Car-to-X communication ready for everyday testing in largest field trial worldwide

Warning motorists of the end of a traffic jam over the brow of a hill or alerting them to black ice on bridges long before they reach the dangerous spot concerned – this is all set to become reality in the near future with Car-to-X communication. A breakthrough in the wireless exchange of information among vehicles and between vehicles and the traffic infrastructure has now been achieved by a research consortium headed by Daimler AG.


Following three years of intensive research work, Daimler and the involved project partners are presenting the current status of the simTD project in Friedberg/Hesse today. It is also announcing the launch of the largest field trial for Car-to-X communication worldwide: from the spring of 2012, around 120 vehicles will be testing the new technology in real road traffic in the Rhine-Main region. "We are convinced that Car-to-X communication represents an important step on the way to accident-free driving," observes simTD overall project coordinator Dr. Christian Weiß, who also heads the Cooperating Systems team in the Research and Advance Development department at Daimler AG.

The use of Car-to-X systems extends the vehicle's field of vision – the "telematic horizon" – substantially. In addition to safety-related applications, comfort functions such as suggested routes to the nearest available car park can also be realised. By enabling traffic signal systems to be controlled according to prevailing requirements, Car-to-X communication can also help to optimise traffic flows, thereby contributing to efficient and thus sustainable mobility.

In Germany, the simTD research project (Safe Intelligent Mobility – test field Germany) is examining the everyday practicality of Car-to-X communication under the direction of Daimler AG.
As a pioneer in the field of vehicle and traffic safety, Car-to-X communication and the resultant assistance systems are a matter of high priority for Daimler. Against this background, the Group is contributing the largest individual share of funding among the industrial partners involved in the simTD research project and has provided the most vehicles for the test drives conducted to date. The importance of Car-to-X communication to Daimler is also demonstrated by its long-standing involvement in other projects relating to this area. The company is a founding member of the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium, for example, and plays an active role in promoting the standardisation of technology in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

simTD is a joint project involving German automobile manufacturers, automotive parts suppliers, communications companies, research institutes and the public sector. simTD is being sponsored and supported by the Federal Ministries of Economics and Technology, Education and Research, Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and the Federal State of Hesse.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

In House Tuning Companies, are They Worth It?

Everyone knows the major players in the automotive world but what about their tuning houses? They make parts as small as a mass air flow sensor to a complete turbocharger or supercharger set up. A tuning house is a company that modifies vehicles for a specific purpose. An in-house tuning is a company that works with a specific brand exclusively such as AMG for Mercedes Benz.

Most of the time a few small upgrades are not a huge investment with a car but is it worth it to buy the completely reworked car or do the upgraded that are desired individually. There are many factors to consider when it comes to purchasing these kind of upgrades not the smallest of which is the money. A great example of this is the mighty Honda Civic which comes in lots of configurations the top of which is called the Mugen edition. Now Mugen is a company that specifically makes performance parts for Honda's and they make some great ones at that. On the other hand a fully loaded Civic SI would set a person back about 23 grand...pricey for a civic. It is not that bad for the performance that one can get compared to that of the base model Civic. The Mugen Civic though would set someone back close to 33 thousand dollars which is 10 grand for a body kit, special wheels, a paint job and not much else.

So where should the line be drawn, the fact of the matter is that for all the gear heads out there modifying their cars is a way of life, a costly one. Any serious modification will almost instantly void the warranty on a vehicle and there for lower the resale significantly. So for this we have in-house tuners, they are able to give the performance that we all want while still keeping things under warranty. Not to mention in California it will keep the emissions man off your back. So in the end the Mugen is a good deal but sometimes the ends don't seem to justify the means. There is a company called Brabus and they specialize in Mercedes benz, they are the ultimate expression of automotive crazy. For example  they will take a 2005 Mercedes SL600 and add $45K worth of modifications to it and consider it a lightly modified car. A few times a year they will sell a Merc that has close to a half a million dollars worth of modifications without even breaking a sweat. The amount of money that is spent to create a custom high end ride is truly insane but still it has to be said that their cars are some of the more stunning on the road today.

So is tuning worth it? in short...YES! ever penny is worth it if you are a motor head.

SPY: The 2012 Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG snagged in a garage in Dubai

Approaching the end of an over 30-year career in the automotive industry, the G-Class is scheduled to receive a last revamp for 2012 before the 4x4 is put to rest. Apart from the Edition Select and BA3 Final Edition (announcing the discontinuation of the SWB version) that were launched during the summer of 2011, the ultimate highlights of the restyled Gelandewagen lineup will be the new G 55 AMG, to receive the 5.5-litre biturbo V8 unit, and the limited-series G 65 AMG model, a mighty beast pumping out no less than 630 hp out of the well-known 6.0-litre V12 engine.


The latest spy shots reveal a merely-camouflaged G 65 AMG prototype snapped in a garage located in the exotic Dubai. Photographers took their time to capture every key modification the new vehicle from Affalterbach will display. The front end will be dominated by a slightly-revised radiator grille with three chromed louvres and a new bumper, with bigger air intakes. The circular headlamps will stay the same, but Mercedes-Benz could fit the car with LED daytime running lights, as it happens with every new model from Stuttgart. However, the biggest changes take place inside, where we find a new steering wheel (borrowed from the recently-launched M-Class), a new instrument cluster and a new center console. Furthermore, the upcoming G 65 AMG will be fitted with the latest technology: a new aircon management unit, a new gear lever for the AMG MCT-7 SPEEDSHIFT transmission and, last but not least, the COMAND Online infotainment system operated through a rotary controller. Compared to the G 55 AMG, the V12-powered G 65 AMG will be a limited edition model, between 100 and 500 units being programmed for assembly, at a prohibitive purchase price, of course. Mercedes-Benz is expected to drop first details and pictures on its new G-Class range either towards the end of this year or in early 2012.

Related articles:

- Potent G 65 AMG in the cards?
- SPY: Unknown G-Class AMG prototype scooped in the U.S.
- SPY: The Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG is in for a makeover in 2012





Photos: 3rabcars.com

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2011: Race Report - Jenson storms to victory at Suzuka (VMM)

JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-26A-04
- Started: 2nd
- Finished: 1st
- Fastest lap: 1m36.568s (1st)
- Pitstops: Three: laps 10, 20 and 36 (Op-Op-Op-Pr)
- 2011 points: 210 (2nd)

“This was a hard race – the last five or six laps were extremely tough, I had to really look after the tyres and try to save a bit of fuel to get the car home, but it was an amazing victory.


“Sebastian [Vettel] came across at me on the start – he kept coming and didn’t stop, so I got on the grass and had to back out of the throttle, otherwise there would’ve been an almighty shunt into Turn One. He said he didn’t see me until he saw me backing out, so that lost me a place.

“But fighting back was so, so satisfying: the performance has been in the car all weekend. It’s such an emotional victory for me: there’s so much history at this circuit, and the crowd here has been amazing, this is second only to a home victory for me.

“I want to thank every single person here in Japan who’s supported us – hopefully we’ve planted a happy memory in their minds, because a lot of Japan has been through difficult times this year. We did our best and we put on a fantastic show.

“Seb has done a great job all season and he deserved the title. He was given the equipment and just got on and did what was required of him. But, for us, there’s still more that we can achieve this year: I’d love to go out and fight to win the next few races, and I think we have the car and the team to go and do that. We’ll keep pushing and hope to get some more wins this year, but we’re also in a very good place right now – and I think that’s key to success in 2012.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-26A-03
- Started: 3rd
- Finished: 5th
- Fastest lap: 1m37.645s (+1.077s, 9th)
- Pitstops: Three: laps 8, 21 and 35 (Op-Op-Op-Pr)
- 2011 points: 178 (5th)

“This was a disappointing race for me, but it was a great day for Jenson and the whole team. Jenson did a remarkable job today – he really deserved this victory, but it wasn’t a great one for me. Still, I’m going to keep my head up and look ahead to the next race where I’ll hopefully have another chance.

“Clearly, our car has the pace to win, but I wasn’t able to compete today so I’ll go away and look at the data to work out how I can come back and be competitive in Korea next weekend.

“In the race, I don’t really know what happened with Felipe – the car’s mirrors vibrate at high-speed, so I couldn’t see him pulling alongside me. I want to apologise for our cars’ touching, but fortunately nothing happened to either of us. There was no bad intention towards Felipe; I’ve got the utmost respect for him, he’s a fantastic driver and he was extremely quick today.

“Finally, big congratulations to Sebastian for winning the title. We all knew it was going to happen, but his season has really been flawless. It’s a fantastic achievement for him.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Today we witnessed a great drive from Jenson. It was a fast and tough race from the very start, and Jenson, Fernando [Alonso] and Sebastian all did a fantastic job today.

“Obviously, those last few laps were extremely tense. We’ve been in the position of hunting for victory, but it’s even more nerve-wracking when you’re the car in front! It was a very tense but fantastic spectacle and Jenson didn’t put a foot wrong. He drove with extraordinary calm, so today’s victory is incredibly well deserved.

“Lewis had a more difficult afternoon. We weren’t immediately aware that Lewis appeared to suffer a slow puncture to the right-rear in the first stint. That created a growing pressure differential across the rear axle, and potentially led us to add too much front wing to compensate for the lack of balance at the rear.

“In hindsight, that may have led to Lewis fighting to find a satisfactory balance for the next two stints as we attempted to restore the set-up he’d enjoyed during the previous two days. It was a challenging afternoon for Lewis, but he never gave up, kept pushing and scored some strong points for the team. He had the pace this weekend, so I’m sure he’ll be as tough as ever in Korea next weekend.

“Finally, I would like to pass on congratulations to Sebastian from myself and the whole of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. He has driven a consistent and error-free season, and I only wish we could have delayed tonight’s party for a little while longer! But big congratulations to him nonetheless.

“For all of us at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, our ambition is undimmed: we’ll be aiming to win all the remaining races, starting with Korea next weekend.”























* Official photos and report courtesy of VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES *

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2011: Race Report - Michael P6, Nico P10 (MGP)

Michael Schumacher finished in sixth place at today’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, making up two places on his starting position, whilst Nico Rosberg came from the back row of the grid to finish in the points in 10th place.


• Michael completed a three-stop strategy this afternoon, running option/option/option/prime
• Nico also completed three stops from his P23 starting position, running prime/option/option/option
• Of 65 total pit stops today, just nine were under 21 seconds - and five of those were by MERCEDES GP PETRONAS
• In a race with only one retirement, Michael and Nico gained a total of 15 places from their grid positions
• Today´s race was the fourth consecutive Grand Prix which has featured a Safety Car deployment

Michael Schumacher
“I’m very happy with what we achieved in Suzuka today as we maximised our potential of the car, and managed to put in a good race. The team did a great job the whole weekend in finding performance and transforming it into the race. I think there was not more to expect and achieve. The pit stops were perfectly timed and everything worked out according to plan. I would like to congratulate Sebastian and his team who have been exceptional the whole year. It is extremely emotional to see him win the Championship again - I am very happy for him and even a little bit proud.”

Nico Rosberg
“I’m pleased to score a point today and had fun out there with a few nice overtaking manoeuvres. This is definitely one of the toughest tracks for overtaking so starting from the back of the grid meant that I had a pretty tough job. Before the race, I hoped to achieve between eighth and 10th places and, whilst it would have been nice to be a bit higher, it’s still a decent result. Thanks to the team for a good strategy and great pit stops today. After this complicated weekend, I hope to have a more normal weekend in Korea and fight in our usual position. And finally, Sebastian, congratulations: you deserve the title.”

Ross Brawn
“We made the absolute most of the car and opportunities we had at our disposal today. The car performed well throughout the race, our strategies were right for both cars, and the pit crew produced fantastic stops - we have performed strongly all year in the pits, and today our stops won us places, particularly for Nico during the Safety Car period when he jumped two cars. Michael and Nico both delivered great performances in the cockpit, passing cleanly when they needed to and defending strongly. Overall, I think it was a very exciting race and a fitting Grand Prix in which to crown a new World Champion. Congratulations to Sebastian and Red Bull Racing on his second World Championship - he has driven impeccably all year, and together they have set the standards we must now aim for and exceed.”

Norbert Haug
“Michael and Nico both delivered strong races this afternoon and quite competitive lap times. Michael raced and finished among the top three teams, leading laps during the pit stop cycles, and Nico drove strongly through the field into the points, as we believed he could after qualifying yesterday, even starting from P23. Compliments to our pit stop and strategy crew as well, who played a key role in our team result this afternoon. Congratulations to Jenson Button and McLaren-Mercedes on their victory over the World Champion but, most of all, we take our hats off to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing - not just for winning the title, but also for defending it with an exceptional level of performance throughout the season.”






























* Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.