Mercedes sets Malaysian luxury pace

Mercedes-Benz : With the economy recovering and premium car sales showing strong growth, German carmaker Mercedes-Benz appears to be the biggest beneficiary of the improving global finances.

Based on sales results of the first six months of 2010, the brand is a class above the rest, setting the pace in all three-flagship luxury passenger car segments with the performance of its Mercedes-Benz C, E and S Class.

Their sales numbers jumped 29 per cent to 2,417 units compared to 1,869 sold in the corresponding period last year.

"The outstanding first half sales performance is testament to Mercedes-Benz being the brand of choice amongst discerning Malaysians. The latest statistics set us apart from the rest as the Number One luxury car brand," said Mercedes-Benz Malaysia president and CEO Peter Honegg.

"This has been the best half year performance to date and our market leading position in all the three main segments - the C, E and S-Classes - is a reflection of customer confidence in our cars."

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, leads the premium automaker's passenger car sales with 1,097 units sold compared to 857 units in 1H09 registering an impressive 28 per cent growth, buoyed by the introduction of C200 and CGI C250 Blue EFFICIENCY earlier this year.

The flagship's shining star, the elegant and dynamic Mercedes-Benz E-Class, out-performed in its segment with a robust 44 per cent increase delivering 988 units to customers compared to 684 units last year.

With the soon to be introduced new Cabriolet, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class diffamily will be complete. The demand for the E-Class has also charted a month-on-month increase since January this year and looks set to surpass expectations once again come year end.

Meanwhile, the prestigious Mercedes-Benz S-Class continues to awe Malaysia's top corporate and business luminaries with its renowned luxury and sophistication registering a commendable growth of over 10 per cent resulting in 158 units sold.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SL body to Slim Down

Automakers are looking for ways to strip weight out of cars, allowing them to improve performance and fuel economy with a single step. Mercedes-Benz’ solution, it seems, is to use more carbon fiber composite materials -- and it seems the next-generation 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class will do just that.

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 for the 2013 Megacity electric vehicle. Toray is the world’s largest carbon fiber supplier, supplying automakers that include Ferrari.

Together, Toray and Daimler will work on lightening some of Mercedes’ vehicles through the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics. Although Mercedes has not disclosed what parts will be made from the material, they’re likely currently made from metal. Carbon fiber parts will therefore significantly reduce the car’s weight, but may carry a substantial cost premium.

Carbon fiber could replace a number of metallic parts, but some suggest the Mercedes-Benz SL’s folding roof may be be fabricated from the material. The current steel roof is rather heavy, and also requires a large hydraulic mechanism to stow and deploy the structure. Using a carbon fiber roof could potentially allow the Mercedes-Benz SL to shed some pounds and utilize a smaller folding mechanism, which could subsequently improve cargo space.

We’ve yet to see finite details on the new Mercedes-Benz SL, but based upon spy photos of the car, it appears the next-gen roadster will bear resemblance to the SLS AMG. In fact, many upcoming Mercedes-Benz models will ape the Mercedes-Benz SLS. According to Hans-Dieter Futshik, director of Mercedes’ passenger car design, the Mercedes-Benz SLS will influence the shape of the company’s sports cars, including the Mercedes-Benz SL and Mercedes-Benz SLK.

Mercedes Benz fashion week

Why mercedes ?...While it was hard for many industry insiders to see the New York Fashion Week tents come down for the last time at Bryant Park this past February, the shows must go on -- this time, at the new location of Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park.

Today IMG announced its plans for the new location, which it says will move the shows firmly into the 21st century, courtesy of technological upgrades, amongst other additions.

For starters, the tradition of having three main presentation spaces to hold runway shows will continue (although they've been renamed The Theatre, The Stage and The Studio), while the new location will also have the additional Box Presentation Space for industry forums, press conferences, and designer presentations, which have become more popular over the past few years.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, which will be held from September 9 to 16, will also debut a large lobby with lounge style seating and larger presentation spaces to accommodate more of the approximately 232,000 show-goers that attend each season.

The businesses in the area surrounding the Westside location will also see a lot of dollars spent under their roofs. On average, New York sees $466 million spent by visitors coming to see the both the Fall and Spring shows each year, breaking down to $40 million spent on local restaurants, $30 million on taxis, Town Cars, subways and buses and $56 million on hotels.

IMG also announced that Mercedes-Benz will stay on as the title sponsor for New York Fashion Week for the next 3 years.

mercedes : China Brilliance says in talks with Daimler on JV

mercedes : SHANGHAI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The state of the parent company of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings (1114.HK) is in talks with Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE), a joint venture in China, the special purpose vehicles, executives at the parent company, Brilliance Auto, said on Monday.

"Brilliance is a production of tie-up with Daimler now to convert Mercedes-Benz vehicles in special-purpose models," said one executive Brilliance Auto, which was informed of the matter.

The shareholding structure and size of the company have not been finalized, but an agreement could be reached before the end of the year, the executive told Reuters.

"The options are now open. We are building a new plant or the use of existing capacities Brilliance, Brilliance Auto another executive said, are converted Mercedes-Benz models will be sold in China.

Both executives asked not be named because of the sensitivity of the subject.

A Daimler spokesman in China could not be reached immediately for comment.

Daimler, Mercedes-Benz sedans in China with Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp. (BAIC). He agreed late last year, a medium to heavy truck venture with BAIC subsidiary Beiqi Foton Motor Co (600166.SS).

The German car manufacturer also owns 34 percent of the three-way truck tie-up in South China with Fujian Motor and Taiwan China Motor.

Brilliance Auto, the country's largest car manufacturer eighth and a BMW (BMWG.DE) partners, produces BMW 3-Series and 5 Series sedans at a plant in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang.

Yufei Wan, the chief of Brilliance of the international trading arm, said in April that the two partners built their second plant in China, where car-government as a solid aggressive stimulus measures lift consumer confidence.

The expansion could be the annual capacity of the JV from 75,000 to 80,000 units in the second half of next year, from 30,000 at the end of 2008, Wan added.

BMW, however, said no decision had been made on a second plant.

Brilliance Auto was dispatched its BS6 and BS4 sedans medium, the in-house in Europe since 2007. Both models rated poorly in the first crash tests, although improvements have been made in the wake of the BS6 model. (Reporting by Fang Yan and Jacqueline Wong) - mercedes

Mercedes coffee cup icon on the speedometer

The new Mercedes E-Class features many cutting-edge gadgets driver assistance, such as night vision, blind spot detection, and adaptive cruise control. These characteristics that we saw earlier in the Mercedes-Benz S550, but the Mercedes E-Class will also include Attention Assist, a new Mercedes-Benz feature that prevents you from falling asleep at the wheel.

Assist monitors the attention of the driver of the car, using 70 parameters to determine if he or she is sleeping outside. If you detect a drowsy driver, the system emits a warning tone and lights up a coffee cup icon on the screen speed. The system relies heavily on the steering wheel control input, such as a driver tired of drift, and then make corrections strong. We can predict the next generation of this Mercedes technology do not bother with the warning, in place of driving the Mercedes vehicle automatically to the next stop and rest that allows you to nap.

Mercedes at the Top of the Luxury Class?

Since the ninth-generation Mercedes S-Class was launched in autumn 2005, it has dominated the global luxury segment. Because a total of 270,000 examples of this generation of the S-Class were sold worldwide since 2005, and the S550 is the most popular version. So this car is not broken, and it is not necessary, all the fixing. Instead, slightly revised the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S550 is simply part of efforts to ensure the S-Class one step beyond the reach of the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS and what will be the Cadillac STS replacement.

Driving deep into the Black Forest in the countryside west of Stuttgart, there were many possibilities, not just cruise on a cloud, but also urged the 4,500-pound German by differences in altitude and tough curves. If nothing else, the 2010 Mercedes S550 shows us that the twin-turbo V12-powered S600, the AMG V12-powered S65 and prepared the AMG-built V8 powered S63 just unnecessary.

Nip, Tuck - While the flanks of this code W221 S-class design will not change all the aesthetic, the face and rear fascias mesh better with the profile. The face in particular gets a lot of attention with a new four-slat chrome grille for all V6 and V8 models. It is not just a bit more shine, but the grille is more of a point in the middle, with the expression of a corporate desire for more stylistic edginess.

The shape of the front headlight assemblies remains the same, but the way the space inside is has changed, with full standard bi-xenon lights and an Audi emulation Strip LED indicator lights at the bottom. Turn off the standard daytime running lights on the multifunction steering wheel and the LED strip on the new air intakes in the front bumper to remain illuminated. The chin spoiler adds eight-tenths of an inch on the S-Class "overall length.

Outside mirrors are now larger per new European regulations, but they are also more aerodynamic, and help ensure that the side windows clean and dry in bad driving. Standard wheels for the V8 model in North America is still 18 inches. The rear lights with LEDs, and the visible exhaust tips I have a challenge-you-sir rectangular shape.

Inner Piece - You must be very close to the inside of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S550 in order to spot any changes. The steering wheel design has changed, what Mercedes calls a sporty look and feel. We estimate that the center to cover the airbag is no longer in this heavy, thick plastic Swabian and instead is made of the same leather that the interior upholsterer.

The standard seating in the front is now a 12-way electronically adjustable pair of thrones, and they are really good. But our S550 (by the way, it is badged S500 in the rest of the world - it is a long story), the ultra-multi-contour seats with 11 wonderful inflatable air chambers that are in three phases over the next generation on-board command system. There are now no fewer than three lumbar pillows and two new shoulder pads, and, and we are happy we stayed awake, because we also had the optional exfoliating massage function removes all our stress.

Until now, the S-Class had only amber-colored indirect cabin lighting atmosphere, but the customer can now also Polar either blue or white illumination. Really good news on the console much affect is that the wood is wood and not plastic veneer. It knocked at the door, and smelled it and it was good. There are five different types of wood cutting, according to the S-class you choose.

New Tech Trickle-Up - As with the S-Class, the outside edge is more better to the rest of the Mercedes lineup, so that the multitude of new technologies, which deals with the new E-class has at the end here. Some of the optional E-Class also have bits for the S-Class.

Every 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class comes with: the Active Body Control with a side wind and mechanical stability on the basis of Direct Taxes; Adaptive HighBeam Assist to prevent glare traffic without having your lights DIP; Attention Assist for detecting sleepiness; Brake Assist Plus, sophisticated radar sensor for Distronic Plus Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Enhanced Night View Assist Plus, the latest generation of PreSafe, and a new Torque Vectoring braking system on the rear wheels.

So they loaded bear, people, and the Adaptive HighBeam Assist, Direct-Steer and Brake Torque Vectoring (it may intervene with the disc brake to the inside rear wheel in a corner to minimize understeer) from this list. Another nice technical change is the separation of sport-comfort-Manual setting for the suspension of functions for the Active Body Control. Before you press the SCM and the ABC suspension would switch automatically. Now they are separated, so we left in the suspension manual, so that we could play with the control of the ABC standard setting. If you opt for the adaptive suspension AIRMATIC that changes automatically with the SCM. (Have you everything?)

Sportier Attitude - As for the powertrain, the 5461 cc V8 engine family, the M273 is the same as before, with 382 hp at 6,000 rpm and 391 pound-feet of torque from 2800 to 4800 rpm, driving this big Merc from a standstill to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds. Together with the seven-speed standard transmission, the S550 massaged absolutely barrels and could be the all-time gas-powered highway cruiser and highway bombers.

Our test car had the optional 19-inch wheels with low rolling resistance-resistance Continental Sport Contact 2 tires, 255/40R19 and 275/40R19 front 100Ys back 101Ys. As hard as these tires, they were good all day and transmit a fairly normal amount of road noise on the well-insulated cabin. Although the rectangular exhaust tips can be quite a satisfying growl when you directly to the gas, wind noise is incredibly low, even at high speeds.

And in all this subtlety of midlife change, 5.5-liter V8, the S550 on a tank of gas by 6 percent. S-Class product manager Frank Steinacher declares that the aerodynamics were improved slightly by adding a slippery front end, new mirrors and new window seals. Then there are the low-resistance tires with low-friction bearings. Finally, Mercedes has low friction engine oil.

The weapons August - The transition to this new iteration of the W221 S-Class from the end of August for North America. Since a full 25 percent of the S-Class sales are in North America, Mercedes would like to see it on this way. Given the fact that the recently introduced Mercedes E-Class is priced almost $ 5,000 less than before, the S-Class seems likely that a similar statement. Mercedes Our contacts tell us that the price for 2010 Mercedes-Benz S550 could begin at $ 85.000, or about 4500 $ less than the current model of the sticker.

Between the BMW 7 Series and Lexus LS (but somewhere closer to the Lexus), Mercedes has the right niche wire for the S-Class. What can we say after this long trip through the Black Forest, the luxury segment of the guide remains relatively unthreatened by his rivals and the sales statistics show that he suffers the least among the luxury sedans in this evil cash-strapped epoch we 're in.-By Matt Davis

Mercedes-Benz : PGW Become Main Glass Supplier .

Pittsburgh Glass Works LLC (PGW) has signed an agreement with Daimler AG is the main supplier of windshields, laminated glass sidelites and backlit for Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs.

"We have a supplier of [Daimler] for quite sometime and we are absolutely thrilled with the development of relations in this new regime for the supply," said Pete Dishart of PGW.

According to a statement issued by PGW, the new agreement, the company is investing in production capacity and technological development to meet the requirements of the partnership.

Dishart was not on the specifics of how these affect PGW plants.

"With this relationship, we must ensure we have the capacity in place, the parts they need, and they have quite a number of demanding customers, and we must ensure that our parts can meet the needs that they have "says he said.

PGW expects Sungate ® coated automotive glass, blue glass Solextra ®, Safe and Sound ® laminated glass and Sound Master ® acoustic glass to see the increased use of Daimler vehicles.

"Daimler was an early adopter of our automotive Sungate coated glass," says Paolo Cavallari, General Manager of PGW Europe. "And through this strategic partnership, we are committed to their ongoing need for innovative process and product technologies."

"I think this is good news for the glass industry and for PGW," added Dishart.


Full text of press release from PGW.
Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW) and Daimler AG form Strategic Partnership for Automotive Glazing

Innovative new business model for glass sourcing builds on existing relationship

PITTSBURGH, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- PGW LLC and Daimler AG have entered into a new OEM/supplier strategic partnership for the supply of automotive glass. Under this new multi-year business model, PGW will be the main supplier of windshields, and laminated glass for doors and rear windows, for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and SUVs.

Daimler AG is a global producer of premium passenger cars and the largest manufacturer of heavy and medium-duty trucks in the world. Along with PGW, a world leading supplier of automotive glass and services, the parties have evolved an existing relationship which includes both product supply and collaborative development. This new agreement is expected to significantly increase the scope of business conducted between the two companies.

"This strategic partnership will strengthen the valued relationship with Daimler and position our business for both sustained growth and profitability for the future," said Lou Braga, Vice President and General Manager of PGW's OEM business unit.

The new business model requires PGW to invest in manufacturing capacity and technology development to meet the requirements of the partnership. PGW glass products including Sungate(R) coated automotive glass, Solextra(R) blue glass, Safe and Sound(R) laminated glass and SoundMaster(R) enhanced acoustic glass are key technologies expected to see increased use on Daimler vehicles. PGW process technologies for precisely controlling glass shape and optical characteristics are also critical to meeting the high expectations of Daimler customers.

"Daimler was an early adopter of our Sungate(R) coated automotive glass," said Paolo Cavallari, General Manager of PGW Europe. "And through this strategic partnership we are committed to supporting their ongoing needs for innovative process and product technologies."

About Pittsburgh Glass Works

Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW) supplies automotive OEM windshields, rear and side windows, sunroofs and assemblies for auto and truck manufacturers, and it supplies and distributes replacement automotive glass products for use in the aftermarket. It also provides insurance claims services through its LYNX Services subsidiary, glass management software and internet marketing services through its GTS subsidiary, and e-business solutions through its GLAXIS offering.

Automotive glass products are manufactured and fabricated in six North American plants located in Berea, Ky.; Creighton, Meadville and Tipton, Pa.; Crestline Ohio; Evansville, Ind. and a joint venture facility in Tepeji del Rio, Mexico. In addition seven satellite parts assembly plants are located throughout North America and Europe, and two LYNX Services claims management call centers in Ft. Myers, Fla. and Paducah, Ky. Combined, the businesses employ approximately 3,700 people.

Note to editor: Sungate, Solextra, Safe and Sound, and SoundMaster are registered trademarks of PPG Industries.- SOURCE Pittsburgh Glass Works LLC.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class for 2010

For 2010, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class bears a slightly stronger resemblance to upscale Maybach sedans than any Mercedes yet. The changes on the 2010 S-Class compared to the 2009 model are subtle but nevertheless clean up a few exterior details to keep the sedan fresh.The most notable change is in the rear end, where designers have unified the previously three-tiered taillights into one unit, complete with LEDs. Exhaust pipes are more rectangular, a theme that spreads to the more angular rear view mirrors, as well. In front, LEDs line the bottom of the front fascia while only current S-Class owners are likely to notice the tweaked grille and headlights.Take a look at the 2009 and 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class photos in our Comparison Gallery to decide whether this refresh has been successful.

Mercedes Confirms Permanent Michigan-Based Hybrid Research Facility

Mercedes has confirmed a new $9.9 million hybrid and alternative propulsion research facility will be based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The facility will create as many as 454 new jobs in the area. The decision was made in-part due to a 10-year, $7.5 million tax break awarded by the state government, but there are other reasons behind the decision as well. Mercedes has been part of a long term hybrid transmission research and development partnership with BMW and General Motors, which has seen commonized designs go to production for GM in things like the Tahoe Hybrid. Daimler is also working closely with system integrator Cobasys on hybrid programs, which also has a local facility in the area. The new research and development facility will directly employ about 223 people, with a total of about 454 total jobs created directly and indirectly. News like this indicates the Detroit area's future isn't completely dead.