sport auto Award 2013: Threefold victory for Mercedes-AMG in the vote for the sportiest car of 2013

The sporting heart of Mercedes-Benz continues to beat firmly and with gusto - as confirmed by the latest reader poll undertaken by the German motoring magazine "sport auto", which had called for its readers to vote for "the sportiest cars of 2013". Mercedes‑AMG took the first place in three categories. Winners of the "sport auto Award" 2013 were the A 45 AMG, the C 63 AMG and the SLS AMG GT.

More than 230 cars, in 15 categories, lined up this year in the now traditional reader poll to determine the sportiest cars around. 15,353 readers of the specialist motoring magazine "sport auto" cast their votes.

The undisputed leader in the compact car category was the A 45 AMG, which took almost a third of all votes. With 265 kW (360 hp) from a displacement of 1991 cc, its four-cylinder engine is considered to be the most powerful four-cylinder turbo unit in series production anywhere in the world.

Among saloons in the price range up to 100,000 euros, more than one in four "sport auto" readers voted to put the C 63 AMG with V8 engine, a displacement of 6208 cc and 336 kW (457 hp), in first place, while among the coupé models priced at more than 150,000 euros, the SLS AMG GT leapt convincingly ahead to take the lead in this high-octane category. From a displacement of 6208 cc, this model boasts 435 kW (591 hp). The SLS AMG GT is also the model supplied by AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, as the Official F1® Safety Car – the 18th time it has been provided by the brand.

Fittingly enough, the main prize in this year's poll – the winner of which was drawn from among all entries submitted – was a Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG. The lucky winner will therefore soon be driving a winning model.

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

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Multiple winner in the Automotive Brand Contest: New S-Class is "Best of Best"

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class has taken no less than two first places in the 2013 Automotive Brand Contest: Both the exterior and the interior design received the "Best of Best" award. In addition the jury consisting of world-leading design experts voted the Burmester® high-end 3D surround sound system a "winner" amongst others. The Automotive Brand Contest is organised by the well-known "Rat für Formgebung" (Design Council). The awards will be presented at the Automotive Designers Night which will take place on the first press day at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.

With the title "Best of Best" in the exterior design category, the S-Class occupies the peak position. With its classic architecture and flowing silhouette, it embodies sensuous clarity in a modern interpretation. Its design builds a bridge between today's progressive design idiom and the classic elegance of the Mercedes-Benz cars from the 1930s. Stylish sportiness and sensuous shapes synthesised with timeless clarity as well as poise and assurance make the S-Class a design icon.

The new S-Class likewise takes first place in the interior design category, and is the "Best of Best". With its clear architecture, the interior design of the S-Class embodies a classic, superior, cutting-edge saloon. The interior's expressive character derives from a uniquely fluid, sensuously elegant style. Horizontal elements and lines create a setting characterised by visual breadth and calm solidity.

The Burmester® high-end 3D surround sound system was also voted a "winner". It provides the most exquisite listening enjoyment with sound settings that are optimised for every occupant and, for the first time in a luxury saloon, three-dimensional surround sound as standard. This 3D surround sound is created with the help of special Burmester algorithms and three speakers integrated into the headlining. A combination of analogue and digital technologies produces an exceptionally expressive and natural sound – the Burmester "feel-good sound".

Renowned design competition: the Automotive Brand Contest

The 2013 Automotive Brand Contest is organised by the well-known "Rat für Formgebung" (Design Council) for the third time. The awards go to outstanding product and communication design, which the jury assesses in 14 different categories and four special categories.

In 2013 the "Rat für Formgebung" is celebrating its 60th birthday. In spring 1953 the Federal Association for German Industry (BDI) and a number of leading German companies founded the trust on the instigation of the federal German parliament. At present more than 180 design-oriented German companies with more than 1.8 million employees are members of the "Rat für Formgebung".

Credits: Daimler AG

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Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is off-road vehicle of the year 2013

For the ninth time running the readers of the "Off Road" trade magazine have voted the Mercedes‑Benz Unimog best off-road vehicle of the year in the "Special vehicles" category. The vote for the "Off-road vehicle of the year 2013" covered thirteen categories with off-road vehicles from 53 manufacturers. Over 74,000 votes were submitted for 125 vehicles. The Unimog came took first place in the special vehicles category with an outstanding 31.1 % of readers' votes.

Unimog model series completely redesigned in 2013

After a ten-year production period, the Unimog model series were presented in 2013 with a completely redesigned interior and exterior. The implement carriers with the model designations U 216 to U 423 and U 530, as well as the Unimog extreme off-roaders U 4023 and U 5023 are equipped with modern Euro VI engines featuring outputs of up to 220 kW (299 hp) on the U 530 and 170 kW (231 hp) on the U 5023. The first figure of the model designation indicates the size (for example 4 corresponds to the earlier Unimog U 400) whilst the following two figures indicate the first two digits of the output in hp, i.e. 23 for 230 hp.

Unimog extreme off-roader – the classic

The cab of the Unimog extreme off-roader is a classic – it has defined the appearance of the Unimog since 1974. The development engineers were tasked with fitting the Euro VI technology beneath this cab. Their success lay in fitting the engine one metre further back below the cab. The length of the new cab was increased by 120 millimetres and slightly raised in comparison to its predecessor. The "Tirecontrol Plus" tyre pressure control system has been completely re-designed. A pre-set tyre pressure suitable for any operation can now be selected simply and conveniently in the display with the help of the "Road", "Sand" and "Rough road" programs. On the exterior, the dynamically designed radiator grille and the new bumper with modern lights show at first glance that the new generation of Unimog is at work.

The frame drop is now also further back because of this new central engine position and as a result the vehicle's centre of gravity is lower whilst retaining high ground clearance which, amongst other things, improves driving characteristics during off-road operation.

The implement carriers with their large windscreen for a clear view of the snow plough in winter and the mower in summer have received, amongst other things, a redesigned clear-view cab with a completely new instrument panel, new systems for the working and power hydraulics as well as the synergetic traction drive which allows the driver to switch between manual transmission and hydrostatic drive whilst driving.

Off Road magazine has been holding a reader's vote for off-road vehicle of the year since 1982.

Credits: Daimler AG

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Double triumph for Daimler: "Goldener Öltropfen 2013" goes to Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles

For the first time ever, a company has won the "Goldener Öltropfen" award for two developments: Daimler AG triumphed in the passenger cars segment with its NANOSLIDE® technology, while in the commercial vehicles segment the award went to the new Mercedes-Benz Citaro Euro VI with recuperation module.

The KRAFTFAHRER-SCHUTZ e.V. (KS) automobile club awards the "Goldener Öltropfen" annually for technical developments or measures which promote economical and environment-friendly driving. In order to be considered for the award, such innovations must be in practical use and purchasable on reasonable terms. KS president Peter Dietrich Rath praised the decision of the neutral expert jury, noting that the two developments by Daimler represented a major contribution towards making passenger cars and buses more economical and thus more environment-friendly.

NANOSLIDE® technology opens up new avenues

The NANOSLIDE® cylinder surface finishing technology developed by Daimler AG provides for more fuel-efficient engines. Wires consisting of an iron-carbon alloy are melted in an electrically generated arc. An atomizing gas sprays the molten droplets into the cylinders of the aluminum crankcase, where they solidify under the effect of rapid cooling to form a delicate lamellar layer with an ultrafine to nano-crystalline microstructure. The cylinder barrel coating then undergoes extreme smoothing, after which it has a thickness of only 0.1 to 0.15 mm. Micro-pores are exposed as a result of the smoothing process, enabling the surface to absorb exceptionally large quantities of oil. This results in very low friction and very high wear resistance. The technology additionally helps to reduce weight and to lower fuel consumption, thereby making an important contribution towards reducing CO2 emissions. The NANOSLIDE® technology incorporates numerous inventions and ideas and is protected by more than 40 patents.

The NANOSLIDE® process has been used in series production at Daimler since 2006 for the 6.3 l V8 engine produced by AMG GmbH. The roll-out in the new V6 petrol engine (M276 DELA 30) has been underway since March 2013 – beginning with the new E-Class. In comparison to Daimler's own V6 petrol engine offering the lowest friction levels worldwide (M276 DE 35), use of the NANOSLIDE® technology has resulted in a further 2.3 percent reduction in CO2 and weight savings of 2.4 kg. In June 2013 NANOSLIDE® is also to be introduced in the new 4-cylinder high-performance engine (M133) from AMG for the A 45 and CLA 45 models.

In the NANOSLIDE® technology, Daimler has realized an effective system which in addition to benefiting passenger car engines also harbors potential for application in engines for commercial vehicles, including buses such as the Citaro.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro BlueTec 6: first series production regular-service bus complying with Euro VI emissions standard

The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is the first regular-service bus to be delivered with engines complying with the Euro VI emissions standard. Its notable fuel savings make an important contribution towards relieving the strain on the environment: emissions from the Citaro with Euro VI emission control technology are 80 percent below its predecessors' levels. As such, the buses play a key role in improving the quality of urban environments. At the same time, transport companies' fuel costs are also reduced, as the new urban buses get by on more than eight percent less diesel fuel.

"In developing the new Citaro, the onus was on combining fuel efficiency and economy with enhanced performance, safety and comfort," stresses Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses.

The development team have pulled out all the stops to achieve the outstanding economy offered by the new Citaro - a whole array of innovative measures has been applied to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

- The regular service bus saves fuel in the following way by means of a recuperation module: electricity which is generated without the use of fuel in overrun mode is stored and subsequently used when the bus is in tractive mode to supply energy to auxiliary consumers, such as blowers and lighting.

- The new, more efficient and electronically controlled twostage air compressor also contributes to the vehicle's economic efficiency. This compressor also operates in recuperative mode on the overrun. The technology reduces the Citaro's fuel consumption and, in turn, its CO2 emissions by more than three percent, depending on the vehicle's form of deployment.

- Battery and generator management also save fuel, while at the same time extending the components' service lives. The doors of entrances two and three have been lowered, thus reducing air consumption when passengers board at ground level (kneeling) and adding a further 0.4 to 0.5 percent to fuel savings.

The buses incorporate sophisticated emission control technology to meet the Euro VI standard. Together with the completely new engine generation, this technology lowers emissions to the limits of detectability. This represents a further significant step in the ongoing development of diesel technology.

To date, Daimler Buses has delivered some 350 buses equipped with Euro VI emission control technology. More than 1700 buses of the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands featuring the environment-friendly Euro VI emission control technology are to be in service on the road by the end of 2013.

Credits: Daimler AG

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AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Awards for Mercedes-Benz and Daimler AG: Mercedes-Benz is the “Most Innovative Automotive Brand”

At yesterday’s award ceremony for the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award 2013, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, accepted two honours: Mercedes-Benz received the distinction as the world's "Most Innovative Automotive Brand", while Daimler took first place in the category "active and passive Safety Systems". With the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Awards, the Center of Automotive Management (CAM) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) honour the most innovative automotive manufacturers of the year for the second time.

For Dr. Dieter Zetsche, the award as "Most Innovative Automotive Brand" is an important confirmation of the long term corporate and product strategies: "Our pioneering spirit is undiminished. We invented the automobile and, since that time, have registered patents for around 90,000 improvements - more than any other premium manufacturer. In the last year alone, we registered an average of nine patents each working day."

With new models in all segments and continuous improvements being made in terms of efficiency, the company remains on course for sustainable and profitable growth. With its CLA model, Mercedes-Benz created a whole new segment – proving, in impressive style, that good design and excellent aerodynamics are far from being contradictory. In fact, the new CLA is the world record holder among production vehicles with a cd value of only 0.22! Mercedes-Benz is the world champion for aerodynamics in almost all vehicle classes.

The first place achieved in the category "active and passive Safety Systems" once again reconfirms the company's leading status in the field of safety. And with the new S-Class, the bar will once again be set even higher. Numerous new systems, grouped together under the term "Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive", make the new flagship model from Mercedes-Benz even more comfortable and safer than ever.

During the presentation of the prize for active and passive safety systems, Dr. Dieter Zetsche commented: "Our vision is ‘accident-free driving’: our aim is to reduce the workload of the "guardian angels" of road traffic - with safety systems that continuously become more and more perfect. In the future, our cars will be able to see in all directions. Our new S-Class and E-Class also recognise cross traffic – pedestrians, cyclists and of course other cars. And, they do so much more quickly than humans are able to."

The AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award 2013 conferred by the Center of Automotive Management (CAM) in conjunction with the accounting and management consultancy firm PwC, rewards outstanding innovative achievement in the automotive industry in eight categories: Most Innovative Automotive Company, Most Innovative Automotive Brand, and Most Innovative Automotive Company in following fields of technology: Conventional Drive Systems, Alternative Drive Systems, Alternative Drive System in Production Vehicles, active and passive Safety Systems, Vehicle Information and Communication Systems and Vehicle Concepts.

Credits: Daimler AG

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“Motor Klassik Award 2013”: Five Awards for Mercedes-Benz

The readers of “Motor Klassik” classic car magazine have decided: in the “Motor Klassik Award 2013” a Mercedes-Benz vehicle has won in all of five categories. “In this vote, three historic cars as well as two current Mercedes-Benz models won,” Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic, was pleased to say. “The G-Class and the CLS Shooting Brake thus quite clearly show that they deserve to become the classic cars of the future.”

The winners were selected in a total of 19 categories. This year, the “2013 Cars” contest for current models complemented the classic car competitions, and votes were also held for outstanding personalities, events, and auctions.

In the “Classics up to 1930” section, first place was won by a six-cylinder compressor sports car: the Mercedes-Benz SSK, an exclusive and exciting edition from the legendary S series. The model designation stands for Super-Sport-Kurz (Super Sports Short) and the 165 kW (225 hp) powerful SSK demonstrated its outstanding sportiness even with a wheelbase shortened to 2950 mm. On 29 July 1928, Rudolf Caracciola drove an SSK built specially for hill races to first-time victory at the Gabelbach Race and went on to win other famous races. In 1930 and 1931, the SSK helped him to win the European Hill Climb Championship.

In the “Classics 1947-1961” category, the winner, as last year, was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198). The series-production sports car, derived from the successful W 194 racing car, became the foundation of the SL myth which has endured up to the present day. Right from the moment when the first car was delivered to a customer, the “Gullwing”, which was built from 1954 onwards, was viewed as the epitome of dream cars – and it has stayed that way ever since as a classic with exceptional charisma. A total of 1,400 cars were built. The equally exciting 300 SL Roadster (W 198) took over from the “Gullwing” in 1957.

540 K Special Roadster is “2012 Auction Car”

The “2012 Auction Car” special category was snapped up by a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K in a rare version as a special roadster. This breathtakingly beautiful car was auctioned in August 2012 at a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance auction by Gooding & Company for 11.8 million US dollars. The car has an unbroken history: the purchaser, the Prussian aristocrat Baroness Gisela von Krieger, took the 540 K special roadster with her during the Second World War: first to Switzerland and from there to the USA, where the car stood unused in a garage for more than forty years until her death, after which it was restored to perfect condition.

The classics of tomorrow bear a star

The readers of “Motor Klassik” also chose two particularly desirable models from the current Mercedes-Benz range. In the view of knowledgeable readers, the new CLS Shooting Brake already shows all the features of a classic. So in the “Luxury Segment” category, with 42.0 per cent of the votes, placing it far ahead of the car in second place, the competition was decided by a fascinating car concept which combines the luxury and style of a coupé with the luggage space of an estate car.

In the “Off-Roader” category there was even a car that won 42.2 per cent of the votes and has been in the Mercedes-Benz model range ever since 1979: the G-Class. Thanks to constant and consistent further development, Mercedes-Benz has ensured the special status of this off-road icon. The current generation of the off-road vehicle series stands out with its ultra-modern drive technology and high-class interior. At the same time, the G-Class has retained its typical, highly valued basic virtues such as utter robustness and excellent off-road handling.

More than 22,000 “Motor Klassik” readers participated in the “Motor Klassik Award 2013” survey. The result shows yet again that Mercedes-Benz historic cars rank among the most outstanding icons in the history of the automobile. With its successes in two “2013 Cars” categories, the brand also demonstrates convincingly that the potential classics of tomorrow will bear a three-pointed star.

Credits: Daimler AG

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