On this day in 1900, the first “Mercedes” was delivered to Emil Jellinek. He had commissioned 36 vehicles fromafledgling German automaker and one of his stipulations was that the car be named for his daughter, Mercedes! You can read the whole story on History.com.
On a related note, on this day in 19-something, I was born! We’ve been linked since the beginning – Mercedes & Me!
Have you decorated your car this year? Wreaths? Bows? Trees? Lights? I would love to see it! Send me a picture via e-mail or tag me on Instagram. Nothing brightens my day like an owner that loves their car!
jcw@atlantaclassiccars.com or @benzblogger in Instagram
I am an avid SiriusXM listener. The only time I listen to terrestrial radio is when I am driving through the car wash!
If you have a loved one with a Mercedes-Benz newer than 2003 it is very likely they have Sirius installed in their automobile. I think a subscription would be a great gift!
All you need is the ESN of the car to call Sirius and set it up. The ESN can be found under Radio< Sirius < Info or some similar combination of words. It is always in the Sirius screen <bottom left <bottom menu <number appears.
You can visit SiriusXM online to get more information or set up the service!
Last week a select group of dealership employees and members of the AMG Private Lounge were invited to Palm Beach for an exclusive look at the upcoming AMG GT S. This new vehicle is the second creation of AMG (following the SLS AMG) and is entering the Sports Car segment in spring of 2015.
Two representatives from Atlanta Classic Cars attended the employee event and can share first hand impressions. Doug Strong, far left, and Nash Solanki, third from left, spent two days racing around the track and the hills of California and have come back excited about this new vehicle!
Technically:
“Hot Inside V” Turbocharger configuration. The exhaust manifolds are on the top of the engine, rather than the bottom, which makes for shorter runners. It eliminates the turbo lag and also makes the engine more efficient.Emissions are lowered because the catalytic converters are on top to treat the exhaust sooner.
Active Electromechanical Engine and Transaxle Mounts: This feature uses electricity to change the viscosity of the oil for a comfort or sport ride. This allows for very distinctive differences between a cushy street set-up and a very stiff track set-up.
Carbon Fiber Drive Shaft: The drive shaft is only 8.8 lbs! The lower weight is obviously a benefit and it also has less drive line losses for more power.
Driving Impression:
The sound of the vehicle is incredible. It hasthroatiness that is usually missing from a turbocharged engine. This sound can be turned up or down with the exhaust flap button to have the best of both worlds.
The handling on the car is laser sharp. Point the wheel and it will go where you are asking. The suspension is stiffer than the SLS and responds perfectly.
Race mode makes this a perfect race car.It will hold the car at 5000rpms for a very aggressive trackexperience.
On surface streets the car is surprisingly comfortable. Most sports cars in this category are much stiffer and would not be ideal for daily driving.
Looks:
Solarbeam Yellow was the star of the show! Itglows in the sun.
Thelarge intakes on the front with the intercooler is a balance of style and performance.
The hatchback is a little retro, very practical and great looking!
Competitor Vehicles:
Jaguar F-type R – 5 litre supercharged V8, 7-speed. Good sound but lacks power and torque compared to the GT S. Not as fun to drive. Theinterior was not as intuitive and lacked polish.
911 Carrera 4S – All-Wheel Drive, wide body. Stunning car, handles well. Seems a little dated. Not as thrilling in the mountains because of the rougher ride. Not as comfortable all around.
Overall:
This is Nash’s new favorite car! It is a technological marvel. It is exhilarating to drive. It is an emotional experience! The handling, the braking, the comfort, the race experience – it does it all well! The styling is a work of art. This is destined to be a classic and the best of both worlds – a race car and a daily driver.
Thanks for sharing your impressions Nash! Order early…with the amount of great press this car is getting the order banks will fill up well before the car is launched!
Two of my co-workers had the opportunity to go to California and participate in AMG Expert training last week. They came back with tons of knowledge about the upcoming AMG GT and the new C63 AMG.
I’ll try to get their impressions organized. Maybe I’ll even have a guest blog post! But for now, here are the highlights.
Nash says the AMG GT S is hisnew favorite car!
Perfect balance, great looks, fun to driveand a technological marvel. They were able to drive the vehicle on the track as well as in the hills of California forthe completeexperience.
Doug is one of our Master Certified Technicians. This was his second AMG Expert Training. He also went to Germany last year to see the AMG engines be built in Affalterbach.
As an AMG Performance Center, it is important for us to be able to answer your questions about your current AMG as well as the AMG of your dreams! Our first orders are in for both the AMG GT S and the C63 S AMG. Don’t wait too long!
The Garmin Map Pilot is currently available in several Mercedes-Benz models including the C-Class and CLS-Class. (Fun fact: The Garmin Map Pilot is standard on the CLS400 and the hard-drive system is in the Premium 2 Package.)
I have had a little hands-on experience with this systemand find it to be very intuitive. Here is a new video from Mercedes-BenzHow-To Videos pageon how to use it.
It is time to fill the convertibles with toys! If you are planning to come visit for service or happen to be in the neighborhood please bring along a toy for us to donate to Toys for Tots!
Are you looking for the perfect gift for the Mercedes-Benz enthusiast in your life? Check out The Collection online and stock up!
The mid-cycle refresh for the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class has arrived and the changes look great! Here is my last 2014 CLS550 (very basic) parked next to a 2015 CLS550 4Matric. It isn’t my mostapples-to-applescomparison but it should highlight the differences in lights, bumpers and interior.
Is it me or does this look like the perfect Santa’s Sleigh? Come see this beauty on the showroom floor!
2015 G63 AMG
Naming a Mercedes-Benz is a complicated matter involving tradition, prestige andtrademarks. Sometimes an old classic is removed and replaced with something that fits better with the current line-up. Well, that is going to happen in a big way over the next few years!
The goal is tocenter the model designations around the 5 core models – A, B,C, E, and S. SUVs will start with GL and then add the core model designation that tells you how it lines up. The Coupes and Roadsters get a similar system using the CL and SL pre-fixes.
Get it? I think it will take me a while to remember the new names and I know I’ll be calling it the ML for years!
Also, we are shortening the engine designations:
There is going to be so much extra room on the trunk!
If you carefully read through the insurance documents for the Mercedes-Benz European Delivery program you will find that the carhas coveragefor Marten damage.
Marten Bites
Damage caused by martens chewing through or biting cables, tubes, leads and wires of vehicles licensed as private motor vehicles with the exception of rental vehicles, taxis and self-driven rental vehicles.
Ummm, what kind of monsters do they have in Europe!? Here is a video from Audi addressing the issue. It made megrateful to only have mice.
The 2015 CLS400 and CLS550 are scheduled to arrive this month. The CLS400 is a new 6-cylinder addition to the line-up and, based on the early success of the SL400, I bet we sell lots of them!
The 2015 CLA-Class will arrive in December with a host of upgrades! The 2014 sold like hotcakes all year and I think these improvements will certainly bring in even more excited new owners.
New Standard features:
Other 2015 Changes:
All of this information should come to MBUSA.com and the Build your Own section when the vehicle is launched. You can order all of these vehicles now!
Don’t wait 6 months for the clock to be right again! You can visit the How-to-Video section at MBUSA.com to get specific directions for setting the clock in your Mercedes-Benz!
