The $1.4 million Maybach Landaulet. Image: Mercedes-Benz

In the “we’ve seen this coming for some time” department, Mercedes-Benz has reportedly decided to axe its under-performing Maybach premium brand. Launched to much fanfare in 2002, the brand never produced the 800 unit per year global sales that Mercedes-Benz needed to be profitable. Long-overdue for a refresh, the lack of a pending redesign seemed to be proof that Mercedes was intent on pulling the plug, even before a formal decision was made.

Autoweek cites unnamed but high-ranking sources in Mercedes-Benz, who have confirmed that the brand will be pulled from the market in 2013. To fill the void, Mercedes will expand the S-Class product line to include three wheelbase variations, multiple engine choices and even a range-topping S600 Pullman edition, which should give buyers a similar level of luxury to the Maybach sedans. Given the current state of the global economy, expanding a base product line makes more financial sense to Mercedes than maintaining an ultra-premium product line with declining sales.

Since the new S-Class models won’t hit the market until 2013, you still have a little over a year to buy a Maybach if you can raise the price of admission. The “entry-level” Maybach 57 starts at $372,500, the mid-line Maybach 62 is priced from $423,500 and the range-topping Maybach Landaulet Cabriolet stickers at a mind-numbing $1,380,000, excluding taxes, title and licensing, of course.

Mercedes' 'ordinary' SLS AMG. Image: Mercedes-Benz

I can appreciate Mercedes-Benz automobiles for what they are, but I have to say that I don’t really aspire to own one. Yes, they’re safe, yes, they’re stylish, but most, in my experience, are clinical and without emotion. Driving a fast car that doesn’t feel fast isn’t my idea of a good time, and luxury isn’t high on my list of priorities.

The exception to this rule is Mercedes-Benz’s Black Series, for which I have lusted after every single model. The formula for building a Black Series car is fairly simple: take an AMG-tuned Mercedes coupe, make it lighter, add sport seats and aerodynamic enhancements, then stuff in as much horsepower as you can. Black series cars are usually the most powerful models in the Mercedes lineup, and as you may guess, they’re built in a limited production run and priced accordingly.

Autoevolution tells us that Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the SLS AMG will get the Black Series treatment. Anything else is speculation at this point, but word is the SLS AMG’s 6.2-liter V-8 will get a boost in output from 563 horsepower to 610 horsepower. Torque is said to increase from 480 ft-lb to 499 ft-lb, and we’re guessing the car will shed some of its 3,600 pound curb weight to earn the Black Series designation.

The SLS AMG Black will probably make it to this side of the pond, but only in limited quantities. If you’re lucky enough to have a bank balance in the seven-digit range, now is the time to visit your Mercedes dealer and put a deposit down. Like all of the Black Series cars, supply stops just short of demand.

Image: IFCAR

Ray Horton was the secondary coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, until he recently accepted a job as defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals. A cross-country move usually involves shedding things like cars, bikes and furniture, and an NFL coach selling a used Mercedes-Benz roadster isn’t exactly headline news. How Horton sold his car, on the other hand, is worth mentioning.

On his last day at his old job, Horton went down to say goodbye to the cafeteria staff at the Steeler’s offices. When he ran into Maurice “Mo” Matthews, a 20-plus year Steelers employee, Horton approached his and asked a favor.

“How much money you have in your pocket?”, Horton asked.

“I got $20,” was Matthews’ reply.

What happened next is almost enough to restore your faith in humanity. Horton took the $20 bill from Mo, reached in his pocket and tossed the cafeteria worker the keys to his 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL500. “Sold for $20,” was Horton’s comment.

The next day, Horton had Matthews drive him to the airport and handed over the title to the car. It’s not a new Mercedes, and the twelve-year-old car has some 64,000 miles on the odometer, but it still has a retail value far in excess of the $20 Mo paid for it. If Mo were to list it on eBay, I suppose he could get at least $10,000 for it, possibly more now that the car has celebrity status. Somehow I doubt that car is ever getting sold again, at least not while Mo Matthews is still alive.

Source: Motor Authority

As an automotive journalist, one of the most frequent questions I get is, “how can I get a job like yours?” On the surface, it does indeed look like a dream job: each and every week, I get a new four-wheeled toy to play with, complete with a full tank of gas. I work from a very comfortable office with a fifteen-second commute (twenty, if I stop for coffee on the way up the stairs), and occasionally manufacturers fly me to exotic places to drive their latest wares. They force me to eat good food and drink free beer, too, so the job does have its downfalls.

When people ask me my dream job, now I have an answer: I want to be stunt driver Greg Tracy. When someone tosses me the keys to a press fleet car, the unwritten rule is “don’t stack it, and don’t shred the tires/brakes/clutch.” They don’t pay me to drive it either, but Tracy gets paid to both drive and use up things like tires, brakes and clutches.

Here’s the newest video from Mercedes-Benz, filmed at the request of a fan and featuring Greg Tracy. It stars two C63 AMG Sedans, which are really used as the world’s most expensive traffic cones. It also features a C63 AMG Coupe, driven by Tracy, who drifts figure-eights around the sedans. There’s no dialogue and no plot, but there’s lots of tire smoke and the sense that the coupe was driven right to the tire shop for a set of new rear skins after filming.

Next time someone asks me how to get a job as an automotive journalist, I’m going to look them straight in the eye and say, “Get me a job like stunt driver Greg Tracy, and I’ll trade you.”

Source: YouTube, Via MotorAuthority

The 2012 C63 Coupe Black Series. Image: Mercedes-Benz

The AMG Black Series cars have always been the “anti-Mercedes” Mercedes Benz automobiles. Mercedes is known for its subtlety, refinement and good taste, while the Black Series cars have traditionally been loud, brash and in-your-face. Take the last one released, for example: the SL65 AMG Black Series came with a biturbo, 6.0-liter V-12 engine, good for 661 horsepower and 738 ft-lb of torque. Like all Black Series cars, the SL65 was slammed and sported monster-truck sized fender flares; also like the other Black Series cars, it was built in limited quantities.

The 2012 C63 Coupe Black Series. Image: Mercedes-Benz

Now comes word that Mercedes-Benz will bring in a new Black Series car for 2012, based on the C63 AMG Coupe. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series will be the most powerful C-Class Mercedes ever built, with a naturally aspirated, 6.2-liter V-8 good for 510 horsepower and 457 ft-lb of torque. Mercedes-Benz says that’s good enough to get the car from 0 to 60 in just 4.2 seconds, thanks in part to the AMG Speedshift seven-speed gearbox, which can shift gears in just 100 milliseconds.

The 2012 C63 Coupe Black Series. Image: Mercedes-Benz

The C63 Black Series can also be equipped for track duty, since buyers can opt for racing front seats and deleted rear seats. A coilover suspension is standard, and an available AMG Track Package includes ultra-high performance tires and rear axle cooling. An available aerodynamics package gives you exterior winglets and an adjustable carbon fiber rear wing, not something you’d usually find on a Mercedes-Benz build sheet.

The 2012 C63 Coupe Black Series. Image: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes isn’t saying how many C63 Coupe Black Series cars will be built, but my guess is just a few less than demand. Pricing hasn’t been set, but you can rest assured it will be well north of the C63 sedan’s $59k starting point. The C63 Coupe Black Series is due in early 2012, but they’ll be sold out long before dealers get inventory. If you want one, now is the time to start making phone calls.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Image: Mercedes-Benz

If you were setting out to build the best ragtop in the world, a good place to start would be with Mercedes’ SLS AMG coupe. The uber-fast luxury GT car boasts a 563 horsepower, 6.3-liter V-8, surrounded by some of the sexiest sheetmetal on the planet. Intended as an homage to the Mercedes 300SL “Gullwing” coupes of the 1950 and 1960s, the car spares no expense in design or construction, and now Mercedes-Benz has announced a roadster version of the SLS AMG.

Image: Mercedes-Benz

Image: Mercedes-Benz

Starting with an aluminum spaceframe body, the SLS AMG Roadster adds the same 6.3-liter V-8 and dual-clutch, transaxle transmission found in the coupe. A sport suspension with aluminum double wishbones comes next, followed by the power-folding cloth top, built of magnesium, steel and aluminum. It retracts or raises in just 11 seconds, and can be deployed at speeds up to 31 miles per hour. An optional driver-oriented telematics system, dubbed “AMG Performance Media” gives real-time readouts of lateral and linear acceleration, horsepower, lap times and engine vital statistics, while the aircraft inspired cockpit is designed to surround the owner in luxury. Black leather seating is standard, but owners can opt for two-tone leather seating if that’s their preference. A navigation system is standard, as is Mercedes’ unique “Airscarf” system, which uses warm air at the driver’s neck to extend the temperature range for top-down motoring. Available options include a Bang & Olufsen audio system, the AMG Performance Media system, an Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension and carbon ceramic brakes.

Despite a reinforced body to reduce flex, the roadster weighs just 88 pounds more than the Coupe, and retains the same 3.7 second zero-to-sixty time. Top speed is electronically limited to 197 miles per hour, just as on the SLS AMG Coupe. Pricing has yet to be established, but look for the SLS AMG Roadster to hit select Mercedes-Benz dealers by year end.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Image: Mercedes-Benz

Just a few years back, Mercedes wouldn’t have considered showing the sub-compact A-Class in the United States. We Americans like trucks, not cars small enough to park in the bed of a full-size pickup. That was conventional wisdom for years, at least until gas prices began their current rise into the stratosphere. There aren’t any encouraging signs that they’ll be dropping any time soon, so Mercedes is seizing the opportunity to show off a performance version of their revised A-Class at the upcoming New York Auto Show. Proving how important this car is to Mercedes-Benz in world markets, the Concept A-Class will also be launched concurrently at the Shanghai Auto Show.

Image: Mercedes-Benz

The front-wheel-drive Concept A-Class is a stunner in the looks department, and the Mercedes press release uses more than a few references towards “aircraft inspired styling”. The subcompact hatchback gets a turbocharged, 2.0 liter, direct injection engine good for some 210 horsepower, which is plenty to move a car smaller than a Fiat 500. Inside, there’s room for four adults (really, because I’ve driven in the previous generation) plus a moderate amount of luggage space. Hauling three colleagues to a cross-town business meeting is no problem in the A-Class, but hauling three friends plus gear to a ski weekend isn’t going to work out well. As long as your expectations are reasonable, the A-Class is a sensible urban commuter car.

Image: Mercedes-Benz

Image: Mercedes-Benz

Whether or not we’ll get it on this side of the Atlantic remains to be seen. Mercedes is using the New York Auto Show to judge customer interest, and I suspect there will be lots of customer interest. If I were a betting man, I’d say we can expect to see the new A-Class in U.S. showrooms by early 2012, although Mercedes isn’t admitting that just yet.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Image: Mercedes-Benz

Let’s face it: limousines are entirely too played out, and you’re not likely to hire one for an interstate drive. That’s where Brilliant Transportation comes into the picture, since they’re offering ultra-luxury transportation cross town, cross state or cross region, as their client’s needs dictate. The concept is sheer genius; turn business or family travel into quality time by recreating the luxury of first class air or train travel. Brilliant Vans are based on Mercedes’ Sprinter platform, and each comes equipped with hardwood floors, flat panel TVs, oversized leather chairs, a refrigerator, cabinets and even folding desks. Want to head from NYC to Boston on your schedule, not Amtrak’s? Want to get work done when you travel from Washington D.C to New York? Brilliant Vans may be the perfect solution for corporate executives who understand that time is indeed the equivalent of money.

Richard Fertig, Brilliant Transportation’s founder, had this to say about his company, started just 13 months ago:

“We’re introducing a new mode of travel we call “Private Motoring¨, that often replaces air and rail transport. Although a number of our clients didn’t realize at first that Mercedes-Benz makes large vans, they know and love Mercedes, which makes our chauffeur-driven Brilliant Vans a natural extension of the way they choose to travel. Our New York-based Sprinters offer a distinct environment for business trips to Boston and DC, social events in Manhattan such as Lincoln Center or family weekends to the Hamptons and the Vermont ski country. With a similar range of use, our just-opened L.A. operation makes frequent trips to Las Vegas, Santa Barbara and San Diego.”

Image: Mercedes-Benz

There’s no word on what a trip from NY to DC in a Brilliant Van costs, but I’d be willing to bet it’s somewhere between a first class train ticket and hiring a private jet. There’s a significant investment in hardware to cover, since each Brilliant Van costs in the neighborhood of $190,000. Still, I see the service as a great way to stay productive on the road, and at the senior executive level you can probably pass it off as a cost savings compared to hiring a private aircraft. Rank, and wealth, both have their privileges.

Source: Mercedes-Benz