Houston Mercedes Dealer

I must admit that I had my doubts about the Mercedes CLS Class.

That is until I was right in front of it. Now I must admit that it really is a head turner.

Two variants are available: the 5.5 liter, V8, 382 horsepower CLS 550 and the 6.2 liter 507 hp CLS 63AMG.

Both come equipped with the seven speed automatic transmissions with Sportronic Manual Shift capability.

Optional for the CLS 550 are paddle shifters while in the CLS 63AMG it’s standard equipment.

For 2009, both trims get reshaped LED taillights, an updated twin bar grille, trapezoidal shaped exhaust tips, restyled wheels, larger heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, a revised command interface and a sportier steering wheel with the CLS 63AMG getting a flat bottom.

On the outside, it really is eye catching and really worth a double take, very few will come close.

The styling, materials and overall finish is first rate; all the panels are securely fit and the leather extremely soft.

The wooden appointments appear to be more like polished furniture than part of a car interior.

The attention to detail was above and beyond.

We were given a CLS 550 painted in Metallic Barolo Red, Black Leather interior and Laurel Wood Trim to play with.

She also came equipped with three packages- the 318 Trim, Sport and the Premium package.

Also installed were the optional Distronic Proximity Control and Parktronic system.

You can get more details from one of the Houston Mercedes Dealers.

Imagine this: It’s a dark late rainy night and you’re in the baddest part of town. A couple of guys block your way and demand you get out and handover your wallet, phone and keys to your car.

What do you do? Flip them the bird.

Providing that you’re in your Mercedes E Guard that is.

For those that just got their Mercedes S 600 Guard and think B7 armor rating is a tad too much especially if you’re just going to the 711 in Beverly Hills, then the Mercedes E Guard is just right for you.

The E Guard was created specifically for the wealthy businessman and/or famous people whose primary threats are muggers and overzealous fans and paparazzi.

The S 600 Guard’s clientele on the other hand are mostly heads of state, diplomats, royalty and the occasional drug lord if I may add.

With the exception of the drug lord, these individuals do actually face the risk from acts of terrorism each time they are in public hence the higher protection requirements.

You can think of the E Guard as the baby brother of the S Guard.

Born in the same production line as its non-armored sibling in order to ensure overall quality standards, the vehicle is then pulled out so it may receive the protective elements which are all installed by hand.

Integrated protection is what Mercedes calls it. “The protective measures integrated into the E-Class E-Guard offer exceptional levels of protection in extreme situations and against threats from the outside.

Integrated protection means that the safety features are built up from the inside out.

In order to incorporate all the precautions necessary to meet your personal safety requirements, our specialists start with the body shell.

The result is a vehicle that provides you with the best possible protection, without the exterior differing in any way from the “standard production model.”

The bad news is that you probably won’t find one of these on the showroom floor of your Houston Mercedes Dealership.

The Mercedes C 250 CDI Blue EFFICIENCY Prime Edition is powered by a new 2.2 liter diesel engine that produces 150 kW / 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque and capable of launching the premiere model from a standstill to 62mph in just 7.0 seconds, on the way to its top speed of 155mph. What is surprising is that it does the above on the cheap, on average consuming a mere 5.2 liters of fuel per 100 km or roughly 1.3 gallons per 60 miles. CO2 emissions are at a low 138 grams/km. No wonder that the new engine will replace four of Mercedes’ existing diesel power plants and will be/is installed in E, GLK Class and the much awaited E-Class Coupé.
Based on the C Class saloon of the Advantage equipment line, the Mercedes C 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Prime Edition comes equipped with: PRE-SAFE the preventive emergency system that cooperates with the Brake Assist PLUS in order to warn the driver if the distance between him and a car in front gets critical. This is possible thanks to radars installed on the front of the car. The PRE-SAFE system also calculates the most effective braking, so even if the driver jams on the brakes, the car automatically uses as much brake power as required for safe deceleration. If a crash is inevitable, the PRE-SAFE system tightens the seat belts, automatically closes windows, and the seats’ positions are adjusted in order to minimize the effect of the crash. The Intelligent Light System that adapts itself to the weather and driving conditions and increases the visibility by up to 50 meters. AGILITY CONTROL package with situation-responsive shock absorber control and 16-inch light-alloy wheels as standard or at a no cost option, 16-inch light-alloy wheels in sporty 7-spoke design and 17-inch light-alloy wheels in 5-twin-spoke design with wide base tires are available are also available.
Also included as standard equipment among other things is the Audio 20 infotainment system that has a keypad to enter telephone numbers and radio frequencies, as well as a Bluetooth interface that connects the mobile phone wirelessly with the hands-free feature and floor mats have the words “Prime Edition” on it just in case your passengers didn’t notice.

The Mercedes C 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Prime Edition is a limited edition of only 5000 units.

The Prime Edition comes equipped with a new 2.2-Liter diesel power plant which is capable of propelling the C-Class from 0-62 mph in just 7.0 seconds and hitting a top speed of 155 mph.

But what really is different and unique about this new C250/engine is that it consumes only 45mpg or 5.2 liters/100km.

Some of the highlights of this new engine are:
• 200 bar maximum ignition pressure;

• Dual stage Supercharging;

• A variable water pump and larger, variable oil spray nozzles;

• The camshaft drive is positioned at the rear;

• A fourth-generation common-rail technology with a rail pressure increased by 400 bar to 2000 bar;

• A new piezo-injector concept with direct nozzle needle control for greater flexibility in injection timing, which leads to smoother running of the engine.

Another thing is that it can be installed either lengthways or sideways in the other model series, and several power rating variants will be made available.

Considering its impressive output/performance data, the new engine could quite possibly replace higher-displacement engines in the heavier vehicles thus effectively reducing fuel consumption.

Incidentally, this new engine will indeed replace four of Mercedes’ existing diesel power plants and will be/is installed in E, GLK Class and the much awaited E-Class Coupé.

In order to further improve on consumption, the C 250 has:

• A newly developed gearshift display on the dashboard that informs him of the optimum time to shift gears in order to better save on fuel;

• An instrument cluster that shows the precise current rate of fuel consumption;

• Smooth under body cladding;

• Airflow enhancing exterior mirror housings;

• Newly developed tires that reduce rolling resistance by as much as10 percent;

• An effective energy management system with adaptive power steering which, with the help of an additional valve, shuts the flow of the power steering pump when not needed.

Check with your Mercedes Houston Dealer about becoming one of the lucky 5000.

The Mercedes S600 guard is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz Guard range.

At first and even second glance, it appears that you’re just looking at just another S600.

This inconspicuous look is mainly due to the fact that the armoring was integrated in the vehicle production process and not as an “afterthought”.

In fact, Mercedes engineers began studying this design consideration more than 2 years before the first non-armored production car came off the line.

Powered by a 5.5 liter, v12, biturbo engine that produces 512hp and 830nm of torque, the S600 Guards’ top speed is electronically regulated at 150mph.

Not too shabby considering its curb weight of 8455lbs.

This is 3000lbs. heavier than the regular S600 whose top speed is 155mph and yet has the same v12 engine.

Again the fact that the armoring was incorporated into the production process rather than after enabled Mercedes engineers to tweak the engine in order to properly and efficiently handle the additional 3000lbs.

In addition, the engineers also redesigned the chassis again to cope with the extra weight and maintain the “exceptional level of comfort that Mercedes cars are renowned for”.

The following were the primary focuses of the redesign:
• Reinforcement of the links between the chassis components and the body shell ;
• Specifically targeted modification of the chassis components themselves;
• An additional steel spring on the rear axle to support the air suspension;
• Larger twin-caliper front brake discs, for outstanding deceleration whenever and wherever required;
• Electronic Stability Program-to compensate for the additional/extra weight and requirements of an armored vehicle.

ESP by the way is basically a system that assists the driver remain/regain control of the car when it gets into a skid.

What it does is that it gathers data from the steering wheel, ABS and the gyroscope then either/or activates the brakes in the front or rear wheels in order to stabilize the car when cornering, accelerating or decelerating.