That name’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it?

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster is indeed a tongue twister. And make sure you get Merc and McLaren the right way round, otherwise the men from Germany will get all antsy. Thus the name pretty much sums up the genesis of this car: from coupe (SLR), to hardcore coupe (the 722), and now to convertible. And the convoluted name reflects the machinations behind the scenes: the relationship between Woking and Stuttgart has been tense, to say the least, as the two companies have battled over their vision for the car. The open-top is the latest collaboration between the British and German engineering giants, and a last-ditch attempt to make the SLR a success. We hear that sales have fallen far short of expectations; around 1200 coupes have been built at Woking since 2003, suggesting that the original 3500 target in its seven-year lifecycle is somewhat unrealistic.

So what has been the outcome of this bickering?

McLaren wanted an F1 successor; Mercedes wanted, and claims it got, ‘the ultimate 21st century GT’. The actual result is a compromise, and one that is less than the sum of its parts. The engineers at Woking have given the SLR a carbonfibre tub, double wishbones all round, and an air brake. Stuttgart has added an automatic gearbox, and all sorts of heavy luxuries and sound-deadening that have made the SLR a bit of a porker at 1825kg. For those that thought the original coupe was too soft, there’s the 722 edition with more power and less weight. And now we have the poseur’s version, the convertible with a canvas hood and an even barmier price tag. Yes, the rag-top is going to cost the thick end of £350,000.
continue reading "Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster"

Sounds ominous, what’s it all about?

AMG’s gone hardcore to take on BMW’s ‘CSL’ and Audi’s ‘RS’ monster saloons. From the new cutting edge Performance Studio in Affalterbach AMG has the capability to design, develop and build low volume niche cars beyond anything previously carrying the three-pointed star.

Give me the highlights…

The starting point is a standard SLK55. Power from the 5.5-litre V8 is upped by 40bhp to 400bhp via tweaked valve timing, new headers and a free-flow (and immensely loud) exhaust. Weight is everything. The metal folding roof is dumped in favour of a carbon fibre version to make the SLK a fixed-head coupe. This not only slashes the kerb weight (the new roof weighs half as much as the old one) but also lowers the centre of gravity.
continue reading "Mercedes SLK55 AMG Black Series"

Another manic Merc? So how many squillion horsepower does this one have?

It’s not the car that’s important, more what’s changed under the bonnet. This is our first taste of a road car powered by AMG’s new naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V8. It’s the company’s first ever ground up engine (the others having all been based on existing Benz motors) and it’ll find its way under the bonnet of almost every high performance Merc in the next couple of years as the old supercharged V8 is phased out.
continue reading "Mercedes CLK63 AMG"

Merc’s sportiest engine gets stuffed into more than two tonnes’ worth of Merc’s biggest, fattest, most luxurious saloon. Madness? Or pure indulgence? The facelifted version – which promises a 3% improvement in fuel consumption and emissions over the outgoing car – arrives here in November, but CAR scored an early drive in a German-plated left-hander.
A left-handed, 518bhp, two-tonne limo. Bet that Merc S63 AMG was a handful on British roads…

Yes… and no. Obviously, this is a monumental car – park it up next to mortal wheels and its gargantuan scale is immediately obvious – so there are some narrow lanes you just won’t feel confident to thread along. But this big, big Merc is by no means an unholy mess on a winding road.

Set the Active Body Control switch to Sport and it quells the slight heave and wallow you’ll experience if you press on in Comfort mode. The steering is keen, if light and numb, roll is limited and there’s great poise to enjoy. The S63L genuinely shrinks around you to a surprising extent.

continue reading "Mercedes S63 AMG (2009)"

Take a look at this new Mercedes E-class coupe. While it’s called the E-class coupe, and looks very much like an E-class, it actually sits on a C-class chassis. There’s a choice of four engines, two diesel and two petrol. For diesel power, there’s a V6 powerplant, and the smaller 2143cc unit. Alternatively there’s a petrol V6 and V8 too. With a starting price of over £33,000, the E-coupe has some serious competition – both the BMW 3-series coupe and Audi A5 have received plenty of praise – so the E-coupe had better be good.

Can the Mercedes E-coupe stand its ground against the BMW 3-coupe and Audi A5?

Yes, definitely. Look at the facts and it’s not too hard to see that Mercedes has set itself quite a challenge. The base E-class is £5500 more than a BMW 235i/325d, or an Audi A5 2.0TFSI/2.7TDI. That’s quite a chunk of money, but you can be assured that once you sit down in the E-class you’ll be rewarded.

If you’re looking for BMW 3-series-rivalling handling, you’re looking in the wrong place. The E-coupe offers a mechanical setup that matches the car’s refined appearance. It manages to offer a very comfortable ride without being spongy and dull. Here, Mercedes offers an emphasis on luxury and comfort rather than sportiness and dynamicity, and it’s done it well.

While it handles well, don’t think you can treat it like an SL65 AMG. If you try to conquer the E-class’s gentlemanly image by being a hooligan, the ESP will quickly bring an end to your tomfoolery. Even if you switch it off and continue with your antics, it’ll kick back into action and nullify your attempt to swing the back out.

The E-coupe is refined on the road, but what’s it like to be in?

There’s plenty of room up front for the driver and passenger, however rear passengers aren’t so well off. They have to slide past the front seats via an awkward entry angle. Once they’ve done that, they’ll find their rear seat space encroached on by a wide oddments cubicle in between the two seats.

If you like options, you’ll be delighted to see the E-coupe’s list. Amongst many other options, you can choose from an intelligent light system, heated and ventilated seats, digital TV and radio, parking aid with rear-view camera, radar-based cruise control, keyless go and a full-length glass sunroof. Just remember, this car weighs in at 1695kg, so the extra gadgetry and gizmos will only add to that.

What if I want to make the E-coupe that little bit sportier?

Your first choice is to tick the box for the dynamic driving package (standard only on the E500). This means you receive tweaks to the steering, damping and gearing, and includes a paddleshift gearchange.

Another choice is to opt for the AMG kit. This includes the dynamic driving package, mentioned above, but also gives you bigger front brake disks, wider tyres, a bodykit and finally some body-hugging seats. Unfortunately, no AMG E-coupe is currently available.

The E-coupe is fairly heavy, is it a bit slow?

Most definitely not. There may not be a huge range of powerplants, with only four to choose from, but there’s an engine to suit everyone.

The E250 CDI, which CAR tested, has two turbos, and propels itself to 62mph in 7.2 seconds. From 1600-1800rpm there’s 369lb ft of torque available under your right foot. And don’t think this power will empty your pocket when it comes to filling up either. On our test, not once did the average mpg figure drop below 40. It might not be the claimed 55.3mpg, but it’s still impressive. If you’re looking for a bit more pace, the V6 E350 CDI reaches 62mph in just 6.7 seconds.

But, if diesel isn’t your fuel of choice, then there are two petrols on offer. The V6 E350 CGI takes 6.3 seconds in the 0-62 sprint, but if you choose the E500, which has a V8, then you’ll see that time drop to a very respectable 5.4 seconds.

Verdict

The Mercedes E-coupe is a refined, comfortable and luxurious car, yet it also manages to offer a well-balanced set up; just right for this type of car.