Yesterday I took a little road trip in a 2012 Merceded-Benz C250 courtesy car. I drove from Atlanta, GA to Columbus, GA and back before noon using about half a tank of fuel. There was heavy traffic in Atlanta that slowed me down a little but the C250 was a great vehicle for this trip - Fun to drive, plenty of space and the fuel economy was impressive! The 2012 C250 is officially rated at 31 mpg on the highway but I was able to do even better!

This beauty will be retired from our courtesy car fleet in about a year but Atlanta Classic Cars has a great selection of Certified Pre-Owned C-Classes available now. Let me know if something catches your eye!

Just added to the Future Vehicles section at MBUSA.com…

Key Highlights

• Hand-built, high-revving AMG 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V-8 engine
• 507 horsepower, 450 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 mph in 4.1*** seconds, and a top speed of 174 mph
• More aggressive exterior styling, including hood vents, new AMG light-alloy forged wheels and AMG sport striping
• Exclusive interior available with designo upholstery, high-gloss black piano-lacquer trim and “Edition 507″ badging
• AMG high-performance braking system with compound rotors and red-painted calipers
• AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles
• AMG sport suspension
• AMG sport exhaust
• Available with “Edition 507″ exclusive designo Magno Platinum Matte paintwork
• Available for sale this summer!

All I can say is WOW! I have purchased 3 new Mercedes-Benz automobiles previously, but this fourth one was a very special car buying experience!

I was in the market for a new car so I called my very dear friend Kim Cates. Kim and I became friends when I had my car serviced at Atlanta Classic Car before moving to Jacksonville, Florida.  She always provided first class service.

Kim put me in touch with Jesse Cannon-Wallace. After speaking with Jesse by phone, she went right to work finding me the right car and the best financing.  Within 30 minutes she called me back and asked me to select the exact vehicle I wanted to purchase.

I flew from Jacksonville to pick up my new car a few days later.  I was met at the door by Jesse with a big smile!  She offered a test drive and began demonstrating all the great features of my new car.  She was gracious enough to add a stop at Fryes to purchase the iPhone 5 adaptor so I could connect my phone to the car.  We arrived a little before the store opened and she respected my time by using the opportunity to complete the demonstration.

When we returned to the dealership, Jesse introduced me to Eric Palmsteen, Business Manager, to sign the paperwork.  Eric went above and beyond to secure incredible financing for me.  Additionally, he was so organized that it took just a few minutes to complete the transaction.

Thanks to Kim, Jesse and Eric, there is absolutely nothing more I could have expected or desired from a car buying experience.  I’ve raved about my experience so much that friends in Florida plan to purchase their next vehicle from Atlanta Classic Cars!  I strongly encourage anyone in the market for a new vehicle or needs service for a Mercedes-Benz to contact the amazing team at Atlanta Classic Cars! I look forward to buying all my future cars from them.

Oh, did I mention how much I love my new Mercedes?  By far it’s the best of the four.

Thanks again,

Bill Brim

Thank you Bill – It was a pleasure!

Take a look at the gorgeous car! This is a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG coupe that we special ordered with the Porcelain/Black Two-Tone Nappa Leather and the Carbon Fiber Trim. This car is currently available for sale!

2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

• Black
• Porcelain/Black Two Tone Nappa Leather
• Carbon Fiber Trim
• Multimedia Package
• Lighting Package
• Keyless GO
• MSRP $74,845

The Becker Map Pilot (Option Code 001 + Pre-Wire Code 508) is now available for the 2013 C-Class, GLK-Class and SLK-Class. I have used it a few times and find it to be much more intuitive than the Nav+4 or UMI that we used before. The Pre-Wire option is $200 and the Becker Map Pilot itself is $600 and can simply be plugged into the dock. The biggest flaw with the kit was the lack of a detailed instruction manual. Here it is!

Thanks to Nash for finding it for me!

Not bad when you check out the competition…

Read the full article at Motor Trend Online.

Our very first 2013 Cinnabar Red vehcile arrived over the weekend and I thought a little comparison was in order. From left to right you have a 2013 ML350 in Cinnabar Red, a 2013 CLS550 in Storm Red and a 2013 C250 in Mars Red. Cinnabar Red is the least red of the group. I would say it is a reddish-brown with lots of copper metallic. The Storm Red is what I would call a candy apple red. Mars Red is the traditional bright red you would expect for a color called Red. I know pictures are no substitute for seeing them in person…but I perhaps side-by-side it will help you see the scale of red-ness.

This 2013 C250 coupe just arrived at the dealership and it is something special!

2013 C250 coupe

Black with Black Dinamica Interior and Aluminum Trim

MSRP $48890

Premium 1 Package

• iPod/MP3 Interface
• SiriusXM Radio
• harman/kardon LOGIC7 Surround sound
• Heated Front Seats

Leather Seating Package

• Leather upholstery on all seating surfaces
• 3-position memory for front passenger

Multimedia Package

• Navigation with 80 GB hard drive
• 10 GB Music Register
• Sirius XM Traffic and Weather
• Rear View Camera
• Voice Control

Sport Package Plus

• 18-inch AMG twin 7-spoke wheels
• Rear lip spoiler
• Exclusive-design front sport seats
• Black MB-Tex upholstery with DINAMICA inserts on seats and shift knob
• Red top-stitching throughout cabin
• Black floor mats with Red leather borders
• Red seat belts (Black seat belts optional for no charge)
• Flat-bottom performance steering wheel with Silver paddle shifters
• Racing-inspired suspension with constant-ratio Direct-steer system
• Larger, perforated 13.5″ front and 11.8″ rear brake discs
• Performance-tuned exhaust and transmission (with downshift rev-matching)

Lane Tracking Package

• Lane Keep Assist
• Blind Sport Monitor

This vehicle has just about all of the options available and is a great example of how custom the C250 can be! This car has the look of a designo package or AMG vehicle for just $2800 in the Sport Package Plus! These wheels are beautiful! We also received a Diamond Silver C250 coupe with these wheels and it was even more obvious that they were two-tone.

I included the two pictures of the COMAND screen because it seems to have changed colors. In the past it has been a retro looking yellow color. Now it appears to be black and white for a sleeker look. (This one is set to Italian. English is also an option, I checked.) Keep an eye out! These 2013 models are coming and there are some exciting new features!

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series Coupe will be built soon! There are a very limited number of cars available and you’ll need to reserve one soon!

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is scheduled to arrive in July. While the 2012 model was the major refresh, there are some differences for 2013. Since most of the options and packages are the same, I am focusing on the differences in this post. As always, info can change before launch and there will be small differences from the European Spec images here.

Engines:

• C250 Sedan and Coupe – 1.8L I4 with 201 hp and 229 lb/ft torque
• C300 4Matic Sedan – 3.5L V6 with 248 hp and 251 lb/ft torque – Now with ECO Stop/Start Technology
• C350 Sedan and Coupe – 3.5L V6 with 302 hp/273 lb/ft torque – Now with ECO Stop/Start Technology
• C350 4Matic Coupe – 3.5L V6 with 302 hp/273 lb/ft torque - Now with ECO Stop/Start Technology
• C63 AMG Sedan and Coupe – 6.3L V8 with 451 hp and 443 lb/ft torque

Colors:

• New – Polar White (both) , Dolomite Brown (sedan), Steel Grey (sedan) , Diamond Silver (both)
• Phased Out – Arctic White, Cuprite Brown, Pearl Beige

Packages:

Sport Package (code 956) Sedan and C350 Coupe – $2300

• 18″ 7-double spoke AMG wheel – black/polished
• AMG Rear Spoiler in vehicle color
• Sport Seats in MB TEX/Dinamica with red stitching (black upholstery only)
• Door Panel, center console, gear lever, floor mats and steering wheel with red stitching
• Red seat belts (black available as no cost options)
• C-Coupe style instrument cluster

Sport Package PLUS – C250 Coupe Only – $2800

• All components of the Sport Package
• Sport Badging on front fender
• Sport speed-sensitive steering with more direct ratio
• Larger braking system
• Special sport exhaust with sportier engine sound
• Sport shift mode with rev matching

Driver Assistance Package - Sedan Only – $2950

• Distronic PLUS with Pre-Safe Brake
• Active Lane Keeping Assist
• Active Blind Spot Assist

Dymanic Handling Package  – C250/C350 Sedan and Coupe $1530

• 18″ AMG Twin 5-spoke Wheel
• Advanced Agility Suspension
• Speed Sensitive Steering
• Shift Paddles

Options:

Becker Map Pilot – For Sedan and Coupe with Audio 20 Head Unit (small radio) – $800

• Voice Recognition
• 45 Day fresh map
• Optional 2D/3D map view
• Display and announcement of speed limits
• Brand logos for points of interest
• Info on distance remaining, time of arrival, street names
• Navigation also displays in instrument cluster
• Cannot Retrofit to previous model years!

Special thanks to Mike for getting me the Sport Package pictures a few days early!