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December 04 News

Mika tests for Mercedes
Double Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen is weighing up a return to racing in next year¹s DTM German touring car series, and has already tried a Mercedes DTM C-Class for size. Hakkinen stepped down from his seat with McLaren Mercedes at the end of 2001 and may view a Mercedes DTM programme as an ideal platform for his return to racing, and one where he could earn a comfortable salary. The Finn is close to Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug, the man who calls the shots when it comes to AMG drivers. Hakkinen, who drove a Mercedes CLK DTM car for promotional purposes in 2001, is understood to have sampled the current model at EuroSpeedway Lausitz.

Armani cabrio
Mercedes is offering a special-edition CLK cabriolet personalised by fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The colours and materials used give the four-seater cabriolet a distinctive look. Only 100 units of this elegant vehicle will be offered worldwide as part of the exclusive designo range that allows customers to personalise their cars using a selection of exclusive material and paint finish options. Each of the 100 vehicles will be issued with a certificate that confirms its special-edition status. The CLK designo by Giorgio Armani has been on display in an exhibition entitled ŒMercedes-Benz meets Giorgio Armani¹ at the Mercedes showroom on the Champs Elysées in Paris.

Special edition SL
Mercedes is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary SL sports car by introducing an exclusive ŒEdition 50¹. The special edition is available as either an SL 500 with an eight-cylinder engine or as an SL 350 with a V6. The car comes with an extensive range of standard equipment that includes COMAND APS with a Europe-wide DVD navigation function, as well as ventilated seats with multi-contour function and nappa leather upholstery. Characteristic features are the ŒEdition 50¹ logo on the headrests, the centre console trims and the striking vents of the front wings, as well as the special paint colours ŒSilver Arrow¹ and Œdesigno black metallic¹. The special-edition SL, which is left-hand-drive, will be produced in a limited run of 500 units and is available from now until the end of 2004.

Keep screens clean
Seven out of ten motorists are running the risk of impaired visibility by driving with an empty windscreen washer bottle, according to new data from Comma, the car care people. And contrary to popular belief, washing up liquid smears windscreens rather than clean them. As the sun sinks earlier and unpredictable weather experienced heralds the onset of winter, now is a time when motorists will be increasingly in need of fluid to clear their windscreens. Be it flies, tree sap or the muddy aftermath of a sudden downpour, motorists must be able to keep screens clear of any dirt or grime to prevent a reduction in visibility.

Achilles heal
In one of the biggest ambulance deals ever seen in the UK, London Ambulance Service ordered 130 Sprinter-based vehicles worth £4 million! Over the next four years it plans to switch its entire 395-strong accident and emergency fleet to the three-pointed star. And in a break with an 80-year tradition, they are painted in high-visibility yellow rather than white. The new Sprinter fleet features a spacious working area designed to carry the latest medical equipment, tail-lifts to help staff move patients in and out of the vehicle, and a hydraulically operated stretcher-trolley. The Sprinter¹s suspension offers greater shock absorption, while time-saving SatNav is fitted. Ambulance chiefs are rubbing their hands at cost savings because the Sprinters¹ powerful 2.7-litre diesel engines consume up to 50 per cent less fuel than their petrol-driven predecessors. The London Ambulance Service came down in favour of Mercedes-Benz after an evaluation exercise that took two years to complete. Unfortunately they overlooked one small point - the vehicles ground when they go over speed humps!

Window tints
DB Tints use only the highest quality metal-based film, which is imported from the USA. This film comes with a manufacturer¹s lifetime guarantee and boasts other qualities such as: 99% harmful UV rejection, which prevents interior fading and cracking, 50% minimum heat rejection, reduces air conditioning costs by 5% approx, provides privacy and increases security by stopping flying glass fragments in the unfortunate event of an accident or break in. They have contracts with local Mercedes dealerships. The normal price for a 4 door E-Class would be £380inc. VAT for all side windows and rear screen, or for just the rear three windows would be £280inc. VAT. With MBO club discount of 10% these prices drop to £342 or £258 inc. VAT. DB Tints tel: 01536 741100 or email on sales@dbtints.co.uk

Anyone for racing?
Top tennis players experienced the thrill of high speeds in the co-driver's seat of a Mercedes SLR McLaren. "It was an incredible and unforgettable experience. A pure rush of adrenalin," said Juan Carlos Ferrero, after doing two laps with Mercedes test driver Pedro de la Rosa. And just like Ferrero, Argentina¹s top player, David Nalbandian, felt safe in the black racer with 626 horsepower under its bonnet. "Pedro is an extremely skilful driver. I did not feel at all frightened although the speed was really very extreme," commented Nalbandian. "I was impressed just how well the car could be controlled at high speed." The 2002 Wimbledon finalist returned the favour later by giving the Spanish racing driver a bit of tennis practice at the venue of the Madrid Masters tournament.

New air bags
Head/thorax side airbags are fitted to the new A-Class to further protect occupants. The new bags protect the chest and head, thus offering double the protection of the previously used sidebags. They are located in the front seat backrests and inflate within milliseconds, thus reducing the risk of a head hitting the window or other objects in the event of a crash. The installation of head/thorax side airbags as standard equipment in the new A-Class comes in response to studies showing that side impacts are becoming increasingly dangerous for passenger car occupants. In fact, some 44 percent of these types of collisions end with one or more fatalities.

Stars & Cars day
Mercedes race drivers met their fans at the annual Stars & Cars day in Stuttgart. Formula One drivers Kimi Räikkönen and David Coulthard, DTM drivers led by runner-up Gary Paffett and Jean Alesi, and the Mercedes talents racing in the Formula 3 series including champion Jamie Green, all took part. Kimi Räikkönen making his fourth appearance said: ³Every year, Stars & Cars day is a great event. I look forward to meeting thousands of enthusiastic fans.³ During the entertaining programme visitors were able to meet the drivers and have a close look at the cars. The action parts included real-life pitstop competitions between DTM and Formula One crews, acceleration contests between race and production cars, demonstration runs of present and past racing cars and a presentation of present and former Formula One Safety Cars of Mercedes-Benz along the streets.

United star finds his match of the day
Gary Neville doesn't expect a comfortable ride from City's strikers during a Manchester Derby, but, after taking delivery of a new £140,000 Mercedes limousine, at least he can guarantee one en route to the ground. The United and England defender drives a luxury S65 AMG, one of the world's most powerful series-produced cars which rockets from zero to 60mph in a fraction over four seconds! It continues a Neville family affair with local retailer Mercedes-Benz Whitefield, as the Bury Old Road dealership has also supplied vehicles to brother and United team-mate Phil, plus father Neville. Gary said: "It has to be the most comfortable, relaxing car I've driven - it's effortless which means that I arrive before matches in a good frame of mind and can concentrate on my football."

New Midlands service centre
A new Mercedes-Benz service centre in Shirley near Solihull offers enhanced customer services for 8,000 Mercedes drivers across the region. The new 13-bay facility can cater for up to 50 vehicles a day and has a roomy air-conditioned waiting area styled in new Mercedes-Benz corporate décor, with coffee bar, TV and boutique display, plus ample customer parking. The workshop sports the latest diagnostic technology, valet bays and MoT testing station, and receives two-hourly deliveries of Mercedes-Benz Parts. "Customer reaction to the service centre has been very positive," said Manager, Richard Weston. "We've created a relaxing, easily-accessible environment and reduced lead times for customers, while the staff are enjoying working in a state-of-the-art facility with all the latest technology at their disposal."