Cleanest Diesels

NAIAS 2006 Detroit: DaimlerChrysler to Feature Technology for the Cleanest Diesel in the World

BLUETEC – DaimlerChrysler pioneers a group-wide initiative for diesel with potential for all 50 U.S. states

The Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC will be launched in fall 2006 in the U.S. as first BLUETEC passenger car  

Dr. Dieter Zetsche: “We can offer BLUETEC in all our brands for the benefit of our customers.”

Detroit/Stuttgart
DaimlerChrysler will begin the New Year with a pioneering group-wide initiative for advanced clean diesel powertrains to be launched at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The technology called BLUETEC will be capable of producing the cleanest diesel vehicles in the world.

The company will present vehicles featuring BLUETEC at the Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler Group stands, highlighting a bright future for diesel-powered automobiles around the world. BLUETEC offers diesel passenger cars the potential to meet the most stringent emissions regulations worldwide and be approved for sale in all 50 U.S. states. This will enable advanced diesel engines to develop their full potential for reducing fuel consumption and help to reduce emissions in the U.S. as well.

“BLUETEC is the new blueprint for the cleanest diesels in the world,” says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of DaimlerChrysler and Head of the Mercedes Car Group. “And while BLUETEC was developed by Mercedes-Benz, it won’t be exclusive to Mercedes-Benz. Of course, we’ll share this technology with the Chrysler Group.”

The BLUETEC vehicles that DaimlerChrysler will be showcasing in Detroit – the Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC, the Vision Mercedes-Benz GL 320 BLUETEC, and the Concept Car Jeep® Grand Cherokee BLUETEC – are capable of being the most fuel-efficient and cleanest diesel passenger vehicles in their segments in the U.S. BLUETEC can only achieve its full effect in passenger cars when it is used with diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of less than 15 ppm. Such fuel will further reduce the emissions of diesel vehicles already on the market in the U.S. This low-sulfur diesel has already been introduced throughout Europe and is expected to become available in the U.S. in the fall of 2006. DaimlerChrysler's first BLUETEC passenger car will be the Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC, which will be launched in the U.S. next fall.

Mercedes-Benz trucks are already available with BLUETEC diesel technology as standard. Around 9,500 Mercedes-Benz trucks equipped with the innovative exhaust-gas technology were delivered to customers in 2005. This means that more than 98 percent of all truck customers have opted for vehicles that already fulfill the stringent Euro 5 emissions standard.

BLUETEC is a combination of technologies for passenger cars and light trucks to reduce all relevant emission components. The system for passenger cars includes an oxidizing catalytic converter and a diesel particulate filter, as well as innovative systems for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions. Whether a combination of Denox and a BLUETEC catalytic converter, or AdBlue injection with a BLUETEC catalytic converter is used will depend on the individual design concept of the vehicle. Regardless of which technical solution is used, BLUETEC makes diesel vehicles in every class the cleanest diesels in the world. BLUETEC diesel technology for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles combines highly efficient engines with an exhaust gas treatment system based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. With SCR technology, nitrogen oxides are converted into harmless nitrogen and water vapor by adding ammonia as a reducing agent in a catalytic converter.

With BLUETEC, Daimler Chrysler greatly improves the potential of advanced diesel engines within the framework of its “Energy for the Future” initiative, which describes the company’s strategy for ensuring sustainable mobility in the future. An additional element of this initiative is DaimlerChrysler’s ongoing effort to further optimize gasoline engines, as well as the company’s commitment to improving the quality of conventional fuels and promoting the use of synthetic fuels. Further elements of the initiative include the development and introduction of hybrid drive systems and fuel cell technology.

2007 Releases

The 2007 S550 has been released in early February.  The Maybach 57S has been released. The following are good guesstimates and MIGHT BE WRONG.
Complaints about their accuracy should be accompanied by a $1,000 fee.

SL-Class–April/May–Facelift, SL550 replaces SL500

GL-Class—May—New Model GL450

E-Class—July/August—Facelift, E350, E550 replaces E500.  New E320CDI will not be released until October/November

C-Class—July/August—Carryover

CLS-Class – July/August – CLS550 replaces CLS500

CLK-Class–July/August—Carryover, CLK550 replaces CLK500

SLK-Class—July/August— Carryover

SLR—July/August

M-Class—August, ML63 AMG introduced

R-Class—August, R63 AMG introduced

Diesel M-Class, R-Class, and E-Class—October/November.  No other diesels arescheduled for release during calendar year 2006.

S-Class AWD, and CL-Class—November

S600, S65, S63–Dates uncertain

The S450 will not be released in 2006 calendar year, and I have no information on if/when it will be released in the US.

ML63 AMG

M-Class Sport-Utility is Powered by 503-Horsepower AMG-Developed V8

CHICAGO – The 2007 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is making its North American debut at the Chicago Auto Show, the largest auto show in North America, which is open to the public February 10-19, 2006 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.  Powered by the first-ever engine developed entirely by AMG, the high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz, the ML63 AMG will join the other new-generation M-Class sport-utility models that began arriving at Mercedes-Benz dealerships last year.  Following its world premiere at the Frankfurt International Show last fall, the ML63 AMG will go on sale in the U.S. this summer.

With the launch of the ML63 AMG and R63 AMG models, all-wheel-drive returns to the AMG lineup.  While primary markets for AMG models are Southern California and Florida, a strong contingent of AMG owners in the northern U.S. will appreciate their rare combination of power and traction.

The athletic design of the new high-performance ML63 AMG is apparent even from the outside – bolder AMG front and rear aprons, an AMG front grille, flared fenders, and stainless-steel running boards.  In addition, the new ML63 AMG comes with tinted taillights and two sets of chromed twin exhaust pipes.
Inside, the ML63 AMG is fitted with AMG sport seats (covered in Nappa leather with Alcantara inserts in the shoulder bolsters), a leather AMG sport steering wheel and a special AMG-designed instrument cluster that includes a lap timer.  AMG door sills and stainless-steel pedals with rubber studs complete the picture.

The First Powerplant Developed Entirely by AMG

However, the heart of the new ML63 is the first engine developed entirely by AMG – a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produces 503 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque for zero to 60 mph test track times of less than five seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.  

One of the most powerful production V8s ever, the new engine boasts a wealth of exciting features derived from AMG’s highly successful racing efforts.  Built almost completely from a high-strength silicon-aluminum alloy, the new 6.3-liter features four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, bucket tappets (rather than rocker arms) and a variable intake manifold.  The engine shares no parts with other Mercedes-Benz V8 engines, and the 109-mm cylinder spacing is unique to the new 6.3-liter powerplant.

AMG racing genes are obvious in the design of the closed-deck aluminum engine block, which includes cast-in steel reinforcements and an especially rigid “bedplate” design instead of individual main bearing caps.  A first for a production engine, the cylinder bores feature a twin-wire-arc-sprayed (TWAS) coating, a new process that results in impressively low friction and running surfaces that are twice as hard as conventional cast-iron cylinders. 

A Bosch ME 9.7 micro-processor manages the entire show – fuel injection, ignition, valve timing, the variable intake manifold and even an electronically controlled thermostat.  Despite its high power, the new AMG V8 meets all current exhaust emission standards.  Variable valve timing plays a major role by creating internal exhaust gas recirculation at part throttle – with both the intake and exhaust valves open briefly at part throttle, some exhaust gas flows back into the intake to help reduce exhaust emissions.  Whatever’s left is handled by four catalytic converters, four oxygen sensors, secondary air injection and double-wall exhaust piping.

A High-Performance Seven-Speed Transmission

The ML63 AMG comes with a seven-speed automatic transmission that’s controlled by a Direct Select electronic lever on the steering column and by Formula-1-style buttons on the AMG sport steering wheel.  Three shift modes – “S” for sport, “C” for comfort and “M” for manual – can be selected via a switch on the center console.

A Sport-Utility Chassis Worthy of a Sports Car

Like all current M-Class SUVs, the new ML63 AMG boasts a strong unibody platform and an effective full-time four-wheel-drive system beneath its sleek exterior.  Its four-wheel traction control system incorporates functions such as a downhill driving aid and Hill-Start Assist.  Optimized for high performance, the ML63 AMG’s power is distributed 40 percent to the front and 60 percent to the rear.

A double-wishbone front suspension and four-link rear suspension deliver impressive on-road driving performance and comfort.  An option on other M-Class models, height-adjustable AIRMATIC air suspension with special AMG shocks is standard on the ML63 AMG, along with a specially configured version of the ADS adaptive damping system.  High-performance vented and perforated disc brakes on all four wheels work with highly polished 20-inch AMG alloy wheels fitted with 295 / 40 ZR 20 tires.

About AMG

AMG has been a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler since 1999 and is located near Stuttgart in Affalterbach, Germany.  AMG employs 650 specialists in development, production and administrative areas.  AMG develops each of its models, from the engine and driveline to suspension, brakes, chassis and aerodynamics.  Each engine is produced and tested at AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, and AMG models are assembled at the main Mercedes-Benz vehicle assembly plants. 

R63 AMG Concept

R-Class Concept is Powered by 503-Horsepower AMG-Developed V8

CHICAGO – The Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG is making its world debut at the Chicago Auto Show, the largest auto show in North America, which is open to the public February 10-19, 2006 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.  Powered by the first-ever engine developed entirely by AMG, the high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz, the R63 AMG adds high performance to the six-passenger, all-wheel-drive capability of the highly acclaimed R-Class luxury vehicle.

Representing a new way for six adults to travel, the R-Class combines the distinct advantages of several disparate vehicles – the sure-footedness of a four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle, the performance and comfort of a fine sports sedan and the versatility of a luxury wagon.  Innovative design and useful technology now make possible an automotive decathlete – a vehicle that can excel at an unprecedented range of owner needs.

All-wheel-drive returns to the AMG lineup with the launch of the R63 AMG and ML63 AMG models.  While primary markets for AMG models are Southern California and Florida, a strong contingent of AMG owners in the northern U.S. will appreciate their rare combination of power and traction.

An AMG Vision for the R-Class Decathlete

The R63 AMG combines high performance with style and every-day usability.  The athletic design of this new high-performance model is apparent even from the outside – bolder front and rear aprons, an AMG front grille, flared fenders, and AMG side skirts.  In addition, the new R63 AMG comes with tinted taillights and two sets of chromed twin exhaust pipes. Inside, the R63 AMG is fitted with AMG sport seats (covered in Nappa leather with Alcantara inserts in the shoulder bolsters), a leather AMG sport steering wheel and a special instrument cluster with AMG graphics.  AMG door sills and stainless-steel pedals with rubber studs complete the picture.

The First Powerplant Developed Entirely by AMG

However, the heart of the new R63 AMG concept vehicle is the first engine developed entirely by AMG, a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produces 503 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque for zero to 60 mph test track times in about five seconds. See the article above on the ML63 for details.

A Chassis Worthy of a Sports Car

Like all current R-Class luxury vehicles, the new concept R63 AMG boasts a strong unibody platform and an effective full-time four-wheel-drive system beneath its sleek exterior.  Its four-wheel traction control system incorporates functions such as a downhill driving aid and Hill-Start Assist, while a double-wishbone front suspension and four-link rear suspension deliver impressive on-road driving performance and comfort.

An option on other R-Class models, height-adjustable AIRMATIC air suspension with special AMG shocks is standard on the R63 AMG, along with a specially configured version of the ADS adaptive damping system.  High-performance vented and perforated disc brakes on all four wheels work together with highly polished 19-inch AMG alloy wheels fitted with 295 / 45 R19 tires. 

Miscellaneous Ravings

Last Month’s Newsletter

I send the newsletter to the printer electronically, and he prints them, and another company mails them.  Thus I hadn’t seen last months until I got my copies.  Something went wrong, and what I got back wasn’t what I sent as far as layout.  The type was smaller and thus left half a column at the end blank, and headlines were on the bottom of pages, which I don’t do.  I believe I’ve sufficiently impressed upon the printer the importance of doing things exactly as I want, so that shouldn’t happen again.

Anonymous Quote:

"Be kinder than  necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of  battle."

Factory Tours:

Factory tours for visitors not taking delivery of a car are available with prior notice of 4 weeks and by appointment only.  Tour time:8:45 am and 3:00 pm only.  

Times are subject to change without prior notice.  The minimum age for visitors is 6 years.  Please make request directly via Facsimilie: 011-49-7031-902679 or e-mail:  werkbesichtigungen.w050@daimlerchrysler.com.
Sindelfingen factory address:
Mercedes-Benz Kundencenter
Tor 8 (Gate 8) Kaesbruennie Strasse
71059 Sindelfingen.
To call within Germany eliminate 011 and add 0 to area code.
Factory tours are not conducted on German Legal holidays.

Anonymous Quote 2:

"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

Oh, Yeah, the Surgery

Almost forgot.  As noted last month I had “minor neurosurgery” (this year’s oxymoron such as military intelligence and Microsoft Works).

Getting my old friend Dr. Parry Lauzon as anesthesiologist was an inspired idea.  He and I were trying to sell the surgeon, Dr. Bruce Ehni, one of the state’s premier neurosurgeons, a Mercedes in pre-op.

I was sent home that evening and took the weekend off, coming back to work on Monday.  This was no fun but better than going to the Auto Show.  Everything seems to be healing normally, though not without pain.  Believing the line given me by the medical staff that I’ll have less pain overall without painkillers I’ve been basically á cappella except for OTC stuff.

I can still only lift 5 lb., which really ticks off the cats and the dog.  Arthur Pendragon is quite upset that I don’t pick him up and put him on my shoulder so he can purr and then fight to get down and run away.

I believe it’ll be late April before I’ll be able to lift and bend over without restrictions.

I was impressed with the improvements at Methodist Hospital since I had last seen the inside back in the 70’s.  The lobby reminded us of the Bellagio.  The staff was equally impressive.  Everyone acted as if they wanted to be there, and some safety procedures were quite obvious.  Everyone who dealt with me asked the same key questions to make sure they were dealing with the right patient, and there was enough safety-related redundancy to minimize mistakes.

University of Washington

I didn’t go to the University of Washington.  Gregory “Pappy” Boyington did and went on to win the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor in the Pacific during WWII.  An outstanding combat leader he forged one of the most successful squadrons in the war.  Later he spent 20 months in a Japanese prison camp.  He wasn’t a great person, an alcoholic who was belligerent when drunk.  He screwed up his life more than once.  But he was a bona fide war hero.  (“Show me a hero,” he said, “and I’ll show you a bum.”)

But the University of Washington’s student senate decided being an ace and a great combat leader was a poor example for future students and voted down a plaque honoring his service.  Another plaque on the campus honors members of the Communist Abraham Lincoln Brigade of the Spanish Civil War.

The fact that he killed enemy soldiers was held against him, but the kicker was that he was a Marine, and that wasn’t the sort of people the University of Washington wanted to associate with.

Apparently no one taught these geniuses that without Marines there would be no University of Washington.

I would imagine that the contributions from Marine alumni will be pretty scarce for a while.  Semper Fi, guys.

Leadership Lessons from TV

Even from fantasy I often see examples of leadership, both good and bad.  Examples of both abound in the Sci-Fi fantasy series Battlestar Galactica.  Admiral Adama is usually an example of good military leadership.  He remains calm and emotionless when in situations of great stress.  He doesn’t yell at subordinates, and, when they screw up, he makes sure they learned a lesson from it then moves on, not haranguing them for their mistakes when it can do no good.  You can’t change the past, and when the man who erred has learned where he made his mistake, he won’t make the same one again.  It’s time to move on.The three commanders of the other Battlestar, the Pegasis, have been examples of terrible leadership.  One was a cruel tyrant.  One was a criminal in the black market, and the last was an engineer promoted to command because there was no one else.  When he failed Adama asked the prospective new commander, “What did he do wrong?”

“He was dealing with people, not machines.  You can’t treat people like machines.” 

“Remember that when you take command.”

I think Battlestar Galactica should be studied at the service academies for lessons good and bad.

On the other extreme. 24 has numerous examples of the worst leaders that can be conceived.  The very atmosphere at CTU, one of tyrannical managers, secrecy, distrust, and demeaning, degrading management styles makes for high drama on the show but would make the unit totally ineffective in the team world.  There is no team, just a bunch of conspirators.  Anyone doing a good job will eventually be relieved or jailed.  And at the top, the weak President, elevated to the job when the president’s plane was shot down, serves as an example of how to do every decision wrong.  He threatens subordinates at times of stress.  He harasses them for past decisions and continues to complain when nothing can be gained by it.  It’s a very scary portrayal of what could happen with a bad president.  It’s as though they watched Al Gore and Ted Kennedy, both of whom tend to get hysterical on occasion, and took their worst traits and threw them into the fictional president.

I know, if the President and the head of CTU did their jobs as well as Admiral Adama, there would be no show.  24 would be called 2 or 3, and we’d have to watch something else.

Big Orange, ruler of the neighborhood for 9 years

Excerpts From "A Cat's Guide To Human Beings"
(Found on the internet and in email)

Introduction: Why Do We Need Humans?

So you've decided to get yourself a human being. In doing so, you've joined the millions of other cats who have acquired these strange and often frustrating creatures. There will be any number of times, during the course of your association with humans, when you will wonder why you have bothered to grace them with your presence.

What's so great about humans, anyway? Why not just hang around with other cats? Our greatest philosophers have struggled with this question for centuries, but the answer is actually rather simple:

THEY HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS.

Which makes them the perfect tools for such tasks as opening doors, getting the lids off of cat food cans, changing television stations and other activities that we, despite our other obvious advantages, find difficult to do ourselves. True, chimps, orangutans and lemurs also have opposable thumbs, but they are nowhere as easy to train.

How And When to Get Your Human's Attention

Humans often erroneously assume that there are other, more important activities than taking care of your immediate needs, such as conducting business, spending time with their families or even sleeping.

Though this is dreadfully inconvenient, you can make this work to your advantage by pestering your human at the moment it is the busiest. It is usually so flustered that it will do whatever you want it to do, just to get you out of its hair. Not coincidentally, human teenagers follow this same practice.Here are some tried and true methods of getting your human to do what you want:

Sitting on paper: An oldie but a goodie. If a human has paper in front of it, chances are good it's something they assume is more important than you. They will often offer you a snack to lure you away. Establish your supremacy over this wood pulp product at every opportunity. This practice also works well with computer keyboards, remote controls, car keys and small children.

Waking your human at odd hours: A cat's "golden time" is between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning. If you paw at your human's sleeping face during this time, you have a better than even chance that it will get up and, in an incoherent haze, do exactly what you want. You may actually have to scratch deep sleepers to get their attention; remember to vary the scratch site to keep the human from getting suspicious.

Punishing Your Human Being

Sometimes, despite your best training efforts, your human will stubbornly resist bending to your whim. In these extreme circumstances, you may have to punish your human. Obvious punishments, such as scratching furniture or eating household plants, are likely to backfire; the unsophisticated humans are likely to misinterpret the activities and then try to discipline YOU. Instead, we offer these subtle but nonetheless effective alternatives: 

Use the cat box during an important formal dinner.   

Stare impassively at your human while it is attempting a romantic interlude.   

Stand over an important piece of electronic equipment and feign a hairball attack. 

After your human has watched a particularly disturbing horror film, stand by the hall closet and then slowly back away, hissing and yowling.   

While your human is sleeping, lie on its face. 

Rewarding Your Human: Should Your Gift Still Be Alive? 

The cat world is divided over the etiquette of presenting humans with the thoughtful gift of a recently disemboweled animal. Some believe that humans prefer these gifts already dead, while others maintain that humans enjoy a slowly expiring cricket or rodent just as much as we do, given their jumpy and playful movements in picking the creatures up after they've been presented. 

After much consideration of the human psyche, we recommend the following: cold blooded animals (large insects, frogs, lizards, garden snakes and the occasional earthworm) should be presented dead, while warm blooded animals (birds, rodents, your neighbour's Pomeranian) are better still living. When you see the expression on your human's face, you'll know it's worth it. 

How Long Should You Keep Your Human? 

You are only obligated to your human for one of your lives. The other eight are up to you. We recommend mixing and matching, though in the end, most humans (at least the ones that are worth living with) are pretty much the same. But what do you expect? They're humans, after all. Opposable thumbs will only take you so far.

Curt Rich FEBRUARY 2006

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