OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Geneva debut for “Mercedes-Benz Style”: Mercedes-Benz takes off – in the Eurocopter EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style
Stuttgart/Geneva, Germany/Switzerland, May 04, 2010 – Comfortable seats with exclusive materials coupled with sumptuous wood for the floors and ceiling. The interior of the special edition EC145Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter by Eurocopter, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), has all the style and luxury one would expect from a Mercedes-Benz car. The interior space has been styled by Mercedes-Benz designers. This EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style is the first product in the new Mercedes-Benz Style range. Eurocopter and Mercedes-Benz will be jointly unveiling this luxury model for business and private travel on May 4, 2010 at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition 2010 in Geneva.
Professor h.c. Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes-Benz: "Eurocopter and Mercedes-Benz are a perfect match. Both are renowned for groundbreaking innovation and trend-setting products. We are delighted to join Eurocopter in unveiling the first product of our new division “Mercedes-Benz Style”. The interior of the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style, conceived in a styling project led by the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy, bears all the hallmarks and passion of Mercedes-Benz style.
The seat upholstery in the cockpit and cabin is available in deluxe materials and a range of colours. A choice of elegant woods can provide luxury underfoot. This overall impression of elegance and style is complemented by a stylish arrangement of wood panels for the ceilings. Ambient lighting borrowed from the E- and S-Class cars can be adjusted and dimmed in various colours.
Multi-functional and fully configurable
But the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style is not just luxurious; it's also spacious and extremely flexible. It is the only helicopter in its class that can seat up to eight passengers. For the cabin layout, Mercedes-Benz opted for a modular approach inspired by its new R-Class range. All seats are mounted on rails and can be quickly and easily reconfigured or removed to make room for luggage. There are also three multi-function boxes with features such as a cool box, cup holder, table, 15-inch monitor and DVD player. The interior offers supreme flexibility for both business and private travel: in the partition wall which separates the cockpit from the cabin, extra storage space is provided by drawers.
Mercedes-Benz has made multi-purpose storage a feature of the tail as well. Whether it's golf clubs for a day on the links with business partners or bikes and surfboards for a family holiday, the high-capacity luggage compartment has numerous attachment points on the floor and walls.
The partition between the cabin and the cockpit has fully retractable windows. Just like the R-Class car that inspired it, the Eurocopter EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style is the most versatile and spacious model in its class.
"Eurocopter’s cooperation with Mercedes-Benz brings together the world’s leading producer of corporate and business helicopters with the automobile manufacturer that sets global standards for luxury and style,” said Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Customer Relations. “By combining the expertise of both companies, we are uniting creativity, performance and precision engineering to giving the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style its exceptional character and unmistakable personality."
About “Mercedes-Benz Style”
The designers at Mercedes-Benz will also be styling other products in future, in addition to creating classic automotive designs. The portfolio of the newly established "Mercedes-Benz Style" division will comprise not only transport-related products, but also furniture and lifestyle products, and also industrial design. “Mercedes-Benz Style” encompasses contract work, for which the styling rights are sold to the product manufacturer, and the granting of styling licences.
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