In a short span of 4 years, Smart has gain a reputation on its own as a new lifestyle of eco-friendliness and also as a new approach in providing affordable efficient cars. Recently, the Smart fortwo has gain another award. This time the smart received the Canadian Black Book award for “Best Retained Value”. So if you are a Smart owner, it means your getting the best value for ur purchase. Here is the full press release after the jump.
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The smart fortwo recently received the Canadian Black Book award for “Best Retained Value”. Designed to identify specific models that outperform their competitors, the awards are based on real performance and measure actual value retained after a four year period.
Kathy Ward, President & CEO of Canadian Black Book, presented Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, with the award at smart Canada’s head office in Toronto. The awards determine a vehicle’s ability to retain its value from its original MSRP, and are based on data gathered from four-year old passenger cars and light-trucks under $70,000.
“Receiving the Canadian Black Book residual value award provides further validation of the extraordinary and innovative concept of the smart fortwo,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada.
“We are grateful to all of the loyal smart fortwo owners for placing their confidence in our brand, and we are very happy to provide strong residual values as an additional benefit of ownership. The unique smart fortwo continues to be an intelligent choice for mobility because it provides class-leading fuel efficiency and versatility in a safe and fun-to-drive package. These are the trademark characteristics that have allowed us to expand the smart family to more than 15,000 strong in Canada since the vehicle’s introduction five years ago.”

The SLS wheelbase will be 105.5-inch; the front track will be 1.2 inches wider than the rear. The Gullwing will be powered by a 6.2 liter V8 pumping out 563 hp at 6800 rpm and 479 lb ft of torque at 4700 rpm. It will have a 7 speed dual clutch gearbox, a Race Start launch control function, which will propel the SLS from 0-100 km/h in a respectable 3.8 sec. Top speed will be around 196 mph, oh and for those planning on stopping from that speed, they’ll be helped by 15.4 in discs in front squeezed by six piston calipers and 14.2 inches in the back with 4 piston calipers - carbon ceramic rotors are optional.

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PRESS RELEASE:

Electric smart to go live

Following successful trials in the UK, the iconic, zero-emission, smart fortwo electric drive is ready for small series production.

Reaction from customers taking part in the UK trial, including the Metropolitan Police, universities, local councils, architects and energy companies, has proved so encouraging that smart’s parent company, Daimler AG, can confirm that the smart electric drive will go into small series production, with cars coming to the UK in early 2010.

The second generation smart electric drive will also be taking part in projects in Rome, Milan and Paris. Several cities in the US are also due to start trials of the fully electric car and the invaluable feedback will be incorporated into the development of future production models.

Featuring a lithium-ion battery the second generation smart electric drive’s power source will have a longer range, boast a shorter charging time and will give improved performance.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “It is absolutely fantastic to see manufacturers like smart leading the way to make the electric vehicle an easy choice for Londoners. The move to electric vehicles, which emit zero pollution on London’s streets, will have a massive impact on cutting carbon emissions to curb climate change whilst improving air quality and noise levels for our citizens.”

Kulveer Ranger, Mayor’s director of transport, said: “The Mayor and I are working with manufacturers through the London Electric Vehicle Partnership and urge the entire car industry to invest in this technology. Not only can we create green collar jobs but also smooth the way for less polluting transport choices which will improve our air quality, reduce traffic noise and contribute significantly to the Mayor’s ambitious carbon emissions reduction target.”

Dermot Kelly, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz UK, said: “smart have been leading the way in pioneering environmentally friendly, sustainable concepts for future mobility and we’re delighted that the UK trial is proving to be so successful. The smart electric drive is exempt from vehicle excise duty and the London congestion charge and this, underlined with incredibly low operating costs, means that companies taking part in the trial are finding it makes perfect fiscal sense.”

1. A UK market trial of 100 cars started in December 2007 with fleet customers. The trial lasts for 4 years and customers are leasing the vehicles at a monthly cost of £375.

2. The smart electric drive burns no fossil fuels and drivers can expect to achieve the equivalent of around 300 mpg from running the vehicle.

3. The smart ed emits no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, unburned hydro-carbons, particulate matter or any harmful substance – in fact it emits nothing at all.

4. The smart ed has no engine oil, oil filter, spark plugs or exhaust. In fact there are only a handful of moving parts in the driveline, resulting in significantly lower servicing and maintenance costs compared to a petrol driven smart. Apart from regular charging the high tech battery is maintenance free and depending on use can last up to 10 years.

5. The smart ed retains all the safety equipment you would find on a regular smart. So unlike electric quadric-cycles you will find ESP, ABS brakes two airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners on the ed. The ed also borrows the tried and NCAP tested Tridion safety cell from the petrol driven smart.

6. The smart ed has no gear change and can reach 30 mph in a very nippy 6.5 seconds. It has an electronically limited top speed of 60 mph. All this is made possible by a powerful 30kW electric motor which is built for us by Zytek Automotive.

7. The smart ed has its own charger on board. This means you can plug it directly into any UK mains 3 pin plug socket and it will happily recharge. The ’state of charge’ meter on the dash swivels through 90 degrees so it may even be possible to see the state of charge from inside your house!

8. As a company car the smart ed brings big benefits. Electric vehicles currently get a preferential tax rate of 9% and in the case of the ed, fuel scale charges are dramatically reduced as no petrol is provided and the provision of free electricity by the employer to the employee is not treated as benefit in kind. Furthermore, employees choosing the smart ed as a company car can enjoy a notional taxable value of just £13,750.

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“In this exhibition we are going to be showing visitors exactly what the Mercedes-Benz safety experts are currently working and experimenting on, and we shall be using the S-Class (S 400 HYBRID) to illustrate what they are doing”, explains Michael Bock, Manager of Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH. “Once again the Museum is set to become a showcase for innovations, and those who visit us will be among the first to find out precisely what the future might hold in store – from the spotlight function or an auxiliary brake in the vehicle floor to inflatable metal structures in the doors.”

We tend to take safety features such as airbags, ABS and belt tensioners for granted nowadays, but just a few decades ago systems like these were actually unimaginable. Three safety vehicles from the past are being used in the exhibition to recount the history of safety technologies at Mercedes-Benz and developments that have taken place since the 1970s. A research area invites visitors to take an active role in discovering and experiencing the highlights, and there will be an expert on hand to explain the Mercedes-Benz safety philosophy and innovations.

This special exhibition is open daily, except Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The presentation is situated in the “Fascination of technology” section on the lowest level of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and there is no entrance fee. There is more to discover on the milestones in vehicle safety in the permanent exhibition in the “History of mobility” section.

The show is just one of the highlights forming part of the “Museum Summer”, and up to 6 September 2009 the museum will also be attracting visitors with a whole series of exciting exhibitions, events and specials, where members of the public will be able to unwind in a relaxed atmosphere and take in a film at the open-air cinema. And as an added bonus, the museum will be extending its opening hours to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Find out more at www.mercedes-benz.com/classic.

The project is centered on the use of hydrogen as an environment-friendly energy medium. Hydrogen filling stations represent an important step toward reducing dependence on fossil fuels in the long term and coming a step closer to emission-free sustainable mobility. The innovative hydrogen filling station will serve fuel cell vehicles of the latest generation, such as the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL, with 700-bar high-pressure technology. Small-series production of this vehicle is to commence later this year in Germany.

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The proximity of the OMV service station to Stuttgart Airport – a major transport hub – and to Daimler AG’s research and development centers, together with the cooperative contact between the two companies, is providing the basis for the establishment of Baden-Württemberg’s first publicly accessible hydrogen filling station. Within the framework of a public-private partnership, the hydrogen station will provide an important impulse for a future supply network for this state, thus supporting the operation of locally emission-free electric vehicles on the basis of fuel cell technology.

The development of new drive technologies is crucial to Baden-Württemberg’s automotive industry and will ensure that it can emerge with renewed strength from the current crisis and participate in the race for international technological leadership. Hydrogen technology plays a decisive role here. With the opening of this filling station the basis for the establishment of a public infrastructure of the energy medium hydrogen is provided. “It is not sufficient to develop new drive technologies. In addition an appropriate infrastructure is needed,” said Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of the Environment, Tanja Gönner. “This initiative is a key component to a future-proof energy utilization and a sustainable mobility,” said the Minister about the community project. The state was therefore supporting this project with the sum of 800,000 euros from the program “Zukunftsoffensive Baden-Württemberg” (Baden-Württemberg’s Campaign for the Future), Gönner continued.

As a leading gas supplier and the world’s largest manufacturer of hydrogen facilities, Linde has a wealth of expertise throughout the hydrogen value creation chain – from hydrogen production to filling technology. This company, the world’s pre-eminent outfitter of hydrogen filling stations, distributes filling technology in 15 countries. The new hydrogen station at Stuttgart Airport incorporates ion-compressor technology developed by Linde. With this new compression process, cars and electric buses powered by fuel cells can be refueled within a matter of minutes – just like vehicles powered by conventional internal combustion engines – with hydrogen at a pressure of either 350 or 700 bar. The gaseous hydrogen is also supplied by Linde AG. Operation with hydrogen produces only electrical energy along with water vapor. No hydrocarbons or sulfur oxides are generated – and not even carbon dioxide (CO2), which arises during combustion of fossil fuels. Hydrogen as a fuel for automotive drive technologies is free of emissions detrimental to the climate and to the environment in both its production from regenerative energy media and in its transformation into electricity. “As the pioneer of hydrogen technology we have a particular responsibility to press ahead toward hydrogen-based sustainable mobility,” said Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the Board of Management of Linde AG. “Establishing the infrastructure for this future-oriented energy medium calls for a concerted effort among the partners involved. We are delighted to have realized a filling station concept of the latest generation together with OMV. With our newly developed 700-bar technology, vehicles can be refueled rapidly, safely, and in a user-friendly manner.”

“Our fuel cell vehicles have already demonstrated their suitability for everyday operation. To turn emission-free driving into reality, we now need a comprehensive network of hydrogen filling stations,” said Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG with responsibility for Group research and Mercedes-Benz Cars development. “We therefore wholeheartedly welcome and support the initiative of OMV.” Daimler already presented the first fuel cell vehicle in 1994; the Group has since invested more than a billion euros in fuel cell development. With more than 100 test vehicles and around 4.4 million kilometers covered, the Stuttgart carmaker has one of the largest fuel cell fleets in the world. The start of small-series production of the B-Class F-CELL, planned for 2009, is now continuing the success story of this drive concept.

OMV operates around 400 filling stations in Germany, with a clear focus on the south of the country with the two states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, along with further filling stations in the states of Thuringia and Saxony. The hydrogen filling station project at Stuttgart Airport is the first of its kind in Germany for OMV. “OMV is already intensively dealing today with the mobility of tomorrow. In our function as energy providers we have a responsibility with regard to the fuels of the future. Hydrogen, currently in the development and testing phase, is one of the possible alternatives for the mobility of the future,” said Dr. Gerhard Roiss, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV Aktiengesellschaft. “We are therefore very happy to be able to support Daimler’s research and development activities with our new hydrogen filling station, together with the State of Baden-Württemberg.” The project is being supported by the OMV Future Energy Fund, established in June 2006 as an independent organization for the financial support of projects for renewable energy forms, with a contribution of more than 100 million euros. With HyCentA (Hydrogen Center Austria), a further project of OMV with headquarters on the campus of the Technical University of Graz, the energy supplier has long since been gathering invaluable experience in the future-oriented field of research and development with hydrogen technology.
Further background information

Hydrogen production:

The hydrogen required for the filling station is generated in the so-called steam reforming process: In the steam reformer hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide are initially produced at high temperatures from natural gas and water vapor in a reactor. In the following stage, steam is added to convert the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

The hydrogen fuel derived by this means already leads to CO2 savings of up to 30 percent, as compared with modern diesel vehicles (basis of comparison 120 g CO2/km). Nevertheless, in the medium to long term, there will be no substitute for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. The Linde Group is currently carrying out intensive work on innovative solutions for sustainable hydrogen production. An important step towards the marketable production of regenerative hydrogen has been reached with a new process for deriving hydrogen from biogenic raw materials. For this purpose Hydromotive GmbH, a subsidiary of the Linde Group, will establish a demonstration unit for the production of hydrogen from glycerin in the chemical town of Leuna in the middle of this year. Glycerin, a byproduct arising in the manufacture of biodiesel, can thereby be put to practical use. The hydrogen generated by this means makes for carbon dioxide savings of up to 90 percent as compared with a conventional drive unit.

Further approaches to regenerative production, such as hydrogen production from wind and solar energy through electrolysis, or biochemical and thermochemical generation from algae, are also being pursued by the Linde Group; these are promising prospects as long as the local conditions are appropriate.

In a project not connected with Linde, the State of Baden-Württemberg has also promoted the development of gasification technology and will be subsidizing a demonstration unit near Geislingen as of 2010. In this unit, biomass – for example scrap wood – is gasified in the AER (absorption-enhanced reforming) process to yield a gas with a very high hydrogen content.

Fuel cell operation:

The B-Class F-CELL is fitted with a fuel cell drive unit of the latest generation and is thus both far more compact and more powerful than previous fuel cell systems. The newly devised stack, although around 40 percent smaller, has a 30 percent higher output; with a 16 percent lower consumption, this unit is highly efficient. The B-Class F-CELL also has favorable cold-starting ability. This is made possible by innovations such as the electric turbocharger for air supply and the new moisturizing and demoisturizing systems. The electric motor develops a peak output of 100 kW/136 hp and a maximum torque of 320 newton-meters. The B-Class F-CELL thus fulfills high driving dynamic requirements that exceed the level of a two-liter gasoline car, and attains an operating range of up to 400 kilometers.
The functional principle of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC):

The fuel cell is a galvanic cell that converts the reaction energy of an introduced fuel (e.g. hydrogen) and an oxidant (e.g. atmospheric oxygen) into electrical energy. A fuel cell is not an energy storage medium like an accumulator battery, but an energy converter. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell normally uses hydrogen as an energy medium and attains an efficiency factor of around 60 percent. The key element of the PEMFC is a polymer membrane that is permeable only to protons (H+ ions), the so-called proton exchange membrane (PEM). The oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, is thus spatially separated from the reducing agent, hydrogen. The fuel, in this case hydrogen, is catalytically oxidized at the anode and releases electrons to form hydrogen ions (protons), which pass through the ion exchange membrane into the chamber with the oxidant. The electrons flow out of the fuel cell via an electrical consumer, e.g. an electric motor, to the cathode. At the cathode the oxidant, in this case oxygen, on binding the electrons is reduced to anions, which react directly with the hydrogen ions (protons) to produce water. Along with electrical energy this reaction also generates heat, which can be used for example to heat the vehicle.

The hydrogen filling station structure in Germany:

The establishment of a public hydrogen infrastructure is crucial to the successful introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles. The first centers (“clusters”), such as those in Berlin and Hamburg, have already been established. Of the currently almost 30 hydrogen stations in Germany, six are integrated into public filling station operations. Germany is thus the European pioneer. The cooperative project being carried out at Stuttgart Airport’s OMV filling station is now Germany’s seventh publicly accessible hydrogen station and the first in the State of Baden-Württemberg.

Operation of public hydrogen filling stations will only become economically viable once a sufficient number of hydrogen-powered vehicles are on the roads. Achieving a broad-based market introduction and establishing a public infrastructure will require a coordinated, cooperative, and long-term three-stage approach involving all interest groups.

First: Focused cluster formation – demand-based grouping in urban areas for technically and economically appropriate capacity utilization. Five to ten filling stations are already sufficient to cover the initial requirements of a large city.

Second: Corridors – connecting the urban clusters by means of corridors along the main arteries. Here too, initial plans have been drawn up, e.g. for linking the Berlin and Hamburg H2 clusters along the autobahn.

Third: Comprehensive area coverage.

I am very proud that our Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles have done so well in the ETM readers’ poll. We at Daimler are very happy that the well-informed reading public has voted for commercial vehicles bearing the Mercedes star,” said Andreas Renschler, Member of the Daimler AG Board of Management with responsibility for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses at the ETM readers’ poll awards ceremony.

This is now the thirteenth consecutive time that serial winner the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has achieved victory in the segment “Vans up to 3.5 t”, so it has won every single readers’ poll that has been organised by the Stuttgart-based publisher of professional journals.

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The model-year 2009 Sprinter is now available with the new OM 651 diesel engine, which meets the Euro 5 requirements as standard, and even EEV as an option. At the heart of this enhancement lie the completely new four-cylinder diesel engine and the considerably reworked six-cylinder V-engine. During the development stage, focus was on being as kind as possible to the environment by meeting the Euro 5 emissions level, and even EEV as an option, plus a further increase in cost-effectiveness through reduced consumption.
The Mercedes-Benz Atego took victory in the category “Trucks up to 7.5 t”, with Euro 5 engines and hybrid drive being the all-important catchwords for the Mercedes-Benz Atego short-radius distribution truck for 2009. Its success says it all: to date more than 250,000 Atego vehicles have been delivered to customers. Its major strengths include cost-effectiveness from fuel consumption to its resale value, high quality, including the cockpit, plus outstanding reliability. The spectrum of vehicles available ranges from 6.5 t to 15 t, with increased load capacity up to 16 t gross vehicle weight.

Readers of the specialist publications from ETM crowned the truck model series the Actros as the winner twice over: in the “Long-distance transport” and “Construction trucks” disciplines: the new Mercedes-Benz Actros was the experts’ favourite commercial vehicle in the “Long-distance transport truck”; this “Truck of the Year 2009” is performing sterling service out on Europe’s roads ten thousand-fold. The new Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles took first place in the heavy-duty construction sector: the dump trucks’ win in the category up to 32 t confirms that the Mercedes-Benz Actros comes complete with the reliability, robustness and cost-effectiveness that matter so much when it comes to this type of work.

This year, the winner in the “Midicoaches” category was again the Mercedes-Benz Tourino. The two-door, two-axle Mercedes-Benz Tourino midi-touring coach offers seating room for 38 passengers, meeting the increasing demand for easily manoeuvrable touring coaches used for carrying smaller travel groups. No other midicoach boasts the Tourino’s winning combination of a rear engine and front axle with independent suspension plus a full range of safety equipment including the Electronic Stability Program ESP.

The readers of the publications trans aktuell, lastauto omnibus and FERNFAHRER once again voted Mercedes-Benz CharterWay the number one this year in the category “Rental/leasing”; no less than 10,000 people with a keen interest in this sector awarded the commercial vehicle service provider first place for the third consecutive time. Their selection serves as a reliable indicator for the acceptance of the CharterWay brand’s image. A total of 20 product groups, also including transmissions, tyres, filters, seats air conditioning/heating, mobile navigation and tippers were listed.

The organisers of the “Best commercial vehicles of 2009” readers’ poll were the Stuttgart-based trade magazines “Fernfahrer”, “lastauto omnibus” and “trans aktuell” in conjunction with engineers from Dekra AG.

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colette, which opened in 1997 on Rue Saint-Honoré in the sophisticated 1st arrondissement of Paris, is not like a conventional shop. Since it was established, colette has redefined shopping. Spread across three floors, it has everything that gets a design-lover’s pulse racing – from exclusive fashion to books, cosmetics, music and electronic gadgets. colette doesn’t just sell products from well-known brands: one of the things that make colette unique is its mix of products from established names and young designers and artists. On more than one occasion colette has been responsible for bringing fame to previously little-known names.
“The smart fortwo and the products of the colette and smart collection both combine unique design with environmental sustainability,” Marc Langenbrinck, Director Brand Management and Sales & Marketing smart, explains. “This collection represents a continuation of smart’s activities in the field of urban creativity. And the variety of countries that the designers come from reflects our brand’s international orientation – as of this year, we will be represented in 41 different markets.”
colette selected five designer labels, from Paris, New York City, Berlin and the new smart markets Brazil and Denmark, and asked them to design an exclusive product for smart. The designers took as their inspiration the themes of urban mobility, design and sustainability – all key values behind the smart brand. All of the products are made from recyclable – or, in some cases, even recycled – materials, and are each produced in a limited edition of just 150.

The products of the colette and smart collection

Melissa (São Paulo)

The Brazilian shoe label Melissa is known for its unique shoes made from recyclable plastic. Now Melissa has come up with two special colour editions for the colette and smart collection: Melissa’s first ever shoe for men – the “Aranha” – based on the footwear of fishermen in the south of France – in matt grey, and the ballet flat “Campana Corallo” in the smart colour silver, for women. “Our design for the collection is defined by ‘less resources, more emotion’. Designers have a responsibility to create ideas that benefit society and the environment — for our generation and our children’s,” says Edson Matsuo, Creative Director at Melissa. (Cost: €45.00)

Wood Wood (Copenhagen)

Illustrated graphic motifs are the hallmark of this Danish label, which was established in 2002 selling printed T-shirts, and since then has become one of the driving forces behind the European street couture scene. “Our T-shirt for the colette and smart collection is made from organic cotton and is about ‘green driving’: driving fun coupled with recycling, alternative energies and harmony with nature,” says Wood Wood founder and Creative Director T Karl-Oskar Olsen. (Cost: €52.00)

Opening Ceremony (New York)

“Our travel tote bag is ideal for when you’re zipping around the city in your smart. It’s made from organic cotton and features some clever tools for out and about, like a bottle opener and a tape measure – and they’re all made from recycled materials,” Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, the brains behind the New York-based label and concept store Opening Ceremony, explain. For Opening Ceremony, fashion is also about exchanging ideas between different countries and cultures. Each season, the label focuses on designers from a different country. (Cost: €40.00)

Andrea Crews (Paris)

The Paris-based fashion collective Andrea Crews, founded by artist and designer Maroussia Rebecq, produces fashion items made exclusively from second-hand products. The label’s shows are more like artistic performances and events than conventional fashion shows. For the colette and smart collection, Andrea Crews has produced 150 unique hand-made items from recycled jewellery. Maroussia Rebecq says: “Our smart accessories are just as diverse as the urban culture that inspired them: wear them as a necklace, put them on your key ring or hang them on your rear-view mirror for more glamour in your smart.” (Cost: €80.00)

Lala Berlin (Berlin)

Lala Berlin’s large square scarf made from a mixture of organic cotton and silk with a hand-painted motif is typical of the label’s designs. “When designing the scarf for the collection I was thinking of paradise, animals, nature, and the possibilities we have for positively influencing our urban jungle,” says Leyla Piedayesh, the woman behind Lala Berlin. In just five years the Berlin-based label has grown from a one-woman-show to an international brand – thanks to its unconventional mixture of casual urban design and elegant chic. (Cost: €180.00)

The colette and smart collection can be ordered from now on at colette, Paris, and online at www.colette.fr. From 27 August until 10 September 2009, smart will additionally be presenting the designer products at the “smart Urban Stage” in São Paulo. The Urban Stage São Paulo is a temporary gallery for urban art, also offering shopping and events relating to the themes of design, creativity and sustainability.

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The “International Engine of the Year Awards” are among the most prestigious in the automobile sector, and are presented annually by the British motoring publisher UKIP Media & Events. The best engines of the year are chosen in twelve categories by an independent jury of 64 well-known motoring journalists from 32 countries. This year two engines from Mercedes-Benz and AMG prevailed against stiff competition from Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the USA and Japan. This once again demonstrates the great expertise of Mercedes-Benz and the performance brand AMG in the development and production of exciting engines.

For 2009 the winner in the “Best Performance Engine” and “Above 4 litres” categories was the AMG6.3-litre V8 engine. This high-revving, naturally aspirated power unit with a displacement of 6208 cc develops an output between 336 kW/457 hp and 386 kW/525 hp, a maximum torque of 630 newton metres, and is used in seven AMG high-performance cars such as the C 63 AMG and the SL 63 AMG. The basis for its agile power delivery is a concerted technology transfer from motor racing, something that has been firmly embedded in the corporate philosophy of Mercedes-AMGfor more than four decades. Jury member Bill McKinnon (USA): “Enormous pulling power and the responsiveness of a racing engine, combined with a “Wagneresque” soundtrack - this AMGV8 sets the standard.”

A high performance with exemplary fuel economy is also offered by the newly designed direct-injection four-cylinder diesel engine from Mercedes-Benz. The most powerful variant develops 150 kW/204 hp from a displacement of 2143 cc, with a maximum torque of 500 newton metres. It is used in both the new E-Class and the C-Class. The C 250 CDIBlueEFFICIENCY Saloon equipped with this engine has a combined fuel consumption of just 5.1 litres per 100 kilometres - showing exemplary efficiency. The 125 kW/170 hp variant is happy with 4.8 litres of diesel fuel per 100 km (corresponding to CO2 emissions of 127 g/km) - the best figure in this category. Jury member John Carey (Australia) describes the engine as follows: “Effortless performance and an unbelievably low fuel consumption.”

According to Friedrich Eichler, Head of Engine and Powertrain Development at Mercedes-AMG: “These top rankings reflect the huge enthusiasm of our customers for the AMG6.3-litre V8 engine and the high-performance cars equipped with it - and they confirm the extremely positive test results in all the worldwide media.” Christoph Schmidt-Arnold, Head Project Manager for the new diesel engines, echoes these comments: “We are extremely pleased that the new four-cylinder diesel engine from Mercedes-Benz has been so well received by our customers and that its combination of high efficiency and maximum driving pleasure has now been acknowledged with this award.”

Take it how you want, but these are by far the best images of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate, even if only a scale model.

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Sporty passion, exciting dynamism and effortlessly superior style – these are the distinguishing characteristics of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Special Edition. The striking C-Class design that has won a number of awards has now been given an even finer, and yet at the same time more sporty, air by Mercedes-Benz through the addition of some charismatic details. Playing a major role in the vehicle’s image are its darkened front headlamps with a dark cover frame, the new indium grey paintwork (obsidian black, palladium silver, iridium silver or calcite white are also available) and 17-inch 5-spoke light-alloy wheels with mixed-size tyres (235/60 R 17 at the front, 255/55 R 17 at the rear). As an alternative there are also 16-inch 7-spoke light-alloy wheels and 205/55 R17-size tyres all round.

The optical finesse of the exterior comes courtesy of touches such as shoulderline trim strips in polished aluminium, the finned radiator in brilliant silver matt with chrome highlights and an integrated star, front fog lamps with a chrome ring and chromed twin louvres, chrome highlights in the bumper, rub strip and boot lid plus the B-pillar trim painted glossy black.

Like the exterior, the interior is based on the AVANTGARDE design and equipment line. Its aesthetics have been streamlined and its sportiness sharpened through the inclusion of further high-quality materials and carefully coordinated details. An example of these stylish elements are the seats – exclusively manufactured for the Special Edition – made from black ARTICO man-made leather with Liverpool fabric in como beige. There is contrasting topstitching in comobeige embellishing the seats, centre armrest, door centre panel and floor mats, serving to underline the dynamic theme. The floor mats also bear the “Special Edition” lettering. Leather seats are available as an optional extra – also in two-tone variants featuring black/sahara beige or black/cognac brown.

Trim parts in brushed aluminium which have been designed exclusively for this C-Class Special Edition contrast with the interior in black and beige, creating an ambience full of soul. The standard specification includes armrests with a double cup holder and a stowage compartment at the front and rear, 1/3 : 2/3 folding rear seats with a through-loading feature, a luxury multifunction leather steering wheel with a 4.5 inch display in the instrument cluster that boasts three analogue round dials with tapered tube-style surrounds, not to mention a shift/selector lever in leather, plus seat heating.

The range of equipment includes some superb technical innovations such as AGILITY CONTROL, ADAPTIVE BRAKE and BlueEFFICIENCY, helping the C-Class to set standards in the compact premium-car segment. Also part of the standard specification on board the Special Edition is the Intelligent Light System featuring bi-xenon headlamps with variable light distribution, an active light function, dynamic headlamp range control plus a cornering light function that ensures optimum adaptation to the current visibility. Yet more comfort is afforded by PARKTRONIC with its acoustic and optical distance warning.

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Special Edition is available now in both saloon and estate guise with the entire engine line-up, including the redeveloped, especially powerful four-cylinder diesel engines which come complete with the assurance of their exemplary thriftiness and environmental compatibility. Indeed, it is thanks to them that Mercedes-Benz has achieved model status in this class where efficiency is concerned.

Depending on which engine is ordered, the additional charge on the respective AVANTGARDE model in conjunction with the fabric/ARTICO man-made leather upholstery is between 2,689.40 and 3,879.40 euros (between 4,629.10 and 5819.10 euros in conjunction with leather upholstery) including German VAT.