Help us fill our E350 Cabriolet with Toys for Tots!

As an official drop off point, Atlanta Classic Cars is proud to support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

If you are going to be in our neighborhood for service or just to visit please bring a toy! Thank you!

As an AMG Driving Academy graduate, I am a huge fan of the program and recommend it to everyone!

For 2011 the AMG Driving Academy has added a third US track – Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, to the already stellar lineup of  Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. All three tracks offer a world-class experience! It looks like the Academy will be at Road Atlanta in March and April, Lime Rock in May and June and the Laguna Seca dates are still being finalized.

There is an early enrollment special available through January 15th that will save you 20%! Just in time to be a fantastic Christmas present for the AMG enthusiast in your life!

Also in 2011, the AMG Driving Academy Purchase Reward Program will allow free enrollment to the one-day Basic Program for customers who purchase or lease a new AMG vehicle after January 1st, 2011! You thought you liked your AMG before…wait until you see what they can really do on the track with skilled instructors!

You can visit the AMG Driving Academy website for all of the dates, rates and a detailed description of the 3 types of courses offered. Let me know if you sign up!

Mercedes-Benz has just released these 18″ two-tone wheels for the new E-Class coupe and cabriolet. If you have been looking to dress up your new E-Class with a factory approved wheel, this might be a great option. You can get more details about pricing, tires and install from your local dealership. The part numbers are  A207 401 1602 7X23 for the front axle and A207 401 1702 7X23 for the rear axle.

The 2012 CLS-Class is scheduled to arrive in June 2011. There will be a limited number of Launch Editions (P88 Package) available at that time. If you know you want a 2012 CLS550, and you would like something special, you should order your Launch Edition soon!

• Steel Grey Metallic Paint – exclusive to Launch Edition
• Porcelain/Black Premium Leather –  exclusive to Launch Edition
• Black Ash Wood Trim
• Black headliner
• 19″ 5-Spoke Alloy Wheel (Anthracite Finish) – exclusive to Launch Edition
• Premium 1 Package
• Driver Assitance Package
• Parktronic
• Split Folding Rear Seats
• Wood/Leather Steering Wheel
• Active Multicontour Driver Seat
• Illuminated Door Sills
• Rear Trunklid Spoiler
• Edition 1 Floormats - exclusive to Launch Edition

MBUSA brought us a very special wrapped E-Class today for a training session on some of our safety systems over the years. There is hardly enough room on the vehicle to list all of the underlying safety features that Mercedes has developed and implemented to keep owners from having an accident or being harmed if one should occur! It was a great new way to see the E-Class!

The all new 2012 CLS-Class is scheduled to arrive in the US in June of 2011. It is a knockout! Since the 2011 CLS-Class is now out of production, Mercedes-Benz has given us the preliminary ordering guide so you can order your 2012 CLS-Class early! The CLS550 and CLS63 AMG are scheduled for release in June and the CLS550 4Matic should arrive in August or September. Most of the information on the CLS63 AMG is still under wraps but that information should arrive later this month.

Standard Equipment

• CLS550 gets the new 4.6 litre V8 with 402 hp and 443 lb/ft torque
• First Mercedes with lightweight, all-aluminum doors
• Airmatic on CLS550
• NTG 4.0 – 40GB hardrive based navigation system, voice control, Gracenote media database, HD Radio, Music Register
• harman/kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system with 14 speakers and 610 watt amplifiers
• 10 standard airbags including front seat knee and pelvic airbags
• Multicolor ambient lighting
• Bi-Xenon Headlamps
• Dual-zone Climate Control

Paint Colors

• 040 – Black
• 047 – Alubeam Titanium Metallic (additional charge)
• 057 – Zircon Red Metallic (additional charge)
• 197 – Obsidian Black  Metallic
• 497 – Cuprite Brown Metlallic
• 541 – Storm Red Metallic
• 775 – Iriduim Silver Metallic
• 792 – Palladium Silver Metallic
• 799 – Diamond White Metallic (additional charge)
• 890 – Canvas Blue Metallic (delayed launch)
• 963 – Indium Grey Metallic

Interior Colors

• 201 – Black Leather
• 801 – Black Premium Leather (additional charge)
• 205 – Almond / Mocha Leather
• 805 – Almond / Mocha Premium Leather (additional change)
• 208 – Ash / Black Leather
• 808 – Ash / Black Premium Leather (additional charge)

Optional Packages

Premium 1 Package – approx $4500

• iPod/MP3 Media Interface
• Rearview Camera
• Heated & Active Ventilated Front Seats
• Power Rear-Window Sunshade
• Adaptive Highbeam Assist
• Full-LED Headlamps
• Electronic Trunk Closer
• Keyless-GO

Lane Tracking Package – approx $950

• Blind Spot Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist

Driver Assistance Package – approx $2980

• Distronic Plus
• Active Blind Spot Assist
• Active Lane Keeping Assist

Sport Package – approx $4000

• All-Season Tires
• Sport Steering Wheel
• Sport Body Styling
• AMG 18″ 5-Spoke Alloy Wheels

Sport Package Plus One – approx $4500

• High-Performance Tires
• Sport Steering Wheel
• Sport Body Styling
• AMG 19″ 5-soke Alloy Wheels

P30 AMG Performance Package – $9000 CLS63 Only

• Carbon Fiber Engine Cover
• Red brake Calipers
• Top Speed Raised to 186 mph
• AMG Performance Steering Wheel
• Limited Slip Differential
• Sport Suspension
• Additional Power TBD

Stand Alone Options

• Parktronic – $990
• Split Folding Rear Seats – $450
• Wood/Leather Steering Wheel – $600
• Rear Side Airbags – $430
• Active Multicontour Driver Seat – $670
• Heated Steering Wheel – $230
• Night View Assist Plus – $1800
• 19″ 5-spoke Alloy Wheel – $500
• Illuminated Door Sills – $800
• Rear Trunklid Spoiler – $300
• Heated Rear Seats – $700 – special order

A few real life pictures of the 2011 SL63 AMG in designo Magno Night Black! This vehicle also has the new designo stone trim in Star Galaxy. I’ve learned quite a bit about the new Magno Matte finishes lately and they are a really interesting alternative to the standard gloss. It is more of a satin finish than a true matte – there is some luster there. Other than handwashing and keeping away from abrasive materials it doesn’t require any additional upkeep. For those of you who have had black, white and silver and want something new, Magno Matte is exciting!

The time change is this weekend and there are always lots of questions about how to set the clock in your Mercedes-Benz. I have addressed this before in more detail but thought I would update it with pictures! Mercedes-Benz USA has also posted a very good video for setting the clock in vehicles with COMAND.

How to set the clock in most 2009 and newer Mercedes-Benz:

Once you have that selected you can simply hit the back button to get back to the main screen. As always, I would be happy to set it for you if you are in the neighborhood.