January 2009 Archives

In 1886 Karl Benz introduced the very first automobile named the Benz Patent Motor Car. The Benz car sported three-wheels and weighed about 200 lbs. The single-cylinder four-stroke engine produced 2/3 hp at 250 rpm and is considered by most to be the worlds first car. A few months later Gottlieb Daimler unveiled a four-wheeled vehicle. While each of these accomplishments are grand on their own, little did either man realize that they would later form one of the most prestigious, powerful and timeless automotive powerhouses in the world.

Almost a century after introducing its first car, the world-renowned prestigious automakers Mercedes-Benz, debuted its first C-Class car, the 190. The car was universally referred to as the "compact class," but was not officially named the C-Class until 1993 with the introduction of the second C-Class cars. The main differences between the C-Class and its forbearers the E, S, and SL-Class include the cost of the vehicle and their enhanced safety features.

When AMG first graced the Mercedes 300SEL in the late '60s, a legend was born. Dubbed the "rote sau" (German for red pig), the full-size Mercedes was no lightweight. But with AMG's help, the 300SEL went on to win its class at the 1971 24 Hours of Spa, placing second overall. From then on, AMG's name was synonymous with pure performance.


AMG is at it again with their Skunk Works-inspired Black Series models: the CLK63 AMG Black Series and the new SL65 AMG Black Series. The German tuning giant is out to one-up the competition, and if the initial reports are any indication of the performance enveloped within the Black Series lineup, the competition stands to lose sizeable sleep.


First sold in the United States in 2007, the public has gotten to know the CLK63 Black Series' carbon fiber-clad front fascia, massively flared fenders and signature gunmetal black badging quite well. For 2009, the CLK63 Black Series gets an extra 25 horsepower thanks to a revised intake and exhaust system, bumping total engine output to an even 500 ponies. This allows the CLK to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. To maintain the same aggressive stance, no significant changes have been made to the CLK63 Black Series' exterior. Looking thoroughly like a DTM car, the CLK63 Black Series will do a good enough job of convincing your neighbors that you are in fact Hans Stuck in disguise. That is, until you upgrade to the SL65 AMG Black Series, where your secret identity will then be suspected to be none other than Lewis Hamilton.