[CES 2014] Mercedes-Benz makes some of the most desirable vehicles which not only focus on optimum driving pleasure, but also offer a barrage of features in order to make the passengers’ lives easier. Imagine being able to set your thermostat while you’re on your way home, so that its warm and toasty when you step out of the car and rush into your house on a cold day. Mercedes-Benz vehicles will let you do that, as the company has announced it will integrate Nest smart thermostat controls in its Digital DriveStyle app.
Mercedes-Benz has officially announced the all-new 2015 C-Class. The new C-Class is a premium mid-range car that has been redesigned for the 2015 year model to offer a car that is more aerodynamic, lighter weight, and more fuel efficient. The car will be coming to the US market with two variants. The new models include […]
Mercedes-Benz plans to show off its Concept S-Class Coupe at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. With the Concept S-Class Coupe, Daimler says “sensual clarity” was used as a focal point for the designers behind it, with the styling said to be a mixture of both emotive and traditional elements. Added into the mix is […]
Nokia and Mercedes Benz will work together on self-driving cars, the companies have confirmed, with Nokia’s HERE developing metadata-rich navigation and mapping data with extra information for robot drivers. The partnership, which comes alongside deals between Nokia HERE and both Continental Corporation and Magneti Marelli, takes map data and bakes in aspects like how many […]
Mercedes-Benz has taken the covers off of its latest model, the GLA Class compact SUV, aiming to take on BMW’s X1 crossover both on the road and in the rough stuff. The first in the German car company’s range to be available with Mercedes’ new permanent all-wheel 4MATIC drive system, offering fully-variable torque distribution, the […]
GPS navigational systems have evolved over the years, with our smartphones these days being more than capable of doubling up as a navigation system as well, but sometimes just because you can be directed to your destination, there are times when you still need to do a bit of searching before you find it. An example would be how a navigation system could guide you to a particular area, but finding the shop itself could be tricky, or there might not be a drivable road. Well Mercedes-Benz is hoping to change that with Google Glass.
This was revealed (via Business Journal) by the company’s R&D president of North America, Johann Jungwirth, where he revealed the company’s plans to utilize Google Glass to help create a seamless transition between states, such as driving to walking, and vice versa. This would basically allow the user to keep in their destination at home, walk to their car where the GPS would switch to drive mode, and then when they get down from their car, it would switch to walking mode.
Despite apps that let a few lucky Glass owners control their Nest thermostat or unlock that Tesla Model S, one of the futuristic headgear’s most practical applications is still just the default turn-by-turn directions that come courtesy of Google. The R&D department over at Mercedes-Benz realizes that as well, but wants to take it a step further. According to a report in the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the automotive company is working on a Google Glass project that combines both pedestrian and automotive directions to take a user literally from door to door. MBRDNA President and CEO Johann Jungwirth told the publication that he wants Glass to seamlessly transition between walking and in-car navigation. Of course, not everyone has access to the pricey wearable just yet, so the project won’t likely see real-world application any time soon. In the meantime, Mercedes does have a few more down-to-earth solutions for the gadgets you might already have.
Earlier in 2013, Mercedes-Benz initiated a contest of sorts, inviting individuals to submit ideas for a “golf cart of the future.” Those ideas would then be used to help form a concept vehicle, which Mercedes-Benz is saying is more of a “Golf Car” than a cart. That concept has now been revealed, dubbed the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart.
The concept luxury golf cart was shown off during the Open Championship, to which the winners chosen among the submissions it received were invited to attend as VIP guests. The entries were judged by a jury, of which the auto maker’s design vice president was at the helm. The submissions were then built upon, and the resulting concept was formed.
The Vision Golf Cart was developed in the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center located in California, with the aim being to create a concept involving both “aspects” of the maker’s cars and the functionality inherent in a golf cart. The result is a sleek, distinctly Mercedes-Benz golf cart harboring a variety of trimmings you won’t find on standard course offerings.
Not surprisingly, the concept is all-electric, and is powered via solar panels built into the roof, as well as a manual charging option when needed. Rather than a steering wheel, the Vision Golf Cart is controlled using a joystick mounted in the center console, which allows for either of the passengers to operate it. Buttons are almost entirely done away with by using touchscreen panels, and there’s a multimedia system that includes USB and Apple device docks.
Daimler’s Vice President of Design Gorden Wagener said: “The Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart has a refined, simplified yet functional shape that fits well into our ‘Sensual-Purity’ design philosophy. The flow shapes create a ‘sculpture on wheels’ impression. I was very inspired by the idea of designing a golf cart, giving it a new shape and new sorts of meaning. Why not treating[sic] a golf cart like a car, and making it a ‘Golf Car’.”
Mercedes-Benz’s 2014 S-Class wouldn’t be complete without a ridiculously powerful AMG version, and the tech-saturated new luxobarge has delivered on that with the S 63 AMG. Caressing up to 585 HP out of the AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine, the new übersedan can get to 62mph in just 4.0s and barrel on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph, while transporting passengers in a leather-clad interior that has more LCD displays than your local Best Buy.
The original S-Class is no slouch, but the three AMG variants headed to the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September crank things up considerably. The two regular cars do 0-62mph in 4.4s and are available in either short- or long-wheelbase versions, with up to 900Nm of torque apiece. Then there’s the S 63 AMD 4MATIC long-wheelbase, which uses all-wheel drive tuned for performance to cut 0.4s from the acceleration by pushing a third of the torque to the front and the rest to the rear wheels.
The 4MATIC also gets AMG Ride Control sports air suspension, with continuous damping adjustment. The other models get Mercedes’ Magic Body Control, which uses things like road scanning cameras to adjust in real-time to suit driving conditions. All three have comfort and sport modes, which adjust steering feel, suspension, and more.
Despite the added extras over the previous AMG version of the S-Class, Mercedes claims the 2014 car has actually lost weight. 100kg has been cut, thanks to new forged light-alloy wheels, swapping the traditional starter battery for a li-ion power pack (saving 20kg), and using new composite brakes. The whole outer skin of the car is now aluminum, and the spare wheel sits in a carbon-fiber bucket, saving 4kg along.
On the outside, there are a few cues to show other drivers you’ve spent massive amounts on a slab of German madness. Larger air dams on the front apron, high-gloss black grill inserts and side air-intakes, and a silver chrome front splitter keep the front looking interesting, while there’s two chromed twin tailpipes at the back.
Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG detail:
Even the noise has been fettled, with those four exhausts having special flaps inside that keep the sound muted when you’re in comfort mode, but let things roar more impressively when you’re in sport or manual modes. The latter shut off the ECO start/stop system and makes for more aggressive gear-changes from the 7-speed transition, while in comfort mode the S 63 AMG defaults to pulling off in second gear and smooths changes in a more leisurely manner.
Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG interior:
Inside, there’s gobfuls of leather, including a perforated leather AMG wheel with aluminum paddles. The LCD TFT driver display gets AMG logos and new virtual dial shapes, and there are special AMG sports seats with memory and heating for those in the front. An IWC clock is embedded in the dashboard.
AMG’s logo is splashed just about everywhere possible – the door sills, mats, pedals, and more – and then there’s a 10-speaker audio system with 3D surround sound, LED lighting throughout, and massage chairs. The safety features make the S 63 AMG almost as clever as Google’s self-driving cars, with the new Mercedes tracking other traffic, pedestrians, and other potential hazards, and able to pilot itself down highways and more.
Unsurprisingly, taking a manufacturer’s flagship four-door and throwing insane performance at it doesn’t do anything to make it more affordable. The S 63 AMG short-wheelbase will start at €149,880.50 ($196k) including tax when it hits forecourts in September, while the S 63 AMG 4MATIC long-wheelbase will start from €152,617.50 ($200k).
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