The 2009 ML350 with 2 Wheel Drive has been released for sale! The base MSRP is $44,600, which represents a $2,500 discount to the ML350 4MATIC. That should be about $20/month on an apples to apples lease. The ML350 2 Wheel Drive has the same exact standard and optional equipment and great look as the ML350 4MATIC.

Here in Georgia we don’t get a lot of opportunity to use the all wheel drive capability of the 4MATIC system so the 2 Wheel Drive system is a nice alternative. I should have one shortly and I’ll go drive them back to back to see if they perform any differently on the street.

10 CD update set is now available from Mercedes.
Part # BQ 646 0248

C & CLK 2000 – 2004
CL & S 2000 – 2003
E Sedan 2000 – 2002
E Wagon 2000 – 2003
G 2002 – 2006
SL 2002 – 2004

– Call your local Mercedes-Benz Parts Department or if you’re in the Alanta Metro Area please call the Atlanta Classic Cars Parts Department at 678-924-4245.

As part of the recent stimulus bill you can now deduct the taxes that you pay on a new car purchase. If you have been on the fence about purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes versus a new one this may help make that decision. Since most of our models will max out the $49,500 of purchase price that can be used for this deduction, residents of Gwinnett County (6% sales tax) can expect a maximum deduction of $2,970. This deduction is not avaliable for leased vehicles. If you’re looking at purchasing a new Mercedes here is an outline of this deduction.

What taxes are deductible?

• State Motor Vehicle Sales
• Local Motor Vehicle Sales
• Motor Vehicle Excise Taxes

What Customers qualify for the deduction?

• Individual customers with modified adjusted gross income of less than $125,000 or joint filers making less than $250,000 a year in 2009 would qualify for the deduction.
• Deductible as in “above the line” (for itemizers and non-itemizers) deduction on federal tax return.

Effective Date

• New vehicle purchases shall apply to purchase on or after the date of enactment (February 17, 2009) until December 31, 2009.

What New Vehicles Qualify for the Deduction?

• Any new vehicle UNDER 8,500 gross vehicle weight.
• New vehicles of any model year – when the original use commences with the taxpayer.
• Any vehicle sold for under $49,500 qualifies for the FULL deduction. Consumers may deduct sales taxes on the first $49,500 of any vehicle sold above this price.

This is a Generalized Summary. Tax savings will depend on one’s individual tax rate. For more specific information on eligible customers, taxes, and applicability, dealers are encouraged to consult with an accountant or tax professional.

These are the first official pictures of the 2010 E-Class Coupe that is due to arrive in the US this summer. It strongly resembles the 2010 E-Class sedan that is due around the same time. It has the same twin-headlamp design, “pontoon” reminiscent rear-end and received the same much needed technology upgrade to the navigation and entertainment systems. It will continue to have the stunning B-pillarless side windows that have always been my favorite part of the CLK coupe. For this new model they have taken that one step further with the addition of the panoramic roof.

The E-Class Coupe will have the lowest drag coefficient of any production vehicle at just .24. This low drag will help the E-Class coupe to be more fuel efficient. We are expecting to receive the 3.5 liter V6 and the 5.5 liter V8 in the US, although several other diesel engines will be available in Europe.

While a coupe isn’t practical for everyone, this is going to be a gorgeous vehicle that deserves strong consideration if 2 doors are enough for you! Look for the official debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March and then the New York Auto Show in April.

The slideshow below contains the first official pictures of the 2010 E-Class Coupe. Please contact me if you want to secure your spot on Atlanta Classic Cars’ waiting list for this new vehicle.

With the announcement that four time Champ Car Champion Sebastien Bourdais will be returning to the Toro Rosso team, 75% of the drivers for Red Bull’s two Formula One teams will now share the same name.

Bourdais	Vettel	Buemi

In addition to employing 100% of the F1 drivers named Sebastien, Red Bull also makes great promotional animations like the one they did for the first night race in Singapore. Now they have released a great overview of the many changes coming to Formula One in 2009.

I’ll always be a Mercedes fan but Red Bull is definitely the underdog that I love to cheer for. For more info on their teams check out www.RedBullRacing.com.

Mercedes-Benz has always had an eye on being a green company. From the vehicles they build to the factories they build them in, Mercedes is environmentally responsible and forward thinking. They have recently updated a portion of MBUSA.com to highlight some of their accomplishments. The Thinking GREEN section talks about the clean-burning diesel vehicles, the flex-fuel capability of the C-Class and the upcoming hybrid models. It also delves into manufacturing process and corporate initiatives. I found this to be very informative. You can visit it directly here.

Fans of the G-Class will enjoy this overview of the last 30 years of it’s design and production.

I can’t believe this GL450 is still for sale! We posted it as an internet special almost a week ago. This was a manager demo, it has less than 6000 miles and it is priced at $59,900! Original MSRP was more than $66,000. Black with Black interior is always the first color to go!

Mercedes-Benz offers an amazing program called European Delivery. You can order your vehicle at your local dealership, fly to Germany to pick it up, tour Europe for a few weeks in your new car and then have it shipped to your local dealership. It takes a little pre-planning but you do get a nice discount on the vehicle and it often pays for your vacation!

The earliest possible delivery dates for the 2010 models are as follows:
C-Class July 27, 2009
GLK350W April 15, 2009
GLK350W4 February 25, 2009
E350W, E550W July 20, 2009
E350W4, E550W4 September 28, 2009
CLS-Class August 19, 2009
SLK-Class October 19, 2009
SL-Class October 19, 2009
S-Class August 19, 2009

This is the first time that you can purchase an SUV through the European Delivery Program! Also, the E-Class is available for pick-up quite soon after the official launch of the new body style this summer. There is usually more of a delay. You can visit the European Delivery Site for more information or contact your local dealer.

“We recently took out the ML BlueTEC to the Autoclub Speedway for some performance testing and found that besides being a relatively fuel efficient and low-emissions people-mover (EPA rated at 18 city/24 highway) the new ML diesel is also a decent Bavarian performer of an SUV.”

“As is the case with the new breed of 50-state legal diesels, it didn’t “act” (or smell) like the dirty, black-plume-spewing cars of yesteryear.”

“Sporty? Check. Luxurious? Check. Capable of actually being used in a towing/hauling/carrying situation? Check. The powertrain is always ready to unleash its smile-inducing torque, while the 3.0L six should prove plenty sturdy thanks to the vast experience its diligent engineers have amassed since pre-WWII.”

Read Motor Trend’s full review here