2012 Mercedes-Benz C-class / C250 / C350

Worldwide, the bestselling Mercedes-Benz cars are the C-class sedan and wagon. But since the CLK ascended the Mercedes product hierarchy to become the E-class coupe, the marketing folk in Stuttgart think there’s even more sales potential in the C range. And that’s why Mercedes engineers developed the new two-door, four-seat C-class coupe.
But this new car is not just a smaller version of the E-class two-door. It is mainly a cheaper version. The C coupe costs only about $1500 more than an equivalent C-class sedan, and it shows. The design is less expressive, with simply shaped wheel arches and a rear end that looks very similar to that of the C-class sedan. It’s questionable if anyone will recognize the influence of the SL on the C coupe’s headlight design, or the presence of the BMW Hofmeister kink adjoining the car’s rear side glass. It’s more likely that Americans will instead see shadows of the Honda Accord coupe here.
To differentiate it from the C-class sedan, the new coupe’s roof is 1.5 inches lower. But it’s built on the same 108.7-inch wheelbase and to the same 180.7-inch length and 69.7-inch width. Like the sedan, it has B-pillars, and let’s be honest: A coupe with B-pillars is like Angelina Jolie with braces. (Dental braces, not leg braces. Leg braces would be hot.) And unlike the more expensive E- and CL-class coupes, the C coupe doesn’t have power rear windows or an easy-rear-entry function that pulls the front passenger seat forward. Worst of all, there is no seatbelt-delivery system, as found in your finer two-doors. Instead, the dashboard comes with exclusive design features such as a new infotainment system with silver-colored buttons. The steering wheel looks like the one in the CLS. Indeed, the interior looks great. Mercedes calls it a “lounge atmosphere,” and key C sedan safety features (Attention Assist, nine airbags) are available here.
As Mercedes does with the E-class and S-class coupe, the new C coupe offers an optional—special order, only—sport suspension package called Dynamic Handling. It lowers the body by 0.6 inch and stiffens the springs and dampers. The advantage is agile handling in sport mode, even as the system softens up midflight if it encounters crummy roads; the transition happens in as little as 10 milliseconds. The handling package also includes a stability-control-based torque-vectoring system. In fast corners at the adhesion limit, when the stability-control sensors detect encroaching understeer, the system slows the inside rear wheel in order to assist the yawing moment. As a result, the C coupe turns into corners with precise control and real determination. As in the new Mercedes SLK, the gap between sport and normal driving modes is unusually wide, resulting in two very different driving characteristics. We drove the four-cylinder C250, which follows the downsizing principle: reduced displacement compensated by direct injection and turbocharging. In keeping with Mercedes’ opaque naming conventions, the 250 packs a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 201 horsepower at 5500 rpm. Naturally. Compared with the V-6–powered C350, the turbo four delivers 101 fewer horsepower and 44 pound-feet less torque. But the C250 is no slouch in the torque department: The peak of 229 pound-feet happens between 2200 and 4300 rpm. So the load changes in the most frequently used rpm range seem more spontaneous, and the C250 feels more agile on winding roads than the C350, which offers its maximum 273 pound-feet between 3500 and 5250 rpm. The C250 comes with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. The 1.8-liter turbocharged engine is able to run very efficiently, achieving an observed 30 mpg. Performance is about what you’d expect—we estimate 0 to 60 in 6.7 seconds.
Thanks to various developments, including a new torsional crankshaft damper, the 1.8-liter runs comfortably at low engine speeds. As a result, the C250 turns between 1200 and 2000 rpm in city traffic, improving mileage by about seven percent, according to Mercedes.
But a coupe isn’t developed to save gas. It’s built to shorten breath. This one doesn’t.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

BASE PRICE (EST): $36,300–$42,300

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged DOHC 16-valve 1.8-liter inline-4, 201 hp, 229 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 302 hp, 273 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 108.7 in Length: 180.7 in
Width: 69.7 in Height: 54.8 in
Curb weight: 3500–3650 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.6–6.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 14.9–17.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.2–15.1
Top speed (governor limited): 130 mph

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA CITY/HWY: 18–20/27–30 mpg

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Mercedes E-Class E-Guard

Mercedes doesn’t want BMW’s 5-Series and X5 Security to be the only ones having fun in the next gunfight, so the new E-Class is getting tooled up World War III with E-Guard. The new E-Guard meets the stringent requirements for High-Protection according to protection class VR4 and more. This means that the vehicle is able to withstand handgun bullets of up to .44 Magnum in calibre — at random angles of fire, to provide the most realistic protection possible.

The suspension and brakes are adapted to suit the increased weight caused by the protection features. The E-Guard is equipped with a special Level II version of the AIRMATIC air suspension system as standard. The electronic control and restraint systems that assist the driver in critical situations. The car is fitted with 17-inch wheels and run-flat tires designed for a maximum speed of about 150 mph. With the tires deflated, the vehicle is still able to cover up to 30 miles at a speed of 50 mph to enable its occupants to escape from the danger area in the event of a corresponding attack.

Press release

Shortly after the market launch of the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz is also offering the world’s most successful business saloon as a specially protected E-Guard model. This is mainly distinguishable from the standard model by a network of intelligently conceived protective features of special steel, which are invisibly integrated beneath the otherwise identical body. This protective cocoon also includes all-round polycarbonate glazing. Accordingly the new E-Guard Saloon offers its occupants effective protection against the increasing worldwide risk of criminal attack in the street. With this new Guard model, Mercedes-Benz is continuing its eight decades of expertise in the design and production of special protection vehicles.

As is usual at Mercedes-Benz, the special requirements for the special protection version of the E-Class were already taken into consideration by the developers at the specification stage. The new E-Guard is subject to the same bodyshell processes as a regular production model, which means that structural strength, dimensional accuracy, corrosion protection and outstanding paint quality are guaranteed to series production standards.

All-road protection against criminal attack in the street

During the next stage, highly experienced and specially trained experts install the precisely formed protective elements, which exactly fit the contours of the bodyshell without encroaching on the interior space. The result is a comprehensively protected passenger cell of special, high-strength steels and aramide components, which are complemented with highly resistant polycabonate glazing of attractive visual appearance. All these measures are invisible to the naked eye. The extremely stringent Mercedes-Benz guidelines are applied by the production specialists to ensure complete quality control at all times.

Despite the high level of special protection, the comfort-related advantages of the new E-Class are fully retained. This applies equally to the generous spaciousness of this fully-fledged five-seater, the spatial acoustics, the sun protection and the lighting/control functions. The rear window is heated, and the power windows on the driver and front passenger sides are fully retractable. Efficient power windows are also available for the rear. Optional extras include an emergency alarm system that causes the headlamps to flash and sounds an alarm at the touch of a button in the event of a threat. An intercom system allows communication between the protected passenger cell and the outside world. In addition the new E-Guard features the numerous, innovative assistance systems of the new E-Class.

The new E-Guard meets the stringent requirements for High-Protection according to protection class VR4 (formerly B4) and more. This means that the vehicle is able to withstand handgun bullets of up to .44 Magnum in calibre — at random angles of fire, to provide the most realistic protection possible. The E-Guard therefore offers outstanding protection against criminal attacks in the street, as has been verified and certificated by an internationally recognised test institute. Underbody armour is also available on request. This makes the entire underfloor area of the passenger cell resistant to attack with a DM51 hand-grenade.

Modified suspension plus adapted control and restraint systems

The suspension and brakes are adapted to suit the increased weight caused by the protection features. The E-Guard is equipped with a special Level II version of the AIRMATIC air suspension system as standard. The electronic control and restraint systems that assist the driver in critical situations have been specifically adapted to suit the different parameters versus the standard model. The car is fitted with 17-inch wheels and run-flat tyres designed for a maximum speed of 240 km/h as standard. With the tyres deflated, the vehicle is still able to cover up to 50 kilometres at a speed of 80 km/h to enable its occupants to escape from the danger area in the event of a corresponding attack.

Extensive test marathon

Like all the series-production vehicles, the new E-Guard Saloon was subjected to extensive testing under tough conditions during its development. This included endurance testing on simulated rough tracks, braking tests on Alpine passes, climatic tests at extreme temperatures, long-term corrosion tests and crash tests.

Like all Guard models, the E-Guard is covered by the full Mercedes-Benz warranty and service terms – in addition to the integrated, ex factory protection, this is another important advantage over vehicles with retrofitted special protection.

Family-friendly saloon with special protection

The new E-Guard is available in three engine variants, with an option of the basic ELEGANCE line or the AVANTGARDE line. The E 500 and E 350, as well as the diesel-powered E 350 CDIBlueEFFICIENCY, are designed as five-seaters with a boot capacity of 540 litres and a high payload of up to 550 kilograms, which means they are fully suitable for day-to-day and family use.

The High-Protection package for the E-Guard costs 45,000 Euro (German list price excl. VAT). The new E-Guard can be ordered from April 2009.

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Mercedes Benz

THE HISTORY OF MERCEDES

MERCEDES-BENZ Mercedes-Benz (commonly known as Mercedes) is a famous German brand of automobiles, buses, coaches and trucks owned by DaimlerChrysler (formerly known as Daimler-Benz). Mercedes-Benz is one of the premier automobile manufacturers in the world; it is also the world's oldest. Its primary competition in automobile production are Audi, BMW, Lexus, Bentley and Maserati. The three-pointed star was designed by Gottlieb Daimler to show the ability of his motors for land-, air- and sea-usage. The sign first appeared on a Daimler vehicle in 1909. The Benz laurel was added in 1926 to symbolize the union of the two firms. The plain ring seen today was first used in 1937. Mercedes-Benz cars are one of the most technologically advanced vehicles and up to the 1990s were widely known for their flawless design and execution. HISTORY The origin of the company dates back to the 1880s, when Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile independently, in southwestern Germany. Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, who together invented the four-stroke engine, worked together in Cannstatt (a city district of Stuttgart); Benz had his shop in Mannheim near Heidelberg. There is no record of the two inventors ever having met. In the early 1900s, the Daimler cars built at Untertuerkheim (also a city district of Stuttgart) were raced successfully by an Austrian dealer named Emil Jellinek, who entered the cars under the name of his daughter, Mercédès. After suggesting some design modifications, he promised the company a large order on the conditions that he was granted the exclusive Daimler concession for Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium and USA, and that he would sell the new model branded as "Mercedes". The name change was also helpful in preventing legal troubles, as Daimler had sold exclusive rights to the name and technical concepts to companies abroad. As a result, luxury cars known as Daimler were and are built in England. A fire that gutted the old Steinway piano factory in New York that had been converted to produce Mercedes cars cut short the dream of an American-built Mercedes. The rival companies of Daimler Motorengesellschaft and Benz & Cie. started to cooperate in the 1920s to deal with the economic crisis of those years, and finally merged in 1926 to become the Daimler-Benz AG, which produced Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks. While focusing on land vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also built engines to power boats and airplanes (military and civil), and even Zeppelins. During the Second World War, Mercedes-Benz is known to have exploited more than 30,000 forced workers and prisoners of war, some of whom would eventually strike and be sent to concentration camps. This working force soon became essential to the production capacity of the company since 1941, and was a key to the construction of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe and war machine. Mercedes-Benz vehicles have a focus on high quality and state of the art engineering. As a result they have often been expensive and are made in lower volumes compared to cheaper cars. The company has carefully cultivated an image of superior engineering, quality, and service. The cars are often the vehicle of choice for the rich and famous. Perhaps most famous for limousine models, a number of notable sports cars have also been produced. For example, the early supercharged SSK developed by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Gullwing 300SL in 1954. However, Mercedes-Benz has also produced higher volume, less expensive cars. Interestingly, the prototypes of the Volkswagen were built and tested in Stuttgart, in cooperation with Porsche. Before that, Mercedes-Benz also had a similar rear-engined, yet rather unsuccessful small car, the 130 H. Their products have been known for the introduction of advanced technologies to cars—notably fuel injection and anti-lock braking systems, amongst many others. However, it does not always work: recently, an active brake system installed in over 600,000 cars has been recalled to fix potential problems. In recent years the brand's reputation once sterling reliability record has been called into question when it was recently ranked rather low in consumer surveys. In one J.D. Powers and associates reliability survey it was ranked below Jaguar_Cars, a company historically associated with notorious unreliability. To address the problem, the company has invested heavily in recent years to stem the problem. Many still feel however, that the company has a long way to go to return to its former glory. MOTORSPORT Mercedes-Benz has been successful in motor racing throughout their history. The Mercedes Simplex of the early 1900s was the first purpose built race car, much lower than the usual designs that were similar to horse carriages; it dominated racing for years. In 1914, just before the beginning of the war, Mercedes won the French Grand Prix, which was a blow to the French at that time. Benz raced an aerodynamically shaped Tropfenwagen in the 1920s before both companies united. In the 1930s, with their mighty Silver Arrows, they dominated Grand Prix racing in Europe (together with rivals Auto Union), while setting speed records up to 435 km/h (270 mph). The team was guided by the big Rennleiter Alfred Neubauer. In 1952, Mercedes-Benz returned to racing with their small and underpowered gullwinged Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which won the 24 hours of Le Mans, the Carrera Panamericana, and did well in other important races of that time like the Mille Miglia. On July 4, 1954, Mercedes-Benz returned to Formula One racing with a one-two win at the French Grand Prix with the Mercedes-Benz W196. This was a very important and victorious day for Germany, especially as later that day, the German football team won the Soccer World Cup. Mercedes dominated Grand Prix and sports car racing until retiring its teams at the end of the 1955 season, as planned at the beginning of that year. In addition, the Le Mans 1955 disaster, where a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR collided with another car and killed over 80 spectators, caused the cancellation of several races that year. Mercedes entered some big limousines in Rallying in the 1960s and late 1970s. It was intended to enter Rally racing with the Mercedes-Benz W201 in the early 1980s. Yet, as all wheel drive and turbochargers were introduced by the competition (Audi Quattro) at that time, this was cancelled. Instead, on August 13 – 21, 1983 at the Nardo High Speed Track in southern Italy, the new compact-size W201 190 class, sporting a 16-valve engine built by Cosworth, broke three FIA world records after running almost non-stop (with only a 20-sec pit stop every 2 1/2 hours) in a total of 201 hours, 39 minutes and 43 seconds, completing 50,000 km at maximum speed of 247 Km/h. It went on to become the 190E 2.3-16 touring model. Mercedes returned to sports car racing, (Sauber-Mercedes winning the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1989) and DTM touring car racing in the late 1980s. In 1994, the Indianapolis 500 was won with an engine from Mercedes who, realizing that a loophole in the rules for production-based engines would include any pushrod engine, built a very unusual purpose-built pushrod engine with a significant power advantage. This was done knowing that the "forgotten" loophole would be closed immediately after they took advantage of it and so the engine would in fact be usable for only this single race. McLaren In 1993 Mercedes made its return to Formula One as an engine supplier to the debut F1 team Sauber, with a V10 engine manufactured by Ilmor. In 1995, the normally aspirated Mercedes-Ilmor F1-V10 moved to McLaren, replacing Peugeot. Mercedes bought the Ilmor company in 1996 and they have continued to design and build engines for McLaren. In the opening race of the 1997 Formula One season David Coulthard produced victory for Team McLaren Mercedes, and ushered in a new era of success. It was a significant result in racing, McLaren's first victory for three seasons and the first win for Mercedes-Benz since Juan Manuel Fangio's success at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. McLaren and Mercedes went on to win one constructors' championship in 1998 and two drivers' championships in 1998 and 1999. However, recent years have seen a significant decline in Mercedes' F1 success, as they won just four races over three years, while suffering numerous engine failures and retirements. The 2005 season was much more successful for McLaren, winning ten of the nineteen races, but finishing second to Renault in the Constructor's title, and with its driver Kimi Räikkönen finishing second in the Driver's title to Fernando Alonso of Spain. The 2006 season seems to indicate a return to the F1 front for the English-German outfit and their "silver arrows" (Silberpfeile). Mercedes and McLaren have, in 2003, jointly created a supercar. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has a carbon-fiber body with a 5.5l V8 supercharged engine. This is the same block as featured in other Mercedes, such as the SL55 AMG and the CLS 55 AMG, it has however been tweaked to give 454kw and 780nm of torque. The SLR has a maximum speed of over 330km/h and costs approximately $500,000. 2005 season McLaren Mercedes hoped to improve on a poor 2004 season, which saw McLaren-Mercedes finish a distant fifth in the championship, a staggering 193 points behind world champion Ferrari. 2005 indeed witnessed a dramatic gulf in performance between McLaren and Ferrari, though in McLaren's favor. However McLaren was not able to fully capitalize on this opportunity due to the strength of Renault. Renault dominated the early races but by mid-season commentators named the McLaren McLaren MP4-20 as the fastest car. Nonetheless McLaren suffered from the poor reliability of their otherwise much superior Mercedes engine. Engine failures at two consecutive races saw Kimi Räikkönen penalized 10 places from his qualifying place which handicapped his races. At the Grands Prix of San Marino and Germany, Raikkonen retired while in the lead. In the end, McLaren saw a much stronger second half of the season, and fought for the constructor's title with Renault, only to lose it in the last race. McLaren won ten races (seven for Raikkonen and three for his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya), to Renault's eight (seven for eventual World Champion Fernando Alonso and one for his team-mate, Giancarlo Fisichella). The difference in points was due to the excellent podium record of the Renaults when McLaren won races, as opposed to the string of retirements for the McLarens when Renault won races. More recently, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has become available for purchase, the 2005 model coming out with a base price of $452,750.00. The new model will have a top speed of 208 MPH and a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds. BUSINESS ALLIANCES Studebaker-Packard Corporation In 1958 Mercedes-Benz entered into a distribution agreement with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (US), makers of Studebaker and Packard brand automobiles. Under the deal, Studebaker would allow Mercedes-Benz access to their U.S. dealer network, handle shipments of vehicles to those dealers and in return received compensation for each car sold. Studebaker also was permitted to use the German automaker’s name in its advertisements, which stressed Studebaker's quality over quantity. When Studebaker entered into informal discussions with Franco-American automaker Facel Vega about offering their Facel Vega Excellence model in the United States, Mercedes Benz objected to the proposal. Studebaker, which needed Mercedes distribution payments to help stem heavy losses, dropped further action on the plan. Mercedes-Benz maintained an office within the Studebaker works in South Bend from 1958 to 1963 when Studebaker's U.S. operations ceased. Many U.S. Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes dealerships at that time. When Studebaker closed its Canadian operation and left the automobile business in 1966, remaining Studebaker dealers had the option to convert their dealerships to Mercedes-Benz dealership agreements. TRIVIA Mercedes-Benz claims all of the wood used in its modern automobiles is raised on tree farms. This claim has not been confirmed. Michael McClure's song "Mercedes-Benz", famously sung a cappella by Janis Joplin, was intended as a gentle satire on materialism, but has since been used in the company's advertising. On a BMW advertisement on German TV the driver of a BMW Z3 convertible raised his eyebrows after the first "buy me a Mercedes-Benz", and threw out the tape after "my friends all drive Porsches". Mercedes-Benz was the most popular brand name mentioned in Billboard Top 20 songs in 2003. Since 1948, Mercedes-Benz has built the Unimog, or "Universal Motor-Gerät", a 4WD truck. It features extreme offroad capability due to offset axles and elastic frame, drive shafts for numerous additional machines, hydraulic and pneumatic connections etc. Despite its high price, the Unimog is popular as allround work horse, as snow plow, expedition vehicle in desert, jungle and mountains, and it has won the truck class at high speed desert races like Paris-Dakar. The first factory to be built outside of Germany after World War II was in Argentina. It originally built a massive number of Trucks. Some of which were slightly modified (by Mercedes Benz) to Truck-Busses, popularly named Colectivo (in Buenos Aires). The "New Russians" cliche includes driving a Mercedes S 600, see Russian jokes: New Russians. In the popular animated show The Simpsons, Dr. Hibbert runs into and kills the family's cat with his Mercedes-Benz SUV. In September 2003, Mercedes introduced the world's first 7-speed automatic transmission. NOMENCLATURE Please note that in 1994 (starting for the 1994 models), the traditional nomenclature of Mercedes vehicles had been changed. Since nearly the start of the company, it was the relative engine displacement that made up the first three numbers (1992 500E for example) and the last letter(s) that represented the chassis. In 1994, that was reversed in order so the it became the E500. SIGNIFICANT MODELS PRODUCED 1938: W195 Speed Record-breaker 1954: 300SL "Gullwing" 1959: "Fintail" Models 1960: 220SE Cabriolet 1963: 600 "Grand Mercedes" 1966: 300SEL 6.3 1969: C111 experimental vehicle 1972: Mercedes-Benz W107 350SL 1974: 450SEL 6.9 1974: 240D 1975: 280 1976: 300D 1983: 190E 2.3-16 1992: Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1997: Mercedes-Benz M-Class 1998: Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR 2***: Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG 2004: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 2006: Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG BUSES Main article: Mercedes-Benz buses MB also produces buses, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first factory to be built outside of Germany after WW2 was in Argentina. It originally built Truck-Buses, named Colectivo in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1950-1987). But now builds modern-style buses. VANS MB produce a range of vans. The Current Range consists of Mercedes-Benz Vito - Light Van based on the Viano MPV with loaded weight of approx 1 tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - Mid sized van with loaded weights of 2 to 6 tonne Mercedes-Benz Vario - Heavy van with similar load to a light truck (7.5 tonne) TRUCKS MB produce a range of trucks The Current Range consists of Mercedes-Benz Atego - Light truck from 7 to 16t Mercedes-Benz Axor - Mid Sized truck from 18 to 26t in rigid and articulated Mercedes-Benz Actros - Heavy duty rigid and premium articulated - 18 to 41t Mercedes-Benz Econic - Low floor version of the Axor for refuse and specialist applications

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