News of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is everywhere, and we can understand why! This car is a beauty! As if the gullwing doors weren’t enough of a draw, the sleek body and powerful speed officially make this car one we can’t wait to cruise around town in.  The SLS AMG is set to hit Europe in mid 2010 before making it’s way here to the U.S. some time in 2011.  In preparation for it’s European arrival, the German’s have aired a TV commercial in which the SLS AMG, with great speed and accuracy, loops a tunnel.  The commercial proves that the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is an automobile for those who crave speed and style.  As the German tag line at the end of the commercial implies, the SLS AMG is more than just another car! Wunderbar!

The following post comes courtesy of Automobile Magazine.

Snow. Ice. Frigid temperatures. January in Detroit can hardly be described as a climate conducive to convertibles. Still, in order to help underline the year-round usability of the car, Mercedes-Benz will unveil its new 2011 E-class Cabriolet at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.

As the fourth body style in the revised E-class range, the Cabriolet — along with the 2010 E-class Coupe — effectively replaces the CLK. Styling up front is carried over from its other E-class siblings, but sheetmetal aft of the A-pillars is largely cribbed from the two-door model. Indeed, when the top is up, the E-class Cabriolet does a good job of emulating the Coupe’s racy roofline.

Unlike the convertible tops used on the SL and SLK roadsters, the E-class Cabriolet – like the CLK before it — makes use of a traditional soft top instead. Mercedes-Benz claims the top, at 0.9 inches thick, is extensively insulated to help keep the cabin warm in wintry months, and to prevent noise. We’re told it’s entirely possible to have a hands-free cell phone conversation with the top up at speeds “in excess” of 125 mph — but we wouldn’t recommend such a task.

A pair of technologies also helps keep passengers warm and comfortable during open-air driving. Airscarf, already offered on the SL and SLK roadsters, directs warm air towards passengers’ neck and shoulders. AirCap – a diffuser deployed above the windshield to direct airflow out of the faces of rear seat passengers – is a new innovation and, for the time being, is exclusive to the E-class.

Like the Coupe, the E-class Cabriolet is available in E350 and E550 forms, with a 268-hp 3.5-liter V-6 or a 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8, respectively. Look for both models to arrive at dealers stateside in the spring of 2011.

Sure-footed four-corner traction: Standard. Height-adjustable rear AirMatic suspension for deep-snow ground clearance: Standard. Luggage-rack rails ready to accept your Thule ski-rack: Standard (and low enough to show off your Dynastar Ferrari sticks at a comfortable viewing height). Seating for seven (okay, five and two-halves): Standard. Iconic style and a hood ornament that commands respect from the apres-ski club valets: Standard. Could there be a more perfect vehicle than the new Mercedes E-Class wagon for driving up to Deer Valley, Whistler, or Hochgurgl, Austria?

Mercedes-Benz invited us to the latter (if you can say it without dislodging any phlegm, you get a night free) to sample its new E350 4Matic Wagon’s suitability to wintry driving. The visit started with a tech briefing held in an igloo and concluded with a driving session on some of the most nicely groomed parking lots and most gorgeous snow-covered mountain roads on planet earth.

First, you should know that the new E-Class wagon will only be available with the 3.5-liter V-6 and all-wheel-drive. The wicked E63 AMG wagon is finished, at least for the time being. Please observe a moment of silence for its passing. Thank you. Next, you may be encouraged to hear that the latest iteration of 4Matic is lighter (adding just 100 pounds), more compact, and–teamed with the new seven-speed automatic–more efficient (improving by as much as 2.3 mpg on the EPA driving cycle). Its planetary center differential still provides a natural 45:55 front:rear torque split, with slippage at either axle causing friction in the pre-loaded center differential clutch to send as much as 70 percent of the torque to the axle with the best grip.

Mercedes still relies on individual wheel braking to equalize torque side to side or front to rear as needed beyond what the center diff can do. We find this to be a perfectly acceptable solution for on-road vehicles coping with momentary traction losses due to rain, snow or ice (using the brakes to go forward in a hill-climbing off-roader is nowhere near as effective or desirable as proper torque-directing differentials).

And indeed in a series of exercises on a large groomed-snow-covered parking lot, the fourth-generation 4Matic system and its coterie of backup electronic assistants functioned exactly as planned. With all systems on, the car faithfully cleaves to the driver’s intended driving line — at least to the extent that physics can allow (which is impressively high when the various electromechanical traction assistants are abetted by a set of Continental ContiWinterContact footwear). Switch ASR off and deep prods at the accelerator are rewarded with satisfying countersteerworthy slides at 30 or 40 degrees of slip angle (after which the systems step back in to reign in the fun)

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Ray Catena’s Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Union and Edison would like to extend congratulations and best of luck to Jude Okoro for being the first to take delivery of a 2010 E-Class from one of the best Mercedes-Benz dealers, Ray Catena of Union. Jude traded in his 2005 BMW 5 Series and was very excited to finally drive off in his 2010 E350 Coupe. The car is an Obsidian Black with Almond interior loaded with the P2 Package, which includes the P1 Package plus, Bi-Xenon’s, Keyless-Go and Heated/Active Ventilated Seats.  Nick Abbruzzese, Jude’s Salesman stated that “It is always a pleasure to sell someone a Mercedes-Benz, but when you convert an enthusiast from a BMW to a Mercedes-Benz, it makes the experience that much better.

The hills and canyons above Malibu are a well-known playground for automotive enthusiasts. Warm weather and spectacular views make for a wonderful Sunday afternoon cruise, while winding roads and sparse traffic create a driver’s playground. Expensive sports cars are routinely seen here testing their limits, but soon visitors may well spot the new Mercedes-Benz GLK350 compact SUV attacking the turns with them.
Last year, Motor Trend garnered an exclusive first drive of the all-new GLK350 in the mountains of Spain, followed by another drive across Germany’s autobahn. Both experiences impressed, but we couldn’t help but wonder where this new cute ute will slot into the luxury SUV market. Now that we’ve conducted a thorough instrumented test, though, we have an answer.

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With the holidays fast approaching, my wife, daughter, and I departed sunny Los Angeles for the frozen tundra and tenebrous skies of southeastern Michigan. On purpose. Awaiting us in Ann Arbor were my parents, their tiger cat Toby, a Norman Rockwell-perfect noble fir Christmas tree seasoned with white lights and the same ornaments I remember from my youth two-score years ago, and about a foot of fresh white snow blanketing a skin of black ice. Perfect.

Usually whenever I return to Michigan in the winter I play a little game with the weather gods. If I want a blizzard to strike the state, I prearrange a test-drive in, say, a Corvette Z06 on cheater slicks. And if I want the forecast to be sunny, dry, and unseasonably warm, I order-up, oh, a Land Rover LR3 complete with winch, snatch blocks, and a St. Bernard wearing a thermos of schnapps on his collar. Inevitably, I’m driving precisely the wrong machine for the conditions.

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