Mercedes Green Car

Mercedes drives to the future

THE streets of Monaco are no strangers to momentous motoring events - but the latest has been something of a silent revolution.

On the roads around the marina leading up to the famous Rascasse corner Mercedes has been revealing production ready versions of its electric cars.

At a glance they look like everyday versions of the smart city car and the B-Class hatchback.

In reality they are packed with technology set to make them the cars of the future.

Within months the smart Electric Drive will be on the road in British cities as the race towards alternative power moves up a gear.

The B-Class - which is fuelled by hydrogen - will make its UK debut later once suitable filling stations have been opened.

As far as Mercedes is concerned the two new cars represent the way forward to slashing emissions and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels - a programme Mercedes calls Project BlueZero.

Mercedes reckons battery cars such as the smart are the answer for everyday use around town.

The B-Class uses a fuel cell for power which offers greater range while for longer distances hybrid vehicles which use a conventional engine and an electric motor will be the norm.

Mercedes Benz SLS 63 CP Concept By Kicherer

Gullwing America may have been the first to announce their own version of the Pan-American Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. But that doesn’t mean that theirs is the best.

German tuners Kicherer has planned out some exquisite touches of their own to make the SLS AMG spectacular in their own way. An immediate eye-catcher on the front of the wingdoored SLS AMG is the large handcrafted frontgrill made of stainless steel, and which can also come in a discreet gold tone. Other elements integrated by Kicherer such as the new front lip spoiler, larger front intakes, the roof-mounted air intake, and a rear diffuser are all made of carbon fiber.

The stainless steel exhaust with four oval endpipes with an integrated valve control lets out the exhaust gas in either a discreet or booming tone. Another highlight of the Kicherer SLS is the 3-part 20 inch RS-1 lightweight wheels with the classic double spoke design.

Mercedes GL-Class Facelifted by Brabus

The Brabus GL-Class Widestar kit is now available for the facelifted Mercedes-Benz GL. The kit will give a boost both to the petrol and diesel-powered models.

The Brabus is expected to give the GL-Class a touch of class with integrated LED daytime running lights, auxiliary high beams, fog lamps, large air dams and a front apron. Also fitted is a roof spoiler, a new rear apron and custom-tailored wide fenders. Performance and sounds are enhanced by the rear diffuser and a BRABUS stainless-steel quad sport exhaust system with matching tailpipes.

BRABUS kits are usually accompanied by performance boosts and this GL-Class is no exception. The petrol V8-powered models see an engine displacement increase of up to 6.1-litres while power is hiked to 340kW (462hp). Peak torque goes up to 615Nm (453 lb-ft). The vehicles are now capable of a 0 - 100km/h sprint time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 255km/h (158 mph). Diesel models meanwhile get the Brabus ECO PowerXtra tuning kits.

The interior of is made superior with the addition of materials such as carbon fiber, Mastik leather and Alcantara, a 7-inch LCD scrren at the back of each front seat, a DVD player and an on-board personal computer with fast Internet connection.

2010 VATH Mercedes CL65 AMG

2010 VATH Mercedes CL65 AMG