More Spy Photos Of The 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Convertible

Last week we brought you spy photos of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Convertible, and today we've got another slightly more revealing look at the model. The retractable roof is still heavily masked, leaving us to speculate about both its exact contours and construction, but up front we now have a much clearer view of the front apron. The rear is also still heavily masked; however, with a little imagination you can probably surmise fairly well what the back is going to look like. To see more of the 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG Convertible, keep scrolling for a few additional photos (click any to enlarge), then head over to Auto Express for the full action-packed gallery. Enjoy ladies and gentlemen. source:mercedes benz

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Mercedes-Benz, BMW fight it out for top slot

Mumbai: After a gap of five months, Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd overtook BMW India Pvt. Ltd in July, selling 297 units against BMW’s 261, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).

Although a month’s numbers are not quite indicative of a trend reversal, it’s a breather for the Indian arm of German car maker Daimler AG, which had been losing ground to its younger rival BMW India in the Indian market.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are the market leaders in the foreign luxury car segment. Although the segment is small and accounts for just 2.5% of total cars sold every year in India, it has not deterred new firms from entering the market at regular intervals.

Fast lane: BMW India president Peter Kronschnabl says he expects the luxury car segment to register a 20% growth in the Indian market and that new model launches will help expand sales to 8,500-9,000 units. Ramesh Pathania / Mint

Mercedes-Benz India, which in 1994 became the first foreign car maker to enter the Indian luxury car market when it set up a plant in Chikhali-Pimpri near Pune in Maharashtra, had a headstart over Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Audi AG, which entered in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The latest entrants are Jaguar and Land Rover, now part of Tata Motors Ltd.

However, both BMW and Audi, as well as others such as Volvo, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and Bentley, have been present in the Indian market through direct imports.

Despite the fewer number of cars sold in July, BMW continues to lead with overall numbers. In the seven months to July, it sold 2,008 cars against Mercedes’ 1,712. In 2008, Mercedes sold 3,625 units, while BMW sold 2,908.

In 2008, its first full year of operations, Audi, the third German car maker after Mercedes and BMW to enter India, sold 1,050 cars. Sales numbers for Jaguar and Land Rover are unavailable since they were launched in India on 28 July.

Wilfred Aulbur, managing director and chief executive officer at Mercedes-Benz India, said, “The sales are in line with our expectations. I would not like to comment on a single month’s performance.”

In 2008, despite the global economic slowdown, sales of luxury cars — defined as cars with a minimum ticket price of Rs25 lakh — continued to grow in India with an estimated 7,000-7,500 units sold, or 70% more than 2007 sales.

Most car makers in India report wholesale figures or sales to dealers instead of end-user purchases, a practice that according to Peter Kronschnabl, president, BMW India, skews the numbers against his firm. BMW, unlike Mercedes, reports sales to customers. “After seven months, we are clearly the No. 1 in India, ” he said.

By the time BMW started assembling its 3-Series and 5-Series cars in India, the E-Class Mercedes introduced in 2002 was midway through its lifecycle, typically about six years.

In India, the C and E classes of the Mercedes stable make up 35-40% of its sales. As the E-Class is nearing the end of its lifecycle, consumers have been postponing their buying decisions, thereby pulling down the sales volume.

Hormazd Sorabjee, editor, Autocar India magazine, finds BMW’s line-up of models “more nimble” and aggressive. “It has managed plugging in the niches by offering multiple variants,” he said.

At the same time, Sorabjee is not yet ready to say Mercedes has lost the race. According to him, the new E-Class may change the equation between Mercedes and BMW and “things may tilt back” in favour of Mercedes.

Mercedes introduced the new C-Class in India in 2008 and will bring in the new E-Class by December this year.

It does not have any offering in the luxury sport utility vehicle segment that can compete with the X3 of BMW, but that’s because it doesn’t have a right-hand drive model as yet, according to Aulbur.

“With the buyers in the luxury car segment being status-conscious and well-travelled, they readily accepted a brand (BMW) that was new and gave a greater boost to their status,” said Neeraj Bandhu, Gurgaon-based director, India, at CSM Worldwide, a forecasting services and strategic advisory firm.

“Exclusivity is very critical for a luxury car buyer,” said Deepesh Rathore, managing director at IHS Global Insight, a forecasting and marketing intelligence firm, explaining why BMW and Audi have been successful.

While the glass is half full for Kronschnabl, who expects the segment to register a 20% growth, it is half empty for Aulbur, who is cautiously optimistic when he projects a flat to marginally positive growth.

“New model launches will expand the market (to) 8,500-9,000 units,” said Kronschnabl.

While the second half of the year will be better than the first, a healthy growth is expected only in 2010, said Aulbur.

According to the latest world wealth report released by Capgemini-Merrill Lynch in June, the number of high net-worth individuals (HNIs) in India contracted 31% to 84,000 in 2008. The report describes HNIs as individuals with net assets of at least $1 million (Rs4.8 crore), excluding their primary residence and consumer durables.

Aulbur said while the number of HNIs might have contracted, it will be compensated for by the presence of those who are willing to buy a luxury car. Besides, the overall car penetration ratio in India continues to be low—nine per 1,000 individuals—and can only go up.

“For a majority of our customers, it is the passion for luxury cars which drives them to go ahead with their dream even when the market is underperforming,” said Ashish Chordia, chief executive officer of Shreyans Automobiles, which sells Audi and Porsche cars.

source:http://www.livemint.com

LSD Mercedes-Benz CL

question & answers

The E-Class wagon has been available stateside in previous generations, and Mercedes isn’t going to disappoint with the new E-Class. For 2010, the E-Class sedan and coupe are all-new. The redesigned wagon will become available in June 2010 as a 2011 model. It’ll come in one model, the E350 4Matic all-wheel drive with a 3.5-liter V-6 making 268 horsepower.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the 2009 E350 4Matic wagon sells for $57,250. In something of an oddity — as far as next-generation pricing — Mercedes undercut the 2009 E-Class price by $4,600 when it priced the 2010 sedan at $48,600. However, there’s no guaranteeing that will happen with the 2011 wagon’s pricing.

Don't rubber stamp break to lure Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz is looking to open a research and development facility at a former Detroit Diesel site northeast of Plymouth and Telegraph roads. The building has been empty for a year and Mercedes may fill the void if the offer is right.

State officials, in cooperation with Mercedes, approached Redford Township seeking tentative approval of a tax abatement.

State officials are hoping to put together a package of incentives to lure the luxury auto maker to Redford, but a local match is necessary for state tax abatements to go through.

Mercedes plans to spend an estimated $4.6 million to open the facility and bring in 100 engineers to develop hydrogen and electric power systems.

Long-range plans call for some 250 employees within five years.

Tax abatements, if used properly, are an excellent tool to bring investment and opportunity to a community. They can be disastrous if dispensed with little consideration for the impact on residents, local infrastructure and the environment.

In this case, the building sits in an industrial area that is well-suited for hi tech research and development. Research is less intensive than manufacturing so the impact on local services shouldn't be a major concern.

Granting tentative approval does nothing but get the formal discussion started. With that comes a detailed proposal that should shed more light on the plans for the site.

Township officials should then do their homework to make sure such a facility wouldn't adversely affect the environment or endanger residents.

Only after those issues are resolved should approval of a tax abatement go forward.

MERCEDES-BENZ TO DEBUT NEW ‘PGA PERFORMANCE CENTER’ AT 91ST PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

MONTVALE, N.J., Aug. 11, 2009 — In conjunction with its inaugural year as an Official Patron of The PGA of America, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) will debut its PGA Performance Center, a state-of-the-art facility displaying the defining moments in the evolution of golf in comparison with the innovations that have led up to the most technologically advanced vehicle in its segment — the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The debut will take place at the 91st PGA Championship contested at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, August 10-16.

The PGA Performance Center is designed to engage guests in the history and tradition of the game of golf and the lineage of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class within an open and modern space. Through a striking series of displays, graphics and videos, visitors to the PGA Performance Center will experience a visual timeline spanning more than half a century, highlighting eight generations of the E-Class and memorable moments within the game of golf. The all-new 2010 E-Class coupe, sedan and AMG E63 will be on exhibit, as well as the classic 1979 240 D.

“Skill, precision and drive — all reasons why Mercedes-Benz and the game of golf are a natural fit,” stated Lisa Holladay, manager of brand experience marketing, MBUSA. “Both Mercedes-Benz and The PGA of America have a rich heritage and are at the forefront of innovation to deliver a unique experience at the PGA Championship.”

Guests entering the display will find a 50-foot graphic illustrating the history of the iconic E-Class body design — from the Ponton and Fintail from the 1950s — juxtaposed to a series of 32″ monitors highlighting Mercedes-Benz fuel and safety innovations such as its Blue Efficiency technology (fuel consumption and emissions reduction), Attention Assist (advanced drowsiness detection system) and Adaptive High-Beam Assist (advanced oncoming traffic recognition system). State-of-the-art materials, which are used in 72 percent of all manufactured body parts, are also on display to highlight Mercedes-Benz history and leadership in developing safety design for the greater good of drivers, ranging from the “safety cage” passenger cell and front-and-rear crumple zones to antilock brakes and automotive air bags.

In parallel, enthusiasts can inspect a series of golf balls dating from the 1600’s to current, including the first golf ball, a featherie from 1618. Latest advancements in ball and club technology will be presented by Nike Golf to show the future and vision of advanced materials.

Mercedes-Benz is a proud Official Patron of the 2009 PGA Championship, one of the premiere sporting events in the world. The tournament will be played at the acclaimed course designed by Robert Trent Jones where more than 200,000 spectators are expected to line the fairways to view the strongest, all-professional field in major championship golf. As an Official Patron, Mercedes-Benz serves as the Official Vehicle of The PGA of America, The PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship, as well as a Proud Supporter of the 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cup.

The Center will be located just inside the main spectator entrance, and will be open to the public throughout the Championship.

About Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Starting at $48, 600, the new ninth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class once again sets the standard for safety, comfort and advanced technology in its segment. The E-Class line-up, featuring the E350 and E550 coupes and sedans went on sale in June.

[Source: MBUSA]

Circuit and Wiring Diagram

Circuit and Wiring Diagram for Automotive, Car, Motorcycle, Truck, Audio, Radio, Electronic Devices, Home and House

The 2002 Mercedes-Benz W211 series entered production in 2002. They are sold under the E-Class model names. The following schematic and wiring diagram show the Mercedes Benz Pre-Fuse Power Distribution System. The Mercedes Benz Pre-Fuse Power Distribution consists of front pre-fuse box and rear pre-fuse box. (click image to enlarge)

Fuse

Function

A7/3 A35/11 F32 F33 F34 G1 G1/7 G2 K57/2 K67 N10/1 N10/2 N10/11 N22 N82 N112 M1 M4/7 M40/1 X58/1

Traction system hydraulic unit Voice recognition module (VCS) Front pre-fuse box Rear pre-fuse box Interior fuse box (left of instrument panel) Systems battery Auxiliary battery Alternator Auxiliary battery relay AIRmatic relay Driver signal acquisition and actuation module (SAM-D) Rear signal acquisition and actuation module (SAM-R) Passenger signal acquisition and actuation module (SAM-P) Air conditioning control module Battery control module Communication platform (CP) Starter motor Electric suction fan with integrated control Pneumatic pump of dynamic seat control Interior socket

source:http://www.wiringdiagrams21.com

GM dealers in California to sell cars on eBay

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More than 225 General Motors dealers in California will sell vehicles through the eBay online auction site in a four-week trial, the companies announced Monday.

Under the program, which begins Tuesday, consumers will be able to bargain with the dealers for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Pontiac cars and trucks from model years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The program ends Sept. 8.

The new car shopping website, gm.ebay.com, will feature a "wide selection" of up to 20,000 new GM vehicles at "competitive prices," the companies said in a press release.

Customers will be able to buy cars outright at the advertised price using the Web site's "Buy It Now" option. Alternatively, customers can suggest a price under the "Best Offer" option, which may then be negotiated with the dealer.

"Together with eBay Motors, GM and our dealers are reinventing the car-buying experience for our California customers," said Mark LaNeve, GM vice president of U.S. sales, in a statement.

GM emerged from bankruptcy protection on July 10, concluding a 40-day stay in Chapter 11 with the sale of its key operations to a new company majority-owned by the U.S. Treasury. The company pledged to win back American consumers and taxpayers.

The automaker has sold certain new and certified-used GM models on eBay Motors in the past. But the scale of the new program marks a significant shift for the online auction house, which is traditionally focused on used cars and auto parts.

"Through this program, we are helping GM dealers to extend their physical showroom while at the same time delivering to our buyers the great deals and broad selection they expect from eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500)," said Rob Chesney, vice president of eBay Motors, in a statement.

As part of its restructuring, GM shut hundreds of under-performing dealerships across the country. But the new program has been hailed by at least one of GM's California dealers.

Ted Nicholas, president and chief executive of a Chevrolet dealership in Bakersfield, said in a statement that he is "very excited" to participate in the new program.

"We've found that serious shoppers want it to be easy, and have shifted from the traditional forms of researching and purchasing vehicles to getting it all done on the Internet," said Nicholas.

Truck market to start recovering in 2010 - Mercedes-Benz

The truck market continues to take a pummelling, even as early indications are that the global recession has started to bottom out.

Sales of extra heavy commercial vehicles were down 57% year-to-date at the end of July compared with 2008, with heavy commercial vehicles down 44,7%, and medium commercial vehicles 44,4%.

The bus market provides the only ray of hope in the commercial vehicle segment at the moment, at a 2% negative compared with 2008, this as government is equipping the public transport sector for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) commercial vehicles vicepresident Kobus van Zyl says truck sales typically lag passenger car sales by a few months.

As truck sales were still buoyant long after passenger car sales had entered the downturn, Van Zyl expects the truck market to now only pick up at the beginning of the next year, with passenger car sales already stabilising.

However, the extra-heavy commercial market is only expected to bottom out next year somewhere.

“Cars are down 29%. We would love that number right now,” says Van Zyl.

On a year-to-date basis, total truck sales are down from 21 884 units in 2008, to the current 11 398 units.

Van Zyl expects a South African truck market of 19 430 units this year.

This is a huge drop from last year's 34 664 units, and 2007’s record-breaking 37 069 units.

As recently as 2003, the truck market stood at an annual volume of 16 327 units.

Despite the doom and gloom, Van Zyl points out that the South African truck market is faring well compared with the rest of the world, with the segment down 60% in Western and Eastern Europe, for example.

Van Zyl says the local market is witnessing a lot of fleet replacement rather than expansion at the moment.

“Over the last few years companies build up their fleets to prepare for government's infrastructure spend, and now we see things starting to stabilise.”

Following much criticism from the trucking industry earlier this year that South Africa's traditional banks were shying away from providing credit to the automotive sector, Van Zyl believes the country's large banks have now started to return to the market.

“We are not where we were before the crisis, but the banks are definitely playing the market again. The banks are moving back. They understand the commercial vehicle market better now, and they are pricing the risk better,” he explains.

Around 45% of commercial vehicle deals within MBSA are funded in-house.

One aspect that has not improved is that the commercial vehicle parc is not providing service income to truck dealers as is the case with passenger vehicle dealers.

“Trucks are standing still, they are simply being parked, so workshop throughput has fallen dramatically,” notes Van Zyl.

He adds that MBSA's truck plant in East London, doing completely knockdown production, has been “severely affected” by the market downturn, but notes that no staff has been retrenched.

“To enable the plant to remain open we have spread out production volumes over the rest of the year. We have spend a lot of time and effort to build up expertise, and we do not want to lose this.”

Van Zyl notes that it was also important to retain staff in the light of the bus deal the company has clinched from the Gautrain rapid-rail link project, and the government supply contract it has secured for the World Cup.

Government earlier this year handed MBSA and MAN Truck & Bus the contracts to supply 570 buses to transport spectators, officials and players for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

MBSA will supply 168 semiluxury and 292 intercity buses, and MAN 110 general spectator buses.

Bombela, the company building the Gautrain rapid-rail link, and the company which will operate it for 15 years, has also signed a deal with MBSA for the supply of 125 buses which will service the project’s feeder and distribution routes.

source:http://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Cash for Clunkers Deal Drives Auto Sales

U.S. auto sales rose to their highest levels of the year in July as consumers rushed to trade in older vehicles under a government incentive program that has become so popular it is in danger of running out of money.

Automakers issued their sales reports Monday, raising hope that the sagging auto industry is headed for a recovery, although some analysts cautioned that a turnaround would still be slow. The uptick comes as Congress considers whether to provide up to $2 billion more for trade-in incentives to keep the effort going.

Ford said its sales were up 2.4 percent over the same period a year ago, its first monthly increase in two years. The automaker attributed much of the gain to the Cash for Clunkers program, which allows consumers to receive rebates for turning in older cars for more fuel-efficient models.

George Pipas, sales analyst for Ford, said the automaker thought it was going to fall short of last year's July sales level until the government's stimulus kicked in.

"Cash for clunkers put us over the top," Pipas said.

Subaru said it also benefited from the trade-in program, as sales were up 34 percent.

Chrysler, General Motors and other major automakers did not show gains, but interest in the rebates appeared to have eased their losses as well.

Sales slid 9.4 percent for Chrysler, 11.4 percent for Toyota, 17 percent for Honda, 19.4 percent for General Motors, 1.4 percent for Volkswagen and 25 percent for Nissan. Germany's Daimler AG said its U.S. sales dropped 24 percent in July because few gas guzzlers were being traded in for Mercedes-Benzs.

Companies sold 997,824 cars and trucks in the United States, a 12.2 percent decline from July 2008, according to preliminary data released Monday by research firm Autodata. The monthly figure for car sales translates to an annualized rate of 11.24 million cars, far off 2007's pace but one the government has said could help GM and Chrysler return to profitability.

George Augustaitis, market analyst for U.S. auto sales at auto consulting firm CSM Worldwide, said the monthly sales numbers showed the government's clunker program "really drove people into dealerships." But he predicted that the program's popularity could wane if the economy remains mired in recession and consumers remain reluctant to spend.

"With this economic recession, American households lost wealth. Savings rates were at all times low. Baby boomers are retiring. People are not going to run out and spend like they would have in the past. This is going to be a slow recovery, even in autos," Augustaitis said.

The clunker program kicked off a little more than a week ago and so many consumers sought to take advantage of the program that it almost ran out of money. The House hastily approved another $2 billion for the program on Friday, and many are hopeful that the Senate will pass that measure.

source : http://www.washingtonpost.com

A brochure of the new W212 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been scanned and let loose onto the internet, so here’s a preview of the next generation de-facto communiting choice for businessmen in Malaysia. Styling-wise, this new edition completes the E-Class design’s transformation from curvy bulk into a new sportier, edgier and more angular design. The trademark quad oval headlamps are now square-ish, much like the Lexus GS.

	W212	W211	A6	E60	Accord
Length	4,868mm	4,856mm	4,927mm	4,841mm	4,945mm
Width	1,854mm	1,822mm	1,855mm	1,846mm	1,845mm
Height	1,470mm	1,483mm	1,459mm	1,468mm	1,475mm
Wheelbase	2,870mm	2,854mm	2,843mm	2,888mm	2,800mm

Above is a size comparison chart between the new W212 and the model it replaces as well as its competitiors, the Audi A6 and the BMW 5-Series. The A6 is clearly the longest and widest of the lot while remaining lowest as well, but it does not have the longest wheelbase. The new W212 is longer, wider and lower than the W211 so it should prove to have a sportier stance as well as be more stable on the road. It’s wheelbase has also grown by 16mm.

The image at the beginning of this story is the standard model with the regular foglamps, of which design reminds you of what Brabus usually does to a Mercedes foglamp, so they’ll probably have to think of something else with this E-Class! Now this image above shows us what we saw earlier in the initial batch of leaked shots, LED daytime driving lights in place of where the foglamps are. They are arranged in some sort of L shape.

This is the version with the AMG bodykit, also featuring the LED driving lights. You can see the differences in the front bumper, it has a frowney shape to its central air intake compared to the regular E-Class bumper’s smiley air intake. The sideskirt also bulges out a little towards the rear wheel on the AMG car.

The new W212 E-Class is quite a handsome and aggressive car from the front but when you get to the rear, I don’t know about you but my first thoughts were “fail”. The integrated exhausts tailpipes are a nice touch but as this photo is the E 500, it’s not known at this point whether the base models like the new E 200 CGI will get a similiar design.

The interior is quite clearly an evolution of the W204 C-Class’s interior. The sexy curved and thin wood panels of the W211’s interior is now gone, and replaced by thick and flat pieces of wood on a dash design that has also gone all angular like the car’s exterior. I don’t know, the interior kinda looks like it was lifted from a luxury truck or SUV rather than a Mercedes-Benz, so I really prefer the old W211’s interior. Ah well, all the better for people who plan to pick up a pre-owned W211 facelift in the future.

The leaked spec sheets reveal the new engine range for the W212 E-Class. Gone is the familiar E 200 K moniker, instead replacing it is the new E 200 CGI. The brochure and spec sheets actually doesn’t really reveal what kind of forced induction the new 1.8 liter engine uses, but just looking at the torque curve will tell you that it’s a new quick-spooling turbocharger, so now we can finally bid goodbye to the Kompresser supercharger of the W210 and W211. The new E 200 CGI’s 1.8 liter turbocharged engine also has direct injection and puts out 181bhp at 5,250rpm as well as 270Nm of torque between 1,800 to 4,200rpm. This is a very decent amount and beats the hell out of the 523i’s 230Nm, plus it kicks in at a very low RPM too. 0 to 100km/h takes 8.7 seconds, while the top speed is 235km/h.

The new 1.8 liter turbocharged direct injection engine also comes in E 250 CGI guise. The V6-powered E 230 is now missing from the line-up. In E 250 CGI form, the engine produces 201hp at 5,250 and 310Nm of torque between 2,000 to 4,500rpm. 0 to 100km/h takes 7.9 seconds, while the top speed is a little higher at 245km/h. The E 250 CGI also has wider tyres in 225/55R16 size compared to the E 200 CGI’s 205/60R16 tyres.

Click for enlarged image

Other engine options include a V6 and a V8 in the E 350 CGI and the E 500 respectively. These models come with either rear wheel drive or optional 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The E 280 seems missing, but may only be gone in the originating country of this leaked brochure. The E 350 CGI’s 3.5 liter V6 puts out 288hp at 6,400rpm and an impressive 365Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, thanks to its direct injection technology. The E 350 4MATIC’s engine has different power figures - 268hp at 6,000rpm and 350Nm of torque between 2,400 to 5,000rpm, an impressively wide peak torque spread for a normally aspirated engine. The 5.5 liter V8-powered E 500 and E 500 4MATIC produce 382 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 530Nm of torque between 2,800 rpm to 4,800rpm.

There are a few oil burners to choose from, ranging from the E 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY all the way up to a E 350 CDI BlueTEC. There is also a 4MATIC version of the E 350 CDI. The inline-4 diesels in the E 200 CDI, E 200 CDI and the E 250 CDI are the new 2.1 liter OM651 diesel engine that was unveiled recently. The E 200 CDI puts out 134hp between 3,000 to 4,600rpm and 330Nm of torque between 1,600 to 2,800rpm. The E 220 CDI does 167hp between 3,000 to 4,200rpm and 400Nm of torque between 1,400 to 2,800rpm. The 201hp E 250 CDI puts out a massive 500Nm from 1,600rpm all the way to 1,800rpm.

Click for enlarged image

The sole V6 turbodiesel option is the 3.0 liter E 350 CDI engine which has three power outputs in three different variants. The E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY gets 228hp at 3,800rpm and 540Nm of torque between 1,600rpm and 2,400rpm, while the E 350 BlueTEC has less power - only 208hp at 3,400rpm but the same 540Nm of torque between 1,600 to 2,600rpm. Finally, the all-wheel drive E 350 CDI 4MATIC gets 221hp at 3,800rpm and 540Nm of torque between 1,600 to 2,400rpm. These numbers by the 3.0 V6 turbo diesel are all very close to the highest power output of the 2.1 liter twin turbocharged diesel, which is what makes the latter engine very special. What it lacks is the smooth silky refinement and sound of a V6.

Please look after the jump for a photo gallery containing the scanned brochures. It reveals a few colour options as well as the different interior colour schemes.

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Original post: http://paultan.org/archives/2009/01/08/leaked-2010-mercedes-benz-e-class-w212-brochures-with-detailed-specification-sheets/#ixzz0N94Dmc89

Foreign Automakers Could Get Fuel Economy Exemption

German luxury auto makers including BMW AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz are close to benefitting from a U.S. concession that will allow them and a few other foreign makers to keep selling cars that emit more greenhouse gases than those made by mass-market rivals such as General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.

Under a provision of a plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Obama administration has proposed to set less stringent standards for car makers that sell fewer than 400,000 vehicles a year in the U.S. That target defines the major German brands as well as a few smaller Asian manufacturers such as Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

The easier targets are expected to apply to a limited portion of a car maker's sales volume, and last for about four years — unless the government grants an extension.

"Once companies become dependent on these provisions, they have an incentive to hire lobbyists and exert political pressure to extend those same provisions," said John Graham, who helped craft automobile fuel-economy regulations under President George W. Bush.

"The German provision" — as it is known to industry lobbyists — resembles a California law that effectively exempts some foreign car makers from having to meet the same emissions standards as their U.S. rivals. BMW and Daimler declined to say whether they lobbied for the provision.

In effect, the provision would make it easier for Mercedes to keep selling cars like its $147,000, 12-cylinder S600 sedan, rated at 13 miles per gallon, while GM or Toyota would be required to meet tougher mileage standards with smaller, more efficient cars.

The rules are expected to be formally proposed later this year by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to enforce the administration's mandate that makers boost the average fuel efficiency of their fleets to 35.5 miles mpg by 2016.

Electric concept car conquers water, snow, and highway traffic

Amphibious vehicles are nothing new, but this concept car takes the go anywhere idea to a whole new level.

Created by Janne Leppänen, Tuulia Miettinen, Roope Kolu, Tiemen Stelwagen, and Jaap Van Der Voort as part of an industrial design course project, the Amphibious Hybrid uses special wheels that transform to match the terrain. On a paved road the wheels close up to form a rubber tire, but you can open them up a little to provide traction for snow or ice, or open them up all the way to work as paddles on the water. The whole thing runs from batteries, with an electric motor mounted in each wheel.

Sounds like a cool concept especially for vacation resorts.

Via Ecofriend.org

The New Generation M-Class

Mercedes-Benz has meticulously revamped the successful M Class. The new generation of the dynamic, stylish SUV now has even more distinctive characteristics, and looks even sportier and more powerful.

It is the trendsetter among today's SUVs. Its exceptional status is down to its characteristic dynamic, stylish design, a combination of compelling performance both on and off-road, the ride comfort and ease of operation of a saloon, along with a high perceived value.

The new-generation Mercedes-Benz M-Class is priced at RM 548,888.00 and available now at your nearest Mercedes-Benz authorised dealership.

House approves $2B more for 'cash for clunkers'

WASHINGTON — The House has voted to rush an additional $2 billion into the popular but financially strapped "cash for clunkers" car purchase program.

The bill was approved on a vote of 316-109. House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program was running out of money.

Called the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, the program is designed to help the economy and the environment by spurring new car sales. Car owners can receive federal subsidies of up to $4,500 for trading in their old cars for new ones that achieve significantly higher gas mileage.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the new money for the program would come from funds approved earlier in the year as part of an economic stimulus bill.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House rushed Friday to pump $2 billion into a popular cash-for-clunkers program running near empty, with a leading Democrat saying "consumers have spoken with their wallets."

A floor vote was under way at midday on the bill to refuel the car-purchase program. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had said earlier that the additional money would come from funds Congress approved earlier in the year as part of a $787 billion economic stimulus bill.

Hoyer, D-Md., said that at the request of House Republicans — whose approval was required for swift passage — the bill would include provisions for government auditors to make sure the money was being spent as intended.

Republicans argued that Democrats were trying to jam the legislation through.

House Minority Leader John Boehner said it was unclear how many Republicans would support on the plan.

"There are a lot of questions about how the administration administered this program. If they can't handle something as simple as this, how would we handle health care?" the Ohio Republican told The Associated Press.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the cars purchased under the program were much more fuel-efficient than what the bill requires.

But some lawmakers complained that many dealers were left to contend with a chaotic government-run program.

"The federal government can't process a simple rebate. I've got dealers who have submitted the paperwork three times and have gotten three rejections," said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich. "What is a dealer supposed to do?"

There had been a $1 billion budget for rebates for new car sales in the program that was officially launched last week and has been heavily publicized by automakers and dealers.

Called the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, the program offers owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle, in exchange for scrapping their old vehicle. Congress last month approved the plan to boost auto sales and remove some inefficient cars and trucks from the roads.

The Senate was not scheduled to vote on Friday but lawmakers hoped to win approval for additional funding next week.

Senate action is likely next week, making sure the program would not be affected by the sudden shortage of cash.

"Consumers have spoken with their wallets and they've said they like this program," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.

House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program — designed to help the economy as well as the environment — was out of funds. Under the program, car owners can receive federal subsidies of as much as $4,500 if they trade in their old car for a new one that achieves significantly higher gas mileage.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the administration assured lawmakers that "deals will be honored until otherwise noted by the White House." But he suggested that "people ought to get in and buy their cars."

At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs sought to assure consumers that the program is still running and will be alive "this weekend. If you were planning on going to buy a car this weekend, using this program, this program continues to run."

Gibbs would not commit to any timeframe beyond that.

It was unclear how many cars had been sold under the program.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said about 40,000 vehicle sales had been completed through the program but dealers estimated they were trying to complete transactions on another 200,000 vehicles, putting the amount of remaining funding in doubt.

John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said many dealers have been confused about whether the program will be extended and for how long. Many had stopped offering the deals Thursday after word came out that the funds available for the refunds had been exhausted.

The clunkers program was set up to boost U.S. auto sales and help struggling automakers through the worst sales slump in more than a quarter-century. Sales for the first half of the year were down 35 percent from the same period in 2008, and analysts are predicting only a modest recovery during the second half of the year.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the program, North Palm Beach, Fla., dealer Earl Stewart said he planned to continue to sell cars under the program but would delay delivering the new vehicles and scrapping the trade-ins.

"It's been a total panic with my customers and my sales staff. We are running in one direction and then we are running in another direction," he said.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.