Mercedes-Benz Vehicles, Concept Cars, and the Mercedes Lifestyle

The newest AMG Mercedes-Benz Black Series is more than just a redesigned car. Normally, automakers tend to take an existing model of their existing lineup and add a couple new features and call it something different. But the new AMG Mercedes isn’t like that.

The new AMG Mercedes is the 2009 SL65. This is a limited edition AMG Mercedes and the automaker only produced about 350 of them for sale worldwide. That’s okay, though, because with a price tag at nearly $300,000, there probably aren’t too many people that can afford them during these tough economic times.

One of the modifications for the new AMG Mercedes includes a “DTM-racing inspired, flared carbon-fiber bodywork.” The only things carried over from the previous model are the doors that are made of durable aluminum. The other body panels are made of steel with other body parts manufactured from durable and aerodynamic carbon. This helps reduce the car’s weight by at least 500 pounds.

Underneath the hood, the 6.0-liter twin turbo engine is a V12, the most powerful in the production’s history. The engine is capable of 661 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, giving it capabilities that only the bravest drivers have discovered.

Check out one of these AMG performance cars today!

Has it been ten years already for the Mercedes ML63 AMG performance vehicles? Apparently so because the automaker has just unveiled the 10th Anniversary Edition Model of these AMG cars.

But this isn’t just a celebration of the model. No sir. This model is an anniversary of ten years of high performance SUV models. The first AMG performance SUV was released by the automaker in 1999 – the ML55 AMG – but the high performance concept has come a long way since those days.

The newest AMG performance model was developed. in the AMG studio. Engineers and developers took into consideration individual customers when making this new model, too. The front of this AMG performance model is completely redesigned to give an impressive appearance as soon as you lay your eyes upon the masterpiece.

In addition to the front, the newest AMG performance SUV model has 21-inch alloy wheels with five spokes and a design that won’t disappoint. When you walk around to the back of the vehicle, you’ll notice the “10th Anniversary” nameplate accented with Himalaya gray.

We hate to leave you in suspense, but we’ll talk about the interior and some of the features next week.

AMG cars are a precious possession for anybody. In addition to being expensive, they are also fast and they get a lot of attention. That’s why it’s important to make them last as long as possible. Here are some tips to increase the life of your AMG cars so you can enjoy them for many years to come.

1. Start the car first. Some people like to turn on their accessories like the air conditioner and lights before they start the engine. This slowly wears the engine down, though, causing it to need repairs sooner. Start the engine first and then worry about the accessories.

2. Let your AMG cars warm up properly. Don’t rev the engine on those cold, cold mornings. That only adds stress to it. Instead, let it idle for about 60 seconds when you start it in the morning to allow the oil to flow before putting pressure on the engine.

3. Wait until the car stops before shifting into drive. I’m guilty of this one. I put my car in reverse and shift into drive before it stops moving. Unfortunately, this puts undue stress on the engine and decreases its life. Instead, make sure your car stops moving backwards before shifting into park.

With these and some other tips, your AMG performance cars should give you years and years of enjoyment.

The next time you want to see how fast your AMG performance car can reach 60 mph from a standstill, use your iPhone.

A young programmer in Scotland uses a program on his iPhone called Dynolicious. The new software program can test his car’s acceleration to see how fast and efficient it is. His Ferrari reached 60 mph in about 5.2 seconds according to his iPhone.

This program “tracks the changes of speed with the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer.” Dynolicious is constantly monitoring the changes to convert the data into an estimate of the car’s speed.

More and more pieces of software are popping up for the iPhone. People are starting to see how much they can actually do for them. Who would have ever thought that a cell phone could tell you which way you are going and how fast you are going to get there? However, owners of AMG performance cars and other fast cars question the accuracy of the program’s findings. The measurements are “so small,” they say, that there is too much room for error.

Do you really need an iPhone to know that if you’re in an AMG performance car, you’re going pretty freakin’ fast? This just seems like an unnecessary program to me.

If you’re looking for the best combination of luxury and AMG performance on the market today, the 2009 MB SL65 Black Series is your best option.

The SL65 rose out of last year’s CLK63 AMG performance Black Series model from last year. This model “pushed the envelope of the standard version and gave even more power, performance and exclusivity to even fewer people.” This model was an immediate success and almost all of the 350 cars were sold before they were even available in North America.

But the SL65 is even better than that. The engineers tweaked the AMG performance engine to provide even more torque and horsepower than the SL63. In addition, they added larger turbochargers and a new AMG performance sports exhaust. With these modifications, drivers can go from zero to 62 mph in less than four seconds flat. These AMG performance vehicles can also reach top speeds of 200 miles per hour, making them faster than the SL63, too.

The Black Series of the AMG performance vehicles also come with an interior that is all black. The steering wheel has a flat bottom complete with perforated leather. Throughout the interior, there are also silver accents to make it even more striking.

The first of these models are slated to hit European markets next month. It should be making its way over to our dealers sometime next year…hopefully.

With all of the new regulations on cars today and everybody’s concern over the environment, do you ever think that AMG cars could suffer as a result?

I don’t think so. AMG cars are going to be around for a long time. Even if 90 percent of the world turns to hybrids and cars with the same horsepower as a riding lawn mower, there will still be many car enthusiasts that refuse to give up the AMG cars. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but some places are trying to impose regulations that will make them either illegal or, at the very least, less than desirable.

Ernie Burskey of Michigan isn’t happy about the way AMG cars are promoted. “Car companies should promote safe and efficient driving plus the value and quality of their brand.” Instead, he says, too many TV ads emphasize “speed and somewhat dangerous driving.”

Whether it’s commercials for AMG cars or the dangers of tobacco, people always think it’s their business to stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. Why do people think they can impose their feelings on major corporations and the way they advertise their products? Where has personal responsibility and decision gone? I, for one, think car companies should be able to advertise any way they see fit. If consumers can’t handle the power and speed of AMG cars, it’s their responsibility to take that into account before purchasing one.

Do you agree or am I totally out in left field on this one?

On Wednesday, we left of discussing the reviews of the AMG performance vehicles by the writers at Edmunds.com. The event occurred awhile ago, but it is still relevant today. In addition to the Edmunds reviewers, there were about 75 total attendees at the event and they were divided into five groups. Each group went through 10 exercises in the AMG performance cars to give them a taste of everything these specialty vehicles had to offer. The exercises included:

1. The Oval Track – Turns at 100 mph and speeds of 100 mph on the straightaway at 8 AM. It doesn’t get much better than that.
2. Basic Car Control
3. Skid Pad – This area of wet surface allowed the tester to spin their wheels, fishtail and slide. Sounds like a typical winter day in Michigan, but this was even better because it was in AMG performance cars.
4. Classroom Session
5. Open Lapping
6. Individual Autocross – Reviewers were timed as to how long it took them to maneuver an AMG SL55 on a coned course. This requires speed, timing and precision to get a decent score.
7. Team Autocross
8. Open Lapping – This was like the previous session of open lapping, but much faster the second time around.
9. Oval Track – Again, much like the previous exercise but much faster.
10. Advanced Car Control – Reviewers enjoyed doing things like shutting off the ESP during this exercise.

All in all, this was an exciting event that the reviewers and testers will likely remember for a lifetime.

A recent article in a Sydney, Australian newspaper reviewed the power of a Mercedes AMG car. Here are some of the highlights of that article.

• Mercedes-Benz took over the AMG engine manufacturing nearly a decade ago. At the time, the automaker wanted to “sharpen up its image” with more power and better handling by combining Mercedes and AMG into one vehicle.
• Before it was Mercedes AMG, these cars were “subtle on the outside and wild on the inside.” As such, the drivers of these cars wouldn’t get any “undue attention” from other drivers.
• Recent Mercedes AMG vehicles have a “bad boy” appearance.
• The SL63 and the SL65 are the two latest Mercedes AMG vehicles.
• The V12 power in a Mercedes AMG tops out at about 5000 rpm. The peak for the V8 model is 6800 rpm.
• Without any throttle, the engine turns at around 3500 to 4000 rpm. According to the article, this “gives you a start the first few times. Later, when you are used to it, it still gives you a tingle right down your back.”

There is so much more to these AMG performance vehicles. We’ll revisit this article in the days and weeks to come. Be sure to come back for more!

A few years ago, the reviewers at Edmunds drove some AMG cars as part of the AMG Challenge. It was an exciting experience for each driver involved as they arrived at the California Speedway in Fontana early in the morning to drive some high-performance AMG cars around the track.

The day started off with a breakfast provided by Mercedes-Benz. According to the article writer, “Mercedes-Benz knows how to do meals like it knows how to make cars.” During the breakfast time, the reviewers met the team leaders and they discussed their driving resumes. Tommy Kendall was the special guest, too.

After breakfast, the guys were ready to jump into their Mercedes AMG cars. Their goal: To gain a “better understanding of car control, vehicle dynamics and braking techniques” and to see “what it takes to really hustle a car around a racetrack quickly and consistently.” The instructors for the reviewers also said they would have a new appreciation for AMG cars and the “adrenaline rush” they receive when sitting behind the wheel and going over 100 mph. That feeling is just typical with any AMG performance vehicle, though.

We’ll pick up where we left off on this story on Friday. Until then, why not check out some AMG cars for yourself? There’s nothing else like it in the world!

There’s no doubt that you’ve seen the famous AMG logo on several cars and products in your lifetime. We usually look at things like this and never give them a second thought. But the Mercedes AMG logo actually has a long history and an underlying meaning to it.

The evolution of the Mercedes AMG symbol began in 1909 when Benz and DMG merged to produce vehicles following the start of the 20th century. When they merged, they became Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes AMG logo became the symbol of the new company. It consisted of a three-pointed star much like the one we know today. Each point represented power over something – land, sea and air. To the creators and the automakers at the time, it symbolized the company’s reliability, workmanship and speed.

In addition to that, the Mercedes AMG logo included the letters AMG, which stood for the three inventors of AMG performance vehicles – Aufrecht Melcher Grossapach. The Mercedes AMG logo and the official AMG logo is almost always shown with the Mercedes logo because they represent a partnership to create the fastest and best cars in the industry.

So the next time you see this logo, maybe you’ll think of what it stands for. If not, take an AMG performance vehicle for a drive and you will undoubtedly know that it stands for quality.