Curt;s Newsletter, July 2005

Curt’s Newsletter

July 2005

No part of this newsletter may be reprinted elsewhere including internet websites without written permission from the author

The magnificent new 2007 S-Class, first official photos

This photo shows the optional 4 seat interior and DVD player/TV in the headrests. You CAN get it with 5 seats, of course.

2007 S Class

First Photos

Montvale, NJ – Mercedes-Benz has just released the first official photographs of the next-generation S-Class – the company’s new flagship sedan that debuts this fall in Europe and arrives in the U.S. early in 2006. The successor to a long line of premium vehicles, the new S-Class emerges with a stronger presence and a significantly evolved design. Sharper angles and cleaner lines frame a sedan that gains about 1.7 inches of length, almost an inch in width, and more than three inches in wheelbase over its predecessor.

New-Generation Engines for a New-Generation Car

For the 2007 model year, the S600 is powered by a V12 engine with more than 500 hp. The 382-hp S500 is powered by the first of a new-generation V8 engine family featuring increased displacement, four-valve-per-cylinder technology, variable valve timing and a lightweight crank assembly. Both horsepower and torque are up considerably, yet with lower exhaust emissions and noise.

The new S-Class comes with the world’s first seven-speed automatic, a smooth-shifting driver-adaptive transmission that maximizes both performance and fuel economy. A small lever on the right side of the steering column serves as an electronic shift lever that’s more convenient than ever – lift the stalk up for Reverse, push down for Drive, and push a button on the end for Park.

Once underway, shift buttons on the “back” of the steering wheel provide Touch Shift manual shifting. An electronic parking brake is engaged at the push of a button on the dash, and is released automatically when the driver shifts into gear and touches the accelerator.

More PRE-SAFE Features

During those valuable seconds just before a possible impact, the front seat belts are automatically tightened, the sunroof closes, and the passenger seats can move to positions that provide better protection – three measures that have been part of the revolutionary S-Class PRE-SAFE system since its debut in 2002. On the new S-Class, side windows also close to provide better support for the window curtain air bags, and special seat cushions can inflate to provide greater lateral support for occupants and help the side air bags provide even better collision protection.

Optional Radar System Can Reduce Rear Collisions by 75 Percent

The well-known Distronic cruise control feature that maintains a preset following distance behind the vehicle ahead is replaced by an optional Distronic Plus system. Integrated with PRE-SAFE, the radar-based system operates at nearly all speeds up to 125 mph and can be especially helpful in stop-and-go traffic. Distronic Plus works with a new Brake Assist Plus system to monitor traffic conditions, and if a collision is anticipated, ideal brake pressure is applied, even if the driver applies the brake pedal too lightly. In extensive tests using 300 drivers, the new system – another Mercedes-Benz safety first – reduced rear collisions in heavy city traffic by 75 percent.

Distronic Plus also incorporates 24 GHz radar-based Park Assist. This new option utilizes six radar sensors mounted behind the front and rear bumpers – eliminating the need for the visible “portholes” of the previous ultrasonic-based system. The result is clean, integrated, and invisible with greater range and sensitivity.

Infra-Red Vision Increases Night Visibility

Another innovative technology making its debut on the 2007 S-Class is infrared night vision, a new option that can extend the driver’s “visibility” to nearly 500 feet. An industry first, and in contrast to passive systems offered by other auto companies, this active system bathes the road ahead with infrared light from two projectors mounted in the headlight assemblies

An infrared camera discreetly mounted in the windshield receives the reflected images and displays them in the high-resolution display in the instrument cluster. The result is akin to a highly detailed black & white video image.

Form Follows Function Inside and Out

High quality materials used throughout the interior of the S500 are punctuated by sweeping lines of exotic wood accented with chrome trim throughout the cabin, forming a practical yet luxurious environment that emphasizes easy access to vehicle features.

The centerpiece of the dash is an eight-inch high-resolution display for an intuitive new COMAND system, now positioned at the same height as the primary instruments and operated by a COMAND Controller located on the lower center console. Instead of requiring occupants to use the COMAND system exclusively, many vehicle controls are accessible by conventional hard keys, the multifunction steering wheel, and optional voice control as well as via the COMAND system.

Newly developed front seats are electrically adjustable 16 ways and offer several optional choices of ventilation and ergonomic adjustability. The available Drive Dynamic seats feature 11 individual pneumatic chambers to help the driver find a perfect seating position, and 14 more chambers provide four levels of pulsating massage to relieve fatigue and help keep drivers alert.

For almost five decades, the S-Class has embodied the flagship role for the Mercedes-Benz brand. The S-Class is a technological showcase that has pioneered significant safety and comfort features for the entire auto industry.

The Box Fish, an unlikely model for an automobile

But it’s very efficient aerodynamically

The resulting concept car is very efficient in several ways

Bionic Car Concept Vehicle

Washington – DaimlerChrysler is using a new concept vehicle to examine the great potential of bionics for automobile development, and has achieved outstanding results for fuel consumption and emissions with a combination of pioneering diesel engine technology and innovative emission control methods. The Mercedes-Benz bionic car study will have its world premiere at this year’s DaimlerChrysler Innovation Symposium in Washington.

To realize the Mercedes-Benz bionic car, the engineers at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre and the Daimler Chrysler Research department have for the first time looked for a specific example in nature which not only approximates to the idea of an aerodynamic, safe, comfortable and environmentally compatible car in terms of details, but as a formal and structural whole. The example arrived at was the boxfish.

Despite its boxy, cube-shaped body, this tropical fish is in fact outstandingly streamlined and therefore represents an aerodynamic ideal. With an accurately constructed model of the boxfish the engineers in Stuttgart were able to achieve a wind drag coefficient of just 0.06 in the wind tunnel.

In order to use this great potential for automobile development purposes, specialists at DaimlerChrysler first created a 1:4 car model whose shape was substantially based on the boxfish. During tests in the wind tunnel, a drag coefficient of 0.095 – a previously unprecedented value in automotive engineering – was measured for this clay model. It corresponds to the values achieved with highly streamlined shapes (Cd 0.09) and other aerodynamically ideal forms.

DaimlerChrysler utilized the findings from this research during the development of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car, a fully functioning and roadworthy compact car with a length of 4.24 meters and space for four occupants plus luggage. With a Cd value of just 0.19, this concept vehicle is among the most aerodynamically efficient in this size category.

20 Percent Lower Fuel Consumption And Up To 80 Percent Lower Nitrogen Oxide Emissions

In addition to superb aerodynamics and a lightweight construction concept derived from nature, the 140-hp diesel engine and innovative SCR technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction) greatly contribute to fuel economy and a further reduction in exhaust emissions. In the EU driving cycle the concept car has a fuel consumption of 70 miles per US gallon (combined), which is about 30 percent more than for a standard-production car. At a constant speed of 90 km/h the direct-injection diesel unit obtains 84 miles per gallon in the US test cycle.

DaimlerChrysler is currently testing its SCR technology worldwide. By this means, and with the additional operating fluid “AdBlue”, the nitrogen oxide emissions of the direct-injection diesel engine can be reduced by up to 80 percent. The aim of these trials is to avoid the fuel consumption disadvantages by optimizing the in-engine combustion processes. This is where Mercedes-Benz car engineers are benefiting from the experience gained by their colleagues in the commercial vehicle sector, where SCR technology is already in successful use. DaimlerChrysler also intends to use the great potential of this process for diesel passenger cars in future, and will initially be offering SCR technology in the USA when the trials have been completed.

“AdBlue” is an aqueous urea solution which is sprayed into the exhaust system in precisely metered quantities, depending on the engine operating status. This converts the nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water. The reservoir for this service fluid is located in the spare wheel recess of the concept car, and its capacity is sufficient for a mileage corresponding to the service interval for a current Mercedes diesel model. The Mercedes-Benz bionic car study is also equipped with a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter.

Great Rigidity And Low Weight

The boxfish, the aerodynamic model for the concept car, is also a prime example of rigidity and light weight. Its skin consists of numerous hexagonal, bony plates which provide maximum strength with minimal weight and effectively protect the animal from injury.

DaimlerChrysler researchers examined this bionic structure and transferred this principle to the Mercedes-Benz bionic car study with the help of a special calculation process. The process is based on the principles of bone formation and for instance allows up to 40 percent more rigidity to be achieved in the external door paneling than would be possible with conventional designs. If the entire body shell is calculated according to this bionic principle, the total weight is reduced by around one third with undiminished strength and crash safety.

What’s New for 2006

R-Class:

* An entirely new class of Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicle that’s a new way for six adults to travel

* Combines the all-weather traction of a sport utility with wagon versatility and sports sedan performance.

* Two models – 268-hp 3.5-liter V6-powered R350 and the 302-hp 5.0-liter V8 R500.

CLS-Class:

* The first-ever four-door coupe – another totally new class

* Two models – the 302-hp CLS500 and the 469-hp CLS55 AMG

* New active front head restraints standard for both CLS models

M-Class:

* All-new second-generation M-Class reestablished the benchmark among luxury SUVs

* Two-models – 268-hp 3.5-liter V6-powered ML350 and the 302-hp 5.0-liter V8 ML500

* Standard seven-speed automatic transmission with Direct Select column-mounted shifter

CLK-Class:

* Facelift for CLK Coupes and Cabriolets includes new grill and redesigned taillights

* New active front head restraints standard on entire CLK line

* CLK320 is replaced by CLK350 with 3.5-liter, 268-hp four-valve V6 and seven-speed automatic

* CLK350 also gets new wheels and front apron

* CLK500 gets sportier interior and AMG exhaust

C-Class:

* All-sedan lineup features a range of new four-valve, twin-cam V6 engines

* 201-hp 2.5-liter V6 in the C230, 228-hp 3.0-liter for the C280 and 268-hp 3.5-liter C350

* New active front head restraints standard on entire C-Class line

SLK-Class:

* New SLK280 model joins the SLK55 AMG and SLK350 Roadsters

* SLK280 features a 3.0-liter, 228 hp version of the new twin-cam V6 engine

SL-Class:

* Run-flat tires are a new option for the flagship roadster

* New 18-inch double-spoke wheels for AMG sport package

* Keyless Go, heated steering wheel and corner illuminating fog lights now standard on SL600.

CL-Class:

* AMG Sport package standard on CL500 and CL600

* Keyless Go, heated steering wheel, and electronic truck closer now standard on CL600

S-Class:

* New S65 AMG model with 604-hp V12; world’s quickest four-door – 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds

* AMG sport package now a no-cost option on S430 and S500 rear-wheel-drive models

* 4MATIC all-wheel drive a no-cost option for S430 and S500

* Keyless Go, heated steering wheel, electronic truck closer and rear side blinds standard on S600

E-Class:

* E320 is replaced by E350 model (3.5-liter twin-cam, four-valve per-cylinder V6 engine)

* New active front head restraints standard on entire E-Class line

* New 17-inch wheels for E350 and E500 models

G-Class:

* Grand Edition G-Class model will debut in summer 2005

* Special badged, numbered edition through model-year 2005

NHTSA NIXES MB SAFETY IDEA

Automotive News reported that Mercedes-Benz sought to equip its vehicles with brake lights that would rapidly flash on and off when a driver stopped suddenly as allowed in the European Union. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (silly bureaucrats for short) rejected the proposal.

“Mercedes argued that the flashing lights would allow motorists to ascertain whether the driver ahead was making a panic stop or braking normally. Mercedes says it has evidence that motorists would hit the brakes more quickly and avoid a rear-end crash.

“But the agency replied that Mercedes had not proved that flashing lights would yield a major safety gain. So a federal rule that requires steady illumination of brake lights will stand.”

Rear end collisions account for more than 20 percent of all crashes, Automotive News added. According to the silly bureaucrats, more than 1,600 deaths and nearly 700,000 injuries result, but they don’t care because they didn’t think of the idea, nyaa, nyaa, nyaa. (Last phrase added, but I could hear the nyaa, nyaa, nyaa between the lines).

The silly bureaucrats are studying possible remedies. “They include adaptive cruise control devices that automatically slow vehicles that get too close to vehicles in front of them.” (You mean like Distronic, which we’ve had for years, using radar? Or the less reliable laser units used by other brands because they’re cheaper—laser doesn’t work in fog or rain) “Other systems would provide larger or more intense lights to signal emergency stops.” (So 2010 cars will have to have auxiliary brake lights 5’ wide and 3’ high mounted on the roof. That should make fuel mileage increase! Not.)

Silly bureaucrat administrator Steve Kratzke said, “Some signal enhancements may have greater potential than simple flashing brake lights, preferably something that, unlike the Mercedes-Benz proposal, would add, oh, ten thousand dollars per car, weigh half a ton, and decrease crashworthiness. Yeah, that’s the ticket.”* He added that the Silly Bureaucrats would have an alternate proposal shortly after pigs fly out of his posterior. (*Parts of quote made up for comic effect. Guess which part.)

SLK280

Model Year 2006 will see the introduction of the entry model SLK280 in the SLK lineup. The addition of the SLK280 will appeal to a broader customer base by pairing aggressive SLK styling to an all-new, powerful V6 engine at a very attractive price. Performance will continue to be a strong selling point for the SLK-Class with the acceleration of the SLK280 from 0-60 mph rated at a mere 6.1 seconds.

Highlights:

* 3.0L V6 engine with 228 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque.

* Standard 6-speed manual transmission.

* Optional 7-speed driver adaptive transmission

* All new 16” 5-spoke staggered-width alloy wheels.

Options:

The SLK option strategy has been revised to further promote the growing demand in satellite radio. SIRIUS Satellite Radio is now available, including a 6-month subscription, either as a factory-installed option offered in both Entertainment packages or as a stand-alone option. The CD changer is now available as a stand-alone option only.

Additionally, Pewter Metallic paint and Brown Nappa Leather featured on the very successful SLK Launch Edition are orderable options for model year 2006 on the SLK280 and SLK350.

Pricing highlights:

Model MSRP

SLK280 $42,900

SLK350 $46,950

SLK55 AMG $61,500

Miscellaneous Ravings

Anne Coulter Quote of the Month:

(This is always difficult to choose, but I am limited in space. I can’t just copy her whole columns.)

“American soldiers make do with C-rations. Dinner on an America West flight from New York to Las Vegas consists of one small bag of peanuts. Meanwhile, one recent menu for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo consisted of orange-glazed chicken, fresh fruit crepe, steamed peas and mushrooms, and rice pilaf. Sounds like the sort of thing you’d get at Windows on the World – if it still existed.”

The Best TV Show You’ve Never Seen

Thumbing through looking for a network whose channel number I didn’t know, I found “MILT” on the TiVO screen. Curious, I clicked it on. It’s the Military channel. They had on “Best Ranger.” You like reality shows? This makes survivor look like Rebecca at Sunnybrook Farms. You like sports? This makes an ultramarathon look like a morning jog.

The miniseries (3 hours) covered the US Army Ranger School’s Best Ranger Competition, held for the first time since 1999. This is a 2-man team competition that lasts 60 hours without a break. It involves a lot of running, a bunch of obstacle courses, parachute jumping for accuracy, shooting machine guns at 800 yds (!), pistols, rifles, grenade launchers in a realistic setting after running a mile, rescuing a wounded man and treating his wounds, etc. As an homage to our original Rangers, a tomahawk throw and bow and arrow shooting were two stages. The entire course was a secret. One of the runs is a night road march of unknown distance for 8 hours. You know you’ve reached the finish line when you see it. Oh, did I mention it’s in full field equipment with 65 lb. packs? On one team one man had damaged his knee, so his buddy carried his rucksack and his own—130 lb. The course was 20 miles. The next night’s compass course covered 140 sq. miles of rough terrain as the contestants searched for 12 targets using only a map and a compass—and they didn’t know where they were when they started.

The contestants were amazing. No whining. A sergeant who collapsed from dehydration apologized to his team. A previous winner had coached another team that was capable of beating his team. Every part of the Ranger Creed was observed.

One contestant, it was felt at the beginning, might not be in perfect shape for this since he had shattered a foot recently—jumping into Afghanistan. He finished.

The next-to-last test was the Darby Queen obstacle course, familiar to all rangers, with an easy little 1 mile buddy run afterwards to complete the 60 hours.

I don’t think it will be shown as a recruiting tool. It would frighten off any sane man to think he might be expected to do all of those things. They’re all required of Rangers routinely. But it can’t help but make you in awe of men who do that every day.

24 Years at Star

I have to ask myself, “When am I going to find a real job?”

July 1, 1981

I started working at Star. I had been at a Chevy store in Pasadena, Texas for exactly 3 years, and the owner of Star recruited me based on an innovative direct mail campaign to Sports Car Club of America members. After 3 years at the Chevy store I was senior salesman and was their only “closer,” so I was selling a lot of cars. But, at the time, selling Mercedes, Volvos, and SAABs made more money than selling Chevies, so the first 6 months here paid more than the last year at the Chevy store. It was a good move.

The next April The Redhead and I got married. That was the good news. The bad news is we bought a Townhouse shortly after that. Big mistake. We’re rid of it now, but it was an ordeal of Biblical proportions. (Job had a townhouse.)

The 80s had good and bad years. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 hurt business almost as much as September 11, 2001. You’ll remember it destroyed the Savings and Loan industry and caused other chaos.

I had bought a computer in 1984 and sat down to learn how to use it. I wrote several war stories just to learn the keyboard. A magazine bought them all, and I turned them into a novel, The Advisors. It was published in 1986. It sold its first printing in 6 weeks. The company president who approved it was replaced. None of the books he approved were ever reprinted.

In 1991 I won the Mercedes-Benz Product Challenge, a series of tests leading up to a game show at the Plaza Hotel in New York. First prize was a 500SL for a year. When I turned it in a year later it had over 25000 miles, and all 5 tires were bald (second set). Yes, it was fun.

I had been active in the Sports Car Club of America’s National Rally program. The Redhead and I won the championship in 1991, my second, her first. I had run with all of the great navigators of the day. She was the best. She won half of the national rallies entered, a spectacular start for a rookie. Then she told me how much she hated rallying. We haven’t been to one since.

I did have a weak moment in 1994 and entered One Lap of America, a 6000 mile jaunt around the middle of the US with time trials at every racetrack along the way. I was scheduled to do it again in 1995 when I went blind in a 6-week period.

Some vision came back, so I can drive to work, but it’s not fun anymore. If, when you walk up to my office, I don’t recognize you, it’s probably because with the glare of the front window, you’re just a black silhouette from that angle.

In 1998 my “driver’s handbook for the 21st Century,” Drive to Survive, was published. It’s still in print. It’s in virtually every driver’s ed bibliography and martial-arts and self-defense library. Thousands of accidents have been avoided, and over 1,000 recorded “saves” have been reported to me. Parts of it are used to train some federal employees and law enforcement agencies. It’s used in several corporate safety programs.

In October 2000 the exclusive Mercedes-Benz building opened, with 150 cars or so on the third floor, much better offices (especially considering my glare problem). The AC works here. I now only sell Mercedes-Benz. It was a completely positive change. MB sales climbed. I was ready to get my 20 year ring for selling a lot of Mercedes every year for 20 years, and they started over in 2000 with a new system. At the end of 2000 they gave me another “starter” ring. You’ll notice I no longer wear a Mercedes ring, even to MB functions.

Then, of course, came September 11th. I hesitate to mention it because the effects on me were minor. Thousands of people died, and some Americans woke up to the fact that militant extremist maniacs have been at war with us since the 70’s. And the economy went to hell in a handbasket. Strangely enough business in October-December climbed to new heights. Several people told me the same thing I felt when I had to decide whether to get the fiendishly expensive ML55 AMG or just another ML320 or 500 to save money in a time of uncertainty: “I just realized I’ve been putting off my dream car, and I realized I might not get another chance.” A lot of people bought their dream cars. I doubt any regretted it. I certainly don’t. Now the entire country is combat veterans. We’re ALL on borrowed time. Make the most of it. Open the vintage wine you’ve been saving. Take the family to Disney World. See Paris (the one with the tower, not the one on the $39.95 video). Buy your dream car. Treat your loved ones better.

I continued winning awards from Mercedes, with a Platinum award in 2003. There was no 2004 award because MBUSA management decided sales people aren’t worth spending any money on.

When I started selling Mercedes I knew they were the best car in the world, and they wanted the best sales people in the world. Changes along the way have made me realize the current management of MBUSA doesn’t believe sales people are anything but a necessary evil. It’s still the best car in the world, but selling them is no longer the best job in the industry.

But I’m still doing it. I believe in the product. I’ve had too many customers come in after awful accidents and buy another. As far as I know, I haven’t lost a customer in a Mercedes accident in 24 years. It’s not for a lack of trying on some of their parts. Some have totaled more than one.

And I haven’t played musical dealerships. This is the only locally owned dealership in town. The others are part of a huge nationwide chain. You’ll never get to talk to the owner. Here you can. And he has been consistent. He expects us all to be absolutely truthful and honest. We are never allowed to mark up hot sellers to over sticker. We don’t bump people in line waiting for the next hot Mercedes because someone offered us more money. If a technician charges you for a part, it better be on the car. We don’t do “matrix” parts pricing, as people who have comparison shopped know. Parts are sold at Mercedes recommended prices, not 25-100% over.

Rules

I’ve stuck to several rules through all these years:

1. Treat people as you would like to be treated.

I know it’s not original. But it is the right thing to do.

2. I also learned that 90% of life is showing up. I think Woody Allen said that. So I show up a lot. Fortunately, the dog remembers me when I get home 13 hours after I left him.

3. Work hard.

4. Don’t lie. It’s too hard to remember what I said last week/month/10 minutes ago. But I can remember the truth. If you’re going to work at the same place for years and years you can’t lie to people. They know where you work. I’ve seen the “gypsy” car salesmen come and go. They would promise anything knowing they weren’t going to be there when it came time to make good on the promise.

5. Don’t steal.

6. Know more about the product than the customer.

Experience also taught me that the secret of success in sales isn’t fast talking, it’s fast listening.

7. Listen to the customer.

If you listen, you might find out what the customer wants, what he doesn’t want, what he’s afraid of, and what he likes. Amazing. Customers will stand there and actually tell you what they want. Sometimes they’re surprised when I say, “you said...” I might talk a lot, but the way to solve problems is to listen.

8. Let the customer win.

I want the customer to win. He wins a new car that’ll be a major factor in his life for several years. He wins a car that might be called upon to sacrifice itself to save his life. I have a long list of customers who have survived “non-survivable” accidents.

9. Never get greedy. It’s better to sell a lot of cars at good prices for the customer than a few home runs.

10. Pet the cats and dogs. Kiss the Redhead when you get home. Selling Mercedes is not what I am, it’s what I do so I can spend time with them. They, or I, could be gone tomorrow. Along the way Andromeda, Kahlua, Bear, Merlin, and Browning have gone on. But Arthur, Emerald, and Patton keep us sane (and, in the case of the cats, humble).

The more things change…

When I came here, the technicians and service manager were telling me the cars weren’t what they used to be, that MB quality had gone down hill. Car rags and Consumer Reports were attacking MB when they could.

Each year Mercedes got better. We’ve had better years and worse years depending on the models. But there is no current model I wouldn’t put The Redhead in, either for safety or reliability. The technicians and Service Manager still say the same things. I learned to ignore them.

The Future:

If you think I have the foggiest idea what the future will bring, boy, are you way off track.

Curt Rich July 2005

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