The Mercedes E Guard is the latest addition to the Mercedes’ special protection vehicle series.

Though not as armored and as powerful as its bigger brother, the S 600, the E Guards’ VR4 (formerly B4) level armor is capable of stopping 9mm, .357, and .44 Magnum rounds , 12 gauge shotgun slugs and hand grenade shrapnel.

The intended clientele are wealthy businessmen and celebrities who may have to fend off the occasional mugger, carjacker and/or overzealous paparazzi.

The new E Guard was intentionally designed to look almost exactly like its standard non-armored sibling so as not to give the bad guys a chance to plot against you.

Weighing in at a hefty 4717lbs, the E Guard is 860lbs heavier than the unarmored version.

To cope with the additional weight of the protection features, the suspension and brake system had to be redesigned.

The E Guard now comes with a special level II AIRMATIC air suspension system for the front axle and a multi-link independent suspension, anti-squat and anti-dive, stabilizer for the rear.

17 inch wheels with run flat tires are also standard. Electronic control and restraint systems designed to assist the driver in critical situations have also been recalibrated.

Aside from the above, the E Guard can also boast of hitech systems:

• Adaptive Brake – Replaced the reportedly unreliable SBC (Sensotronic Brake Control) system.

• Direct Control – Brings more driving comfort, accurate and easy steering manipulation.

• Intelligent Light System – The Intelligent Light System adapts itself to the weather and driving conditions and increases the visibility by up to 50 meters.

• NECK-PRO head restraints – This systems improves safety after a rear-end collision by moving the latter forward by 4 centimeters and 3 centimeters upwards.

• PRE-SAFE – The preventive emergency system called PRE-SAFE cooperates with the Brake Assist PLUS in order to warn the driver if the distance between him and a car in front gets critical.

This is possible thanks to radars installed on the front of the car.

The PRE-SAFE system also calculates the most effective braking, so even if the driver jams on the brakes, the car automatically uses as much brake power as required for safe deceleration.

]If a crash is inevitable, the PRE-SAFE system tightens the seat belts, automatically closes windows, and the seats’ positions are adjusted in order to minimize the effect of the crash.

Don’t look for this at your Mercedes Dealer just yet.

Mercedes has just unveiled their new Concept car – Fascination, powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.

Talk about luxury – amenities include a folding glass table, humidor and a fridge in the luggage area.

This is the first peek at a new design direction for the Mercedes E-Class coupe.

Mercedes has also debuted the C250 featuring a new 2.2-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine.

Look for the C250 at Mercedes dealerships late next year.

BMW In Retreat. Mercedes Going Strong

In order to avoid going into the red, BMW wants to stop pushing for maximum sales volume until conditions improve,

They plan to shift cars that would have been destined for the US market to markets where profits are better.
They are even talking about reintroducing four-cylinder engines because of high gas prices.

BMW plans to cut leasing by at least 10%, eliminate 90 North American jobs, and even end the company’s annual December clearance event.

Typically BMW offers its best incentives at the end of the year to keep up with promotions Mercedes, but at the cost of profitability.

Get current Mercedes Sales Pricing

You won’t be seeing this at your Mercedes Auto Dealer Just yet but here is a sneak peak at the upcoming 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLK class.
The Coupe will be released first in summer 2009 followed by the convertible soon after.
The new model will be based on the new C-class platform but will also have a few added refinements that will meet appeal to the more ambitious coupé-drivers.

The power train will be lifted from the current C-class and will include a V8 unit for the CLK500.

The shape of the headlights somewhat resemble the new E-class rather than the C-class.

Sales of the eco-friendly Blue Efficiency Mercedes cars start in October with diesel versions of the A-Class and B-Class. Gasoline variants are due in early 2009.

This will extend to a line-up of 20 models, with the C-Class next to receive the treatment. Lighter and more aerodynamic than the standard version and fitted with low rolling resistance tyres, C-Class Blue Efficiency claims fuel savings of up to 12%.

Two gasoline engines and a diesel engine will be offered, with fuel economy as high as 55mpg for the C200 CDI Blue Efficiency.

Check out pricing here