Ten years - that's how long it's been since the lovable smart fortwo first rolled off the assembly in Hambach, France.  Since then, the compact two-seater has celebrated a multitude of accomplishments, being the vehicle of choice for more than 900,000 customers worldwide as well as holding title as the only automobile still in production to be displayed at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

According to Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The smart fortwo is a unique car that combines driving pleasure with lifestyle and exemplary fuel efficiency. The two-seater convinces customers worldwide, thanks to its outstanding safety features, the distinctive smart design, as well as top quality, reliability, and economy. The smart fortwo is a clever solution and fun to drive. Had we not invented it ten years ago, we would have to do so now..."

Keep Reading "10 Years Of The Smart ForTwo:  Compact Model Celebrates Its Birthday"

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic Independence Day weekend.  To kick things off this morning, Mercedes has published details of a Unimog fleet that's currently serving in the French capital Propreté de Paris.  Used by the road maintenance department of the municipal cleaning services, the fleet of nine U 400's primary duty is in the field of tunnel maintenance, helping the municipal authorities clean the roughly 1.4 million sq. meters of surface found throughout the more than 30 tunnels encircling Paris.

To aid in cleaning, each of the four-cylinder U 400 BlueTec units are fitted with Mulag tunnel washing units, powered by dual-circuit hydraulics and ptos .  In addition, the Unimogs also come with demountable bodies for grit spreaders, snowploughs and snow clearance units by Schmidt Winterdienst- und Kommunaltechnik GmbH, allowing them to perform snow-clearing duties during the winter months...

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Unimog Used To Wash The Tunnels Of Paris"

Looking for the top stories of the past week on eMercedesBenz?  Here they are, all in one convenient, clickable location.  Scroll, click and enjoy.

	eMercedesBenz Feature: The 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Racing Sport Coupe Thursday, 03 July 2008
	First Shots Of The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Speedster Thursday, 03 July 2008
	The Future Of Mercedes Tuning: A Look At Wald's Upcoming Mercedes-Benz Tuning Packages Wednesday, 02 July 2008
	eMercedesBenz Feature: Daimler-Benz Launches The Unimog At The German Agricultural Show In Frankfurt Wednesday, 02 July 2008
	Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series Spy Photos Monday, 30 June 2008
	Mercedes-Benz Presents A Special Autographed 350 At Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday "46664" Benefit Concert Monday, 30 June 2008

Keep Reading "Headline Roundup: The Top Stories Of The Week On eMercedesBenz"

Daimler AG is reporting today that worldwide sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars have risen 1.8 percent in June 2008 to 199,300 new units.  This figure brings total sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands to a record 668,100 units through the first six months of the year, a 8.2 percent increase over the same period in 2007.

Individually, sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles were down slightly in June, falling 1.2 percent to 106,000 new units. Despite the decrease, year-to-date sales of Mercedes-Benz are up through June, increasing 4.1 percent to 599,200 new units.  As for smart, the compact brand continued its positive momentum, with sales jumping 34.2 percent to 13,300 units.  Through the first six months of the year, sales of smart have reached 68,900 new units, a 64.0 percent gain over 2007's six-month ytd total...

Keep Reading "Worldwide Sales At Mercedes-Benz Cars Increase 1.8 Percent In June 2008"

The Le Mans 24 Hour race has been ranking among the motor sport season's highlights ever since 1923. The competitors – and even more so the winners – have always attracted the undivided attention of the spectators as well as of the buyers, victory in Le Mans being equivalent to a boost in both image and sales figures.

In 1952, Daimler-Benz AG entered three of the newly developed, futuristically designed Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports coupes in this traditional long-distance race. The competitors were taken by surprise but not disquieted because first of all, Mercedes had never before done particularly well in Le Mans, and secondly, the cars from Untertürkheim were inferior to the cars of the French, British and Italians in terms of performance. Nevertheless, however, Mercedes again faced up to the competition. The new SL cars had demonstrated speed and stamina for the first time in the Mille Miglia in early May and finished in a respectable second place in this renowned long-distance race. The 300 SL hit the headlines again with its triple victory in the Bern Grand Prix...

Keep Reading "eMercedesBenz Feature:  The 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Racing Sport Coupe"

Another batch of Mercedes reviews have managed to infiltrate the eMercedesBenz offices, with a grand total of three distinct model ranges analyzed by the testing powers that be.  The new Mercedes SL-Class lineup, the new Mercedes SLK-Class lineup and the new Mercedes BlueTEC SUV lineup (M-, R- and GL-Class) -- these are the chosen ones.  If you're in the market for any or just want to know how the new models perform, there should be plenty to keep you occupied.

As with all our Mercedes Review Roundups, you can find an excerpt from the first review below as well as the full collection of articles immediately after the jump.


Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (via Drive)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"Driving a car like the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG is a special treat. Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V12 with 450kW of power and 1000Nm of torque. That's roughly double the output of an average V8.

Fuel consumption? Let's just say fuel consumption isn't what the SL65 AMG is about. It's all about effortless performance. But if you must know, the official combined figure is 15.2L/100km. Drive it with even a remote sense of enthusiasm, though, and you can expect to use much more fuel in the real world..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Review Roundup:  The SL-Class, SLK-Class And BlueTEC SUV Range"

Daimler's Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches division has just announced that they've  received a contract from SAPTCO (Saudi Arabian Public Transport) for 300 Mercedes-Benz Travego coaches.  Half of the coaches are scheduled for delivery before the end of this year, while the second half will be handed over at the beginning of next year.

This marks the first time that SAPTCO - the country's largest bus operator - has opted for the Travego model, although half of the company's 2,500 vehicle fleet already bear Mercedes' three-pointed star.  The Travegos will be used for journeys between the pilgrimage cities in Saudi Arabia, and all will be fitted with uprated air conditioning system boasting a 39kW cooling capacity to cope with the extreme climatic conditions of the region...

Keep Reading "Daimler Receives Major Mercedes-Benz Coach Contract From Saudi Arabia"

Yesterday we brought word of a limited-edition Mercedes SLR McLaren that was rumored to be under development - one modeled after Rudolf Uhlenhaut's legendary 300 SL that lacked both a roof and windscreen.  Today, Auto Motor und Sport has captured the first shots of the model, and it does indeed appear the rumors are correct:  the outgoing SLR will be a speedster.

Here's an excerpt from our prior story detailing what to expect from the new SLR...

Keep Reading "First Shots Of The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Speedster"

If you're looking for the latest in pure, unadulterated Mercedes tuning goodness, you've come to the right place ladies and gentlemen.  Today we have the first glimpses of not one... not two... but five new tuning packages from the hands of the industrious designers at Wald.  Yes, you heard me right:  five new tuning packages.  The C-Class, the GLK-Class, the SL-Class, the R-Class and the Viano -- these are the models Wald has bestowed their tuning prowess upon...

Keep Reading "The Future Of Mercedes Tuning:  A Look At Wald's Upcoming Mercedes-Benz Tuning Packages"

With the collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren rumored to be soon coming to a close (at least in the field of supercar production), the German publication Auto Motor und Sport is reporting today that the two are planning a final venture before going their separate ways.  According to the article, a new limited-edition SLR is set to be unveiled, with only 75 units scheduled for production.

So what can we expect from the final SLR? 

If the rumors are to be believed, the concluding SLR will be modeled after the 300 SLR by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and will feature an open-air only construction.  Gone is the roof; gone is the windscreen - a small wind deflector will be the singular element between the SLR's occupants and the great outdoors.  To reduce weight, a carbon plastic body will be used, while air conditioning and power windows will both be abandoned as well. The result in a weight savings of some 200 kilograms, enough to help the model reach 186 mph from a standstill in 26 seconds and achieve a top speed of 217.5 mph (8 mph more than the SLR 722 Edition)...

Keep Reading "Are McLaren And Mercedes Set To Debut A Final Limited-Edition SLR?"

Of the many automakers in existence, none have a heritage as illustrious as the one held by Mercedes-Benz. Over the course of the past 120 years, the company has introduced both vehicles and technologies that have forever changed the future of the automotive industry.  To help showcase this legendary past and the many pioneering achievements noted along the way, we've decided to introduce a new segment we're calling the "eMercedesBenz Feature."  In it, we'll highlight a wide variety of subjects ranging from the Mercedes' earliest triumphs to their modern-day innovations, all of which you'll hopefully find both fascinating and informative.

To kick off the segment, we'll begin by taking a look back at Daimler-Benz' introduction of the Unimog at the German Agricultural Show.  The year was 1948, and it's purpose was straightforward:  it had been devised as an implement that was to be superior to conventional tractors and simplify the farmer's work to the greatest possible extent. That's what the former head of aeroengine design at Daimler-Benz, Albert Friedrich, had had in mind – being out of a job after the war but burning for action. At the time, the project gained special significance through the announcement of the Morgenthau plan according to which the former German Reich was to be turned into an agrarian nation...

Keep Reading "eMercedesBenz Feature:  Daimler-Benz Launches The Unimog At The German Agricultural Show In Frankfurt"

As a quick follow-up to our last post, Daimler AG is reporting that sales at its U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars division are up 12.9 percent in June to 22,121 new units, compared to 19,589 new units in June 2007.  These figures represent the combined sales of both Mercedes-Benz and smart passenger vehicles in the U.S., as opposed to just the June 2008 Mercedes-Benz sales statistics we brought you in our prior story.

When viewing the two brands independently, Mercedes-Benz posted a slight 0.1 percent decrease in sales of 19,576 new units, compared to 19,589 in June 2007.  smart, however, noted sales of 2,545 new units, enough to give the U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars division a nearly 13 percent improvement in sales.  To date, combined sales of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands now total 130,678 new units, a 10.5 percent increase over 2007's six-month ytd total of 118,240.  The smart, as you remember, went on sale in America in mid-January, so the prior year's figures represent only the Mercedes-Benz brand...

Keep Reading "Daimler AG's U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars Division Notes 13 Percent Sales Increase In June"

In financial news, Mercedes-Benz USA is reporting today that for the month of June, sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles dropped 0.1 percent to 19,576 new units (compared to 19,589 new units in June 2007). This figure brings sales at the U.S. Mercedes division up to a total of 119,279 new units through the first six months of year, a 0.9 percent increase over 2007's six month year-to-date total of 118,240 new units.

As for the models making headlines, the C-Class continued to be the volume leader for MBUSA, with sales of the sedan jumping an impressive 25.1 percent over last June (5,977 vs. 4,776 in 2007).  The E-Class and the recently redesigned SL-Class both posted strong gains as well, with the two models' sales jumping 18.3 percent (4,360 units) and 12.3 percent (667 units), respectively.  And last but not least, contrary to prevailing market conditions, the M-Class noted a 2.0 percent improvement in in the luxury SUV segment, with sales of the off-roader totaling 2,601 new units...

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz USA's Sales Drop 0.1 Percent In June 2008"

Have you been longing for a fresh batch of Mercedes reviews that analyze either the Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series, the GL320 BlueTEC, the new-generation SLK-Class range or the new-generation SL-range?  If so, you're in luck ladies and gentlemen, because those are precisely the Mercedes models featured in our newest Review Roundup installment.

As is the case with all our Review Roundup segments, you can find an excerpt from the first review below as well as the full collection of articles immediately after the jump.


Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series (via TopGear)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"In motoring, it goes without saying that certain things are mutually exclusive. You can't, for instance, have a low-slung sports car which works off road; you can't have a high top speed and good economy; and you can't have your dignity if you also have a small Korean hatchback. Also, despite many claims to the contrary, you can't have a car which performs well on the Nürburgring and on the ring road. Or, at least, you couldn't until now..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Review Roundup:  The CLK63 AMG Black Series, GL320 BlueTEC, SLK-Class And SL-Class"

As part of the Arab-European Internship Exchange Program, Dr. Ruediger Grube, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, will host 24 students from the Arab economic area at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on Monday, July 7th.  A joint venture between the Young Arab Leaders (YAL) and Daimler, the Arab-European Internship Exchange Program is an initiative aimed at creating an environment conducive to the further development of future executives from the Arab region.  According to Dr. Grube:  "The internship program is an important component of our cooperation with YAL, promoting the dialogue between Arab students and experienced Daimler executives..."

Keep Reading "Mercedes-Benz Museum Welcomes Guests From The Arab-European Internship Exchange Program"