Mercedes is currently developing a super light version of its popular E-Class reports Auto Bild magazine. Through an extensive use of carbon fiber, Mercedes is hoping to shave off an impressive 770-lbs from the current models, targeting a curb weight of under 2,900 lbs. By using a carbon fiber structure, Mercedes will be able to eliminate the B-pillar, possibly creating more radical designs on the popular E-Class chassis.

Naturally with a lighter body, these superlight E-Classes will sport even better performance with a more favorable power-to-weight ratio. This would also benefit in the mpg department if Mercedes opts to use smaller and more fuel efficient engines in order to power the svelte E-Class. Rumor has it that Mercedes has these E-Classes scheduled to release sometime in 2015 and will hopefully produce around 20,000 annually.

Brabus is claiming to have built the world’s most powerful and fastest four-seater cabriolet, outfitting Mercedes-Benz‘s E-Class Cabriolet with an 800-hp V12 Biturbo powerplant. The result is a made-to-order E-Class Cabriolet with a price tag of $681,000 (based on today’s conversion rates).

The 800-hp V12 engine uses the three-valve S600 motor but stroked to 6.3-liters with plenty of headwork. Along with the reworked motor, Brabus bolts on two special exhaust manifolds with larger turbochargers. Four water-to-air intercoolers provide more than adequate cooling while all the gasses are expelled from a quad-tipped exhaust system. Under the custom hood is an integrated carbon fiber ram-air intake manifold. The peak torque of the 6.3L is an astonishing 1,047 lb-ft, but the E-Class Cabriolet is electronically limited to 811 lb-ft.

To enhance the exterior appearance of this 800-hp convertible beast, Brabus outfits it with an aerodynamic kit featuring a front apron with LED daytime lights and front and rear widebody fenders – with the rear in carbon fiber and going 2.4-inches wider. This allows for a front pair of 19×9.5-inch wheels with 265/30/19 tires while the rear gets 19×10-inch wheels with 295/30/19 Yokohama tires.

Of course with all this work being done to provide plenty of power to the vehicle and enhancing its look, suspension modifications were done with Brabus’ coilover suspension with 10-way adjustable Bilstein shocks. Height adjustments can be made up to 1.4-inches. Alongside the coilovers is a set of 12-piston front calipers and 6-piston rear calipers with larger rotors.

And as always interior upgrades can be had catered to the buyer’s preferences, with this first model featuring a red and black leather scheme. Carbon fiber can be seen on the dashboard, center console and side trim.

For such an insane price, we understand why the vehicle is made to order. We’re curious to see how many vehicles Brabus ends up selling with that price tag.

GALLERY: Brabus E-Class 800 V12 Cabriolet

North America will be receiving the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG E63 Wagon, according to a leaked dealer order guide. BenzBoost.com reports the E63 wagon will get the same twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 that debuted in the E63 sedan at last month’s New York Auto Show. The wagon will also get the stop/start technology coupled with a seven speed MCT dual-clutch transmission.

Mercedes has previously offered the E63 wagon in extremely limited numbers, as it occupies such a small niche that only the wealthy and eccentric would ever gravitate towards such a car. On the other hand, a high performance wagon can act as a halo for the brand, a factor that prompted Cadillac to offer a wagon version of the CTS-V.

[Source: Autoblog]

Federal investigators are looking into faulty airbags on the 2005-06 Mercedes-Benz E-Class luxury sedan. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said that it has received four complaints regarding a wiring harness in the steering column, that could lead to the aig bags failing to deploy in a front-impact crash. No injuries have been reported. Roughly 100,000 vehicles could be affected.

According to Robert Moran at Mercedes-Benz USA, the issue stems from a wring harness that could be too short. The problem may arise if a driver puts the telescopic wheel all the way out. Moran says that if this happens to a vehicle, it would signal a warning light telling the owner to bring the vehicle in for service.

Following a spate of recalls by Toyota, NHTSA itself has also been under close scrutiny and so has been stepping up its number of recall investigations.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Mercedes-Benz is expanding its E-Class family of vehicles with a new wagon. Called the Estate in European markets, the wagon will be available with ten different engine options.

The new wagon will launch in November with two gas options and three diesel options:

Gas

• E 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY: V6, 3498 cm³, 215 kW/292 hp, 8.6–8.9 l/100 km, 200–208 g/km, 7-speed automatic transmission
• E 500: V8, 5461 cm³, 285 kW/388 hp, 11.1–11.2 l/100 km, 258–260 g/km, 7-speed automatic transmission

Diesel

• E 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY: 4-cylinder in-line, 2143 cm³, 125 kW/170 hp,5.8 l/100 km, 150 g/km, 6-speed manual transmission
• E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY: 4-cylinder in-line, 2143 cm³, 150 kW/204 hp, 5.8 l/100 km, 150 g/km, 6-speed manual transmission
• E 350 CDI Blue-EFFICIENCY: V6, 2987 cm³, 170 kW/231 hp, 7.0–7.3 l/100 km, 185–192 g/km, 7-speed automatic transmission

An additional three gas options and two diesels will be introduced in early 2010:

Gas

• E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY: 4-cylinder in-line, 1796 cc, 135 kW/183 hp,7.7-n/a l/100 km, CO2 179-n/a g/km, 6-speed manual transmission,
• E 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY: 4-cylinder in-line, 1796 cc, 150 kW/204 hp,8.0-8.2 l/100 km, CO2 185-191 g/km, 5-speed automatic transmission
• E 350 4MATIC: V6, 3498 cc, 200 kW/272 hp, 10.2-10.3 l/100 km,CO2 238-241 g/km, 7-speed automatic transmission

Diesel

• E 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY: 4-cylinder in-line, 2143 cm³, 100 kW/136 hp,5.7–n/a l/100 km, 150-n/a g CO2/km, 6-speed manual transmission
• E 350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY: V6, 2987 cc, 170 kW/231 hp, 7.6–7.7 l/100 km, CO2 200-203 g/km, 7-speed automatic transmission

The new wagon will have air suspension with rear self-leveling. The E-Class wagon has a load capacity to 68.8 cubic feet.

In addition to the standard models, AMG will, as expected, offer its own version of the E-Class Wagon: the E63 AMG Estate. With a 6.2-liter V8 making 518hp and 465 ft-lbs of torque, the E63 Wagon will get you (and all of your stuff) where you have to go… fast. In fact, the E63 Estate takes just 4.6 seconds to hit 60 mph! And because if you bought a wagon you might actually care somewhat about practicality, Mercedes is pleased to announce that the new 2010 model is now 12 percent more fuel-efficient.

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

More on the E63 AMG Estate after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Despite rumors of its delay, Mercedes has confirmed that the E-Class station wagon (or Estate as they call it in Europe) will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

Sales of the new E-Class are already off to a strong start says Mercedes with 40,000 units already delivered and U.S. and Chinese deliveries still yet to happen.

“The fact that the E-Class sedan already became the global market leader in May demonstrates how well it is being received by our customers,” said Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz. “The new coupe is also extremely popular, thanks to its dynamic design and the new generation of efficient engines. We are very delighted with this positive response because the E-Class has always been of great importance for Mercedes-Benz. It’s an exemplary embodiment of the brand’s basic attributes of safety, comfort, and quality. The new E-Class also sets the standards when it comes to economy in the upper-range segment.”

The E-Class wagon will debut as a 2010 model and like past versions we expect the North American market to receive the E350 4MATIC and 6.2-liter V8-powered E63 AMG model.

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Those patiently waiting for a new E-Class Convertible or Wagon will have to wait a little longer. According to a report in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport both versions of the E-Class have been put on hold as Mercedes-Benz searches for ways to balance its books.

In order to limit expenditures (in both development costs and marketing) the company is delaying both versions of the E-Class. The new E-Class Convertible was expected to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September but instead it will be pushed back to the Geneva Auto Show, which will be held in March of 2010.

An extra six month wait isn’t too long, and puts the car’s release in perfect timing with the changing seasons, however, the E-Class Wagon (or Estate as it’s called in Europe) won’t appear until 2012.

The article also says that Mercedes is planning to release the second-generation CLS in 2010.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Autoblog]

Mercedes will price the all-new 2010 E-Class significantly less than the outgoing model. In fact, the 2010 E350 will retail for just under $50,000 – $49,475 to be exact. That price is $4,600 less than the ’09 E-Class.

“We are continuing the strategy we started with the new C class two years ago by pricing close to actual transaction prices,” Mercedes USA CEO Ernst Lieb told the Automotive News.

The 2010 E-Class includes a long list of sate-of-the-art safety features, some of which are not yet offered in the flagship S-Class. These include Blind Sport Assist, Attention Assist, Brake Assist Plus and Lane Keeping Assist, which will notify the driver through vibrations in the steering wheel if the vehicle detects it is drifting off the road.

Higher level versions of the E-Class will also see MSRP reductions, with the E550 priced at $57,175, and the AWD 4MATIC model starting at 57,675.

As for the upcoming E-Class Coupe, it will be priced very close to the current CLK, with a base MSRP of $48,925 – $50 less than the current CLK. The E550 Coupe will come in at $55,525.

The 2010 E-Class goes on sale in June, with 4MATIC versions offered in the fall and the E63 coming in early winter. As for the upcoming E350 Bluetec diesel, it will arrive in March of 2010. An E-Class Convertible will follow after that.

[Source: Automotive News]

Mercedes-Benz is working to bring a vehicle with a drag coefficient of just 0.20 cd to market by as early as 2015. The company has been hard at work improving the aerodynamic efficiency of its vehicles in an attempt to reduce overall fuel consumption.

The 0.20 cd target might seem ambitious, were it not for the fact that the German luxury automaker currently produces the world’s most aerodynamically efficient vehicle: the new E-Class coupe. With a 0.24 cd, the new E-Class Coupe even maintains a “normal” design – or at least a design that one might expect in such a segment.

Surprisingly, this design is more effective at cutting through the air than those futuristic-looking hybrid models like the Toyota Prius, with its 0.25 cd rating. To put this in to perspective the original Honda Insight had a rating of 0.15 cd.

Rainer Tiefenbacher, the man behind the E-Class, told U.K. pub AutoCar that, “There is still plenty more to come as we explore ways of improving fuel efficiency. Designers are still learning about what works aerodynamically and are having to consider it more and more when they think about how a car will look.”

“There are big steps to be made, especially around and under the engine hood. Twenty years ago we celebrated a 0.30 Cd, in five years we will reach the next big step.”

[Source: AutoCar]

Quick on the heels of the release of the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Brabus has a new line of products for those seeking a more extreme E.

For starters the new Brabus program includes a significant performance increase thanks to a displacement bump to 6.1-liters for the V8 engine – up from 5.5-liters for the E550 model. This is done through the use of a new crankshaft and larger pistons, as well as high flow cylinder heads with more aggressive camshafts. A new exhaust system with high flow catalysts are also a part  of the package.

Output of the larger engine is rated at 462hp at 6200 rpm and 453 ft-lbs of torque at just 3100 rpm. The package also includes a Brabus limited slip differential, which helps get the power to the ground and delivers an impressive 4.7 second 0-62 mph time. Brabus rates the top seed of its new E-Class at 191 mph.

In typical Brabus fashion, the modified E-Class includes a subtle aero kit, which includes side skirts, a new rear bumper, a trunk-lid spoiler and a new front bumper with LED daytime running lights and additional headlights. Also available are the new Brabus front fenders, which add a sporty flare to the sedate sedan with their carbon fiber inserts. The vents are also functional and help to keep the brakes at an ideal operating temperature.

And on the topic of brakes, the Braus setup for the new E-Clas is outrageous with 12-piston front calipers and 14.8-inch rotors up front and 6-piston calipers with 14-inch rotors in the rear.

Brabus offers several different wheel designs and sizes for the new E-Class, but if that big brake upgrade is on your list then a 20-inch set of rollers is required. Shown here are a set of the new Monoblock Q wheels in a 20×9-inch front fitment with 245/30/20 tires and a 20×10.5-inch rear fitment with 285/25/20 tires.

Other upgrades for the new E-Class include an electronic control module for the Mercedes Airmatic suspension, as well as a sport steering wheel, stainless-steel door sill plates with illuminated Brabus logos, a full line of interior accessories and made-to-order custom interiors.

GALLERY: Brabus E-Class

More on the Brabus tuning options for the 2010 E-Class after the jump:

Continue Reading…