Mercedes-Benz B55
One-off example has now been built at the Rastatt plant, showing the B-Class in a completely new light: a B 55 with a V8 engine and rear-wheel drive. Based on the B 200 CDI, the trainees completely disassembled the car, he 5.5-litre V8 developing 388 hp and 530 newton metres of torque was transplanted into the B-Class together with a seven-speed automatic transmission and the engine control unit. The latter proved to be quite a headache later on, as it had to be reprogrammed only to process signals from the driven rear axle. Mercedes cars handle all the additional power, trainees added internally ventilated disc brakes in dimension 345x34 mm at the front, with perforated and internally ventilated disc brakes in size 300 x 30 mm at the rear Wheels are in in size 18-inch in a five-spoke design shod with 235/40 ZR 18 Y tyres at the front and 255/35 ZR 18 Y tyres at the rear. Where the interior was concerned, friends from the training workshop in Sindelfingen were able to help, providing Alcantara linings for the A, B and C-pillars as well as a top liner in the same, luxurious material. The seats in a leather/Alcantara combination were provided by the specialists at Johnson Controls, who are situated on-site in Rastatt.
The finishing touches were added to the Mercedes-Benz B55 in the paint shop of the Rastatt plant. The project team headed by foreman Würz are particularly proud that at 1620 kg, the weight of the B 55 is only around 180 kg greater than that of the original vehicle Which means that impressive performance figures can be expected. Würz: “We have not made any measurements yet, but we should manage a sprint to100 km/h in under six seconds.”Plant manager Wesp is equally proud of the result: “The team of trainees has done a excellent job, and placed a attention on the sporty genes of the B-Class that nobody could have imagined.” Training manageress Manuela Rascher is likewise very pleased: “The B 55 shows what our training workshop can do. And at the same time it clearly demonstrates that we not only offer young people high-quality professional training, but also extremely unusual and exciting project work.” Could it be that further projects of this nature are planned for the future?
Mercedes-Benz To Produce 1.2 million units in 2010
Looks like the recession is over for most automakers. Mercedes India will produce 1.2 million vehicles 2010, beating its previous best of 1.19 million units assembled back in 2008. “Our production was running at high speed, especially in the second half,” said Wolfgang Bernhard, head of Mercedes-Benz operations, in a statement. For the 1st eleven months of 2010, Mercedes India sold 1.06 million units, while competitor BMW solf 1.11 million units and Audi 1,003,900 units.
{Source: Globalmotors}
Mercedes AMG C63 Black Series Coupe
Street word has it that the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series Coupe will receive a twin-turbo 5.5 Liter V8.
In a conversation last night with Inside Line, Mercedes-Benz announced that when the new C-Class AMG Black Series Coupe (we’re assuming it’ll keep the C63 naming convention) hits sometime next year, it will carry a version of the company’s twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. In the Mercedes AMG C63 and with the performance pack, this motor makes 571 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque between 2,250 and 5,500 rpm.
Mercedes Expects Record Production In 2010 Globally
German luxury car maker, Mercedes-Benz, will produce a record number of cars this year as demand for the E-Class and S-Class sedans has increased a lot. Mercedes plans to assemble 1.2 million cars and sport-utility vehicles this year, surpassing its previous record of 1.19 million set in 2008, the company said today in a statement. Mercedes is the world’s second-largest luxury car maker behind BMW which is more popular for its models like 3 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, M3 and M5. “Our production was running at high speed, especially in the second half,” Wolfgang Bernhard, who heads Mercedes operations, said in the statement.
Demand for luxury cars is snapping back from the financial crisis, which depressed output last year, on growth in China and a rebound in the U.S. Mercedes India is targeting a sales rise of at least 10% in 2010 from 2009 deliveries of 1.09 million cars. Eleven-month deliveries for the vehicles, which also includes the Smart city-car brand, rose 13 percent to 1.15 million. Mercedes spokeswoman Verena Mueller said there has been no change to the company’s sales target. Automobile production and sales don’t always match up, because manufacturers may either be building or reducing inventory. In 2009, Mercedes car production declined 23 percent to 1.03 million, while sales dropped 14 percent.
Mercedes-Benz India inaugurates PMG Automobiles Private Limited
Mercedes-Benz India, inaugurated the first state-of-the-art authorized service center for Buses in Northern India- PMG Automobiles Pvt. Ltd near Chandigarh. The facility was inaugurated by Mr. Devdutta Chandavarkar, Director, After Sales, Mercedes-Benz India and Mr. Mohit Pratap Singh, Principal owner, PMG Automobiles Private Ltd. Located at Panchkula, close to Chandigarh, the service station especially put up for catering to Mercedes bus – both two and multi axle, embodies all the brand attributes of Mercedes-Benz, at par with global standards.
Spread over a sprawling area of 30000 sq. ft with a team of extremely skilled personnel, the workshop reflects an initial investment of INR 30+ lakhs in its establishment including the infrastructure, machines and tools. This service station has the capacity to service 2 buses every day ensuring on time service and maintenance support to the customers in Chandigarh, Punjab Haryana and other neighbouring areas. Additionally the service station offers a wide suite of functionalities such as Body & Paint repair, Wheel Alignment etc. The technical support staff from the service station has undergone extensive training by Mercedes Benz to provide to diverse consumer requirements and ensuring superior quality delivery. On the inauguration of the service station, Dr. Wilfried Aulbur (Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India) said: “After-sales service constitutes a substantial component in the customer’s ownership experience and drives brand loyalty significantly.
Our customers appreciate that they can obtain the latest and the best from the Mercedes-Benz stable, backed by the most extensive after-sales service system as compared to any other luxury player in India. Continuing to expand a related expertise to our commercial vehicles section this new service station will be the first to provide to our crucial North Indian markets, comprising Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana & other adjacent cities.” Dr. Aulbur further added: “It is our steady endeavour to work with people who share the same passion and commitment towards the customers: our association with PMG Automobiles is a testimony to that commitment and a step towards establishing a world-class ownership experience for our customers of Chandigarh as well as other adjoining cities.”
The market for high-end city buses is profitable It is estimated at an around 500 units per annum and expected to grow by 20% every year. Mercedes-Benz India sees a potential in this niche market and as such plans to present with solutions that are been successfully operated in similar operating circumstances in other parts of the world. With the awesome response received for the Mercedes bus 2 axle and multi axle buses both from Government organizations as well as private fleet operators, setting up of after sales service station is the obviously the next step forward towards ensuring smooth world class after sales service experience. Commenting about the new venture Mr. Mohit Pratp Singh, Principal owner, PMG Automobiles Pvt. Ltd. stated: “We are proud to begin our association with a prestigious brand like Mercedes-Benz. With the strong support of our qualified and trained professionals, we at PMG Automobiles will put in every effort to provide customers with an unmatched after sales service backup and delivery for years to come.
Chandigarh has emerged as strong luxury market and we realize that there is significant potential not just from Chandigarh but also from the adjoining cities. Our focus will be to reach out to the existing and potential customers in a step-by-step manner.” The company has an extensive network of with its presence in 27 cities with 57 touch points, which is the largest as compared to any luxury player in India.
Mercedes To Share Engines
Mercedes will get Renault-Nissan’s new 128bhp 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine as part of the 2 firms’ recent tie-up, sources in France have revealed. The new engine will make its way into Mercedes smaller models, in particular its new A-class and B-class ranges that will start to appear from 2011. In return, Stuttgart’s 2.0-litre petrol engine and its range of V6 and V8 units will be used for Renault-Nissan group models. The Renault-Nissan brand most likely to benefit from the deal is Infiniti, whose IPL performance models could carry ‘Powered by AMG' badges.
Sources say the IPL version of the M, Infiniti’s five series rival, could end up using AMG’s 6.2-litre V8. That would allow the M IPL to undercut the E63 AMG but rival Jaguar’s XFR. The 2 firms are also working together on a new range of 3 and 4 -cylinder petrol and diesels to be used in Mercedes, Smarts, Renaults and Nissans. Ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 litres, the engines will be engineered by Daimler and built by Renault. They too will be used in the next A and B-class models, as well as next-gen Clios and Meganes.
Mercedes India Rolls Out 30,000th Car
The thirtythousand locally produced Mercedes-Benz today rolled out of the Mercedes Benz India assembly plant. Mercedes India had reached the mark of 20,000th locally produced car in 2008, thirteen years after start of operations in India. However the landmark of 30,000 was achieved within a short span of less than three years. Mercedes-Benz decided that time was right for it to establish its own paint-shop in its facility at Chakan. This facility, set up with a substantial investment will be ready by the second half of 2012 with the capability to paint all models from the Mercedes cars range.
“Our plant is regarded among the best CKD plants of Mercedes, globally. Within two years of moving into the new facility we have already fulfilled our first shift capacity. Start of our second shift will cater to the increased market demand as we foresee in the years to come,” Dr. Wilfred Aulbur, CEO and MD, Mercedes-Benz India said.
{Source: Motorbeam}
Merc’s New Night Vision Technology
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled an auxiliary spotlight feature for its so called Active Night View Assist headlamps to provide what it describes as “an enhanced level of pedestrian safety”. Until now Active Night View Assist has used an infra-red camera to record ghostly video of pedestrians within a predetermined field ahead of the car and subsequently play it in real time on a monitor within instrument binnacle - thus alerting the driver to a potential safety hazard at night or in low light conditions.
The new feature, which is designed to work at speeds above 45kph, sets out to provide not only the driver but also pedestrians with an enhanced warning by employing a spotlight to illuminate the area where the camera detects their presence. The spotlight feature relies on the existing infra-red camera mounted within the headlamp assembly to detect pedestrians at distances of up to eighty metres and uses the main beam function of the headlamps to light up the immediate area where they are detected. Depending on the existing speed, pedestrians can be illuminated up to 4 times before the cars arrive.
A 2nd camera mounted within the windscreen, where it also assists the functions for Mercedes’ Speed Limit Assist and Lane Keeping Assist, records the position of other cars and determines whether it is safe to illuminate the area where pedestrians are detected. If the headlamps are set to dipped beam, the pedestrian is illuminated with the spotlight function beyond the field of the dipped beam.
{Source: AutoCarIndia}
Mercedes Charts Out Growth Plans
Mercedes-Benz India rolled out its 30,000th locally assembled car (that includes the C, E and S class) in India. Mercedes India took thirteen years to produce its first 20,000 cars but the next 10,000 was achieved in less than 3 years. Mercedes recorded an 86 percent year-on-year growth in sales in January to November 2010 and Mercedes Benz expects the growth to continue in the coming years. Convinced that the bullish run will continue, Mercedes Benz is investing more than Rs 200crore in a new paint shop that will be operational by the second half of 2012. Mercedes currently uses the Tata Motors paint shop.
To meet with the growing demand, a second shift will be added on a permanent basis. In a single shift the factory can roll out 5,000 units. The Germany giant also plans to indigenise more products in India and focus on local sourcing. Speaking on the occasion, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, Wilfried Aulbur said “Within only 2 years since start of our new facility, we have already exceeded our first shift capacity. Due to high demand of our vehicles, we are now moving into a permanent 2 shift operation”. Commenting on the bulk order Mercedes acquired in Aurangabad, Aulbur said that the number was nearing two hundered units. Mercedes Benz is also going to open up full-fledged facilities in Rajkot and Baroda in next year. He also said that the company is targeting 40,000th unit mark in less than two years.
Mercedes-Benz to invest Rs 200 crore in India
Luxury car-maker Mercedes-Benz India today said it will invest Rs 200 crore to set up a paint shop at its manufacturing plant near over the next 18 months. "We will have our own paint store with a capacity of 20 thousand units annually, which is expandable up to 40 thousand units. For this target we will invest Rs 200 crore over the next 18 months," Mercedes India Managing Director and CEO Wilfried Aulbur told reporters here. The paint store will be operational by the second half of 2012 and with this additional amount, the company's total investment on its Chakan facility, in Maharashtra, would go up to Rs 600 crore. At present, the company utilises Tata Motors' paint store located at Chikhli, near Pune. Aulbur said the company will also begin operations at its body manufacturing vehicles in 2011.
Mercedes-Benz India registered an over 85 per cent increase in sales to 5,416 vehicles during the January-November period this year. Out of this, over 5,000 vehicles were assembled locally. "Our plant has an annual capacity to create 5,000 cars in single shift and we are running over full capacity. We have just started the second shift operations on a permanent basis and from the next year, we will have an yearly capacity of 10,000 units a year," Aulbur said. The company presently employs 700 people at its Chakan plant. The headcount will double by next year following operationalisation of the paint store and body manufacturing unit, he added. The Indian luxury automobile market has full-grown by about 60 per cent to about 15,000-16,000 vehicles this year, the company said. When asked if Mercedes will be the market leader in the segment this year, Aulbur said: "We are not focusing to be the number one. Our tarfet is on profitable growth and we are investing a lot on buyer relationship." On whether the company will assemble more models in India, he said: "By 2013, we will see more vehicles launch into the country that will be produced locally." He, however, did not disclose details.
Mercedes-Benz India manufactures C-Class, E Class and S Class models at its Chakan plant, while high-end models such as the M Class are imported. Asked if Mercedes-Benz would consider exporting cars made in India to other countries, on the back of expansion of its manufacturing services Aulbur said: "Currently our focus is on the domestic market. However, I see potential in exports also in the long run." "We are investing this money (Rs 600 crore) to make India as a main hub in the mid-term," he added. The company has fifteen dealerships in the country at present and is in the procedure of opening two more at Rajkot and Baroda. It today rolled out its 30 thousandth unit, an E- Class sedan, from the Chakan facility. Mercedes-Benz has sold 14,000 E Class models in India since 1996.