Category Archives: Mercedes-Benz

Topless In Miami 2019 Winners

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For the past 9 years, the Southern Automotive Media Association has hosted an event called Topless in Miami. It is an annual gathering of its members to determine what are the best convertibles on the market. The definition of a “convertible” has obviously changed over the years with the introduction of hardtop convertibles and “convertible like” vehicles such as panoramic vehicles, which are becoming more and more popular. However the spirit of the event holds true now more than ever… soaking up the sunshine is the best way to enjoy the streets of South Florida.

Here are this year’s winners and why I think they deserve the title:

Convertible Of The Year: Mercedes AMG GT C Roadster

This Roadster deserves a home run with classic Roadster styling, a knockout exhaust and racing inspired interior. It not only looks and sounds fast, but it rockets from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds thanks to 550 horsepower bi-Turbo V8 engine.

This vehicle also won the luxury convertible of the year award.  Click Here To Continue Reading

2019 Mercedes CLS: It can’t come soon enough!

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While visiting Chicago on vacation earlier this month, Mercedes gave me a pre-production version of their upcoming CLS four-door sports coupe to drive around town. The good news is that it is an absolutely stunning example of Mercedes design and a worthy update to the Mercedes CLS nameplate. The bad news is that you likely won’t be able to get one until next year… and I want one in my garage now!

A Design To Excite

For Dad’s (or Mom’s) who need the utility of a four-door vehicle but don’t want to give up the emotion of driving sports coupe, the Mercedes CLS (and this segment) was born for you. Mercedes paratactically invented the “four door sports coupe” segment with CLS back in the early 2000’s. They were amongst the first to offer a luxury four-door sedan with a fastback like roof line and a limited b-pillar. Since then, brands like Audi and BMW have copied the style on their most sportiest family friendly models.

The CLS’ design language is meant to evoke excitement from the minute you look at the car – I even found myself taking a second look at the vehicle every time I parked it. The silhouette with its frameless b-pillar makes you think for a monument that you are driving a traditional two sports coupe. Whether you are going through a mid-life crisis with kids or you just haven’t grown up yet, the style will evoke a sense of pride in ownership that you likely haven’t felt since you were 16 years old.  Click Here To Continue Reading

The 2018 Mercedes AMG GTR is a blast from the past

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Mercedes-Benz has a pedigree for building both technologically advanced and beautiful sports cars; one which dates back to their motorsports accomplishments in the 1920’s and 30’s. But Mercedes’ most iconic and loved sports car was the 1954-1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe. By using advanced lightweight materials such as aluminum and direct fuel injection (the first production vehicle to do so), the 300SL was the “fastest car in the world” for its era.

The modern day tribute to this historic sports car is the Mercedes AMG GTR. And do I dare say that it is the most beautiful car Mercedes has made in the past 50 years? The AMG GTR’s iconic shape mirrors the silhouette of the 300 SL with a long sweeping bonnet (hood) and a tear drop shaped fastback in the rear. The GTR’s lines are sleek and seductive like the original 300 SL. The AMG GTR technically has two older brothers that share the same lineage and styling ques; the AMG GT and the AMG GTS. The AMG GTR is the range topper though with the lightest weight, most advanced technologies, more aggressive styling, and the most power.  Click Here To Continue Reading

Ultra Luxury meets Super Car performance with the Mercedes S63 AMG Cabriolet

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Life doesn’t get much better than cruising around in an S-Class… or does it? Well it does because the S63 AMG Cabriolet makes the ultimate daily driver, and here is why:

Mercedes has breathed new life into there flagship sedan by reducing the number of doors, increasing the horsepower, and giving it a ragtop. The S63 AMG is still every bit as comfortable (for the driver) as an S-Class sedan, but now the vehicle excites the driver. All of your senses begin to tingle as you lower the top and smash the gas pedal. Your head begins to stick like glue to the headrest as all 603 horses shift there brute power though a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Then when you least expect it, a curve in the road approaches you vehicle. As you begin to take it, the S63 AMG Cabriolet’s adjustable air suspension tightens in order to reduce body roll on your 4,800 pound rolling lazy boy sofa. Click Here To Continue Reading

It doesn’t get any better than the Mercedes-Maybach S650

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Since the 1970’s, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Special Class) has been considered the gold standard in the full-size luxury car segment. Manufactures such as BMW and Audi regularly compare their finest vehicles with the S-Class because it is a benchmark vehicle in terms of engineering, technology and luxury. This segment is where advanced comfort and safety technologies are often times introduced to the public, such as massaging seats, lane keep assist, and pretension seatbelts.

But what do you if you want a luxury car that is better than “the best?” What if money is no object? Celebrities and flashy elites usually turn to a Rolls Royce, and more modest gentlemen will often times admire a Bentley…. but they are forgetting a brand that dates back to 1909, Maybach. The brand was once a stand alone marque, but Mercedes has resurrected the name for their ultra-luxury flagship sedan.  Click Here To Continue Reading

The Mercedes C43 AMG is one bold ride!

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When Mercedes-Benz puts the AMG badge on a car, you know it means business! Yes, the C43 AMG doesn’t have a legendary bi-turbo V8, but it has AMG power, prestiege, exhilaration for a relatively cheap price.

Traditionally when you see an AMG badge on a Mercedes, you can nearly double the price tag. But that is not the C43 AMG. It is starting price is only $12,000 more than the base C coupe… and it is worth every penny. AMG transformed a boring compact coupe into an addictive sports coupe that begs you to smash the accelerator. The car goes 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds, which doesn’t make it a rocket, but it is plenty fast for around town or on the highway. The addictivness comes is variable sports exhaust, which with the press of a button, makes the car go from quite estate car to super car like sound. In addition to upgraded exhaust with the C43 AMG, you also get a sports tuned suspension, a torque vectoring system, and bigger brakes for added performance.


The vehicle I tested, had a fully optioned interior with alcantra sports seats and real aluminum trim. Thick red contrast stitching on the seats and doors accented the sportiness of the vehicle.

While some may say that the C43 AMG is “just a sports package” or “that it is just for people who want the prestige of an AMG, but can’t afford the real thing,” I strongly disagree. The C43 AMG offers a true AMG experience while also delivering decent fuel economy (27mph Highway). Who doesn’t want better gas mileage from their daily driver?

Visit your local Mercedes dealer for more information or click here to visit the Mercedes-Benz website.

The Best Or Nothing… The All-New Mercedes E-Class

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To say that the all-new Mercedes Benz E-Class is the best E-Class ever made isn’t too far of stretch, because the model gets arguably better with each new generation. But I will go a step further and say that the all-new E-Class is also the best mid-sized luxury sedan on the market – The title was previously held (in my opinion) by the Audi A6.

When you step inside the new E-Class, it is easy to mistake that you are stepping into an S-Class because the interior of the E-Class mirrors the S-Class. It is just as stunning on fully optioned models, just slightly smaller. The first thing you will notice are two gigantic digital screens, one to show the vehicle’s instrument cluster and one to two the infotainment center. The screens at matched with either real wood trim or real aluminum. Then as you slip into the seats you will feel premium leather seats (if optioned) followed by a gentle massage on your back and bottom (after a activating it on the infortainment screen). I have to hand it to Mercedes, they are the only manufacturer with a “real” massage chair built into the seats. I have tried massaging seats from everything from Ford to Rolls-Royce, and Mercedes is the only manufacture where I would pay extra for the seats. 


The in-car technologies are a mirror of the flagship S-Class Mercedes as well. There is radar guided cruise control as well as an active lane-keep assist. These two options make the E-Class Mercedes “close to” a semi-autonomous vehicle. I say “close to” because you are still required to have your hands on the steering wheel, but you just barely need to touch it. During the week I tested it, I had a business trip from Ft Lauderdale to Orlando, FL. After getting on the Turnpike, I let the car drive itself on the 200+ mile journey. The car turned as the road turned, slowed down as the car in front of me braked, and speed up as the speed limit increased. You heard that right, the new Mercedes E-Class can read speed limit signs and dynamically adjust your speed accordingly. The car worked beautifully with one exception…. later that week I was on a two lane country road on my way to a charity event. I had a pickup truck in front of my and a semi-truck behind me. The E-Class was basically driving itself when the pickup truck decided to slow down and turn left into a convenience store. This shouldnt be a problem, but because the Mercedes couldn’t accurately detect the lines in the road, it started following the truck left. I quickly had to grab the wheel, as I was driving in the wrong lane with a school bus headed right for me. To top it off, the semi-truck started to pass me as the car drove it self into the other lane. Luckily I was an alert drive and abruptly slowed to get behind the semi-truck. So while the E-Class’ semi-autonomous driving functionality is great, please remember that they are an aid and not intended to allow the drive to take a backseat. Other than this one time nerve wrecking experience, the system was spot on.


So here is the big question… should you get a fully loaded E-Class for around $75,000 or upgrade to a base S-Class? Outside of size, they are very close products now. The E-Class fully-load is slightly smaller and easier to drive. The S-Class rides better and has a much larger backseat. So my pick is the E-Class for the city and the S-Class for the highway.

Visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer or click here to go to the Mercedes-Benz website.

The Mercedes Benz S-Class is the “King” of hybrid cars

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No other sedan is more iconic for German engineering and luxury than the Mercedes Benz S-Class. It has ruled the road for generations powered by gas and diesel drivetrains. But in more recent years, Mercedes has equipped the S Class as an optional plugin electric gasoline hybrid. And now it gets even better, because the 2017 Mercedes S-Class Sedan is available as what I consider to be an extended range plugin electric gasoline hybrid. That means you drive the S Class fully on electric at 70+ mph for over 20 miles – I got 27 miles on electric while driving on i95 to be exact. Of course driving fully electric on the highway on long commutes is kind of silly, because the engine eventually kicks and has to work overtime in order to recharge the batteries.

The value of making the Mercedes Benz S Class a plugin hybrid is for your short daily commutes. If your daily commute involves driving short distances (12 miles) around town, then theoretically you would never had to turn the gasoline engine on. And because it is a plugin hybrid, you can charge the vehicle at a low cost or for free at hundreds of charging stations. It gives Tesla a run for their money!

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Driving around town in fully electric mode was sublime. The entire S-Class range features an array noise insolation techniques, such as double pain windows, in order to create a nearly silent experience. But the Mercedes Benz S-Class Plugin Hybrid is completely silent in electric mode. This enhances the already posh ambience of sitting in a vehicle where nearly every surface is covered in leather and the seats massage you as you drive. This level of craftsmanship and attention to detail are what has made the S-Class benchmark car.

It is not just all fancy drivetrains and luxury interiors Mercedes Benz S-Class Plugin Hybrid is high-tech. Infotainment wise, you have standard features like a navigation system and satellite radio, but you also have access to internet radio stations. Your beats are pumped through a 24-speaker Burmester surround sound system. Everything is controlled using touch pads and dual 12 inch screens. This includes the vehicle’s semiautonomous features, which will keep the car in-between the lines on the highway and accelerate or decelerate based on traffic conditions.

No other hybrid vehicle offers this level of luxury and prestige, which is why the Mercedes Benz S-Class Plugin Hybrid is “King” of hybrid and electric vehicles. Learn more by visiting your local dealer or by visiting the Mercedes Benz website.

The SLC43 AMG is the perfect daily driven roadster!

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Daily driver and roadster rarely fits into the same sentence unless you are a complete car enthusiast. That’s because roadsters traditionally trade comfort for the ride of a lifetime. Some classic roadsters such as the Jaguar XK120 roadster didn’t even have rollup windows! And if you think that is unpleasant, the Porsche 550 Spyder didn’t even have a top! Those lavish features were meant for “convertibles.” Modern roadsters have power windows and most have automatic cloth top.

Mercedes-Benz, staying true to the motto “The best or nothing,” has brought comfort back to the roadster – first with the SLK in 1996 and now again, 20 years later, with the SLC.

The car’s best feature is its retractable automatic hardtop. It allows the SLC to transform within seconds from a roadster to a sporty coupe. You literally get the best of both worlds! There is no more saying that roadsters are too noisy on the highway or that they are too hot during the summer (or too cold during the winter for my northern friends). Some might argue that modern rag tops are just as well insulated as hard top convertibles – they might be – but I don’t think so. When I am driving with the top up on a rag top, I am constantly wishing in the back of my mind that the weather was nice enough to put the top down. When I drove the Mercedes SLC43 AMG with the top up, I kept thinking to myself how great the coupe experience is.

Also rag top roadsters such as the Porsche Boxster, Jaguar F-Type, and Audi TT don’t look nearly as good with the top up as the Mercedes SLC43 AMG does. Now there are a couple drawbacks to having a hardtop convertible: 1) It weighs more because of the mechanical mechanisms. 2) You typically have less trunk space. With that being said, this is your daily driver and not a track car, so weight is less of an issue. In terms of trunk space, the SLC43 AMG does have less room than the 718 Porsche Boxster (with its two trunks), but I was able to fit more groceries in my SLC tester car than I was in the Jaguar F-Type convertible I tested last year.

The interior quality has also been kicked up a notch with the SLC43 AMG versus the competition. I instantly fell in love with its saddle brown leather interior with white stitching. As part of the AMG variation, the SLC I tested also had a semi-alcanta flat bottom steering wheel to accentuate the performance aspects of the vehicle. With a 362hp 3.0L V6 biturbo engine and a 9-speed gearbox, the Mercedes-Benz SLC43 AMG is no slouch. It will do zero-to-sixty in less than 5 seconds. The rear-wheel-drive SLC43 AMG also handles surprisingly well thanks to a well tuned AMG Sport suspension. I specific rear-wheel-drive because one of its unnamed German competitors (the Audi TT) has a front-wheel-drive bias for its all-wheel-drive system.

With a performance oriented mindset, luxury accommodations, and the benefit of having both a convertible and coupe, the Mercedes-Benz SLC is my pick for the best daily driven roadster… The top seals the deal!

You can find more information about the Mercedes-Benz SLC43 AMG by visiting your local deal or by clicking here to visit the Mercedes-Benz website.

“You Have Arrived” with the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet

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The Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet is a status symbol in the truest form, but it also delivers the ultimate luxury convertible experience on four-wheels. Some will argue that Bentley Continental GT V8S and Rolls-Royce Dawn deliver are in a league of their own because of their posh manufacture marques, but I think the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet delivers an unprecedented driving experience. Mercedes has created a fusion of modern technology and old-world ultra luxury, combined with true AMG high performance.

The standard drivetrain is a handcrafted AMG 5.5L Bi-Turbo engine paired with a AMG 7-speed automatic transmission and a AMG Performance all-wheel-drive system. This shoots the 4,817 pound car from 0-to-60 in 3.8 seconds. That is faster than a Porsche 911S! Stopping this beautiful machine isn’t a problem, because it comes with 6-piston AMG high-performance brakes. Cornering isn’t this vehicle’s strongest suit (when compared to a traditional sports car), but it feels remarkably nimble when compared to the Rolls-Royce Dawn that I recently tested at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Its agility comes from an adaptive sports suspension system that allows drivers to stiffen or loosing the suspension based upon your driving style – stiff on a curvy road and soft while cruising around town. This is definitely the ultra-luxury car to get if you want to have a little fun with it! If found myself constantly switching back and fourth between comfort and performance modes while testing this car for a week in Ft Lauderdale. I also found myself stomping the gas peddle and enjoying the roar of the exhaust every opportunity I got.

Luxury is synonymous with the S-Class brand, and you can tell that no expense was spared when crafting the S63 AMG Cabriolet. Detailed stitching outlines every piece of nappa leather on the seats, armrests, doors, and dash. Also on the center armrest is the AMG crest, which is subtle reminder that the ultra-luxury vehicle you are driving can beat half the cars on the road in a drag race. Another reminder of this vehicles high-performance prowess is the alcantara and Nappa leather steering wheel, which mimics racing steerings with a flat bottom. Oh by the way… the steering wheel, seats, and armrests are all heated. The two front seats also feature Mercedes’ exclusive “air scarf” heating element. A tiny space heater is positioned above your shoulders to provide a little something extra on those cool days with the top down. So how do you top that? The S63 AMG Cabriolet is available with massaging seats.

My only complaint with the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet – and its not even my compliant, it was my 5’4″ girlfriend’s complaint – is the backseats. They are beautifully dressed in perforated Nappa leather with detailed contrast stitching, but the backseats are “unbearable” to sit-in for long periods of time. You would expect an S-Class to have an amazing backseat, but I guess most Cabriolet owners don’t sit in the back.

Now back to the title of this story… “You Have Arrived” with the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet. I say this because I am 30 years old and everywhere I went, people treated me different in the S63. I instantly got more respect from other drivers on the road, with many randomly giving me a thumbs up. I also got better service at restaurants. In once instance I immediately got a table even though there was a line for seating because the hostess saw me pull up in the car. At the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show, the parking valet attendant put the car upfront and didn’t charge for parking even though a big sign read $60 for valet parking. All of these things could be a coincidence, but I give the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet all the credit. The car you drive makes a statement wherever you go, and this one says that you have finally arrived…

Visit your local dealer for more information about the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet or click here to visit the Mercedes website.