Aussie Motoring

It’s being reported that BMW will soon commence building 500 electric versions of it’s ever-popular Mini.

The Chairman of BMW AG is reported as saying that this small group of cars will allow BMW to gain knowledge and experience in the production of eletrically powered vehicles.

It’s believed that 490 of the electric Minis will be shipped to California where they will be leased to selected customers.

If the report is correct then BMW has joined other European manufacturers including Volkswagen, Daimler, Peugeot and Renault in taking the first tentative steps towards building a vehicle that produces zero emissions.

If you happen to live in America then there’s a Smart car coming to a dealer near you. But you just have to wonder about a company that can’t cope with the concept of using capital letters for the names of its products.

The smart fortwo is manufactured by the Mercedes Car Group. This technologically advanced vehicle has been designed to achieve 40-plus mpg under normal driving conditions. The vehicle is 2.64 metres long, 1.55 metres tall and 1.55 metres wide and comes equipped with many standard functional and safety features such as electronic stability program, anti-lock brakes and four air bags.

smart is currently sold in 36 countries, and over 800,000 smart fortwos have been sold since 1998.

The smart fortwo will be available in three trim levels. The entry-level pure coupe will start at $US11,590 with standard features such as a 5-speed transmission that allows drivers to switch between automatic and manual driving modes with the push of a button, central remote locking system, 2-spoke leather steering wheel, and a radio-ready console.

The passion coupe, starting at $US13,590 includes a panorama roof, alloy wheels, air conditioning with climate control, 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with gear shift paddles, power windows, electric and heated side mirrors, and an AM/FM radio with CD player, all standard.

Those seeking top-down excitement can choose the passion cabriolet, starting at $16,590 featuring a fully automatic soft top that can be easily adjusted with a push of a button, and in addition to the standard equipment of the passion coupe, a premium sound system with an in-dash mp3 compatible 6-CD changer. The value-priced cabrioletlet model is believed to debut as the lowest priced convertible offered in the United States.

All models are equipped with a 1-liter, 3-cylinder, 71-horsepower engine.

Now I can see that a car like the smart fortwo would be popular in Europe but how many do you think they’re going to sell in the US market were BIG is still considered beautiful?

by Stuart Livesey

Consumer Reports is a US based expert, indepenent, non profit organisation not unlike our Australian Consumers Association so when they do their annual report on the best and worst cars it’s well worth a look … unless you happen to be Mercedes Benz.

If you happen to be Mercedes Benz then the 2007 report5 does not make for good reading or good public relations. Almost every current Mercedes Benz model appeared in the list of the ‘least reliable’ used cars. The SL, SLK, CLK, CLS along with the E, R and M class models all made an appearance in the list.

Other manufacturers didn’t do much better. Five vehicles made it to the ‘most disappointing’ list and four of them were from Chrysler. Of interest to us here in Australia both the Sebring and the Caliber were included in that list.

You can read more about the report here

The world premiere of the new-generation E-Class will be the focal point of Mercedes-Benz’ presentation at the New York International Auto Show 2006. After four years in production and around a million vehicles sold, the facelift of the world-beating executive saloon is cleaner, safer, more powerful and of better value than ever before.

The new-generation E-Class once again sets the benchmark first and foremost through its outstanding safety features. The standard equipment includes the anticipatory PRE-SAFE(R) system whose “reflexes” respond before an impending collision by activating protective measures for the driver and front passenger. What’s more, the safest car in its class takes agility and driving pleasure to new heights.

This comes courtesy of the DIRECT CONTROL package, with more direct steering and a retuned suspension, and six new or enhanced engines which develop up to 26 per cent more output and 18 per cent more torque whilst maintaining the same excellent levels of fuel economy. Tying in with the E-Class premiere, the new-generation SL is also making its US debut at the New York show.

“The new generations of the E- and SL-Class make it clear that Mercedes-Benz offers its customers attractive vehicles featuring state-of-the-art technology,” explained Dr. Klaus Maier, Board of Management member with responsibility for Marketing and Sales, at the Mercedes-Benz Press Conference. “Both new models,” Maier continued, “reinforce Mercedes-Benz’ claim to building the best cars in the world. The most recent example of this is the new-generation E-Class, the cleanest, safest and most powerful E-Class of all time.”

For over 60 years the E-Class and its predecessors have been the “heart” of Mercedes-Benz, representing basic brand values like safety, comfort, innovation, economy and quality. Since 1946 Mercedes-Benz has delivered some ten million luxury saloons to customers. In June 2006 the E-Class will be unveiled with an even more dynamic concept, additional pioneering innovations and an upgraded standard specification. 29 model variants will be available — 16 Saloons and 13 Estates.

As such, Mercedes-Benz will be offering the largest, most varied model range in this market segment. With outputs ranging from 100 kW/136 hp to 378 kW/514 hp, the new-generation E-Class outpaces the previous model range (90 kW/122 hp to 350 kW/476 hp) and its competitors in all displacement and output classes. A revamped front-end design reflects the power, poise and assurance of the new model range.

You can find a review of the 2005 model Mercedes Benz E Class here