The Three-Pointed Star shows off its prowess!

The other day, 3 friends were having a healthy discussion over the Luxury Car marques in India. Each one picked their own favourite. So there was one supporting Audi, another supporting BMW, while the third decided to go to battle, wearing the famed 3-Pointed star on his shirt! What all agreed upon, was that the battle in India was between these marques alone. Entrants like Jaguar were more on the fringe and would take years to reach the levels of these 3.

AutoHangar

As the discussion went into the aspects of design, utilities, features, performance figures and so on, the Audi & BMW fan-boys, suddenly realized that the Mercedes fan was silently observing them and smiling. They soon became curious and wanted to know the reason behind his silent smile. So the Mercedes fan asked the other two, "what do you do when you need to seek assistance for your car?" The other two replied haughtily, "who needs support, when you have such a high performance machine?" So the Mercedes fan quietly replied, that even the great performance machines, need a high performance support network. At this, the two fans went into a quiet huddle and were now listening to him in rapt attention. The Mercedes fan said: We all have our own favourites, but have you'll considered the service network? They shook their heads and were lost....So he pulled some stats and the other two were stunned when they found that at last count, the sales and service network for Mercedes-Benz was more than that of both, Audi & BMW combined.

Mahavir Motors

So, the boys decided to save their face and quit arguing. And they couldn't help but agree that it is indeed Mercedes-Benz who is worthy of the label of being the Best Luxury Car Brand in India, solely on the basis of its exciting products which are backed by an extensive service network. This network is growing so rapidly, that just this month, two new dealerships have opened: Mahavir Motors and Auto Hangar.

Match this, Audi & BMW!

Experiencing the Star!

When you get an invite from the most recognized brands in the automotive world, you can't help but feel over the moon with joy! That is exactly what happened when I received my invitation to attend the StarDrive Experience by my dream brand, Mercedes-Benz.

StarDrive Experience-II (Source: Google)

Introduced last year by Mercedes-Benz, the StarDrive Experience is a brilliant initiative by the brand to touch base with their customers and give them a look and feel of their best products. Customers also get a chance to experience all that's new with the brand and this goes a long way in building loyalty towards the products.

SLS AMG in Ahmedabad (Source: Google)

But it's not just about customers out here. The StarDrive Experience is also a great platform for fans to experience the technological prowess and capabilities of the cars. Last year, the magic of the star touched the lives of 1300 fans in over 5 cities. Buoyed by the response, the brand has taken the StarDrive Experience-II this year to new heights.

SL63 in action (Source: Google)

Going beyond the A-towns and Metros, the StarDrive Experience-II rolled into cities like Ahmedabad, Pune and Ludhiana, along with 7 other cities. This shows the growing reach of the brand and the special place that it holds in the hearts and minds of the fans. Perhaps, this is the reason why, sales at Mercedes-Benz India have been growing consistently. 

The Legends of Innovation, from the skies above, down to the streets below!

Even today, people remember the carnage and destruction brought about by the First and the Second World Wars. But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud! Some of the most amazing inventions and discoveries have emerged during those dark times - the aviation and industrial revolutions got a rocket boost during that period, even the motoring industry was not too far behind.

Lamborghini Reventon (Source: Google Images)

Every one remembers the launch of the Lamborghini Reventon, which had sports car enthusiasts all agog over its fighter aircraft inspiration. But then again, the motoring industry has been known to look to their aviation brethren since the days of yore! The Japs with their ‘Zero’ were inspired by the famed A6M Zeke and the mighty ‘Evo’ series - which has its roots in the lethal war-birds from WW II - all prime examples of the aviation influence on motoring technology. Even the peaceful Swedes have the Gripen Fighter made by Saab, while the safe-playing Volvo powers this bird in the skies. Even the logos of the automobile manufacturers pay homage to their aviation roots. For instance, the wings on Bentley’s logo and the propellers of BMW are both examples of their rich aviation history.

How could anyone forget the acrobatics of the WW I fighters, like the Sopwith Camel, which were powered by Bentley’s Pistons. The most memorable of the Bentley AeroPiston engines was the Rolls-Royce Merlin. Backed by superior engineering, the ‘Merlin’ was known for its unmatched attention to detail, and came with bullet-proof reliability. This power-house of an engine had to be developed to counter the most revolutionary aviation engine of that time, which was the ‘DB601’.

(Daimler-Benz DB 601-  Source: Daimler-Benz)

 

 

Daimler-Benz had re-written the rules of aeronautical engineering with their 33.9 Litre V-12 upside-down engine, monikered the ‘DB601’. Employing exotic sodium-filled exhaust valves, it had an advanced four valves per cylinder layout with a single OHC. The pistons and crankshaft were made from light-weight, forged alloy; the dry sump lubrication system had one pump to regulate the oil pressure, and employed double that number to scavenge the heated oil as it flowed through the high pressure engine. It even incorporated roller bearings for its con-rods, to iron out any residual vibes.

(Daimler-Benz DB 601 Aero Engine, 1935 - Source: Daimler-Benz)

But the piece de resistance was a piece of technology that it adapted from another German compatriot, Bosch. The Direct Fuel Injection employed by Daimler-Benz, gave the Luftwaffe pilots in the Messerschmitt Me 109 a lethal advantage. The gravity controlled float-pins of the enemies carburettors would jam close in negative G manoeuvres.  While the enemy Spitfires and Hurricanes sputtered during those fierce moves, Luftwaffe’s finest, rolled and spun spirals without missing a beat. With their powerless propellers, all that the enemy could do was to glide around till they levelled off to operating altitude. 

The ‘DB-601’ of 1935 fame is on proud display in the ‘Legend Room 3’, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Here, visitors can marvel at the quality of construction and the machining effort that has gone in the making of this aero-piston engine. 

The Tata Nano - the force behind their smallest offering!

(Source: Tata Motrs)

What a journey it has been for TATA Motors. From launching its modern car offering in the form of the Tata Indica in 1998 to the recent brouhaha over its latest baby, the TATA Nano; Tata Motors have truly come a long way! From the tiny Nano to the purring cats in the house of Jaguar, few would disagree over the fact that TATA Motors can be said to have well and truly arrived onto the automotive scene. They have always made it a point to support their products with some apt advertising.Travel back to 1998 and their promises of " more car per car"  and "more smiles per hour" come to mind. Even with their latest genration Vista and the Manza, they have supported them with some pretty strong adverts.

                                                                            (YouTube)

But perhaps their strongest challenge has only just arrived. All know of the birthing pangs surrounding their smallest baby, the Nano. A darling of the critics and the automotive biggies, it has somehow failed to set the sales charts on fire. In-fact, their November sales have been their lowest ever! And the giant is showing signs of a fightback...In good 'ol TATA fashion, there have been a flurry of adverts in the past few weeks. The latest one has one slight twist... In a departure from their humorous ways, the latest Nano advert is designed to pull at the heart-strings. For all those who are still not convinced, take a look at the video above. 

The Eight Cylinder wonder of the SL-Series!

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Idolized by people the world over, two-seater sports-car's are practically every teenagers dream. While the makes and models would vary, most automobile centre-folds have revolved around some variant of the other of this quintessential automotive form. It was the summer of 1971, when the Mercedes-Benz 350 SL rolled out of the Mercedes-Benz gates at Stuttgart. This marked the birth of the '107 Series'. Distinguishing itself from the previous runs of the 'SL' line-up was the one thing that mattered, the Engine. Yes, my friends, this was the first one to feature an eight-cylinder power-plant under its long, slender hood.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

 In its eighteen years of existence from the summer of 1971 to the end of 1989, this strong, self-confident, imposing open-top vehicle had become a legend. Exuding elegance and quality, the best-in-class crash characteristics made this one of the safest two-seaters out on the open road. And the icon would have turned out rather differently if the debates of 1968 were anything to go by. So intense were the discussions that their Development Head, Hans Scherenberg had to fight tooth and nail for the SL to go topless and feature an additional removable hard-top for inclement weather.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Following the clamour for the coupé, the Body Design Head, presented a rough draft of a four seater coupé. This was fastracked into production and the four-seater sports coupé debuted six months later towards the end of 1971. While the SL-107 Series led to the introduction of many pioneering safety features in this series; it was the promise of open-top motoring in the starved US market, that basically led to high sales. The SL face that dominated the front end, the headlamps all exuded a powerful aura around the model. The grooves on the tail-lamps were another important feature. Not only were they distinctive in their design, but the ribbing also kept them from soiling.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Even the folding-top was designed around the twin pillars of comfort and efficiency. Disappearing and appearing in a mere 30 seconds, once folded, it neatly disappeared underneath a cover. Small details like the dirt-repelling external mirror-covers that enhanced visibility and the wind-deflecting A-pillar mouldings were just the kind of things that one would expect from Mercedes-Benz.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

This is why, a well kept SL-Roadster or the Coupe, turns heads every where it goes, whatever part of the world that may be!

Mercedes-Benz BIOME Concept - A Natural Synergy

                         
                          (Source: Mercedes-Benz) 

The designers at the Mercedes—Benz Advanced Design Studios, located at the coastal resort city of Carlsbad in Southern California have truly gone way beyond their brief and designed a concept that is truly symbiotic with nature. Drawing inspiration from the life-cycle and the ecosystem, their BIOME concept is organic in the truest sense of the word. 

 

(Source: Mercedes-Benz) 

Hubert Lee, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios has likened the BIOME concept as something to the leaves on a tree. He was justifiably proud when he said that the Mercedes-Benz BIOME concept was conceived as a natural technology hybrid, that forms part of the Earth's eco-system. After all, it was Mercedes-Benz that is considered to be the parent of the automobile as we know it.

   

   (Source: Mercedes-Benz) 

Through the BIOME concept, Mercedes-Benz have illustrated the vision of the perfect vehicle of the future which is created to function in perfect synergy with nature. Crafted from an ultralight material called 'BioFibre', the BIOME concept barely tickles the weighing scales (in automotive speak) at a mere 394 odd Kg. Don't be fooled by its flyweight however, as 'BioFibre' is more robust than steel. It is grown (yes, that's correct) in Mercedes-Benz's own nursery from a proprietary DNA. It functions by collecting energy from the sun and storing it in a bio-chemical bond called 'BioNectar 4534'.

                             
                         (Source: Mercedes-Benz)


It is this 'BioNectar 4534', stored in the 'BioFibre' material of the chassis, interior and wheels. Mercedes-Benz have also devised a way to use trees as solar energy trappers using natural receptors. This strengthens the bond between nature and the BIOME concept while acting as a catalyst to cover mobility energy requirements the environmentally friendly way and encouraging the conservation of natural resources.

Automotive Security: From Inflatables to Satellites

The year is 1910 and auto robberies are on the rise. A certain Mr. Bosco of Ohio has just wasted $5 on an ignition locking device that failed to prevent a determined thief to take the Bosco jalopy on a joy-ride.

Now, Mr. Bosco didn't quite take it kindly that the thief could take off with his ride in spite of having spent on an anti-theft deterrent device. In his rage, he had this brainwave that there is no better deterrent for a car thief than seeing a human in the car.

                                          (Source: canoe.ca)

So Mr. Bosco launched the 'Bosco Collapsible Driver'. An inflatable imitation of Charlie Chaplin, the 'Collapsible Driver' was meant to be put away once the owner had returned to the vehicle. Now, the adverts of that time really tried hard to convince the general public that the 'Bosco Collapsible Driver' was the best thing to happen to a driver trying to save his car from robbers.

The 'Bosco Inflatable Driver Co.' sadly had to fold up within two years of opening shop, perhaps due to the fact that one could only have as many inflatables in cars. But it is rumoured to have laid the building blocks of the automotive security industry.

                                      (Source: microvbb.net)



These days, we have security solutions that enable tracking of your precious vehicle using the entire communication network. Tracking the whereabouts via satellite in real time, you even receive updates on your cell phone at pre-determined intervals, to keep you relaxed about the location of your prized possession at all times.

As the digitization of our lives continues to grow in leaps and bounds, who knows what awaits us in our quest to keep our wheels safe...