Mercedes unveils MBUX Hyperscreen

Ahead of the launch of the EQS electric saloon, Mercedes has unveiled the MBUX Hyperscreen – a massive 55-inch screen that will sit the full length of the dashboard.

“The MBUX Hyperscreen is both the brain and nervous system of the car”, says Sajjad Khan, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG and CTO. “The MBUX Hyperscreen continually gets to know the customer better and delivers a tailored, personalised infotainment and operating offering before the occupant even has to click or scroll anywhere.”

The Hyperscreen isn’t one screen but several displays which appear to blend seamlessly, resulting in an impressive, curved screen band. Analogue air vents are integrated into this large digital surface to connect the digital and physical world. The screens in the central and passenger displays are OLED to provide a brilliant images when a passenger is in the car. If not, the passenger screen can be used a decorative element.

There are a total of 12 actuators beneath the touchscreen for haptic feedback during operation. If the finger touches certain points there, they trigger a tangible vibration in the cover plate. The Hyperscreen is also fitted with 8 CPU cores, 24-gigabyte RAM and 46.4 GB per second RAM memory bandwidth are some of the MBUX technical specifications.

To avoid drivers spending time looking at screens rather than the road, Mercedes has implemented what it calls zero layer, the user does not have to scroll through submenus or give voice commands. The most important applications are always offered in a situational and contextual way at the top level in view. In this way, numerous operating steps are taken away from the EQS driver.

As well as zero layer, Mercedes is implementing artificial intelligence where it will learn a user’s habits over time and can then suggest them on the drive – like the hot stone massage when it is cold, or if you call a friend every Tuesday.

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Mercedes EQC gets the 4×4 Squared treatment

Mercedes has revealed a new concept, combining its electrification strategy with off-roading, resulting in the Mercedes EQC 4×4 Squared.

We have seen the 4×4 Squared moniker before on the G500 and the E-class All-Terrain, but never before on an all-electric vehicle. A team of dedicated developers under the leadership of development engineer Jürgen Eberle (he worked on the E400 All-Terrain 4×4 Squared) has created this drivable technology platform on the basis of an EQC 400 4MATIC.

This study is to show that electric drive and sustainability can be mixed with an adventurous lifestyle, driving over multiple terrains from sand to crawling over rocks and fording through mud. Now for the numbers.

It rides at 293 mm above the ground, 58mm higher than a G-Class. It has a fording depth of 40cm, approach angle of 31.8 degrees and a departure angle of 33 degrees at the back. The tremendous ground clearance is made possible by the conversion to portal axles, where the wheels situated lower down on the axle hubs owing to the portal gears. Meaning essentially, the whole car gets taller.

Now this is all very similar to what we have seen in other Squared models but in the EQC the headlights turn into ‘lampspeakers’. Now really and truly the headlights or ‘lampspeakers’ are used as part of the powerful Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) which is needed to produce sounds by law.

IWC Racing 300SL Hot Wheels: MUST HAVE

When IWC CEO, Christoph Grainger-Herr announced in an interview that he loved Hot Wheels and was an avid collector, it was only a matter of time until the two brands collaborated.

IWC Racing and Mattel created a 1:64 replica of the IWC Racing 300SL which will be familiar to anybody that has been to or watched the Goodwood Members Meeting over the past few years. David Coulthard, former F1 driver and IWC brand ambassador has raced the IWC Racing 300SL to victory at the Goodwood circuit taking the Tony Haze Trophy in 2019.

The 1:64 model forms part of the Team Transport Series, meaning the model comes with its designated transporter, the Euro Hauler. The car is a detailed replica of the full-size model with the exact livery, wheels, and interior of the actual car.

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To drive or not to drive? The question Mercedes poses at CES 2015

Autonomy is going to be the rage in 2015, late in 2014 we saw an Audi RS7 drive a blisteringly quick lap at Hockenheim Grand Prix track, we saw the Google autonomous vehicle taking to the streets of California and we have also seen military vehicles driven without any human interference. Now in 2015, Mercedes have shown off their new project; the F 015 Luxury in Motion autonomous vehicle. Launched today at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, the car, as we know it is going to change.

The F 015 Luxury in Motion’s (LM) body is built with carbon fibre reinforced plastic, aluminium and high strength steel allowing the F 015 LM to be up to 40% lighter than most cars of its size. Ever so slightly shorter than a long wheel base S-Class it manages to increase the ‘living space’ in the car by an additional 445mm due to it being wider and taller than the current S-Class.

No matter how luxurious a car may be, some may say its defining moment is when a celebrity gets out gracefully. Mercedes may or may not have had that in mind when designing the rear doors but the twin rear hinged doors open 90 degrees whilst the seats swivel 30 degrees allowing a graceful exit no matter how flamboyant or constraining the attire may be.

To maximise the ‘living space’ in the F 015, B-pillars were removed and each door can be opened independently of one another. Mercedes have designed a new impact protection for the passengers if there is a side on collision. A belt line under the side windows inflate much like an airbag allowing them to absorb as much of the impact as possible.

According to Mercedes, the interior is like no other. More of a living space than a seat to your next destination. Crafted out of open grain walnut, glass, ice white nappa leather and aluminium. The four luxurious lounge chairs can be positioned opposite each other, perfect for a meeting or else in tandem as is per usual in a normal car. Passengers are connected through a choice of six screens, which are controlled via eye tracking, gesture recognition and touch.

The F 015 is capable of being driven manually or left to its own devices in fully autonomous mode. In each mode, other drivers and pedestrians will be alerted by large LED modules at the front and back of the vehicle in either white for manual or blue for autonomous mode. When thee driver chooses to drive the car manually, both the driver and passenger seats swivel whilst a steering wheel emerges from the dashboard. The F 015 may be being powered by Hydrogen fuel cells, which were pioneered in the F-Cell Plug-in hybrid seen on the F 125! research vehicle back in 2011.

SPIED: Mercedes GLE 63 AMG coupe

A virtually undisguised Mercedes GLE 63 AMG Coupe has been spied testing before its potential unveiling at the North American Auto show in January 2015.

Following the new design language, the GLE 63 AMG has a single bar grille and aggressive air intakes. The roofline swoops down at the rear giving the crossover a sporty look. At the rear, the GLE has taken cues from the new AMG-GT with a boot-mounted spoiler and a quad exhaust system.

The new GLE is the replacement for the current ML. This name change came about a few months ago when Mercedes renamed their entire model series to make them a little more complicated. All new SUVs will carry the GL nomenclature before being followed by the model letter I.e. A, C, E and S.

Even though Mercedes-AMG have recently unveiled their new 4.0litre twin-turbo V8 which sits in the new C63 AMG and the AMG-GT, the GLE is expected to have the older 5.5litre V8 pushing 518bhp and 700Nm that will have to be tuned to compete with the BMW’s 575bhp and 750Nm.

Mercedes are looking at breaking into the crossover market, trying to steal away some of BMW X6’s sales which have averaged at around 40,000 units per year.

 

Photos courtesy of WorldCarFans

Mercedes C63 AMG

The Mercedes C63 AMG is very special to me. The car is probably one of the most understated and only a true petrol head knows what lurks beyond the subtle exterior.

The car looks like any Mercedes C-class of recent, except for a few tiny things. The 6.3 AMG badges on the flared wheel arches and the quad exhaust give off hints of the power that the mighty engine holds. Not only that, but this specific car was relea­sed in conjunction with AMG’s 40th anniversary.

The engines are hand built at the AMG factory, and they are so proud of this that each engineer has his personal plaque stuck on each engine built.

The 6.3-litre V8 AMG engine coupled with a quad exhaust turns even the most serious of grown men into little children, giggling at the rumble of this mean machine. The car pumps out 451 bhp, which is plentiful.

When the car is brought to life, the exhaust sounds like you have angered the devil deep in the bowels of hell. When I took off with the car I wasn’t sure what sort of power I had beneath my right foot.

After I floored the accelerator, the car’s tail wagged a bit and I was propelled to excessive speed in a matter of seconds. It was alarmingly quick and serious attention is needed to avoid colliding into the car ahead.

To counter such speeds, the car needs an adequate braking system and I was extremely satisfied with the braking capabilities of the massive vented brakes. This car will shave miles off the speedo very swiftly and this gave me a ‘false’ sense of security.

In traffic, the car is as docile as a standard C-class; it has four doors and has a big enough boot for the shopping. The model I tested had the optional sat-nav, which pops out of the dashboard when you start up.

This car is typical Mercedes, with a well-built interior, covered in carbon fibre and leather. The seat is heavily bolstered and wraps around the driver tightly.

The car is fitted with a special ESP button, which is basically traction control. It has three settings, ON, ESP-Sport or OFF.

ESP-sport allows you to be naughty and light up the rear wheels but if you get it wrong the car will correct the driving line itself and keep you on the road.

There are a number of things that might keep you from buying this car: fuel consumption and price of tyres because you will go through a lot of them.