The C-Class as trendsetter in powertrain engineering

The 201 model series was of key importance for the introduction of new internal combustion engines and the testing of drive configurations � a tradition that all subsequent C-Class model series continued seamlessly. It was not just internal combustion engines that won their place in the history of technology in this way. Alternative drives were also tested in the various model series of the Mercedes-Benz compact class. These systems made the vehicles pioneers in forward-looking mobility.

Modern-era diesel drive systems

One of the main reasons behind the success of model series 201 from 1983 onwards were the then newly developed diesel engines with four (OM 601) or five (OM 602) cylinders. They all had the characteristics of a modern compression-ignition drive system � low fuel consumption, low emissions, lower friction losses, low noise emissions � yet they offered a higher engine output and more torque. The turbocharged variant of the OM 602 also successfully dispelled the image that diesel vehicles were ponderous affairs: it propelled the 190 D 2.5 Turbo launched in 1986 from 0 to 100 km/h in just 11.5 seconds.

Another famous feature was the encapsulation of the diesel engines in the 201 model series to reduce noise emissions. This led to the vehicles being given the nickname �whisper diesel�. This sound-minimising package was a key factor behind the diesel engine�s successful march towards greater acceptance and higher volumes.

Model series 202 was then made ready for a big premiere: at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) in September 1997, Mercedes-Benz ushered in a new era by introducing the first passenger car diesel engine with common-rail injection. The OM 611 in the C 220 CDI was the first engine to be based on this principle, which revolutionised diesel drive and remains the preferred injection concept for compression-ignition engines to this day. It makes the diesel engine even more economical and can be developed even more exactly to ensure low emissions. The Mercedes-Benz abbreviation �CDI� became synonymous with efficient drive systems. From 2003 onwards, all diesel engines in C-Class model series 203 were based on the common-rail principle.

C-Class model series 204 marked another big premiere at the end of 2008: the OM 651 engine, which combined the latest technology with high output, high torque, low fuel consumption and low emissions. It was even later used in the S-Class, making this the first luxury-class vehicle to feature a four-cylinder engine. The engineers enjoyed installing the OM 651 in a test vehicle � a W 201 model from 1982 � firstly to emphasise its role as a pioneer in diesel technology and secondly to underline the progress made in developing the compression-ignition engine over a period of 25 years.

Powering ahead with petrol engines

�Business as usual� � this motto initially applied to the petrol engines for model series 201. The engines had already featured in other Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The four-valve version of the M 102, which premiered in the 190 E 2.3-16 model in 1983, caused a sensation: not only was it the first series-produced petrol engine with four valves for a Mercedes-Benz passenger car, it also proved a success by being installed in some 19,487 vehicles. This engine became the basis for further production development of four-valve engines that have now long been the technological norm.

In 1995, the Mercedes-Benz designers remembered the legendary supercharged engines with belt-driven supercharger. The renaissance of this technology in passenger cars began with the 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine M 111, which had its production premiere in the C 230 Kompressor at the 1995 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The engine was around a fifth more economical than a similarly powered naturally aspirated engine. This technology allowed high torque with low fuel consumption and low emissions.

At the other end of the power spectrum, the C 43 AMG was unveiled in 1997. It was the first vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz compact class to feature a V8 engine. An output of 225 kW (306 hp) speaks for itself � in the language of AMG, Mercedes-Benz�s performance brand. The C 63 AMG model (204 model series) impressively continued this tradition from 2007 onwards. Its 6.2-litre V8 engine (M 156) remains the largest-displacement and highest-torque engine in a compact-class vehicle to this day.

Electric drive in model series 201 and 202

It was not just internal-combustion engines that continued to set trends in the Mercedes-Benz compact class. Alternative drive systems did too, pointing a way ahead for the automotive industry. A test car based on model series 201 was presented at the Hanover show�s innovation market in 1990 and the Geneva Motor Show in 1991. It featured two permanent magnet excited electric motors fed by sodium/nickel chloride batteries, each of which had an output of 16 kW (22 hp) and was used to drive one rear wheel. One key advantage of this design was the omission of weight-intensive mechanical components. The vehicle paved the way for further developments in electric drive systems.

Between 1992 and 1996, a road test involving 60 passenger cars and vans made by various manufacturers was conducted on the island of R�gen. Several Mercedes-Benz vehicles took part in the four-year test, including 10 passenger cars from the 201 model series with various electric motor/battery combinations. One of these vehicles was used particularly intensively, and clocked up an annual mileage of 100,000 kilometres on the island.

Seven of the electric 190 models weighing around 1,400 kilograms each had a sodium-nickel-chloride high-temperature battery, were used for testing various asynchronous engines and achieved a range of around 110 kilometres. Thanks to the torque characteristics of the drive system, no transmission was required. Three of the test vehicles with synchronous drive system featured nickel-cadmium batteries with a range of around 40 kilometres; these were equipped with a standard manual transmission. All of the vehicles were fitted with two batteries � one at the front and one in the boot � which were connected using heavy-duty cables in view of the peak currents of up to 400 A. The vehicles were charged at special filling stations with solar collectors to ensure systematic testing of the environmental credentials.

An electric vehicle with an asynchronous motor developing 35 kW (48 hp) and a range of around 110 kilometres, based on model series 202, was then exhibited at the 1993 Frankfurt International Motor Show. This vehicle featured powerful ZEBRA high-energy batteries; the acronym stands for �Zero-Emission Battery Research Activities�. One special feature of this vehicle was the innovative positioning of the batteries and powertrain components which. thanks to their size and installation locations, ensured spaciousness on a par with the standard saloon. Also on display at the Frankfurt International Motor Show were two early research vehicles with hybrid drive based on model series 202: one with a parallel hybrid drive, the other with a serial hybrid drive. Both provided key information for the introduction of hybrid technology into production at Mercedes-Benz several years later.

Model series 201 and 202 were therefore technology pioneers used for the early testing of electric and hybrid drive systems in passenger cars. This pioneering spirit lived on in all subsequent Mercedes-Benz vehicles with forward-looking drive systems, whether test vehicles or ultimately production vehicles.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright � 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Red Dot Award Communication Design 2013: Award for Mercedes-Benz design book

The illustrated book "Mercedes-Benz DESIGN Exterieur" published on the occasion of the world premiere of the new S-Class is recipient of the coveted red dot award: communication design 2013. The decision was made by a jury of 24 design experts from 13 countries, who judged a total of more than 6400 works. In the view of the jury the 220-page book is distinguished by "outstanding creative achievements".

The volume, produced by ISS DEBEOS STUDIOS,Sindelfingen, is the first book which concerns itself in detail with the current Mercedes-Benz design philosophy and interprets the design idiom of the cars. Taking the latest models as examples the authors show the basic design features that characterise every Mercedes-Benz. Thus, for the first time the illustrated book affords deep insights into the "stylistic gene pool" of the car brand and explains how typical design elements continuously evolve.

The new S-Class is the focus of the book. The luxury saloon is regarded as the model for a new design style with which Mercedes-Benz will give themselves a noticeably more emotional look. In another large chapter the book's authors devote themselves to the history of Mercedes-Benz design.

The illustrated book is available in the Mercedes-Benz Museum Shop (www.mercedes-benz-classic-store.com) or from ISS DEBEOS STUDIOS (www.iss-debeos-studios.de), in German and English, for 98 euros (plus shipping charges).

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright � 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

31.6 million US$: auction record price for Mercedes-Benz type W 196 R Silver Arrow

At the �Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale� conducted by British auction house Bonhams on 12 July 2013, all eyes turned to lot number 320: a Mercedes-Benz type W 196 R Grand Prix racing car � an original grand prix car of Juan Manuel Fangio dating from 1954 and to date the only post-war Silver Arrow in private ownership. The hammer fell at 17.5 Million GBP � a record price for an auction car. The vehicle was sold to a so far unidentified telephone bidder who effectively pays 20,896,800 GBP (about 31.6 million US$) including due premiums.

�The result of the auction just goes to show the exceptionally high level of respect enjoyed by historical Mercedes-Benz vehicles among collectors�, said Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. �We would like to congratulate the unidentified bidder on their purchase and will be only too happy to lend them support � if they so wish � during the next stages of their acquisition.�

In total there are only 10 examples of the 14 vehicles which were previously built of this model still in existence: six W 196 R models belong to the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection, a further three vehicles are in museums in Turin, Vienna and Indianapolis; and the vehicle which was put up for auction in Goodwood, with chassis number 006/54. This vehicle already was the only remaining original Silver Arrow from the post-war period which is in private ownership.

It was at the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow type W 196 R with chassis number 006/54 that Juan Manuel Fangio won the German and Swiss Grand Prix races in 1954. With these victories Fangio laid the foundations for his first Formula 1 World Championship title with Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, the Stuttgart-based brand also celebrated a triumphant return to the sport of Grand Prix with the W 196 R in 1954 .

Prior to the auction, experts from Mercedes-Benz Classic carried out extensive checks on the Silver Arrow, which was donated by the then Daimler-Benz AG to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu (England) in 1973 and sold by the museum 1980, as part of a manufacturer�s expert report . Based on these detailed checks and the full set of documentation compiled by Mercedes-Benz Classic, the brand historians produced a detailed expert�s report confirming the vehicle�s originality and authenticity. �Our expert�s report means that the new owner need have no uncertainties whatsoever about this racing car�, said Michael Bock. �It fully and unequivocally confirms the history and originality of the vehicle.� The fact that Mercedes-Benz Classic provides such a high level of expertise for collectors and fans of the brand�s historical cars adds to the positive trend in the value of Mercedes-Benz classic vehicles.

Did you know?
The history of the S-Class is the subject of a special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum which runs until 3 November 2013.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright � 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.