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February 05 News |
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The American Mercedes
Today the USA is a nation of cars, but this was
far from being the case 100 years ago. At that
time, motoring was still very much in its
infancy and Europe was ahead by quite some
distance, leading the way in technology. Thus
it’s no surprise that old-world automobiles
were highly coveted in America but were
expensive due to shipping costs and customs
duties. The answer provided by Daimler was a
car produced in New York, the ‘American
Mercedes’, which was basically a reproduction
of the 45 hp Mercedes. It first appeared at the
New York Show in January 1905, with the first
vehicle costing $7,500 being delivered in 1906. |
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Improved E-Class
E-Class saloons and estates are now available
with the newly developed more powerful six-cylinder
engine. This means that the new E350
betters the output of the previous six-cylinder
model, the E320, by more than 21 percent and
torque by eleven percent, while fuel consumption
is reduced. Powerful acceleration and rapid
sprints combined with fuel economy and a high
level of comfort are also ensured by the 7G-TRONIC
seven-speed automatic transmission,
which is standard equipment in the new E350.
From spring 2005 Mercedes will offer an optional
new sports package for the Saloon and Estate,
with numerous design and technical features,
which are in many cases not available individually. |
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Summer in the city
The air seems almost still in the early morning.
People on their way to work cast a critical eye
at the vans moving through the city’s
pedestrian zones and making deliveries to the
various cafés and boutiques located there.
Soon it will be very hot and exhaust gas will
begin to fill the streets beneath the city’s tall
buildings. As annoying and unhealthy as the
exhaust gases are, the businesses in the inner
city need to have their deliveries. One
example from Mercedes shows exactly how to
reduce air pollution due to delivery traffic in
the inner cities: the new ‘Hybrid Sprinter’ with
the addition of the electric motor installed in
the vehicle enables it to run without producing
any exhaust gas whatsoever. |
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Golden Maybach
A new range of interior personalisation accessories is now available for Maybach owners, which
includes 24-carat gold plated trim. Buyers of the luxury limousine can opt to have parts or all of the
chrome cabin trim coated in the precious metal. And for those with money left over who really want
the cabin to resemble a Bond Street jeweller, there’s the option of diamond-encrusted wood
panelling too. A Maybach spokesman explained: “Our personalisation package means there are
about two million different ways you can specify your car”. Anyone who selects the valuable trim
options will probably be interested in the Maybach guard security package, which includes armour
plating and bullet-proof glass. |
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CLS Thriller
Mercedes is putting the new CLS Class on the
film scene with an exciting Web special. The
four-door coupé can be seen in a thirteen-minute
thriller with an all-star international
cast at www.the-porter.com. ‘The Porter’ tells
the fascinating story of the porter at a five-star
hotel in Budapest who becomes wrapped-up
in a diamond smuggling operation. The
central roles are played by top names from
the film and music industry: ex-Roxy Music-front
man Bryan Ferry is the jewel smuggler
and pop diva Dannii Minogue is perfectly at
home as the seductive nightclub owner. “A
model as exciting as the CLS demands
exceptional marketing concepts”, explained
Lothar Korn, Advertising Manager of
Mercedes Passenger Cars. Ferry performed
at a concert in Hamburg, where the music
legend sang the title song ‘Fool for Love’ in
front of invited VIP guests. |
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Safety Award
The innovative safety system PRE-SAFE® picked up a major
international award at the Prince Michael International Road Safety
Awards in London. Dr. Rodolfo Schoeneburg, Director of Safety and
Roland Bachmann, Senior Manager, Passive Safety accepted the award,
presented by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, on behalf of DaimlerChrysler.
During his speech His Royal Highness stressed the importance of
technological advancements in the area of road safety, describing
Mercedes-Benz as “a manufacturer which puts safety at the heart of its
design philosophy, not just in the area of crash protection but of crash
avoidance too”. |
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