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Mercedes Benz ‘StarDrive’ |
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Mercedes, as a brand, has always been associated with intricate engineering and safety. And the German manufacturer recently launched the ‘StarDrive’ campaign to illustrate exactly those qualities. This is a unique driving experience launched by Mercedes to display their latest safety features and technologies.
On hand were a fleet of vehicles, SUVs and saloons, with three-pointed stars. Participants were shown the off road capabilities of the ML and GL classes. Instead of natural obstacles, Mercedes had created artificial ramps to showcase the supremacy of these SUV’s. The vehicles took on these extreme obstacles to check for safety, agility and performance. Experiencing these machines conquering the rigorous tests on hand was exhilarating. There are various features on board, like 4-Matic and ESP, that make a ride in these SUV’s an enjoyable one. These systems ensure that power is distributed amongst the four individual wheels based on which ones have traction – thereby ensuring that you can overcome most obstacles with certainty and safety.
For those who are saloon oriented, there was the C Class and the E Class on offer to showcase their on-road capabilities as well. Mercedes had brought in two German test drivers to exhibit the manner in which these variants are tested abroad. First, there was a presentation on the various features such as ABS, adaptive braking, pre-safe, standard assist, and 4-Matic, which make these vehicles as safe as possible. After the presentation, we were finally strapped into the seats of the E and C Class to witness, first hand, the safety features onboard both these variants. Features like ABS and adaptive braking were put into use while applying emergency braking. The Pre-Safe feature attracted specific emphasis, as the experts demonstrated that if the electronics anticipate an accident, and it finds that the windows and the sunroof are open, they close automatically to ensure additional safety. Found on some high end European cars now, there was also an Attention Assist feature that gauges the fatigue levels of the driver during long distance commuting. At the end of the day, the experience was exhilarating, and the fact that these technological advances actually work in the real world to save lives is very heartening as well.
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An ‘E’ like never before |
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Consecutive launches seem to be the mantra for Mercedes Benz this year. After recently launching the GL Class and the new S Class, the German manufacturer has now entered the market with the new E Class Coupe.
One look at this striking car tells you immediately that it has very different intentions when compared to a traditional E Class. The absence of a B-pillar, and its sharp creases, truly flaunt its sporting pretensions. What validates them is the 3.5 litre V6 engine under the hood, which produces 272bhp. The E coupe also offers Pre-Safe technology, selective damper control, Adaptive Main Beam Assist, and an Intelligent Lighting System. A panoramic sunroof adds even more character to this stunning machine. Of course, be prepared to shell out 55 lakhs-plus for the E Coupe. |
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Ferrari unveils its fastest ever production car – the 599 GTO |
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How do you make the flagship Ferrari better than it already is? Well, if you’re familiar with the GTO moniker – then you’ll be well aware that creating a GTO version will certainly do the trick.
GTO conjures up visions of some of the truly great Ferrari’s – such as the 1962 250 GTO, or the 1984 288 GTO. These are Ferraris that were built to race. A 250 GTO is one of the most valuable cars in the world today – only 36 were built between 1962 and 1963. As per Ferrari’s earliest tradition – 250 indicates the cubic capacity of a single cylinder of its 12 cylinder heart. GTO, on the other hand, stands for ‘Gran Turismo Omologato,’ which essentially means that it was a Grand Touring car homologated to race. And race it did, winning the World Manufacturers Championship in 1962, 63 and 64.
For Ferrari to rekindle the GTO badge means that they’re sure to have produced something very special indeed – in this case the 599 GTO. Only 599 of these will be built, and yes, it is the fastest production car that Ferrari have ever built, which means it’s faster even than the F1 inspired Enzo. And yes again, in case you were wondering, all 599 GTOs have already been spoken for.
The 599 GTO is based on the 599XX, which, like the Enzo-based FXX, is for a very exclusive (and very rich) group of Ferrari owners who are handpicked by the factory for the privilege of owing these cars – and yet, they don’t exactly get to take delivery. In a nutshell – the 599XX is built exclusively for the track. The factory ships them, with a battalion of engineers, to various racetracks across the world. These owners show up, put in a few laps, and then return on their respective private jets to whichever board meeting they put on hold in the interim. Meanwhile, the engineers download streams of data, which they then use to make Ferrari’s even better in future.
The 599GTO, then, not only produces more power, at 660 horsepower, from its 6.0 liter (5999cc) V12 heart than the 599 GTB, but it also weighs 100 kilos less and produces twice as much downforce. Of course, it gets all the exotic materials that you can think of – such as carbon ceramic brakes and the like. And that, of course, is the point of the whole exercise.
But, for us mere mortals, satisfaction can be garnered simply by looking at it – it truly is a sight to behold. Oh, and lastly, it debuted in Beijing – so that should give you some idea of just how important the Chinese market is to the supercar makers of the world. |
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