160Newton Meters = 118 Lb-Ft of Torque
Mercedes plans to release the 2010 S400 BlueHYBRID for sale in the United States this fall. The vehicle will look almost identical to the S550 but should average about 30 miles per gallon and lower emissions substantially!

The S400 will use a “mild hybrid” system that allows the battery to provide a boost to the engine when running and also restart the engine when it shuts off at a stop. Mercedes is using is a Lithium Ion battery pack, which is lighter and more efficient than the usual nickel-metal-hydride battery other manufacturers are using. The German Automobile Association and Europe’s largest car club, the ADAC, awarded its Yellow Angel award for the Innovation & Environment category for the use of this lithium ion battery technology. I thought this article from HybridCars.com was informative.

Fifth Gear recently reviewed a Smart Car that uses this shutting-off-at-a-stop system and said it was seamless. This system is demonstrated at 2:30 min in.

If you would like to reserve a place on the order list at Atlanta Classic Cars, please get in touch!

These huge discounts on Atlanta Classic Cars Demo vehicles will be posted in this weekend’s paper. If you are interested in any of these vehicles please contact me right away.

Stock#	Model	Color	Miles	MSRP	Internet Price	Discount
26843	2009 E350	Black/Black	6000	$55,475	$49,900	$5,575
26832	2009 E350	Pewter/Cashmere	7500	$56,505	$49,900	$6,605
26794	2009 E350	Silver/Ash	6000	$56,195	$49,900	$6,295
26842	2009 E350	White/Black	5500	$57,715	$49,900	$7,815
26799	2009 E350	White/Cashmere	6000	$56,045	$49,900	$6,145
26834	2009 E350	White/Cashmere	6500	$55,785	$49,900	$5,885
M5168	2009 GL320 BlueTEC	White/Cashmere	1500	$68,055	$59,900	$8,155
M5101	2009 GL450	Black/Black	5000	$66,405	$59,900	$6,505
M5167	2009 ML320 BlueTEC	White/Cashmere	1200	$56,425	$49,900	$6,525
M5153	2009 ML350	Pewter/Cashmere	7500	$51,915	$45,900	$6,015
26927	2009 S550	Mocha Blk/Blk	4500	$105,390	$94,500	$10,890
26600	2009 SL550	Black/Stone	6500	$105,285	$89,900	$15,385

The monthly subscription fee for Sirius has been $12.95 for years. Now that Sirius has us all addicted to commercial free music and all of the other entertainment channels, they need to raise the prices $2 per month to start turning a profit! It makes sense to me. To avoid those increased charges you can call Sirius at 1-888-539-7474 before March 11th and pre-pay for a length of time at the current rates.

If you have a lease, pre-pay though the end of the lease. They have lots of packages available. In general, the longer term you sign up for, the cheaper it gets per month. And, if you cancel the subscription early Sirius will apply the unused portion to your next subscription. When you purchase a new Mercedes it’s also a good plan to purchase and extended pre-paid plan at the time you take delivery so that they can apply your 6 months base service as a credit toward you pre-paid plan. If you plan to keep the car for many years the best value may be the Lifetime Subscription. It’s $399 and will stay with the vehicle forever!

Referenced from SiriusBuzz.com

“While the satellite radio and iPod interface will keep you entertained in traffic, the superb drivetrain will put a smile on your face when you finally get out of town.”

“The transmission rocks.”

“On the track, the 3.5-liter V-6 hustled the Benz to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds. Stops were equally impressive: 60 to 0 mph in just 124 feet. “

“Merging and passing on the freeway are effortless, and the GLK can pull off a 15.0-second quarter-mile at 92.9 mph.”

“The GLK still offers plenty of cargo space behind the rear seats. It’s wide enough to place golf bags sideways in the rear and roomy enough to accommodate lots of large luggage pieces. “

“On the asphalt, it’s sure to please luxury-loving drivers with its compliant ride and tight handling, as well as its spacious interior and high-tech features.”

Read Motor Trend’s full review here

2008 was a great season for our Formula One team. Our top driver, Lewis Hamilton, won his first drivers championship and the team made a great comeback from the controversy of the 2007 season.

The changes to the rules for the 2009 season are the most significant in several years and as a result the cars will look quite a bit different. The largest change can be seen in the updated rear wing that appears to be about half the size of last years. The new rules limiting the aerodynamics of the cars have added an interesting new feature in that driver adjustable front wing flaps will be legal for 2009. While this brings F1 cars one step closer to the airplanes they share so much technology with, it will also provide one more area for an amazing driver like Lewis Hamilton to show off his skills.

2009 will also see the introduction of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) to Formula One. These systems will store the energy used slow the car and then allow it to be used later for increased acceleration. The KERS device on the new McLaren Mercedes will be able to provide a boost of 80hp for 6.7 seconds per lap. Depending on the circuit this will decrease lap times by 0.3 to 0.5 seconds.

It’s only 67 days till the first race of the 2009 season in Melbourne, Australia. I can’t wait!

This is a great video that Mercedes just put out detailing many of the advanced features of the 2010 E-Class. According to the press release, the speed limit assist that they mention as being able to read speed limit signs uses the same wide-angle camera as the new lane departure alert(Lane Keeping Assist). This is an interesting new feature and we’ll have wait to see if it can read signs here or only in Europe.

Mercedes-Benz is showing of the 2010 E-class to the public for the first time this weekend at the Detroit Auto Show. Now that this new E-Class is out of its testing camouflage we don’t have to be satisfied with spy photos anymore. Below are several of the photos that Mercedes just released. Please contact me if you want to get on Atlanta Classic Cars’ waiting list for this new E-Class.

This is basically a commercial for the design of the 2010 E-Class. Nice video, not a lot of content.