Automobili mercedes benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches,
and trucks. It is currently a division of the parent company, Daimler
AG (formerly DaimlerChrysler AG), after previously being owned by
Daimler-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has its origins in Karl Benz's creation
of the first automobile in January 1886, and by Gottlieb Daimler
and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a carriage by the addition
of a petrol engine the same year. The Mercedes automobile was first
marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz
brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger
of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz
company. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety
innovations that have become common in other vehicles several years
later.
Quality
Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz had a reputation for quality
and durability. Objective measures looking at passenger vehicles
such as J.D. Power surveys demonstrated a downturn in reputation
in this area in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes
temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality,
a measure of problems after the first 90 days of ownership, according
to J.D. Power. In J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first
quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing
from 25th to 5th place, surpassing quality leader Toyota and earning
several awards for its models. For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial
quality rating improved by yet another mark, now in fourth place.
On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality
Award for its Mercedes’ Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant.
As of 2009, Consumer Reports of the United States has changed
their reliability ratings for several Mercedes-Benz vehicles to
"average," and recommending the E-Class and the S-Class.
Motorsport
The two companies which were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz
brand in 1926 had both already enjoyed success in the new sport
of motor racing throughout their separate histories- both had
entries in the very first automobile race Paris to Rouen 1894.
This has continued, and throughout its long history, the company
has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including
sports car racing and rallying. On several occasions Mercedes-Benz
has withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period,
notably in the late 1930s and after the 1955 Le Mans disaster,
where a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR collided with another car and killed
more than eighty spectators. Although there was some activity
in the intervening years, it was not until 1987 that Mercedes-Benz
returned to front line competition, returning to Le Mans, DTM,
and F-1 sports car racing with Sauber.
The 1990s saw Mercedes-Benz purchase engine builder Ilmor (now
Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines), and campaign IndyCars
under the USAC/CART rules, eventually winning the 1994 Indianapolis
500 and 1994 CART IndyCar World Series Championship with Al Unser,
Jr. at the wheel. The 90s also saw the return of Mercedes-Benz
to GT racing, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, both of which took
the company to new heights by dominating the FIA's GT1 class.Toyota
was the most rugged car in history after BMW followed by VW(Volks
Wagen, Mercedes Benz Mitsubishi, Ford, as at 2007.
Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three forms of motorsport,
Formula Three, DTM and Formula One. In Formula One, the company
part owns Team McLaren and has supplied the team with engines
engineered by Ilmor since 1995. This partnership has brought success,
including Drivers Championships for Mika H?kkinen in 1998 and
1999 and for Lewis Hamilton in 2008, as well as a Constructors
Championship in 1998. The collaboration with McLaren has been
extended into the production of roadgoing cars such as the Mercedes-Benz
SLR McLaren.
McLaren cars
A silver SLR McLaren on display at the 2006 European Motor Show
in Brussels.
Mercedes-Benz has also produced a sports car with McLaren Cars,
an extension of the collaboration by which Mercedes engines are
used by the Team McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing team, which
is part owned by Mercedes. The 2003 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
has a carbon fiber body with a 5.4l V8 supercharged engine. This
is the same block as featured in SL55 AMG and the CLS55 AMG, though
modified to give 460 kW (630 PS; 620 hp) and 780 N?m (575 ft?lb)
of torque. The SLR has a maximum speed of 337 kilometres per hour
(209 mph) and costs approximately US$500,000. Due to European
pedestrian-protection regulations, McLaren has decided to cease
production of the SLR in 2009.
The most recent new joint-venture model, expected to reach production,
is the mid-engine P8 sports car. Based around a unique carbon
fiber monocoque, manufactured by McLaren, the P8 was originally
predicted to receive the new naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 from
Mercedes-AMG, but insiders now say that the engine will be modified
for the car and will probably be twin- turbocharged to produce
in excess of 600 bhp (450 kW). The car is still in development,
but likely to reach production to go on sale in early 2008, and
have a price tag less than that of the SLR.
Car nomenclature
In 1994 (starting with the 1994 models), the traditional nomenclature
of Mercedes-Benz vehicles changed. Since the early days of the
company the name would be in the form of 500E where the engine
displacement made up the first three numbers and the last letter(s)
represented the type of engine and/or chassis; for example: "E"
for fuel injection ("Einspritzung" in German), "D"
for Diesel, "L" for long wheelbase etc.
In 1994, this was altered so that the prefix reflected the model
("class", German "Klasse", in Mercedes-Benz
terminology) and a number the displacement. The suffix was retained
in some cases, for example "L" for long wheelbase, and
"CDI" for Diesel (CDI = Common-rail Direct Injection).
Thus, the 500E in the example above became the E500 ("E-Klasse",
5 liters displacement). It should also be noted that while in
the past the model number generally accurately reflected the actual
engine displacement, this is currently not always the case—for
example the E200 CDI and E220 CDI actually both have a 2.2 liter/litre
displacement, and the C240 actually has a 2.6 liter/litre engine.
Electric vehicles
At the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, Mercedes-Benz showed seven hybrid
models, including the F700 concept car which combined hybrid drive
with the innovative DiesOtto engine. In 2009, the S400 hybrid
sedan is scheduled to go on sale.
On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz says it will have a demonstration
fleet of practical, if small, electric vehicles on the road in
two to three years, from 2008.
Mercedes-Benz S 400 BlueHYBRID will be launched in calendar 2009
and will be the first production automotive hybrid in the world
to use a lithium ion battery.
Mercedes-Benz BlueZERO cars were introduced in the 2009 North
American International Auto Show. |
