Welcome new members! Inside this issue: View From the Peak 2 Holiday Lights Drive 3 Logo Workshop 4 2015 Pot Luck 4 Valentine’s Dinner 5 Feb Fun Run 5 MHS Events 5 Pikes Peak Boutique 6 Mercedes-Maybach 6 Der Marktplatz 7 Click 7 P3 Photo Montage 8 Next-Gen Headlights 8 2015 Schedule 9 Newsletter Options 8 New Nomenclature 10 Marc Dippold 2006 SL65 AMG 2009 ML550 2014 CL550 Erik & Lori Paulsen 2008 E350 Newsletter of the PIKES PEAK SECTION DECEMBER 2014 ‘ROUND THE BENZ 2014 Christmas Party The Best or Nothing! Sunday, 7 December 2014 5:00 p.m. It’s not too late to sign up for the Pikes Peak Section’s 2014 Christmas Party at the El Paso Club in downtown Colorado Springs. Organized on October 23, 1877, the El Paso Club is believed to be the oldest private town club west of Chicago. This elegant and much-envied location will be the backdrop as we celebrate the holiday sea- son and the camaraderie of the Mercedes- Benz commu- nity. Black tie is encouraged or coat and tie, holiday/cocktail attire. The menu includes three entrée selec- tions: mixed grill (broiled 5 oz. filet mignon and baked 3 oz. salmon filet); or broiled 10 oz. New York steak; or chicken cordon-bleu. Accompanying the entrée will be Caesar salad, twice baked potato, fresh green beans with almond slivers and roasted tomatoes with basil, rolls & butter, water, iced tea, and coffee service. Dessert is a choice of the El Paso Club’s Goldbrick sundae or the mixed berry tart. Included in your meal price is one glass of beer or wine and hors d’oeuvres dur- ing our cocktail hour starting at 5:00 p.m. followed by an outstanding dinner at 6:00 p.m. Additional glasses of beer or wine may be purchased. Also bottles of wine may be purchased for the dinner table. (Please note: the El Paso Club is a private club that doesn’t deal in credit cards, so please bring cash and/or check, if you wish to purchase wine by the bottle or ad- ditional glasses of beer or wine.) We will be holding a raffle again this year to benefit a lo- cal charity. You select the raffle prize you would like by putting one half of your raffle ticket in the container in front of the prize. One raffle ticket is included in your meal price. Six additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5.00. You may purchase as many as you desire. If there are any questions, please contact Gary or Diane Gagnon, 719-282-9313, for information. Reservations are only held with the receipt of your reservation form and payment. This is an all-inclusive eve- ning for your $55/per person fee. Make your reservations now for Sunday, De- cember 7, 5:00 p.m. Deadline for reser- vations is Monday, December 1, 2014, or until we sell out the space. Space is limited. Sign up today!
Transcript
Welcome new members!
Inside this issue:
View From the Peak 2
Holiday Lights Drive 3
Logo Workshop 4 2015 Pot Luck 4
Valentine’s Dinner 5
Feb Fun Run 5
MHS Events 5
Pikes Peak Boutique 6 Mercedes-Maybach 6
Der Marktplatz 7
Click 7
P3 Photo Montage 8
Next-Gen Headlights 8
2015 Schedule 9
Newsletter Options 8
New Nomenclature 10
Marc Dippold2006 SL65 AMG
2009 ML5502014 CL550
Erik & Lori Paulsen2008 E350
Newsletter of the PIKES PEAK SECTION
DECEMBER 2014
‘ROUND THE BENZ
2014 Christmas Party
The Best or Nothing!
Sunday, 7 December 20145:00 p.m.
It’s not too late to sign up for the Pikes Peak Section’s 2014 Christmas Party at the El Paso Club in downtown Colorado Springs. Organized on October 23, 1877, the El Paso Club is believed to be the oldest private town club west of Chicago. This elegant and much-envied location will be the backdrop as we celebrate the holiday sea-son and the camaraderie of the Mercedes-Benz commu-nity. Black tie is encouraged or coat and tie, holiday/cocktail attire.
The menu includes three entrée selec-tions: mixed grill (broiled 5 oz. filet mignon and baked 3 oz. salmon filet); or broiled 10 oz. New York steak; or chicken cordon-bleu. Accompanying the entrée will be Caesar salad, twice baked potato, fresh green beans with almond slivers and roasted tomatoes with basil, rolls & butter, water, iced tea, and coffee service. Dessert is a choice of the El Paso Club’s Goldbrick sundae or the mixed berry tart.
Included in your meal price is one glass of beer or wine and hors d’oeuvres dur-ing our cocktail hour starting at 5:00 p.m.
followed by an outstanding dinner at 6:00 p.m. Additional glasses of beer or wine may be purchased. Also bottles of wine may be purchased for the dinner table. (Please note: the El Paso Club is a private club that doesn’t deal in credit cards, so please bring cash and/or check, if you wish to purchase wine by the bottle or ad-ditional glasses of beer or wine.)
We will be holding a raffle again this year to benefit a lo-cal charity. You select the raffle prize you would like by putting one half of your raffle ticket in the container in front of the prize. One raffle ticket is included in your meal price. Six additional raffle tickets can be
purchased for $5.00. You may purchase as many as you desire.
If there are any questions, please contact Gary or Diane Gagnon, 719-282-9313, for information. Reservations are only held with the receipt of your reservation form and payment. This is an all-inclusive eve-ning for your $55/per person fee. Make your reservations now for Sunday, De-cember 7, 5:00 p.m. Deadline for reser-vations is Monday, December 1, 2014, or until we sell out the space. Space is limited. Sign up today!
View From the Peak by Andrew NelsonSection OfficersPresident:Andrew [email protected]
‘Round the BENZ is published monthly by the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA), Inc. Articles and ideas are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is implied as to the validity of any infor-mation contained therein. Explicit permission to republish any article with proper attribution is given to all sections of MBCA, Inc. Articles for publication consideration should be mailed to Pikes Peak Section, MBCA, Attn: Editor, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 or, whenever possible, emailed to: [email protected]. Deadline for receipt is the 18th of the month prior to the month of issue.
Pikes Peak Section members are encouraged to support the advertisers in our newsletter. They help to make this publication possible.
‘ROUND THE BENZ
I can’t believe it’s already De-cember and the 2014 Pikes Peak Section event year is coming to a close.But not before two of our most fun and festive
events of the year - our Annual Christ-mas Party and our Top-Down Christmas Lights Tour.
Please send in your reservation form by Monday, December 1 to RSVP for our great Christmas Party. It will be held again at the El Paso Club in downtown Colorado Springs. Please join us at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, with dinner to follow. This is always a well-attended event and space is limited, so please reserve today.
The following Saturday, 13 December, is our annual Top-Down Christmas Lights Tour. This year the hosts will be Tim and Marla Wiseman. Weather permitting, we’ll meet to unload crockpots, enjoy the lights on our drive, and end at Tim and Marla’s house for beverages and a crockpot potluck. Bundle up and enjoy!
That leaves the last event of 2014, our final Section breakfast at The Egg & I at 733 N. Academy Blvd at th Citadel Crossing Shopping Center, on Saturday, December 20. Join us for a hot cup of coffee and some great egg dishes - you know you won’t have had enough to eat that close to Christmas! Weather per-
mitting, we might even sneak in a drive afterwards.
Just so you all know, 2015 is right around the corner, and we’ve got a great year of events already mapped out. We’re calling this the “Year of the Vine” since we’ve got a night of wine-making, some wine painting, and an overnight trip to a winery in Taos. We’ve also got dinners for the diners club crowd, museum tours for the intellectually and automotively inclined, driving events for the road warriors, and an all new version of the Paved Peaks and Passes program. So stay tuned to your ‘Round the Benz newsletter for the all the details on upcoming 2015 Pikes Peak Section events.
I’d like to close by thanking Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs for their con-tinued support of the Pikes Peak Section. They again hosted our Fall Do-It-Yourself Tech Session on Sunday, 16 November. Even though attendance was impacted by the cold and snow, a good group gathered to see to maintenance, repair, and winterizing issues on their star cars.
I was able to replace the worn front shocks on my ML320, thanks to a great price for the shocks (with our 20% dis-count) from the parts department and with professional advice from Caleb Car-lock, the service technician who helped all of us. The job went super smoothly. We will be doing our Spring D-I-Y Tech Session again in 2015 at the dealership, so don’t miss it.
As always, drive safely, and I will see you down the road.
Andrew
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Holiday Lights Drive Saturday, 13 December 2014
6:00 p.m.Shine up your Star Car for the 2014 Top Down Holiday Lights Tour. Tim and Marla Wiseman are hosting the event again this year.
The date is Saturday, 13 December, weather permit-ting. We’ll meet at 6:00 p.m. to unload crockpots, and then break up into small groups to tour holiday lights on a designated route. We’ll end our night’s tour at Tim and Marla’s house for beverages and food as we thaw out fingers and toes.
We’re asking attendees to bring a dish to share. In the past, we’ve had crockpots full of meatballs, soups, dips, and trays of veggies and sweets. Think of it as practice for the January Potluck. We’ll provide the setup and drinks, both alcoholic and non-
alcoholic.
All makes and models of roadsters are en-couraged and welcome. Even if you don’t have a roadster, plan to join the fun with any Mercedes-Benz vehicle that you have – open sun roofs count. We’ll provide a detailed map of the route to the best lights as well as group guides so you won’t get
lost in the dark.
We’ll send a detailed e-mail blast a week before the drive so we can make a “guessti-mate” about the weather. Be sure we have your current e-mail
address. The cost is $5 per person. Watch your email for more details.
So we can plan ahead for the crowd, please RSVP to Tim and Marla at [email protected] or give them a call at (719) 226-2113.
“...end our
night’s tour at
Tim and Mar-
la’s house....”
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The annual Pikes Peak Section Potluck Dinner is scheduled for Sunday, January 25, at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. For those of you who are counting, that’s the week BEFORE Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona! This is one of our favorite events of the year and the one our members look forward to the most.
The dealership provides the setup and beverages. All we have to do is bring the food. So, everyone, please plan to bring a dish to share – a salad, a main dish, or a dessert. Showcase
your favorite dishes – we’re flexible and we like everything.
We’ll kick off at 6:00 p.m. sharp. We’ll have great food and some surprises in store for attendees. We’ll recap our driving year and preview what’s to come in 2015. The dealership may also spice up the evening with some special auction items. Bring your wallets. All proceeds go to the Section.
Please call Glenn Hamill at 719-575-7931 or Dave Wil-liamson at 719-575-7976 to RSVP and to let them know
what you’ll bring.
“...please plan
to bring a dish
to share...”
2015 Potluck Dinner - 25 January 2015
“...too late for
Christmas, but
there are birth-
days and anni-
versaries....”
Logo Workshop - 17 January 2015Because January weather can be so problematic for driving, we’re going to try something different to kick off our 2015 sched-ule of events. Print City, our partner in develop-ing our on-line store, has graciously offered up its facilities to our members for a Pikes Peak Section logo-making workshop.
We’re still working on the details but the plan is for our members to sign up to create logo items including shirts, caps, mugs, water bottles, bags, aprons, etc. Everything will have the Pikes Peak Section logo printed on them.
Kim, the owner, will be on hand with her staff to walk us through the various pro-cesses and their attendant
machines. There will be a nominal charge for this event to cover workshop supplies
and you will be asked to pay the cost of the items you wish to personalize.
So, check out the accessories tab in our on-line store to get some ideas for what you’d like to create. There will be a complete listing of possible items in the
January newsletter. We ask that you sign up ahead of time so that Kim can make sure to have the materials you require on hand.
Please sign up by 5 January 2015 or direct any questions to Judy Bennett at [email protected] or 719-576-9737.
Let’s get that Pikes Peak Section logo on everything. It might be too late for Christ-mas presents for that special someone, but there are birthdays and anniversaries com-ing up, as well as Valentine’s Day!
for a guided tour Page 5
PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS!
‘ROUND THE BENZ
Holiday PartyDate: 6 December 2014Location: Mt Vernon Country ClubCost: $60 per personContact: Max Townsend, 303-770-1128, [email protected]
January SocialDate: 21 January 2015Location: Lucy’s Restaurant, Greenwood VillageCost: No hostContact: Lou Rogers, 303-550-6543, [email protected]
Mile High Section EventsFor more information, visit the MHS website at http://www.milehighmbca.org
Valentine’s Day Gourmet Dinner - 14 February 2015Joseph’s Fine Dining Restaurant has just moved into their new facility at 1603 S. 8th St. We’re going to help them celebrate their grand opening with a Pikes Peak Section gourmet dinner on Valentine’s Day 2015.
Yes, there really is a Joseph and he’s been in the restaurant business for over 25 years, working in many five-star hotels and restaurants, including supervising the Penrose Room of the Broadmoor Hotel. He knows what he’s doing.
Using his history in fine dining and his culinary expertise, Joseph has created a menu at his new location where he mixes the world of old table-side flambé cooking with nouveau cuisine sure to suit the tastes of even the most discriminating diner.
We will be ordering from a special Val-entine’s Day menu created by Joseph personally. Details are still being worked out but last year’s menu included an incredible ar-ray of seafood, poultry, and beef entrees along with special appetizers and sal-ads and, of course, spec-tacular Valentine’s Day desserts. Think chocolate, everyone. Check out the regular dinner menu at http://www.josephsdining.com.
Make your reservations today since seat-ing is limited. Contact Judy Bennett at ben-nett [email protected] or give her a call at 719-576-9737.
Logo Workshop - 17 January 2015
February Fun Run - 21 February 2015It’s been a few years since we visited the Big Cats of Serenity Springs. We figured we’d stop by and say “Hi” to our favorites for the February Fun Run. We’ll be head-ing to the Serenity Springs Wildlife Center after breakfast on Saturday, 21 February. The Center is located in Calhan, CO at the end of a well-maintained dirt road. It’s about 12 miles from the intersection of Woodmen Rd and Hwy 24.
They currently have over 120 big cats and
exotics in residence, including lions, tigers, cougars, coutimundi, caracals, binturong,
servals, bobcats, and leopards. (There will be a quiz later on what some of these are....just kidding.)You’ll hear all about the animals during our guided tour.
Contact Julie Nelson for more information or to reserve your spot on the tour - 719-634-7522 or [email protected].
“...stop by and
say “Hi” to our
favorites....”
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Pikes Peak BoutiqueJust in time for Christmas, the Pikes Peak Section is re-introducing our Section shirts and a whole lot more. We’re joining the digital age and creating an on-line store where our members can order shirts, caps, jackets, and accessories embroidered or silk-screened with the Section logo. At a future date, we will offer items with the MBCA logo as well.
The website is a work in progress; we’ll keep adding to it as it matures. To get to the Pikes Peak Boutique, click on www.tinyurl.com/k5tcday. The store can also be accessed via our website at www.mbca.org/pikes_peak.
The impetus for this move is the number of queries we have received from our mem-bers. They see some of our older members
(older as in years of membership, not age!) wearing the Section shirts we procured several years ago and want to know how to get them. This move answers the mail for those folks.
Members can order from several styles of shirts, men’s and women’s both. All styles of the shirts will be similar in color to foster Sec-tion identity. The website is a work in progress so bear
with us in case we experience growing pains.
If you have difficulty with the website or have suggestions for our on-line store, con-tact Judy Bennett at [email protected] to let her know or give her a call at 719-576-9737.
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
“We’re joining
the digital age
and creating an
on-line store....”
Mercedes-Benz recently confirmed that its Maybach brand is making a return as a new “Mercedes-Maybach” sub-brand specializing in ultra-luxury, similar to how the existing Mercedes-AMG sub-brand specializes in performance. Now, the first Mercedes-Maybach product has been revealed; the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class was on display at the 2014 Los An-
geles Auto Show.
The ver-sion in L.A. was a Mercedes-Maybach S600, powered by a twin-
turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 shared with the regular Mercedes S600. The engine is rated at 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is avail-able from just 1,900 rpm. Owners can expect 0-60 mph acceleration in just 5.0
seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. Ad-ditional powertrains will be available in the near future, including V-6 and V-8 options.
Mercedes-Maybach likes to boast that the car benefits from the “perfection” of the S-Class as well as a new level of “exclusivity” conveyed by the Maybach tag. One form of exclusivity that the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class affords is a stretched wheelbase; we’re talking a full 8.1 inches here, all of which benefits those in the rear. Rear passengers also benefit from standard equipment that includes executive seats with reclining and massage functions, and the designers promise that the car has the quietest cabin of any car currently in pro-duction.
Sales of the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 are scheduled to commence in April of next year. Mercedes is keen to stress that Mercedes-Maybach is not an equip-ment line, but a sub-brand that in future will deliver additional models. One of these is expected to be an enhanced version of the GLS-Class SUV.
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Der MarktplatzRunning Board Trade. I have a 2012 ML 350 that needs running boards. I’m looking for someone with a 3rd generation ML who has running boards but really wants rocker panel covers. Let’s trade. It’s not a hard
job to do; Dan Kerbs & Gary Gagnon can walk us through it and we’ll each save over $1000. Contact Dave Carpenter at 719-532-0257 or [email protected]
Thule Cargo Carrier. $600 cash only or make an offer. Contact John or Hilda at 548-8322 or [email protected]
Kelly M. Shaffer, CSPVice President / COO
2118 Hollow Brook Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
719.528.8888
Accounting + Administrative + Executive + Medical + Technicalwww.addstaffinc.com
This just in from the latest edition of the MBCA e-newsletter, Click, a quick wrap-up of news, dis-counts & special events:
StarTech 2015 — Join us next summer in Cincinnati, the cel-ebrated “Queen City,” for Midwest hospitality that will include a spar-kling Welcome Party on Friday, June 12, and a fabulous Saturday Night Soiree on June 13, with the opportunity to be a part of the Arthritis Foun-dation’s Concours d’ El-egance at Ault Park with Mercedes-Benz as the featured marque. Along the way, enjoy interesting and interactive seminars and ancillary events for spouses and kids. Contact Pamela Zelman at [email protected]. Additional info can be found on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/StarTech2013/
2015 Fall MBCA Raffle - There’s no place like home for the holidays, but if you want to be happy in a million ways, you can’t beat the MBCA Raffle! Put
a gift valued at $94,000 under your tree. Enter to win a 2015 S550 valued at $94,400 plus $20,000 cash. On December 16, 2014, MBCA will select one Grand Prize win-ner to receive the S550 plus $20,000 cash in the “Good Things Come in Silver Packages” Fall Raffle. Don’t just dream about roaming far away in a Mercedes-Benz S550. Purchase your raffle tickets TODAY! Tickets are $50 each
and there is no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. A minimum of 4200 tickets must be sold to award the grand prize. The last day to buy tickets is Thursday, December 4. Good luck!
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The Paved Peaks & Passes program is winding down for the season. We’ve got seven teams eligible for their 30 Peak patch, meaning they have completed their P3 passport.
Together we have driven all of the 36 possible passes and we have driven 321
passes total. The Bixlers are the latest of our teams to reach the “magic 30” number; two more are closing in and three have ac-tually driven all 36 passes. That’s an awe-some accomplishment. Check out all the photos on our Facebook page at “MBCA Pikes Peak Section.” Get your passport today, and join the fun!
Paved Peaks & Passes
Independence Pass - Bixlers
Berthoud Pass - Bixlers Squaw Pass - Bixlers
Next-Gen Headlights by Stephen Edelstein
Mercedes-Benz recently revealed the MULTIBEAM LED headlights that will debut on the 2015 CLS-Class, but with the ongo-ing German headlight-tech arms race, it isn’t stopping there.
The newly-launched system uses 24 individual LEDs in its high beam that can be electronically controlled. This “gridding” allows the light distribution on either side of the headlights to be more tightly controlled,
keeping the light focused straight ahead as much as possible. It’s all managed by a camera posi-tioned behind the windscreen and four control units, which adjust the
lighting pattern up to 100 times per second.
Mercedes says the setup is clever enough to direct light away from oncoming cars, so the high beams can stay on at all times. Other cars are mechanically masked out of the beam’s path to prevent drivers from getting blinded.
The Stuttgart carmaker wants to take this technology further, though, and that means adding more LEDs. Mercedes says headlights are like digital cameras in this respect—more points of light, or pixels, equals better. So Mercedes is working on a MULTIBEAM setup with 84 individual LEDs, and believes a resolution of 1,024 pixels will be attainable in the next few years. More individual lighting elements are expected to yield more control, to the point where lighting can be controlled digitally, without any mechanical actuators physi-cally repositioning things.
Mercedes also plans to launch a ‘High Range’ LED high beam, that can cast light up to 600 meters (about 1,968 feet) ahead. The company claims it can achieve this performance with LEDs at a much cheaper cost than the laser headlights developed by rival BMW.
Mercedes hasn’t set a timeline for this future tech, but so far it doesn’t look like the 2015 CLS-Class’ MULTIBEAM LED lights will make it to the U.S., due to regulations requiring headlights to have separate high and low beams.
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2015 Pikes Peak Section Schedule of Events
January 17 Breakfast & Logo Workshop
25 Annual Potluck at MB-CS
February 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner
21 Breakfast & Big Cats of Serenity Springs
March 21 Breakfast & Shelby Muse- um/Leaning Tree
April 18 Breakfast & President’s Rally
26 D-I-Y Tech Session
May 16 Breakfast & Golden Train Museum
TBA Wine-Making Evening
June 20 Breakfast & Star Party
TBA Wine and Painting
July TBA Joint Section Picnic
18 Breakfast & Pepsi Center Tour
August 15 Breakfast & Denver Nature & Science Museum
22 Joint Event with the Lotus Club
September 6 Labor Day Event
19 Breakfast & Fun Run
TBA Shabby-Chic Gourmet Din- ner
October TBA Taos Wine Country Week- end
13 Section Elections
17 Breakfast & Union-Pacific Tour
November 21 Breakfast & Fun Run
22 D-I-Y Tech Session
December 6 Christmas Party
TBA Christmas Lights Tour
19 Breakfast & Fun Run
Independence Pass - Bixlers
The grand newsletter experiment over the last year has gotten mixed reviews. We stopped sending out hard copies to everyone due to the rising costs of printing and postage. Members, however, can still request a hard copy be sent to them.
For a while we were sending out electronic pdf versions, but Comcast frowned on us using so much bandwidth and threatened to terminate Charlie’s email account! Mem-bers can still request a pdf copy be sent to them or go to our website at mbca.org/pikes_peak.com to download and print a hard copy from there.
Finally, we opted to go to ISSUU where
members could view the newsletter directly from the web. Unfortunately, you cannot print from ISSUU, so that’s not an optimum solution.
We are currently looking at new dissemi-nation options. We’re also looking for new and innovative ideas for keeping our mem-bership informed. How would you like to receive the newsletter?
In the meantime, if you would like to receive a hard copy or pdf version of the newslet-ter, please contact Judy Bennett. Her email is [email protected] or you can give her a call at 719-576-9737. Give us your ideas and we’ll keep you informed.
Newsletter Options
The Pikes Peak Section has taken on an ambitious schedule for 2015. We’ve got something for everyone. We’ve got driving events, social events, and lots of just plain fun. As usual, we are planning fun runs after our monthly breakfasts at The Egg & I restaurant.
We will make every attempt to ensure these events occur as listed but circum-stances beyond our control may impact this schedule. Mark your favorites on your calendars now so you don’t forget to be there. Here’s what we’ve got in store:
“We’ve got
something for
everyone....lots
of just plain
fun.”
“We’re look-
ing for new
and innovative
ideas....”
..Page 10
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New Nomenclature by Viknesh VijayenthiranMercedes-Benz is overhauling its naming strategy in preparation for a flood of new models due to be released in the coming years. The changes are only gradually be-ing phased in as vehicles are either updat-ed or completely redesigned.
The changes, arguably the most significant since 1993 when Mercedes made the let-ters ‘C’ and ‘E’ prefixes on the badges of its small and midsize sedans, will help allevi-ate confusion as the German automaker introduces 11 all-new models over the next seven years. On top of this there will be new powertrain systems to deal with.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for remember-ing the new naming strategy:
• Models will still be centered around five traditional Mercedes letter names, which represent size and positioning: A, B, C, E, and S.
• All SUVs will carry the ‘GL’ prefix. So the lineup of utility vehicles will now include the GLA, GLC (formerly GLK), GLE (formerly M/ML) and GLS (previously GL).
• Four-door coupes will get a ‘CL’ prefix, so the CLA and CLS remain unchanged.
• Roadsters will all include the ‘SL’ prefix, so the SLK becomes the SLC.
There are some exceptions, however. The
G-Class SUV and SL-Class roadster will keep their names due to their iconic status. The ‘4Matic’ tag signifying an all-wheel-drive vehicle also remains unchanged.
As for the powertrains, the naming of these will also be simplified. New lower-case let-ters will describe powertrains: ‘c’ for natural gas (compressed gas); ‘d’ for diesel; ‘e’ for electric; ‘f’ for fuel cell; and ‘h’ for hybrid. Numerical suffixes that have referred less directly to engine size over the years will be kept, and will continue to correspond, generally, to relative size and power.
For example, the diesel-powered ML350 BlueTEC will become a GLE350d, while the E400 Hybrid will become a E400h. Interest-ingly, the B-Class Electric Drive becomes
a B250e, reflecting that the performance of the battery-powered vehicle would be similar to that of a theoretical B250 gasoline model or B250d diesel model.
Mercedes says the new model names will start appearing next year, when updated versions of the M-Class and GL-Class are introduced as well as a redesigned GLK-Class. Under the new naming strategy, these will be the GLE, GLS and GLC respec-
tively.
But what about the 11 all-new models? Mercedes says they will have no precursor in the current lineup, meaning the automak-er is about to enter some new segments. New models that we know are coming include the Mercedes-AMG GT, Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, S-Class Pullman, S-Class Cabriolet, CLA Shooting Brake, C-Class Cabriolet and a GLE Coupe (es-sentially Mercedes’ rival to the BMW X6).
That leaves four unknowns. Some possibili-ties are a Mercedes-Maybach GLS and a GLC Coupe (a BMW X4 rival).
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2 December 2014Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
7 December 2014Annual Christmas Party - 5:00 p.m.Gary Gagnon 719-282-9313
6 January 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
17 January 2015Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Logo WorkshopJudy Bennett 719-576-9737
25 January 2015Annual Potluck - 6:00 p.m.Dave Williamson 719-575-7976
3 February 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
14 February 2015Valentine’s Gourmet Dinner - 6:30 p.m.Judy Bennett 719-576-9737
21 February 2015Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Big Cats of Serenity SpringsJulie Nelson 719-634-7522
3 March 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
Calendar of Upcoming Events
The Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors meets the First Tuesday of Each Month at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m.
All Section members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
