The Mercedes-Benz CLS, the SLS AMG Roadster and the various models in the C-Class are the most attractive vehicles in their respective classes. Furthermore, the legendary 300 SL Gullwing of the 1950s has earned the right to be called a design icon of recent decades. Such were the results of a survey of readers undertaken by leading German motoring magazine "auto motor und sport".


22,916 readers submitted votes in this year's Autonis design awards, which are made each year by "auto motor und sport" to honour the most beautiful new cars. The survey's only criterion is to establish which car readers find the most visually appealing. The clear winners in the medium-size category, with more than two thirds of all readers' votes, were the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the coupé of the same model family. Readers showed themselves impressed by the dynamic design of the new generation C-Class. This was especially true in the case of the C-Class coupé, with its classic coupé proportions.

In the luxury segment, the magazine's very percipient readers voted the Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door coupé into first place in the beauty contest. Like its predecessor, the new version of the CLS offers a very convincing package of captivating design and refined sportiness.

When it came to the cabriolets, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster was the car that found most favour with readers. The open version of the super sports car features the same technical highlights as the coupé model with gullwing doors that caused such a stir in this same competition back in 2009. With its compact soft top, which opens and closes in just eleven seconds, the new SLS AMG Roadster combines excellent driving dynamics with breathtaking roadster fun.

Even after almost 60 years, eyes light up when one of the legendary 300 SL models appears on the scene – Gullwing or Roadster, the effect is the same. This reaction serves to underline the longevity of the car's stunning design. It also underpins "auto motor und sport" readers' decision to award the title of "Design icon of recent decades" to the 300 SL – a "lifetime achievement award", as it were.

When the Hockenheimring stages the finale of the 2011 DTM season next weekend, this will also mark the end of an era in the world’s most popular touring car series: the AMG Mercedes C-Class will be retired after 158 races in DTM and ITC. With a grand total of 84 victories (win ratio: 53%), it ranks as the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM. The C-Class accounts for almost half of the 164 Mercedes-Benz wins in the 341 races since 1988 (win ratio: 48%). A further 30 victories were achieved with the AMG Mercedes CLK (2000 to 2003) and 50 more with the AMG Mercedes 190E (1988 to 1993).


Three generations of the C-Class raced in the years 1994 to 1996 (DTM/ITC) and 2004 to 2011 (‘New DTM’). Mercedes-Benz gave the C-Class its DTM debut in the 1994 season; it scored its first victory on the second race weekend and, by the end of the season, had brought home both the drivers’ title for Klaus Ludwig and the constructors’ title. “The C-Class came along at just the right time,” recalls Ludwig. “We immediately made a big step forward. It was the key to championship success and was an instant hit with the fans. Then as now, touring cars like the C-Class were a favourite of the German crowds.”

In the second year, too, the title went to a C-Class driver as the current DTM record champion Bernd Schneider celebrated the first of his six championships in the DTM/ITC with Mercedes-Benz. Schneider is now the only driver to have won a title in both the DTM/ITC era (up to 1996) and the ‘New’ series since 2000.

“The AMG Mercedes C-Class was one of the best racing cars of my career,” says Schneider. “It was a thoroughbred racer that was spectacular to drive and made a great noise, which drivers and fans enjoy in equal measure.” With six championship victories in the DTM/ITC in the years 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006, Schneider is the most successful driver in DTM history. He also holds the record for most wins (43), most pole positions (25) and most fastest laps (59).

Between 1994 and 1996, the C-Class triumphed 34 times in 74 DTM and ITC outings. When the C-Class returned to action in 2004, it took over from the AMG Mercedes CLK which had performed sterling service for Mercedes-Benz in the 2000 to 2003 seasons. Since then, the C-Class has won 50 out of 84 races (win ratio: 60%) – more than any other car since the revival of the DTM in 2000.

“The C-Class is a great car,” says Gary Paffett. “I first drove it when I launched
my DTM career in it 2004 and I then went on to win the championship in 2005.” The Englishman, who is driving the THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class this season, is the most successful driver currently competing in DTM, with 17 wins to his name. “I also had great success with the later model from 2007 onwards and missed out on the title by only the narrowest of margins.”

Scotsman Paul Di Resta won the 2010 DTM drivers’ championship driving an AMG Mercedes C-Class. This year, he races for Force India-Mercedes in Formula One. “The first DTM car I drove was a C-Class at the 2004 McLaren BRDC Autosport Young Driver Award,” says di Resta, “and I remember the experience to this day: a car that felt like a single-seater, but with great power, fun to drive… and a roof over my head! I spent four seasons racing the car in DTM and was able to join the ranks of the drivers who became champion with the car – an achievement I am incredibly proud of. Working with the C-Class taught me a lot about setup and how to work with the technical team to get the most out of the car – the racing is so close that you need to squeeze out every last bit of performance. It was a perfect preparation for the demands of Formula One.”

Mercedes-Benz can look back with pride on a long and successful tradition in the DTM. Since the company first entered a works team in 1988, no rival manufacturer has won as many races as Mercedes-Benz. The three-pointed star has won the drivers’ title ten times, the constructors’ championship nine times and the team title on 13 occasions – no other manufacturer has enjoyed greater success in the DTM. In 2000, Mercedes-Benz was also instrumental in establishing the ‘new DTM’. The introduction of new technical regulations in the 2012 season marks the next chapter in the world’s most successful touring car series. The closing race of the 2011 season will also be the last race contested by the AMG Mercedes C‑Class, the most successful DTM car of all time. In the 2012 season, Mercedes-Benz will respond to the changed circumstances with the launch the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé.

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Our C-Class has written a success story unmatched by any other car in DTM history. To win 84 races from 158 races is a fantastic achievement, for which I would like to thank all of our teams and drivers. Foremost among them, of course, is our partner HWA AG and its executive and technical director Gerhard Ungar, as well as his team - with these successes, you have written a chapter in motorsport history. The C-Class will stand as the most successful car of the 'old' DTM up to 1996, as well as in the 'new' era from 2000 to 2011. Thank you for all your hard work and extraordinary achievements; they are unique, and that's why we are so pleased to commemorate this success story in Hockenheim, when the C-Class will race for the last time.”

Mercedes-Benz continues to be regarded as the world’s most valuable premium automotive brand. In the latest ranking by respected brand consultancy Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux, ‘Best Global Brands 2011’, the three-pointed star brand again took twelfth place – as it did last year – and is therefore the most valuable European brand. Its brand equity has risen to US$ 27.455 billion, an increase of 9 percent compared to 2010. Mercedes-Benz’s brand equity has therefore risen continuously since 2009.


The study’s authors attribute this success to customer satisfaction with the brand, which is higher than that of all other automotive brands. What’s more, the model initiative launched two years ago is enabling Mercedes-Benz to successfully respond to the market’s demand for ground-breaking, sustainable transport solutions.

Interbrand conducts the ‘Best Global Brands’ study every year. Leading CEOs regard it as the benchmark for measuring the value of international brands. The study identifies the 100 most valuable brands in the world.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

The new Mercedes-Benz SLK is celebrating a brilliant victory in the great AUTO BILD magazine design competition. After the E-Class in 2009 and the SLS AMG in 2010, Mercedes-Benz has now won the AUTO BILD Design Award for the third time in a row. The new Roadster from Mercedes-Benz was voted as the overall winner of the automotive beauty contest by around 90,000 readers of the popular specialist magazine. As a result, the SLK can now proudly carry the title of "Germany's most beautiful car".


The new roadster uncompromisingly takes driving pleasure and open-air enjoyment to a new level. It blends light-footed sportiness with stylish comfort, a striking sports-car design with total suitability for everyday use, top performance with exemplary ecology. What’s more, the SLK is proud to present the world premiere of the panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL, which switches to light or dark at the touch of a button. Exemplary efficiency and sporty flair come courtesy of powerful new 4- and 6-cylinder engines featuring the standard-specification ECO start/stop function. With their superb levels of performance they are up to 25 percent more economical than their predecessors. And a unique set of safety equipment bestows role-model status on the SLK in this segment. With its wealth of technical innovations the SLK is once again the benchmark in its class.

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.