The 10th anniversary SUV will feature “a unique Birch Wood and Macadamia and Black leather interior with an aluminum instrument cluster and sport pedals.” The ML 350 will also offer Edition 10 badging inside and out, black headlight surrounds, tinted tail lights and a chrome shadow finish on the grill as well as the front and rear skid plates. The Edition 10 also boasts an impressive list of standard features. The ML 350’s powertrain is one of the few things that will not change.

Mercedes plans to build only 1,000 of the limited-edition SUV’s but has yet to announce pricing. According to Mercedes-Benz, the automaker produced 570,000 first-generation MLs in its Alabama plant with only half going to the U.S. market.

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German carmakers, who are sometimes criticized for their gas-guzzling vehicles, were able to explain the development of their own hybrid engines and showed off emission-control technology. DaimlerChrysler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit put its BlueTec science on view and demonstrated how a 170-horsepower engine can be powered with about 1½ gallons of diesel fuel per 62 miles. BMW AG and DaimlerChrysler are cooperating on new engine technology by developing hybrid engine components. Thomas Weber, an executive board member with DaimlerChrysler, said the Mercedes-Benz unit is set to launch its first hybrid car in 2009.

“We’ll launch a hybrid model for our Dodge brand in 2008, and the first Mercedes-Benz brand hybrid will come in 2009,” he told reporters, but he did not specify models. BMW also pointed to its involvement with General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler on new, advanced hybrid engines and its own work on hydrogen power, though buyers won’t see that technology any time soon. “BMW has been leading the way regarding efficient diesel engines for many years,” BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said.

Diesel engines produce less CO2 emissions, but contribute more nitrates, which are harmful to the environment. Hybrid engines, which derive their power from an electric motor and gas-power transmission, produce less CO2 and less nitrates. As it moves to combat global warming, the European Union has set a goal of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer per vehicle by 2012, down from around 163 grams per kilometer on average now. Porsche AG CEO Wendelin Wiedeking said that while he realized the automotive industry had a responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions, he said Porsches will not be powered by diesel engines.

The company has teamed up with Volkswagen AG to develop hybrid engines and plans to launch a hybrid-version of the Porsche Cayenne model by the end of this decade, with the aim of reducing fuel consumption by some 30 percent to around 2.4 gallons per 62 miles. General Motors Corp., meanwhile, unveiled a new 2.9-liter V-6 turbo-diesel engine that boasts new injection and combustion technology aimed at reducing emissions without hampering performance. The 250-horsepower engine will be mainly sold in Europe and is scheduled to be in the new Cadillac CTS starting in 2009.

“We expect the V-6 diesel to be highly competitive in the European luxury segment,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “With its excellent low-end torque and its high power output, it is a great fit with Cadillac’s performance-oriented brand character.” The compact dual overhead cam, four-valve V-6 engine belongs to a new GM family of diesel engines, featuring a closed-loop combustion control system designed to meet future emissions standards.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner said the push for better, cleaner fuels and power is accelerating. “We’re going to move to ethanol. We’re going to see more hybrids,” he said. “Eventually, we’re going to see fuel cells.” Fuel-cell vehicles run on the power produced when oxygen in the air combines with hydrogen that’s stored in the fuel tank, producing only harmless water vapor.

BMW is keen on fuel cells, too, citing hydrogen as the best sustainable solution for such power, as are DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Co. and truckmaker MAN AG, which last year along with energy companies Shell Hydrogen BV and Total France, announced a joint project to advance the use of hydrogen as a fuel for trucks in Europe. But Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp., viewed as a pioneer because of its Prius hybrid, is still the leader in the field. It showed off its Hybrid X, a four-door, four-seat concept car powered by the Hybrid Synergy Drive that is low to the ground and evocative of something in a Japanese manga comic book.

Masatami Takimoto, the executive in charge of research and development for the world’s second-biggest car maker by sales, said the company is looking at a range of more efficient gas and diesel engines, hybrid technologies, fuel cells and electric power. Even its luxury unit, Lexus, expects to sell 45,000 Lexus 450h hybrids this year.

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Today Mercedes offers one of the most complete lines of all-wheel-drive vehicles of any manufacturer and each model line was featured driving on the ice, including the new S-Class 4MATIC and the new E-Class 4MATIC, along with hockey players, figure skaters and even a dogsled. The S-Class 4MATIC features the fourth-generation 4MATIC for the first time.

But it was the elegant Concept Ocean Drive that received the most attention. The four-seat convertible features a very classic style with clearly defined lines accentuated by two-tone paint but balanced by large, smooth surfaces. A larger version of the signature Mercedes vertical grille is flanked by LED headlights that flow back into the front fenders.

The Concept Ocean Drive is based on the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S600 and the side profile is dominated by a long side-window opening with no b-pillar or window frames. The interior features high-quality materials such as fine-quality leather, 3D-effect materials and large bird’s eye maple trim panels in the interior and on the soft-top compartment cover. Technical innovation includes smooth, fast operation of the soft-top and the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system is featured in all four seating positions.

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So what you need is a sensible four door saloon, that does 227mph. Based on the Mercedes Benz CLS, the engineers at Brabus have somehow shoehorned a twin-turbo V12 under the bonnet to create the record-breaking Rocket. The car recently set the record for the world’s fastest production saloon by hitting 227.2mph at the Nardo high speed bowl in southern Italy.

The German Polizei livery is simply for show the car is being used as a PR exercise, turning up at tuning shows to discourage German chavs from speeding in their souped-up Opels, but the Rocket itself is very much real and yours for a mere £235,178.

For that you get a heavily modified Mercedes V12 which starts life as a mere 5.5-litres in the S-Class. A revised crankshaft, wider cylinder-bore and larger pistons take the capacity up to 6.3 litres. Then, and only then, do the Brabus backroom boys add a couple of turbochargers, some hefty intercooling and a performance exhaust system to ramp up the power to a frankly silly 730bhp.

Peak torque is 973lb/ft but in the interests of not turning the five-speed automatic gearbox into shrapnel, this is limited to a paltry 811lb/ft. So as well as that record breaking top speed, the Rocket will, erm, rocket to 62mph in 4.0 seconds.

Hopefully the stopping ability will match the pulling power thanks to 12-piston calipers grabbing on to enormous ceramic brakes hidden behind 19-inch lightweight alloy wheels. Given that it can easily outstrip the rotational speed of a Jumbo Jet, it’s reassuring to hear that the car has spent significant time in the Brabus wind tunnel.

A seriously purposeful front airdam reduces lift on the front axle as well as channeling enough air to that greedy engine while a vented bonnet helps release heat and pressure build up. Side skirts helps keep the airflow unruffled along the length of the car while a bootlid spoiler and diffuser keep the rear of the car stable and planted.

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The details are familiar by now, but that doesn’t make them any less impressive. For the CL 500, Brabus offers a tuning kit that boosts output to 419 horses, and for the more adventurous, a 6.1L engine upgrade that brings 462 ponies to the party. This is all well and good, but the big fun is reserved for the CL 600, which receives the Brabus 6.3L SV12 S Biturbo replacement engine. Its 730 horsepower is enough to make even the forthcoming CL 63 AMG weep. Tires will be happy to know that torque is electronically limited to just 738 lb-ft. That should enable them to last hours instead of mere minutes. A high-performance brake system is available to bring it all to a rest.

As is the case with every Brabus automobile, a full, tasteful aero kit is offered, complete with detail touches like integrated entrance/approach lights that make loading up and getting into the car at night a bit more pleasant. A lowered sport suspension, new wheels and tires, and a new exhaust system round out the technical improvements. In terms of creature comforts, Brabus will customize the interior to the buyer’s taste (good or bad).

The cost isn’t given, but expect it to be in the realm of “a lot.” For those who can foot the bill, a new rocketship awaits. Credit for this article goes to the Autoblog. You will find more photos and the press release there.

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The increase in output from 350 kW/476 hp to 368 kW/500 hp is due to an enhanced and retuned engine control unit. The supercharged 5.5-litre AMG engine generates its maximum torque of 700 newton metres between 2750 and 4000 rpm. These exceptional figures are a guarantee of effortless performance: the G 55 AMG accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds (preceding model: 5.6 s), the maximum speed remains 210 km/h (electronically limited). The AMG sports exhaust system with its two oval twin tailpipes emerging at an angle in front of the rear wheels, as well as the characteristic AMG V8 sound, provide an ample visual and acoustic indication of the engine power to be expected of the G 55 AMG Kompressor.

Both on and off-road, the G 55 AMG gives its occupants a feeling of serenity, exclusivity and dynamic potential. As always, the classic among Mercedes-Benz off-roaders provides a convincing synthesis of highly efficient drive and dynamic handling control systems. In addition to permanent all-wheel drive with a low-range gearbox, the standard appointments include the electronic traction system for all-wheel drive 4ETS, the Electronic Stability Program ESP and differential locks which can be engaged at the touch of a button. Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, has been producing the G-Class on behalf of Mercedes-Benz since 1979, with more than 186,000 examples built to date. And there is no end to this success story in sight.

Visually, the new model year G 55 AMG is distinguishable from its predecessor by 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels painted in titanium grey with 285/55 R 18 wide-base tyres. The extensive standard appointments have been further enhanced, now including bi-xenon headlamps, oval foglamps with a cornering light function and ISOFIX child seat attachments in the second seat row. The more scratch resistant, nano-technology based paint finishes of calcite white, periclase green metallic and teallite blue metallic are also new. The top-of-the-line model in the G-Class is available only as a five-door Station Wagon with a long wheelbase, and may be ordered in Mercedes-Benz sales outlets with immediate effect. The selling price is 113,332 EUR (incl. 16% VAT), and customer deliveries will commence in September 2006.

In addition to the classic G55 AMG Kompressor, the Mercedes-AMG model lineup features two other powerful and versatile all-rounders: the new ML 63 AMG and R 63 AMG, both equipped with the 378 kW/510 hp, naturally aspirated 6.3-litre AMG V8-engine.

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The performance packages for the CLS 63 AMG, SLK 55 AMG and SL 55 AMG focus particularly on chassis and brake system modifications, incorporating com-ponents with an even higher performance rating and longer service life. The re-sult is a breathtaking driving experience for ambitious sports car enthusiasts who want to have the option of using their AMG model on closed-circuit racetracks. Customers benefit from the extensive motor sport know-how gained by Mercedes-AMG GmbH in almost four decades of working in this field.

The performance package for the CLS 63 AMG comprises:

* Internally ventilated composite front brake discs, size 390 x 36 mm
* Multi-disc rear locking differential with 40% locking effect for additional traction
* 19-inch twin-spoke AMG alloy wheels, multipiece, painted sterling silver, size 8.5 x 19 with 255/35 R 19 tyres (front) and size 10 x 19 with 285/30 R 19 tyres (rear)
* AMG performance suspension based on AIRMATIC DC
* AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel in leather/black Alcantara with silver-coloured aluminium shift paddles

The performance package for the SLK 55 AMG comprises:

* Internally ventilated composite front brake discs, size 360 x 32 mm
* 18-inch twin-spoke AMG alloy wheels, multipiece, size 7.5 x 18 with 225/40 R 18 tyres (front) and size 8.5 x 18 with 245/35 R 18 tyres (rear)
* AMG performance suspension
* AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel in leather/black Alcantara, with silver-coloured aluminium shift paddles
* Carbonfibre interior trim parts

The performance package for the SL 55 AMG comprises:

* Internally ventilated composite front brake discs, size 390 x 36 mm
* Multi-disc rear locking differential with 30% locking effect for additional traction
* 19-inch twin-spoke AMG alloy wheels, multipiece, size 8.5 x 19 with 255/35 R 19 tyres (front) and size 9.5 x 19 with 285/30 R 19 tyres (rear)
* AMG performance suspension based on Active Body Control (ABC)
* Additional oil cooler
* AMG front apron with larger air intakes
* AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel in leather/black Alcantara, with silver-coloured aluminium shift paddles

The AMG performance packages are priced as follows (prices include 16 % VAT):

* CLS 63 AMG: 8,236 €
* SLK 55 AMG: 5,220 €
* SL 55 AMG: 11,948 €

The AMG Performance Studio in Affalterbach can provide even more customisation for these AMG high-performance models. Depending on the model in question, the available components include:

* Extra-lightweight, forged AMG alloy wheels
* Carbon-fibre exterior package
* AMG sports steering wheels
* Illuminated AMG door sill panels

The Performance Studio specialists also fit unique interior trim components and high-performance hi-fi and multimedia systems and even create one-off specials – a traditional forte of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. Pricing for the upgrades is set at 8,236 € for the CLS, 5,220 € for the SLK, and 11,948 € for the SL.

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Under the hood, Carlsson tweaks the 55’s supercharger for higher boost, particularly at lower rpm, and massages the engine electronics, resulting in a stout 601 hp and a maximum torque of 810 Nm (599 ft-lb) at only 2600 rpm. The reworked powerplant is good for 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in 4.2 seconds and a (restricted) top speed of 332 kph (206 mph).

The CK55 has the usual tuner touches of a stainless steel exhaust system, restyled front and rear fascia, and Carlsson’s signature custom wheels (including the 20-inch “Brilliant Edition” models shown).

Keeping you in touch with the road is Carlsson’s electronically-controlled C-Tronic Suspension, which lowers the nominal ride height of the car by over an inch, automatically raising the car on rough roads and lowering the car to the minimum ride height at high speed.

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The world gave Mercedes-Benz’s new S-Class a thumbs-up after it snatched four prestigious international awards – “Golden Steering Wheel”, “Limousine of the Year”, “Best Luxury Car”, and “EuroCarBody Award 2005″.

The S-Class was awarded “Golden Steering Wheel” by Bild am Sonntag, Germany’s highest circulation Sunday newspaper. Judges included racing drivers Hans Hermann and Walter Rohrl, and television presenter Barbara Schoneberger.

Also celebrated with “Limousine of the Year” award by BBC’s Top Gear magazine, its space and comfort were lauded, citing research that showed that for a 500-kilometre route, S-Class drivers were found six per cent more relaxed – with heart beating five BPM slower – than drivers of competitors’ vehicles.

According to David Motton, editor of UK’s What Car? Magazine, which awarded the S-Class “Best Luxury Car”, “when Mercedes-Benz launches a new S-Class, the rest of the world gasps in amazement”.

The S-Class was also bestowed the coveted title of “EuroCarBody Award 2005″ by industry group Automotive Circle International (ACI) for one of its unprecedented innovations, the S-Class car body.

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For the new 2006 Mercedes SLK, Mercedes kept the top but reworked everything else right down to the bottom. The body grew a tiny bit – just enough to increase comfort. Steering and (front) suspensions made switches in fundamental design, and all three former engines got dropped like Oldsmobile. Figures for torsional and bending rigidity (a big deal with open cars) hardened up by 46% and 19%. Finally, the new look is sharper-edged in a mini-McLaren sort of way, possibly in the hopes of finally attracting some handsome faces in addition to the pretty ones.

Despite larger all-around dimensions and a fatter face showing to the atmosphere, the SLK’s drag coefficient dropped to 0.34 / 0.37 with the top up / down. They also claim 30% / 20% greater resistance to the forces of front / rear lift. It doesn’t have those swiveling headlights everyone’s been squawking about, but watch closely and you’ll notice the fog lights lighting up one side of the car whenever you take turns at 25 MPH or below with your blinker on.

If you don’t mind a little complexity in exchange for no-compromises driving, the SLK’s top still tops all others. All you gotta do is hold down that little button next to the parking brake, and throughout the next 22 seconds (down from 25 in the first SLK) watch the various body panels do their dance: trunk opens its mouth, roof peels back, folds like origami and settles in, trunk closes. We are amused. The SLK will hold the honor of being the lowest-priced car with a power retractable roof until the Pontiac G6 convertible and Volvo C70 get here.

Even with the roof above your head, designers seem to have scooped out enough room for all but the tallest drivers. The seat goes back quite a ways as well, and even if the high-rise beltline and hood make you feel kind of buried, feelings of confinement are minimal. The seats’ manual (!) adjusters work just fine, with no-nonsense levers that let you sit ideally in seconds. The truly colossal news is that the steering wheel now tilts in addition to telescoping, finally laying down a big welcome mat for drivers of more than just one stature.

And they will feel welcome in this cabin. The inspired curves are a refreshing departure from the all-business look of the last model and most surfaces are firm, while the important ones still soft enough to cushion any arm or elbow you might spontaneously slam down.

Most of what you see and control is laid out in a straightforward fashion except for a few details here and there. The main gauges are fine, but the trip computer information seems a bit scattered. The steering wheel controls are where they should be, but none of the eight buttons can change radio presets or CD tracks, the most important functions of all. The windblocker’s a pretty clumsy, mesh-fabric contraption that works like a cargo net – by hooking and unhooking to attachment pegs on the roll bars – which makes for a murky rear view when up, a sloppy dangling mess when down, and a bending-stretching affair to convert between the two. The cupholders are of the cheap spring-out variety perched at the top of the dash, possibly blocking out pedestrians with Pepsis, and of course there’s the long-running Mercedes flaw of the dislocated turn signal down by your knee.

In better news, the COMAND user interface (containing the navigation system, stereo, and general settings) is easy to use and intuitive, at least by German standards. Functions seem a bit scattered throughout the numerous buttons (whose on-screen labels sometimes disappear) but everything can be mastered with a little time and patience, partly thanks to the 8-way controller knob that holds things together. And COMAND did not usurp the dual-zone climate controls, which stand alone and away on conventional knobs.

Mercedes’ DVD navigation system is reasonably friendly as well, but now and then an incident suggests a better brain is in order. The unit I tested on a CLS once got confused and gave up; this time, I was wandering around the obscure trenches of Lake Arrowhead, CA when it COMANDed me to crawl nervously through a rocky, single-lane road at 2 MPH. I played along right until the piles of snow by the roadside stood taller than my shoulders. Prodigious processing power notwithstanding, the system could use an upgrade to Common Sense 2.0.

Use the SLK for casual cruising around familiar roads and your attention will shift to the stereo, which in Harman-Kardon form blasts 380 clear, deep watts worth of treble and bass through eight speakers (three in each door, one center, one sub). It’s very strong and very well-suited to the SLK’s cabin and features Logic7 sound, MP3 playback, and an Aux jack in the glovebox. A few gripes: the automatic volume leveling feature often overcompensates, momentarily blasting your ears. At some times but not others, you’re only allowed to select a new radio preset every five seconds. At one point, my CD was playing with no volume; cycling it off and on fixed it. And I’ll always wonder why Germans insist on everything being on or everything being off. Can’t I concentrate on the map without playing a CD?

Aside from the disc changer hogging the air conditioned glovebox (oh goody, frozen CDs), the SLK is pretty smart with its storage solutions. There are two center consoles – one normal, one upright – and the former opens to the left or right. Each rider get a map pocket, and the space below the climate controls snugly embraces a cell phone. Lastly, Mercedes found a bunch of trunk space in back – 9.5 cubic feet in coupe mode and a still-decent 6.5 in convertible mode – and a gigantic 18.5 gallon gas tank spells a full day’s worth of carefree cruising.

The SLK also does the safety thing. After the expected two-stage air bags (child hazard: the passenger’s doesn’t turn off) come knee bags, plus “side/thorax” bags that extend upwards towards the head. (Should any deploy, Automatic Collision Notification sends help via the standard Tele Aid system.) And don’t forget one key advantage held by members of the $40,000 roadster class but not the $20,000 class: those roll bars you see behind the seats are real. Mercedes went so far as to drop this baby on its head from 20 inches off the ground to see what would happen (don’t try this at home), and claim that the A-pillars hardly deformed at all.

The 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK was clearly created for people who have succeeded in life, acquired a significant chunk of disposable income, and are seeking to recapture the thrill of youth. Nothing wrong with that, and the current SLK delivers as advertised….

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