Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Come into Walter's Automotive now during the 4th of July Sales Event where you'll find incredible offers on all of your favorite Mercedes-Benz models!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Come into Walter's Automotive now during the 4th of July Sales Event where you'll find incredible offers on all of your favorite Mercedes-Benz models!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
The new A-Class has been completely redesigned from the ground up and sets standards in the compact class. What do you think of its sporty and dynamic design?
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
There’s no denying the fact that a name can either make or break a car. In the case of the C63 AMG Black Series (better known simply as the ‘Black’), this name definitely makes the car, as does this shot taken by Bas Fransen Photography.
As the spiritual successor to the CLK 63 AMG Black Series, the C63 version takes an already extreme car which can easily compete with the M3, and turns it into an outrageous monster called the ‘Black’ which was produced with the underpowered M3 GTS in its cross-hairs.
Mercedes managed to pull this feat off with the C63 AMG Black, and when fitted with the AMG Track Pack like the above matte black version, this is unquestionably one of the most menacing cars you’re ever likely to see. The following photo is bound to be the most impressive picture of this insane muscle car you’ve ever seen.
With some of our previous Photo of the Week selections capturing exotics in some spectacular settings, one may question our choice for this week. However, this week’s photo is all about the car, rather than the setting, and with this incredible, high-contrasted image, Bas Fransen has managed to capture the true essence of the matte black paint job, which is something extremely difficult to pull off.
Too often will you see images of matte cars where they simply look dull and uninviting. However, this image is an exception to that, with the small rain drops present capturing the sun’s glare, adding an interesting white sparkle to the upper half of the car. Add to that the fact that this angle captures the aggressiveness of the C63 AMG Black to its utmost and it’s little wonder why we like this image so much.
Hats off to Fransen for allowing us to this stunning photo, and be sure to head over to his flickr page and personal website!
Source: TopSpeed
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
“We’re very pleased to help with the reconstruction of Iraq by supplying 250 Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks to SCAI,” says Hubertus Troska, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “Our vehicles are perfect for use in rough terrain, where they clearly demonstrate their quality and reliability.”
This was the first time when Mercedes-Benz Trucks sold vehicles to SCAI, the last truck being delivered a few days ago. The agreement between the two companies represents a clear commitment to Iraq’s reconstruction efforts. Mercedes and SCAI signed the deal in February 2010, in Baghdad.
The 250 Actro trucks were produced at the Mercedes’ plant in Wörth, Germany and delivered to SCAI as complete vehicles. The order of 250 units includes 100 Actros dump trucks and 150 Actro 3340S Tractors for carrying fuel and water. All trucks are powered by Euro II V6 engines and feature a heavy-duty 16-speed transmission.
Source: InAutoNews
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Check out the video and our specials HERE!
Audi R8
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class CL550 4MATIC
Dodge Challenger
Chevrolet Camaro 2LT
Mercedes-Benz E-Class E350 Coupe
With plenty of great coupes on our lot, this is the place to shop. Like the 2009 Audi R8. It delivers style and power in a single package! Come test drive this 2010 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class. You'll appreciate its safety and convenience features! Next, climb inside the 2011 Dodge Challenger. Dodge made sure to keep road-handling and sportiness at the top of it's priority list. A 3.6 liter V-6 engine pairs with a sophisticated 5 speed automatic transmission, providing a smooth and predictable driving experience. Well tuned suspension and stability control deliver a spirited, yet composed, ride and drive Next up is a competitively priced Chevrolet Camaro. With fewer than 25,000 miles on the odometer, this car stands out from the crowd, boasting a diverse range of features and remarkable value! Lastly, step into the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Feature-packed and decked out! Our team is professional, and we offer a no-pressure environment. We'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. We are here to help you.
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Did you know that Mercedes-Benz just released details on the first GL63 AMG set to hit our shores soon?
Click HERE for more news.
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
New cars are constant objects of study in the wind tunnel. They are subjected to tests in order to optimise them in different ways – for example, to reduce fuel consumption, but also to improve wind noise or rain flow.
Historical vehicles, on the other hand, are seldom guests in the wind tunnel, their development is complete and there’s nothing you can change now. For reasons of historical interest, in January 2012 Mercedes-Benz Classic examined two SL model series in the company’s own wind tunnel at its Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant using modern-day measuring methods. The first was a SL (W 194 series) from 1952, as well as the 1954 series-production 300 SL (W 198 I series) sports car. In order to have a contemporary comparison vehicle, a 1951 Mercedes-Benz 300 S (W 188 series), a luxurious, sporty touring car, was also examined. This vehicle had lent some of its technology to the first post-war Mercedes-Benz sports car.
The most important results: the 300 SL (W 194 series) racing car has a drag coefficient cD = 0.376. Meaning, it is around 20 percent better than its comparison vehicle, the 300 S (W 188 series), for which a value of cD = 0.462 was obtained. This result underscores the efforts of the engineers and designers back then to attain a low drag coefficient as an important prerequisite for the SL’s racing success. The car then went on to achieve several wins in the course of the 1952 racing season at different international motorsport events, for example at Le Mans or in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. The 300 SL (W 198 I) series-production sports car returned a drag coefficient value of cD = 0.389.
The wind tunnel in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim itself is historical: it hearkens back to the 1930s and the legendary FKFS-Institut (Forschungsinstitut für Kraftfahrwesen und Fahrzeugmotoren Stuttgart) or Stuttgart Research Institute for Automotive Engineering of Stuttgart Professor Wunibald Kamm, who enjoyed similar fame for his importance in the field of aerodynamics. The tunnel is based on the so-called Göttinger design principle with a three-quarter open test section. In the mid-70s the then Daimler-Benz AG took over the wind tunnel. Today it is one of several test installations of its kind in the Group.
Exciting beyond measure…
Morning of January 23, 2012: the three cars are standing at the ready. Little do the workers and employees at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant suspect of the bustle of activity going on behind the walls of the wind tunnel facilities. For eight hours the 5-Megawatt electric motor will set the fan blades in motion to drive the vast volume of 9000 cubic metres of air.
The object is to determine the relationship among the three study objects in terms of their surface and air resistance values – the three cars are closely related technically: the drive system of the W 194 is based in part on that of the W 188, while the W 198 is based on the W 194.
So as to compare them more directly, the three vehicles were measured without underbody panelling. Today these three classics are usually driven in normal road traffic without underbody panelling in any case, in order to permit easier access to service points and so that the vehicle interior does not heat up.
The following program is scheduled: 10 point measurements of the cD values with wind velocities of 130 km/h and 200 km/h. In addition, the vehicle frontal area (A) as well as the coefficients of lift at the front axle (cAF) and at the rear axle (cAR) were determined.
The day promises to be exciting. With the first measurement, that of the 300 S, the most diverse figures, guesses and estimates buzz around the hall – all of the estimates high because of the vehicle design, which presents a relatively large surface to the wind. The frontal area of the 300 S with exterior mirror, 2.28 square metres, is thus no surprise. No-one yet suspects that no guess or estimate will hit the mark. At the wind tunnel control station tense concentration dominates the scene.
When the first values measured for the 300 S come from the ticker and are printed out, they reveal an average drag coefficient of cD = 0.468 at a blown wind speed of 130 km/h and cD = 0.482 at 200 km/h: a murmur of approval goes through the room. For comparison: the 190 SL (W 121 series), which appeared in 1955 and thus four years after the 300 S, achieves a drag coefficient cD of 0.461 with a hard top, while the 1963 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (W 113 series), the famous “Pagoda”, has a drag coefficient cD of 0.515. This shows the Mercedes-Benz 300 S in a very good light indeed.
For the 300 S, the cD × A value, the product of the frontal area A and the drag coefficient of the vehicle body cD, results in 1.067 at a wind speed of 130 km/h, and 1.100 at a speed of 200 km/h.
As the coefficient for lift at a wind speed of 130 km/h for the front axle (cAF = 0.268) is virtually identical to that for the rear axle (cAR = 0.270) there is no pitching moment and consequently a stable vehicle attitude. At a wind speed of 200 km/h the 300 S experiences a stronger load relief of the front axle with a resulting front axle lift coefficient cAF = 0.293 and rear axle lift coefficient cAR = 0.267. However, both these values lie in the realm of purely theoretical knowledge since the 300 S has a top speed of 175 km/h.
The 300 SL in the wind tunnel
No less was the tension before the start of the test series with the second vehicle, the 300 SL (W 194 series). This is the original 1952 racing season car.
It comes as no surprise then, that at 1.784 square metres, the frontal area is 22 per cent lower than that of the 300 S. After all, reduction of the drag coefficient is one of the key points in the requirement specifications for the racing car. Its cD values, 0.376 (wind speed 130 km/h) and 0.383 (wind velocity 200 km/h) are almost 20 per cent better than those of the 300 S. In the case of the cD × F value, more important for the driver, (multiplication of the vehicle frontal area by the aerodynamic quality of the body, the drag coefficient), 0.670 and 0.683, depending on wind speed, the 300 SL (W 194 series) is even 37 per cent better than the 300 S.
The lift coefficient at the front axle, cAF = 0.305 and 0.318 and at the rear axle, cAR = 0.149 and 0.140, show a significant load transfer from the front axle at high speeds.
At the same time the results of the measurements showed how far from reality was the drag coefficient cD = 0.25 value determined in the 1950s with a 1-in-5 clay scale model of the W 194 – and how great an influence, for example, the air flow through the engine compartment (which of course the clay model did not have) has on the overall air resistance of the car.
On the other hand in the wind tunnel measurements of today the series-production 300 SL (W 198 I series) held a surprise. With a frontal area of 1.757 square metres the car is even a little more svelte than the 300 SL (W 194 series) of 1952 and can thus – with the cD × A value – partially compensate its cD value which is less favourable than that of the 1952 racing car (W 194 series ). The cD values returned were 0.389 and 0.397, at wind speeds of 130 km/h and 200 km/h, respectively, the resulting cD × A figures, 0.685 and 0.697, respectively.
The lift coefficients of the 300 SL (W 198 series) production sports car show an even greater load transfer from the front to the rear axle at increasing speeds than is the case for the 300 SL (W 194 series ) racing car. At 130 km/h the cAF is 0.334 and at 200 km/h it is 0.358. The cAR figure is 0.125 at 130 km/h and 0.108 at 200 km/h.
Apart from the bare measured values the tests revealed that specifically the two SL models generate a particularly strong lift at the front axle that increases at higher speeds, which in turn makes the cars susceptible to side winds. This is confirmed by the high yaw moment under a diagonal incident wind flow direction of 20 degrees.
For the 300 S model (W 198 series) the investigation showed a strong flow break at the top edge of the radiator grille, a separation which remains perceptible as far back as the windscreen. By contrast, the transition from the windscreen to the roof turned out to be better than expected. However, the airflow breaks away again some 30 to 50 millimetres above the rear window and meets the vehicle body again on the boot lid.
Both SL models show good airflow over the front area. However, the lower edges of the vehicle body are too high, in particular in the case of the W 194, leaving the vehicle underbody unprotected, which results in the high lift forces at the front axle. Airflow around the windscreen, the A-pillars and the roof is good, but in the W 194 the airflow breaks off at the rear window rubber surround, to later hug the car again at the boot lid.
Source: EMercedesBenz.com
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Click HERE to see all of our specials!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
This year marks the 45th anniversary of AMG, Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance subsidiary. Mercedes is not the type of company to let that kind of milestone pass without recognition, so it has created the 2013 SL65 AMG 45th Anniversary to celebrate. Only 45 examples of this special-edition V-12 roadster will be available worldwide; it will be available here, but no U.S. allocation has been specified.
The SL65 45th Anniversary will be available only in a new matte paint called Designo Magno Graphite. The gray color is contrasted by the use of chrome on the grille and headlight surrounds, as well as for the hood- and fender-vent fins. The exhaust tips are finished in black chrome, while the inserts retain a polished look. A matte Exterior Carbon package also is unique to this car and includes a front spoiler lip, side mirrors, and rear spoiler rendered in carbon fiber. The engine cover is finished in a combo of matte carbon and aluminum. The car sits on AMG forged wheels (19-inchers at the front, 20s in the rear) painted flat titanium gray with a polished lip and wrapped in 255/35 and 285/30 rubber, respectively.
The interior matches the exterior with titanium pearl/ginger-beige leather. The seats feature a diamond-stitched pattern, and there are AMG V-12 graphics pressed into the seatbacks and door panels. Mirroring the exterior, the cabin trim is made of matte carbon fiber. A “45th Anniversary – 1 of 45” plate can be found on the center console.
The 45th Anniversary SL uses the same 621-hp, 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12 found in the standard SL65 AMG. We think it’s only appropriate that AMG is using its most powerful engine to celebrate.
This isn’t the first time that Mercedes has made an anniversary-edition AMG. In 2007, the company celebrated four decades with the CL65 40th Anniversary Edition, which sold for $295,000. Mercedes tells us that pricing for this extra-special SL will be announced in September.
Source: Car and Driver
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
When rush-hour traffic is making you late for a dinner party, the last thing you need are pestering texts or calls from friends every two minutes asking where you are. There’s no app to make traffic disappear (yet), but one does exist to provide your real-time location to friends and family. It’s called Glympse, an app currently available on mobile phones that will soon be offered on the 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class when it arrives in September.
Glympse will allow drivers to send anyone a text or email that links to their real-time location on an interactive map. Drivers can also set a timer for the link to expire, which then cancels the location sharing. Mercedes-Benz recently released mbrace2, the automaker’s next-generation infotainment system that is Cloud-based. The new system will allow drivers to use a number of popular apps currently available on mobile phones including Yelp and Facebook.
The Glympse app has proven to be popular among mobile phone users, with at least three million downloads to date. We’re not sure how popular Glympse will be with drivers, as a recent study suggests that drivers don’t necessarily want all their mobile apps to be accessible in their cars. The study found that more consumers favor apps related to driving (weather forecasts and traffic) more than social media apps such as Facebook and Twitter.
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Join the conversation on Facebook!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Taking four first places with the A-Class, C-Class and E-Class, Mercedes-Benz has turned up a clear winner in terms of driver satisfaction, according to JD Power in Germany, a market research company that conducts surveys of customer satisfaction research on new car quality and long-term dependability. The German car maker has also been voted as the strongest brand in the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) AutoMarxX study, Europe’s largest automobile club with more than 18 million members as of May 2012. A little over 14,000 drivers in Germany responded to the online survey to assess the quality and reliability of the cars, which is the basis for the JD Power 2012 Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS). All the cars had to be driven for around two years.
“We are delighted that we have once again been able to secure the top places in the JD Power Study 2012. Our aim in the future is to continue to set the highest of standards, not only in terms of quality, service and ecology, but, of course also with our exciting designs, inspirational technology and high levels of driving pleasure. As a result we hope that the Mercedes-Benz brand will continue to be extremely well received by our customers,” said Joachim Schmidt, member of the board of Mercedes-Benz cars responsible for sales and marketing.
The company emerged as the winner in the Overall VOSS ranking with the C-Class taking the podium for the third time in succession, the E-Class winning the award for the second consecutive year and the A-Class scoring top marks for satisfaction in the compact class. Also Read: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350: First Drive
Based on the responses, market researchers drew up comprehensive lists of vehicles achieving best satisfaction, comprising 79 models from 25 manufacturers in eight categories.
JD Power also conducted a similar survey in UK where respondents voted Jaguar as the most satisfying car.Source: ZigWheels
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Mercedes Benz USA saw a 24.4 percent increase in May 2012 compared to a year. An increase of 43 percent for the smart division and 43.7 percent for the Sprinter vans added up to the best sales for the firth month of the year.
During last month, a total of 22,515 cars were delivered, while for the year to date 106,364 new vehicles were shipped out to customers, up 17.8 percent. Combined sales of Mercedes-Benz cars, smart and Sprinter for the month totaled 25,259, making this the company's highest May ever for the automaker. Boosting car sales were the C-, E- and M-Class models. Demand for the top-selling SUV was up an amazing 66% to 3,198 M-Class units, while the C-Class also amounted to a decent 6,649, up 34.7%. But it’s the CLS four-door coupe and the SLK roadster that saw the biggest gains, 1,855.3% and 542.9% over May 2011 respectively.Source: autoevolution
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
With the warmer summer weather just around the corner, make sure your AC is in tip-top condition!
Click HERE for even more June service specials!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
Visit WaltsMB.com to find your Mercedes-Benz today!
David Coulthard, F1 legend and AMG brand ambassador, managed to catch a golf ball using a 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster. In the process, Coulthard also set a new Guinness World Record.
Driving the 571-horsepower Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster at over 120 mph, Coulthard caught a golf ball hit by professional golfer Jake Shepherd at 900 feet away. The golf ball was clocked at a speed of 178 mph while flying through the air.
This amazing achievement, which took place on May 30 at an airport in Surrey, England, earned the world record for the furthest golf shot caught in a moving car in only the second attempt of the day.
All the action was captured on video and will be used in early July as part of an advertising campaign for the SLS AMG Roadster.
After completing the world record, Coulthard said, “This world record attempt is definitely one of the most unusual things I’ve ever been asked to do with a car. Jake Shepherd was great to work with and the performance of the SLS AMG Roadster made driving to catch a mid-air golf ball even more exciting. I am honored to have received the Guinness World Record for the furthest golf shot caught in a car.”
Source: EMercedesBenz