Mercedes-Benz to Style Helicopter Interiors, Yachts, and Furniture

Mercedes-Benz to Style Helicopter Interiors, Yachts, and FurnitureYou aren't likely to spot a helicopter parked next to an E-Class  at your local Mercedes-Benz dealer anytime soon, but designers employed within the automaker's styling studios are lending a hand in creating a number of non-automotive products.We first saw the AMG-branded Cigarette racing boat back in February, but it seems the sleek vessel was just the tip of the iceberg. Daimler revealed today a number of different assignments doled to its designers, ranging from helicopter cabins to luxury yachts and everything in between."We are in no way entering into new territory,"...

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SL Will Use More Carbon Fiber

2012 Mercedes-Benz SL Will Use More Carbon FiberThe SL moniker once stood for sport leicht, but at 4220 pounds, the current 2010 Mercedes-Benz SL roadster is anything but light. That said, the next-generation SL -- due in 2012 -- will be the first of several Mercedes-Benz models to use a substantial amount of lightweight carbon fiber composite materials.Daimler AG has partnered with Toray Industries, a Japanese textile maker, to develop and produce car parts made from carbon fiber composite materials. The move mirrors BMW’s partnership with U.S.-based carbon fiber supplier SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, which is designed in part to supply components...

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New York 2010: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon, R-Class and S63 AMG Bow

New York 2010: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon, R-Class and S63 AMG BowThree updated 2011 model Mercedes-Benz vehicles rolled across the stage today in New York: the E-Class Wagon, R-Class, and S63 AMG. Mercedes-Benz also released pricing for the 2010 model year E-Class line.First to roll out was the latest E-Class Wagon, the E350. Essentially an updated E-Class with a wagon body, the E350 comes in gasoline and diesel flavors. Sharing an engine with the rest of the E-Class line, the 3.5-liter gasoline V-6 is expected to produce 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The E350 BlueTEC with its 3.0-liter turbo diesel should produce 211 horsepower....

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New York 2010: Mercedes SLS GT3 Race Car Debuts, Street Car to Start at $183,000

New York 2010: Mercedes SLS GT3 Race Car Debuts, Street Car to Start at $183,000Like the legendary 300SL Gullwing before it, the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is going racing. Dubbed the SLS GT3, the new race car roared onto the stage today in New York a fully FIA-compliant track car. The street-legal SLS AMG, meanwhile, will go on sale in the U.S. in May starting at $183,000 to help meet homologation requirements.The SLS GT3 will leave showrooms ready to race with a stripped interior and modified body work. Despite the gigantic wing hanging off the trunk, the SLS GT3 is lighter than the street car and will rip to 60 mph in no more than...

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Upcoming Baby AMG May Get Supercharged V-6, Not Turbo Four

Upcoming Baby AMG May Get Supercharged V-6, Not Turbo FourBritish magazine Autocar reports that the upcoming B-Class-based AMG sedan will be powered by a 3.2-liter supercharged V-6, not a turbocharged four-cylinder as previously thought.The mill is based on the upcoming 3.5-liter engine that'll first make its home in the new CLS350. Also like the CLS, the smaller AMG (codenamed the *** EVO) will get similar coupe-like styling, meaning four frameless doors and a steeply raked profile.Force feeding the engine is said to be an electronically operated pressure wave supercharger. The technology is widely used in tractor and big diesel applications,...

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2011 Volvo S60 to Debut at Geneva Motor Show in March

2011 Volvo S60 to Debut at Geneva Motor Show in MarchIt wasn’t that long ago that Volvos were essentially considered to be safety boxes on wheels. But over the last decade or so, the cars from Gothenburg have evolved into curvaceous vehicles that retain the safety of their boxy predecessors. The 2011 Volvo S60, perhaps the most elegant Volvo yet, is set to debut at the 2010 Geneva motor show this March.With the 2011 S60, Volvo aimed for a sportier and more visually enticing design by incorporating the look of a four-door coupe. The S60’s new rakish roofline is part of the flowing styling dubbed “racetrack” design, which means that the...

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