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March 06 News |
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Pink
Panther competition
Even
before the remake of the 'Pink Panther' comes to cinemas internet
users will be able to get a feel for the story and go on the hunt
for the stolen diamond.
At www.smart.com/pinkpanther smart will be offering players
the opportunity to solve the case for themselves. Those who demonstrate the
necessary skill in the online game will also have the chance to take
part in a gripping real-life adventure. Ten finalists will travel to
Paris together with a friend to
track down the jewel in a smart fortwo. The smartest duo will be
rewarded with a smart fortwo as first prize.
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Prices
on the up
Mercedes
is increasing prices across virtually its entire range by an average
of 1.4% on April 1.
Only cars registered before this date will escape the rises,
so if you're expecting to take delivery of a new car after April 1,
your dealer could ask for more cash. The CL coupe is unaffected,
as is the E-Class, a face-lifted version of which was unveiled at
the Geneva Motor Show at the end of February. Three-door versions of the
A-Class receive the smallest increase of just £90, the range costing
from £13,770 for an A150 to £19,705 for an A200 CDI. Five-door A-Class are up
£240 and start at £14,520 for an A150. The B-Class will also be
£240 more expensive, spanning £17,235 to £21,815, and the CLS
four-door coupe £250 pricier. The C-Class saloon and estate, and the
CLK coupZ and cabriolet, all rise by £410, while £430 is added onto
the price tag of any Mercedes SLK roadster. Apart from the Maybach and
SLR supercar, the biggest increases are reserved for the
M-Class. Except for the
M280 CDI models, which are up £150, the price of these cars
increases by £460.
Rises of between 1.3% and 1.6% add £4000 onto the cost of a
Maybach 57 or SLR, while a tiny increase of 0.3% means the long
wheelbase Maybach 62 now starts £1000 higher at
£292,155.
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Mercedes
in McLaren buyout link
If
you listen to the muses of the F1 grapevine, then Mercedes-Benz
could be preparing to buy the remaining slice of McLaren. Team boss Ron Dennis and
Mansour Ojjeh hold the 60 per cent in question, with the German
manufacturer already owning the rest. McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh
would not comment specifically on the buyout rumours, but he did
admit that Mercedes' 'interest' in the
Woking based grand prix team 'is higher than
ever before, on all fronts'.
He said, 'I think there is absolutely and clearly a
commitment (from Mercedes) to being in F1 for a long time.' It is also rumoured that
McLaren and Mercedes could collaborate on more sports car projects
in the future.
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Stolen
cars recovered
203
stolen Mercedes worth £6.83 million were successfully returned to
their rightful owners during 2005, thanks to Tracker. Parita Patel, marketing
manager for the company said: ÒMercedes, just like many other
manufacturers, equip their vehicles with the most sophisticated
anti-theft systems available.
Unfortunately, large numbers of cars are still being
stolen. One of the main
reasons is the escalating problem of key theft, whereby a thief will
steal, and then use, a car's key to steal the vehicle. Equipping a
stolen vehicle system gives car owners and police the edge when is
comes to tackling organised thieves.
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Awards
for S-Class
The
new S-Class
has been heralded as 2006's
Best Luxury Car by motoring magazine What Car? - and
that's
before it's
even gone on sale in the
UK. Arriving in showrooms on 16
March, the new S-Class combines state-of-the-art technology with
effortless performance and peerless refinement. It's
a view that helped the experts at What Car? reach their
verdict: "Every
decade, Mercedes-Benz launches a new S-Class, and every decade, the
rest of the world gasps in amazement,"
explained David Motton, Editor of What Car? magazine. "The
S-Class isn't
merely a technological tour de force. It's
a perfect example of machines making our lives easier and a lot more
comfortable. Now
that's
real luxury." With awards already, the new
S-Class, costing from £54,975 on the road (S 320 CDI) looks set to
become the new benchmark for luxury motoring. With its wealth of
innovations, including Brake Assist PLUS, enhanced COMAND, PRE-SAFE¨
and upgraded dynamic multi-contour seats with a choice of massage
options, S-Class customers can look forward to driving the
technology of tomorrow in the car of today.
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Bionic
Brooklands
Mercedes'
stunning Bionic car recently completed the first official lap of the
new Brooklands track.
Building work on the 155-acre site continued as the car,
driven by development engineer Ralph Hettich, completed a lap of the
0.6mile loop in a time of 3m 32s. Despite the low average
speed, due to the 10mph speed limit in force while the site is under
construction, the significance of the first lap wasn't
lost on those present.
A spokesman commented: "The
Mercedes and Benz cars at the inaugural meeting in 1907 were at the
cutting edge of technology for their day, and this Bionic car is no
different". As well as the handling
courses Mercedes-Benz World will also function as a retailer for
Mercedes, Maybach and smart models. New and used vehicle sales,
service and repair, and accessories will be available alongside
displays.
Win
a hard top hoist!
Mercedes
Owner in conjunction with Easy Hoists bring you an opportunity to
win an Easy Hoists hard top hoist system, including full
installation in your garage. Easy Hoists manufactures, supplies and
installs hard top hoists for all Mercedes convertibles. The hoists are hand-crafted
in the
UK using top quality
components. It is a
patented product that can be installed in most garages. The unique cradle system
does not touch the all-important weather seal of your hard top,
ensuring that the hoist system can be used for temporary and
long-term storage of your hard top in complete safety. All you have to do to enter
the competition is to send your name, address, daytime telephone
number and SL model owned on a postcard to, "Easy Hoists
competition" Mercedes-Benz Owners, Langton Road,
Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0EG, by the closing date
of 29th March. The winner will be announced in our May issue. To find out more about Easy
Hoists Ltd, please visit www.easyhoists.com.
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