Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz Superdome: new turf for luxury carmaker

Three of the largest upcoming sporting events in the United States will have prominent relationships with Mercedes-Benz with the announcement of the luxury carmaker's new relationship with the New Orleans Saints and the National Football League team's home playing facility. Via a 10-year agreement that provides official naming rights among other sponsorship benefits including being named the Official and Exclusive vehicle of the NFL’s Saints, the newly named Mercedes-Benz Superdome will play host to the 2012 Men's Final Four and BCS Championship Game and the 2013 Super Bowl. The agreement is the first naming rights deal in the U.S. for the luxury car maker and also for the New Orleans sports and exhibition stadium. It recently underwent a six-year $336

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Ferrari Italia 458 outdrives Lotus, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz

The Ferrari 458 Italia has outdriven 10 of the word's most renowned cars, Audi to Mercedes-Benz, Lotus to Porsche, according to Motor Trend. The automotive magazine named the Ferrari 458 Italia as the "2011 Best Driver's Car" after the 11-lap racetrack drag race and racetrack hot-lapping. Motor Trend drafted a crew of 25 editors, photographers, video producers, championship-winning race driver Randy Pobst and Le Mans class winner/TV host Justin Bell, to test, review and film the cars in the competition's history over six days. The competition required daily driving, hot lapping on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, plus the full battery of Motor Trend performance tests. "The 458 Italia is easily the best mid-engined Ferrari road car yet," said Angus MacKenzie,

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John Travolta’s vintage Mercedes-Benz stolen in California

John Travolta is as passionate about vintage transportation as any aficionado. He’s driven vintage cars in films and he’s a pilot who owns a Boeing 707. But the veteran actor is now also a victim of the vast world of auto theft. Travolta’s 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL has been stolen. Then incident occurred quickly on Sept. 18 in Santa Monica, Calif., when Travolta stopped for 10 minutes at a Jaguar dealership. The actor’s vintage Mercedes was gone when he returned from the dealership. Travolta then re-visited the dealership and waited for law enforcement officers to file a crime report. According to several media outlets, there are no suspects, nor witnesses to the theft. Travolta owns numerous vintage cars, including a Rolls

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PGA Championship: 4 shots, 1 hole in one, 1 Mercedes-Benz

Spectators attending the PGA Championship this week will not only watch their favorite PGA Tour pros, but they’ll have a change to win a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350. The chance will be slim, but all spectators attending the PGA Championship can participate in the special hole-in-one competition from Thursday’s opening round through Sunday’s final 18 holes at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Each guest will receive one shot per day on the par-3 — 165 yards for men and 145 yards for women. In addition to the opportunity to win the new Mercedes-Benz ML 350 as the hole-in-one prize, a closest to the pin prize is being awarded each day. The attraction is part of the PGA Performance Center presented by

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BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz on 2011 dubious cars list

In its seemingly endless quest to present car lists, CNNMoney.com’s lastest automotive tabulation is its top-10 most disappointing cars of 2011. The list includes some surprising choices, BMW to Honda, Acura to Mercedes-Benz — manufacturers often on top-10 best car lists. Here’s what Alex Taylor III, a senior editor-at-large for the website, wrote about the 2011 BMW X6 — the surprisingly poor seller: “The X6 is marketed as a ‘sports activity coupe’ that combines the attributes of an SUV (high ground clearance, all wheel drive large wheels and tires) with the stance of a coupé (bold styling, dramatic sloping roof).” “BMW sales are hot, but buyers are apparently confused by the concept, put off by the chunky styling, or deterred

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Airstream motor coach not quite car reviewer's style

Reviewing a Bugatti Veyron, Mercedes-Benz sedan or any of the new influx of green vehicles — the Toyota Prius to Tesla Roadster — is what Dan Neil does weekly with his column in the Wall Street Journal called “Rumble Seat.” But Neil is an essayist more than a straight-forward reviewer. The facts are all there and Neil has vast automotive knowledge. But the journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary recently left the his routine reviews that detail performance and comparison shopping among car manufacturers and took on the RV industry. With his family along for the ride, Neil reviewed the 2011 Airstream Interstate 3500. But while providing a detailed article on the motor coach, Neil also discusses a retired

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Mercedes-Benz 2011 (CL550) car review

The Mercedes-Benz 2011 four-passenger CL550 coupe I tested from the automaker’s CL-Class line is a throwback to the grand Mercedes coupes of decades ago. That was when Mercedes engineers were given a pretty free hand to design the automaker’s large sedan and coupe models, complete with thick double-pane side glass. Those big powerful cars thus were superlative and majestic. Although heavy, they were fast and had no serious competition in America, where they were overqualified for most U.S. driving — and for most U.S. drivers, who were accustomed to soft U.S. luxury cars. The new CL550 coupe is the entry model in Mercedes’ CL-Class coupe line. It’s a two-door version of the sumptuous Mercedes S-Class sedan and thus has all

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Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Eldorado, Honda Accord iconic 'antiques' at age 25

Twenty-five years ago, “Top Gun,” and “Platoon,” were among the year’s top movies, while “Cheers” and “Murder, She Wrote” were favorites among television audiences. And it also 1986 when the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Honda Accord and Mercedez-Benz 300D all began new chapters of their enduring legacies. Cars 25 years old are eligible for the Antique Automobile Club of America car show. As such, here’s a list of key eligible cars from 1986: Acura Integra, Acura Legend, Cadillac Eldorado, Chevrolet Corvette (convertible), Ford Aerostar, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Honda Accord, Mazda RX-7, Mercedes-Benz 300E/300D, Toyota Celica. Some of the best-known cars from 1986 are more significant than others. The Chevrolet Corvette convertible, for example, was important because the famed sports car

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Mercedes-Benz, Liam Neeson battle black SUV in Unknown

Epic cars scenes in movies range from Gene Hackman in the French Connection to Steve McQueen in Bullitt and the classic Mini Cooper scene in the Italian Job to high energy catapult across the country by Barry Newman in his 1970 Dodge Challenger in Vanishing Point. Selecting best car scenes in movies is subjective. But Liam Neeson’s car chase scene in Unknown, the current No. 1 movie in the United States, is memorable. It fits in well with the flow of film and while not in the caliber of some of the best cars scenes of all-time, it’s edge-of-your-seat footage. In the scene, Neeson is the driver of a Mercedes-Benz sedan tax. With passenger Diane Kruger, the twosome, like in

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Mercedes-Benz (Gullwing) 300 Coupe, 1954-1957

Many 1950s American cars still can turn heads, but they do it with such things as flashy paint and tailfins. The 1954-57 Mercedes-Benz 300SL two-seat coupe has a strictly utilitarian design, but still knocks ’em dead if seen on roads, which isn’t often. Only 1,400 300SL coupes were built, and a really nice one is valued at a cool $698,000. Most are in top shape because this auto is one of the most revered sports cars in history and few owners risk driving on public roads. Even a 300SL coupe in average shape is valued at $515,000, says the NADA Classic, Collectible, Exotic and Muscle Car Appraisal Guide & Directory. The 300SL coupe’s flip-up doors may seem gimmicky. But the

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Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid 2011 car review

Mercedes-Benz gives some models in its S-Class flagship line a stupefying amount of horsepower for a dignified, prestigious sedan. Such power should be left to the automaker’s smaller, sportier models. However, the $91,000 S-Class S400 gas-electric Hybrid model I tested is a sensible, reasonably fuel-efficient alternative to the gas-guzzling hot rod S-Class versions. The S-Class once stood alone as the ultimate luxury car in America, far outdoing Cadillac. Caddy hasn’t offered an S-Class rival for a long time. But now rivals include the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, BMW 7-Series and Porsche Panamera. All are excellent, but lack the formidable reputation of Mercedes. “After all,” Mercedes spokespersons are fond of saying, “we invented the car.” The standard 5.5-liter 382 horsepower gasoline

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet 2011 car review

Mercedes-Benz four-seat convertibles always impress, although most have bland styling. The 2011 Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet four-seat convertible radiates that old Mercedes luster with rakish styling. The new E-class two-door Cabriolet comes as the $56,850 E350 or $64,800 E550. They have a fabric soft top, when the trend has been to retractable hardtop convertibles. But that’s OK because this new Mercedes has a thick soft top that provides good protection and a quiet interior. Mercedes offers two retractable hardtop models, but they’re the SL and SLK two-seat sports cars. The E350 Cabriolet convertible is slower and softer than the E550 Cabriolet. It’s powered by a V-6 with 268 horsepower, at it’s no slouch. It propels the E350 from 0-60 mph in

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Mercedes-Benz turns age 125 with tradition, innovation

Mercedes-Benz, now 125 years old, was founded in 1886 with the introduction of Karl Benz's first gas-fueled car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen. Much has happened since. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, the carmaker now has manufacturing plants around the globe, easing car dealer cost on popular Mercedes Benz models — coupes to sedans, sport utility vehicles to crossovers, roadsters to supercars. Mercedes-Benz also manufacturers trucks and vans as well as arguably the world's most unique vehicle, the current Popemobile. The new Mercedes-Benz SUV is a modified Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Twenty-years after the manufacturer first marketed its automobiles, the Mercedes-Benz brand name debuted in 1926. Mercedes-Benz is now a publicly traded as Daimler AG. In the United States, Daimler AG offers Mercedes-Benz automobiles

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Europcar joins Mercedes-Benz among auto-related cycling sponsors

The squad has been part of the professional peloton since 2000. It was previously sponsored by and had the names of Bonjour and Brioches La Boulangère. “It’s a huge relief,” said Thomas Voeckler, the squad’s captain, who was set to join another French squad, Cofidis, if the deal with Eurocar wasn’t finalized. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars “Honestly, I didn’t believe anymore that a solution would come along,” Voeckler told the website cyclingnews.com “I’m thankful to the people from Europcar who have organised everything in a period of three days.” Mercedes-Benz recently announced it will supply a new pro team based in Luxembourg with vehicles beginning next season. Mercedes-Benz Luxembourg

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Mercedes-Benz named official vehicle of Luxembourg-based cycling team

“We look forward to be supporting the ambitious goal of winning the Tour de France for Luxembourg with this new team”, said Gerhard Roth, Administrateur Délégué of Mercedes-Benz Luxembourg S.A. “This partnership with the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project fits well with our brand philosophy of ‘The best or nothing’.” According to the report, Mercedes-Benz will provide the new team with specially adapted cars, minibuses, trucks and and team tour buses. Nissan joined the cycling sponsorship as the second sponsor of the American team sponsored by RadioShack and featuring seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in 2010. Jaguar and Skoda, the Czech manufacturer, are also major sponsors and automobile providers in professional cycling. Jaguar is the official sponsor of the

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Rare Mercedes Benz, purchased new by Elvis Presley, set for Bonham's auction

The article details that Presley kept the car for two years before giving it to a friend, James Leroy Robertson. The car also had another owner but was auctioned at the Important Motor Cars and Fine Automobilia sale at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey, England, last December. The restored Mercedes has an estimated value of $230-$300,000, and is among only a handful of vehicles Presley registered in his name. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif.,

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