benz

Mercedes Announces All-Electric Version of Upcoming SLS Gullwing Supercar

There's been a horsepower war being waged between German automakers for years, and Mercedes has been one of the biggest armies on the front line. An endless succession of big V8 and twin-turbo V12 engines have seen to Benz's dominance, housed in everything from station wagons to sportscars. Following the likes of the SLR McLaren and SL65 Black Series, the latest of the latter is almost here. But while the SLS "gullwing" will shout the battle cry of the horsepower wars with typical zeal, confirmed reports now indicate that it will also offer a more peaceful solution in the form of an all-electric version.

While the conventional SLS will be powered by a 6.3-liter V8 producing 563 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, the electric version will produce the equivalent of 526hp and 649 lb-ft, offering potential buyers no excuse for sticking to the fossil-fuel-burning version once the electric model makes its debut. The electric Mercedes supercar promises to accelerate to sixty in four seconds flat, that motivation being delivered courtesy of four individual electric motors and a 48 kWh lithium ion battery pack. Given Mercedes parent company Daimler's recent investment of $50 million in Tesla, it's safe to say that the California startup will be helping out in the development, but while a launch date for the electric SLS hasn't been revealed, sources expect to see it on the road by 2015.

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Tags: AMG, Benz, edrive sls, EdriveSls, electric car, electric cars, electric sls, electric sports car, electric sportscar, electric vehicle, electric vehicles, ElectricCar, ElectricCars, ElectricSls, ElectricSportsCar, ElectricVehicle, ElectricVehicles, Gullwing, mercedes, mercedes benz, mercedes benz sls, mercedes benz sls edrive, Mercedes SLS, mercedes-benz, mercedesbenz, MercedesBenzSls, MercedesBenzSlsEdrive, MercedesSls, tesla, tesla motors, TeslaMotors

Birth of an Icon: Mercedes-Benz Releases Special-Edition CL550

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Some logos are a dime a dozen, but some stand the test of time. Mercedes-Benz' iconic three-pointed star definitely falls in the latter category, standing out as one of the most highly recognized emblems in the world, inside or outside the automotive industry. As well it should be: it's been around for a hundred years. Back in 1909, Daimler registered the patent on the logo, and a few weeks later in the same year, Benz did the same with theirs. A century later, Mercedes-Benz is celebrating the only way it knows how: with an even more exclusive edition of one of its most high-end luxury coupes.

The "100 Years of Mercedes-Benz Edition" is a special package that can be ordered, in limited quantities, on the V8-powered CL coupe. Sold overseas as the CL500, in North America it's labeled the CL550 and comes standard with the company's proprietary 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Special touches for the special edition include a custom interior featuring tan leather with contrasting dark grey touches, from the top-stitching to the carpeting and headliner. The exterior is painted a special dark grey as well, and comes with unique five-spoke 20-inch wheels and a new ground-effects aerodynamics package. Pricing hasn't been announced for the United States, but in its home market, Mercedes is charging a substantial €17,850 ($23k) premium for the special edition, on top of the €132 base price.

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Tags: 100th, 100th anniversary, 100thAnniversary, 4matic, anniversary, badge, benz, centenary, centennial, cl, cl500, cl550, cl550 4matic, Cl5504matic, icon, logo, mercedes, mercedes cl, mercedes cl550, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz cl500, mercedes-benz cl500 4matic, mercedes-benz cl550, mercedes-benz cl550 4matic, Mercedes-benzCl500, Mercedes-benzCl5004matic, Mercedes-benzCl550, Mercedes-benzCl5504matic, MercedesCl, MercedesCl550

Ridiculously Sparkly Mercedes-Benz at the Tokyo Auto Salon

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

This is ridiculous.

Remember the $350,000 Swarovski-studded Mercedes-Benz at the 2007 Moscow Millionaire Fair? Well, they've done it again.

The above photo is from the Tokyo Auto Salon 2009, and it features a customized Mercedes-Benz SL600 (aka the Luxury Crystal Benz) covered in 300,000 Swarovski crystals. We don't know how much it costs, but frankly, we weren't about to purchase it.

Even Barbie wouldn't get in that gaudy thing.

[via Luxury Launches]

Tags: 2009, auto show, automobiles, AutoShow, benz, car, cars, mercedes, mercedes-benz, swarovski, tokyo, tokyo auto salon, TokyoAutoSalon