“No rational person can make an argument for buying a 525-hp SUV. The fact that AMG offers a performance package that bumps the power up to 557 hp makes me believe there aren’t a lot of rational people responsible for building them, either. Have we mentioned we love AMG?”

“Even with a 40/60 front/rear power split, the stability control won’t allow you to drive the car with the throttle. Once things start to get out of shape, the electronics call a timeout and reel things back in. It is amazing just how hard you have to push to find those limits, and the idea of any rational person finding them is unlikely.”

“Interior quality took a major leap forward in the redesigned ML, and the AMG version takes it another step farther. Material quality is luxurious and attention to detail abounds in spots only contortionists would be able to see. Even the doorjambs look as though they spent time in the design department to match the clean, uncluttered aesthetic.”

“Herr Kallenius boasts that the new ML 63 AMG is the most powerful SUV for sale today. In the same train of thought, he also says the AMG biturbo V-8 is among the cleanest engines for the power output. “AMG is a test lab for new technology that will trickle down into lower segments at Mercedes.”"

Read the full Motor Trend article and view the photo gallery here.

Just in time for holiday travel…(this kind of thing actually happens at my house!)

The 2012 ML63 AMG has debuted at the LA Auto Show and is now featured in the Future Models section at MBUSA.com. Specifications, colors, packages and options are now confirmed and the expected launch date is March 2012. Pricing is not yet available. Order now to get an early one!

Key Highlights

Hand-built, AMG Direct-Injection biturbo V-8 engine
516 hp and 518 lb-ft of torque, 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds
AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7-speed automatic transmission with three driving modes
ECO Stop/Stop function for additional fuel efficiency
AMG high-performance braking system
AIRMATIC air suspension with Adaptive Damping System
ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM for body roll stabilization
Standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive
Standard Premium 2 Package, including hard-drive navigation with enhanced voice control and 14-speaker harman/kardon LOGIC7® surround-sound system
Available AMG Performance Package increases output to 550 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque

I have been getting lots of great feedback on this commercial! Everyone wants the most advanced SUV ever built!

The 2012 ML-Class is a hit! It looks great, drives beatifully and is more fuel efficient. It is so popular that we keep selling out our inventory! This morning we got a big shipment of ML350s and now have 9 available for sale! Black, White, Dakota Brown, Steel Grey, Capri Blue,  Obsidian Black, Diamond White and Iridium Silver are all here! Hurry in…Our last shipment disappeared in 3 days!

The 2012 ML350 arrived late last night! Our first model is Black/Black with the Premium 1 Package. This one is ready to test drive and there are more on the way!

I have been on several test drives today and I am most impressed by the new speed sensitive electromechanical steering. It makes maneuvering in parking lots incredibly easy and feels great at high speeds too. The interior is beautiful, comfortable and technologically impressive.

The 2012 ML350 4matic was released for sale today! The new MLs are at the factory being prepped to ship to all of the dealers in the US. I have 3 that are all set to go and awaiting transport! I should have them available for test drive before the weekend!

Skip ahead to the 2 minute mark to see the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 being test driven. The most interesting part to me is that it is featured in Dakota Brown!

The 2012 ML350 4matic, 2012 C250 Coupe and 2012 C250 Sedan stopped by the dealership yesterday for salesperson training. It was great to see the cars in person and get some hands-on experience! Thanks to Curtis, Dennis and team for spending the day with us!

The 2012 ML350 4matic looks fantastic. It is still an M-Class – it has just about the same overall size a capabilities – but it is certainly new and improved! The lines look very moden and all of the lights are bright and distinctive. The interior is fantastic. It might just be worth springing for the Full-Leather Package to get the contrast stitching and piping. This particular vehicle is a pre-production model so there may be some slight changes to what you see on the car when it arrives at the dealership.

The 2012 C250s looked great too! The coupe is stylish and loaded with tons of standard equipment. None of our competitors have standard split folding rear seats or the panoramic roof! The new interior on the sedan is a big improvement. The new NTG 4.5 on all of these vehicles (that is the nav system) is awesome! When I have one handy I’ll post a video of some of the new features.

When we finished with our training they packed the whole set-up into the back of the ML350! That is about 30 folding chairs, 4 big totes and a folding table. Great cargo capacity!

It is an exctiting time for Mercedes-Benz! We have lots of new engines, technology and vehicles for the 2012 model year. Here is a quick rundown.

2012 C-Class Sedan – C350/C300/C63 August/C250 October

• Facelifted – more than 2000 new parts!
• C250 with 1.8L inline 4-cylinder direct injected, turbocharged engine with 201 horsepower
• C350 with 3.5L direct injected V6 with 302 horsepower
• New standard equipment including automatic transmission, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming mirrors, garage door opener, compass, HD radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, ATTENTION ASSIST amd adaptive brakes with HOLD function
• New paint and upholstery options
• Parktronic available
• New Lane tracking Package
• LED daytime running lights standard fro both sport and luxury models
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Updated version of 7-speed transmission which provides better fuel economy

2012 C-Class Coupe – C350/C63 September/C250 October

• Same redesigned interior and improved standard features as the C-Class Sedan
• Standard Panoramic Sunroof
• Steering Wheel Shift Paddles
• 10-way power driver seat with memory
• Split folding rear seats
• Unique wheel 

2012 CL-Class – August

• New colors – Lunar Blue and Andorite Grey
• New 19″ AMG triple 5-spoke wheel

2012 CLS-Class – CLS550/CLS63 June/ CLS550 4matic August

• All-New bi-turbo engines with direct injection 402 or 518 hp
• World’s first fully-active all LED headlamps
• Electromechanical steering system
• Standard sport body styling
• Standard Navigation, Pemium sound and SiriusXM

2012 E-Class Sedan – October

• New direct injected engines – V6 with 302 hp and V8 with 402 hp
• New wheels and steering wheels for some models
• Wood/Leather steering wheel now availabel for both sport and luxury models
• New Lane Tracking package
• LED running lights for both sport and luxury
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Updated version of 7-speed transmission which provides better fuel economy

2012 E-Class Wagon – October

• The E63 AMG wagon is coming!

2012 E-Class Coupe – E350 July/E550 October

• New direct injected engines – V6 with 302 hp and V8 with 402 hp
• LED daytime running lights standard
• New wheel for E350
• New interior colors – Red/Black and Natural Beige/Black leathers
• New Lane Tracking Package
• Standard shift paddles
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Electromechanical steering on V8

2012 E-Class Cabriolet – E350 July/E550 October

• New direct injected engines – V6 with 302 hp and V8 with 402 hp
• LED daytime running lights standard
• New wheel for E350
• New interior colors – Red/Black and Natural Beige/Black leathers
• New Lane Tracking Package
• Standard shift paddles
• Color instrument cluster
• Media Interface relocated to center console
• Electromechanical steering on V8
• New Red soft top option

2012 GL-Class – GL450/GL 550 August/ GL350 October

• Acoustic Signal when locking/unlocking
• Improved Rearview camera software
• New ESP off icon
• New garage-door opener concept (multicolor LEDs)
• New paint colors – Dakota Brown & Pearl Beige
• New rear chrome trim for rear control panels

2012 GLK-Class – July

• Acoustic Signal when locking/unlocking
• Improved Rearview camera software
• new ESP off icon
• New garage-door opener concept (multicolor LEDs)
• Media Interfact port moves to center console
• New 20″ 5-spoke wheel with Appearance Package
• New Colors – Lunar Blue, Sapphire Grey, Diamond White & Cuprite Brown
• Keyless-Go is reduced to $640 

2012 ML-Class – ML350s September/ ML550/ML63 2012

• All New! Same Price! See previous posts for details

2012 R-Class – R350 gas August/R350 Bluetec October

• New direct injected V6 with 302 hp
• Acoustic Signal when locking/unlocking
• Improved Rearview camera software
• new ESP off icon
• New garage-door opener concept (multicolor LEDs)

2012 G-Class – October

• Edition Select Package available. See previous post for details

2012 S-Class – July/S350 September

• New direct injected V8 with 402 hp means no Gas Guzzler tax
• The S350 Bluetec arrives with an estimated 20 city/ 31 highway MPG
• New colors – Lunar Blue and Andorite Grey
• The Sport Package gets a new 19″ AMG triple 5-spoke wheel

2012 SL-Class – July

• Premium 1 Package now standard
• Limited production in anticipation for the all-new 2013

2012 SLK-Class – SLK350 July/SLK250 2012

• All new for 2012
• New direct injected V6 with 302 hp
• Updated NTG 4.5 is amazing technology for nav and music
• See previous posts for more details

2012 AMG

• C63 AMG coupe arrives
• E63 returnes with 5.5 litre biturbo with 518 hp and 25% better fuel economy
• CLS63 AMG debuted in the spring
• SLS AMG roadster arrives

This is a great time to be a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast!