Let this serve as a warning to anybody who thinks they can get away with trademark infringement, especially when it comes to building replica models of classic vehicles.
Over in Germany, a replica Mercedes 300 SL was confiscated by customs officials after learning that it was built without the consent of Daimler. Considering that the German company has already stamped the trademark for the model and is considered as a "work of applied art," any and all replica models of the classic Mercedes would be in violation of Daimler’s trademark on the car.
So what exactly happened to the seized replica 300 SL? In order to send a clear and stern message to anybody looking to build their own 300 SL, German authorities set out and destroyed it.
The first thing they did was to separate the chassis from the body with the Mercedes-Benz used-parts center taking care of destroying the body on behalf of Daimler AG courtesy of two presses, each applying over 30 tons of pressure. Seeing as the replica had a fiberglass body, it wasn’t hard for the presses to smash the body into bits and pieces.
And to add insult to the car’s shameful end, the body was officially documented with a signed and stamped ’confirmation of scrappage,’ which is pretty much like a scarlet letter in its own right.
Mercedes has just unveiled the 2013 GLK-Class, but it seems that another one of their models was strategically or accidentally placed in the background of one of the shots. A second look at the GLK’s picture gallery revealed a glimpse of what may be the facelift G-Class. Could this mean that an official debut of the new G-Class is also on the horizon, following in the footsteps of the GL-Class reveal next month in New York?
Previous rumors suggested that the new G-Class won’t receive many changes on the exterior - just a new set of LED daytime running lights and some mods to the front end - and this picture shows that those rumors are true. Mercedes will be doing most of their changes on the car’s interior, but that certainly isn’t visible at this time.
Next to the standard G-Class, Mercedes will also be unveiling a new G55 AMG and a G65 AMG. All three models are expected to be unveiled later this year.
The Mercedes GLK went on sale in 2009 and after a few years on the market, it was just about due for a facelift. The final production model of the revised edition was caught testing various times, but Mercedes finally unveiled the new GLK ahead of its official debut at the 2012 New Your Auto Show. Sales will begin later in the Summer 2012, with the GLK350 being the first one to be offered on the market. A GLK250 BlueTEC model will arrive in early 2013.
The new 2013 GLK received a few exterior changes that make it look even more aggressive and dynamic, along with the use of better quality materials, new equipment, a fully redesigned trim, and a new infotainment systems. Mercedes is offering nearly 1,000 new parts in total, parts that help the GLK offer outstanding driving dynamics, excellent safety, and superlative ride comfort.
The GLK350 is powered by a fuel-efficient 3.5- liter direct-injection V6 gasoline engine generating 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 130 mph.
UPDATE 03/22/2012: This review has been updated with the official images and details of the Mercedes GLK-Class.
Hit the jump to read more about the new 2013 Mercedes GLK.
For those who want more than just a standard SLS AMG, Mercedes is about to unveil an even hotter version: the SLS AMG Black Series. After being caught testing around the Nurburgring, the car was recently taken out once again, this time for some tests during cold weather conditions.
Compared to a standard SLS, the Black Series will be lighter, deliver more power - rumored to be somewhere in the 650 HP area - and, of course, get an aggressive body kit. The spy shots reveal wider fenders and massive wheels, while the front bumper looks to have received bigger air intakes to push loads of fresh air into the rumored, revised 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine.
Tobias Moers, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Vehicle Development for AMG, already confirmed that the company is hard at work on this model, so we should see it out sometime next year.
The Mercedes SLS AMG was first used as a Safety Car back in 2010 shortly after its official debut. Now, for the 2012 racing season, the SLS is returning as the Official F1 Safety Car. The Safety Car is based on the standard SLS AMG, with absolutely no changes made to the standard 571 HP 6.3-liter V8 engine, or its suspension and braking system.
What Mercedes did do was add a newly developed exhaust – designed to provide an even more emotionally-charged sound experience - as a tribute to the Formula 1 fans. Next to this, the Safety Car also received a roof light bar that boasts an aerodynamically efficient profile. The bar’s light functions are handled by LEDs which offer a fast response time and low power consumption. The colors change to green when the Formula 1 drivers can overtake the Safety Car or orange when no overtaking whatsoever is allowed. The roof light bar also incorporates a TV camera and a second camera located next to the rear number plate that allows the driver and co-driver to keep an eye on the Formula 1 cars.
The interior of the Mercedes SLS AMG Safety Car is almost identical to the production car, except of course for the two central monitors placed in the cockpit, which are used to monitor the progress of the race.
After revealing the CLS Shooting Break Concept at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show, Mercedes officially confirmed that a production version would follow in the coming years and as is typical, every Mercedes model will also get an AMG version. Today, we have a series of new spy shots of the production ready prototypes, wearing only minimal camouflage.
The new CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake will keep almost all of the sleek lines of the "CLS Shooting Break Concept," but it will get a more aggressive front fascia, sportier wheels and tires, bigger brakes, and a quad tip exhaust.
While the standard version will be powered by a 402 HP 4.6 liter, twin-turbo V8 engine, the AMG version will be powered by a 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine that delivers 525 HP and 516 lb-ft of torque. It will be mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission and Controlled Efficiency stop/start function.
An official debut for the Mercedes CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake will be made later in 2012.
We’ve seen some fancy tuning programs from Wald International, particularly their Black Bison line-up. Now it looks like they’ve added another ace into the family with the unveiling of their new Black Bison program for the Mercedes CLS-Class.
The aggressive body kit on the CLS-Class includes a new front bumper, new front wings, side vents, a trunk lid spoiler, and large diffusers. Similarly, the grilles on the Merc have also been revised while the side skirts and the lowered suspension making for a more aggressive stance. For all of these modifications, the most significant inclusion into the car are the blacked out head- and tail-lights, which increases the overall bad-ass look of the car.
The engine of the CLS-Class was largely left unchanged, but considering that the car carries a twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 engine that produces 430 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque, we don’t mind the least bit that Wald opted to use only an aero program for their new Black Bison program on the CLS-Class.
The German tuning company introduced their third presentation at the Geneva Motor Show, this time involving a fully customized Mercedes CLS 63 AMG. Nothing speaks more to Mansory’s capabilities than their expertise in turning a series-production CLS into a bonafide four-wheeled rocket.
The complete modification consists of a comprehensive aerodynamic program made entirely out of carbon fiber. Drawing from their carbon fiber experts, Mansory was able to build by new front and rear wings, new side sill sets and cladding, a newly designed bonnet, a redesigned front apron with daytime driving lights, a new rear apron, a newly-installed diffuser, a rear spoiler, and a new set of 20" ultralight forged wheels.
Inside, Mansory applied a luxurious touch-up to the CLS63 AMG that includes new aluminum pedals and footrests, an elaborately designed full-leather upholstery, polished entry sills, and floor mats with exclusive embroidery. Just like the body components, the interior also gets generous heapings of tailored carbon-fiber components for the dashboard and center console. Finally, the steering wheel gets newly designed ergonomics, further accentuating the improved interior aesthetic of the Mercedes coupe.
More than just being a pretty face, Mansory also sought to improve the car’s performance capabilities. With a 5.5-liter biturbo V8 engine that produced a stock 557 horsepower and 517 lb/ft of torque, Mansory modified the car’s programmed control unit while also adding a sports air filter for optimized oxygen supply to the high-performance engine. The improvements net 640 horsepower and 664 lb/ft of torque.
The upcoming Mercedes Viano has been caught testing again in the snowy condition of North Sweden, but this time the prototype has switched from a white exterior paint finish to a black one. The new Viano will come as a competitor for models like the Volkswagen Multivan/Caravelle, so expect it to have more of a car feeling as opposed to feeling like a transporter.
As previously reported, the new Viano will feature a raised hood and a bigger grille - signs for the addition of new engines and cooling systems. It has been rumored that Mercedes will be offering an AMG version, but we won’t be able to confirm this until 2013-2014 when the new Viano debuts.
The Mercedes Viano will also be offered in a new Vito version - the transporter version. Some rumors even say that the new Viano/Vito will be offered in the US, joining the Sprinter that is already sold here.
We all know how eccentric the folks over at FAB Design are, but one program that really captured our attention was their work on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Now, the tuner extraordinaire is back with a similar program for the SLS AMG Roadster. Just like the hard-top version of the Mercedes supercar, the program for the roadster is called the Gulfstream and it comes with plenty of aerodynamic and performance modifications.
The first order of business is the body kit, which comes with a new front bumper with vertically positioned daylight running lights. It also has wider fenders that flow down into the sides skirts and run up into the widened quarter panels. A new rear bumper was also added with bigger vents to go with a diffuser and a carbon fiber lip spoiler. Lastly, FAB Design also installed a new stainless steel sports exhaust system that has an integrated valve control and a quad-tailpipe set-up.
As far as performance modifications are concerned, FAB Design was able to bump up the output of the SLS AMG Roadster from the standard 563 horsepower and 479 lb/ft of torque all the way up to 607 horsepower and 509 lb/ft torque. The increased output allows the supercar to hit 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds with a new top speed of 202 mph.
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