U.S. to Miss Out on Street Legal SLS AMG GT3, Perhaps Even the E-Cell, But will get the Black Series

If the standard SLS AMG with its 6.3-liter engine and 571-horses is not hot enough for you, you’ll be happy to learn that Mercedes-Benz has told Motor Trend that the company will launch not one, but two hotter versions of its supercar.

“We absolutely have to do a Black Series SLS AMG”, said Tobias Moers who is a member of the board of directors and head of vehicle development at AMG. Although he declined to provide further details, judging from recent Black Series versions such as the C 63 Coupe, we can expect more power and, of course, an impressive aero-kit and race-inspired interior.

The Black Series, however, will look tame compared to the road-legal version of the SLS AMG GT3 racer, which will be created to homologate it for Europe.

Unfortunately, it won't be heading over to this side of the Atlantic due to the massive cost of re-certifying it for the States. “AMG does not make money losing projects. We can’t afford to,” said Moers.

The 2013 SLS E-Cell electric version may be another SLS that may not cross the Atlantic. Mercedes hasn’t yet ruled out bringing the 525HP pure electric supercar to the US, but once again, the company officials are contemplating whether or not the sales volume will justify the cost of the re-certification.

Story Source: Motor Trend

PHOTO GALLERY

Formula 1: Belgian GP Race Results

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso summed up perfectly the outcome of the Belgian GP that took place yesterday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Ardennes forest: “Red Bull had a pace advantage of one second of something like that today. And in the final part of the race maybe more, maybe 1.5 seconds. So when you have a car that is 1.5 seconds faster than the rest it’s easy for you to stop one lap earlier or one lap later.”

And this despite the fact that RBR’s cars faced a problem with tire blistering and asked for permission to change the car’s suspension settings. The stewards denied their petition and the team even considered changing the settings anyway and taking the penalty, starting from the pit lane.

In the end, they decided to race, and it proved to be the right choice. Sebastian Vettel was once again the winner, extending his lead to 92 points over his closest rival, team mate Mark Webber who finished second.

The final place on the podium went to McLaren’s Jenson Button who put in an excellent performance despite starting from 13th place on the grid. Alonso admitted that fourth place was the best he could do, and is currently third in the driver’s standings. But the championship, with just seven races remaining, seems a done deal for Vettel and Red Bull Racing for the second year in a row.

However, the man who stole some of Vettel’s glory at Spa was none other than Michael Schumacher, who celebrated his 20th anniversary of racing in Formula 1. And not only did he put on a show for the cameras, with both his former (Ferrari) and current team (Mercedes), awarding him presents, but he showed that no matter what his detractors say, he still has what it takes to compete despite being 42 years old.

On the same track that 20 years ago he made his maiden appearance in Formula 1, finishing an impressive seventh with a second-tier car and despite never ever having driven there, on Sunday he fought closely with his team mate Nico Rosberg and beat him fair and square, crossing the finishing line in fifth place.

Via ESPN

PHOTO GALLERY

Frankfurt Preview: Mercedes Officially Unveils the New B-Class MPV [51 Photos]

With the IAA, more commonly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show, less than three weeks away, car manufacturers are scrambling to reveal initial details on their most important models before the big event, so that they won’t get lost amidst all the premieres.

Today, the Stuttgart-based company unleashed a full gallery of pictures of the all-new B-Class. As we have already mentioned, even though (unlike the new A-Class) it still uses Mercedes' modular “sandwich” platform, the second generation of the B-Class is larger than its predecessor.

Its length has grown by 86 mm and its width by 9 mm, although overall height has been reduced by 43 mm. Thus, the new B-Class measures 4,359/1,786/1557 mm , respectively, promising improved space for occupants and their luggage.

Mercedes makes claims of "sportiness" in the design of the new B-Class. In our eyes, the new B-Class looks like a more aerodynamic (Cd: 0.26 and 0.24 with the Eco package) and modern looking interpretation of its predecessor.

The new design incorporates some of Mercedes’ new design features like the front and rear lights, the more sporty grille and the prominent creases on the bodywork that give it a more dynamic appearance.

The interior is designed from scratch and adopts some of Mercedes’ new stylistic elements, like the circular vents seen in the SLS AMG. Mercedes claims that it sets new quality standards in its class and the dashboard can be optionally covered in hand crafter leather finish and stitching.

Other highlights include the new three-spoke steering wheel, the new vents and the 5.8 or, optionally, 7.0-inch TFT color display.

On the options list one can also find the Easy-Vario-Plus system, which allows for the easy adjustment of the rear seats by 140 mm, varying luggage space from 488 to 666 liters, and a folding passenger seat that further enhances practicality.

Mercedes says the small MPV is more agile on the road than its predecessor without compromising comfort thanks to the new four-link rear suspension, the lower center of gravity and the upgraded ESP.

Buyers can opt for the sports suspension, which is 20 mm lower than the standard and features selective damping shock absorbers, plus a Direct Steer system that becomes more direct at greater steering angles enhancing the car’s agility.

The new B-Class will be offered with a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, all of which have an auto stop/start system as standard. The new, M270 four-cylinder petrol engines sport Mercedes’ third generation direct injection system and have been designed for both transverse (like the B-Class) and longitudinal installation.

The petrol engine available at launch is a 1.6-liter unit with either 122 HP and 200 Nm (147.5 lb/ft) of torque for the B 180, or 156 HP and 250 Nm for the B 200.

The four-cylinder turbo diesel is a development of the common-rail OM651 unit that powers a wide range of models, from the C- to the S-Class. In this configuration, its displacement has been reduced to 1.8 liters and, like its petrol counterpart, is available in two versions: with 109HP and 250 Nm for the B 180 CDI and with 136 HP and 300 Nm for the B 200 CDI.

Another novelty for the B-Class is the extremely compact 7G-DCT seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, while the standard six-speed manual transmission offers easier shifting and lower weight.

The new B-Class will be offered in four equipment levels (Chrome, Sports, Exclusive and Night).

Being a Mercedes, the B-Class couldn’t do without a comprehensive list of safety features such as adaptive headlights, blind-spot, lane keeping, attention and speed limit assist systems, and for the first time in the class offers the PRE-SAFE preventive occupant protection system by optimizing all safety parameters if it detects a probable collision.

PHOTO GALLERY