Mercedes-Benz Museum Starts to Sell Classic Cars
For many Mercedes-Benz owners, a classic or rare Mercedes is at the top of their list of desires. Modern Mercedes-Benz models are beautiful examples of modern motoring, but it’s hard to capture the feeling you get when you get behind the wheel of something that is part of history. To help out the avid Mercedes-Benz collector, the company has launched the All Time Stars program.
All Time Stars
Finding a premiere, factory-backed classic car is pretty much impossible, but Mercedes-Benz has worked to make it easier. The company itself purchase or finds the rare or classic vehicle, then vets them through a 160-point checklist before offering them for sale.
- Concours Edition: This is the group for the rarest of the rare, vehicles in near-perfect condition with low miles, as well as vehicles that have been completely restored by Mercedes-Benz Classic. This is for the ultimate collector, and has included vehicles such as an SL 55 AMG Mille Miglia 1999, an original 1929 630 Kompressor, and a race-ready 1998 AMG CLK-LM.
- Collector’s Edition: These are high quality vehicles in great condition technically and visually, but that might not have quite the niche appeal of the ones in the Concours Edition, or the restoration quality. They undergo the same inspection, but are not restored by the Mercedes team. This edition has included a 1992 500SL, a 1994 E 60 AMG Limited, and a 1979 450 SEL 6.9, all with relatively low mileage.
- Driver’s Edition: For the Mercedes lover who wants to drive their history every day, this edition offers clean, well-maintained Mercedes-Benz vehicles that are suitable for daily use. Generally with higher mileage, they will still be in good working order – they still have to pass the same tests as the other editions. These will also be tinkerer’s cars, for the driver who may want to do some restoration themselves. They won’t be project cars or parts cars, as those won’t pass inspection. This edition currently features a high-mileage 1982 200D, but it comes with a fairly low price tag of 9950 Euro, which translates to roughly $10,850.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum
Let’s be honest, even if you aren’t in the market for one of these motoring pieces of art, and even if you aren’t the biggest Mercedes-Benz buff in the world, the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart should be high on your list of places to visit. Anyone with even the slightest interest in motoring history, the cars of yesterday and today, and the technology of automobile, would find hours of interesting material. The museum covers 16,500 square meters over nine floors, and includes:
- Over 1,500 exhibits covering the history of Mercedes-Benz and the automobile as a whole.
- Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including classics, race cars, prototypes, concepts, and many more!
- Special exhibits that rotate a number of times a year – one of the most recent ones highlighted Mercedes-Benz vehicles used as safety cars.
- Children’s offers and school-trip experiences.
- Design as part of the museum – over the years, the Mercedes Museum has been awarded for its unique architecture.
Mercedes-Benz is constantly looking for new ways to entertain and engage Mercedes-Benz lovers, and offer them unique experiences or opportunities. We think the All Time Stars program is a great way for the collector to get their hands on a vehicle they might not otherwise be able to find. Of course, here at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa, we can also keep an eye out for premium classic Mercedes if you are interested, and you don’t even have to make the trip to Germany! It’s still worth the once-in-a-lifetime trip to the museum though.
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Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist System
One of the most humorous commercials making the rounds on television right now involves giving children a set of Mercedes-Benz toy cars, and letting them try to crash them into each other, like we all did with our Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars when we were kids. Unlike our cars though, these have a little trick inside – powerful magnets that prevent the toy cars from crashing head-first into each other. Watching the kids get frustrated at not being able to crash their toy cars into each other is sure to bring a bit of a smile to your face. Underneath it all lies our aim of creating vehicles that make it nearly impossible to get into an accident with, starting with our Brake Assist System and our PRESAFE® system.
The Science Behind the System
The Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist System doesn’t quite work that way – after all, that would certainly cause some issues on the roadways. How our Brake Assist System (BAS) actually functions is that it uses multiple sensors that scan the area ahead of the vehicle. These sensors include a long-range forward-facing system that projects up to 200 meters ahead, and the width of three traffic lanes. A mid-range radar system covers a shorter length at a higher beam angle, while two extremely wide-angle short-range sensors have a range of only 30 meters, but a full 80-degree range of vision. These staggered systems allows for better predictability regarding a collision or a miss. The system will then optimize the brakes to stop when the driver steps on the brake or, if no braking is detected, the system will initiate emergency braking. When emergency braking happens, the brake lights in the equipped vehicle flash rapidly to warn drivers in vehicles behind you to help prevent a rear-ending.
Thanks to recent advances, the BAS doesn’t just detect other vehicles on the road either. It can detect pedestrians, even at speeds up to 45 miles per hour, and avoid hitting a pedestrian at a speed up to 30 miles per hour. Cross-Traffic Assist helps to detect potential collisions with cross traffic, such as at four-way intersections, thanks to additional stereo camera and radar sensors.
Mercedes-Benz PRESAFE® System
The Brake Assist System is just one of the many tools that is part of the Mercedes-Benz suite of safety systems. Of course, preventative measures can only go so far, so Mercedes-Benz has the PRESAFE® system for its vehicles. This exclusive system can sense an imminent collision and automatically prepares the vehicle for an incident. This includes:
- Tightening the front seat belts
- Adjusting the front head rest and front passenger seat
- Closing the windows and sunroof
These help the restraint system, including the multiple available airbags, to deploy safely and effectively, increasing the chance for driver and passengers to survive the accident. When this is combined with the Brake Assist System, both the passengers in your vehicle plus others on the road can know they are safe and secure around your Mercedes-Benz.
While Mercedes-Benz is a little humorous when it comes to commercials, they are incredibly serious when it comes to keeping you and your family safe in your vehicle. Every vehicle sold here at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa comes with some of the best active and passive safety systems on the market, not to mention many optional safety systems to increase your confidence and sense of safety behind the wheel. Whether you are in Babylon, Islip, or elsewhere on Long Island, it is worth the drive to our showroom in Amityville to see the Brakes Assist System, PRESAFE® system, and all of the other Mercedes systems in person, and learn more from our dedicated staff.
For many cars, being named Car of the Year, from any organization, is a great honor. These awards demonstrate that you have achieved the best all-around vehicle for the year, one that appeals to buyers across the world. For performance-oriented cars, they rarely garner these accolades – the sacrifices of comfort and economy that are needed to make a great performance car generally keep them out of the running. That’s why Motor Trend created the Best Driver’s Car award.
The Competition
To judge the cars entered into the yearly competition, the Motor Trend team ran hot laps around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, road loops on the open roads, and a full range of performance tests. Data was collected using the latest in equipment, and analyzed and evaluated by the Motor Trend team. This team consists of 25 members of Motor Trend, including “The Rocket” Randy Pobst, a championship-winning driver with two class wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona; Ed Loh, Motor Trend’s editor-in-chief; and various editors, photographers, and video producers.
A variety of measurements are taken into consideration during the testing. This includes lateral g forces and braking g forces throughout various areas of the track at Laguna Seca, along with top speeds through sections. On a figure-eight test course, it looks at understeer turn angle, car slip angle, roll angle, and more. On the drag strip, acceleration to 60 miles per hour, quarter-mile elapsed times, and braking distance from 60 miles per hour are measured. Plus, there are always the subjective opinions – how does the car make the driver feel, how focused do they feel, and other emotions.
The Competitors
Ten cars were featured in this year’s competition, representing car makers from Europe, America, and Asia. These included some historic greats, past winner, and new entrants. The field of ten consisted of:
- 2015 Bentley Continental GT3-R
- 2016 Cadillac ATS-V
- 2016 Cadillac CTS-V
- 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (Z07)
- 2015 Lexus RC F
- 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
- 2016 Mercedes-AMG C63 S
- 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S
- 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf R
Many of these, including the Porsche and Corvette, have performed extremely well in previous Best Driver’s Car testing. Cars have to be less than a year old, must have received updating recently, and most importantly, the maker must be willing to let them be tested – hence the lack of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and other limited-run luxury models.
Mercedes AMG-GT S Walks Away Victorious
In the end, the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S drove away as the winner of the 2015 Best Driver’s Car Award, wowing the drivers and editors. Combining the powerful AMG 4.0-liter biturbo engine and lightweight aluminum construction with improved weight distribution, the GT S provided great balance and performance. As Loh says, “The Mercedes-AMG GT S has the sharpest, most precise steering we have ever felt on any Mercedes or AMG vehicle.” Given the impressive steering in our past vehicles, this a major compliment, and Loh also goes on to say that, up against the high level of competition, “the newcomer Mercedes-AMG GT S bested them all with its combination of breathtaking power, endless grip, and soul-stirring handling.”
Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa is proud to bring you the Mercedes-AMG GT S, along with the many other high-performance luxury vehicles built by Mercedes-Benz. Located at 101 Sunrise Highway in Amityville, we are easy to reach from throughout Long Island, including towns such as Babylon and Hicksville. Stop in to see the GT S, or the “World Car of the Year” C-Class, or the “World Luxury Car 2015” winner, the S-Class Coupe. No matter where you look, you’ll find an award-winning automobile with the Mercedes-Benz badge on it.
For the past few years, many car makers have been putting the idea of safety that looks ahead and helps to act to avoid an accident forward. In the last two to three years, this has become one of the most sought-after safety systems in the industry. While some companies are touting this as new technology, Mercedes-Benz has had versions of this technology for over a decade now, as standard equipment on numerous models.
What is Pre-Safe Technology?
Pre-Safe is active safety technology that detects probable collisions and helps drivers react appropriately or, if they do not respond, will act to try to avoid an accident. It is a system that was developed to make accidents more avoidable, and more survivable. Initially developed and put into Mercedes vehicles in 2002, it paved the way for many of the forward collision detection and mitigation systems that are in use today.
Pre-Safe uses sensors to detect conditions that can lead to accidents. In addition to detecting rapidly closing distance between the Mercedes and other cars or objects, it can detect a loss of traction or grip. It can also calculate lateral acceleration, steering angle, and car yaw, and can evaluate if loss of control is imminent. It will even provide limited steering feedback, small corrections that may help to bring the car back under control. Other triggers that can activate the Pre-Safe system includes panic braking, critical steering maneuvers, or detection inputs from the automatic cruise control system.
Pre-Safe has evolved over the years as well, adding more capabilities as Mercedes engineers figure out more parts of the puzzle. For instance, in the recent 2014 model year, pedestrian detection that can initiate autonomous baking was added to the system. This follows such evolutions as the ability to detect driver fatigue level, which was added in 2009, and the 2005 redesign that saw Brake Assist Plus become a bigger part. Best of all, Pre-Safe Technology is open-ended, so it is easy for Mercedes engineers to add on even more in the years to come.
How Does Pre-Safe React in an Accident?
Once Pre-Safe detects potential issues, it responds first by warning the driver using visual and audio warnings. If the driver does not react, the system automatically tightens the seat belts for extra safety, moves power seats automatically into the upright position, and primes the brakes for faster response. As stated before, it will even apply the brakes to an extent, but not to bring the car to a complete stop. This at least reduces the severity of the impending impact. Airbags are also primed for fast deployment at the moment of impact.
If the driver loses control, and the possibility of skidding or rollover is detected, Pre-Safe can also act in other ways to make the possible incident more survivable. Pre-Safe will automatically close the sunroof and all open windows, to prevent debris from flying in or body parts from flying out and becoming more vulnerable.
Mercedes-Benz now includes the Pre-Safe Technology on over 40 models of vehicles, vehicles that are available at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa. From the C-Class to the S-Class, and on to the crossover and SUV ranges, Pre-Safe helps to makes Mercedes vehicles some of the safest on the road. Come check out all of the Pre-Safe-equipped vehicles – we’re easy to find, whether you are coming from Babylon, from right here in Amityville, or from elsewhere across Long Island.
What is 4MATIC AWD?
All drivers know the advantages of all-wheel drive. It’s not just for those who want to take their vehicle off the paved road – it also aids greatly in poor driving conditions, on problematic roads, and can improve performance characteristics. Not every all-wheel drive is the same though, with some being more efficient and more effective than others. Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC all-wheel drive was designed to bring the ultimate in all-wheel drive performance to the ultimate luxury performance vehicles.
How Does 4MATIC Work?
4MATIC coordinates the balance of power going to all of the wheels, sensing and adjusting the balance as needed to ensure four points of contact at all times with the road. This also includes sensing changes in weight distribution, wheels speeds, and types of surfaces, and adjusting as needed. The sensing weight distribution is particularly important – as Mercedes-Benz vehicles tend to be heavier, due to higher-quality materials and high-powered engines, a system that can account for this is important. The weight-sensing system in 4MATIC vehicles allows the Mercedes to handle just as pleasantly as smaller, lighter all-wheel drive vehicles.
Using an advanced center differential and 4-Wheel Electronic Traction System (ETS), the system optimizes the torque going to each wheel, and balances the power between the front and rear wheels – changing the ratio by up to 40 percent. This allows 4MATIC-equipped vehicles to have the performance characteristics of rear-wheel drive performance vehicles on clean, dry pavement, but the safety and precision of all-wheel drive vehicles on treacherous roads.
What Sets 4MATIC Apart?
Developed by Mercedes engineers, the 4MATIC system is one of the most efficient all-wheel drive systems on the market. While early 4MATIC systems were a bit primitive, and even some modern systems from other car makers are effective yet bulky, Mercedes’ modern 4MATIC system has eliminated almost all of the areas where all-wheel drive has seen difficulties in the past:
- Where older all-wheel drive systems would add 200 pounds or more to the weight of a vehicle, the current 4MATIC system adds only 100 to 150 pounds, depending on the model.
- Other versions of all-wheel drive vastly increase the turning radius of the vehicle, but with 4MATIC, the turning radius is only increased by inches.
- Thanks to the ability to direct power to the wheels that are performing at the highest efficiency, the 4MATIC system does not see the massive fuel economy loss like many other all-wheel drive systems have to deal with.
- The 4MATIC system is not just an all-wheel drive mechanism that has been crudely added on to a front- or rear-wheel drive vehicle. It is fully integrated with the rest of the drivetrain, including Electronic Stability Program and Antilock Braking System.
What Vehicles Have 4MATIC?
You can only find 4MATIC on Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but the good news is that every Mercedes class has an option of 4MATIC on at least one of the models in the class. This includes these models, along with many others:
Having an all-wheel drive system like 4MATIC is almost a necessity for winter driving in the Long Island area. Sitting so close to the sea, we can see plenty of snow, sleet, and ice, from Freeport to Babylon. Make sure you have a vehicle that can handle the weather, and stop in to Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa to check out all of our 4MATIC-equipped vehicles.
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