If used in a car, the car would weigh around 875.5 pounds and would also be entirely biodegradable.

Since BioFibre can be grown in a lab, Mercedes has been toying with the idea of growing its very own car based on the idea of symbiosis. Symbiosis in nature represents seamless efficiency between key players.

The idea is that the vehicle would collect energy from the sun and store it within the bonds of a fuel alternative, the only by-product of which is oxygen, appropriately nicknamed BioNectar4534.

The car would work with nature, and Mercedes has already developed technology to retrofit trees with receptors, which would allow us to harvest their excess solar energy into BN4534.

This initiative is suppose to be incentive to plant more trees and collect more energy to create a self sustaining example of symbiosis.

Apply those concepts to a car and the BIOME would not hurt the environment or be wasteful in any way, kind of like a “partnership with nature.”

“The interior of the BIOME grows from the DNA in the Mercedes star on the front of the vehicle, while the exterior grows from the star on the rear,” Mercedes-Benz explained.

But with the strong movement towards greener technology, perhaps the BIOME does stand a chance in the competitive automotive industry.

source from: thetechjournal

Another car released at the Geneva Motor Show is the Mercedes SLS AMG from the Hamann tuning company. Called the Hawk, the gullwing door sports car features an Everose Gold exterior with a wind tunnel tested aerodynamic kit. Looks more pink than gold to me, however the package consists of a new front bumper fascia with LED daytime running lights and larger air inlets. A new carbon fiber hood lets hot air escape the engine bay, while the side skirts, rear bumper fascia, carbon fiber wing, and diffuser add styling points.

From the factory, the new Mercedes sports car carries a powerful 6.2-liter V8 engine. It has been improved by the guys at Hamann with new high peformance titanium exhaust manifolds, sport catalysts, and a new sports air filter for the intake. These mods along with an ECU remapping produces 636 Ps for the SLS AMG. At the track, it was very impressive with an acceleration time of 3.6 seconds, and a top speed of 320 km/h.

For the suspension, a coilover kit consisting of four height adjustable dampers, and progressively wound springs drop the vehicle up to 30 mm. Hamann then installed their very own lightweight forged wheels measuring 21×9, and wrapped them in high performance tires. Check it out!

source from: fancytuning

2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

Mercedes-Benz is currently working on a new C-Class Coupe model to replace the ungainly CLC and provide genuine competition for BMW’s 1-Series and 3-Series range of Coupes, and to do so the automaker is planning to offer a range of advanced powertrains.

Despite coming in towards the end of the current C-Class model’s life-cycle, the new C-Class Coupe, which is expected to bow in late this year or early next, will benefit from Mercedes-Benz’ next-generation powertrain technology.

Dubbed “MoVe” for modular V-6 and V-8s, the new engines will comprise of smaller but more powerful turbocharged and direct-injected units.

The C-Class Coupe will feature a naturally-aspirated 3.5-liter V-6, plus a smaller twin-turbocharged unit outputting as much as 300 horsepower. A high-performance AMG unit is also expected, featuring a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8.

The story doesn’t end there as there’s speculation that Mercedes-Benz will also launch a hybrid model consisting of an electric motor matched to a naturally-aspirated V-6. For more information on the C-Class Coupe, check out our previous story by clicking here.

Source:motorauthority.com

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Mercedes-Benz, together with Hughes Telematics, is launching a new feature today that will allow owners of its vehicles access to a 18 different services via a nifty telematics system.

Called “mbrace”, the new system offers everything from a vehicle locator for crowded car parks, somebody to direct you if you get lost or even the ability to order online–all whilst sitting in the driver’s seat.

Similar to Ford’s Sync system and GM’s OnStar, mbrace also enables pairing of smart phones like iPhones and BlackBerrys to the car’s electronic interface. Drivers can then use their phones to lock or unlock their cars remotely.

Other services include automatic emergency service notification in case the car is stolen or in an accident, a vehicle health check function that goes live to the nearest dealership, real-time weather and traffic reports, and even a concierge service that gets you 24/7 access to a customer-service rep who will help you make dinner reservations, book a hotel or order a flight.

The mbrace system is being offered as standard equipment on all Mercedes-Benz models except the GLK, C-Class, SLK and the new E-Class Coupe, where it is being offered as an option. A subscription to the service is free for the six months, after which it will cost $280 a year. An additional $20 per month is needed for the concierge service.

What makes mbrace really stand out is that it is fully upgradable, with new applications easily installed as they are developed. Furthermore, most vehicle owners using the current Tele Aid telematics service can also upgrade to mbrace by visiting a Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Source:motorauthority.com

2009 mercedes benz bluezero concept 001

The trend towards smaller and more fuel efficient cars has caused Daimler to reconsider importing the next-generation of its compact cars to the U.S., with the CEO of the company, Dieter Zetsche, stating earlier this year that such a move is likely given the current market conditions.

Executives previously reversed a decision to bring the current Mercedes-Benz B-Class across the Atlantic because of fears it would damage the luxury brand’s exclusivity and the low dollar exchange rate would make it too expensive.

However, unexpectedly strong sales of the Smart Fortwo minicar are prompting renewed interest in selling the next-generation of the A- and B-Class in the U.S., but two major hindrances remaining to the decision include exchange rates and pricing–though the company hopes the new cars will be able to overcome these with lower costs.

Under a new plan, revealed to the Wall Street Journal by Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, Mercedes would import by 2012 at least one of four new compact cars currently in the works. It would be targeted at cars like the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and the Mini Cooper.

Adding a few gas-sipping compacts to its U.S. lineup could be a good move for Mercedes. New emissions and efficiency regulations will be implemented soon, and some fuel-efficient vehicles would help Mercedes’ fleet meet the EPA’s stringent standards. Also, the new models could address the shifting needs of Mercedes buyers, since, according to Zetsche, the definition of “luxury” is slowly changing: “It will be fewer CO2 emissions and more modesty in appearance.”

Pictured above is Mercedes’ BlueZero trio of concept cars that were unveiled earlier this year and are said to preview the styling direction of the new A- and B-Class models.

Source:motorauthority.com

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate facelift rendering

The latest generation W204 Mercedes Benz C-Class has been on sale since 2007 and will be due for its mid-cycle facelift in the second half of next year. As this computer generated rendering suggests, the car’s designers won’t be mucking around with the stylish look of the current model, instead choosing to focus on only minor changes such as new bumper, headlight and wheel designs.

Besides the styling changes to the exterior, there will almost certainly be some updates to the interior and a number of mechanical changes. The latter will likely include modifications intended to improve the efficiency of the C-Class and boost Mercedes’ fleet wide fuel economy and emissions averages.

Source:motorauthority.com