Mercedes-Benz SLK200 News

Thousands of vehicles are caught up in a long round of recalls that involves everything from Takata airbags to incorrectly-printed tyre placards.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of automotive recalls, with models from Citroen, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Peugeot affected.

In just 11 months a Maserati Quattroporte was hit eight times by different vehicles, causing more than $260,000 of damage. Each time the accident was the fault of the other driver, if you believe the owner, and led to payouts from six insurance companies.Police allege the prestige car is one of three at the centre of an insurance rort in which the owners claimed for damage done in staged bingles in Burwood - if they happened at all. Another Maserati, a Granturismo, and a Mercedes SLK were also used in the alleged scam, which made a total of 18 claims totalling more than $500,000 from 11 insurance companies over a similar 12-month period.NSW Police and insurance investigators joined forces in a six-month operation which resulted in the arrest of two men and a woman last week. "We believe the three are principals involved in the staging of these accidents which we will allege are fraudulent or never happened,'' Detective Inspector Ian Pryde said.The alleged scheme involves a driver running into one of the three cars, which is then towed to a smash repair business. A claim is then submitted to the company which insures the at-fault car. The drivers of the at-fault vehicles were also said to be involved in the scam.In each instance the repair work was allegedly carried out at B and T Collisions, Burwood, owned by Chris Kmet, one of the men charged. The three cars were also registered to him. Kmet was charged with 18 counts of fraud and was bailed to appear at court on January 14. A 51-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man were also arrested. Both were granted conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court later this month."The investigation is still ongonig and there may be further arrests,'' Insp Pryde said yesterday. "It's a fairly complex investigation and we are being assisted by the individual companies affected by the alleged fraud.''Industry sources say staged or non-existent accidents are costing insurance companies millions of dollars, driving up the policies of innocent motorists. "It is organised crime and being carried out every day in Sydney,'' a source said. "This is just one case which has possibly been uncovered."The NSW Government last month announced a parliamentary inquiry into the relationship between vehicle repairers and insurance companies. Most of the terms of reference will centre around protecting consumers and a code of conduct in respect to the work carried out by panel beaters for the insurance companies."It's a start but really there needs to be an inquiry into the links between the industry and organised crime," the source said. "Ultimately it's the customer who is paying the price through increased premiums.''Read full story at dailytelegraph.com.au 

If auto engineers had their way then every car would have its bonnet welded shut at the end of the production line. They don't want us to meddle. In fact, Mercedes-Benz once built a concept sports car - it was called the Vision SLA and nicknamed the ‘sneaker’ - that didn't have a bonnet.It eventually morphed into the cute little SLK roadster but grew a bonnet before it went into production. It was probably for the mechanics - or technicians, as most carmakers prefer to call them in 2012. After all, when did you last open the bonnet on your car? “The day I took delivery. I wanted to see the engine. That was enough,” laughs one Carsguide mate.But think about it. There are lots of very complicated and costly bits and pieces under the bonnet, yet we mostly ignore them unless there is a red warning light or some sort of nasty noise. We're spoiled. And rotten. In recent years I've heard plenty of stories about people who have ignored the early warning signs and been hit by a nasty repair bill.One was a leaky radiator that meant an engine replacement and another was an oil leak that turned into a fire that burned the car to the road. They are extreme cases, but every day there are people who fail to recognise the early signs of a bad battery or an oil leak or a fan belt on the way out. And don't get me started on flat tyres.I blame it on the death of the old-style service station. These days, most of us get our fuel from a donut shop that has some pumps out the front. There is no-one to check the tyres, clean the windows or lift the bonnet for a quick dip of the oil and a check on the battery leads.I remember this ritual very well, since my first after-school job was pumping petrol at Bruno Rossi's Caltex station. There were good tips if you got the windows squeaky clean and added some water to the radiator.Now I admit that I've become lazy and spoiled by cars that typically run from 10-15,000 kilometres between service calls - instead of demanding a survival pack with spare oil, fuses, belts and a toolkit in the boot. “Some people think that servicing a car is putting petrol into it,” says another of my mates, Jerry. But it's not, and totally ignoring a car for 10,000 kilometres is just asking for trouble. Even the engineers have recognised that cars need a bit of TLC, which is why all the important bits - like the dipstick for the engine oil - now have bright yellow tabs to make them easier to find in the engine room. So, why not lift the bonnet sometime. You might get a surprise, one way or another. 

Kids aren’t usually a factor in Car of the Year judging.  But child friendliness rates highly with women buying cars – and with women judging cars.The countdown has been kicked off to decide the Women’s World Car of the Year, and the kid factor is one the judges pay a lot of attention to.“Statistics show that women drive children in cars significantly more often than men – and that means women need to take that into account, both when buying and as judges of cars,” WCOTY president Sandy Myhre said from New Zealand.“Any woman who has grappled constantly with child seats and belts and children considers those things when looking at buying a car.  Men might too but the fact is, women drive children in cars more than men.“Women would not consider that aspect in a Porsche 911 more than a bloke. The point is, it can be considered in these awards - and that is one of the points of difference in these awards.”Myhre points out that significant research into buying habits show that in addition to buying for themselves, women have a major influence in household purchase decisions for big ticket items.Ford Australia, for example, says their research shows that women are behind the majority of purchases of the Territory SUV – either as single women buying one, or in influencing the joint decision with their partner. “A report from Mattingly & Associates in Australia concluded, in part, that businesses that didn't understand this influence would be hard-pressed to stay in business.  That report was aptly called 'When I've Made Up Our Minds',” Myhre says.However, the kid factor is just one of the criteria by which the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be judged.There are four categories in the Women's World Car of the Year – Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Points are allocated to each of ten criteria: driveability, engineering, comfort, child friendliness, style, interior, storage, dashboard efficiency, carbon footprint and colour range.The 20 judges from eleven countries have submitted their own personal short list and more than 300 cars were suggested. These individual choices were then whittled down to form a master list of 32 in terms of popularity. Judges will now allocate points for these cars from a criteria list.The announcement of the winning cars in each category and the supreme winner will be made before the end of March. The supreme award trophy and category certificates will be presented to the car companies concerned at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2012 – the Paris Motor Show – in September. The supreme trophy will this year be made in The Netherlands. Category-winner certificates will be designed at Peartree Studios in Colerne, UK.The first winner of the Women's World Car of the Year was the Jaguar XF in 2010 and the trophy made in South Africa was presented at the Jaguar boutique showroom in Knightsbridge, London. In 2011 there was a dead-heat between the Citroen DS3 and the BMW 5 Series. The two trophies made in India were presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. 

... as a selection of the world’s most desirable cars are wheeled out in Melbourne.For some, it’s their first visit to Australia and the first time visitors to the Australian International Motor Show can see some of the hero cars of today – and in some cases, the future.Supercar fans get their first glimpse of the stunning Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, which replaces the Murcielago and that now sets the standard for exotic cars.Named after a champion Spanish bull, the carbon-fibre and alloy version of the Aventador rushes to 100km/h from rest in only 2.9 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 350km/h.The powerplant responsible for this is a 6.5-litre V12 with 515kW and 690Nm of torque running through all four wheels.But the exceptional performance pales against the coupe’s styling. It is all low-slung wedge and razor-sharp edges – a work of art that mesmerises from every angle.Lamborghini Melbourne managing director Andrew Smith says the car is two generations ahead in terms of design and technology."The Aventador is a truly exceptional package of design, style and technical perfection," he says.  "Its performance is simply astonishing and is unrivalled in the super sports car arena. It looks amazing in photographs but that is nothing to seeing it in the flesh."Sister company Audi won’t be outdone. It has unwrapped its fiercest R8 supercar, the GT, bristling with 412kW of power and 540Nm of torque from its 5.2-litre direct-injection V10. The all-wheel drive coupe has a price tag of $470,700 and even if you had the cash, Audi Australia says only five examples are allocated for our country."And they’re all spoken for," a spokesperson says.Audi will also show its new A6 that has taken Europe and the US by storm. The sleek sedan will enter Australia with a range of engines that all include fuel-saving systems, including stop-start and energy recovery technology.At the other end of the scale, the baby Audi A1 in its diesel form will make its debut in Melbourne. This will be available this year and become the third engine in the A1 franchise. Audi claims the 66kW 1.6-litre turbo-diesel will sip just 3.8L/100km and expects it to account for 25-30 per cent of the A1 sales.The Germans continue to dominate the performance stands with two Mercedes-Benz models on show for the first time. The first Australian showing of the breathtaking C-Class Coupe and C63 Coupe pair is so impressive they even overshadow the awesome CLS63 AMG – finished in a spectacular red paint and also on display for the first time.The CLS63 impresses with its 386kW/700Nm bi-turbo 5.5-litre V8 that averages 10L/100km – not much more than a Holden Commodore V6. In the AMG version, its output jumps to 410kW and 800Nm. Mercedes-Benz Australia says that despite the leap in power, the fuel consumption is 31 per cent – equal to 4.6L/100km – better than its predecessor.The two C-Class coupes are extensions of the recently upgraded C-Class range, but the styling exercise is condensed and the effect is a startling change from the previous models.Output for the C63 AMG Coupe’s 6.3-litre V8 is 336kW and 600Nm which pushes the two-door to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Yet it is surprisingly low on fuel consumption and emissions, recording an average of 12L/100km.These Mercedes newcomers are joined by 15 other models, including another first – the debut of the new SLK range – before it hits the showrooms in late July. For many prospective buyers, this will be the first time they can come face to grille with the latest Mercedes convertibles.The SLK will initially arrive with three engines – two four-cylinder turbo models, a 135kW SLK200 BlueEfficiency and 150kW SLK250 BlueEfficiency, and the 225kW SLK350 V6. New equipment includes a panoramic roof called "Magic Sky Control" that is made of glass and switches between light and dark at the press of a button.

We haven't even seen the all-new Mercedes-Benz SLK in Australia, but already the go-faster crew at AMG in Germany are working on their flagship. The next SLK 55 should be here around the middle of next year with AMG's latest 5.5-litre V8 under the bonnet and a bunch of other upgrades to the suspension, brakes, tyres and wheels.Carparazzi caught the car outside a McDonalds restaurant, proving that even AMG engineers have to eat, during track tests in Germany. The obvious keys to an AMG upgrade are all visible in the picture, from the cross-drilled brake discs and bigger wheels to a four-pipe exhaust system. Now we're waiting for news of a Black Series workover on the SLK . . .

The vario-roof, introduced on the original SLK as a folding metal hardtop, is going all glass with a switchable blackout system. The new development is called Magic Sky Control and is confirmed by Benz just this week.But Carparazzi has more than just a tease on the 2012 SLK, as it has caught the complete car with barely any disguise. The upcoming SLK is pictured at Daimler's proving ground at Sindelfingen in Germany, where the brand does much of its basic test work, as well as the roads close to the brand's headquarters.The pictures show a car which is slightly larger than the current SLK, as well as more masculine in its basic lines and beefed-up with a CLS-  style nose and lamps similar to the coming tweak to the compact C-Class.Carparazzi expects the SLK to go public early next year, most likely at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with sales from the final months of   next year as a 2012 model. The car is likely to continue with V6 engines and small petrol and diesel turbos, but there is also talk of a hybrid power pack and a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 for the AMG model.

The CLK is already dead, although the last handful are still lurking in Australian showrooms, and development work on its other new droptops will not produce a result until sometime in 2010.The born-again Gullwing sports car is coming this year, most likely at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but the E-Class convertible which takes over from the CLK is a zero-ten proposition.But there is something else, with the upcoming replacement for the SLK caught during testing last week in Europe.The third-generation SLK, caught as usual by Carparazzi, is still running in heavy disguise but there are some clear pointers to the car that will be on the road in Australia in 2011.The folding metal roof continues and the grille and headlamps are more upright and squared-off than the current SLK.The car loses the F1-inspired droopy nose first seen on the McLaren- Mercedes SLR for a smoother look that's more in line with the latest E- Class sedan.Other styling tweaks expected for the new model are daytime LED running lamps, the new-style Mercedes doorhandles and larger external mirrors 'standing' on the door instead of being mounted ahead of the side window.

The new-age Mercedes Gullwing will be the fastest car in the history of the three-pointed star and should be previewed early in 2009, perhaps even at the Geneva Motor Show in March, for sales from 2010.It gets its name from the scissor-style lift-up doors used on a similar road rocket, the Mercedes SL which hit the road in 1954, and is expected to have the same styling and performance impact as the original.Mercedes has decided to build the born-again Gullwing as it splits its road-car future from its Formula One partner, McLaren, despite the British team's reputation for creating high-performance halo cars.It will be pushing much harder with the AMG sub-brand which has been a global hit, including Australia where sales set a per-capita world record, and will become the new flagship for both Benz and AMG.McLaren has its own supercar in final development for a preview in 2009 but it is the Gullwing which is creating the most interest in Mercedes' future-car programs.The car has been testing for more than a year and looks to be a long-nose two-door coupe which is likely to have the first in a new generation of AMG turbocharged V8 engines. It should easily crack 300km/h and have a Ferrari-style 0-100km/h sprint time.The Gullwing is an open secret in the Mercedes-Benz world, where plans call for a production run of up to 5000 cars during a 5-10 year model life.This is a massive contrast to the SLR, which has never sold to the expectations of either Mercedes or McLaren and came with a $1 million-plus pricetag.The final SLR model was unveiled at the Paris show a fortnight ago with a roadster open-topped body and the 722 performance package created to pay hommage to the SLR which won the Mille Miglia road race in Italy in 1955 wearing the 722 number to reflect its 7.22am start time.Details of the new Gullwing are still being protected by Mercedes, but it is expected to have a race-style monocoque body built from a combination of aluminium and carbon fibre.The engine choice is not confirmed, as AMG is moving to turbos but the Gullwing could stay with an updated version of the current 6.2-litre V8 - called the 6.3 by Benz - but the company's powerplant chief Dr Leopold Mikulic says it will have more than 400 kiloWatts of power.