Mercedes-Benz S-Class News

It’s not a car, it’s a day spa on wheels. The most advanced car in the world -- the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine -- has gone on sale in Australia.

Benz is planning a super-stretched S-Class next year with a 2+2+2 seating layout but this car is "only" the long-wheelbase S. It picks up an additional 200 millimetres for rear legroom and there is also a third side window hidden beneath the camo tape. 

Mercedes-Benz has turned to chooks -- and one of their idiosyncratic aspects -- to show how the body control system works on the new S-class flagship.The chicken input? The birds have a gyroscopic neck, which means that no matter what you do to their body, their head stays in the same spot.Mercedes-Benz calls the S-Class system Magic Body Control (they also have Magic Vision Control for wipers that spray cleaning fluid, and Magic Sky Control for a sunroof that changes fro opaque to transparent).But Magic Chicken Dance might have served just as well, for this simple and understandable demonstration of how the system scans the road ahead and manages body movement to keep the ride smooth.Watch the video.

Cleaner air and smarter technology were hot topics at the Frankfurt motor show this year, with a fast-growing number of makers showing their contribution to the environment via reduced exhaust emissions. Mercedes had a big new S-Class 500 sedan with hybrid power that could get to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds - and return 3.0litres/100km - and also had an Intelligent Drive version that meant it was capable of self-driving.Mercedes proved its ability with the technology by sending the car on a 100km+ run, twisty roads included, with no human intervention or control -- tracing the steps of the first car journey ever taken, by Bertha Benz in what was then her husband's new invention.The car was also programmed to stop and pick up people waiting at bus stops, but Mercedes suggested that more improvements are on the way. "It's not perfect yet," a spokesman for the brand said. "(At the moment) if the person does not move, neither will the car."Most of the green cars at the show touted their environmental data on their bodies. Citroen had a DS5 with Hybrid 4 drivetrain that coughed just 88g of CO2/km into the atmosphere, but Toyota had an Auris (Corolla) hybrid sport with an 85g reading and Peugeot produced a 208 hybrid that could run to 100km/h in eight seconds and emit 49g/km.VW introduced its e-Up electric car and a battery-powered Golf, and made it clear it was focusing on those drivetrains for up to 40 future models. And even Porsche had a hybrid on show -- the stunning petrol-electric 918 Spyder that has just set a new record on the Nurburgring. 

Mercedes-Benz has retraced the steps of the first car journey -- when Berth Benz set off in her husband's new invention -- with an autonomous S500. Watch video here.

A Mercedes-Benz S500 has not so much made history as redefined it by "driving" 100km without a human hand on the wheel or foot on the pedals.

The tech is currently making inroads in the world of commercial helmets and portable devices. It's also been available on a few other models for some time now.Mercedes-Benz, however, has finally decided to jump into the world of Head-Up Displays and will offer it as an optional extra on the upcoming 2014 S-Class and next-generation C-Class. Initially wary of the tech, Mercedes has apparently come around to the idea of displaying pertinent information in a convenient spot.Mercedes stated that it doesn't make sense for them to only make it available on one model. To make money on this program, customers will have to have access to it on a variety of models. This means you can expect to see the HUD being rolled out on a wider range of vehicles as time goes on.The type of information to be displayed includes speed, navigation information, and any potential warning lights that might pop up. Benz engineers previously felt that a HUD acted as a distracting device to a driver, but it's clear they have come around.That, or the marketing and sales folks forced the engineers to cave a bit. Seeing as these are German engineers, we don't think they caved but rather saw the lights pop-up right in front of their eyes.www.motorauthority.com

The V8-powered 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG has been revealed and is on track to make its official debut this September at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.

The photos show how the car has been slimmed and trimmed to make it less of a heavyweight. The coupe will pick up all the technology from the S-Class sedan and will also still come with a V12 engine for people who don't have to worry about petrol.

It ranks among the most prestigious car brands in the world, but an Adelaide chauffeur claims that there is nothing luxurious about Mercedes-Benz's after-sales service. Adam Litchfield is suing the car maker's Adelaide dealership, claiming it reneged on its warranty when his S350 sedan's transmission suffered a “massive failure”, costing almost $16,000.Mercedes-Benz has counter-sued, saying that Mr Litchfield's warranty was never valid and he therefore owes the dealership $1300 for earlier repair jobs. Mr Litchfield, who owns Platinum Car Hire, has filed legal action in the Adelaide Magistrates' Court. He is suing Mercedes-Benz Australia Pty Ltd and BEA Motors on Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Mile End.BEA Motors has sold Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Adelaide for 60 years, formerly operating from a Flinders St showroom complete with grand marble and chandeliers. In his statement of claim, Mr Litchfield says he bought a pre-owned S350 from BEA Motors on November 15, 2010, for $95,350. He says it came with a Mercedes-Benz approved two-year warranty.“I am engaged in the business of providing a chauffeured vehicle service to the public at large,” he says. “I informed BEA of the nature of my business… The sales consultant represented that use of the vehicle as a chauffeured car would not cause any problem with the warranty.” Mr Litchfield says he took possession of the car on November 26, 2010, and drove it without incident for almost five months. “Prior to April 2011, I identified various works which were required to be performed,” he says.“BEA performed the works and delivered to me an invoice requiring nil payment.” Mr Litchfield says the car developed extensive problems one month later. “Prior to May 25th, the vehicle suffered massive transmission failure (and) BEA refused to cover the works pursuant to the warranty,” Mr Litchfield says. “BEA invoiced me $15,973.35 for the replacement of a faulty automatic transmission...In order to minimise loss to my business, I paid the invoice.” Mr Litchfield asks the court to force BEA and Mercedes-Benz to reimburse the $15,973.35. “(They) made false representations about the warranty (and) their representations were misleading and deceptive,” he says. In their defence papers, Mercedes-Benz and BEA say Mr Litchfield's purchase was not covered by its warranties. “The warranty states that it `will be void and automatically cease to operate if the vehicle is being used for hire',” they claim. The dispute has been listed for a conciliation conference.