SPECIAL THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND THE THE PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE NEW SLS AMG 2009 BUSINESS HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM MOSCOW CLASS G 55 AMG JOINING FORCES: COMFORT AND POWER E 63 AMG TREND MATTE PAINT’S BRIGHT AND SHINY FUTURE CONSISTENCY THE CONTOURS OF THE E 63 AMG ARE A DIRECT TESTAMENT TO ITS POTENTIAL. THIS IS A PACKAGE FULL OF POWER AND PASSION – BUILT TO LEAD THE FIELD AMG 2009 3 TEMPERAMENT 525 HORSEPOWER AND 630 NM TORQUE PRODUCE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE THAT CAN EVEN BE EXPRESSED IN NUMERICAL TERMS: FROM 0 TO 100 KM/H IN JUST 4.5 SECONDS AMG 2009 5 COMFORT ZONE EXCLUSIVE DETAIL- ING AND HIGH- CLASS MATERIALS ALLIED WITH THE ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED DAMPING SYSTEM – PERFECT QUALITIES FOR LONG-DIS- TANCE JOURNEYS AMG 2009 7 SAFETY AWARENESS FATIGUE ALERTS, NIGHT VISION ASSIST, HIGH BEAM ASSIST, TRACKING ASSIST AND BLIND SPOT ASSIST. TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR THE CAR OF THE FUTURE – JUST LIKE THE AUTOMATIC FULL BRAKE FUNCTION AMG 2009 9 AMG 2009 11 Numbers can reveal a lot. They can’t, and night vision assist, as well as a lower rpm, the new E 63 AMG achieves however, fully describe special charac- PRE-SAFE® brake system with automat- an average fuel consumption of just teristics on their own. With the calcula- ic full brake function – to name just a 12.6 liters per 100 km – a benchmark tions of its fiery temperament (525 HP, few features. in this performance class! 630 Nm torque) and impressive accel- eration values (from 0 to 100 km/h in Superior performance takes on an en- The new SLS AMG also promises a just 4.5 seconds), the new E 63 AMG tirely different dimension in the new range of new features. This edition of makes a truly overwhelming impres- Mercedes E 63 AMG. Its AMG SPEED- AMG Magazine aims to look at those sion. But it isn’t just these statistics SHIFT MCT 7-speed sports gearbox features, thereby providing exclusive that make the E 63 AMG so attractive. puts you in total control of the power- insight into the impressive technology ful eight-cylinder, 6.3-liter, all-purpose behind this fascinating Gullwing car. The new Mercedes-Benz E Class high-speed aspirated engine. Sport played a significant role in shaping the drivers can opt to shift manually on the Enjoy this preview of a new breed of personality of the E 63 AMG. This racetrack, while driving enthusiasts high-performance sports car. A top- means that in addition to enormous can take their favorite route in the “S+” class automobile with the thorough- power, the E 63 AMG also offers busi- mode, which offers automatic shifting bred lineage of Mercedes-AMG, which ness-class comfort, excellent long-haul in under 100 milliseconds. And the fills me with pride and a great deal of qualities and a safety package that is “Controlled Efficiency” mode converts joy. unequalled: fatigue alerts, tracking as- the powerful engine torque into timely sist, blind spot assist, high beam assist fuel savings. Thanks to this consistently Sincerely yours, Volker Mornhinweg CEO, Mercedes-AMG GmbH PHOTO MARKUS BOLSINGER AMG 2009 13 A Daimler Brand Wall Street opens lower, Affalterbach dynamic as The new E 63 AMG. Master of Business Acceleration. www.mercedes-amg.com/E63AMG Fuel consumption (combined, extra urban, urban): 12.6/9.1/18.7 l/100 km: CO-Emission (combined): 295 g/km. The figures are not based on an individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the product offer; they are provided solely for purposes of comparison between different vehicle models. weaker, stocks Tokyo weaker, stocks Tokyo usual. usual. The most important tools of this duo are their flat- screen displays, their way with people – and their smiles. “For visitors we are the first face of the busi- JOURNAL ness,” says Hülya Sezgi (right), describing her job at the reception desk in the AMG Customer Center. The daily tasks facing her and her colleague Claudia Bar- nickel can be quite demanding. To wit: a Middle-Eas- tern head of state – a familiar face to both of them – asks for a detailed meeting with an AMG consultant, and a number of eager customers have arrived to col- lect their AMG Mercedes. A press conference is under FIRST way at the same time, to be followed later by a cus- tomer event. Yet the two First Ladies are always in LADIES control, always charming. They have been the smile of AMG since 2002. Of course, English is essential. And Sezgi speaks Spanish, too. She also has another in- valuable ability that constantly amazes customers: she remembers every face and always greets visitors by name (with discreet help from her electronic diary). 16 AMG 2009 A passion for the beautiful things in life and a demand for handcrafted perfection: when Giuseppe Santoni talks about AMG, you immediately feel the genuine enthusiasm that only happens when equals meet. The first result of this col- ONE MAN laboration is the “Santoni for AMG” line, which the Italian expert in elegant footwear has developed exclusively for the ONE SHOE Affalterbach brand. The qualities shared by both brands are evident in the consistency with which they jointly approach the manufacturing project. In line with the AMG principle of “one man, one engine”, Santoni takes a “one man, one pair of shoes” approach; just as each motor is signed by the re- sponsible mechanic in Affalterbach, the Santoni shoes also carry the name of the shoemaker who produced them. Natu- rally, because Santoni’s business means that he cannot sim- ply walk in his own exquisite shoes all the time, he also val- ues perfection when it comes to mobility – perfection in the form of the CLS 63 AMG, to be precise. “The combination of comfort and performance is unique,” says Signor Santoni appreciatively. He covers a good 50,000 kilometers per year behind the wheel: “Driving is part of my life”, he says. Another reason why he and AMG are a perfect match. AMG 2009 17 „WHEN I PLAY WITH MATTE PAINT, I BLUR THE CONTOURS, THEREBY EMPHASISING THEM“ TREND WOLF-DIETER HACKER, AMG DESIGNER AND TREND SCOUT AMG 2009 19 HARD AMG IS THE FIRST MANUFACTURER TO OFFER A MATTE FINISH ON PRODUCTION VEHICLES. EXPERTS PREDICT AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE AS FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE HAUTE COUTURE FOR THIS FASCINATING FINISH SATIN 20 AMG 2009 TEXT JAN BRÜLLE PHOTO HANS-JÜRGEN WIESNER/DEBEOS STUDIOS A s the nets are pulled in, the seething out having to rely on a screeching purple or Indeed, even in the development stage of the mass slowly becomes visible: the an intense orange hue to scream distinctive- matte white finish for the SL 63 AMG Edition time has come to sort the fish. It is ness to shocked fellow motorists. IWC, the oscillating matt/gloss wave resulted always an event when fishermen reel in their “Of course, you can use the technology to in a significant deflection in both directions – catch. If there is a shark caught in the net, it emphasize sportiness”, notes Hacker. “Yet that is to say, a high amplitude on the shine becomes a particularly special occasion. magno can also be warm, sensual – and, first scale was first achieved with a metallic white Spectators leap back, then reapproach cau- and foremost, elegant.” finish, then firmly countered by the matte fin- tiously, wanting to take a closer look at the Whether a sportscar, an off-road vehicle or a ish. The result is similar to the background predator. And above all, to touch it: The skin limousine – and even more than the white shimmer of mother-of-pearl. The next planned of the shark is rough, they say. You could cut color megatrend, which recently managed to matte finish offers a refined allusion to the yourself on it – fitting armor for such an ag- penetrate the phalanx of black, blue and sil- silver arrow of Mercedes-Benz racing history: gressive creature. At first touch, however, the ver on the streets – a matte finish empha- a grey matte metal tone, which makes it shark’s leathery exterior proves to be as- sizes the modern lines and striking design of seem as if the C 63 AMG has been forged out toundingly smooth, the contact a veritably the car. “When I play with matte paint”, ex- of pure industrial steel. silken experience. plains Hacker, “I blur the outlines, thereby It was the same effect Hans-Joachim Wal- emphasizing them in the process. So I need a R ight: You want to touch it straight itschek experienced the first time he present- certain solidity to place the matt concept away. And you can. You shouldn’t, ed a car painted with a matte finish. “People well.” however, polish this “magno” mas- wanted to touch the car”, reports the designer, A number of technical hurdles had to be ne- terpiece. But then, you wouldn’t try that with who sketches at Mercedes-Benz for the gotiated before Mercedes-Benz could become a shark, either. development of new paint trends. “You ex- the first car manufacturer to bring the matt pect it to be rough. But it feels more velvety, finish to mass production – including the fear more sensual than a high-gloss finish.” that matte surfaces may be too sensitive for The surprisingly positive response was the fi- everyday treatment, something that has long nal confirmation needed to begin perfecting been disproven. the paint which, under the name “magno”, now brings the Mercedes-Benz paint range I n addition, a modern matte finish into a completely new dimension – and must also fulfill the same require- which, as “Designer Magno Cashmere White”, ments as those demanded of a gloss adorns the first matte-finish vehicle to enter finish.