The new model variant SLR 722 Edition is a homage by Mercedes-Benz to the unforgettable victory won by the British racing legend Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722 (indicating a start time of 7.22 a.m.) at the Mille Miglia in 1955. With an output of 650 bhp and a corresponding performance, the new super sports car, which goes on sale on July 11, 2006, will not only make the hearts of car enthusiasts beat faster.

The supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine in the 722 Edition, which is hand-built in the AMG engine shop in Affalterbach, generates 650 bhp. The particular strengths of this high-performance engine are immediate response to movements of the accelerator, highly emphatic torque build-up and an unmistakable V8 sound. The performance figures are outstanding even for a high-end sports car: the 722 Edition accelerates from standstill to 62 mph in only 3.6 seconds, and 124 mph is reached in just 10.2 seconds. The top speed (209 mph) is above the 207 mph previously achieved by the SLR.

2007 Mercedes Benz SLR 722 Edition

Handling characteristics worthy of the racetrack are also provided by the sophisticated suspension, with 19-inch light-alloy wheels, a stiffer damper configuration and 0.4 inches lower body. Larger brake discs with a diameter of 390 mm ensure excellent braking performance.

Discreet visual modifications mark the Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition out as special, in line with the wishes of the enthusiastic gentleman drivers and wealthy sports car collectors who make up the core target group. The modified front spoiler with an air splitter, as well as the rear diffuser, improve both the aerodynamics and contact pressure at high speeds, and reflect the transfer of cutting-edge technology from motor racing. At the same time, the use of clear-lacquered carbon as an extremely strong yet lightweight material symbolizes the practicality of these technical features. Bucket-type sports seats upholstered in leather/Alcantara provide outstanding lateral support, while the grippier racing steering wheel with a hunting-leather lining, gearshift paddles and black carbon highlights lend a thoroughbred racing touch to the interior.

2007 Mercedes Benz SLR 722 Edition

Exclusive “SLR. Club” for SLR owners

Before the sales release date, customers and selected guests will have the advance opportunity to appraise the new SLR 722 Edition. This is to mark the foundation of the worldwide “SLR. Club” at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, southern France. As an ultra-exclusive community of which SLR customers automatically become members, the “SLR Club” provides an attractive platform for outstanding events related to the SLR, as well as numerous other benefits. Another exciting feature is the club’s SLR Safety & Speed Academy, which offers special driver training courses and seminars. David Coulthard, Jochen Mass, Klaus Ludwig, Chris Goodwin and Christina Surer are among the highly skilled and well-known instructors.

2007 Mercedes Benz SLR 722 Edition

2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition Specifications Chassis
Brakes F/R: ABS, vented disc/vented disc
Tires F-R: 255/35 R19 – 295/30 R19
Driveline: Rear Wheel Drive
Engine
Type: Supercharged V8
Displacement cu in (cc): 332 (5439)
Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 650(485) / 6500
Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: 605(820) / 4000
Redline at RPM: n.a.
Exterior
Length × Width × Height in: 181.6 × 74.4 × 48.8
Weight lb (kg): 3800 (1724)
Performance
Acceleration 0-60 mph s: 3.6
Top Speed mph (km/h): 209 (337)
Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): n.a.

Base Price: 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition – $455,750 regular SLR

2007 Mercedes Benz SLR 722 Edition

2007 Mercedes Benz SLR 722 Edition

Mercedes-Benz Clk GTR - www.robson.m3rlin.org

The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a grand tourer and race car that was built by Mercedes-AMG, performance and motorsports arm of Mercedes-Benz. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primarily as a race car, with the road cars necessary in order to meet homologation standards being secondary in the car’s design. Thus the limited production road going cars were considered racing cars for the road.

After competing successfully in 1997, the race car was upgraded in 1998 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and renamed the CLK LM. Following the construction of the CLK LMs and the CLK GTR road cars, the project would end in 1999 by being replaced by the Mercedes-Benz CLR Le Mans prototype.

As the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/ITC had folded in late 1996, with both remaining competitors Opel and Alfa Romeo leaving due to the high costs of their 4WD designs, Mercedes-Benz had no top series to compete in. With the success of the BPR Global GT Series leading to the FIA taking over and turning it into an international series known as the FIA GT Championship, Mercedes-Benz saw an opportunity to go against manufacturers like Porsche and Ferrari.

Mercedes-Benz Clk GTR - www.robson.m3rlin.org

Following the design that Porsche had laid out with their 911 homologation special, Mercedes-AMG was tasked by Mercedes-Benz with creating an extreme racing car that still maintained some elements of a normal street legal car. AMG’s designers created a car which shared some design elements with the Mercedes-Benz CLK, yet had all the standard features of a racing car underneath. A Mercedes-Benz M120V12 engine would be at the heart of the car, mounted behind the cockpit. The bodywork would be made entirely of carbon fiber, and would feature many aerodynamic design elements and cooling openings in order to survive on the race track.

To test the CLK GTR before the first chassis were built, Mercedes-AMG actually took an unusual measure. Through secrecy, Mercedes-AMG was able to purchase a disused McLaren F1 GTR, the defending BPR GT series champion, from Larbre Compétition. This purchase first allowed Mercedes-AMG to see the kind of lap times that their competitors could run, to serve as a measurement of the CLK GTRs abilities. However, more importantly, Mercedes-AMG set about modifying this F1 GTR by attaching bodywork that was meant to go on the CLK GTRs. This allowed Mercedes-AMG to be able to perfect the aerodynamics of the car before it had even been built.

Mercedes-Benz Clk GTR - www.robson.m3rlin.org

Upon completion of the first two prototypes a mere 128 days after the initial drawings had been made, the CLK GTRs were entered into the 1997 FIA GT Championship season, debuting at the season-opener at one of Mercedes-Benz’s home tracks, the Hockenheimring. Unfortunately the new cars were not able to shine, as brake problems eliminated one car after five laps, and the other finished over 20 laps behind the winning McLaren. However by the next round at Silverstone, the CLK GTR began to show its pace, finishing less than a second behind the winning McLaren. By the fourth round, returning to Germany for the Nürburgring, a third CLK GTR was added to the team. In this race, Mercedes-Benz successfully outperformed the fleet of McLarens, taking first and second places. The team would finish out the season with five more wins, at A1-Ring, Suzuka, Donington, Sebring, and Laguna Seca, allowing them to secure the team championship as well as the drivers championship for Bernd Schneider.

A CLK GTR en route to victory at the 1997 FIA GT Donington 4 HoursMercedes-Benz would use the CLK GTR for the first two rounds of the 1998 season before upgrading to the CLK LM. However privateer team Persson Motorsport would campaign two CLK GTRs throughout the entire season, taking a best finish of second at Oschersleben before finishing the year third in the teams championship.

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Carlsson high-performance technology begins where the factory finishes. Hence, it is hardly surprising that, on the basis of the CLK 55 AMG, Carlsson has created an even more exclusive and sporting coupe, which is being shown at the Essen Motor Show 2003: the CLK-RS with 480 bhp.

Impressive power increase through a new supercharger system

The new supercharger system on the basis of the CLK 55 AMG was developed in close cooperation with Ogura Clutch Co.Ltd. The supercharger is integrated into the engine unit in a technically and visually optimum position between the cylinder banks. The advantages of this high-performance supercharger, which is built under licence from Wankel, include high efficiency (up to over 70 percent), low-wear, quiet running, great durability, immediate response and low weight.

2003 Mercedes Benz CLK Carlsson

Engine output is increased to a powerful 480 bhp / 353 KW with maximum torque of 650 Nm at 2800 rpm, which greatly emphasises the sporting character of the CLK-RS. Top speed has been measured at over 310 km/h while acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 4.4 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h 14.2 seconds.

The complete Carlsson range for the CLK-RS

The complete, high-grade range of products for the Carlsson CLK-RS includes an aerodynamic package with front and rear aprons. The front apron is distinguished by large air inlets for the intercooler and brake ventilation. A supplementary rear spoiler and front lip bring about a reduction in lift at the front and rear and fit aesthetically into the overall exclusive and sporting look.

Another aspect of the Carlsson range is the height-adjustable shock absorbers with 9-way compression and rebound adjustment, which permits extremely high cornering speeds.

The CLK-RS roll bar offers additional protection and ensures greater body rigidity. Ergonomically shaped Recaro bucket seats and the ergonomically designed steering wheel provide safety and comfort inside the car.

Another part of this exclusive range is the Carlsson complete sports exhaust system. Made of stainless steel, with sport end silencers
(4 tailpipes with oval trims), the system generates a sound to delight the enthusiast’s ears.

An impressive appearance: ultra-light forged wheels

For the CLK-RS, Carlsson recommends ultra lightweight forged wheels in the dimension 8.5 x 19′ (235/35, Dunlop Sp. 9000 Extra Load) at the front and 10 x 19′ (265/30, Dunlop Sp. 9000 Extra Load) at the back. The 16-spoke wheels round off the sporting and elegant appearance of the CLK-RS and are available exclusively from Carlsson.

2003 Mercedes Benz CLK Carlsson

Story by Carlsson Autotechnik GmbH

Specifications
Year: 2003
Make: Carlsson
Base Price: Not Available
Model: CLK-RS

Engine & Transmission
Position: Front Longitudinal
Drive Wheels: RWD
Configuration: V8 w/Supercharger
Power: 357.9 kw / 479.9 bhp @ Not Available rpm
Torque: 650 nm / 479.4 ft lbs @ 2800 rpm
Redline: 6700

Performance
Top Speed: 310 kph / 192.6 mph
0 – 60 mph: 4.3 seconds

2004 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG - www.robson.m3rlin.org

The SLK has shed its conservative and sensible skin in this, its second generation. Clearly taking a design page from the ultraexotic SLR McLaren coupe, the new SLK wears a Formula 1-style nose and, of course, sports a fully retractable hard top. When it goes on sale in the States this fall, we’ll see an SLK350 model with the firm’s new 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6, followed shortly thereafter by the little roadster’s first V-8. And not just any V-8, but a 350-hp, 5.5-liter unit from AMG. Coolest (or warmest) new feature: Airscarf, which blows warm air out of the headrests to prolong the top-down experience even in chilly weather. Look for our first driving impression of the SLK350 in the June issue of Automobile Magazine.

2004 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG - www.robson.m3rlin.org

More attractive, more powerful and sportier than its predecessor, this appealing two-seater will be celebrating its European market launch in March 2004. The new model offers a choice of three new engines with a performance range extending from 120 kW/163 hp to 265 kW/360 hp. This includes – for the first time in this vehicle class – an eight-cylinder supplied by Mercedes-AMG. The SLK 350 is powered by a new 200 kW/272 hp V6 engine delivering dynamic driving pleasure.

The second generation of this two-seater again captivates the eye with its sophisticated design featuring details reminiscent of Formula motor racing. This quality enables the SLK to uphold its reputation as a trendsetter and a tech-nology leader among the sports cars in this class. A further development of its vario-roof transforms this roadster into a coupé in just 22 seconds. The range of standard equipment also includes head-thorax sidebags, adaptive front air-bags and two-stage belt force limiters. Mercedes engineers have added even more sports refinement to the suspension, steering and manual transmissio

2004 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG - www.robson.m3rlin.org

As a global first, Mercedes-Benz is offering the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system. This delivers a flow of warm air from the headrests at the touch of a button, thereby enabling SLK occupants to keep the roof down even when there is a chill in the air. This extends the top-down driving season to the full calendar year. Automatic climate control, bi-xenon headlamps with cornering light, COMAND and the unique 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission add to the technological innovations which can now be supplied as options to the SLK-Class for the first time.

2004 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG - www.robson.m3rlin.org

The new Mercedes roadster is now taking the place of its predecessor, a car which has delighted more than 308,000 owners since it first appeared in the autumn of 1996. Worldwide, this model holds the number one position in this market segment and has already established itself as a symbol for the new, dynamic brand image of Mercedes-Benz.

The design and technology employed in this second generation of the SLK-Class place even greater emphasis on sports performance. With more powerful engines, redesigned suspension, direct steering feel and a responsive six-speed manual shift system, the new model offers an even more athletic driving experience than ever before. The body size has grown by 72 mm in length and 65 mm in width, affording driver and passenger more space and even higher standards of comfort than the previous model.

2004 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG - www.robson.m3rlin.org

From an initial glance, the design of this car reflects the sporty and altogether more powerful character of the new SLK-Class. A long bonnet, steeply raked windscreen, wide doors and short boot are the typical characteristics of a roadster and the new SLK underlines these even more emphatically than its predecessor. The extra 30 millimetres on the wheelbase, the distinctive arrow-like tapering at the front and rear and the wedge-shaped silhouette all contribute to this impression.

With attractive geometry details like the strikingly sharp nose section, special fins on the radiator grille and the twin exhaust system reminiscent of a racing car, the design of the new SLK recalls the fact that this two-seater is the child of a company with a long and illustrious tradition of sports car production.

The interior has also been completely redesigned and substantially upgraded with a careful choice of materials. The design concept is characterised by switches, push-buttons and decorative elements with silver-coloured surfaces, creating a sharp contrast with the black surfaces of the instrument panel. Customers who opt for a leather interior can select from a range of six colours to create their personal choice of interior look.

2004 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG - www.robson.m3rlin.org

Body: best in its class for aerodynamics and luggage compartment volume

The beautifully shaped body of the new SLK also stands out for its technical merits: no other roadster in this class matches its superb Cd value (0.32), its exceptional standards of body strength, an equivalent fuel tank capacity (70 litres) or a comparable size of luggage compartment (300 litres when vario-roof is closed).

The innovative vario-roof with which the Mercedes sports car set new trends back in 1996 has been further improved by the engineers at the Sindelfingen plant and its technology has been honed. It opens and closes faster than ever before and thanks to a pivoting rear window it now takes up even less space in the luggage compartment. When the vario-roof is open, the luggage compartment capacity is 208 litres (applying the VDA measurement method) – this is 63 litres more than that of the predecessor model. For the first time ever, as an optional feature available on request, the vario-roof can also be actuated using the remote control on the vehicle key.

Safety: newly developed protection system with adaptive airbags

An ultramodern design procedure, a 40 % increase in the use of high-tensile steel alloys and many other additional measures allow the new SLK-Class to surpass the high safety standards set by its predecessor. The occupant protection systems respond to the prevailing situation: for the first time, Mercedes-Benz is using adaptive airbags in this model range, which deploy in two stages depending on the severity of the accident.

The belt force limiters, now standard equipment, also function in two stages and adjust to the severity of the accident. In instances of side impact, recently developed head-thorax airbags spring into action and protect the passenger’s head and upper body. A special sensor also triggers the side airbags and both belt tensioners in the event of the vehicle rolling over. Robust steel tubes in the A-pillars and solid roll-over bars behind the seats offer additional protection in accidents of this kind.

Engines: Up to 25 more performance with reduced fuel consumption

The range of engines available with the new SLK-Class is also unique for this market sector. Mercedes-Benz is the first carmaker in this segment to respond with an eight-cylinder engine to the wishes of performance-minded car drivers. The new SLK 55 AMG now sets a new benchmark in terms of power (265 kW/360 hp), torque (510 newton metres) and acceleration (0-100 km/h: 4.9 seconds). The V8 power unit is twinned as standard with the recently developed 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission controlled by the driver using gearshift buttons on the steering wheel.

Mercedes-Benz has developed a new six-cylinder engine with around 25 percent more power (200 kW/272 hp) and 13 percent more torque (350 newton metres) for the SLK 350. The four-valve engine is one of the most powerful V6 units in its displacement class and its sporting character can be clearly distinguished by its powerful, vibrant engine note.

Maximum torque is available from an engine speed of just 2400 rpm and remains constant across a wide rev band extending up to 5000 rpm. This allows the car to be accelerated hard and permits rapid bursts of power. From a standing start, the SLK 350 reaches 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds (with the 7G-TRONIC: 5.5 seconds) and accelerates from 60 to 120 km/h in 8.7 seconds (with the 7G-TRONIC: 5.1 seconds).

This is the first time that Mercedes-Benz has ever produced a V6 engine with variable camshaft control on intake and exhaust sides. The outcome is enhanced performance and torque combined with improved fuel economy. A two-stage intake manifold, “tumble” flaps in the intake ducts and an intelligent heat management system add to the technical distinguishing features of this new six-cylinder engine. When combined with the option of a seven-speed automatic transmission, the new SLK 350 only consumes a meagre 9.9 litres of Super grade fuel over a distance of 100 kilometres (NEDC total consumption figures) and therefore, despite a significant increase in performance figures, still manages to be some five percent more fuel-efficient than the previous SLK six-cylinder engine with a five-speed automatic transmission.

The 120 kW/163 hp engine in the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR is also celebrating a premiere status in this range of Mercedes models. This is one of the new generation of four-cylinder engines from Mercedes-Benz featuring the unique TWINPULSE system which offers further advances in terms of performance, torque, smoothness and fuel economy. The TWINPULSE system combines a range of different technologies such as a compressor, balancer shafts, charge-air cooling, variable camshaft adjustment and four-valve technology. This high-tech package makes the new SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR eight percent more fuel-efficient than its equally powerful predecessor. The NEDC overall fuel consumption rating is just 8.7 litres of fuel over a distance of 100 kilometres.

As standard equipment, the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR and SLK 350 are going to the starting grid with a six-speed transmission equipped with short, fast shift lever strokes and high levels of shift precision. As an option, the four-cylinder engine can be twinned with the tried and tested five-speed automatic transmission while the new six-cylinder can be paired up with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmis-sion. To reflect the dynamic character of the new SLK-Class, drivers can operate both automatic transmissions using gearshift buttons mounted on the steering wheel (as an optional extra) to select the desired ratio.

The distinguishing features of the sports-tuned suspension are the new design of three-link front axle, the rack-and-pinion steering unit and an even more powerful braking system than the previous model. Mercedes engineers have modified many details of the multi-link independent rear suspension unit and have adapted it to suit the increased track width of this new model. Depending on the choice of model, standard equipment in the new SLK-Class can include 16, 17 or even 18-inch alloy wheels. Low-slung sports suspension is also available as an option.

Comfort: AIRSCARF – a world first for even greater top-down driving pleasure

Longer and more often is the clear message from the new Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class to fans of top-down driving. AIRSCARF is a world first which allows drivers to lower the vario-roof even when there is a real chill in the air. Owners can now enjoy the true roadster experience more frequently than ever before. AIRSCARF is an innovative heating system located in the seat headrests: at the touch of a button, temperature-controlled air flows out of special vents in the headrests to keep the shoulders, neck and heads of SLK occupants warm on the road – acting just like an invisible scarf.

This new development is a unique option in the open-top car market. It operates in three stages and is equipped with an electronic control unit. It controls head-level heating to suit ambient conditions – depending on roadspeed and temperature – and adapts the fan speed continuously to ensure that the best possible distribution of hot air is delivered in any given situation.

The THERMATIC system represents a further innovation for perfect in-car climate control and is standard equipment on the SLK 350 and the SLK 55 AMG. For even more demanding car drivers, Mercedes-Benz has developed the THERMOTRONIC luxury climate control system, equipped with solar and pollutant sensors.

To keep SLK driver and passenger entertained and informed, optional equipment includes the Audio 20 CD stereo car radio, the Audio 50 APS with integrated colour display and a navigation system or COMAND APS, which features a DVD/CD player, colour display and separate DVD drive for the navigation system. Another option is the surround sound system with eleven speakers and a 380 Watt amplifier for that ultimate acoustic experience.

The design philosophy of Lotus is “Performance through light weight”, a philosophy first adopted by the founder of Lotus, Colin Chapman. The motto drives Lotus to obtain very high performance with lightweight cars in spite of their relatively modest power outputs, with a strong emphasis on driving purity and dynamics.

The result is a sports car that in production form in 1996 weighed in at just 720 kg (1,500 lb). Compare this to a Porsche Boxster which is also considered to be an extremely lightweight sports car but weighs nearly twice as much — 1,250kg (2,756 lb).

As a result, the Elise’s acceleration, braking, cornering, and fuel consumption (all of which are improved by reductions in a car’s weight) was nothing short of astonishing in spite of the fact that the engine put out a relatively modest 120 bhp (89 kW). Compare that to 201 bhp (149 kW) produced by the 1997 Porsche Boxster.

Although high-tech, it represented affordable cost of ownership for sports car lovers on a budget who still wanted performance and looks.

Besides the “standard” higher-performance variants listed below, Lotus also released some limited edition models such as Sport 135 (1998/9) with approx 145 bhp (108 kW), Sport 160 (2000) with 150–160 bhp (112–119 kW) and Sport 190 (allegedly 190bhp / 142 kW). These were more competent on track with sports suspension, wheels and tyres, seats according to model. There were other special editions which were basically cosmetic treatments such as the 50th Anniversary Edition (green/gold) celebrating 50 years of Lotus cars, the Type 49 (“Gold Leaf” red and white two-tone), and Type 72 (“JPS” black/gold) to recall their successful Grand Prix car type numbers.

Carlsson, the Mercedes-Benz tuner from Merzig in the Southwest of Germany, presents a driving machine with unbridled power: the CM55 K based on the SLK 55. It is not only the 480 bhp but also the new design that gives the SLK such a powerful and muscular appearance compared to its predecessor.
Breathtaking increase in output to 480 bhp

Thanks to the Carlsson supercharger, the engine output of the base SLK 55 is boosted to a breathtaking 480 bhp / 353 kW and a maxim torque of 650 Nm at 2800 rpm. Top speed climbs to 315 km/h while acceleration from a standing start to 100 km/h takes but 4.1 seconds. Appropriate deceleration is ensured by a high-performance braking system with 6-piston light-alloy callipers and internally ventilated, composite discs measuring 380×32 mm at the front and 4-piston light-alloy callipers and internally ventilated discs measuring 340×22 mm at the back.

Lowering via a RS suspension system

A RS suspension system consisting of 4 sports shock absorbers and 4 Carlson sports springs lowers the car’s centre of gravity and gives it an even more sporting look. The suspension system has an infinitely variable height adjustment and adjustable damping characteristics with nine settings.

High-grade aerodynamics set

The high-grade aerodynamics set for the CM55 K based on the SLK 55 consists of a front spoiler with supplementary xenon fog lamps and large brake-ventilation ducts plus aerodynamically optimised side mouldings with ventilation ducts for the rear brakes and a rear-wheel cover to reduce air resistance. The set also includes a rear apron with bottom wings, under-body panels and a rear spoiler to reduce lift. A sporting sound is guaranteed by the rear Carlsson sports silencer, which is made of stainless steel and boasts four oval tailpipes.

Luxurious leather interior

Thanks to the exclusive leather interior appointments from Carlsson, the passenger compartment exudes a luxurious atmosphere. Individual and ergonomically designed seats finished in the finest leather ensure perfect lateral support. The side panels, the shift grip and the ergonomic sports steering wheel are also covered with top-quality leather.

1/16 Ultra Light forged wheels

For the wheels, Carlsson has chosen 1/16 UL ultra-light forged wheels measuring 8.5 x 19″ with 235/35 ZR 19 tyres for the front and 10 x 19″ with Dunlop 265/30 ZR 19 tyres for the back.

Carlsson CK20 on the basis of the SLK 200

For the SLK 200, Carlsson offers the CK20 engine performance kit, which increases the engine output of the SLK 200 to 195 bhp / 144 kW with maximum torque of 270Nm at 3500 rpm. Top speed rises to 234 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 6.7 seconds.

1/16 Brilliant Edition aluminium wheels

For the front and rear axles of the SLK 200, Carlsson chose one-piece Brilliant Edition wheels measuring 8.5 x 18″ with Dunlop 225/40 ZR 18 tyres.

Highlighting Mercedes-Benz’s stand was an outrageous concept that leans in corners. Called the F400 active research vehicle, the concept uses “active camber control” to tilt the front wheels up to 20 degrees from vertical. Using custom-made tires, Benz says, the Carving system can provide 30 percent more lateral stability than a regular car and cornering forces of 1.28 g. That’s 28 percent better than most sports cars. The special tires, with a slightly rounded shoulder tread resembling a motorcycle tire’s, are a necessity. Talk about a trick system. Too bad Mercedes couldn’t have added “active attractiveness control” to the styling.

DaimlerChrysler is exhibiting a special concept study at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show: the F 400 Carving is a research vehicle packed with dynamic systems designed to give the cars of tomorrow and beyond substantially enhanced active safety, dynamic handling control and driving pleasure.

The main attraction in the F 400 Carving is a new system that varies the camber angle on the outer wheels between 0 and 20 degrees, depending on the road situation. Used in conjunction with newly-developed tyres, it provides 30 percent more lateral stability than a conventional system with a fixed camber setting and standard tyres. This considerably enhances active safety, since better lateral stability equals improved road adhesion and greater cornering stability.

Active camber control boosts the research vehicle’s maximum lateral acceleration to 1.28 g, meaning that the concept study outperforms current sports cars by some 28 percent.

The active camber control in the F 400 Carving paves the way for an equally new asymmetrical-tread tyre concept. When the two-seater car is cornering, the outer wheels tilt inwards, leaving only the inner area of these tyres in contact with the road. This area of the tread is slightly rounded off. Meanwhile both the tread pattern and the rubber blend have been specially selected to ensure highly dynamic and extremely safe cornering. When driving straight ahead, however, it is the outer areas of the tyres that are in contact with the road. These areas have a tried-and-tested car tread pattern, offering excellent high-speed and low-noise performance. Two different concepts therefore come to fruition in a single tyre, thanks to active camber control.

The research vehicle’s ‘Carving’ epithet symbolises the new technology, evoking images of the high-speed winter sport in which adepts perform sharp turns on a specially-shaped high-grip ski.
Less risk of skidding and shorter emergency stopping distance.

The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They will be using it to investigate the undoubted further potential of this new chassis technology: besides of-fering excellent directional stability during cornering, the new technology ensures a much higher level of active safety in the event of an emergency. By way of example, if there is a risk of skidding, the wheel camber is in-creased by an appropriate degree. The resultant gain in lateral stability significantly enhances the effect of ESP®, the Electronic Stability Program. If the research car needs to be braked in an emergency, all four of its wheels can be tilted in next to no time, thus shortening the stopping dis-tance from 100 km/h by a good five metres.

Electronic steering, active hydropneumatic system and light from glass fibres

In addition to active camber control, the F 400 Carving research car is fitted with other forward-looking steering and chassis systems, including a steer-by-wire system. Sensors pick up the driver’s steering inputs and send this information to two microcomputers which, in turn, control an electrically driven steering gear. The DaimlerChrysler engineers also charted new territory when it came to the suspension tuning, and introduced a first: an active hydropneumatic system that optimises the suspension and shock absorption in line with the changing situation on the road, all at lightning speed.

The F 400 Carving is also the showcase for a totally new form of lighting technology developed by the Stuttgart-based researchers: fibre-optic lines are used to transmit light from xenon lamps beneath the bonnet to the main headlamps. This technology stands out by virtue of its high perform-ance and extremely space-saving design. Additional headlamps positioned on the sides also come on when the car is cornering.

Exciting design symbolising innovation and emotion

The F 400 Carving is an exciting and harmonious blend of technology and design. The shape of the sports car – notably its distinctive wing profiles – provides the necessary room for the wheels to move when the active camber control is at work during cornering and, at the same time, emphasises the youthful and highly-adventurous nature of this concept study. In order to reflect the research car’s high-quality driving dynamics, the de-signers opted for a speedster concept – incorporating an extended bonnet, a windscreen with an extremely sharp rake, a short tail end and an interior tailor-made for two.

The Design of the F 400 Carving: Exciting Mix of Innovation and Emotion

1. Forward-looking technology with real design appeal

1. Speedster concept for supreme driving pleasure

1. Powerful lines symbolizing superlative driving dynamics

1. Interior with carbon seats and weatherproof materials

The F 400 Carving design team focused on two objectives: lending shape to leading-edge technologies and giving innovations real design appeal.
A great deal of imagination was required in order to harmonize the technology and the design. To put it another way: it was a design job like no other. The F 400 designers found the unique chassis technology a tough nut to crack. They had to come up with a concept that allowed the wheels enough room to move during cornering with active camber control on the one hand, whilst ensuring that the car also cut a good figure with the wheels in the normal position on the other.

Taking these criteria as the starting point, a multinational competition was launched about two years ago, inviting young designers from the Mercedes studios in Germany, Japan and the USA to come up with ideas. A flood of exciting suggestions came in, ranging from utopian supercars to comical fun-cruisers and from four-seater cabriolets to pure driving machines with one-man cockpits.

This particular stage of development became known as the ‘emotional phase’ and proved vital in determining the scope of the F 400 Carving project’s design potential and in properly channeling the design process. Indeed it was an absolute necessity since there can be no doubt that, besides requiring technical know-how, designing such a vehicle is all about emotions: a passion for automobiles, a fascination with technology and an enthusiasm for dynamic and enthralling motoring.

And what vehicle concept could better and more aptly symbolize these aspects than an open-top sports car? A completely open-top sports car – a speedster with an elongated, extremely flat and low-slung engine hood, a short tail end, an interior tailor-made for two. Plus a whole host of stylish features that immediately stir the emotions and reinforce the car’s message: the wide, low-slung air intake in the front section, the sharp rake of the windshield, the lateral exhaust pipes and the distinctive roll-over bar behind the seats.

Exterior: the language of dynamics

Whichever way one looks at it, from whatever angle, the speedster’s body is like that of a perfectly proportioned and superbly conditioned athlete. The profile is structured by wing-like sections that powerfully span the wheels, harmoniously drawing them into the overall body concept, yet without restricting their freedom of movement. Smaller wing sections fore and aft of the wheels reinforce this effect, making the wheels the dominant focus of attention when the car is viewed from the side.

The design team also adeptly used the distinctive wing sections to give the F 400 Carving a characteristic face, making the headlamps an integral part of the wings and using the light covers to form two ‘eyes’, decisively enhancing the sports car’s enticing allure. This stylistic detail is possible thanks to lighting systems incorporating state-of-the-art fiber-optic technology, since conventional headlamps are simply too large to be incorporated in the limited space available in the wing sections.

And, of course, the two-seater’s face would not be complete without the three-pointed star, centrally positioned in time-honored Mercedes sports car tradition. It forms the focal point of a further important design feature that stretches centrally across the engine hood, evoking images of the unmistakable arrow-shaped nose of the McLaren-Mercedes team’s Silver Arrows. This particular detail is well on the way to becoming a classic Mercedes-Benz sports feature, having already graced the Vision SLR and Vision SLA sports car studies.

Arguably the most striking feature of all, because they are so steeped in tradition, the gullwing doors have come to symbolize the Mercedes-Benz brand. It is now exactly 50 years since the first Mercedes-Benz Gullwing created a sensation, marking the beginning of the SL legend. The F 400 designers took this feature and reinterpreted it in the spirit of contemporary design and technology, proving that the idea is just as stylish and exhilarating now as it was all those years ago. The research car’s gullwing doors are not attached to the roof as they were on the original 300 SL. Instead, they swing upward 60 degrees thanks to special joints, supported by gas springs.

The muscular contour of the door leads into a sweeping, powerfully shaped profile which forms a prominent line stretching back as far as the speedster’s tail end, where it acts as a fender for the rear wheels. The tail part of this section houses the rear lights, in the same way as its counterpart at the front incorporates the headlamps. The slender prism lenses enable the indicators, tail lights and brake lamps to effortlessly blend in with the overall design concept and, furthermore, cast an extremely impressive light on things.

Interior: high-tech in stylish packaging

A look inside the cockpit reveals another major design theme of the F 400 Carving: technology in its purest form. Technology that focuses on the essentials, on what motoring was originally all about and, therefore, on everything absolutely central to this idea. Nothing more, nothing less.

Admittedly, this initially smacks of purism, a totally stripped-down driving machine. But a closer look quickly reveals all: the perfect finish, the very best materials and a passion for detail. The designers at the Mercedes studios – in Como, northern Italy and Sindelfingen, southern Germany – devoted themselves to the task in hand, giving the interior a characteristic appearance that draws on classic aspects of bodystyling and design. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the ‘wing’ theme, the instrument panel being a perfect case in point: there is no firm visual link between the panel and the center tunnel. It seems to be ‘floating’ in space like some majestic wing and thus appears extremely light and almost delicate.

The idea of technology in its purest form is most clearly exemplified by the transmission tunnel, which has the shape, color and texture of a cast-aluminum transmission bell. As such it echoes the racing car cockpits of the twenties and thirties, an era when drivers had to make do with bare metal and little else. The simple sliding controls for the blower and the heater, the metallic lever for the SEQUENTRONIC transmission and the oval ventilation outlet above the transmission tunnel all reinforce these images of bygone days, yet behind each of these classic styling features lies state-of-the-art technology.

Passengers in the F 400 Carving are awaited by carbon seats in which they immediately feel at one with this evocative car and its technology: man and machine in absolutely perfect harmony. The seats provide superlative lateral support and can be individually adjusted, despite their one-piece design. The multi-layered fiber texture means it is possible to vary the backrest inclination without the need for joints or hinges – a small lever mechanism is all that is required. Together with spring and damper systems beneath the seat, the multi-piece upholstery ensures effective vibrational damping for good seating comfort.

Materials: all-weather performance

Choosing the interior cover fabrics for the F 400 Carving presented the designers with a particularly stiff challenge: the two-seater is a pure open-top, and so it was essential that the interior be quite literally windproof and weatherproof. Starting out with breathing yet hardwearing sportswear fabrics, the experts developed an exclusive range of cover materials for the research vehicle. Thanks to a special plastic coating, the materials are water-repellent and thus extremely suitable for this project. Furthermore, the upholstered sections of the seat are designed to be easily removable, so that the owner can leave them in the garage if they need to dry.

In conclusion, the F 400 Carving is an ‘active experience’ car that masters extreme situations supremely and safely. This is highlighted not only by the new chassis technology, but also by stylish interior features and by the two-seater’s overall styling concept. Technology and design are uniquely and inextricably linked. New functions are not just supremely fulfilled, they are also made an integral part of the overall design and the emotive concept.

The Technology of the F 400 Carving

• Mobile research laboratory with leading-edge technology
• Computers control the wheel camber angle in accordance with the road situation
• Up to 30 percent better lateral stability when cornering
• Tires with asymmetrical tread pattern and two friction zones
• New drive-by-wire system for steering and braking
• Hydropneumatic active suspension and damping system
• Carbon fiber body, ceramic composite brakes
• New headlamp system with fiber-optic technology

The latest research car gives us an insight into the future: the F 400 Carving follows in the tracks of other vehicle studies such as the F 200 Imagination and F 300 Life-Jet, which showcased new steering and chassis concepts in 1996 and 1997 respectively: ‘drive-by-wire’ and ‘active roll control’ were just two of the concepts central to these automotive research projects. The research engineers and scientists at DaimlerChrysler have perfected these ideas in the F 400 Carving and are proud to unveil an entirely new system which further enhances active safety and dynamic handling and gives an even more exhilarating driving experience.
20-degree wheel camber for safe and reliable cornering

The ‘Carving’ epithet already hints at the capabilities of the chassis technology in this research vehicle. Each time the car enters a corner or bend, two of its wheels tilt inwards, riding on a tire tread that has been specially optimized for cornering and has a high friction coefficient for optimum directional stability and road adhesion. The dynamics are reminiscent of the movements performed by alpine skiers using carving skis.

The computer-controlled system in the F 400 Carving varies the camber angle on the outer wheels by between 0 and 20 degrees when the car is cornering. The inner wheels and the vehicle body remain in their normal positions.

‘Active camber control’ is the culmination of a research project spanning several years. It all began with computer simulations and bench tests. But now the time has come for research out on the road.

The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They aim to use the open-top two-seater to further research the potential of novel chassis systems and to open up new avenues in chassis technology for the passenger cars of the future. Initial test drives and measurements have delivered extremely encouraging results.

Compared to a modern car chassis, the active camber control in the F 400 Carving enables up to 30 percent more lateral stability and 15 percent more longitudinal forces. The numbers back up these claims: whilst the maximum lateral force on the wheel is usually about 6200 Newtons when the camber is zero degrees, this figure rises to 6900 Newtons when there is a negative camber of 10 degrees and as high as 7800 Newtons when the negative camber is 20 degrees.

Thanks to the high level of lateral stability on the outer wheels during cornering, lateral acceleration in the F 400 Carving is up to 28 percent higher than in sports cars that rely on conventional chassis technology. When the outer wheels of the F 400 Carving are tilted inwards by 20 degrees during cornering, the two-seater achieves a maximum lateral acceleration of 1.28 g.

This impressive figure is not just an indication of high cornering dynamics and sporting agility, it also signals a substantial improvement in active safety, particularly in emergency situations such as cornering at (excessive) speed or sudden obstacle-avoidance maneuvers. The research car remains more directionally stable than a car equipped with conventional chassis technology. What’s more, it does so for longer and at a higher speed.

Tires: the concept of asymmetry

The tires are a major contributing factor to these results: active camber control enables a totally new concept that, for the first time and without compromise, combines the benefits of a passenger car tire with those of a motorcycle tire. Asymmetry is the principle behind this new tire technology, jointly developed by engineers from DaimlerChrysler and Pirelli: the tread pattern, tread blend and contour are all asymmetrical.

The most remarkable feature on the inside of the tire is the rounded-off tread which ensures superlative handling when cornering. The outer shoulder of the tire has a tried-and-tested car tread pattern, offering excellent straight-line stability and low road noise. For the first time, the experts have succeeded in harnessing the benefits of an established physical theory, according to which, at large camber angles, a tire with a curved tread can transmit greater lateral forces than conventional tires. The asymmetrical tread is made possible by the fact that the insides of the tires only come into contact with the road when the active camber control tilts the outer wheels inwards during cornering. This leaves the engineers one clear objective to focus on when harmonizing and optimizing the inner shoulders of the tires: superlative cornering safety.

Rubber blend: tire tread with different friction zones

The rubber blend used for the F 400 tires plays an equally important role, since the softer inner-tread zones enable even greater transmission of the forces – i.e. even better road adhesion – when cornering. These ‘high-friction compounds’ are not usually suitable for car tires as the soft rubber blend is more susceptible to wear than the conventional rubber compounds used. Therefore the new tire would not normally achieve the mileage of which today’s tires are capable.

The active camber control in the F 400 Carving makes up for this short-coming: thanks to this innovative technology, the softer insides of the tires only come into contact with the tarmac when the car is cornering and so do not wear as quickly. In contrast, the rubber compound the experts developed for the outside of the tire is much harder, having been optimized with regard to longevity, straight-line stability and road roar.

In other words, thanks to its asymmetrical contour and special rubber blend, the newly developed tire provides the answer to a previously unresolved conflict of aims: maximum cornering safety and superlative driving dynamics on the one hand; high mileage and superb straight-line stability on the other. For the first time, therefore, two different concepts come to fruition in a single tire, thanks to active camber control.

Tire size: two diameters on one rim

Tires need a sufficiently large contact patch in order to provide a high level of lateral stability when cornering, however. And this presents a problem: the greater the wheel camber, the smaller is the active contact patch, at least as far as standard configurations are concerned. Recognizing this one disadvantage of the chassis technology used in the F 400 Carving, the DaimlerChrysler engineers developed a new type of wheel with two different diameters: 17 inches on the inside – the part of the wheel that is in contact with the road when cornering – and 19 inches on the outside. On the one hand, this ensures that the research car only runs on the non-curved section of the tire when driving straight ahead whilst, on the other hand, the smaller inner diameter provides the largest possible contact patch when the car is cornering.

In technically terms, the tire size is 255/35 R 19 tires on the outer shoul-der and 255/45 R 17 on the inner side.

Highly-promising research

Active computer-controlled camber adjustment and asymmetrical tires have brought the DaimlerChrysler engineers a major step closer to achieving one of their primary objectives: enhancing already exemplary levels of active safety and driving dynamics for the benefit of future models. But this is just the beginning of what promises to be an extremely fruitful research project: alongside greater lateral acceleration and exemplary cornering stability, this innovative technology provides a whole host of other on-road benefits:

If there is a risk of skidding, due to understeer or oversteer, the system briefly tilts one or more of the wheels by a precisely calculated amount, thus boosting the lateral forces and stabilizing the car. This means active camber control has the potential to enhance the effect of ESP®. Coupled with electronically controlled steering, which allows automatic steering correction, this can greatly reduce the risk of skidding.

In the event of emergency braking, all four wheels on the research car tilt at lightning speed, leaving only the insides of the tires – with friction-optimized rubber-compound tread – in contact with the road. This reduces the stopping distance from 100 km/h by a good five meters.

If there is a risk of aquaplaning, the system is capable of optimizing the tire contact patch by an appropriate amount. A wheel camber of just five degrees is enough to achieve the desired effect: a substantial reduction in the risk of aquaplaning. A new breed of sensor system, currently under development at DaimlerChrysler, detects the water layer on the road surface and sends the measured values to the ECU at the heart of the active camber control, enabling the system to automatically adjust the tilt of the wheels to suit the road conditions.

Asymmetrical tires would also prove beneficial in winter as the special rubber blend and tread pattern combine to provide extremely high traction as well as short stopping distances and superlative directional stability. To ensure safe driving on snow or ice, the driver can tilt the wheels at the push of a button, thus enabling the car to run solely on the insides of the tires, for better road adhesion.
Tilting hub carriers with hydraulic cylinders

Active computer-controlled camber adjustment is possible thanks to two-piece hub carriers and a powerful hydraulic system. Each hub carrier consists of one tilting section and one rigid section: the wheel locating compo-nents of a double-wishbone suspension system are attached to the rigid inside sections whilst the wheel bearings and the brake caliper linkages are located on the tilting outside sections. During cornering, piston rods in dual hydraulic cylinders press against the tilting hub-carrier sections on the outer wheels, causing them to tilt outwards at the bottom. In this way, the wheel camber can be varied between 0 and 20 degrees, depending on the road situation.

The driven rear axle on the F 400 Carving is designed in much the same way as the front axle, the variable-length axle shafts being the only major difference.

At the heart of the hydraulic system is an axial piston pump with a working pressure of up to 200 bar. Servo valves on the wheels’ dual cylinders regulate the oil flow to control the degree of cylinder retraction and extension. If the driver adopts a dynamic driving style, rapid cylinder movement is required and in this case the pump receives assistance from a hydraulic pressure reservoir. A limp-home function is also provided: special shut-off valves interrupt the oil flow to the hydraulic cylinders and use the pressure available in the system to set the wheel camber angle to zero degrees.

Steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire

Active camber control, as featured in the F 400 Carving, represents a major step forward in chassis development for future car models. Even in its own right. But the Stuttgart-based engineers are taking things a step further, marrying this technology to a whole host of other, equally pioneering systems. The key to it all is drive-by-wire. The F 400 dispenses with mechanical connecting components such as the steering column, with all the shafts and joints that go with it, and the linkage between brake pedal and brake booster. In their place are wires which transmit the driver’s steering or braking inputs by purely electronic means.

Steering: The electronic steering wheel is equipped with two inductive angle sensors that pick up each movement of the steering wheel, convert the measured angle into an electrical pulse and transmit the signal to the research car’s microcomputers via data line. The computers evaluate these and other current sensor signals, using the data to specify setpoints for the front axle steering angle. In critical situations, the drive-by-wire system can also override the driver’s steering inputs, to keep the car safely on an even keel. Two electric motors, which are directly connected to the rack-and-pinion steering, move the wheels of the F 400 Carving. This is why the automotive researchers refer to an ‘electric rack’ – a new feature which they developed together with the steering experts from Mercedes-Benz Lenkungen GmbH. Each electric motor generates half of the steering torque. In the event of a malfunction, one of the motors alone can assume total responsibility for the steering functions. This is therefore a redundant system, designed to provide maximum functional reliability. Even the research car’s power supply is based on a dual-system concept: besides a standard (12-volt) on-board power supply, the F 400 Carving also has two 42-volt systems which are primarily used for the electronic steering.

Brakes: Brake-by-wire is already very much a reality at Mercedes-Benz. The Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) high-pressure brake works on the following principle. When the brake pedal is depressed, an electrical signal is produced which is forwarded to a microcomputer. A sophisticated sensor system ensures that the microcomputer receives a continuous feed of data about the car’s driving dynamics. The electronic system can therefore calculate and modulate the brake pressure for each wheel, according to the situation in hand. The end result is significantly enhanced braking safety when cornering.
Alongside Sensotronic Brake Control, the braking system in the F 400 Carving contains a further technical highlight that really sets it apart: the brake discs (330 millimeters in diameter) are made of carbon-fiber-reinforced ceramic, a high-tech material that is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures of between 1400 and 1600 degrees Celsius. It is also around a third lighter than cast iron.

Suspension and damping: next-generation ABC

The new active hydropneumatic (AHP) suspension system also sees the research engineers entering uncharted territory: the F 400 Carving is being used to test this possible alternative to future generations of the active suspension system which is currently fitted as standard in the Mercedes S-Class, CL-Class and SL-Class models.

In contrast to the today’s Active Body Control (ABC) system, in which active control of the forces between the vehicle body and the wheel is performed by adjusting the spring action, the active hydropneumatic system influences both the suspension and the damping, adapting them at lightning speed to the situation in hand. The benefits of this system include an even higher level of active safety and enhanced ride comfort.

Engine and transmission: Mercedes technology with new detail solutions

Beneath the engine hood of the F 400 Carving is a state-of-the-art 3.2-liter V6 powerplant, a tried-and-tested unit installed in several other Mercedes model series. This six-cylinder engine differs from the standard production version in just one respect: the research engineers have equipped it with a dry sump lubrication system which ensures a constant supply of oil to the powerplant, even when lateral acceleration is extremely high.

The sequential gearbox in the research car is also a standard Mercedes-Benz production model. Only the SEQUENTRONIC controls are different: in the F 400 Carving, the driver changes gear in racing-car style – with selector buttons on the steering wheel.

Xenon light from fiber optics

Equally new is the headlamp system of the F 400 Carving. For the first time, DaimlerChrysler is using state-of-the-art fiber-optic technology to transmit the light produced by the xenon lamps. These optical-fiber bundles, made up of thousands of individual glass-fiber strands, enable physical separation of the light source and the headlamps – an advantage that primarily benefits the sports car’s front-end design, since the headlamps only take up a very small amount of space. This therefore allows an extremely flat and low-slung front.

The light for main and dipped beam is generated in two cylindrical casings beneath the engine hood. Each contains a xenon lamp, and the light given off by these lamps is concentrated by elliptic reflectors. The reflector focal points reflect the light into the fiber-optic lines which, in turn, ensure loss-free transmission of the light to the headlamps. Special lens systems in the headlamps diffuse the light to illuminate the road. In addition, the F 400 Carving has two side-mounted lights for cornering. These fixed-position halogen lamps come on when a certain steering angle is reached. They can also be activated by a button, for use as fog lamps.

A space-saving design is also the hallmark of the indicators: powerful LEDs generate the light which is then dispersed by means of prism lenses.

Vehicle body: lightweight carbon fiber

The open-top two-seater’s body is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Already tried and tested in the world of Formula One motor racing, its chief properties are minimum weight and maximum strength. It weighs in at about 60 percent less than steel, making the body of the research car 100 kilograms lighter. The DaimlerChrysler engineers use an intelligent three-material mix for the F 400 Carving chassis: steel, aluminum and carbon fiber (CFRP).

Mercedes-Benz will in future also market its SLR McLaren super sports car in the form of a roadster with a top. In common with Formula 1 vehicles of today, it, too, will be made of carbon fibre, a material that will endow the vehicle with a very high degree of safety as well as extreme torsional stiffness at the same high level as the coupé version. This gives rise, in combination with the racing-type chassis, to outstanding ride characteristics.

The maximum speed of the new high-performance sports car, which is powered by an AMG V8 compressor engine delivering 460 kW/626 hp, is 332 km/h, therefore at the same high level as the coupé. Although, thanks to its fully retractable top, the Roadster offers undiluted open-air driving pleasure in the highest performance class, its occupants in no way lose out in terms of comfort or the vehicle’s suitability for everyday use. Consequently, the new Roadster opens up a new dimension in refinement for open-top super sports cars.

Like the coupé version, the new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster once again unites the legend of the successful SLR racing models from the 1950s with the innovative technology of modern Formula 1 vehicles from the Vodafone-McLaren-Mercedes team. Typical stylistic elements, such as the arrow-shaped tip of the Formula 1 Silver Arrow, establish a visual link with the racing cars. The SLR leg-end of the 50s lives on stylistically in the distinctive lateral louvers, side pipes behind the front wheels and the wide-opening gullwing doors.

The new Roadster benefits technically from the many years of experience of Mercedes-Benz and its Formula 1 partner McLaren. Apart from two aluminium engine frames, its body is made entirely of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials, making the vehicle an exception among high-performance sports cars. Especially for the Roadster, complex carbon-fibre technology has been intelligently further developed for the monocoque chassis. The result is low weight, exemplary energy absorption and, therefore, extremely high occupant safety as well as a degree of torsional stiffness hitherto unattained in open-top vehicles. This leads to outstanding ride characteristics of the kind otherwise found only in closed-top super sports cars.

The puristic top is suitable for high speeds.

The exceptional qualities of the Roadster are attributable also to the fully retractable top, which blends harmoniously into the flowing lines of the SLR McLaren. Its newly developed roof material, which is available in three different colours, not only guarantees complete suitability for everyday use in all weathers, but also endows the high-performance sports car with characteristics that are exception-ally unusual in a roadster. For example, at 332 km/h, the maximum speed is at the high level of the coupé version. Conversation is still possible at well over 200 km/h on open-air journeys thanks to the favourable aeroacoustics.

The chart says 0-to-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and 0-to-124 mph in 10.9 seconds (about the time it takes to raise or lower the semi-electronic top); it doesn’t mention the basso profundo of the sidepipes or the supercharger’s shrill shrieks, aural gratification that never lets up until, in the right conditions, the Roadster reaches 206 mph. Because of a slick autobahn, we saw “only” 170 mph but reconfirmed the SLR’s high-speed stability and comfort, which was hardly diminished even when the top was stowed. At U.S cruising speeds, the open cabin was quiet enough to enjoy the Bose stereo.

The roof opens and closes semi-automatically in less than ten seconds, thereby combining the desire for convenience with the puristic character of the roadster. To open, the roof merely needs to be unlocked from the windscreen frame and be briefly raised, after which it folds away electrically. Since an aluminium cover is integrated into its front section, the roof elegantly closes off the top when re-tracted.

Sophisticated aerodynamics and racing-type chassis.

In the wind tunnel, the Roadster has been optimised for high speeds with regard to handling, aeroacoustics and aerodynamics. It likewise employs the aerodynamic concept already known from the coupé version, featuring an airbrake integrated into the access lid and a diffusor in the rear bumper to provide increased downforce on the rear axle.

The open two-seater is equipped with a racing-type chassis featuring high-performance carbon-ceramic brake discs, thereby setting extremely high stan-dards. Its front-mid-engine provides for optimum weight distribution. With 460 kW/626 hp and a maximum torque of 780 Nm, the AMG V8 compressor engine, which is coupled to an AMG Speedshift R five-speed automatic transmission, accelerates the Roadster from zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.

Unique safety and exclusive fittings.

A high degree of safety is ensured by unique carbon-fibre crash elements, steel-reinforced A-pillars and two fixed roll-over bars. The comprehensive specification also features adaptive airbags, knee and side airbags as well as seat belt tensioners and a tyre-pressure monitoring system.

The exclusive standard equipment includes semi-aniline-leather-upholstered carbon-fibre bucket seats which can be individually adapted to the driver and front passenger by means of differently sized seat pads; dual-zone automatic air-conditioning; a high-quality BOSE premium sound system; a multifunction sport steering wheel with gear-change paddles, and a navigation system with integral radio and CD player.

—-  Specifications  —-

Price     –
Production –
Engine     5.5 liter V8
Weight     –
Aspiration     supercharger
Torque     575 lb-ft
HP 626 hp
HP/Weight –
HP/Liter 113.8 hp per liter
1/4 mile –
0-62 mph 3.8 seconds
Top Speed 206 mph

It’s the fourth lap and I’m beginning to get the hang of getting the most out of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.
Nudge the brakes to settle the rear of the car, flick the steering wheel into the corner entry while grabbing 2nd gear with the shift paddles, then turn sharply but not so aggressively as to accelerate the weight transfer, and finally allow the inside tires to mount the painted curb at the apex as we nail the throttle hard.

That’s a fair point, but we’ll counter by simply pointing out that no previous C-class AMG, extra two cylinders or no, has had the dance moves to keep up with an M3 when the twisties get their twistiest. Until, perhaps, now.

This is the first AMG product to be designed from its computer-conception for extreme performance. Its predecessors (like most AMG models) are essentially tuner specials, with bolted-on performance. This time, practically everything forward of the firewall (except for the two energy-absorbing frame-rail stubs) is unique to AMG. The front track is 1.4-inches wider, standard 18-inch wheels permit larger knuckles, and a new engine cradle accommodates longer diagonal links that completely change the geometry. A lower roll center, for example, helps the car corner flatter while preserving ride quality with an anti-roll bar that’s only 0.04-inch thicker. New ball bearings offer twice the rigidity of the stock front-axle bearings. Camber increases from 0.5 to 1.4 degrees and caster is reduced by 15 degrees. The steering ratio tightens from 14.5:1 to 13.5:1, and there are new bearings atop the struts. The effect of all this front-end work is vastly improved steering feel and agility with reduced understeer.

The 6.2-liter V-8 weighs about 70 pounds more than the E350’s V-6, and it’s about four inches longer, but by moving it two inches closer to the firewall, weight distribution remains at a respectable 54/46 front/rear. An all-new front end stretches the nose 3.4 inches. Power output is dialed back to 450 horses and 443 pound-feet-enough to vanquish the M3 without crowding AMG’s pricier 63 models. Coaxing the CLK63 Black’s 500 horses and 473 pound-feet out of this setup will be child’s play for the aftermarket, if AMG doesn’t offer power-spiffs of its own. A Performance Package will include a mechanical limited-slip differential (offering 30 percent lockup under power, 10 percent or less on overrun), and compound steel brake rotors with aluminum centers (for vastly improved fade resistance and slightly lower weight). Springs and dampers are stiffened by 10 and 15 percent respectively, and the speed governor is raised to 174 mph. Europe’s optional 19-inch wheels and tires won’t be offered, as they can’t survive urban-America’s potholes.

One chink in the C63’s armor: there’s (still) no manual transmission. But the paddle-shifted 7G Tronic automatic runs with the converter locked except when the car stops, it bangs off shifts as crisply and quickly as the best SMG/DSG/F1 boxes, and its sport-automatic shift programming is incredibly astute. Rev-matched, throttle-blipped downshifts happen exactly when you want them, up-shifts never happen when you don’t. Manual-mode shifts are slightly quicker, and you can happily bounce along on the 7300-rpm redline if you so choose. The Black Series’s 2.82:1 rear axle is fitted, but without the auxiliary oil cooler-that car is intended for extensive track use, this one isn’t. Diff-oil temperature is monitored, and the car will preserve itself with a limp-mode in the event of an extended summer track-day workout.

C-class buyers are AMG’s youngest, and-especially in SoCal-they’re more interested in making a statement than in keeping a low profile, so the C63 gets extroverted DTM-racer styling cues, like huge front-wheel arches wrapping the 235/40R18 PZeros, air extractors, hood bulges, and aggressive fascias. An edict to preserve all the stamped and welded steel parts leaves the rear-wheel arches looking a bit mismatched with the fronts, and little appliqus are required on the back sides of each wheel arch to fully envelop the jumbo 255/35R18s. Inside, there’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel (covered in alcantara suede, on Perf-Pack cars), sport bucket seats with integral head restraints, and AMG gauges with a race-lap timing function in the body computer. It looks mean. It is mean.

An extended photo session put me way behind schedule, with about 50 miles of Maritime-Alpine switch-backs and corniches to negotiate in under an hour. Not a problem. The C63’s big-motor-in-small-car formula approximates rocket-propelled acceleration, but the throttle is never jumpy, making it easy to exit corners smoothly. The stability-control system’s “sport” mode allows reasonable drift angles (it was programmed so as to allow the car to circulate the Nurburgring Nordschleife just as fast in the ESP-Sport mode as with the system switched off). With ESP switched off, the rear-axle brakes still work to keep the wheels spinning at the same speed, and full ESP functionality returns if the driver brakes hard in the middle of a corner. Where this engine will trump the forthcoming M3’s V-8 is not with its 30-plus extra horsepower, but with its titanic 148-pound-foot torque advantage. Musclecar love means never having to wring a car’s 8300-rpm neck to pass an RV.

Ah, but Euro-sport sedan love means dancing through esses with the chassis sharing its most intimate secrets via the steering wheel. It’s here that AMG takes the most startling swipe at the M3. Turn-in is quick, effort builds naturally with cornering intensity, and the chassis responds in ways that would make a blindfolded Bimmerphile surprised to find a three-pointed star on the airbag cover. There’s less of the rim twitching and wiggling that describes road-surface friction in the best Porsches and BMWs, but this may be the best-steering Mercedes extant. The standard six-piston front, four-piston rear, all-steel vented and drilled brakes demonstrated deep reserves of power, and they apply as smoothly as the throttle.

On day two of my drive in one of two AMG development mules, the car was refitted with the Performance Package and race-compound brake pads for hot-lapping at Circuit Paul Ricard. The track’s abundant runoff made it an ideal place to test the ESP-off mode, in which the car breaks traction with ample warning and is easy to control. A ride with DTM champ Bernd Schneider at the helm, making liberal use of the FIA curbing demonstrated that the extra-firm (pothole-patrons beware) suspension makes for exceptional body-motion control. It was amazing to watch him sawing at the wheel and applying stabs of throttle and brake to achieve his desired line as friction levels varied around the track. There’s clearly no lash in the driveline or steering system. Perhaps the most intoxicating aspect of car is its engine note-pure NASCAR stocker outside (it’s impossible to believe this car passes the 75-dBA Euro noise regs), just enough mechanical music inside.

And get this: the base C63 AMG will cost about $63K-that’s at or below the anticipated M3 price. Yes, the BMW coupe may be more svelte, its many-tranny more involving, but when you gotta get somewhere mach schnell, and there’s pokey tourist traffic to pass along your twisty route, this is the steed for the job. And, Scout’s honor, this ain’t the Chateau Lafite talking.

2008 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG

Base price;    $63,000 (est)
Vehicle layout;     Front engine, RWD 5-pass, 4-door, sedan
Engine;     6.2L/451-hp/443-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8
Transmission;     7-speed automatic
Curb weight;     3800 lb (mfr)
Wheelbase;     108.9 in
Length x width x height;     186.0 x 70.7 x 56.6 in
0-62 mph;     4.5 sec (mfr est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ;     13/20 mpg (est)
CO2 emissions;     1.26 lb/mile (est)
On sale in U.S.;     April 2008

Mercedes-Benz touched up the G500, a former military vehicle, by improving the seat cushioning and providing leather door-handle grips for 2007. A new standard seven-speed transmission and DVD navigation feature were also added.

Exclusive chrome trim and “V8 Kompressor” badging identify the G55 AMG, which has larger vented and slotted front brakes. Monoblock AMG 18-inch wheels are 9.5 inches wide. Interior features include “designo” charcoal Nappa leather upholstery, AMG gauges and natural maple wood trim.

Mercedes-Benz focuses largely on road-going manners with its M-Class model, but the G-Class is a hard-core offroad machine. Handcrafted in Graz, Austria, the G-Class competes against the Hummer H1 and Land Rover Range Rover.

New limited-production Grand Editions of both models debuted in summer 2005 and feature velour floormats and special interior choices.

Exterior
This distinctive SUV’s strictly utilitarian appearance is somewhat softened by body-colored bumpers and rocker panels and a stainless-steel spare-tire cover. At 185.6 inches long overall on a 112.2-inch wheelbase, the G-Class is 3 inches shorter than the 2006 M-Class, but it stands 6.3 inches taller.

Rigid front and rear axles and three locking differentials are installed. In extremely low-traction situations, a little grip on one front wheel should be enough to pull the G-Class through a trouble spot.

Interior
Leather upholstery is complemented by burl walnut or maple wood trim. For 2007, the front seat cushions have been improved and the door-handle grips are wrapped in leather. DVD navigation is also newly standard.

Standard equipment includes automatic climate control, power windows and locks, 10-way power front seats with three-position memory, a navigation system and Mercedes-Benz’s Tele Aid system, which offers emergency and theft-tracking services. The front and rear seats are heated. A Harman Kardon premium sound system includes a six-CD changer. Rear parking assistance is standard.

Under the Hood
The 5.0-liter V-8 in the G500 produces 292 horsepower and 336 pounds-feet of torque. An electronically controlled seven-speed automatic transmission sends the power to a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a Low range, which offers shift-on-the-fly operation at up to 15 mph. The G55 AMG’s supercharged 5.5-liter V-8 cranks out 469 hp and 516 pounds-feet of torque.

Safety
Antilock brakes have electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist for automatic full-power braking in panic stops. Mercedes-Benz’s Electronic Stability Program and side curtain airbags are standard.

Driving Impressions
Though it’s far smaller than the Hummer H1, the G500 delivers a comparably unique experience. This SUV conveys the impression of looming height — emphasized by its relatively short, narrow body.

Everything about the G500 seems bolt upright, including the seating positions. Even though the vehicle’s height is partly an illusion, there’s a tendency to keep its speed way down when rolling through curves and corners. This SUV’s operation is defiantly trucklike, and it emits a degree of sluggishness and plenty of sound while accelerating. Not only does the G500 look ready to tackle the most demanding terrain, but it also feels ready — which detracts from its prowess and pleasure on ordinary paved surfaces.

At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off their F700 concept featuring their DiesOtto engine. Like the engine recently demonstrated by General Motors, this one is a combination H

CCI/spark ignition design. However, Mercedes has decided to add turbo-charging to the mix to provide a a 1.8L four cylinder that yields performance in this large sedan that’s comparable to the 3.5L V-6 in the current S-Class with average fuel economy of 44.3 mpg. The carbon dioxide emissions of the F700 are only 127 g/km which would put it below the proposed EU limit of 130 g/km.

This new engine technology is wrapped in a full-sized luxury sedan that takes the look of the current S-Class to a whole new level. Short overhangs are combined with a low nose that appears to have no bumper. The body is supported on an electro-hydraulic active suspension system that uses front mounted lasers to scan the road surface and make adjustments proactively. The press release is after the jump.

Stuttgart – With its F 700 research car, Mercedes-Benz redefines the idea of effortless, superior refinement: this concept for a future luxurious touring sedan shows how outstanding riding quality can be combined with high levels of environmental friendliness, and good performance with exceptionally low fuel consumption. Thus, the 5.17 meter long F 700 with its innovative and very spacious interior design enables an entirely new and exceedingly comfortable mode of travel. The F 700 is the world’s first car that can anticipatively recognize the condition of the road and level out the uneven spots with its active PRE-SCAN suspension, further improving suspension comfort substantially. The forward-pointing DIESOTTO drive system introduced in the F 700, a four-cylinder with a displacement of only 1.8 liters, combines the strong points of the low-emission gasoline engine with the consumption benefits of the diesel drive. Its CO2 emissions of a mere 127 grams per kilometer correspond to consumption of only 5.3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (44.3 mpg), extremely low for a vehicle of this class.
This is made possible by a forward-looking drive concept, the heart of which is the “DIESOTTO” technology – an advancement of the internal combustion engine thought up by Mercedes-Benz. With its novel controlled auto ignition (CAI), direct fuel injection and turbocharging, it combines the high power of the spark-ignition engine with the exemplary torque and great fuel economy of a diesel. The drive system in the F 700, as four-cylinder featuring two-stage charging, attains the performance level of a current S-Class car with a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 gasoline engine or the 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel.

“Our goal is to make the gasoline-powered car just as economical in consumption as the diesel. The new DIESOTTO concept is a major step in that direction, combining the best properties of the spark-ignition engine and the diesel engine,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, Board member of DaimlerChrysler AG responsible for Group Research & Mercedes Car Group Development.

The F 700 also sets standards in regard to road roar, tire vibration and suspension comfort. With two laser scanners the active PRE-SCAN suspension scans the roadway in front of the car. The hydraulically controlled active suspension proactively compensates for detected hindrances, enabling entirely new comfort characteristics –a “flying carpet” feeling.

Equally innovative is the operating concept “SERVO-HMI”. The display is not only particularly gentle on the eyes; the number of controls also has been appreciably reduced and the menu structure has been made strikingly simple and self-explanatory. The driver can “discuss” more complex inputs, such as a destination for navigation purposes, in dialogue with an avatar, a virtual operating assistant.

The exterior design of the F 700 shows that with this concept an extraordinary amount of space has been created for the passengers. The very silhouette, characterized by the long wheelbase, is a clear indication of this. The design harmoniously joins together inspirations provided by nature with technical innovation. All the futuristic styling devices notwithstanding, the F 700 is perfectly compliant with the brand identity of Mercedes-Benz.

The interior concept interprets comfortable travel and well-being in a completely new way. With its REVERSE seat the F 700 breaks up the firmly established seat arrangement of conventional sedans and offers individual seating positions facing, or with one’s back to, the direction of travel, always affording maximum spaciousness and supreme comfort.

The F 700 provides inspiring ideas for the technological future of Mercedes-Benz once again – like each of the research cars which preceded it.

Part I: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, Ford GTX1, Lamborghini Gallardo (Spyder, Superleggera), Mercedes-AMG, McLaren Mercedes SLR, Pagani Zonda F

Part II: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, VW Golf MKV R32, Toyota Supra, Königsegg CCX, Aston Martin V12-Models, Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo, Nissan Skyline GTR, Porsche 911 (GT3 & Turbo), Ferrari 430, Ford GT & Mustang

Part III: Audi RS4 (V8, MTM), Porsche Carrera GT (& Gemballa Mirage GT), BMW-M (M5, M3 CSL, Hartge H1, Z4M), Nissan 350Z, some others…

Part IV: BMW E92 M3, Cargraphic 911 GT3 RS, Formula 1, Ferrari FXX / F430 Scuderia, some Porsches, a lot of American Muscle, Tubi Style Murcielago & F40/F50/355/360CS, some Imports

Part V: Toyota Supras, Nissan Skylines, Mazda RX7s, SpeedArt Porsches (911, Boxster, Cayenne), Vipers, Carlsson Mercedes (SLK, SL, E), Golf R32 Turbos, M3s, Heffner Gallardo TT, WAIT FOR THE END!!!

Part VI: Caparo T1, Formula 1, Ferrari FXX, Renault Hillclimb, Maserati Tropheo, more American Muscle, loud BMW M5, Nissan 350Z, HKS Skyline, AMS Evo, tuned Carrera GT, Heffner Ford GT, Lexus LF-A, Loaded M3 CSL, LP640, Aston Martin DBS, Ferrari 599, tuned Porsches

Part VII: Audi R8LM, Audi S1 Rally Car, Nissan Skyline, Kreissig 911GT3, Kreissig Lamborghini Countach, Porsche Carrera GT, Zonda, Viper Racingcar, Lamborghini Murcielago..

Part VIII: Several Ferraris, F1, a lot of Racing Cars, Corvette C6R/C5R, Saleen S7R, V8s, Mazda 787LM, McLaren F1, Edo Maserati MC12, BMW M3 GTR, Ascari A10, Cadillac CTS-V Driftcar, RX7, Evo, 350Z, Supra, Lamborghini Gallardo & Diablo GT..

A new version was introduced in 2006 called the “2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition”. The “722″ refers to the victory by Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722 (indicating a start time of 7:22 a.m.) at the Mille Miglia in 1955. The “722 Edition” creates 650 bhp, with a top speed of 337 km/h (3 more than the standard SLR). Countering the problems from the previous, a new suspension is used with 19-inch light-alloy wheels, a stiffer damper configuration and 0.4 inches lower body. The SLR is planned to end production in 2008, according to Mercedes-Benz.

The Mercedes McLaren SLR is inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR of 1955. This sports car racer was actually based on the W196 F1 car, yet named after the road-going Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. A notable feature of the SLR is its gullwing doors, a homage to the original 300 SLR.

The SLR has a supercharged 5.5 (5439 cc) liter dry sumped 90 degree V8. It produces 466.8 kW at 6500 rpm (626 hp) and 780 N·m (575 ft·lbf) torque at 3250 – 5000 rpm. AMG technicians took the original SL-55 AMG engine and optimized its capacities by enlarging the fuel pump, the cylinders, and put a larger cooling system that absorbs air to cool down the engine. It has 3 valves per cylinder with SOHC. This is very unusual as most super cars, indeed most modern cars, have DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder, but it keeps with the recent trend in modular V engines from Mercedes Benz and decreases engine emissions. The Twin-screw type supercharger and the 2 aluminum rotors have a maximum speed of 23,000 rpm. It is mounted between the two engine banks and uses 120 bhp at maximum capacity.

Unlike most of its contemporaries, its engine is front-mid mounted. McLaren took the original concept car designed by Mercedes and moved the engine fully 1metre behind the front bumper, and around 50 cm behind the front axle. They also optimized the design of the center firewall.

The brake discs are carbon-ceramic which provide better stopping power and fade resistance than steel discs. Mercedes-Benz claim these discs are fade resistant to 1000 °C. The front discs are internally vented and 370 mm in diameter. 8 piston calipers are used. Rear discs are 360 mm in diameter with 4 piston calipers. The result of these massive rotors is a maximum braking power of 1500 kW. When it is wet the calipers automatically skim the surface of the disks to keep them dry.

Specification: The 2008 SLR McLaren Roadster MSRP $497,750*

Engine AMG-built supercharged 5,439-cc 24-valve 90° V-8. Dry-sump lubrication.

Net power 617 hp @ 6,500 rpm
Net torque 575 lb-ft @ 3,250 – 5,000 rpm
Compression ratio 9.0:1
Fuel requirement
Premium unleaded gasoline, 91 pump octane.

Fuel and ignition system Two spark plugs per cylinder, phase-shifted; two coils per cylinder.

Intake system Belt-driven supercharger with sequential fuel injection and electronic throttle control.

Transmission AMG-enhanced driver-adaptive electronic 5-speed automatic. Driver-adaptive programming adjusts shift points to the driver’s current driving style. Touch Shift allows driver to manually down shift and allow up shifts by nudging the shift lever left or right from the Drive position. Shift into Optimum Gear programming allows one-touch selection of the best gear for maximum acceleration or engine braking by holding the shift lever to the left of Drive for one second. Driver-selectable Comfort mode starts vehicle moving in 2nd gear or 2nd Reverse gear, and up shifts at lower rpm to help improve control on slippery surfaces.

AMG Speed shift™ AMG SPEED SHIFT programming provides up to 35 percent faster gear changes, automatically down shifts during braking, prevents unwanted up shifting while cornering, offers one-touch selection of the best gear for maximum acceleration (Shift into Optimum Gear), and features torque converter lockup in all forward gears. Fingertip manual mode allows direct-access shifting through forward gears via the buttons on the back of the upper steering-wheel spokes (left button down shifts, right button up shifts) or via the Touch Shift feature of the shift lever, and will automatically intervene only to induce an up shift at recline, to down shift as needed upon full throttle, and to select 1st gear when the vehicle stops. Three stages of sportier driving are available in the manual mode: Sport, super sport, and Race. Each stage changes the response, reaction, and closing times of the automatic collision, shortening the shift processes. In Standard and Comfort modes, the steering-wheel buttons operate the Touch Shift feature.

Drive configuration Rear-wheel drive.

Rear axle ratio 3.06:1

Final drive ratio 3.06:1

1st gear ratio 3.59:1

2nd gear ratio 2.19:1

3rd gear ratio 1.41:1

4th gear ratio 1.00:1

5th gear ratio 0.85:1

Reverse gear ratio 3.17:1, R2 (comfort program): 1.93:1

The SLR also has a spoiler mounted on the rear which pops up when braking from high speeds. The spoiler greatly increases drag at high speeds. See for a picture of the spoiler down and up (in use). This additional braking power on the order of 0.25 g of deceleration helps the car to stop quicker than any other car of its category.

The SLR has been criticized for its braking performance. While all agree that the brakes are extremely powerful, some critics argue they are either “on or off”. Such critics include Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. In addition to this when the SLR is under braking extra fuel is pumped in to cool the engine. Since the exhausts are mounted in front of the driver’s position the smell of unburnt fuel is noticed in the cabin.

Clarkson commented that “The brakes glow when you use them, and catch fire when you use them a lot”. The brakes burn any debris on them and contrary to popular belief, the car itself does not catch on fire. This was proven during the 2006 Good wood Festival of Speed when during the Super car Run, Gary Paffett performed a huge burnout, only to have the brakes catching fire, though relatively small and could be seen around the rim as the car stood still.

The SLR comes with a five speed automatic transmission with three separate modes: Sport, Comfort and Manual. Sport used for everyday use, Comfort starts in second gear for bumpy or slippery roads. Manual allows the driver to shift gears with the touch pad or the simple levers on the steering wheel. When in Manual, three additional modes (Sport, Super sport, Race) on the second dial can be used, each significantly making quicker shift times. This is the same transmission as used in other performance models such as the SL65 AMG. The Mercedes-Benz seven speed automatic transmission as used on the SLK 55 AMG cannot handle power and torque output of the SLR; hence it is fitted with only a five speed transmission.

The gear ratios are as follows: 3.56:1, 2.19:1, 1.41:1, 1.00:1, 0.831:1.

Mercedes-Benz claims that the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds (0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds at 98 °F), 0-200 km/h in 10.6 seconds, and 300 km/h in 28.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 334 km/h (207 mph)[1] which makes it the fastest automatic, (although some consider the Bugatti Veyron to be the worlds fastest automatic car, it utilizes a dual clutch sequential manual transmission and not a true automatic). The car uses carbon fiber for its body construction which makes it lighter. The car is, however still quite heavy at 1768 kg due to the numerous luxury items included in it. It has never reached a higher speed than 210 mph.

Car and Driver got a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds at 125 mph. These are during a test session that took place in the late afternoon, when October temperatures were on the decline. C&D suggests the times may be even lower if temperatures were higher. Car and Driver got top gear acceleration 30-50 mph and 50-70 mph times of 1.7 and 2.4 seconds, which are the fastest ever recorded by the magazine in a production car. The SLR also pulled 0.97 g on the skid pad.

The German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, in 2004, tested the SLR at the Nardo test track in southern Italy. They reported that the SLR accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, 200 km/h in 10.7 seconds, and 300 km/h in 30.6 seconds. The car’s 400-meter time and 1 km time were found to be 11.5 seconds at 207 km/h, and 20.5 seconds at 269 km/h, respectively.

The model uses the Mercedes-Benz W219 designation. Based on the E-Class the CLS is six inches (152 mm) longer than the E-Class and was designed to slot between the E-Class and the S-Class, and compete against the BMW 6-series, Cadillac STS and Lexus GS, along with other fastback sedans.

The CLS also marked Mercedes-Benz’s return to the executive-size coupe market since the (W124) E-Class Coupe model went of production in 1995 – the (W210) E-Class not spawning a coupe variant, Mercedes-Benz choosing instead to introduce a new mid-size coupe, the CLK-Class, to compete against the BMW 3-Series coupe. However, the CLK-Class did feature styling cues from the (W210) E-Class to give the impression that the (W124) E-Class Coupe was directly replaced, though this clearly was not the case.

Marketed as a ‘four door coupe,’ the CLS recalls the fastback sedan designs of Robert Opron in the 1970s. According to a Mercedes-Benz press release, the CLS-class was produced to combine the “strong, emotive charisma” of a coupe with the “comfort and practicality” of a sedan. Due to the popularity of the CLS-Class, other manufacturers are offering similar designs. Audi plans to release a 4-door coupé called the A7, Porsche will have the Panamera, Aston Martin is showing off its Rapide, Peugeot is reportedly designing the upcoming 608 as a 4-door coupe and the upcoming Jaguar XF is confirmed to be a 4-door coupe similar to the CLS.

During its development, Mercedes-Benz executives nicknamed the CLS the “Jag fighter,” hoping that it would be the type of vehicle that Jaguar customers would be attracted to. Jaguar, however, has not launched a four-door coupe to compete with the CLS.

The CLS-class was first displayed as the Vision CLS concept at the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The production version CLS 500 made its debut at the 2004 New York International Auto Show. A new AMG model was introduced at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the CLS 55 AMG. Only 3,000 CLS 55 AMG cars will be built each year.

The CLS was first offered for sale in the United States in January 2005; only the CLS 500 and CLS 55 AMG are sold in the United States. The CLS 500 has a base price of US$65,620, with the CLS 55 starting at US$87,320.

CLS63 starts at $92,500 for a “base” model, and is offered with steering wheel mounted paddles (F-1 style), and huge 19″ wheels for the US market.

The CLS 350 and CLS 500 have a 7-speed automatic transmission. The CLS 55 features Mercedes renowned five speed automatic gearbox that can be shifted manually or automatically.

A diesel version, CLS 320 CDI, is available for the European market with a 3 liter V6 producing 224hp (167kw) and 510 N.m (376 lbf) of torque. For Model Year 2007 (MY2007), the engine found in the CLS320 CDI is updated to produce 540N.m, although Peak power remains unchanged

IVM Automotive, a subsidiary of German roof system specialist Edscha, developed the entire vehicle from the Vision concept to the production version. More than 150 IVM engineers were involved, making the CLS the largest vehicle development project in the company’s history.

Mercedes-Benz has planned a yearly production of 30,000 units worldwide, of which about 10,000 will be allocated to the U.S. market.

For the model year 2007, Mercedes-Benz has replaced the CLS 55 AMG with the CLS 63 AMG. The CLS 63 uses the newly developed AMG M156 naturally aspirated V8 engine capable of 514hp (378kw) and 630 N·m (464 ft·lbf) of torque. This resultsi in a 0-60mph time of 4.3 and 4.1 seconds for the CLS55 and CLS63 respectively.[citation needed]

The CLS 55 AMG was featured in the 2006 video game release Test Drive Unlimited for the Xbox 360.

Mercedes-Benz has put all of its latest safety features into the CLS-class. In addition to front airbags, there are side-impact airbags in the front seats and side curtain airbags throughout. The car features a “smart” sensor system for the seatbelts and airbags that can detect and react to accident severity. An optional Pre-Safe system predicts an impending collision; when the system is activated, the seatbelts tighten, the front passenger seat adjusts to crash positioning, and the sunroof closes automatically. Mercedes-Benz engineers describe the feature as a human-like reflex system.

The air suspension has three settings. The default setting, “Comfort,” is ideal under normal driving conditions, stiffening as the car’s speed increases. “Sport 1″ and “Sport 2″ settings give the car more agility on winding and bumpy roads. The car can also be raised three inches, if needed.

The CLS-class comes with a choice of four interior colors, three types of leather and two kinds of wood. Leather interior comes standard, with Nappa leather upholstery available on designo models. Burl walnut and dark laurel wood interior trim are available in either a high-gloss or silk matte finish. Leather colors include Black, Basalt Gray, Sunset Red and Cashmere. New scratch-resistant exterior paint is three times as durable as past exterior finishes.

There are 33 inches (838 mm) of rear legroom, which is not quite as accommodating as the 35.6 inches (904 mm) available in the E-Class. Elbow room is generous at 57 inches (1448 mm). The trunk can hold 16 cubic feet (453 L) of cargo.

The following features are standard in all models: heated auto-dimming mirrors, outside temperature gauge, rain-sensing wipers and projector-beam headlights. Also standard is a Thermatic automatic climate control system; this system assesses and adjusts interior temperature and humidity levels and filters the air in the cabin. There are dual controls in both the front and rear seats.

Other available features include: self-cleaning bi-xenon HID headlamps (cornering function not active on AMG models), distronic laser-guided cruise control, power sunroof, keyless go, drive authorization system and Parktronic parking sensors. Available electronics include: COMAND control system, GPS navigation and surround sound audio.

The CLS 55 AMG and CLS 63 AMG are modified versions of the CLS produced by Mercedes-AMG. Features exclusive to AMG models include: perforated sport seats, 18 inch (457 mm) light-alloy wheels with wider tires (for the UK), 19 inch five spoke light-alloy wheels (optional for all markets), large air inlets and quad chromed oval exhaust pipes.

The main attraction in the F 400 Carving is a new system that varies the camber angle on the outer wheels between 0 and 20 degrees, depending on the road situation. Used in conjunction with newly-developed tyres, it provides 30 percent more lateral stability than a conventional system with a fixed camber setting and standard tyres. This considerably enhances active safety, since better lateral stability equals improved road adhesion and greater cornering stability.

Active camber control boosts the research vehicle’s maximum lateral acceleration to 1.28 g, meaning that the concept study outperforms current sports cars by some 28 percent.

The active camber control in the F 400 Carving paves the way for an equally new asymmetrical-tread tyre concept. When the two-seater car is cornering, the outer wheels tilt inwards, leaving only the inner area of these tyres in contact with the road. This area of the tread is slightly rounded off. Meanwhile both the tread pattern and the rubber blend have been specially selected to ensure highly dynamic and extremely safe cornering. When driving straight ahead, however, it is the outer areas of the tyres that are in contact with the road. These areas have a tried-and-tested car tread pattern, offering excellent high-speed and low-noise performance. Two different concepts therefore come to fruition in a single tyre, thanks to active camber control.

The research vehicle’s ‘Carving’ epithet symbolises the new technology, evoking images of the high-speed winter sport in which adepts perform sharp turns on a specially-shaped high-grip ski. Less risk of skidding and shorter emergency stopping distance.

DaimlerChrysler is exhibiting a special concept study at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show: the F 400 Carving is a research vehicle packed with dynamic systems designed to give the cars of tomorrow and beyond substantially enhanced active safety, dynamic handling control and driving pleasure.

The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They will be using it to investigate the undoubted further potential of this new chassis technology: besides of-fering excellent directional stability during cornering, the new technology ensures a much higher level of active safety in the event of an emergency. By way of example, if there is a risk of skidding, the wheel camber is in-creased by an appropriate degree. The resultant gain in lateral stability significantly enhances the effect of ESP®, the Electronic Stability Program. If the research car needs to be braked in an emergency, all four of its wheels can be tilted in next to no time, thus shortening the stopping dis-tance from 100 km/h by a good five metres.

In addition to active camber control, the F 400 Carving research car is fitted with other forward-looking steering and chassis systems, including a steer-by-wire system. Sensors pick up the driver’s steering inputs and send this information to two microcomputers which, in turn, control an electrically driven steering gear. The DaimlerChrysler engineers also charted new territory when it came to the suspension tuning, and introduced a first: an active hydropneumatic system that optimises the suspension and shock absorption in line with the changing situation on the road, all at lightning speed.

The F 400 Carving is also the showcase for a totally new form of lighting technology developed by the Stuttgart-based researchers: fibre-optic lines are used to transmit light from xenon lamps beneath the bonnet to the main headlamps. This technology stands out by virtue of its high perform-ance and extremely space-saving design. Additional headlamps positioned on the sides also come on when the car is cornering.

The F 400 Carving is an exciting and harmonious blend of technology and design. The shape of the sports car – notably its distinctive wing profiles – provides the necessary room for the wheels to move when the active camber control is at work during cornering and, at the same time, emphasises the youthful and highly-adventurous nature of this concept study. In order to reflect the research car’s high-quality driving dynamics, the de-signers opted for a speedster concept – incorporating an extended bonnet, a windscreen with an extremely sharp rake, a short tail end and an interior tailor-made for two.

The F 400 Carving design team focused on two objectives: lending shape to leading-edge technologies and giving innovations real design appeal.
A great deal of imagination was required in order to harmonize the technology and the design. To put it another way: it was a design job like no other. The F 400 designers found the unique chassis technology a tough nut to crack. They had to come up with a concept that allowed the wheels enough room to move during cornering with active camber control on the one hand, whilst ensuring that the car also cut a good figure with the wheels in the normal position on the other.

Taking these criteria as the starting point, a multinational competition was launched about two years ago, inviting young designers from the Mercedes studios in Germany, Japan and the USA to come up with ideas. A flood of exciting suggestions came in, ranging from utopian supercars to comical fun-cruisers and from four-seater cabriolets to pure driving machines with one-man cockpits.

This particular stage of development became known as the ‘emotional phase’ and proved vital in determining the scope of the F 400 Carving project’s design potential and in properly channeling the design process. Indeed it was an absolute necessity since there can be no doubt that, besides requiring technical know-how, designing such a vehicle is all about emotions: a passion for automobiles, a fascination with technology and an enthusiasm for dynamic and enthralling motoring.

And what vehicle concept could better and more aptly symbolize these aspects than an open-top sports car? A completely open-top sports car – a speedster with an elongated, extremely flat and low-slung engine hood, a short tail end, an interior tailor-made for two. Plus a whole host of stylish features that immediately stir the emotions and reinforce the car’s message: the wide, low-slung air intake in the front section, the sharp rake of the windshield, the lateral exhaust pipes and the distinctive roll-over bar behind the seats.

Whichever way one looks at it, from whatever angle, the speedster’s body is like that of a perfectly proportioned and superbly conditioned athlete. The profile is structured by wing-like sections that powerfully span the wheels, harmoniously drawing them into the overall body concept, yet without restricting their freedom of movement. Smaller wing sections fore and aft of the wheels reinforce this effect, making the wheels the dominant focus of attention when the car is viewed from the side.

The design team also adeptly used the distinctive wing sections to give the F 400 Carving a characteristic face, making the headlamps an integral part of the wings and using the light covers to form two ‘eyes’, decisively enhancing the sports car’s enticing allure. This stylistic detail is possible thanks to lighting systems incorporating state-of-the-art fiber-optic technology, since conventional headlamps are simply too large to be incorporated in the limited space available in the wing sections.

And, of course, the two-seater’s face would not be complete without the three-pointed star, centrally positioned in time-honored Mercedes sports car tradition. It forms the focal point of a further important design feature that stretches centrally across the engine hood, evoking images of the unmistakable arrow-shaped nose of the McLaren-Mercedes team’s Silver Arrows. This particular detail is well on the way to becoming a classic Mercedes-Benz sports feature, having already graced the Vision SLR and Vision SLA sports car studies.

Arguably the most striking feature of all, because they are so steeped in tradition, the gullwing doors have come to symbolize the Mercedes-Benz brand. It is now exactly 50 years since the first Mercedes-Benz Gullwing created a sensation, marking the beginning of the SL legend. The F 400 designers took this feature and reinterpreted it in the spirit of contemporary design and technology, proving that the idea is just as stylish and exhilarating now as it was all those years ago. The research car’s gullwing doors are not attached to the roof as they were on the original 300 SL. Instead, they swing upward 60 degrees thanks to special joints, supported by gas springs.

The muscular contour of the door leads into a sweeping, powerfully shaped profile which forms a prominent line stretching back as far as the speedster’s tail end, where it acts as a fender for the rear wheels. The tail part of this section houses the rear lights, in the same way as its counterpart at the front incorporates the headlamps. The slender prism lenses enable the indicators, tail lights and brake lamps to effortlessly blend in with the overall design concept and, furthermore, cast an extremely impressive light on things.

A look inside the cockpit reveals another major design theme of the F 400 Carving: technology in its purest form. Technology that focuses on the essentials, on what motoring was originally all about and, therefore, on everything absolutely central to this idea. Nothing more, nothing less.

Admittedly, this initially smacks of purism, a totally stripped-down driving machine. But a closer look quickly reveals all: the perfect finish, the very best materials and a passion for detail. The designers at the Mercedes studios – in Como, northern Italy and Sindelfingen, southern Germany – devoted themselves to the task in hand, giving the interior a characteristic appearance that draws on classic aspects of bodystyling and design. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the ‘wing’ theme, the instrument panel being a perfect case in point: there is no firm visual link between the panel and the center tunnel. It seems to be ‘floating’ in space like some majestic wing and thus appears extremely light and almost delicate.

The idea of technology in its purest form is most clearly exemplified by the transmission tunnel, which has the shape, color and texture of a cast-aluminum transmission bell. As such it echoes the racing car cockpits of the twenties and thirties, an era when drivers had to make do with bare metal and little else. The simple sliding controls for the blower and the heater, the metallic lever for the SEQUENTRONIC transmission and the oval ventilation outlet above the transmission tunnel all reinforce these images of bygone days, yet behind each of these classic styling features lies state-of-the-art technology.

Passengers in the F 400 Carving are awaited by carbon seats in which they immediately feel at one with this evocative car and its technology: man and machine in absolutely perfect harmony. The seats provide superlative lateral support and can be individually adjusted, despite their one-piece design. The multi-layered fiber texture means it is possible to vary the backrest inclination without the need for joints or hinges – a small lever mechanism is all that is required. Together with spring and damper systems beneath the seat, the multi-piece upholstery ensures effective vibrational damping for good seating comfort.

Choosing the interior cover fabrics for the F 400 Carving presented the designers with a particularly stiff challenge: the two-seater is a pure open-top, and so it was essential that the interior be quite literally windproof and weatherproof. Starting out with breathing yet hardwearing sportswear fabrics, the experts developed an exclusive range of cover materials for the research vehicle. Thanks to a special plastic coating, the materials are water-repellent and thus extremely suitable for this project. Furthermore, the upholstered sections of the seat are designed to be easily removable, so that the owner can leave them in the garage if they need to dry.

In conclusion, the F 400 Carving is an ‘active experience’ car that masters extreme situations supremely and safely. This is highlighted not only by the new chassis technology, but also by stylish interior features and by the two-seater’s overall styling concept. Technology and design are uniquely and inextricably linked. New functions are not just supremely fulfilled, they are also made an integral part of the overall design and the emotive concept.

The latest research car gives us an insight into the future: the F 400 Carving follows in the tracks of other vehicle studies such as the F 200 Imagination and F 300 Life-Jet, which showcased new steering and chassis concepts in 1996 and 1997 respectively: ‘drive-by-wire’ and ‘active roll control’ were just two of the concepts central to these automotive research projects. The research engineers and scientists at DaimlerChrysler have perfected these ideas in the F 400 Carving and are proud to unveil an entirely new system which further enhances active safety and dynamic handling and gives an even more exhilarating driving experience.

The ‘Carving’ epithet already hints at the capabilities of the chassis technology in this research vehicle. Each time the car enters a corner or bend, two of its wheels tilt inwards, riding on a tire tread that has been specially optimized for cornering and has a high friction coefficient for optimum directional stability and road adhesion. The dynamics are reminiscent of the movements performed by alpine skiers using carving skis.

The computer-controlled system in the F 400 Carving varies the camber angle on the outer wheels by between 0 and 20 degrees when the car is cornering. The inner wheels and the vehicle body remain in their normal positions.

‘Active camber control’ is the culmination of a research project spanning several years. It all began with computer simulations and bench tests. But now the time has come for research out on the road.

The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They aim to use the open-top two-seater to further research the potential of novel chassis systems and to open up new avenues in chassis technology for the passenger cars of the future. Initial test drives and measurements have delivered extremely encouraging results.

Compared to a modern car chassis, the active camber control in the F 400 Carving enables up to 30 percent more lateral stability and 15 percent more longitudinal forces. The numbers back up these claims: whilst the maximum lateral force on the wheel is usually about 6200 Newtons when the camber is zero degrees, this figure rises to 6900 Newtons when there is a negative camber of 10 degrees and as high as 7800 Newtons when the negative camber is 20 degrees.

Thanks to the high level of lateral stability on the outer wheels during cornering, lateral acceleration in the F 400 Carving is up to 28 percent higher than in sports cars that rely on conventional chassis technology. When the outer wheels of the F 400 Carving are tilted inwards by 20 degrees during cornering, the two-seater achieves a maximum lateral acceleration of 1.28 g.

This impressive figure is not just an indication of high cornering dynamics and sporting agility, it also signals a substantial improvement in active safety, particularly in emergency situations such as cornering at (excessive) speed or sudden obstacle-avoidance maneuvers. The research car remains more directionally stable than a car equipped with conventional chassis technology. What’s more, it does so for longer and at a higher speed.

The tires are a major contributing factor to these results: active camber control enables a totally new concept that, for the first time and without compromise, combines the benefits of a passenger car tire with those of a motorcycle tire. Asymmetry is the principle behind this new tire technology, jointly developed by engineers from DaimlerChrysler and Pirelli: the tread pattern, tread blend and contour are all asymmetrical.

The most remarkable feature on the inside of the tire is the rounded-off tread which ensures superlative handling when cornering. The outer shoulder of the tire has a tried-and-tested car tread pattern, offering excellent straight-line stability and low road noise. For the first time, the experts have succeeded in harnessing the benefits of an established physical theory, according to which, at large camber angles, a tire with a curved tread can transmit greater lateral forces than conventional tires. The asymmetrical tread is made possible by the fact that the insides of the tires only come into contact with the road when the active camber control tilts the outer wheels inwards during cornering. This leaves the engineers one clear objective to focus on when harmonizing and optimizing the inner shoulders of the tires: superlative cornering safety.

The rubber blend used for the F 400 tires plays an equally important role, since the softer inner-tread zones enable even greater transmission of the forces – i.e. even better road adhesion – when cornering. These ‘high-friction compounds’ are not usually suitable for car tires as the soft rubber blend is more susceptible to wear than the conventional rubber compounds used. Therefore the new tire would not normally achieve the mileage of which today’s tires are capable.

The active camber control in the F 400 Carving makes up for this short-coming: thanks to this innovative technology, the softer insides of the tires only come into contact with the tarmac when the car is cornering and so do not wear as quickly. In contrast, the rubber compound the experts developed for the outside of the tire is much harder, having been optimized with regard to longevity, straight-line stability and road roar.

In other words, thanks to its asymmetrical contour and special rubber blend, the newly developed tire provides the answer to a previously unresolved conflict of aims: maximum cornering safety and superlative driving dynamics on the one hand; high mileage and superb straight-line stability on the other. For the first time, therefore, two different concepts come to fruition in a single tire, thanks to active camber control.

Tires need a sufficiently large contact patch in order to provide a high level of lateral stability when cornering, however. And this presents a problem: the greater the wheel camber, the smaller is the active contact patch, at least as far as standard configurations are concerned. Recognizing this one disadvantage of the chassis technology used in the F 400 Carving, the DaimlerChrysler engineers developed a new type of wheel with two different diameters: 17 inches on the inside – the part of the wheel that is in contact with the road when cornering – and 19 inches on the outside. On the one hand, this ensures that the research car only runs on the non-curved section of the tire when driving straight ahead whilst, on the other hand, the smaller inner diameter provides the largest possible contact patch when the car is cornering.

Active computer-controlled camber adjustment and asymmetrical tires have brought the DaimlerChrysler engineers a major step closer to achieving one of their primary objectives: enhancing already exemplary levels of active safety and driving dynamics for the benefit of future models. But this is just the beginning of what promises to be an extremely fruitful research project: alongside greater lateral acceleration and exemplary cornering stability, this innovative technology provides a whole host of other on-road benefits:

If there is a risk of skidding, due to understeer or oversteer, the system briefly tilts one or more of the wheels by a precisely calculated amount, thus boosting the lateral forces and stabilizing the car. This means active camber control has the potential to enhance the effect of ESP®. Coupled with electronically controlled steering, which allows automatic steering correction, this can greatly reduce the risk of skidding.

In the event of emergency braking, all four wheels on the research car tilt at lightning speed, leaving only the insides of the tires – with friction-optimized rubber-compound tread – in contact with the road. This reduces the stopping distance from 100 km/h by a good five meters.

If there is a risk of aquaplaning, the system is capable of optimizing the tire contact patch by an appropriate amount. A wheel camber of just five degrees is enough to achieve the desired effect: a substantial reduction in the risk of aquaplaning. A new breed of sensor system, currently under development at DaimlerChrysler, detects the water layer on the road surface and sends the measured values to the ECU at the heart of the active camber control, enabling the system to automatically adjust the tilt of the wheels to suit the road conditions.

Asymmetrical tires would also prove beneficial in winter as the special rubber blend and tread pattern combine to provide extremely high traction as well as short stopping distances and superlative directional stability. To ensure safe driving on snow or ice, the driver can tilt the wheels at the push of a button, thus enabling the car to run solely on the insides of the tires, for better road adhesion. Tilting hub carriers with hydraulic cylinders.

Active computer-controlled camber adjustment is possible thanks to two-piece hub carriers and a powerful hydraulic system. Each hub carrier consists of one tilting section and one rigid section: the wheel locating compo-nents of a double-wishbone suspension system are attached to the rigid inside sections whilst the wheel bearings and the brake caliper linkages are located on the tilting outside sections. During cornering, piston rods in dual hydraulic cylinders press against the tilting hub-carrier sections on the outer wheels, causing them to tilt outwards at the bottom. In this way, the wheel camber can be varied between 0 and 20 degrees, depending on the road situation.

The driven rear axle on the F 400 Carving is designed in much the same way as the front axle, the variable-length axle shafts being the only major difference.

At the heart of the hydraulic system is an axial piston pump with a working pressure of up to 200 bar. Servo valves on the wheels’ dual cylinders regulate the oil flow to control the degree of cylinder retraction and extension. If the driver adopts a dynamic driving style, rapid cylinder movement is required and in this case the pump receives assistance from a hydraulic pressure reservoir. A limp-home function is also provided: special shut-off valves interrupt the oil flow to the hydraulic cylinders and use the pressure available in the system to set the wheel camber angle to zero degrees.

Active camber control, as featured in the F 400 Carving, represents a major step forward in chassis development for future car models. Even in its own right. But the Stuttgart-based engineers are taking things a step further, marrying this technology to a whole host of other, equally pioneering systems. The key to it all is drive-by-wire. The F 400 dispenses with mechanical connecting components such as the steering column, with all the shafts and joints that go with it, and the linkage between brake pedal and brake booster. In their place are wires which transmit the driver’s steering or braking inputs by purely electronic means.

Steering: The electronic steering wheel is equipped with two inductive angle sensors that pick up each movement of the steering wheel, convert the measured angle into an electrical pulse and transmit the signal to the research car’s microcomputers via data line. The computers evaluate these and other current sensor signals, using the data to specify setpoints for the front axle steering angle. In critical situations, the drive-by-wire system can also override the driver’s steering inputs, to keep the car safely on an even keel. Two electric motors, which are directly connected to the rack-and-pinion steering, move the wheels of the F 400 Carving. This is why the automotive researchers refer to an ‘electric rack’ – a new feature which they developed together with the steering experts from Mercedes-Benz Lenkungen GmbH. Each electric motor generates half of the steering torque. In the event of a malfunction, one of the motors alone can assume total responsibility for the steering functions. This is therefore a redundant system, designed to provide maximum functional reliability. Even the research car’s power supply is based on a dual-system concept: besides a standard (12-volt) on-board power supply, the F 400 Carving also has two 42-volt systems which are primarily used for the electronic steering.

Brakes: Brake-by-wire is already very much a reality at Mercedes-Benz. The Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) high-pressure brake works on the following principle. When the brake pedal is depressed, an electrical signal is produced which is forwarded to a microcomputer. A sophisticated sensor system ensures that the microcomputer receives a continuous feed of data about the car’s driving dynamics. The electronic system can therefore calculate and modulate the brake pressure for each wheel, according to the situation in hand. The end result is significantly enhanced braking safety when cornering.
Alongside Sensotronic Brake Control, the braking system in the F 400 Carving contains a further technical highlight that really sets it apart: the brake discs (330 millimeters in diameter) are made of carbon-fiber-reinforced ceramic, a high-tech material that is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures of between 1400 and 1600 degrees Celsius. It is also around a third lighter than cast iron.

The new active hydropneumatic (AHP) suspension system also sees the research engineers entering uncharted territory: the F 400 Carving is being used to test this possible alternative to future generations of the active suspension system which is currently fitted as standard in the Mercedes S-Class, CL-Class and SL-Class models.

In contrast to the today’s Active Body Control (ABC) system, in which active control of the forces between the vehicle body and the wheel is performed by adjusting the spring action, the active hydropneumatic system influences both the suspension and the damping, adapting them at lightning speed to the situation in hand. The benefits of this system include an even higher level of active safety and enhanced ride comfort.

Beneath the engine hood of the F 400 Carving is a state-of-the-art 3.2-liter V6 powerplant, a tried-and-tested unit installed in several other Mercedes model series. This six-cylinder engine differs from the standard production version in just one respect: the research engineers have equipped it with a dry sump lubrication system which ensures a constant supply of oil to the powerplant, even when lateral acceleration is extremely high.

The sequential gearbox in the research car is also a standard Mercedes-Benz production model. Only the SEQUENTRONIC controls are different: in the F 400 Carving, the driver changes gear in racing-car style – with selector buttons on the steering wheel.

Equally new is the headlamp system of the F 400 Carving. For the first time, DaimlerChrysler is using state-of-the-art fiber-optic technology to transmit the light produced by the xenon lamps. These optical-fiber bundles, made up of thousands of individual glass-fiber strands, enable physical separation of the light source and the headlamps – an advantage that primarily benefits the sports car’s front-end design, since the headlamps only take up a very small amount of space. This therefore allows an extremely flat and low-slung front.

The light for main and dipped beam is generated in two cylindrical casings beneath the engine hood. Each contains a xenon lamp, and the light given off by these lamps is concentrated by elliptic reflectors. The reflector focal points reflect the light into the fiber-optic lines which, in turn, ensure loss-free transmission of the light to the headlamps. Special lens systems in the headlamps diffuse the light to illuminate the road. In addition, the F 400 Carving has two side-mounted lights for cornering. These fixed-position halogen lamps come on when a certain steering angle is reached. They can also be activated by a button, for use as fog lamps.

A space-saving design is also the hallmark of the indicators: powerful LEDs generate the light which is then dispersed by means of prism lenses.

The open-top two-seater’s body is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Already tried and tested in the world of Formula One motor racing, its chief properties are minimum weight and maximum strength. It weighs in at about 60 percent less than steel, making the body of the research car 100 kilograms lighter. The DaimlerChrysler engineers use an intelligent three-material mix for the F 400 Carving chassis: steel, aluminum and carbon fiber (CFRP).

Source – Mercedes-Benz

The main attraction in the F 400 Carving is a new system that varies the camber angle on the outer wheels between 0 and 20 degrees, depending on the road situation. Used in conjunction with newly-developed tyres, it provides 30 percent more lateral stability than a conventional system with a fixed camber setting and standard tyres. This considerably enhances active safety, since better lateral stability equals improved road adhesion and greater cornering stability.

Active camber control boosts the research vehicle’s maximum lateral acceleration to 1.28 g, meaning that the concept study outperforms current sports cars by some 28 percent.

The active camber control in the F 400 Carving paves the way for an equally new asymmetrical-tread tyre concept. When the two-seater car is cornering, the outer wheels tilt inwards, leaving only the inner area of these tyres in contact with the road. This area of the tread is slightly rounded off. Meanwhile both the tread pattern and the rubber blend have been specially selected to ensure highly dynamic and extremely safe cornering. When driving straight ahead, however, it is the outer areas of the tyres that are in contact with the road. These areas have a tried-and-tested car tread pattern, offering excellent high-speed and low-noise performance. Two different concepts therefore come to fruition in a single tyre, thanks to active camber control.

The research vehicle’s ‘Carving’ epithet symbolises the new technology, evoking images of the high-speed winter sport in which adepts perform sharp turns on a specially-shaped high-grip ski. Less risk of skidding and shorter emergency stopping distance.

DaimlerChrysler is exhibiting a special concept study at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show: the F 400 Carving is a research vehicle packed with dynamic systems designed to give the cars of tomorrow and beyond substantially enhanced active safety, dynamic handling control and driving pleasure.

The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They will be using it to investigate the undoubted further potential of this new chassis technology: besides of-fering excellent directional stability during cornering, the new technology ensures a much higher level of active safety in the event of an emergency. By way of example, if there is a risk of skidding, the wheel camber is in-creased by an appropriate degree. The resultant gain in lateral stability significantly enhances the effect of ESP®, the Electronic Stability Program. If the research car needs to be braked in an emergency, all four of its wheels can be tilted in next to no time, thus shortening the stopping dis-tance from 100 km/h by a good five metres.

In addition to active camber control, the F 400 Carving research car is fitted with other forward-looking steering and chassis systems, including a steer-by-wire system. Sensors pick up the driver’s steering inputs and send this information to two microcomputers which, in turn, control an electrically driven steering gear. The DaimlerChrysler engineers also charted new territory when it came to the suspension tuning, and introduced a first: an active hydropneumatic system that optimises the suspension and shock absorption in line with the changing situation on the road, all at lightning speed.

The F 400 Carving is also the showcase for a totally new form of lighting technology developed by the Stuttgart-based researchers: fibre-optic lines are used to transmit light from xenon lamps beneath the bonnet to the main headlamps. This technology stands out by virtue of its high perform-ance and extremely space-saving design. Additional headlamps positioned on the sides also come on when the car is cornering.

The F 400 Carving is an exciting and harmonious blend of technology and design. The shape of the sports car – notably its distinctive wing profiles – provides the necessary room for the wheels to move when the active camber control is at work during cornering and, at the same time, emphasises the youthful and highly-adventurous nature of this concept study. In order to reflect the research car’s high-quality driving dynamics, the de-signers opted for a speedster concept – incorporating an extended bonnet, a windscreen with an extremely sharp rake, a short tail end and an interior tailor-made for two.

The F 400 Carving design team focused on two objectives: lending shape to leading-edge technologies and giving innovations real design appeal.
A great deal of imagination was required in order to harmonize the technology and the design. To put it another way: it was a design job like no other. The F 400 designers found the unique chassis technology a tough nut to crack. They had to come up with a concept that allowed the wheels enough room to move during cornering with active camber control on the one hand, whilst ensuring that the car also cut a good figure with the wheels in the normal position on the other.

Taking these criteria as the starting point, a multinational competition was launched about two years ago, inviting young designers from the Mercedes studios in Germany, Japan and the USA to come up with ideas. A flood of exciting suggestions came in, ranging from utopian supercars to comical fun-cruisers and from four-seater cabriolets to pure driving machines with one-man cockpits.

This particular stage of development became known as the ‘emotional phase’ and proved vital in determining the scope of the F 400 Carving project’s design potential and in properly channeling the design process. Indeed it was an absolute necessity since there can be no doubt that, besides requiring technical know-how, designing such a vehicle is all about emotions: a passion for automobiles, a fascination with technology and an enthusiasm for dynamic and enthralling motoring.

And what vehicle concept could better and more aptly symbolize these aspects than an open-top sports car? A completely open-top sports car – a speedster with an elongated, extremely flat and low-slung engine hood, a short tail end, an interior tailor-made for two. Plus a whole host of stylish features that immediately stir the emotions and reinforce the car’s message: the wide, low-slung air intake in the front section, the sharp rake of the windshield, the lateral exhaust pipes and the distinctive roll-over bar behind the seats.

Whichever way one looks at it, from whatever angle, the speedster’s body is like that of a perfectly proportioned and superbly conditioned athlete. The profile is structured by wing-like sections that powerfully span the wheels, harmoniously drawing them into the overall body concept, yet without restricting their freedom of movement. Smaller wing sections fore and aft of the wheels reinforce this effect, making the wheels the dominant focus of attention when the car is viewed from the side.

The design team also adeptly used the distinctive wing sections to give the F 400 Carving a characteristic face, making the headlamps an integral part of the wings and using the light covers to form two ‘eyes’, decisively enhancing the sports car’s enticing allure. This stylistic detail is possible thanks to lighting systems incorporating state-of-the-art fiber-optic technology, since conventional headlamps are simply too large to be incorporated in the limited space available in the wing sections.

And, of course, the two-seater’s face would not be complete without the three-pointed star, centrally positioned in time-honored Mercedes sports car tradition. It forms the focal point of a further important design feature that stretches centrally across the engine hood, evoking images of the unmistakable arrow-shaped nose of the McLaren-Mercedes team’s Silver Arrows. This particular detail is well on the way to becoming a classic Mercedes-Benz sports feature, having already graced the Vision SLR and Vision SLA sports car studies.

Arguably the most striking feature of all, because they are so steeped in tradition, the gullwing doors have come to symbolize the Mercedes-Benz brand. It is now exactly 50 years since the first Mercedes-Benz Gullwing created a sensation, marking the beginning of the SL legend. The F 400 designers took this feature and reinterpreted it in the spirit of contemporary design and technology, proving that the idea is just as stylish and exhilarating now as it was all those years ago. The research car’s gullwing doors are not attached to the roof as they were on the original 300 SL. Instead, they swing upward 60 degrees thanks to special joints, supported by gas springs.

The muscular contour of the door leads into a sweeping, powerfully shaped profile which forms a prominent line stretching back as far as the speedster’s tail end, where it acts as a fender for the rear wheels. The tail part of this section houses the rear lights, in the same way as its counterpart at the front incorporates the headlamps. The slender prism lenses enable the indicators, tail lights and brake lamps to effortlessly blend in with the overall design concept and, furthermore, cast an extremely impressive light on things.

A look inside the cockpit reveals another major design theme of the F 400 Carving: technology in its purest form. Technology that focuses on the essentials, on what motoring was originally all about and, therefore, on everything absolutely central to this idea. Nothing more, nothing less.

Admittedly, this initially smacks of purism, a totally stripped-down driving machine. But a closer look quickly reveals all: the perfect finish, the very best materials and a passion for detail. The designers at the Mercedes studios – in Como, northern Italy and Sindelfingen, southern Germany – devoted themselves to the task in hand, giving the interior a characteristic appearance that draws on classic aspects of bodystyling and design. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the ‘wing’ theme, the instrument panel being a perfect case in point: there is no firm visual link between the panel and the center tunnel. It seems to be ‘floating’ in space like some majestic wing and thus appears extremely light and almost delicate.

The idea of technology in its purest form is most clearly exemplified by the transmission tunnel, which has the shape, color and texture of a cast-aluminum transmission bell. As such it echoes the racing car cockpits of the twenties and thirties, an era when drivers had to make do with bare metal and little else. The simple sliding controls for the blower and the heater, the metallic lever for the SEQUENTRONIC transmission and the oval ventilation outlet above the transmission tunnel all reinforce these images of bygone days, yet behind each of these classic styling features lies state-of-the-art technology.

Passengers in the F 400 Carving are awaited by carbon seats in which they immediately feel at one with this evocative car and its technology: man and machine in absolutely perfect harmony. The seats provide superlative lateral support and can be individually adjusted, despite their one-piece design. The multi-layered fiber texture means it is possible to vary the backrest inclination without the need for joints or hinges – a small lever mechanism is all that is required. Together with spring and damper systems beneath the seat, the multi-piece upholstery ensures effective vibrational damping for good seating comfort.

Choosing the interior cover fabrics for the F 400 Carving presented the designers with a particularly stiff challenge: the two-seater is a pure open-top, and so it was essential that the interior be quite literally windproof and weatherproof. Starting out with breathing yet hardwearing sportswear fabrics, the experts developed an exclusive range of cover materials for the research vehicle. Thanks to a special plastic coating, the materials are water-repellent and thus extremely suitable for this project. Furthermore, the upholstered sections of the seat are designed to be easily removable, so that the owner can leave them in the garage if they need to dry.

In conclusion, the F 400 Carving is an ‘active experience’ car that masters extreme situations supremely and safely. This is highlighted not only by the new chassis technology, but also by stylish interior features and by the two-seater’s overall styling concept. Technology and design are uniquely and inextricably linked. New functions are not just supremely fulfilled, they are also made an integral part of the overall design and the emotive concept.

The latest research car gives us an insight into the future: the F 400 Carving follows in the tracks of other vehicle studies such as the F 200 Imagination and F 300 Life-Jet, which showcased new steering and chassis concepts in 1996 and 1997 respectively: ‘drive-by-wire’ and ‘active roll control’ were just two of the concepts central to these automotive research projects. The research engineers and scientists at DaimlerChrysler have perfected these ideas in the F 400 Carving and are proud to unveil an entirely new system which further enhances active safety and dynamic handling and gives an even more exhilarating driving experience.
20-degree wheel camber for safe and reliable cornering

The ‘Carving’ epithet already hints at the capabilities of the chassis technology in this research vehicle. Each time the car enters a corner or bend, two of its wheels tilt inwards, riding on a tire tread that has been specially optimized for cornering and has a high friction coefficient for optimum directional stability and road adhesion. The dynamics are reminiscent of the movements performed by alpine skiers using carving skis.

The computer-controlled system in the F 400 Carving varies the camber angle on the outer wheels by between 0 and 20 degrees when the car is cornering. The inner wheels and the vehicle body remain in their normal positions.

‘Active camber control’ is the culmination of a research project spanning several years. It all began with computer simulations and bench tests. But now the time has come for research out on the road.

The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They aim to use the open-top two-seater to further research the potential of novel chassis systems and to open up new avenues in chassis technology for the passenger cars of the future. Initial test drives and measurements have delivered extremely encouraging results.

Compared to a modern car chassis, the active camber control in the F 400 Carving enables up to 30 percent more lateral stability and 15 percent more longitudinal forces. The numbers back up these claims: whilst the maximum lateral force on the wheel is usually about 6200 Newtons when the camber is zero degrees, this figure rises to 6900 Newtons when there is a negative camber of 10 degrees and as high as 7800 Newtons when the negative camber is 20 degrees.

Thanks to the high level of lateral stability on the outer wheels during cornering, lateral acceleration in the F 400 Carving is up to 28 percent higher than in sports cars that rely on conventional chassis technology. When the outer wheels of the F 400 Carving are tilted inwards by 20 degrees during cornering, the two-seater achieves a maximum lateral acceleration of 1.28 g.

This impressive figure is not just an indication of high cornering dynamics and sporting agility, it also signals a substantial improvement in active safety, particularly in emergency situations such as cornering at (excessive) speed or sudden obstacle-avoidance maneuvers. The research car remains more directionally stable than a car equipped with conventional chassis technology. What’s more, it does so for longer and at a higher speed.

The tires are a major contributing factor to these results: active camber control enables a totally new concept that, for the first time and without compromise, combines the benefits of a passenger car tire with those of a motorcycle tire. Asymmetry is the principle behind this new tire technology, jointly developed by engineers from DaimlerChrysler and Pirelli: the tread pattern, tread blend and contour are all asymmetrical.

The most remarkable feature on the inside of the tire is the rounded-off tread which ensures superlative handling when cornering. The outer shoulder of the tire has a tried-and-tested car tread pattern, offering excellent straight-line stability and low road noise. For the first time, the experts have succeeded in harnessing the benefits of an established physical theory, according to which, at large camber angles, a tire with a curved tread can transmit greater lateral forces than conventional tires. The asymmetrical tread is made possible by the fact that the insides of the tires only come into contact with the road when the active camber control tilts the outer wheels inwards during cornering. This leaves the engineers one clear objective to focus on when harmonizing and optimizing the inner shoulders of the tires: superlative cornering safety.

The rubber blend used for the F 400 tires plays an equally important role, since the softer inner-tread zones enable even greater transmission of the forces – i.e. even better road adhesion – when cornering. These ‘high-friction compounds’ are not usually suitable for car tires as the soft rubber blend is more susceptible to wear than the conventional rubber compounds used. Therefore the new tire would not normally achieve the mileage of which today’s tires are capable.

The active camber control in the F 400 Carving makes up for this short-coming: thanks to this innovative technology, the softer insides of the tires only come into contact with the tarmac when the car is cornering and so do not wear as quickly. In contrast, the rubber compound the experts developed for the outside of the tire is much harder, having been optimized with regard to longevity, straight-line stability and road roar.

In other words, thanks to its asymmetrical contour and special rubber blend, the newly developed tire provides the answer to a previously unresolved conflict of aims: maximum cornering safety and superlative driving dynamics on the one hand; high mileage and superb straight-line stability on the other. For the first time, therefore, two different concepts come to fruition in a single tire, thanks to active camber control.

Tires need a sufficiently large contact patch in order to provide a high level of lateral stability when cornering, however. And this presents a problem: the greater the wheel camber, the smaller is the active contact patch, at least as far as standard configurations are concerned. Recognizing this one disadvantage of the chassis technology used in the F 400 Carving, the DaimlerChrysler engineers developed a new type of wheel with two different diameters: 17 inches on the inside – the part of the wheel that is in contact with the road when cornering – and 19 inches on the outside. On the one hand, this ensures that the research car only runs on the non-curved section of the tire when driving straight ahead whilst, on the other hand, the smaller inner diameter provides the largest possible contact patch when the car is cornering.

Active computer-controlled camber adjustment and asymmetrical tires have brought the DaimlerChrysler engineers a major step closer to achieving one of their primary objectives: enhancing already exemplary levels of active safety and driving dynamics for the benefit of future models. But this is just the beginning of what promises to be an extremely fruitful research project: alongside greater lateral acceleration and exemplary cornering stability, this innovative technology provides a whole host of other on-road benefits:

If there is a risk of skidding, due to understeer or oversteer, the system briefly tilts one or more of the wheels by a precisely calculated amount, thus boosting the lateral forces and stabilizing the car. This means active camber control has the potential to enhance the effect of ESP®. Coupled with electronically controlled steering, which allows automatic steering correction, this can greatly reduce the risk of skidding.

In the event of emergency braking, all four wheels on the research car tilt at lightning speed, leaving only the insides of the tires – with friction-optimized rubber-compound tread – in contact with the road. This reduces the stopping distance from 100 km/h by a good five meters.

If there is a risk of aquaplaning, the system is capable of optimizing the tire contact patch by an appropriate amount. A wheel camber of just five degrees is enough to achieve the desired effect: a substantial reduction in the risk of aquaplaning. A new breed of sensor system, currently under development at DaimlerChrysler, detects the water layer on the road surface and sends the measured values to the ECU at the heart of the active camber control, enabling the system to automatically adjust the tilt of the wheels to suit the road conditions.

Asymmetrical tires would also prove beneficial in winter as the special rubber blend and tread pattern combine to provide extremely high traction as well as short stopping distances and superlative directional stability. To ensure safe driving on snow or ice, the driver can tilt the wheels at the push of a button, thus enabling the car to run solely on the insides of the tires, for better road adhesion.
Tilting hub carriers with hydraulic cylinders

Active computer-controlled camber adjustment is possible thanks to two-piece hub carriers and a powerful hydraulic system. Each hub carrier consists of one tilting section and one rigid section: the wheel locating compo-nents of a double-wishbone suspension system are attached to the rigid inside sections whilst the wheel bearings and the brake caliper linkages are located on the tilting outside sections. During cornering, piston rods in dual hydraulic cylinders press against the tilting hub-carrier sections on the outer wheels, causing them to tilt outwards at the bottom. In this way, the wheel camber can be varied between 0 and 20 degrees, depending on the road situation.

The driven rear axle on the F 400 Carving is designed in much the same way as the front axle, the variable-length axle shafts being the only major difference.

At the heart of the hydraulic system is an axial piston pump with a working pressure of up to 200 bar. Servo valves on the wheels’ dual cylinders regulate the oil flow to control the degree of cylinder retraction and extension. If the driver adopts a dynamic driving style, rapid cylinder movement is required and in this case the pump receives assistance from a hydraulic pressure reservoir. A limp-home function is also provided: special shut-off valves interrupt the oil flow to the hydraulic cylinders and use the pressure available in the system to set the wheel camber angle to zero degrees.

Active camber control, as featured in the F 400 Carving, represents a major step forward in chassis development for future car models. Even in its own right. But the Stuttgart-based engineers are taking things a step further, marrying this technology to a whole host of other, equally pioneering systems. The key to it all is drive-by-wire. The F 400 dispenses with mechanical connecting components such as the steering column, with all the shafts and joints that go with it, and the linkage between brake pedal and brake booster. In their place are wires which transmit the driver’s steering or braking inputs by purely electronic means.

Steering: The electronic steering wheel is equipped with two inductive angle sensors that pick up each movement of the steering wheel, convert the measured angle into an electrical pulse and transmit the signal to the research car’s microcomputers via data line. The computers evaluate these and other current sensor signals, using the data to specify setpoints for the front axle steering angle. In critical situations, the drive-by-wire system can also override the driver’s steering inputs, to keep the car safely on an even keel. Two electric motors, which are directly connected to the rack-and-pinion steering, move the wheels of the F 400 Carving. This is why the automotive researchers refer to an ‘electric rack’ – a new feature which they developed together with the steering experts from Mercedes-Benz Lenkungen GmbH. Each electric motor generates half of the steering torque. In the event of a malfunction, one of the motors alone can assume total responsibility for the steering functions. This is therefore a redundant system, designed to provide maximum functional reliability. Even the research car’s power supply is based on a dual-system concept: besides a standard (12-volt) on-board power supply, the F 400 Carving also has two 42-volt systems which are primarily used for the electronic steering.

Brakes: Brake-by-wire is already very much a reality at Mercedes-Benz. The Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) high-pressure brake works on the following principle. When the brake pedal is depressed, an electrical signal is produced which is forwarded to a microcomputer. A sophisticated sensor system ensures that the microcomputer receives a continuous feed of data about the car’s driving dynamics. The electronic system can therefore calculate and modulate the brake pressure for each wheel, according to the situation in hand. The end result is significantly enhanced braking safety when cornering.
Alongside Sensotronic Brake Control, the braking system in the F 400 Carving contains a further technical highlight that really sets it apart: the brake discs (330 millimeters in diameter) are made of carbon-fiber-reinforced ceramic, a high-tech material that is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures of between 1400 and 1600 degrees Celsius. It is also around a third lighter than cast iron.

The new active hydropneumatic (AHP) suspension system also sees the research engineers entering uncharted territory: the F 400 Carving is being used to test this possible alternative to future generations of the active suspension system which is currently fitted as standard in the Mercedes S-Class, CL-Class and SL-Class models.

In contrast to the today’s Active Body Control (ABC) system, in which active control of the forces between the vehicle body and the wheel is performed by adjusting the spring action, the active hydropneumatic system influences both the suspension and the damping, adapting them at lightning speed to the situation in hand. The benefits of this system include an even higher level of active safety and enhanced ride comfort.

Beneath the engine hood of the F 400 Carving is a state-of-the-art 3.2-liter V6 powerplant, a tried-and-tested unit installed in several other Mercedes model series. This six-cylinder engine differs from the standard production version in just one respect: the research engineers have equipped it with a dry sump lubrication system which ensures a constant supply of oil to the powerplant, even when lateral acceleration is extremely high.

The sequential gearbox in the research car is also a standard Mercedes-Benz production model. Only the SEQUENTRONIC controls are different: in the F 400 Carving, the driver changes gear in racing-car style – with selector buttons on the steering wheel.

Equally new is the headlamp system of the F 400 Carving. For the first time, DaimlerChrysler is using state-of-the-art fiber-optic technology to transmit the light produced by the xenon lamps. These optical-fiber bundles, made up of thousands of individual glass-fiber strands, enable physical separation of the light source and the headlamps – an advantage that primarily benefits the sports car’s front-end design, since the headlamps only take up a very small amount of space. This therefore allows an extremely flat and low-slung front.

The light for main and dipped beam is generated in two cylindrical casings beneath the engine hood. Each contains a xenon lamp, and the light given off by these lamps is concentrated by elliptic reflectors. The reflector focal points reflect the light into the fiber-optic lines which, in turn, ensure loss-free transmission of the light to the headlamps. Special lens systems in the headlamps diffuse the light to illuminate the road. In addition, the F 400 Carving has two side-mounted lights for cornering. These fixed-position halogen lamps come on when a certain steering angle is reached. They can also be activated by a button, for use as fog lamps.

A space-saving design is also the hallmark of the indicators: powerful LEDs generate the light which is then dispersed by means of prism lenses.

The open-top two-seater’s body is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Already tried and tested in the world of Formula One motor racing, its chief properties are minimum weight and maximum strength. It weighs in at about 60 percent less than steel, making the body of the research car 100 kilograms lighter. The DaimlerChrysler engineers use an intelligent three-material mix for the F 400 Carving chassis: steel, aluminum and carbon fiber (CFRP).

Source – Mercedes-Benz

The high-and-mighty car market is small, and Mercedes intends to exploit every possible scrap, a strategy reinforced by the introduction of the AMG editions of the company’s range-topping CL-class coupe and S-class sedan. Like other offerings from the Mercedes in-house tuning shop, the CL63 and S63 add an extra measure of sporty character to a pair of cars that already rank among the best in the business.

Unlike other AMG specials, though, the key difference isn’t a matter of extra muscle. There’s certainly plenty of that—518 horsepower, 465 pound-feet of torque, thanks to a new 6.2-liter V-8, an engine designed, developed, and produced in-house by AMG.

But the 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-12 of the CL600 and S600 almost matches the horsepower of the V-8, trumps its torque with a prodigious 612 pound-feet, and likely beats the straight-ahead hustle of the CL63 and S63 by a small margin, even though Mercedes estimates a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds for all of them.

That’s pretty quick for cars weighing well over two tons.

But what sets these AMG editions apart is a level of athleticism and nifty footwork that’s absent in their more mainstream counterparts. This shows up in a near-total absence of body roll in hard cornering, and quicker responses in a series of linked turns—mountain switchbacks, for example. AMG achieved this partly by employing harder suspension bushings, a time-honored tuning trick, but mostly by retuning the computer-controlled profile of the ABC active suspension system, which is pure 21st century.

Sticky Yokohama tires lend extra grip and high-speed stability, oversize brakes exploit the added adhesion, and AMG-specific bucket seats lend a much higher level of lateral support.

But the most instantly tangible element in the AMG editions is steering that clearly communicates with the driver, a striking contrast with the lifeless helms of the other CL- and S-class offerings.

With most Mercedes-Benz models, the AMG massage makes the subject vehicle the most expensive member of a particular model line. And that’s still true for the 604-hp CL65 and S65 AMG versions which cost almost $200,000.

But these second AMG offerings in the CL- and S-class replace the old supercharged CL55 and S55 and maintain their relative price positioning below the CL600 and S600. Those prices are expected to start at about $130,000 for the CL63 and $126,000 for the S63 when they go on sale in June. Does that sound like a lot of money? Maybe. But it’s less than the CL600 and S600. Bargains sometimes come in very fancy packages.

We’ve been a little hesitant to heap praise on some of AMG’s recent products. It has less to do with their performance and more to do with their looks. AMGs used to be sleepers, but recent models have added air intakes, flashier wheels and numerous exterior badges. We were starting to wonder if it was all too much.

When the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG drove onto the Paris stage, there wasn’t any doubt — it looked nearly perfect. This car wears AMG’s new look as if it were designed that way from Day One — and to some degree, it was. Unlike some earlier AMG vehicles that were modified well after the standard versions were already on sale, the AMG team led by Chairman Volker Mornhinweg had their hand in the development of this CL right from the start. “Our customers have told us that they want the cars to be even more unique. Nothing too drastic, but enough so that knowledgeable enthusiasts will recognize it is an AMG,” Volker told us after the introduction.

Like most recent AMG models, the CL63 gets Mercedes’ new 6.2-liter, normally aspirated V8. Tuned to produce 525 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque in this application, the power runs to the rear wheels through Mercedes’ own seven-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes claims a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds.

A set of striking 20-inch double-spoke wheels are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza tires that look barely big enough to fit around the rims. The reprogrammed version of Mercedes’ latest Active Body Control system puts the big wheels and tires to good use, as it’s able to virtually eliminate body roll through constant adjustment of the dampers. High-performance brakes utilize a unique sliding caliper design in front and composite rotors at each corner for optimum heat resistance.

Another area of importance stressed by Mornhinweg is the CL63’s interior. “Customers in this price range want more than just performance; they want even more luxury as well.” All CL63s get AMG sport seats covered in unique leather and aluminum shift paddles that rest behind the thicker sport steering wheel. A unique analog clock design and brushed aluminum door sills are also part of the package.

The engine is an all-new piece, not the one found in the 1999-2001 C230 Kompressor. Despite the new four’s smaller displacement (the old car had a full 2.3 liters under the hood), Mercedes decided there was currency with the C230 moniker. Whatever the nomenclature, this is the new entry-level C-class sedan, aimed at younger (read: less affluent) buyers.

The C230 Kompressor is one of two new C-class Sport Sedans (the C320 Sport Sedan is the other); the models obviate last year’s $3000 Sport option package. The cars have a restyled front end, textured aluminum cabin trim, and broadly bolstered seats. The C230 has a six-speed manual gearbox (a five-speed automatic is optional) as well as seven-spoke wheels with 225/45ZR-17 tires and a sport-tuned suspension that is calibrated differently than the old sport package’s.

The C230’s price–a low, low $28,710–is likely to be its most compelling aspect to most buyers, because it includes such niceties as automatic climate control, a multifunction steering wheel, and partial leather seats. A CD player is not part of the deal, however.

Despite the engine’s unmelodious note and the stick shift’s rubbery and imprecise linkage, the C230 is the most entertaining, most agile C-class model. The suspension gives much better body control with seemingly no diminution of ride quality, and the car feels better balanced than the heavier V-6-powered cars.

The C230 sedan finally reveals the inherent goodness of the C-class chassis: It feels like a real competitor to the BMW 325i. Too bad it doesn’t sound like one.

It doesn’t sound like a Mercedes,” opined my passenger. She had a point. The supercharged, sixteen-valve, 1.8-liter DOHC in-line four in the C230 Kompressor has the aural quality of a vacuum cleaner. It’s a pity, because the engine actually is a good performer, making 189 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque–21 horsepower and 15 pound-feet more than the C240’s 2.6-liter V-6. Mercedes claims the C230 sedan can scoot from 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds.

Mercedes Benz enters the sports sedan game with full force. This entry-level sedan debuted in 2003 and comes with a standard six-speed manual tranny, a 1.8L supercharged engine, 17″ wheels and sport suspension. Facelifted for 2005.

Base price : $29,970

Engine : 4 cylinder, supercharged, DOHC, front engine RWD
Displacement : 1,796 cc
Valve : 16 valves, 4 valves per cylinder
Transmission : 6-spd manual, 5-spd automanual
Fuel economy : city – 21-23 mpg
highway – 31-32 mpg

Suspension : F – Independent MacPherson strut
R – Independent five-link
Brakes : F – Vented discs
R – Solid discs

Horsepower : 189 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque : 192 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
Redline : unknown

Top speed : 130 mph(electronically limited)
0-60 mph : 7.5 sec.(manual), 8.0 sec.(automanual)
0-¼ mile : 16.0 sec @ 85.0 mph(estimated)
60-0 braking distance : 115 ft
200 ft skidpad : 0.82 g

Curb Weight : 3250-3280 lbs
Overall length : 178.2 in.
Wheelbase : 106.9 in.
Overall Width : 68.0 in.
Height : 55.1 in.

The Maybach 57 (chassis no. W240) and 62 (chassis no. V240) were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand’s revival by DaimlerChrysler AG (now Daimler AG). They are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. The concept car was based on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan.

DaimlerChrysler AG attempted to buy the Rolls-Royce/Bentley marque when Vickers offered the company up for sale. When this attempt failed (they were outbid by Volkswagen, and BMW later exercised an option to acquire the Rolls-Royce car brand) they introduced the Maybach as a direct challenger in 2002. Both models are variants of the same ultra-luxurious automobile. The model numbers reflect the respective lengths of the automobiles in decimetres; the 57 is more likely to be owner-driven while the longer 62 is designed with a chauffeur in mind. The engine is a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12, generating 550 hp.

Series production start-up at the new Maybach “Manufaktur” facility as of autumn 2002
The Maybach badge, rich in tradition – a new interpretation Customised Saloon equipment and design Mercedes innovations for greatest comfort and safety Stuttgart, Aug 20, 2001

We proudly announce the rebirth of one of the most distinguished and exclusive car brands in the world: Maybach.
A synonym in the 1930s for superior quality and exclusive style, from now on this name steeped in tradition is being used to designate the new luxury car brand in the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car and smart division at DaimlerChrysler. The Stuttgart automotive group has scheduled the presentation of the new Maybach saloon for autumn next year.

“We’re using the name Maybach to emphasise the unique character of our future premium-quality product,” Board Member of DaimlerChrysler AG, with responsibility for the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car and smart division, “and to carry on the tradition of a legendary brand, whose exciting cars were the ultimate in design and technical perfection in the years between 1921 and 1940. We are pursuing these very same goals in the development of the new Maybach. Based on state-of-the-art Mercedes technology, the vehicles will set new standards in the world of premium cars, thus paying due honour to the great name of Maybach”.

The logo is also a reminder of the earlier German luxury car brand. In a modern interpretation, it takes its lead from the striking emblem which once used to adorn the radiators of these much-admired cars: “MM” once stood for “Maybach Motorenbau” — and in future it will mean “Maybach Manufaktur”. Situated on the radiator grille of the new Maybach Saloon, the silver badge harmonises perfectly with the luxury car’s body lines.
Including Maybach, a total of six passenger car brands are now owned by the DaimlerChrysler Group: Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, smart, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge.

Even at the beginning of the last century — when motor cars were in their early infancy — the name of Maybach was closely associated with the still relatively new Mercedes brand. In 1900 Wilhelm Maybach, technical director at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and long-time companion of Gottlieb Daimler, developed the first Mercedes; with its front-mounted aluminium engine, twin camshafts and advanced-design honeycomb radiator, it was a milestone in automotive engineering of the day and paved the way for all modern passenger cars. That is why in France the inventor of these developments became respectfully known as “roi des constructeurs” — king of the design engineers.

In April 1907 Wilhelm Maybach left the company in Stuttgart and devoted his efforts to the design of large engines for Graf Zeppelin’s airships. His company “Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH” later became “MTU Friedrichshafen”; today, this company belongs to the MTU/Diesel Engines unit of DaimlerChrysler.
In 1921 Maybach’s son Karl began production of luxurious and technically perfect motor cars at Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance. His flagship was the powerful twelve-cylinder model, the Maybach Zeppelin DS 8, the biggest German luxury car of the 1930s. Maybach body shells were manufactured by renowned German specialists, based on individual customer requirements. Hence, every Maybach was a unique creation, reflecting the individual style of its owner; no two cars were alike.

Maximum individuality, stylish elegance and strongly-stated exclusiveness with maximum comfort — these are the aims of the newly-founded car brand Maybach in the DaimlerChrysler Group.

Detailed attention to every single customer and the fulfilment of the most demanding individual requirements will be given priority. For this reason, Maybach saloons will not be designed by referring to a catalogue or to a list of standard equipment; instead, a detailed exchange of ideas will first take place between the customer and a customer consultant. The customer can choose from a unique range of the finest materials, exclusive colours and innovative technical details, ranging from individually designed trim, through inlaid work, to high-specification business equipment in the rear. This means that every example of the new Maybach is a unique, valuable, custom-made piece.

A purpose-built Maybach service centre is planned in Sindelfingen, with the laying of the foundation stone taking place this year. This service centre is to function as a “Centre of Excellence” and will serve as a model for other special Maybach consultancy centres to be set up by DaimlerChrysler in certain countries. All these centres will be in close contact with the Maybach “Manufaktur” and the development centre in Sindelfingen, so that designers and engineers can be involved in the individual design process of the luxury saloons at any time.

Manufacture at the DaimlerChrysler site in Sindelfingen is thus in keeping with the high standards associated with the brand. It provides the flexibility needed to fulfil individual equipment requirements and ensures crafted perfection of the highest order. No more than seven cars a day will be produced at the Maybach “Manufaktur”.

In addition to the greatest possible individuality, aesthetic appeal and precision, the new luxury car brand in the DaimlerChrysler Group is banking on its technical supremacy — and is here also in line with the tradition of the legendary Maybach saloon cars of the 1930s.
Development work on the Maybach is in the hands of the best engineers at the Mercedes Technology Center (MTC) in Sindelfingen, which means that the new brand benefits from a smooth transfer of expertise. In important areas such as safety, reliability, functionality and long service life, the Maybach also offers tried-and-tested Mercedes qualities.

Maybach customers can choose between two body variants. In the chauffeur-model saloon with its long wheelbase, they can enjoy unequalled quantities of space and matchless comfort. Rear-seat passengers can adjust their individual seats to a comfortable reclining position, thus ensuring a particularly relaxed ride thanks to automatically extending leg and footrests.

A newly developed V12 engine with bi-turbo-charging works away under the luxury car’s bonnet, providing superior performance while at the same time meeting the high comfort requirements of the new car brand.
Manufacture: Flexible manufacturing of between 1000 and 1500 luxury cars a year.
The Maybach “Manufaktur” will come on-stream in autumn 2002, with the capability to produce up to 1500 Saloons a year in flexible manufacture. The biggest markets for the luxury car are the USA, western Europe and Japan.

Maybach 57

The Maybach 57 is the base variant of the Maybach lineup. It is 5.73 meters long (hence the 57 designation).

DaimlerChrysler revealed the Maybach 57 S at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. It uses a 6.0 L version of the V12 engine manufactured by Mercedes-AMG. Power output is 604 hp (450 kW) and 738 ft·lbf (1000 N·m), providing a sub-5 second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h). It also rides 0.5 in (13 mm) lower on 20 in (508 mm) wheels. The North American unveiling was at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006.

The S stands for “special” and not for “sport”.
Maybach automobiles are priced to directly compete with Rolls-Royce. The below dollar and other currency equivalents are based on March 28th, 2007 exchange rates:

Maybach 57 – $335,500 (£170,796, or €251,396) ($465,500 with all options + taxes, delivery)
Maybach 57 S – $377,000 (£191,923, or €282,492) ($507,000 with all options + taxes, delivery)

No Brabus Maybach prices have been given yet.

Options, taxes, delivery, etc., can cost approximately US$130,000 alone.

The tuning firm Brabus, famous for high-performance and stylistic aftermarket modifications to Mercedes-Benz and Smart automobiles, produced a version of the 57/62 in 2004 which adds significant performance, features and style to the models. Electronically limited to a 300km/h (186.411 miles/hour) speed limit, these large vehicles produce 1026 N·m of torque and accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

This makes the Brabus Maybach arguably the fastest super-luxury motorcar in the world, a trend which was started in 1968 by the Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3.

Naturally, the wizards at AMG, Mercedes’ in-house hot rod shop, couldn’t wait to get their hands on the S-Class-based CL. But rather than breathing more fire into the CL550’s 5.5-liter V8, AMG developed the CL63’s all-aluminum, smooth-as-silk 514-horsepower 6.3-liter V8 in-house.

The AMG-exclusive four-cam alloy V8 features variable camshaft adjustment, a highly rigid closed-deck crankcase, revolutionary new friction-fighting cylinder coating and oversized bucket tappets to suit its high-revving valve train. Its electronically controlled fuel injection system borrows from Mercedes-Benz practice, but incorporates new components to match this engine’s performance potential. (Need we remind you that this is a normally aspirated power plant?) If need be, forced induction can (and perhaps will some day?) loft its output to well over 600 hp. Meanwhile, we’re not complaining.

A stock CL550 packs 382 hp and 391 pound-feet of torque. The CL63’s 6,208cc V8 makes 514 hp and a whopping 465 lb-ft of deep-seated torque, which makes it the world’s most powerful, normally aspirated, series production V8. In other words, the CL63 really doesn’t care which gear it’s in; it’ll boogie whenever you stomp on it.

The precise Speedshift 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox lets you match moods and roads with paddle-shifted Comfort, Manual and hyper-quick Sport (our favorite) settings. The Manual setting shifts 50-percent faster than the Comfort mode, 30-percent faster than the Sport mode, and lets you stay in your chosen gear at wide-open throttle and at kick down, so you get every bit of that horsepower, when you want it.

Fire it up and a basso-profundo, un-Merc-like rumble from a quartet of oversize exhausts hints of wickedness under its sharply raked hood. Although the CL63 AMG gives away 36 hp to the Bentley Continental GT W12, Mercedes says it trounces the heftier Brit GT to 60 mph by 0.4 second and is just as quick in that sprint as the lighter BMW M6. The last M6 we tested hit 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds. Even better, Benz says the CL63 AMG is nearly as swift to 100 mph as Ferrari’s 612 Scaglietti, for about half the sticker.

Like many German high-liners, this car’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but you can opt for a Porsche-chasing performance package with a 186-mph limit.

As befitting Stuttgart’s range-topper, every conceivable handling and stability aid is standard, starting with improved Active Body Control (ABC), combined with AMG’s supple-but-sweetly-firm sport suspension. The steering is precise, spot-on center and very consistent. Toss this big baby into a long sweeper, as we did on bitchin’ Bavarian back roads and you’ll be amazed. There’s no sturm, no drang, and virtually no body roll or frantic tire squeal from the huge 20-inch Yokohamas — just great grip and plenty of it.

A special AMG-developed high-performance braking system uses unique twin sliding calipers for the front brakes, single sliding calipers for the rears. The CL63 AMG’s massive, fade-resistant brake rotors (15.6-inch front, 14.6-inch rear) are made of lightweight, race-inspired composite material, yielding outstanding sensitivity and surprisingly short stopping distances, time after time. ABS, brake assist and adaptive braking are all included.

We hustled the new CL63 AMG through tortuous mountain passes from Kitzbuhl, Austria, to Munich, Germany, reveling in this big coupe’s ability to accelerate smartly, shrink distances, and entertain us royally with its split-second shifting and deeply satisfying exhaust note.

AMG’s stylists ensured you won’t mistake their CL for the tamer Stuttgart version. There’s a big fishmouth air intake under the grille, smart-looking titanium-painted headlamp lenses, distinctive aerodynamic side skirts, unique taillamps and rear fascia wrapped in an eye-pleasing wedge shape that’s reminiscent of M-B’s delicious CLS sedan-coupe. Inside, swathed in Passion leather, whether you choose walnut or aluminum trim, you’re enveloped in luxury.

On sale next June for an estimated $125,000, the limited-production 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG will raise the supercoupe bar, for just a few hundred enthusiasts. Better get in line.

When the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG drove onto the Paris stage, there wasn’t any doubt — it looked nearly perfect. This car wears AMG’s new look as if it were designed that way from Day One — and to some degree, it was. Unlike some earlier AMG vehicles that were modified well after the standard versions were already on sale, the AMG team led by Chairman Volker Mornhinweg had their hand in the development of this CL right from the start. “Our customers have told us that they want the cars to be even more unique. Nothing too drastic, but enough so that knowledgeable enthusiasts will recognize it is an AMG,” Volker told us after the introduction.

Like most recent AMG models, the CL63 gets Mercedes’ new 6.2-liter, normally aspirated V8. Tuned to produce 525 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque in this application, the power runs to the rear wheels through Mercedes’ own seven-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes claims a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds.

A set of striking 20-inch double-spoke wheels are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza tires that look barely big enough to fit around the rims. The reprogrammed version of Mercedes’ latest Active Body Control system puts the big wheels and tires to good use, as it’s able to virtually eliminate body roll through constant adjustment of the dampers. High-performance brakes utilize a unique sliding caliper design in front and composite rotors at each corner for optimum heat resistance.

Another area of importance stressed by Mornhinweg is the CL63’s interior. “Customers in this price range want more than just performance; they want even more luxury as well.” All CL63s get AMG sport seats covered in unique leather and aluminum shift paddles that rest behind the thicker sport steering wheel. A unique analog clock design and brushed aluminum door sills are also part of the package.

The new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition that has been developed in close alliance with the British Formula 1 specialists McLaren is brimming with thoroughbred racing credentials. For Mercedes-Benz, the name was an obvious choice for the new model variant which evokes memories of the unforgettable victory achieved in 1955 by the British motor-racing legend Stirling Moss and his co-pilot Dennis Jenkinson at Mille Miglia – the classic Italian endurance race – behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR with start number 722 (denoting the car’s start time of 7.22 a.m.). The new SLR McLaren 722 Edition super sports car has been developed in response to the desire expressed by the brand’s most discerning customers for even greater sportiness without losing any of the car’s impressive everyday practicality. Under the bonnet is a supercharged 5.5-litre V8 powerplant generating 478 kW/650 hp that endows the high-end sports car with truly devastating performance: the SLR 722 Edition completes the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a breathtaking 3.6 seconds, with the speedometer needle passing the 200 km/h mark in a mere 10.2 seconds and 300 km/h in just 28.0 seconds. The acceleration times surpass the figures for the successful SLR – which will continue to be built – as does the top speed of 337 km/h.

Mercedes-Benz is presenting a broad cross-section of product firsts and technical innovations at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Exclusive high-performance models such as the CL 63 AMG and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition super sports car are celebrating their world premiere here. The latest version of the CL-Class is making its public debut under the slogan “The Virtuoso Luxury Coupé”. Highlights being exhibited on the premium brand’s stand also include the completely redeveloped 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system, which is receiving its first outing in the S-Class. The advent of the S 320 CDI 4MATIC sees Mercedes-Benz offer all-wheel drive in combination with diesel power for the first time in the S Class. Also on show are the standard-specification E-Class models which will be embarking on the remarkable Paris-Beijing endurance rally.

Make no mistake, the Lotus Turbo Esprit was not just a slightly modified Esprit, nor just an easy and conventional way of gaining incremental sales for Lotus. In the Hethel scheme of things it was very important and technically very significant, if only for the fact that it was chosen to spearhead a new assault on the United States market in 1983. It is tempting to suggest that if only Lotus had been able to give the car a different body style, they would certainly have been justified in giving it an entirely different name as well. Under the skin, which was extensively retouched by Giugiaro, there was a new chassis-frame, new rear suspension, new aerodynamic features and a turbocharged version of the 2.2-litre 16-valve engine, which produced no less than 210bhp. For this amazing car, Lotus claimed a top speed of 152mph —and it meant that they had produced their first true Supercar. By any engineering standards, the Turbo Esprit was, and is, a phenomenal motor car. However, like the original Esprit, it was first shown to the public a long time before deliveries could possibly begin. The occasion of the car’s launch was an extravagant party at the Albert Hall, in London, hosted by Team Lotus’ Grand Prix sponsors at that time, Essex Petroleum, in which one of the three prototypes was displayed in the dramatic Essex blue, silver and red livery. Although the Turbo Esprit was the first Lotus actually to be exhibited with a 2.2-litre engine, the normally-aspirated version of this unit had already gone into production for the S2.2 models. Even so, because of the rush to show a Turbo Esprit at the Albert Hall, the planned release of non-turbocharged engines was overshadowed for several months.

Lotus’ own press material stresses the scope and nature of the new car’s development: ‘… this new addition to our model range is not an Esprit with a bolt-on Turbo pack, but a fully developed and redesigned motor car in its own right.’ So much of the car was new, indeed, that it would probably be easier to list what was not changed, modified or improved. For a start, there was a new design of backbone frame, prepared not only because Lotus wanted to provide an altogether more integrated structure than before, and to accommodate a new rear suspension, but also because they wanted to leave enough space for the still-secret V8 unit to be fitted one day. Lotus made no secret of the existence of a large-capacity V8 engine in their development programme, which explain6 why the engine bay of the new frame was wider and the general layout so much more sturdy.

At the front of the car, the independent suspension — now with more Lotus-sourced parts than ever — and rack-and-pinion steering of existing Esprits was retained, but at the rear there was a new layout. Earlier cars had used the simplest possible linkage, in which the fixed-length driveshafts doubled as upper transverse links. The disadvantage of this was that comenng stresses were fed into the final drive housing, found their way to the rest of the engine/transmission assembly and did little to minimize harshness and vibration in the structure. For the new car, there was a new linkage, with a wide-based lower wishbone and an upper transverse link, which allowed the driveshaft to have sliding joints and to carry out only one function; coil spring/damper units, of course, were also retained. Development of the new car began before the end of 1977, and if so much effort had not needed to be diverted into the DeLorean project, it would certainly have been announced months earlier than was the case. Even so, the M72, as the Turbo Esprit was known — M7 1 was the project including the V8 engine, by the way — progressed from ‘good idea’ to production car in little over two years. Apart from the new chassis and suspension, early decisions had to be made about the body style and the changes to the engine.

Compared with the bodyshell on normal Esprits of the period, there were many obvious changes and additions, mostly made for good aerodynamic reasons. The main shape and structure was unchanged, but differences were obvious from all angles. At the front, there was a larger wrap-round bumper allied to a deep new spoiler. There were matching skirts along the sides, under the doors, complete with NACA-type ducts moulded in to direct cooling air towards the engine compartment. At the rear there was a sizeable and completely functional spoiler above the tail-lamps and number-plate, a large bumper matching the front component and extra skirting under the tail. Above the engine bay, instead of glass there was Venetian-blind-style black louvring. In addition, not only to make the styling even more distinctive, but to optimize the roadholding, there were 1 5in diameter alloy road wheels of a new style, with 7in front and 8in rear rims and Goodyear NCT tyres. Most Turbos have been sold on BB’s wheels, but a few early cars were supplied with three-piece Compomotive rims instead. To produce the new Type 910 engine Lotus redesigned the Type 907 from end to end, and the final product differs in almost every detail from normally-aspirated Type 911 (Talbot Sunbeam-Lotus) and Type 912 (S2.2 Lotus) units. The finalized engine had its Garrett AiResearch turbocharger mounted above the clutch bellhousing, behind the cylinder block, and boosted inlet air to the Dellorto carburettors to a peak of 8psi above atmospheric pressure. To compensate for this, and to optimize all settings, the nominal compression was reduced to 7.5:1 (from 9.4:1) and there was a different camshaft profile. A feature not always noticed by the pundits was the dry-sump lubrication system.

The result of a great deal of development work was not only a very powerful engine — peak power was 210bhp (DIN) at 6,250rpm and peak torque 2001b.ft at 4,500rpm — but one which was extremely flexible, having mostly ‘non-turbo’ habits. Its behaviour was so unexpectedly good, for instance, that Motor Sport headlined its test, ‘The perfect driving machine?’, while Autocar called the very same car a ‘paragon of the turbocharged’. To deal with all this power, the only important changes were to the clutch — whose diameter was increased by an inch — and the brakes, which were larger — but not ventilated — at front and rear. Inside the car, it was still the same basic layout as before, with no more space for stowing oddments, cases or especially children(!) though there was a new and plushy type of trim and padding, while the Essex cars were given air conditioning as standard and a complex Panasonic radio cassette player mounted in the centre of the roof panel; unfortunately this was FM (VHF wavelength) only, so was disliked by most customers and was dropped when the Essex Commemorative run was complete. Although the Essex Turbo Esprit, price £20,950, had been announced in February 1980, deliveries did not begin until August that year, immediately after the summer holiday shut-down. However, although development work had been completed to ‘Federalize’ the sensational engine, the Turbo Esprit, as already explained, was not sent to the United States at this stage. In its first calendar year, 1980, therefore, a total of 57 Turbos were built, of which 44 stayed in the UK

Apart from the price of the Turbo — which in January 1981 had not changed from the launch figure — another feature which seemed to disturb some potential customers was the flamboyant Essex colour scheme. Very wisely, therefore, Lotus decided to offer a more conventional machine once the intended 100 Essex cars had been built. From April 1981 a Turbo Esprit in conventional colours, but still with all the appropriate body panels and decals, was made available for £16,917, though part of this huge price reduction was due to the fact that air conditioning was now an optional extra. Demand perked up almost at once, and in spite of the generally reduced level of Lotus sales in 1981 and 1982, Turbo production rose to 116 in 1981 and 205 in 1982. In 1982, the Turbo was the fastest-selling Lotus model, backed up by the normally-aspirated Esprit S3, of which 160 cars were built. The glamorous publicity occasioned by the use of Turbo Esprits in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only did no harm at all! Lotus had had several traumatic experiences in trying to sell and support cars in the United States, but Mike Kimberley thought that a new deal would offer the best of all possible worlds. Before the end of 1982, a new company, Lotus Performance Cars, was set up on the East Coast, headed by John A Spiech, previously General Manager of Ferrari, North America – a 1,000 cars per year operation —and it was suggested that 350 cars would be sold in 1983, with 700 projected for 1986.

As Mike Kimberley told me: ‘We have a special car for this market, which is really a brand new model, with a new set of body moulds, a lot more space, foot boxes and headroom, and so on. We’re going in for the first time ever with a clean market. There hasn’t been mid-engined Lotus for sale over there since 1981, and the Turbo was never launched over there, so it’s all new. Even though the 1983 Federal Turbo Esprit kept its original project number of M72, it was new or modified in many respects, and factory personnel were very excited about its prospects, especially as the peak power output had needed only minor trimming. Lotus viewed the realignment of £/$ exchange rates as an unqualified bonus for them as exporters. Early in 1983 they were expecting to price their Turbo Esprit at $48,000, compared with the $60,000 asked for the equivalent two-seater Ferrari 308. ‘And,’ as Kimberley quoted with glee, ‘our car will do 0—60mph in 6.5sec in full detoxed trim, whereas that Ferrari takes 8.3sec.’ After March 1983, all Turbo Esprits were built with conventional wet-sump engine lubrication. The dry-sumping introduced in 1980 was always agreed to be a real safety-conscious ‘belt and braces’ job, and prolonged testing convinced the engineers that it was not really needed.

The success of this car, and the almost universal praise for its engineering, behaviour and detail fittings, all go to prove that at this price a customer is more interested in ‘the right specification than in mundane practicality. If he is not in the Turbo Esprit price class, he simply would not appreciate that the extrovert good looks also have a functional effect on the car’s aerodynamics, but he would appreciate the intercooling effect of the finned manifolding from turbocharger to carburettor plenum chamber, the remarkable grip and handling and the excellent lie-down driving position. And if he were a Turbo Esprit enthusiast, he would make sure that he never went kerb-hopping to cause punctures anyway. To avoid confusion in future years, the existence of the Bell & Colvill Esprit Turbo must be mentioned at this stage. Bell & Colvill, based at West Horsley, in Surrey, are Lotus dealers, and in 1978 they announced their own privately-financed turbocharged conversion on the basis of the Esprit S2. This car, of course, was the 2-litre model, and the turbocharging layout was entirely different, having been developed by Stuart Mathieson on his own account. In this conversion, priced at £2,000, there was a single and very large SU carburettor upstream of the Garrett AiResearch turbocharger, which fed the fuel-air mixture at a maximum boost of 8psi to the engine, whose nominal compression ratio had been reduced to 7.5:1 by the use of new pistons. Peak power was quoted at 210bhp at 6,000rpm, while peak torque was 2021b.ft.

Although it was neither as flexible, nor as refined as the factory Turbo which was to follow, the Bell & Colvill car was undoubtedly very fast, with a claimed top speed of more than 150mph, 0—60mph in 6.2sec and 0—100mph in 17.2sec. The only way that one could identify this car externally was because B & C had added ‘turbo’ decals to the front and sides of the car, near the factory’s own ‘Esprit’ decals. Esprit Turbo in the mid-Eighties From 1983 to 1986 the Esprit Turbo was virtually buried under the tide of controversy which surrounded Lotus, their finances and their many commercial problems. Somehow, though, customers rose above all this and ordered the car in increased quantities. The Esprit Turbo was Lotus’ best seller in each of those years — and in much-modified early-Nineties form it was the only car which kept Lotus afloat. The corporate upheavals have already been summarized in Chapter 3. In the autumn of 1983 the Turbo was modified by being given a rather more spacious boot compartment, but there was also the introduction of an intriguing option, a removable glass panel in the roof. It made a good car even more versatile.

In 1983, 343 cars were built and no fewer than 418 would follow in 1984. In all this success, the building of Lotus’ 30,000th car, in May 1984, passed almost unnoticed. Except that the new eight-year anti-corrosion warranty was applied to the Turbo’s chassis from late 1984, there were to be no more significant changes until March 1986. That was the year in which not one, but two powerful new derivatives were launched: one for sale to the USA and other ‘strict-emission’ markets; the other for sale to the rest of the world.

In March 1986, at the Geneva motor show, the Turbo HCPI (HC = High Compression, with Petrol Injection) was unveiled. The compression ratio had been increased to 8.0:1, maximum boost pressure was up, and not only was this the first Lotus to use injection — the familiar Bosch K-Jetronic layout — but it also had a catalytic converter in the exhaust system. The packaging engineers had done their best to make the cockpit more roomy, for the seats had been widened and lowered, while the footwell area had been enlarged. Not only was the engine more powerful and more torquey than before, but the chassis had been improved with wider-section tyres (195/60s at the front, 235/60s at the rear), while there was a new front spoiler and a larger radiator intake. To drill home the message this car also had HCPI decals. The ‘Rest of the World’ derivative of this car, titled Esprit Turbo HC, was put on sale in October 1986. It shared the same high-compression head of the HCPI, but retained its Dellorto carburettors and was not fitted with a catalyst. Like changes made to the normally-aspirated Esprit at the same time, the latest HC also had an uprated cooling system and adjustable-rake seats. It was a more expensive car than before – £24,980 in the UK, which was an increase of £l,540 on the original type. Compared with the earlier Turbo there had been a 10 per cent torque increase, which made an immediate and obvious difference to the performance. When Autocar tested the car in 1987, it was summarized as: ‘In many areas … a very practical supercar … a remarkably satisfying device with which to cover long distances quickly. But with many less expensive sportscars now offering similar performance, the Lotus begins to look a little less attractive than it did three years ago. The same cannot be said for its styling, however, which remains truly exotic.’ By that time, however, the original-shape Esprit was only a few months away from the end of its long career, though Lotus managed to keep this secret well hidden until the very last month. In the autumn of 1987 the old car was discontinued and a new-style, more rounded, X180 model took over.

The Turbo version was also to feature in the James Bond movie “For Your Eyes Only” (1981).

The Lotus Esprit Turbo Technical Specification
ENGINE

Transverse, mid, rear-wheel drive
Head/ block al. alloy/al alloy. 4 cylinders in line.
Bore 95.3mm, stroke 76.2mm,
capacity 2174cc.
Valve gear 2ohc. 4 valves per cylinder.
Compression ratio 80 to 1.
Electronic breakerless ignition.
Twin Dellorto DHLA 45 carburettors
Garrett T3 turbocharger.
boost pressure 9.5psi (0.67bar).
Max power 215bhp (PS-DIN) (160kW ISO) at 6000rpm.
Max torque 2201b ft (298 Nm) at 4250rpm.
TRANSMISSION
5-speed manual
Gear Ratio
Top 0.82
4th 1.03
3rd 1.38
2nd 2.05
1st 3.36
Final drive ratio 3.88:1.
Transaxle: Renault UN1-16 all – Syncromesh
SUSPENSION

Front, independent, double wishbone. co-axail coil springs, telescopic dampers, and-roll bar. Rear, independent, upper and lower transverse link with radius arms, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar.
STEERING
Rack and pinion.
Steering wheel diameter l4ins,
2.9 turns lock to lock.
BRAKES
Front l0.1ins(258mm) dia ventilated discs.
Rear l0.8ins (275.9mm) dia discs.
Vacuum servo.
WHEELS
Al alloy,7ins rims front. 8ins rear.
Goodyear Eagle NCT tyres
size 195/60VR15 F,
235/60VR15 R.
DIMENSIONS
Length: 4330 mm
Width: 1860 mm
Height: 1150 mm
PERFORMANCE
Maximum Speed: 153.5 mph (247 kpm)
Acceleration: 0 – 60 mph, 5.4 Seconds
Standing mile: 13.7secs, 103mph
standing KM: 25.0secs, 129mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Overall mpg: 19.6 (14.4 litres/100km)
Fuel tank: 18.0 Imp galls (82 litres)
Mileage recorder 4 per cent long
CLUTCH
Pedal 15lb; Travel: 6.O ins
Single Dry Plate 235 mm diameter, diaphragm spring cover assembly, hydrolic operation
WEIGHT
kerb 3052lb/1386kg
distribution % F/R 51/49
Test 3434lb/l559kg
Max payload 501lb/227kg
COST
LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO NEW IN 1988 – £29.950.00

In the words of Professor Dr. Herbert Kohler, responsible for Group Research & Advanced Engineering Vehicle and Powertrain at DaimlerChrysler AG, “With the F 700, Mercedes-Benz shows what the big touring sedan of the future will look like. It offers environmentally compatible mobility combined with utmost comfort and an effortlessly superior drive.”

With that, the F 700 meets the growing demands on luxury-class automobiles. The focus is on conserving resources and protecting the environment: low consumption, low CO2 emissions, low pollution levels. For in future there will continue to be considerable demand for the comfortable mobility provided by large sedans.

Making this kind of mobility sustainable is a major responsibility which Mercedes-Benz faces up to in an all-out way. The F 700 is an unmistakable sign of this: as a research car it demonstrates with innovative approaches and technologies not only how resources can be conserved and the environment protected, but also how driver and passengers can be relieved of stress and can travel completely at ease.

“Sustainable mobility only can be realized by intensive research and development. Technological progress is decisive for creating suitable products for an increasingly more critical world,” says Professor Dr. Herbert Kohler.

The F 700 research car shows new ways to achieve resource-conserving mobility. The heart of the car is the novel drive system which combines the advantages of the low-emission spark-ignition engine with the consumption advantages of the diesel drive.

The diesel engine’s crucial advances to its current combination of dynamic performance and low fuel consumption were made possible by turbocharging and common-rail direct injection – both pioneering achievements of Mercedes-Benz. The “DIESOTTO” drive takes this some decisive steps further: consistent downsizing through reduction of displacement and the number of cylinders makes for improved efficiency, and a hybrid module assists the internal combustion engine mainly in stop-and-go operation. Moreover, the diesel principle with controlled auto ignition (CAI) makes its debut in the spark-ignition engine.

On starting and at full load, the air-fuel mixture is not ignited by a sparkplug as in a conventional gasoline engine. The controlled auto ignition (homogeneous combustion) to which the DIESOTTO automatically reverts within its working cycle occurs under partial load conditions, i.e. at low and medium engine speeds.

As a result of homogeneous combustion at reduced reaction temperatures, very low emissions of nitrogen oxides are produced. The rest of the emission control work in the DIESOTTO drive is handled by a standard three-way catalytic converter. In addition, in order to combine the individual subsystems into one drive concept, a highly efficient engine management and control system has been implemented.

The drive unit of the F 700 is a compact four-cylinder with a displacement of 1.8 liters, and yet it ensures that feeling of effortless, superior power afforded by a luxury sedan: a two-stage turbocharger system ensures good response and torquey pulling power. In addition, when the car moves off the internal combustion engine is assisted by the electric motor of the hybrid module. The maximum output is 175 kW (238 hp), the electric motor pitches in another 15 kW (20 hp), and the system’s maximum torque is about 400 Newton meters. The 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 7.5 seconds attests to the dynamics of the F 700, whose top speed is limited to 200 km/h. Despite these outstanding performance figures, the consumption of the F 700 in the standard cycle is only about 5.3 liters, equivalent to CO2 emissions of 127 grams per kilometer – extremely low for an automobile of this category.

Similar advances are made by the F 700 in the area of ride comfort. Mercedes-Benz has always been a leader in the area of road roar/tire vibration characteristics and suspension comfort: the Active Body Control suspension system in the CL-Class, S- and SL-Class sets the standard worldwide with its unrivaled combination of comfort, handling safety and dynamics. This system is now surpassed by the new technology of the F 700.

For here, once again, the new research car takes an important step to the future: thanks to its active PRE-SCAN suspension, the vehicle not only responds with great sensitivity to roadway unevenness; more than that, it acts with foresight.

PRE-SCAN uses two laser sensors in the front headlamp units as “eyes”. They deliver a precise image of the condition of the roadway. Based on the image supplied by the laser sensors and the information on the vehicle state, the control unit figures out a specific strategy which the high-pressure hydraulics translate into precisely calculated fluid flows and pressures for each single wheel.

The exceptional efficiency of the overall concept of the F 700 is evident at first sight: its design is distinguished by soft, flowing forms. “Aqua Dynamic” is the name the designers have given to this design idiom with which they translated the flow dynamics of a fish into the design of an exceptional automobile. Besides, the design provides an immediately indication that much room has been given to the passengers. With an overall exterior length of 5.18 meters the F 700 is a little shorter than the current long-wheelbase version of the S-Class, but with its generously sized wheelbase of 3.45 meters the research car excels the production model by impressive 28.5 centimeters.

The side view of the F 700 is marked by the tense curves of the roof contour and shoulder line. This sedan puts a new interpretation on a design theme of Mercedes-Benz, for the current CLS also displays such tense lateral lines. The distinctively shaped front wheel arches likewise are inspired by a current model – the S‑Class. After all, even a research car is always a Mercedes-Benz and stands on the foundation of the automobile brand with the richest tradition in the world.

The headlamps of the F 700 are a futuristic interpretation of the Mercedes-typical twin-headlamp face. Two vertical rows of linear LED arrays with superposed lens have the function of driving lights. A third vertical row of single high-performance LEDs are the daytime driving lights. Together with the continuous contour lights they give the F 700 an unmistakable appearance even by night. The “eyes” of the F 700 are integrated into the headlamps: these laser scanners gather the roadway data for the active PRE-SCAN suspension. Unlike any conventional automobile this sedan “sees” the surface profile of the road ahead of it.

The driver’s door also “observes” its surroundings attentively. In the base of the mirror of this PRE-SCAN door there is a very compact laser scanner which examines the area in which the door swings open for any obstacles. If collisions threaten, the door is arrested by a controllable hydraulic cylinder.

The extremely spacious and flexible interior concept is manifested outwardly not only by the long wheelbase. Two large glazed areas in the roof also emphasize the spacious design. Owing to the use of natural materials like leather and cork and to a harmonious brown and beige color scheme, the interior makes an elegant and light impression and appears very up-scale.

The right rear door of the F 700 is hinged at the rear. Reversing the direction in which the door opens makes it easier to get into the REVERSE seat – another innovation in the new Mercedes-Benz research car. The REVERSE seat is the heart of the new seating concept, a completely new design thought out for the right rear seat. It breaks up the firmly established seating arrangement of a sedan and instead permits individual seat and rest positions, both facing the direction of travel and in the opposite direction.

This provides the opportunity for very different kinds of use depending on the purpose and duration of travel. Four persons sit in the conventional way facing the direction of travel. If the front passenger seat is unoccupied, at the push of a button the right rear seat can be moved to a relax position. To do this one moves the front passenger seat forward and folds the backrest towards the dashboard. Another use is made possible by the special functionality of the REVERSE seat (right rear seat). A new type of mechanism allows the passenger to sit in reverse direction and look out the back. He can chat face to face with his neighbor, work, rest, or enjoy the audiovisual entertainment. A monitor with an overall diagonal display measurement of 51 centimeters and a surround sound system create a cinema atmosphere. More than anything else though, the monitor delivers fascinatingly deep images with its 3D technology.

The innovative operating concept conduces greatly to the clear, generous spatial impression: the displays of the information and control system are visible at the point farthest forward in the interior, but, optically, appear a bit further away, because at the bottom edge of the windshield there is a mirror; the display itself is horizontally retracted into the cockpit. This technology not only makes for a very clear and tidily arranged instrument panel. Owing to the bigger distance between the driver’s eyes and the display as compared with a conventional cockpit, the need for the eyes to adapt their range for far and near vision is appreciably smaller. This reduces eye fatigue and makes a scientifically verified contribution to greater stress-relieving safety.

The SERVO-HMI of the F 700 presents itself in an appreciably improved version complemented by a special assistant. Operation of the navigation system, the communication systems and the telephone as well as the audio and entertainment systems is by means of the proven COMAND rotary/pushbutton controller, to which a slide function has been added. Preselections in the operating menu are made in three positions. The air conditioning system is operated by an additional touch-sensitive control.

For more complex input operations, for innovative support there is an individual input assistant in the form of a virtual person, called an avatar in computerese. Such avatars are familiar from the internet world or computer games as electronic images representing real persons.
In the F 700 the avatar takes the shape of a young woman. She enters into verbal dialogue with the driver, asking for the desired destination in the navigation menu, for example, and confirming the voice input. It works the same way when you select someone to call from the phonebook or a desired radio station.

This form of dialogue simplifies voice control for the driver and improves the system’s voice recognition performance. Moreover, the scope of possible dialogue assistance functions can be enlarged almost without limit. For instance, the avatar as virtual assistant could access online databases from the vehicle via internet link, add items to the driver’s appointments book, or read aloud important e-mails. Operation by voice dialogue minimizes distraction – after all, driving safety is always the most important concern at Mercedes-Benz.

Since the beginning of the 1980s Mercedes-Benz has introduced twelve research cars. This series of exciting and pioneering automobiles – from Auto 2000 in 1981 to the current F 700 – documents the resolution and foresight with which the Mercedes-Benz engineers delve into central topics of research and technology and develop innovative solutions for the future.

Many systems in research cars that were considered revolutionary years ago are in use in Mercedes-Benz production cars today. They include, for example, the DISTRONIC proximity control. It was implemented for the first time in 1991 in the F 100 and premiered in series production in 1998 in the S-Class. The Active Body Control suspension system employed today in the CL-, S- and SL-Class is an example of successful technology transfer from research to production car, as are the windowbag and the active light function. The F 500 Mind provided the inspiration for further hybrid development. It combined the V8 diesel engine of an S‑Class with an electric motor. At the time this duo was the most powerful, torquiest hybrid drive for a rear-wheel drive passenger car. The F 700 will continue down this path and show the way to series production for significant innovations in drive and comfort technology.

Price –
Production –
Engine 1.8 liter 4 cylinder
Weight 3748 lbs
Aspiration turbocharging
Torque 295 lb-ft
HP 238 hp
HP/Weight 15.7 lbs per hp
HP/Liter 132.2 hp per liter
1/4 mile –
0-62 mph 7.5 seconds
Top Speed 124 mph (electronically limited)

Enough is never enough: This is the motto behind FAB DESIGN`s extensive refinement treatment of the grand Mercedes coupe. The new wide body aerodynamic programm fits in harmony into the entire picture and gives the vehicle a more sporty appearance.

The FAB DESIGN wide body front bumper forms a unit with the new wide front fenders and takes up the line guidance at the new CL. A big opening placed in the middle provides a lot of fresh air for the coolers. The left and right side intakes serve a lot of cooling for the brakes. Despite the enlargement of the fender the harmony and elegance of the basic CL is fully preserved. The front fender sideopenings behind the salient enlargements act
as an additional cooling element. The lightly overstanding sideskirts at the door bottom edge, make the CL look not only sporty but also dynamical and stylish. The sporty and dynamic looking rear fender with the intakes provides a lot of ventilation for a sufficient cooling of the rear brake system.

The sophisticated and unique design of the rear bumper convert the CL next to the efficient aerodynamic also a breath taking optic. The shape of the lower section of the rear bumper produces an excellent downforce value.

The new shape of the four integrated slightly horizontal placed exhaust endpipes, is just another way to reflect the unique way of FAB DESIGN inspiration.

FAB DESIGN goes own ways also for the light alloy wheel. The 3-pces forged FAB DESIGN type 6 EVOLINE wheel fascinates through its own and athletically optic. The aluminium wheels look through the low bed particularly big, the wheels are completely painted in the car color (titanium brilliant grey). The visible chromed screws look technical and give a sporty finish. The front axle is fitted with wheels in dimensions of 10J x 20, the rear axle even with 12J x 20 inch. Dunlop Sportmax tires in the dimensions of 255/30 ZR 20 for the front axle and 305/25 ZR 20 for the rear axle, providing sufficient “Grip” by all speeds. Combined with the modificated suspension results in an indescribable
curvening pleasure without influencing negatively the straight run. The interior is another new way from FAB DESIGN. The complete interior is in light beige FAB DESIGN leather/alcantara and the middle sections of the seats in FAB DESIGN crocolook light brown. This crocolook imitation is made of genuine car leather and respects all the required norms. The new developed FAB DESIGN sport seats in the front give to the interior a very luxury and sporty touch.

The performance: the engineers from FAB DESIGN have developed a costly conversion that upgrades the performance of the V12 Biturbo to 650 PS and the torque to fabulous 1120 Newtonmeter. In the FAB DESIGN S60 BT performance kit only strengthen or new constructed parts are used, which in spite of high strain guarantee a long life duration, as they are usualy in the (OEM) set. The mechanic and electronic of the gear unit belongs also to the extend of the upgraded performance package as well as the power of the adaptation of the brakesystem.
End of FAB Design Mercedes Benz CL 600 V12 Biturbo review.

Performance: 650 PS /478 KW by 5400 rpm.
torque: 1120 Nm by 1800-3600 rpm.
top speed: 320 km/h
acceleration 0-100: 4.2 Sec.

Mercedes-Benz 300SL is a two-seat, closed sports car with characteristic gull-wing doors, and later, offered as an open roadster. It was also given the name “Widowmaker” because many male drivers died when crashing their 300 SL’s. Built by Daimler-Benz AG and internally numbered W198, the road version of 1952 was based (somewhat loosely) on the company’s highly successful competition-only sports car of 1950, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL (W194) which had less power, as it still had carburetors.

This model was suggested by Max Hoffman. Because it was intended for customers whose preferences were reported to Hoffman by dealers he supplied in the booming, post-war American market, it was introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show—unlike previous models introduced at either the Frankfurt or Geneva shows. The 300SL was best known for both its distinctive gullwing or butterfly wing doors and for being the first-ever gasoline-powered car equipped with fuel injection directly into the combustion chamber. The gullwing version was available from March 1955 to 1957. In Mercedes-Benz fashion, the “300″ referred to the engine’s cylinder displacement, in this case, three liters. The “SL”, as applied to a roadster, stood for “Sport Leicht” or “Sport Light.”

More widely produced (25,881 units) and starting in 1954 was the similar looking 190SL with a 105hp 4cyl engine, available only as roadster (or with an additional hardtop, as Coupe Roadster). The 190SL was equivalent to today’s SLK in its market positioning when compared to the SL. Production for both the 190SL and 300SL ended in 1963 when the 230SL was introduced.
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The gullwing doors, hinged at the roof and so named because the open doors resembled a bird’s outstretched wings, were implemented as such to accommodate for the car’s tubular chassis, designed by DBAG’s chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Part of the chassis passed through what would be the lower half of a standard door. This tubular chassis was a necessity, as the original car was designed solely for racing and needed to be as light as possible due to the rather underpowered original, carbureted, engine, while still providing a high level of strength. This required the driver and any passengers to do some gymnastics to get in or out of the car, usually by sitting on and sliding across the wide door sill. A steering wheel with a tilt-away column made the process considerably easier.

It was Max Hoffman, Daimler-Benz’s official importer in the USA, who convinced DBAG management in Stuttgart that a street version of the 300SL would be a commercial success, especially in the US. Hoffman’s prediction was correct since more than 80% of the vehicle’s total production of approximately 1100 units were sold in the US, making the Gullwing the first Mercedes-Benz which sold in bulk outside its home market. The 300SL is credited for changing the company’s image in America from a manufacturer of solid, but staid, automobiles to that of a producer of sporty cars.

The body was mainly steel, except for the aluminium hood (bonnet), doors and trunk (boot) lid. The 300SL could also be ordered with an all-aluminium outer skin, saving 80 kg (176 lb), but at tremendous added cost.

This car is owned by Reza of Carlsbad, CA. The engine, canted at a fifty-degree angle to the left to allow for a lower hoodline, was the same 3.0 liter straight-6 as the regular four-door 300 but with a Bosch mechanical fuel injection system that more than doubled its power from 86 kW (115 hp) in its original carbureted trim to 180 kW (240 hp) at 6100 rpm. This new injection system, a first in any gasoline-powered car (apart from the rather small Gutbrod where the Mercedes engineers had to work after the war), allowed a top speed of up to 260 km/h (161 mph) depending on gear ratio (several options were available), making the 300SL the fastest production car of its time. The maintenance requirements were high as, unlike the current electrically powered fuel injection systems, the mechanical fuel pump would continue to inject gasoline into the engine during the interval between shutting off the ignition and the engine’s coming to a stop; this gasoline was of course not burned, and washed the oil from the cylinder walls and ended up diluting the engine’s lubricating oil, particularly if the engine was not driven hard enough nor long enough to reach a temperature high enough to evaporate it out of the oil. Exacerbating the problem were the large oil cooler as well as the large volume of oil (10 liters), both oriented more to racing than to street driving, which virtually guaranteed that the oil would not reach a high enough temperature. In practice, many street drivers would block off airflow through the oil cooler, and the recommended oil change interval was 1,000 miles.

Aerodynamics played an important role in the car’s speed. Mercedes-Benz engineers even went so far as to place horizontal “eyebrows” over the wheel openings. Given the car’s overall styling, it has been suggested that the eyebrows were added to make the car more appealing to American buyers rather than to serve any functional purpose since American cars of the period were rather flamboyant by comparison to the 300SL. Unlike many cars of the 1950s, the steering was relatively precise and the four-wheel independent suspension allowed for a reasonably comfortable ride and markedly better overall handling. However, the rear swing axle, jointed only at the differential, not at the wheels themselves, could be treacherous at high speeds or on imperfect roads due to extreme changes in camber.

In 1952, the 300SL racing history includes overall wins at Le Mans, Berne, Nürburgring, and Mexico’s Carrera Panamericana. It also managed second and fourth places at its first outing, the Mille Miglia in 1952. These successes, especially those on the high speed open road races, were rather surprising as the engine was fitted with carburetors and produced only 175 hp, less than the competiting models of Ferrari and Jaguar, and less than the road car later on. But low weight and low aerodynamic drag made the 300SL fast enough to be a challenger. Superior reliability made it a winner.

The 1955 sports racing car, named Mercedes-Benz 300SLR, was not based on the road 300SL, but on the Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz W196 race car with 8 cylinders in line. The engine capacity was enlarged from 2500cc to 3000cc, and it was powered by standard gasoline rather than a fuel mix including methanol. It won the 1955 Mille Miglia (with Stirling Moss at the wheel) with an average speed of 157.65 km/h in 1,600 km (97.96 mph in 994 miles). The 300SLR scored additional victories in Germany, Sweden, Ireland and at the Targa Florio in Sicily, and won the world championship for sports cars in the constructors’ ranking. The 300SLR was withdrawn from the 1955 Le Mans disaster while leading, after a horrific accident involving one of the team’s cars killed 82 spectators. In 2005, a 300SL Gull Wing driven by 87 year old John Fitch, one of the SLR Factory drivers in the 1955 Le Mans race and the GT class winner in MM driving a factory prepaired 300 SL Gull Wing, attempted to set a new F/GT class record for land speed record at Bonneville Speedway, but was thwarted by a balky fuel pump that limited top speed to 150 mph. After the run, the team vowed to return for a second attempt the next year. Fitch noted that he had driven these cars faster than that at night, in the rain, on the road with 60 other cars.

The R500 is big. Bigger than it looks. And way bigger than it feels from its driver seat. At 203 inches long, the R500 dwarfs a Cadillac Escalade by 5 inches. Mercedes says around 64 percent of that length is available for people. That may or may not be true, but the R500 is dang roomy inside.

It seats six comfortably. Not two tall people, two medium-sized folk and a couple of Gary Colemans, but six actual full-grown adults. Although the second-row captain’s chairs passed the enormous rear-facing child seat test with room to spare, it’s the usefulness and comfort of the third row that’s most impressive. Mercedes says there’s more than 30 inches of legroom back there, which is a class-leading number, plus the rear-quarter windows swing open with the press of a button for added ventilation.

Seat comfort is high for all on board, and Mercedes has made third-row access easy by expanding the length of the rear doors and putting both second-row seats on spring-loaded hinges. They jump out of the way with the flick of a lever, and snap back into place just as easily. The long rear doors can be a problem in tight parking spaces, but Mercedes felt the additional access was worth it.

Mercedes has also supplied each seat position with a cupholder, seat adjustments, armrests, climate control vents and side curtain airbags. And comfort options on our test car added a third zone to the climate control system, the largest sunroof we’ve ever seen and a unique rear-seat entertainment center that adds two screens that can be used exclusively from one another. Junior can be watching Scarface on one screen, while little Mary simultaneously plays Resident Evil 4 on the other.

Upfront, Mom and Dad get pampered as well with a power tilt/telescopic steering wheel, toasty seat heaters, a navigation system and satellite radio. The ability to start the car with the key in your pocket is also a nice luxury, but the coolest things are the front cupholders. They’re huge. Big-Gulp-and-beyond huge. And there’s also…wait for it…a built-in bottle opener. Too cool.
But moms with small children aren’t the only market for the R-Class, according to Mueller, although late-forming affluent families are a target. Mercedes also hopes to attract socialite empty-nesters with this vehicle.

People like Phyllis Hellwig, 60, who opened the R500’s big back door, flipped the second-row seat forward, took one look at the roomy third row and said, “Wow, even my old lady friends can climb in there.”

Behind that third-row bench, which is split 50/50, is 15.2 cubic feet of cargo room, about the same amount of room in the trunk of an S-Class. Drop the third row, which takes two flicks of a finger, and that space grows to 42.2 cubic feet. Remove the center console, which is really easy, and fold the two second-row captain’s chairs, and that space grows again to 85 cubic feet. If you need more, you probably know the lyrics to “Convoy” and possess a commercial driver license.

We should also mention the power liftgate, which impressed Phyllis, and the cargo area’s ability to swallow a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood, which did not.

We began our 10 days with the R500 by driving it 332 miles from Carmel, California, down to our Santa Monica office, a road trip that perfectly displayed its ability to eat interstate.

The trip was executed in supreme comfort. The cabin is quiet, its steeply raked windshield provides awesome visibility and the front seats are shaped to perfection. We also averaged 18.5 mpg, and made the trip on one tank of premium.

As much as we like the optional Airmatic suspension, the differences between its three settings are slim. About 100 miles south of Carmel, we decided the normal or middle setting was perfect, and we never really messed with it again.

The R500’s 5.0-liter single-overhead-cam V8 seems to have been powering Mercedes models since spats were cool, but it remains one of our favorite engines. Here it’s partnered with the company’s equally venerable full-time all-wheel-drive system and its new seven-speed automatic. Mercedes says 35 percent of the R-Class’ components are shared with the ML-Class sport-utility vehicle, and this powertrain is a large part of that. This is the same setup you would get in an ML500.

As satisfying off idle as it is at its 6,000-rpm redline, the V8 is rated at 302 hp at 5,600 rpm and 339 lb-ft of torque at 2,700 rpm. It’s plenty. Despite the R500’s portly 4,845 pounds, it sprints from zero to 60 mph in just 7.4 seconds, and through the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 91 mph. That’s about the same performance as we’ve measured for the BMW X5 4.8is, which has 53 more horsepower than the R and a fraction of the cargo room.

The seven-speed transmission has a lot to do with that performance. Although we think it could downshift a little quicker, it’s geared perfectly and clicks off swift upshifts when the driver has his foot down.

We tested the R’s handling with the suspension in the Sport setting, and were pleased with the vehicle’s agility. Although its steering is a little slow, body roll is well controlled, and the R’s all-wheel drive, standard 18-inch wheels and tires and ESP stability control give this very large vehicle surprising grip. We managed a best slalom run of 57.4 mph, which means the R outhandles most SUVs.

It can outstop them, too. Big four-wheel disc brakes, with 13.8-inch front rotors and standard ABS and BrakeAssist, haul this big vehicle down from 60 mph in just 126 feet.

Around town, those strong dynamics combine with a very tight turning circle to make the R-Class much more city-friendly than any SUV its size.
A League of its Own for a While
For a short while, the R-Class will have this premium sports tourer thing all to itself. On some level, the V6-powered R350 might compete with the still cheaper Pacifica, but the R500, which has a base price of over $56,000, is in a class by itself. That is until the Audi Q7 and other competitors from BMW, Lexus and Lincoln come to market over the next two years.

Until then, the only premium sports tourer choice is an excellent one. Pricey, too. The sticker price of our nearly loaded R500 test vehicle approached $75,000.

But if the idea of driving a station wagon still makes you cringe, then we suggest you listen to the great Eugene Levy, who in the cinematic magnum opus National Lampoon’s Vacation said, “Now, I owe it to myself to tell you, Mr. Griswold, that if you are thinking of taking the tribe cross country, this is the automobile you should be using. The Mercedes-Benz R500. You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it.”

Beneath the hood of the CLS550 is a V-8 rated at 382 horsepower. Stepping up a notch, the CLS63 AMG features a 507-hp, 5.5-liter V-8. The CLS550 includes such features as Airmatic DC air suspension and four-zone climate control for comfort levels comparable to the automaker’s S-Class sedan. Safety features include adaptive front airbags, side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags.

New standard equipment for 2008 includes seven-spoke 18-inch wheels. Dubbed a four-door coupe, the CLS-Class was derived from a coupe study that appeared at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. It features a high belt line and short side glass. A distinctive body crease rises from the front wheel arch, extends across the bodyside and continues through the contoured rear light cluster into the back bumper.

The roofline forms a sweeping arc above the body before smoothly transitioning into the C-pillar, which appears pulled toward the rear of the car. Aluminum is used for the front and rear subframes, parcel shelf and other components.

Built on a 112.4-inch wheelbase, the CLS-Class is slightly more than 193 inches long overall and nearly 74 inches wide.
Projector-type headlights are standard, and bi-xenon headlights are optional. An automatic cornering light function with the bi-xenon units switches on the cornering lights during a turn, and the adaptive headlights pivot to follow the driver’s steering movements.

Up to four occupants can fit inside the CLS-Class. The instrument panel’s central speedometer is flanked by a tachometer and clock. Black dials have chrome surrounds. Bar-chart displays show the fuel level and coolant temperature.
The four-door layout of the CLS-Class permits easy entry and exit. Power front seats are standard and may be equipped with optional active ventilation. Massaging front seats are also optional.

The CLS550 gets a 382-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 that works with a seven-speed automatic transmission. The CLS63 AMG has a 507-hp supercharged V-8 that’s connected to a five-speed automatic transmission. Both transmissions have manual-shift provisions.
Mercedes’ Pre-Safe system is standard. The system pre-tensions seat belts, moves the seats into a safer position and closes the sunroof if it senses an impending collision. An electronic stability system, antilock brakes, front and rear side-impact airbags, and side curtain airbags are standard.

This CLS sedan doesn’t look like a typical Mercedes-Benz. Relatively light steering detracts from the sporty feel even though handling capabilities rank high. This is a big car, yet it maneuvers like a smaller model.
The automaker’s mighty V-8 delivers plenty of power in a wholly refined and civilized manner. Shifts are more noticeable in the CLS than in some other luxury automobiles, but they’re reasonably crisp and quick. However, the automatic transmission’s operation tends to be intrusive while braking; it sometimes feels like an anchor ratcheting you down yet another notch. Occasional downshifts get awkward when rolling to a halt — and more so if you then step on the gas.

Expect a comfortable ride in the true luxury sense. The suspension might be taut, but its operation is largely concealed as you drive on smooth surfaces. On the downside, backseat headroom is scant, though legroom and foot space suffice. Getting into the backseat is difficult.