We found this article over at Automotive Fleet about the new Mercedes-Benz models that made their debut at this years New York Auto Show.  See what they had to say below, and head over to Automotive Fleet for the full length article!

“Mercedes-Benz celebrated the world premiere of the redesigned 2011 MY R-Class luxury crossover at the New York International Auto Show, April 2-11. The 2011 MY R-Class combines the spaciousness of a luxury SUV with the safety, style, and exclusivity of a Mercedes-Benz sedan, according to the manufacturer.

Powered by a 3.5L V-6 gasoline engine, the R350 4MATIC produces 268 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, while the R350 BlueTEC 4MATIC features a 210-hp 3.0L turbodiesel delivering 18 mpg city and 24 mpg in the highway driving cycle. Available in 6- and 7-passenger seating configurations, all models feature standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive.”

Mercedes-Benz Financial was the first auto finance company to provide their customers with the ease and convenience of being able to manage their accounts from any location and at any time.  Since the October launch of the Mercedes-Benz Financial iPhone app, Mercedes has collected over $2.5 million in payments from customers through their iPhone or iPod Touches.

“Our customers’ response to the convenience of managing their accounts with their iPhone or iPod Touch™ was so overwhelmingly favorable, it convinced us to be ready for new iPad™ users who are also customers of Mercedes-Benz Financial,” said Andreas Hinrichs, Vice President of Marketing for Mercedes-Benz Financial. “When the iPad officially launched last Saturday, an upgrade of the Mercedes-Benz Financial app compatible with the iPad was available for our customers and for Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. Additional advantages for us include paperless transactions and the resulting cost efficiencies in processing payments.”

To read the full article click here.

We found this article over at Autoweek about the new Mercedes SLS GT3.  See what they had to say below, or head over to Autoweek for more information.

“The new SLS GT3 is a modified Mercedes-Benz SLS intended to meet FIA homologation requirements for the GT3 class in series throughout the world.

While it’s not known what the production car will look like when it starts going to customers either this fall–according to the press release–or “before the start of the 2011 racing season,” according to AMG’s Thomas Rappel, the prototype shown in Oaxaca had a full roll cage, a new front skirt with splitter, rear diffusers and an enormous rear wing.”

Ray Catena Mercedes-Benz of Edison and Union will extend the manufacturer’s warranty on new mechanical and electrical parts, purchased and installed at our service centers, for your passenger car or light truck from the 1 year manufacturer’s warranty to an extended 4 year Ray Catena warranty at no charge.

This warranty will cover both the part and the labor but excludes all wear and tear and damaged items. This warranty is not transferable. Warranty repairs must be performed at a Ray Catena Mercedes-Benz Service Center.

The warranty will be effective on parts purchased as of February 1, 2010*.

Please contact your Service Advisor at 732-549-6606 to schedule an appointment, or click here to conveniently schedule an appointment online.

*Must present coupon at time of write-up. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. See Service Advisor for details.

The Guardian recently featured an article on Michael Schumacher and his return to Formula 1.  The 41 year old German racer, will make his German team debut, but he’s not leaving anything to chance.  Schumacher began his racing career at the age of 22, and before his recent three year retirement, collected 68 pole positions, 91 race wins, and 7 world championships.  It looks like Schumacher’s ready for a big return, but how will he fare? Only time will tell!

According to The New York Times, Jon Hamm, who plays Don Draper on AMC’s “Mad Men”, will become the new voice of Mercedes Benz USA commercials.  The actor, famous for his role as the 1960’s adman, will be featured on Mercedes Benz USA commercials set to air on ABC during this years Academy Awards.  After the awards ceremony, the commercial will air during shows like “CSI: Miami” and “American Idol” as well as on cable channels like Bravo, Discovery and HGTV.  We’ve been fans of “Mad Men” for quite some time now, and Jon Hamm is the perfect choice for this role! We’re really looking forward to seeing this commercial AND the Academy Awards this Sunday, March 7th, on ABC.

According to Autoweek, Mercedes Benz is set to unveil the F800 Style concept car at the Geneva Auto Show, which will take place next month.  The blog made the following statement about the concept vehicle:

“Mercedes is calling the F800 Style a research vehicle, and it’s adaptable for a plug-in hybrid configuration or as a fuel cell. It’s skinned it an eye-catching body with bold fenders and a prominent grille that hints at future styling directions for the German company.”

Sounds like an awesome green concept car.  We’ll definitely keep our eyes peeled for more information about the Mercedes Benz F800!

Popular Mechanics featured this awesome article in its March 2010 issue.  Jay Leno, famous for his love of everything cars, recently restored his 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing.  The car, which had been kept by its previous owners in a storage container for over thirty years, is a real beauty, thanks to Leno’s updates.  It also turns out, he’s only the third owner! Check out the article and see some great pictures of the restoration!

Ray Catena Motor Car is proud to be participating in fundraising for The American Heart Association. All month long, we will be offering you, our valued customers, the opportunity to save on your next service visit when you write a check for this worthy cause. Take a look at how you can help them and help yourself:

Donate and Save:
$10 – $19  (get 7% Off your entire bill)*
$20 – $29 (get 10% Off your entire bill)*
$30 or more (get 15% Off your entire bill)*

The American Heart Association is committed to fighting heart disease and stroke and raising awareness of these diseases. As part of their mission, they focus on specific causes designed to help people achieve a heart-healthy lifestyle. Each of their cause initiatives reaches out to the public with resources and information to help them take positive action.

On behalf of everyone at Ray Catena, we thank you for your participation.

*Offer expires February 28, 2010. Excludes all sublet repairs and cannot be combined with any other offers.

According to the Benz Insider blog, it looks like the new Mercedes Benz E-Class is making big waves in 2010! Already an award winner in the UK for its noted Attention Assist system, the new Mercedes Benz E-Class appears to now also be in the running for 2010 World Car of the Year, which will be announced at the Geneva Motor Show next month.  The new Mercedes Benz E-Class was also nominated in the 2010 World Performance Car of the Year category.  It’s already starting to feel like a great year for Mercedes Benz.  What are your predictions for the rest of 2010? Leave your thoughts and comments below!