After months of silence, the 2013 GL-Class has been finally spotted. It is obvious the pictured prototype lost some of its camouflage and it now reveals more details regarding the general design. As expected, the headlights will resemble those on the new M-Class and sport an elegant teardrop shape. Optionally, the car can be equipped with the LED Intelligent Lighting System, which further enhances the looks, but also improves visibility and safety. Nothing to worry about the side profile, as the current muscular, truck-like form will be retained with minor changes. The back end is on the trail of becoming one of the most elegant seen in the Mercedes-Benz SUV lineup, as those tail lamps will certainly catch many eyes due to the intriguing inner design made up of colourful light-emitting diods. Inside, the same story as for the front end, as the dashboard and the technology will come straight from the recently revealed ML. The latest assistance gimmicks as well as the revolutionary ON & OFF-ROAD Package will help ensure for better dynamics and handling and, above all, for the highest level of passenger security in the segment. When it's launched during the summer of 2012, the new GL-Class will boast an efficient and powerful range of petrol and diesel engine, such as the 3.5-litre DI V6 with 306 hp or the 4.7-litre TT V8 with 435 hp. The AMG variant is also taken into account, as several prototype have already been seen on streets; if the future GL 63 AMG comes to life sometime in 2013, then it could be powered by the 5.5-litre biturbo V8 engine with no less 571 hp of maximum output and 900 Nm of peak torque.
Check out more photos after the jump!
Photos: Carscoop
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix will be a race of anniversaries, including 100 Grands Prix for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver Nico Rosberg and 200 for the Mercedes-powered 2009 World Champion Jenson Button. But it will also mark a technological milestone for the sport, as the 2.4 litre V8 engine, competes in its 100th race. Here’s a summary of what the engine has achieved since its very first appearance at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix…
What has been the history of the 2.4 litre V8 engine since it was introduced in 2006?
Although the engine architecture and capacity has remained the same for the past five and a half seasons, the V8 engine has been operated under a wide variety of regulations. In 2006, development was free, although the engine had to last for two race weekends. For 2007, the engine was homologated (the start of the ‘frozen’ era) and had to last for two race weekends only including Saturday and Sunday - teams were free to use a different engine on Friday, to encourage them to run during practice, and ran to a maximum rev limit of 19,000 rpm. These rules remained in force for the 2008 season. Since the start of 2009, each driver has been able to call on a pool of eight engines for the entire season, and the maximum engine speed has been fixed at 18,000 rpm. In both the 2009 and 2011 seasons, the engine was also adapted to incorporate the KERS hybrid system.
What are the basic specifications of the engine?
The 2011 engine is codenamed FO108Y and is designed and developed by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines in Brixworth, UK. It has a maximum capacity of 2.4 litres, while its architecture is fixed at eight cylinders in a ‘V’ configuration, with a bank angle of 90 degrees. The engine’s minimum weight is fixed by regulation at 95 kg, and it develops over 750 bhp.
How much mileage does the V8 engine now do?
Since the start of the 2006 season, the Mercedes-Benz V8 engine has completed a total of 102,427 race kilometres – 89% of the possible total. Under the 2006 rules, each individual engine had a life of around 1,000 km, while each engine now completes approximately 2,000 km.
How many wins has the Mercedes-Benz V8 engine taken?
The most successful season for the engine was in 2009, when it took a total of 10 race wins (59% of the season total), 10 pole positions and five fastest laps – as well as both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. The least successful season was in 2006, when the engine won no races. Since the engine was homologated for the start of the 2007 season, it has taken a total of 32 wins from 81 races - a winning percentage of 40%.
What other statistics has the engine accumulated?
In its 99 races so far, the engine has achieved 30 pole positions, 25 fastest laps and a total of 94 podium finishes with four teams - MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, McLaren-Mercedes, Brawn GP and Force India.
Has the engine achieved any particular milestones?
The Mercedes-Benz V8 was the first engine to score three race wins with one engine: in 2009, Jenson Button used engine FW049-01 to win races in Bahrain, Spain and Monaco. The unit went on to be used for Friday practice in Germany and Hungary, accumulating a total of 2,016 km. It also scored two pole positions (Spain and Monaco) and spent 72% of its racing laps in the lead. In the same season, engine FW058-01, used by Lewis Hamilton, also became the first hybrid-equipped engine in Formula One history to win a race, at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
* Official photos and details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The history of Mercedes-Benz began with the birth of the automobile 125 years ago – an anniversary which is being celebrated at various events this year. “Mercedes-Benz Classic is marking what was a defining moment in the both the history of engineering and the broader social context. An invention that continues to influence the world to this day – as demonstrated at the Schloss Dyck Classic Days 2011”, notes Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH.“I am particularly delighted that Jutta Benz, great-granddaughter of Bertha and Carl Benz will be attending the event in this anniversary year.” The event will take place in Jüchen in the Rhine district of Neuss on 6 and 7 August 2011. Mercedes-Benz Classic will be celebrating the invention of the automobile at this event with an exhibition of automotive milestones from the company’s own collection. Another focus of the event is Juan Manuel Fangio, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year.
More on this topic >> HERE
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The third of the 2011 season’s four sets of back-to-back races continues this weekend in Budapest with Round 11 of the Formula One World Championship, the Hungarian Grand Prix, taking place at the Hungaroring.
• The Hungarian Grand Prix will be the 100th race for the Mercedes 2.4 litre V8 engine.
• The Hungarian Grand Prix has been won from pole position just once in the past five years (Hamilton in 2007).
• Ten of the Hungaroring’s14 corners are taken at 155 kph or below.
• The average lap speed of 196 kph is the lowest of any permanent circuit on the calendar.
Michael Schumacher
“We have had two home races in a row now, and Hungary too feels like it is linked with me in a way. I will obviously never forget that I won one of my world titles there, and I always enjoyed the support of a lot of fans travelling to Budapest. Ideally we can help them enjoy their weekend, and I am hopeful we can as we have seen some progress lately with our car. I am impressed with the effort the team and the guys back in England are constantly putting into it and it is good to see developments. I am looking forward to travelling there.”
Nico Rosberg
“Hungary will be my 100th Grand Prix which seems crazy when my father completed 114 races over his whole career. It’s a nice number but statistics aren’t that important to me. I’m looking forward to the weekend in Budapest as I like the Hungaroring very much, and I’m hoping for a better time than in 2010 when unfortunately I didn’t finish the race. We need to work on our race set-up to see what improvements we can make as the car that I had in qualifying in Germany was better than the one that I had in the race. I’m sure we can do it and take another small step forward.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal
“An extremely busy few weeks for the team come to a conclusion with the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest next weekend, before the well-deserved break of the summer shutdown gives the opportunity to recharge the batteries. The Hungaroring is renowned for being a technically challenging track and it will be very useful for us to gain further experience of our latest developments there. It’s not a track where overtaking has been easy in the past, so it will be interesting to see how the combined effect of DRS and KERS improves the possibilities this year. Our recent performances in Silverstone and Germany have been encouraging, although the pace is still not there to compete with the front-running teams, and we will keep working hard to continue to find improvements.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“The Hungarian GP can be described as a medium-speed challenge, with 40 per cent of the lap spent in corners at or below 150 kph. The 70-lap race is long and demanding, and usually held in very hot conditions – which would make a pleasant change after the past two race weekends! Our aim in Budapest will be to take some positive momentum into the summer break. The Hungarian Grand Prix will also mark the 100th race for the Mercedes-Benz 2.4 litre V8 engine since its introduction at the start of 2006: in the 99 races so far, our V8 has taken a total of 32 wins.”
* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-26A-03
- Started: 2nd
- Finished: 1st
- Fastest lap: 1m34.302s (1st)
- Pitstops: Three: laps 16, 31 and 50 (Op-Op-Op-Pri)
- 2011 points: 134 (3rd) “Every win is special - but with all the emotion, effort and energy the team put into today’s victory, this one feels even more special than usual.
“Coming into this weekend, I said I’d take things one race at a time. So to win today is massively positive for us, but there’s a long way to go and it’ll be about consistency as well as speed from here on in.
“Driving lap after lap within tenths of each other was about trying to do everything as perfectly as possible – yet, being aggressive yet controlled, I felt the moves I made today were some of the most precise I’ve ever pulled off.
“Being able to drive with your head as well as your heart, and getting it just right, is massively satisfying.
“The fight for the world championship will be very, very, very hard now. We’re back in the fight though, and I really hope we can carry this forward and keep the momentum going.”
JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-26A-04
- Started: 7th
- Finished: Ret – 35 laps, hydraulic issue
- Fastest lap: 1m36.258s (+1.956 s, 9th)
- Pitstops: One: lap 24 (Op-Op)
- 2011 points: 109 (5th)
“First, I’d like to congratulate Lewis on a fantastic victory this afternoon. He’s done a great job all weekend and this result gives everyone in the team a massive boost ahead of next weekend’s race in Hungary.
“As for my race, I had a terrible opening lap. I got too much wheelspin away from the line and had to fight my way back from 10th place. I got stuck behind Vitaly [Petrov], who was very difficult to pass because he moved a lot in the braking areas. But once I’d passed him, I enjoyed fighting back through the field.
“I’d just overtaken Nico [Rosberg] for sixth when my power steering started to get heavy. Soon after, we retired the car on safety grounds because we had a hydraulic issue. It was a very disappointing end, but these things sometimes happen in motor racing and you just have to put it behind you and move on.
“Already I’ve turned my attention to next weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, where I hope to have better luck. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes goes there on the back of a win and it’s my intention to be back on the podium for my 200th grand prix.”
MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“What can I say? Lewis was perfect in qualifying, and perfect in the race, and the result was perfect too.
“He made a brilliant start from the front row, storming past Mark [Webber] into the lead, and then nailed the first few laps.
“After that, the team made all the right strategy calls, and the pitcrew executed the pitstops faultlessly, under extreme pressure.
“It was a gripping race, real edge-of-the-seat stuff, with all three teams involved operating at the top of their form. When that happens, the victory is particularly hard-won – and mighty satisfying too. Believe me, this success will be celebrated loud and long in Nurburgring and Woking tonight – and in Brixworth and Stuttgart too, homes of Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, whose home Grand Prix this is. As always, their engine was superb today.
“Jenson had a difficult weekend, however, and his race ended prematurely today as a result of a hydraulic failure. He’ll be disappointed, inevitably, but he’s a magnificent team player, and a fabulous driver, and I’m sure he’ll bounce back in Budapest next weekend.
“As for Lewis, well, I reckon his 16th Grand Prix victory was one of his very best: a scintillatingly authoritative performance that all too clearly underlines what a fearsomely competitive individual he is.”
* Official photos and report courtesy of VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished their home race in seventh and eighth positions today as a chilly Nürburgring circuit hosted the German Grand Prix.
• Nico completed three stops today, on laps 14, 36, 53, running option/option/option/prim
• Michael completed three stops, on laps 15, 37, 56, running option/option/option/prime
• Michael’s spin on lap 23 cost him over 15 seconds before he began his recovery drive to eight place
• MERCEDES GP PETRONAS scored a total of ten points, equally the points haul from the last race at Silverstone
Nico Rosberg
“I had a good start to the race today and made up one position on the first lap to be running in fifth place. However I didn’t have a perfect set-up today and the car wasn’t working quite as well as in qualifying. I had some good battles with Massa but despite pushing hard, it was impossible to keep him behind me. Seventh place is ok but we know that we have some work to do to maximise our latest upgrades in the race. I have a great team behind me, both the engineers and the boys in the garage, so I am confident that we will do this and we will see what happens next week in Hungary.”
Michael Schumacher
“It was a pretty exciting race today with lots of action for both the spectators and the drivers. Hopefully everyone in the grandstands was entertained and it made up for the cold temperatures a little. My spin caught me by complete surprise, but that spot is known to be tricky in wet conditions, even if the conditions were not so wet today. Anyway, it obviously cost me some positions which was a shame. Towards the end, rain could have helped but the chances were low so I did not count on it. All in all, I am ok with the race. With the little improvements we have made, we can look forward to Hungary now.”
Ross Brawn
“Things looked pretty good for us in the early stages of the race, with Nico running strongly in the top six, and he seemed set for a top six finish. However, the pace was not there in the third stint, which cost him a position. As for Michael, we believe that he braked on a damp patch on the way into turn 10, which caused him to spin. After that, he drove a strong recovery to finish less than ten seconds behind Nico. We saw some good racing all through the field today, with our drivers involved in plenty of it, and scored a few more important points for our Championship position.”
Norbert Haug
“At least we scored points today with seventh and eighth positions for Nico and Michael. Our race speed was somewhat compromised as both Nico and Michael needed to save fuel for quite a long period of time. At the beginning of the race, our speed looked better relative to the pace of the top three teams than it did from one-third distance onwards.”
* Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
