I think they like it!

“Because once you actually go some place and spend all day on the road and maybe even a bit longer than you’d like, then you’ll figure out just how good the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe really is.”

“Luxury is the place where efficiency meets pleasure, and that’s where you’ll find the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe. It’s a serious motorcar.”

“If you think everybody should pack into one car for dinner…then you should wait for the shuttle bus, because the grown-ups are leaving.”

“It all adds up in acceleration, because the combination of the right kind of power and a right-size, 3,883-pound package (400 pounds lighter than an E-Class sedan) delivers 60 mph in 5.3 seconds (5.0 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). Check out the E550 coupe’s quarter-mile run of 13.4 seconds at 105.2 mph and you’ll see what kind of muscle it has.”

“The thing that we really care about, though, is the simple presence of the E-Class suspension. In addition to the configuration of the front suspension struts, this E550 coupe has standard adaptive damping based on inputs from seven sensors, plus the availability of both manually selected normal and Sport mode. “

Read the whole article at Edmunds.com

Mercedes just posted an updated Dealer Ordering Guide for the SLS. All of this information is preliminary and can change as we go forward. It is hard to believe that this dream car is about to become a reality!

The Basics –
Performance:
Handbuilt 6.3L V-8
563 hp / 479 lb-ft Torque
7-Speed AMG Dual Clutch Transaxle Transmission
Rear Limited Slip Differential
Compund Brake Rotors
Safety:
Rearview Camera
Tele Aid
Bi-Xenon Headlamps
LED Daytime Running Lights
Comfort:
Parktronic and Keyless Go
Auto-dimming Side and Rearview Mirrors
Power Folding Mirros
Headlamp Washing System
Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control
Technology:
COMAND APS with 6-Disc CD/DVD Changer
40GB Hard-Drive GPS Navigation
Enhanced Voice Control System
SIRIUS Satellite Radio and HD Radio
iPod/MP3 Media Interface

That is a far cry from the stripped down supercars that are usually built! Navigation, Parktronic, iPod? Finally a luxury car in a supercar body!

Options — Remember that this is all subject to change –

Colors:
No Charge Colors: Obsidian Black, Iridium Silver, AMG Daytona Blue and AMG le Mans Red
Approx $1500 Colors: AMG Imola Grey, designo Diamond White
Approx $3000 Colors: designo Magno Alanite Grey, AMG Magno Monza Grey – Matte Finish
Approx $10,000 Color: AMG ALU-BEAM Silver – a unique process that makes the paint shine like liquid metal

Interiors:
Black, Sand, Red, Porcelain
Aluminum Center Console
2-Tone designo Seats: Sand/Black, Classic Red/Black, Porcelain/Black – No Charge!
Light Brown Woven Natural Leather – Approx $1000

$4500 Carbon Fiber Console and Door Panel
$9000 Extended Interior Carbon Fiber Package (sill plates and seat frame)
$500 AMG Leather/Alcantara Performance Steering Wheel

Wheels: All styles are 19×9.5 front and 20×11 rear.
Twin 5-Spoke – Standard
7-Spoke – no cost option
10-Spoke Forged – Approx $2,400

Bang & Olufsen Sound System: Approx $6400
10 Speakers, 1,000 Watts
Dual subwoofers
Amplifier (Ice-Power and DSP)
Speakers with Neodymium magnet to reduce weight without loss of sound quality
All speaker grilles are made of high-quality 2mm aluminum
Illuminated tweeter lenses
Selectable sound modes

AMG Carbon Ceramic Braking System: Approx $12,000
Specially-developed carbon ceramic rotors and brake calipers for reduced weight and excellent braking performance.
Bronze painted brake calipers with “AMG Carbon Ceramic” Logo.
Larger carbon-ceramic compound brake discs
Front: six piston caliper, 15.8″ disc (Stock – 15.4″)
Rear: four piston caliper, 14.2″ disc (Stock – 13.0″)

AMG Performance Suspension: Approx $1500
Stiffer steel springs and shock absorbers for enhanced dynamic capability in high-performance driving situations.

More Carbon Fiber:
$5000 Mirror Covers
$5400 Engine Compartment Covers

If you are considering purchasing what will probably be the most collectable Mercedes-Benz of this decade please give me a call today.

The 2010 E63 is scheduled for launch this month. The first batch has already been built and are waiting to be released to dealerships. There is a lot of anticipation for this vehicle. I was talking with a cutomer today about the inclusion of a console mounted shifter on the AMG version of the E-Class. Unlike the other 2010 E sedans that use the column mounted gear selector, the E63 AMG is using something they call the ‘AMG DRIVE UNIT with center console-mounted E-SELECT lever.’ This very similar to the setup in the new SLS AMG.

In the photo below you will see the rotary switch used to select ‘C’ (Controlled Efficiency), ‘S’ (Sport), ‘S+’ (Sport Plus), ‘M’ (Manual), and ‘RS’ (Race Start) drive modes. In Manual and Sport Plus the 7-speed will shift in only 100 milliseconds. This is 25 percent faster than just Sport. This is partially achieved through cutting the fuel and ignition for a brief time to reduce the load on the transmission during hard acceleration. Another plus to having the rotary control knob is that it allows you the leave your car in the sport mode without having the transmission default to ‘C’ every time you start the engine like the other 2010 E-class models do.

The ‘Sport Off’ button switches the ESP setting from ESP On, to ESP Sport, and ESP Off. I haven’t seen any reviews yet that indicate if ESP off is truly off and I won’t be testing that when the first one arrives at Atlanta Classic Cars.

Similar to previous E-Class AMG vehicles, the suspension adjustment button allows the driver to switch between Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus modes to best suit their needs.

A new feature for the 2010 E63 is the AMG Race Start function that activated by the ‘AMG’ button. Pressing this button will bring up a menu that allows you the adjust ‘configuration options’ (I won’t know what those are until we have one). To use Race Start they say you will have to stop the car, be in ESP Sport, press the brake, select ‘RS’ drive mode, and then pull the up shift lever once while fully pressing the gas and releasing the brakes. I’m assuming those last three parts don’t happen at the same time since the system is supposed to automatically rev the engine to the ideal launch RPM. That is one I will have to test and report back.

Last week the 1 millionth M-Class built in Vance, AL rolled off the line. The one that set the record was a ML350 BlueTEC that is heading to a dealer in Phoenix. This is a great acheviement, and we plan to see many future M, R, and GL-Class vehicles make their way to Atlanta Classic Cars from this plant. Maybe someday the ML420 and GL420 (V8 diesel) models that pass through our dealership from Vance on their way to the rest of the world will get to stay a while.

650N-m = 479 lb-ft of Torque

Just like the C63 Wagon I saw while I was in Germany, we probably won’t see the 2010 E63 AMG Wagon here in the United States but it is such a gorgeous vehicle I wanted to share the pictures! For some reason the US market just doesn’t respond to wagons. Too bad…this is a real sleeper!

7.9 Liters/100Km = 30mpg

- Update – This ML550 has been sold.
If you are even thinking about an ML550 this is the one you should get! Immediately! This car is well-equipped, gorgeous and it will be a great deal! It is technically a new vehicle – it has never been titled – but the warranty started 10 months ago and it has 8175 miles. We can add an extended warranty that will cover it up to 100,000 miles if that would be a benefit to you. Please let me know if you are interested! We only have one, it can’t be replaced, and it will sell fast!

2009 ML550
Arctic White / Cashmere Interior
Premium 2 Package:
-Navigation
-Voice Control
-IPod/MP3 Adaptor
-Rearview Camera
-Parktronic
-Memory Seats
-Autodimming Mirrors
-Power Folding Mirrors
-Sirius Satellite Radio
-Sirius Live Traffic
-Harman/kardon Upgraded Sound
-Keyless-GO
-Power Liftgate
AMG Sport Package:
-19″ AMG Wheels
-Aluminum Running Boards
Trailer Hitch
Heated Front Seats
Pre-Wired for Rear Entertainment

Original MSRP: $64,675
Special Price: $54,675