Mercedes-Benz and Cigarette Racing converged upon the 2010 Miami International Boat Show last week to unveil a new 46-foot custom racing boat inspired by the automaker’s SLS AMG supercar. In lieu of the Gullwing’s lone 6.2-liter V8 engine, which puts out a measly 563 horsepower, the Cigarette boat offers a pair of twin-turbocharged 552-cubic-inch Mercury Racing engines. Each mill cranks out 1,350 horsepower. Yep, that’s 2,700 total horsies. Giddyup.

The new Cigarette 46-foot Rider features hand-applied AMG ALUBEAM silver paint, as seen on the SLS AMG supercar. According to the automaker, its specially developed painting technique “covers body surfaces like a metallic skin, targeting light reflections to further emphasize exterior character lines and design details.” We’ll take their word for it.

Step inside the boat and you’ll be greeted with marine-grade upholstery that’s designed to resemble the two-tone porcelain and white Nappa leather offered on the SLS AMG. So far, there’s no word on how much this custom Cigarette will go for, but something with a six-pack of zeros is virtually a lock. Check out our high-res image gallery below along with the complete press release after the break.

SLS AMG Inspires New Cigarette Racing Boat

New Cigarette 46′ Unveiled at Miami Boat Show

February 15, 2010 - MIAMI BEACH — Two legendary performance brands – Mercedes AMG and Cigarette Racing – unveiled a custom Cigarette Racing boat and the SLS AMG, which inspired its design, at a special preview at the Miami International Boat Show on Thursday, February 11. Both the Cigarette Boat and SLS AMG are on display at the boat show until Monday, February 15, 2010.

While each brand’s playground is as different as asphalt and water, both AMG and Cigarette use their racing expertise to develop high performance machines for passionate enthusiasts.

Available this May, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was developed exclusively by Mercedes-AMG, the high performance and motorsports division of Mercedes-Benz. Featuring a lightweight aluminum spaceframe chassis, hand built 563-hp AMG V8 engine and signature “Gullwing” doors, the SLS AMG is sure to quicken the pulse of high-performance enthusiasts.

Founded upon mutual respect and product admiration, Mercedes-AMG and Cigarette Racing have developed a long-standing professional relationship, allowing Mercedes-AMG to provide manufacturing expertise and materials to enhance one of Cigarette Racing’s top models, the 46′ Rider.

The new Cigarette 46′ Rider features hand-applied AMG ALUBEAM silver paintwork also available on the SLS AMG. This process, used exclusively by AMG, covers body surfaces like a metallic skin, targeting light reflections to further emphasize exterior character lines and design details. Showcasing the state of the art nanotechnology, this unique finish imbeds tiny pigments of color measuring just 30 to 50 nanometres. The ALUBEAM silver is contrasted with AMG Designo Mystic White metallic in a bold design echoing the Mercedes-AMG logo. Inside, the boat features marine-grade upholstery that resembles the two-tone AMG Designo porcelain and white Nappa leather offered on the SLS AMG.

While many of the influences of the SLS AMG can be seen in the exterior paint work and interior, the true benefits of the inspiration can be found below the surface. With more than 100 innovations on display, the all new 46′ Rider serves as a technology showcase for Cigarette.

From the propulsion system to the rigging, a clean sheet approach was utilized to build the all new 46′ Cigarette.

Powered by a pair of revolutionary twin-turbocharged 552 ci, 1350 HP Mercury Racing engines, the 46′ Cigarette is estimated to have a top speed in excess of 130 MPH.

More details on the Cigarette Racing “Inspired by AMG” 46′ Rider can be found online at www.cigaretteracing.com/legendary

About Cigarette Racing

Since 1969, Cigarette Racing Team has left an everlasting mark on the worldwide luxury powerboating industry. Its logo and iconic shapes are recognized throughout the world as the definition of custom high performance powerboating. The brand is renowned for its custom approach to building high performance luxury powerboats in which every customer’s personal touch can be seen. Cigarette’s long history and dedication to quality are on display all around the world being driven by presidents and enthusiasts alike. From 38′ to 50′ Cigarette Racing defines the industry of High Performance powerboating. More information can be found on Cigarette Racing at www.cigaretteracing.com.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. For more than 40 years, MBUSA has taken pride in its commitment to the customer by providing superior quality luxury vehicles coupled with outstanding customer support. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.maybachusa.com.

[Source:Autoblog]

A little over a week ago, our esteemed colleagues over at Inside Line reported that Mercedes was to proceed with plans to build a two-door version of the C-Class sedan. Now that the notion of a C-Class coupe is out in the open, IL is opening it up further with another report that a C-Class cabriolet is set to follow.

Until recently that territory was the exclusive realm of the CLK, but with that model retired in favor of the slightly higher-market E-Class cabrio, there’s room in the Benz line-up for a smaller convertible as well. With an eye on both the BMW 1 Series and 3 Series convertibles, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class cabriolet could be here as early as next year.

Power is tipped to come courtesy of a range of naturally-aspirated and turbocharged V6 engines. An AMG version is possible, with the new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 pulling duty. While IL says the coupe version could yield a hybrid, they figure the convertible won’t. For our part, we ask why not? There are plenty of hybrid sedans and sport-utes on the market, and a hybrid convertible – especially one with a three-pointed star on the nose – could do very well in certain markets. (California, we’re looking at you.)

[Source:Autoblog]

While Audi and BMW have embraced turbocharging, Mercedes has — by and large — stuck with large displacement, naturally aspirated engines. However, If a recent report is to be believed, that’s set to change late next year.

Insideline quotes Daimler AG Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development board member Dr. Thomas Weber as saying the big 6.2-liter V8 powering Mercedes’ AMG lineup will be replaced by the end of next year by a twin turbocharged 5.5-liter V8. And that’s not all. Under Mercedes’ reported plan to downsize its powertrains, all V8s will shrink in size for 2011, with turbocharging making up for the power deficit. If true the move to smaller displacement engines would help increase efficiency while also reducing CO2 emissions.

While the report only mentions V8 engines, we’re guessing there’s a good chance Mercedes could use more turbos in its V6 product lineup as well. The move will help the German automaker meet more strict emissions laws in both Europe and the U.S., while giving the torque-craving masses what they need.

[Source:Autoblog]

We’ve been all but assured that a convertible version of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was on the way, and now we’ve got photographic proof of the de-gullwinged drop-top weathering the wintery climes before its reveal in 2010.

Although Mercedes officials haven’t divulged much about the SLS cabrio, it’s likely to be fitted with a retractable soft-top rather than a folding hard-top in a bid to keep weight in check and retain some of the trunk’s capacity. Naturally, the chassis will be fortified to increase rigidity, but considering the SLS AMG was designed from the onset to be both a coupe and a convertible, we suspect the extent of the modifications to be limited and the weight penalty to be minimal.

Some reports indicate that the SLS AMG Roadster could debut as early as the Geneva Motor Show in March, but if we were betting gentlemen, we’d suspect the convertible SLS to debut later in 2010, likely at the Paris Motor Show.

[Source:Autoblog]

This past weekend was a busy one for us, and it was for some of our local Marines as well. Our efforts were for a worthy cause, however, as we were busy collecting toys for needy children so they might have something to unwrap during the holidays. We also happened to be surrounded by some of the nicest people and coolest cars ever made at The 6th Annual Schnuerer Toys for Tots drive in Huntington Beach.

The event was highlighted by the surprise appearance of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Even parked amidst two classic gullwing SLs and beside a new SL65 Black Series, the neo-gullwing drew the lion’s share of the attention from the crowd. The car sounded fantastic and we had to admit we’d be hard pressed to choose between it, the Black Series, the nearby CLK DTM cabrio, the SLR or SLR Roadster as our favorite modern Mercedes. The Audi R8 V10 that was parked around back would probably be in the mix as well for most fun to drive. Follow the jump to read how the day played out – and don’t forget to check out the huge gallery by clicking any image below.

Gerhard and Rosemarie Schnuerer once again hosted this annual toy drive and car show co-sponsored by Mercedes-Benz USA. The Schnuerer collection of classic and new Mercedes, sidecar motorcycles and WWII military craft is quite spectacular. The couple regularly participates in local concours events and they’ve won more than a few trophies with these rides. All of their vehicles are restored and in good running order. Some say the Mercedes Classic Center was built in Irvine so they would be close to Gerhard, their best customer.

As cool as the Schnuerer collection is to see in person, our favorite part of this event is the fact that they fire up several of the vehicles and take people for rides in them. Everything from the 1886 Benz Patent Motor-Wagen replica to the 1943 VW Kübelwagen. It’s a terrific event with about 550 guests enjoying holiday cheer along with some great German food served up WWII-Style in a Gulaschkanone Military Field Kitchen. This year’s event also featured live music, silent and live auctions and a series of raffles.

The live auction was emceed by TV automotive reporter, Dave Kunz, to raise money for Toys for Tots among other charities. Several prizes were auctioned ranging from pedal cars to a weekend rental of an AMG Mercedes-Benz SL63. Le Mans winner Justin Bell was even on hand to donate a special experience at the Jay Leno Show, where he serves as driving coach to the stars in the Green Car Challenge. Several thousand dollars were raised and approximately 1500 toys collected this year, easily surpassing last year’s total. While we’re glad there will be hundreds more kids getting gifts this year, we got ours just by being there.

[Source:Autoblog]

Say what you will about the retro design of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Some call it a contemporary take on a classic shape, others may deride the lack of originality. But at least it’s consistent. Which is a heck of a lot more than we can say for what MEC Design has done to it.

The Berlin-based tuner has been dreaming up how it could butcher the gullwing’s lines, and from the looks of things, they’ve done a bang-up job. First thing you notice is the nose – you could hardly miss it – that apparently attempts to bring the preceding SLR McLaren’s F1-inspired treatment back. But MEC hasn’t stopped there. The full aero kit includes side skirts with integrated exterior lighting. The rear end fits in a spoiler, chrome tailpipes and a new diffuser. There are comically oversized and blinged-out rims. And they’ve theoretically fitted a carbon and Alcantara steering wheel.

And that’s where the sigh of relief comes in. Thankfully, MEC Design hasn’t actually gotten its hands on an actual SLS to perform these mods. And for the sake of everything we hold dear, we hope they never do.

PRESS RELEASE:

MEC Design Take the SLS to Extremes With Their New Studies.
Berlin based tuning company MEC Design release a preview of their styling package for the SLS AMG.

The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG has already become a classic model even before its release next year with fans all over the world eager to get their hands on one. None more so than European tuning company MEC Design who have just released a couple of studies showing just how the SLS might look once they’ve got their hands on one. MEC Design are known for their extreme tuning and these studies show that they have certainly not lost their touch when it comes to taking things further than most tuners.

The first study shows the SLS AMG from the front. The Mercedes Benz star has moved from the front to make space and now sits above the grill and is very reminiscent of the SLR McLaren which it is replacing. It features a new front bumper which has an extremely deep mesh grill as well as curved side air inlets. The side skirts have been deepened and now feature the MEC Design lighting system which is linked to the interior lighting and lights up when the ignition is turned on or the doors are opened. The SLS look is finished off with the three piece bi-colour 22 inch mecxtremeIII wheels.

The second study shows the rear of the SLS AMG and the extreme look rear diffusor for which MEC Design are already well known. Its part of their 2Face system which allows you to choose between having a more extreme look as shown here or having a more refined elegant finish. A carefully placed rear spoiler finishes off the optics whilst the oval chrome tips of the MEC Design exhaust system enhance the whole experience with its amazing sounds.

The third image shows the front view again but this time in a golden yellow finish along with the three piece 22 inch mecxtremeI wheels.

The interior is left almost original except for the addition of the MEC Design sports steering wheel which has a Carbon Fibre and Alcantara finish to match the rest of the high quality interior.

“We’re very excited about the SLS, it’s already becoming a classic just like the 300 SL Gullwing. These first studies have received a lot of good feedback and now we just can’t wait to get our hands on one”, says CEO Cem Altun.

It has not been decided whether these studies from MEC Design will be the final design or whether there will be a small-batch production.

About MEC Design:
MEC Design are an exclusive tuning company based in Berlin, Germany. They specialize in Mercedes-Benz and have an extensive range of extraordinary tuning and styling products as well as a range of high quality one piece and three piece alloy wheels. They have been making a big noise all over Germany and Europe for over 10 years and are now expanding into North America and the rest of the World.

[Source:Autoblog]

It could be argued that Mercedes-Benz’ AMG division — more than any other brand — is culpable for perpetuating the horsepower wars. Not that we’re complaining, mind you, but sooner or later, consumer demands for environmental responsibility will catch up even with these stratospheric performance automobiles. The power-crazed tuners at the Benz performance division can see the writing on the wall, and are reportedly preparing to do something about it. More than one thing, actually.

First up is the electric version of the SLS, AMG’s first in-house developed product. Confirmation came this past summer that an electric SLS – with the equivalent of 526 horsepower and 649 lb-ft of torque on tap – would see production, although no launch date has been revealed at this point. There’s no telling if the electric powertrain in the green gullwing will foreshadow the trickle-down effect into other vehicles, but we’d hardly be surprised.

What could end up powering more commonplace future AMG products, however, are diesel engines. The possibility was first mooted nearly two years ago, and confirmed as a possible course of action a bit over a year ago by AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg. According to the latest reports, AMG is still toying with the idea, but given the torque-heavy capacity of modern diesels – German ones, especially – we could be looking at oil-burning performance Mercedes before we know it.

[Source:Autoblog]

With two manufacturers leaving the series, four new teams joining the grid and a giant game of musical chairs amongst the drivers ensuing, the off-season between the 2009 and 2010 Formula One World Championships is packing in as much action as the racing itself. But few developments have garnered as much attention as the coup orchestrated by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, withdrawing from McLaren after fifteen years as its active partner in favor of a more conventional engine supplier role, while buying over 75% of the Brawn GP outfit to enter the sport as a full manufacturer team under the Mercedes Grand Prix banner.

The acquisition has drawn public criticism from Erich Klemm, employee representative on the Daimler board and chairman of its Corporate Works Council, who decried the move as an unnecessary cost when money is tight and other automakers are withdrawing from the series. Chairman Dieter Zetsche responded that the acquisition of the Brawn team will give the company more exposure for less cash: The deal reportedly cost the German automaker some $336 million, but its operating costs are expected to drop to about $74 million annually by 2011, analyzed as far less than what Mercedes was contributing annually to the McLaren budget.

Zetsche might have more trouble, however, explaining to the board how their star driver slipped through their fingers and defected to the team they just ditched. McLaren just announced the recruitment of Jenson Button to team up with Lewis Hamilton for a twin-champ “super team,” and Rubens Barrichello is off to Williams next season, leaving the new Mercedes GP team looking for new drivers. Considering they’re the reigning champions suddenly flush with cash, they shouldn’t have much trouble, though.

Zetsche and Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug are reportedly keen to capitalize with an all-German line-up, fueling speculation that Michael Schumacher could rejoin Mercedes (whose junior driving program gave him his start) and Brawn (who orchestrated all seven of his world championships). Nico Rosberg is thought to already have signed on to switch places with Barrichello, while Nick Heidfeld has been linked with a switch from the departing BMW to its arch-rival Mercedes. Toyota’s Timo Glock was also reportedly in the running, but the young German driver signed with newcomer Manor GP instead. Haug has indicated an announcement will come within the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

[Source: F1 Live]

[Source:Autoblog]

The folks over at Mercedes appear to be pretty excited about their newest supercar. For starters, the SLS AMG gullwing is the first ever home-grown AMG supercar, and it replaces the ho-hum McLaren SLR. And of course, the nearly $200,000 German hot rod comes equipped with retro-tastic gullwing doors and a 6.2-liter V8 capable of 563 horsepower and 0-60 mph times of 3.8 seconds – both of which we certainly like. But will the SLS AMG be the one-and-only purpose-built vehicle to come from Mercedes’ performance group? We kinda doubt it, and so do the scribes over at PistonHeads.

While attending the SLS drive event in Monterey, California, the PistonHeads crew spoke off-the-cuff with company execs who said that an additional AMG model could be in the works. We already know that a convertible version of the SLS is in the works, and a Black Series and dedicated racing version have also been mooted. However, the rumored second AMG Pistonheads is speaking about could be a Porsche 911 hunter based off of the same platform of the SLS AMG, with a front engine layout and smaller overall proportions. Further speculation is that the smaller, presumably less expensive SLS sibling would also carry a V8 engine between 5.8 and 6.2 liters with direct injection and cylinder shutoff tech.

If a smaller, lighter AMG model sounds good to you and you can afford the presumably high price tag, we hope you have some patience. The same executive who spilled bean on the possible smaller AMG also stated that such a car isn’t likely to see the light of day for another five years.

[Source: PistonHeads]

Few cars are as classic and iconic as the original Gullwing, also known as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Created by a loophole in racing rules when MB realized that, “Nowhere is it written that a door can only open sideways.” Hence, Mercedes was allowed to retain the strength of the 300SL’s (as well as the 300SLR’s) tubular space frame by hinging the doors from the roof. A legend, as they say, was born.

Fast-forward more than fifty years and Mercedes-Benz (via AMG) is about to launch a new gullwing, this time called the SLS AMG. While it’s no doubt a great car (553 horsepower tends to do that), some might say it’s slightly lacking in the retro SL looks department. Enter Gullwing America (you might remember their updated 300SL) and their new SLS Panamericana.

Created to be a more proper “300SL from the 21st century,” the Panamericana consists of seven body pieces including the all important “eyebrows” on top of the fenders. Everything is made from either lightweight aluminum or carbon fiber. Plus, you get those snazzy racing stripes. As well as a swath of Alcantara on the seats set off by contrast stitching. You also get a set of GWA wheels, 19-inchers up front, 20-inches in the rear. While we do like most of what we see, we’re honestly not sold on the brows… how about you? Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source:Autoblog]