Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Istanbul, Turkey, Jun 06, 2009

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
-MP4-24-03
P3 programme
-19 laps/1m28.738s (15th)

Three runs this morning, evaluating both Prime tyre (three laps/1m29.264s and three laps/1m28.738s) and Option (four laps/1m28.857s) ahead of qualifying. Reporting similar locking and rear-end instability issues as yesterday, the team worked throughout the session to hone the balance to Heikki’s satisfaction.


“I was pushing to the maximum this morning,” he said. “But I flat-spotted the left-front on one run and was always trying to cope with the snappiness of the rear-end. Through Turn Eight, the car was very difficult to drive smoothly.”

Qualifying
- Q1 1m28.199s (14th)
- Q2 1m28.207s (14th)
- Q3 -

Two strong runs of 1m28.199s and 1m28.629s in Q1 on the Prime saw Heikki move into the second session in 14th. Into Q2, he did two more runs (1m28.318s and 1m28.207s) to finish the session 14th overall.

“Our car doesn’t have enough grip for us to attack the fast corners,” Heikki said. “The others seem to gain grip through the weekend and are able to better use the Option tyre while we’re using the Prime and losing performance. Braking and acceleration are still very good but we’re just losing grip as the track temperature increases.

“The gap to the leaders is still too big so we need to do some more work back at the MTC to move closer to the front. We’ll never give up, but tomorrow’s race will be difficult.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-24-04
P3 programme
- 19 laps/1m28.563s (12th)

Three morning runs for Lewis too. He initially reported that the front felt well-balanced but, throughout the session, he continued working with his engineers to get the car’s rear-end to operate more effectively. He ran the following programme: four laps/1m28.563s/Prime; three laps/1m28.736s/Prime; three laps/1m28.944s/Option.

Lewis said: “The car felt great this morning – it was very well-balanced at the front but we still had to work to get the rear working properly. We anticipated this weekend would be a bit like Barcelona and that looks like being the case.”

Qualifying
- Q1 1m28.318s (16th overall)
- Q2 -
- Q3 -

Struggling for grip on both the Option and Prime tyre, Lewis completed two runs, setting times of 1m28.318s and 1m28.402s to conclude the first qualifying session in 16th.

“Our car seems to have got slower relative to the others as the grip has gone down on the track,” said Lewis afterwards. “I pushed as hard as I could today but I just had no grip out there. We now need to make sure we don’t rush into making too many changes to the car for the forthcoming races: we’ll take our time, refine things and sort out the problem with our car. The team has done a fantastic job though: they really have been working night and day with the same determination and drive as ever. This is clearly going to be a challenging year for us, but I have no doubts that we’ll bounce back.”

COMMENTS

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“At the risk of stating the obvious, today's qualifying session was a pretty disappointing one for us. Having said that, we didn't allow our pace yesterday to cause us to be unduly optimistic about our prospects for today and tomorrow, simply because we’d been aware for some time that our car wouldn’t perform particularly well on the Istanbul Park circuit’s higher-speed corners. Even so, with hindsight, perhaps we should have run Option tyres for Heikki’s second run in Q2 – some drivers did so and went faster as a result. On the other hand, other drivers stayed on Primes for their second Q2 runs and posted quick times on them. The fact is that, such is the level of competitiveness all through the field in modern-day Formula 1, it’s very difficult to get into Q3 if your car is in any way sub-optimal.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“A poor result which reveals our weakness in fast sections. Whilst we are with the frontrunners in the final sector, with its long straight and tight corners, we lost more than a second around the rest of the circuit. It looked better yesterday, but today we have to accept the reality. We all need to work very hard to make sure that our level of competitiveness will improve sooner rather than later and that we come back to where we used to be.”





Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Istanbul, Turkey, Jun 05, 2009

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
- MP4-24-03
P1 programme
- 20 laps
- 1m29.590s (10th)

Evaluating the latest series of aero modifications (additions to the front wing and the rear floor), Heikki started the programme on a set of Options (after his initial set of Primes were removed with a loose valve). He completed two runs (five laps/1m31.076s best and two laps/1m31.686s) before switching to a set of Primes to carry out a four lap run at the end of the session (1m29.263s best). The morning was largely spent refining the balance as Heikki felt the set-up required some improvement before he was completely comfortable.


Heikki said: “At the start of the session, the track was very green and it was quite hard to stay on the road – particularly in the opening corners. At first, the car was quite difficult to drive but we worked hard during the session and I think we found a very good balance.”

P2 programme
- 37 laps
- 1m28.841s (1st)

Lunchtime changes improved handling and locking and Heikki declared himself pleased with the balance after an opening five-lap run on Primes (1m29.803s). Another short run (three laps/1m28.841s) was followed by a longer run (eight laps/1m29.882s) – both on Primes. Two final runs were carried out on Options (two laps/1m29.550s and seven laps/1m30.427s). Despite being affected by an ongoing issue with his brake balance system, Heikki set the fastest time of the day and concluded that his car felt in good shape for the remainder of the grand prix weekend.

“The most important thing is that the car is working fine – and the balance is surprisingly good,” Heikki said. “I think we’ve made another step forward so everybody in the team can be pleased about today. I still think it will be a tough fight to get into the top 10 tomorrow, but we’ll be trying the maximum to improve overnight so that we can join the fight. Overall, it’s very encouraging that we have made another step forward.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-24-04
P1 programme
- 23 laps
- 1m28.952s (2nd)

A busy and productive first session. Starting on a green track, Lewis nonetheless quickly got down to business during three timed runs (a fourth was cut short by the late-session red flag). Running on Prime tyres throughout, Lewis completed runs of five laps/1m30.247s best, four laps/1m29.319s and four laps/1m29.263s.

“The track was very slippery this morning, particularly in the first sector where several cars were sliding around a lot,” said Lewis. “But we had a very good session, I was very satisfied with the car: it felt good to drive. More encouragingly, I could also feel a subtle improvement from the new parts we tested today. A good start to our weekend.”

P2 programme
- 31 laps
- 1m29.435s (13th)

Carrying on with a typical Friday afternoon tyre comparison session, Lewis ran a brief run on Primes to confirm between-session mechanical changes (two laps/1m29.435s) before completing two longer runs on Options (eight laps each – 1m29.810s and 1m29.450s). Adapting to rear stability issues, Lewis lost the back of the car at the exit of Turn One and later out-braked himself into Turn 12 during his final run on the Prime (two laps/1m29.887s). Nonetheless, the subtle mechanical and aerodynamic improvements made to MP4-24 for this race look promising.

Lewis said: “Before we arrived here, we thought we’d probably have the same sort of pace that we had in Barcelona, but it seems like we’re a little bit faster than we anticipated. I had a couple of spins this afternoon – but that just proves I was pushing hard! We have a little instability on the exit of some corners but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the pace of the car today. The guys back at the factory have worked hard to give us this improvement; now we’ll keep on working and trying to improve the car and hope that tomorrow is an even better day for us.”

COMMENTS

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“A good effort by Heikki today, who was quickest despite having a very frustrating two sessions. This morning, he had a valve problem with his tyres so had to switch sets at the last minute, which interrupted his programme. And this afternoon, he had a problem with his brake balance sensor. Despite all this, he conducted his full programme and made reasonable progress over his long runs.

“Lewis concentrated on a tyre comparison and set-up programme. I think we possibly went in a few wrong directions this afternoon, so we’re comfortable with the pace we’ve achieved. There’s still a lot of work left to do to optimise the car, but hopefully we can continue the strong progress we started today

“It’s always nice to see you’ve set the quickest time of the day. The reality is that the timesheets don’t lie – our aim for tomorrow is to hopefully get both cars into the final session of qualifying. That’s our realistic goal.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“Today was a productive test day for us. The laptimes seem to be closer than ever with just over seven tenths of a second separating Heikki in first from 16th place in the rankings. Our laptimes during this afternoon’s race simulations looked not bad and hopefully we can make another step forward tomorrow and start from a good position on the grid for Sunday’s race.”










Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Jun 05, 2009 - The environmental compatibility of the E-Class is just as outstanding as its safety, comfort and economy, as has now been confirmed by the neutral examiners at TÜV Süd. The E-Class will receive the sought-after environmental certificate according to ISO standard 14062 on "International Environment Day 2009". This award honours the commitment of the Daimler group to comprehensive environmental protection, which is firmly embedded in the operating guidelines for the entire corporation. The environmental certificate is based on an exhaustive eco-balance for the E-Class, in which every environment-related aspect is assessed and documented. In addition to this model series, the models in the A, B, C and S-Class have already received environmental certification from TÜV Süd. Last month the GLK was the first Mercedes-Benz SUV to receive this coveted award.


International Environment Day commemorates the opening of the United Nations Environmental Protection Conference in Stockholm on 5 June 1972. The motto for Environment Day 2009, which is being marked by numerous campaigns and events, is "Environmental protection - for our health".

In the development, environmental certification of the E-Class involved the examination of more than 40,000 individual, environment-related processes, which were analysed, quantified and assessed to produce an all-round eco-profile. This profile forms the basis for the environmental certificate granted by TÜV Süd. For the E-Class - as in the case of all the other certificated Mercedes-Benz model series - this work began with the environmentally compatible product development process known as "Design for Environment" (DfE). Integrating "DfE" into the development process ensured that all environment-related aspects were already taken into account during the very earliest development phase. Special "DfE" teams made up of engineers from a wide range of specialist departments ensured compliance with the declared environmental aims, for example in the areas of eco-balancing, disassembly and recycling planning, materials and process engineering, design and production.

Chief Environmental Officer of Daimler AG, Professor Herbert Kohler:
"Daimler AG is an environment-oriented automobile company, and therefore considers itself to have particular responsibilities in this regard. We analyse the environmental compatibility of our models over their entire lifecycle - from production and many years of use right up to eventual recycling and disposal. This goes well beyond the legal requirements. These analyses not only provide the basic data for the environmental certification of the E-Class, for at the same time these detailed studies reveal further potentials which are used intensively in our research and development work".

Public access to the Environmental Certificate and its details is available in the "Life Cycle" documentation series at www.mercedes-benz.com .

Environmental compatibility improved versus the preceding model series
Considering the entire lifecycle of the E-Class from production and 250,000 kilometres of operation to final disposal, the new model produces 14 percent fewer CO2 emissions than its predecessor at the time of market launch in 2002. With respect to total nitrogen oxide emissions the E-Class is even more advantageous, as the reduction compared to the preceding model is no less than 20 percent. This is primarily due to the new engines with their significantly lower nitrogen oxide emissions. The overall energy balance is also positive, for over the entire lifecycle is has been possible to make 13 percent primary energy savings versus the preceding model. This corresponds to the energy contained in 3200 litres of petrol.

Comprehensive environmental concept making consistent use of recycled and renewable raw materials

The E-Class already meets the prescribed recycling rate of 95 percent by weight which becomes mandatory from 1 January 2015. Even during the development phase, great attention was already paid to materials segregation and ease of disassembly for certain thermoplastic components such as the bumpers, wheel arches and the side member, underbody and engine compartment claddings. All in all, 43 components with a total weight of 41.5 kilograms are made from recycled, high-quality plastics. This is an increase of 80 percent in the weight of approved recycled components compared to the preceding model. Another aim was to obtain recycled materials from vehicle-related waste flows as far as possible, so as to create closed loops. Example: the recycled material used for the front wheel arches consists of reprocessed vehicle components such as the housings of starter batteries and bumper claddings from the Mercedes-Benz Recycling System, as well as waste material from cockpit production.

44 components in the E-Class with a total weight of around 21 kilograms are produced using natural materials. The boot flooring is made from a cellular cardboard structure, for example, and for fuel tank ventilation the engineers at Mercedes have also opted for a natural material. Coke obtained from olives is used as an activated charcoal filter. This open-pored material absorbs hydrocarbon emissions, and the filter regenerates itself automatically during vehicle operation. Renewable raw materials also play an important part in the production of the seat upholstery fabrics: around 25 percent of their content is pure sheep's wool. This natural material has distinct comfort advantages over synthetic fibres, for wool not only has very good electrostatic properties, but also absorbs moisture more effectively, with resulting positive effects on seating comfort at high temperatures.

Less is more: the new engines of the E-Class

Three completely newly developed four-cylinder diesel engines secure a leading position for the E-Class where environmental compatibility in day-to-day operations is concerned. These engines feature latest-generation common-rail direct injection, fast piezo-electric injectors and efficient exhaust gas recirculation.

The E 250 CDIBlueEFFICIENCY with 150 kW/204 hp and 500 newton metres develops 25 percent more torque than the comparable preceding model with a V6 diesel engine, but consumes around 23 percent less fuel at 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres* (139 g CO2/km). The new diesel engine generation also powers the E 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with 100 kW/136 hp and the E 220 CDIBlueEFFICIENCY with 125 kW/170 hp, both of which likewise consume 5.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres*.

The diesel range is headed by the six-cylinder E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with an output of 170 kW/231 hp, which consumes 0.5 litres less fuel per 100 kilometres than the preceding top diesel model. Autumn 2009 will see the introduction of the E 350 BlueTEC, which features the world's best emissions control based on SCR technology. In this case an aqueous urea solution is used to reduce the nitrogen oxides. The 155 kW/211 hp version already meets the EU6 emission standard planned for 2014. All the other engine variants in the E-Class comply with the EU5 standard.

Mercedes-Benz equips the BlueEFFICIENCY petrol models E 200 CGI and E 250 CGI with the newly developed four-cylinder direct-injection engine with a displacement of 1.8 litres, turbocharging and variable intake and exhaust camshafts. The E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY (135 kW/184 hp) is equipped with the ECOstart/stop function as standard, and consumes only 6.8 litres of premium petrol per 100 kilometres*. This equates to 159 grams of CO2 per kilometre. The E 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY (150 kW/204 hp), which has an automatic transmission as standard, develops a maximum torque of 310 newton metres and consumes 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres*. This corresponds to 174 grams of CO2 per kilometre. The engine range also includes the E 350 CGIBlueEFFICIENCY with direct petrol injection (215 kW/292 hp) and the top-of-the-line E 500 (285 kW/388 hp) with a V8 unit.

*combined NEDC consumption

The low Cd value of 0.25 – which makes the E-Class the world's most aerodynamically efficient luxury saloon – also helps to lower fuel consumption. This value is four percent lower than that of the preceding model, which in practical terms means that at a motorway speed of 130 km/h, there is a fuel saving of around 0.25 litres per 100 kilometres. The aerodynamics have for example, been improved by an automatically controlled radiator shutter, which regulates the airflow into the engine compartment as required.

Changing annual motto for "International Environment Day"

To commemorate the opening of the United Nations Environmental Protection Conference in Stockholm on 5 June 1972, the UN has declared 5 June "Environment Day". Germany has officially recognised this date since 1976, following a decision by the conference of federal and state environmental ministers. To mark Environment Day, all government and municipal bodies, companies, environmental associations and other organisations are called upon to arrange events in line with the current motto which promote environmental awareness.

Further information is available at www.umweltbundesamt.de .

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Jun 04, 2009

- BAA Airport London Gatwick relies on Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 500 for winter-service fleet – now operates a total of 12 of these vehicles

- First six Unimog vehicles already on hand coped extremely well with severe snow in February

- Heathrow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen also count on the flexible, all-wheel-drive implement carrier

- Snowplough and towed airport sweeper keep runways open


Long, hard winters tend be the exception in Great Britain. But on the rare occasions when they do occur, the unexpectedly heavy snow and widespread icy conditions – like those of February 2009 – represent a major headache for the people whose job it is to keep transport services operating. But not for David Charman, responsible for airside safety at London Gatwick Airport. He has had several Mercedes-Benz Unimog vehicles in his fleet for the past five years and was able to count on them to keep the airport moving during February's snow.

In the light of this experience, it was all the easier to make the decision to change over the entire winter-service fleet to Mercedes-Benz Unimog vehicles. The first two of another six Unimog U 500 vehicles have now been handed over to London Gatwick Airport by Mark Hopkins, Head of Unimog Sales at Mercedes-Benz UK. In addition to its Gatwick fleet, airport operator BAA also uses Unimog U 500 vehicles at Heathrow (ten vehicles), Edinburgh (eight) and Aberdeen (six vehicles) as flexible implement carriers for many different tasks.

"In the peak season we have up to 60 take-offs and landings an hour here at Gatwick and up to 1000 aircraft movements every day", says Charman. "If flights are delayed or, worse still, cancelled because of snow or ice on the runway, the costs incurred are considerable and, of course, our customers aren't happy. That's why it's important for us to have winter-service vehicles we know we can rely on one hundred percent".

Equipped with snowploughs and towed airport sweepers, the Unimog vehicles operate in a staggered echelon formation to free the runway from snow extremely rapidly so that aircraft movements can continue. David Charman adds: "Gatwick was the only airport in southern England to get through last winter without any closures, and our Unimog fleet deserves much of the credit." Other implements for use with the Unimog vehicles include a snow cutter, a sprayer unit for runway de-icing and a loading crane for infrastructure work.

Additional airport applications for the Unimog

The same implement-carrying capability which allows the U300 – U500 Unimog model series to provide professional winter-service cover with snowploughs, snow cutters and sweeper-blower units also means that these vehicles lend themselves to other airport duties, too. With a PTO shaft, power hydraulics and working gears, the Unimog can be used as a large-surface mower, for example, with a working width of some 6 metres. Regular mowing prevents birds from nesting on the airfield and so reduces the risk of bird strikes during take-off and landing.

Equipped with a front-mounted sweeper, the Unimog cleans aprons and taxiways. When this unit is removed, a permanent magnet beam can be attached to the front mounting plate in order to keep the runway and apron free of foreign metal objects, thereby contributing to aircraft safety. The Unimog's ability to operate year-round with different implements increases its cost-effectiveness and the flexibility of the vehicle fleet.



Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Jun 04, 2009

Three newly developed engines with direct injection will make the Mercedes-Benz C-Class even more efficient. They raise performance and driving enjoyment to a new level, while demonstrating exemplary economy and environmental compatibility.


The new engines impress with a low fuel consumption, and therefore exemplary environmental compatibility, while delivering a high output and therefore outstanding driving pleasure. The new C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY saloon, the most efficient C-Class ever, generates 125 kW/170 hp and a torque of 400 Nm from a displacement of 2143 cubic centimetres. This accelerates the saloon from standstill to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds, yet the combined fuel consumption is only 4.8 litres of diesel per 100 km (corresponding to CO2 emissions of 127 g/km) - the best figure in this category.

The newly developed four-cylinder in the C 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY also uses direct injection. It achieves 150 kW/204 hp and offers 310 newton metres of torque. The saloon requires 7.4 seconds for the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h with the new petrol engine. The combined consumption amounts to 7.2 litres per 100 km (CO2 emissions 168 g/km).

Key technical data for the new C-Class models

The new model variants of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are available as both saloon and estate models.

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Jun 03, 2009

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class takes first place in its segment in the latest ADAC breakdown statistics. According to surveys carried out by the largest European automobile club, this makes it the most reliable car in the medium class.


The breakdown statistics are based on the practical, day-to-day experiences of
the breakdown assistance personnel from the ADAC, Europe's largest automobile club. These statistics, which are published every year, therefore reflect what actually happens and provide solid information about the reliability of specific vehicle models. For the latest, extensive collation of data, cars first registered between 2003 and 2008 (of which at least 10,000 were registered each year) which had suffered a breakdown for technical reasons were recorded. Among all medium-class cars, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class proved to be the least susceptible to breakdowns.

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.