NAIAS – ‘Benz trio at Detroit

Well why wouldn’t it, on hand to gawp and stare were 650 journalists, and into the bargain they also threw in the BlueZERO concept, we showed you that a couple of weeks ago too, and the SLR Stirling Moss.

Daimler AG CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche presented the latest version of what the company calls the brightest new star in the world of automotive luxury, the E-Class.

Dr Zetsche said that with the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz was setting a new benchmark in this hotly-contested segment, particularly in terms of safety and comfort, as well as environmental sustainability and economy.

Under the heading “fascination and responsibility”, the Stuttgart automobile manufacturer presented a further two new models.

Firstly, the SLR Stirling Moss crowns the successful SLR super sports car range with an uncompromising high performance model variant, and with the innovative BlueZERO concept, Mercedes-Benz is leading the way in environmentally sustainable electric mobility.

It says this intelligent, modular concept gives rise to no less than three models with different powertrain configurations on the basis of one single vehicle’s architecture.

“The new E-Class is the safest, most comfortable and cleanest E-Class ever. It is yet further evidence that fascination and responsibility go hand-in-hand at Mercedes”, commented Dr. Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

“We are certain that the new E-Class will send a positive signal for the 2009 automotive year, and will be among the winners in the global market.”

The E-Class comes to the US market with V6 and V8 petrol engines, as well as the groundbreaking 3.0-litre BlueTEC diesel (to be released in calendar year 2010) – the world’s cleanest diesel engine.

The four- and six-cylinder petrol engines are direct-injection units, and consume up to 23 percent less fuel than before.

With the production-ready BlueZERO concept, Mercedes-Benz is leading the way in Detroit in the field of environmentally sustainable electric mobility, without sacrificing interior and luggage space.

This intelligent, modular concept facilitates three models with distinct powertrain configurations on the basis of only one single vehicle architecture – all of them able to fulfill customer requirements for sustainable mobility:
* the BlueZERO E-CELL with a battery electric drive and battery-powered range of up to 200 kilometres,
* the Blue-ZERO F-CELL with fuel cell drive and an electric range of well over 400 kilometres,
* the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with electric drive and an additional internal combustion engine as a range extender. This version has an overall range of up to 600 kilometres and an electric-only range of up to 100 kilometres.

The three BlueZERO variants were developed on the basis of unique ‘sandwich floor’ architecture, which Mercedes-Benz introduced ten years ago for the A-Class and later also the B-Class, also with a view to the integration of alternative drivelines.

Neither roof nor windshield separate the driver and passenger of the SLR Stirling Moss from the elements – they enjoy pure high-speed excitement with all the attributes of a speedster.

What’s more, the new SLR Stirling Moss distinguishes itself with the very latest technology and breathtaking design that reinterprets the myth of the legendary 300SLR.

Its supercharged V8 petrol engine with 478kW of power catapults the SLR Stirling Moss from zero to 100km/h in less than 3.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 350km/h.

“No other car is this open and this fast at the same time,” says Dr. Klaus Maier, responsible for Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars.

This extreme concept makes it the legitimate namesake for the legendary British racing driver and Mille Miglia record holder Stirling Moss, who drove Mercedes-Benz SLR race cars from victory to victory in 1955.

The exclusive SLR Stirling Moss represents the conclusion of the current SLR range and is limited to only 75 units. It is priced at €750,000.