Tag Archives: Mercedes-Benz

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The Wolf in a Suit – Mercedes-Benz E 60 AMG (W210)

You know that moment when you catch sight of someone at a formal dinner — crisp suit, polished shoes — but you can just sense they’re hiding something wild underneath? That’s the Mercedes-Benz E 60 AMG. On paper, it’s an executive sedan from the sensible late ‘90s. In reality, it’s the automotive equivalent of a heavyweight boxer wearing a tuxedo.

Right now, it’s stealing the spotlight at the Mercedes-Benz Museum’s Youngtimer exhibition in Stuttgart — a celebration of ‘90s and 2000s metal that’s as much about nostalgia as it is about horsepower. And among the colourful chaos of SLKs, CLK GTRs and M-Class SUVs, this understated black saloon stands quietly at the centre, daring you to underestimate it.

The Beast Beneath the Briefcase

Back in 1997, this thing was the most expensive E-Class you could buy — around 200,000 Deutsche Marks, which was Ferrari money in Germany at the time. For comparison, an E 430 V8 cost just over half that. But this wasn’t just any V8 Merc. AMG — still a semi-independent outfit back then — took the already potent E 50 AMG, bored out its 5.0-litre engine to a thundering 5.956 litres, and unleashed 381 horsepower and 580 Nm of torque.

That meant 0–100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, which doesn’t sound like much in today’s turbocharged chaos — but remember, this was a full-sized, leather-lined Mercedes saloon from the Clinton era. Back then, that was warp speed. The top end was electronically limited to 250 km/h, but the speedometer cheerfully stretched to 280, just to remind you what might’ve been.

Discretion, the AMG Way

Visually, the E 60 AMG doesn’t shout. It suggests. There’s a subtle body kit, discreet 18-inch AMG alloys, and — if you look closely — a blacked-out grille and three-pointed star, something practically heretical for the time. No flared arches or oversized spoilers here. Just quiet menace wrapped in German tailoring.

Inside, though, AMG’s craftsmanship was in full bloom. Alcantara panels, fine leather, and tasteful wood inlays framed a cabin that somehow felt both gentlemanly and rebellious. The sill plates, carpets, and even the gear lever proudly wore the “E 60 AMG” badge, while a flap in the centre console carried the signature of Hans Werner Aufrecht himself — a mark of honour from the man who helped turn AMG from tuner to legend.

Handbuilt Performance

Each car was a hybrid of Stuttgart and Affalterbach expertise. Mercedes shipped bare E-Class shells to AMG, where they were stripped, rebuilt, and blessed with new mechanicals. Beneath the skin sat AMG’s own sport suspension, a shorter 1:2.82 final drive, and brakes borrowed straight from the SL 600 — because, apparently, stopping power for a twelve-cylinder roadster seemed about right for this four-door missile.

The steering wheel was trimmed in leather and wood, smaller and sharper than the standard E-Class helm — perfect for those who wanted their autobahn weapon to feel alive through the corners. And when the V8 roared through AMG’s sports exhaust, the soundtrack was part opera, part thunderstorm.

Formula One Pedigree

Oh, and in case you thought it wasn’t serious enough: the E 60 AMG served as the Official FIA F1® Medical Car in 1997. That means the same car now sitting under museum lights once tore around circuits behind screaming F1 cars, carrying doctors at ludicrous speeds. Try imagining a modern-day E-Class pulling that off without a dozen driver aids and a laptop.

Rarer Than Rare

Here’s the kicker: nobody really knows how many were built. The E 60 AMG was technically an option package (code 957) for the E 50 AMG, so it never had its own production tally. Most estimates suggest fewer than 200 examples exist. That makes it rarer than most supercars of its time — yet infinitely more usable.

The Youngtimer Spirit

At the Youngtimer exhibition, the E 60 AMG isn’t just a car; it’s a time capsule. It represents that glorious moment when AMG was still handcrafting lunacy for people who wanted supercar performance without the flash. The exhibit surrounds it with interactivity — AI art, retro gaming, and nostalgic touches that pull the late ‘90s right into the now.

So as you walk through Collection Room 5, surrounded by icons of a more analog age, the E 60 AMG doesn’t need neon lights or noise to grab your attention. It just sits there — black, poised, and quietly confident — reminding everyone that power doesn’t always need to scream. Sometimes, it just clears its throat… and the whole room listens.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

News

Mercedes-Benz Turns the Maybach into a Recording Studio on Wheels

Mercedes-Benz has never been shy about blurring the lines between luxury, technology, and sheer audacity. But now, the three-pointed star has driven right through the line separating mobility and music production — and done it in proper stereo.

In Los Angeles, the carmaker teamed up with Universal Music Group and Dolby Laboratories to unveil a concept that feels like something straight out of the future: “Crafted in a Mercedes-Benz”, a fully functional Dolby Atmos sound studio… in the back seat of a Maybach. Yes, you read that right. The same place where one might usually sip champagne or conduct billion-euro phone calls can now be used to mix an album.

From Listening to Creating

The partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Universal Music Group actually started back in 2022 with the “Approved in a Mercedes-Benz” initiative — a program where artists literally tested and approved their Dolby Atmos mixes from within Mercedes vehicles. The idea was simple but revolutionary: if a track sounds perfect in a Benz, it’ll sound perfect anywhere.

Now, Stuttgart has taken things a step further. Or perhaps several steps. Because this time, it’s not just about listening to music on the move — it’s about creating it.

The new system transforms the opulent rear cabin of a Mercedes-Maybach into a “mobile creative hub”, letting artists and producers plug in, power up, and get to work instantly. The vehicle’s advanced sound architecture — tuned by audio engineers who probably dream in decibels — allows for granular control of the speaker setup, creating a true spatial audio environment on four wheels.

FINNEAS and Friends: Soundtracking the Revolution

The world debut took place at none other than Interscope Studios in Los Angeles — ground zero for global pop culture. Among the invitees were FINNEAS (GRAMMY®, Golden Globe, and Academy Award winner, best known for producing Billie Eilish’s sonic universe) and Aron Forbes, a heavyweight collaborator in his own right.

After testing the system, FINNEAS summed up the mood perfectly:

“A lot of people experience music in their cars — so being able to create and edit music in this space was a fun challenge and highly satisfying to do. The Mercedes-Benz sound system is so precise, and the setup so intuitive, it’s exciting to be able produce music with different listening experiences in mind.”

Translation: the man who’s shaped modern pop is now happy to do it from the back seat of a Maybach.

Luxury Meets Liberation

Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz CTO, framed it as more than a tech experiment — it’s a new mindset:

“For me, music is a major part of the driving experience. That’s why we’re dedicated to making the in-car audio experience the best sound available anywhere… With ‘Crafted in a Mercedes-Benz’, we once again set a new benchmark — not only for automotive luxury, but for how and where music can be made.”

It’s a bold claim — but then again, Mercedes does have a track record of turning mad ideas into the next industry standard. Just ask anyone who laughed at the notion of putting an electric motor in a luxury sedan a decade ago.

The Sound of Tomorrow

“Crafted in a Mercedes-Benz” is less about the hardware and more about the philosophy: creativity without borders. Imagine producers fine-tuning mixes between studio sessions, or artists capturing inspiration somewhere between Malibu and the Mojave. It’s freedom, rendered in leather, chrome, and 3D spatial audio.

And if all this sounds like a flight of fancy — remember: this is Mercedes-Maybach. Flights of fancy come standard.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

NEW CARS

Mercedes Vision Iconic: The Future Wears a Three-Pointed Crown

Mercedes-Benz has always had a knack for looking both backward and forward at once. It’s the brand that gave us the 300 SL Gullwing, a car that looked like it came from another planet when Elvis was still in his blue suede shoes. Fast-forward to 2025, and Stuttgart has decided to play that trick again — only this time, the spaceship lands with a plug instead of pistons. Welcome to the Vision Iconic, a show car that redefines what “luxury” and “heritage” mean in the electric age.

At first glance, the Vision Iconic is exactly what it says on the tin — iconic. It’s a sculpture more than a car, one that could just as easily live under the soft lights of an art gallery as it could under the hard sun of the Côte d’Azur. With a body seemingly carved from obsidian, flowing Art Deco lines, and a front grille that could double as a piece of jewelry, this is Mercedes daring to flex its aesthetic muscles again.

The Face of a New Era

Yes, that grille. For a century, Mercedes’ upright chrome radiator defined its face. Now it’s been reborn as what the brand calls the “Iconic Grille” — a smoked-glass lattice framed in chrome, shimmering with contour lighting and an illuminated upright star that glows like a celestial beacon. It’s a digital resurrection of classic formality — stately, proud, and slightly theatrical. You can practically imagine it whispering “make way, peasants” as it glides down the boulevard.

This new “iconic face” first appeared on the 2025 electric GLC, but on the Vision Iconic it’s exaggerated to operatic proportions. Think W108 elegance meets cyberpunk chic — the Pullman limousine reinterpreted by Ridley Scott. The result? A Mercedes that looks as though it belongs in both The Great Gatsby and Blade Runner.

A Lounge That Happens to Move

Open the door — or more accurately, unseal the experience — and you step into what Mercedes calls “hyper-analogue luxury.” Imagine if Coco Chanel designed a spaceship. The cabin is draped in deep blue velvet, the sort of material that makes you instantly sit straighter. A single continuous bench stretches across the front, daring you to forget that driving ever required “buckets.”

In the center sits the “Zeppelin,” a floating glass sculpture housing analogue gauges that wake up with a cinematic flourish straight out of a Swiss watch commercial. Behind it, surfaces shimmer in mother-of-pearl, brass, and silver-gold tones. Straw marquetry fans across the floor in precise 1920s motifs — the kind of craftsmanship that would make an Art Deco architect weep with joy.

And yet, among all this nostalgia, digital tech hums quietly in the background: AI companions, floating logos, ambient animations, and a pillar-to-pillar display that hides its pixels until you summon them. It’s the definition of old money meeting new code.

Brains to Match the Beauty

Underneath all that glamour, Mercedes is using the Vision Iconic as a laboratory for tomorrow’s tech. Neuromorphic computing mimics the human brain, promising ten-times-faster reactions with 90 percent less energy draw — the kind of thing that makes engineers giddy and philosophers nervous.

Then there’s solar paint — a wafer-thin photovoltaic skin capable of generating enough energy for up to 12,000 kilometres a year under perfect conditions. Essentially, it’s a car that charges itself just by existing. And because it’s Mercedes, the stuff is recyclable, silicon-free, and probably smells faintly of fine leather.

Add to that steer-by-wire, rear-axle steering, and Level 4 autonomous driving, and you’ve got a machine that can drop you off, go park itself, and politely pick you up when you’re ready — all while you’ve been sipping something cold on a rooftop bar.

Style Beyond the Garage

Because no concept car is complete without a touch of fashion week, Mercedes rolled out a capsule collection to match — six outfits in midnight blue and soft gold, channeling the car’s deco curves and Shanghai glamour. It’s haute couture meets horsepower, a brand flex that says “we don’t just design cars; we curate lifestyles.”

To top it off, Mercedes has even published an ICONIC DESIGN Book, a manifesto for its so-called “New Iconic Era.” In it, design chief Gorden Wagener waxes poetic about bridging past and future, calling the Vision Iconic “a sculpture in motion” — and for once, the phrase doesn’t sound like marketing fluff.

So what is the Vision Iconic, really? A preview of Mercedes’ next flagship EV? A rolling art installation? Or perhaps just a flex — a reminder that in an age of anonymous electric appliances, soul still matters.

Whatever it is, it’s proof that Mercedes-Benz hasn’t forgotten how to make us stare. If the future truly must be electric, then let it at least be this beautiful — wrapped in chrome, bathed in light, and crowned with a glowing three-pointed star.

Source: Mercedes-Benz