it will be off to a test at the Silverstone circuit in England then on to the first of six track-day events that will begin on the F1 Circuit de Catalunya in Spain

Read More