Mercedes to Debut New Concept Alongside C63 AMG Coupe and One More Unnamed AMG Model at NY Show

The latest news coming out from the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show in late April is that Mercedes-Benz is planning three worldwide and three North American production debuts. The three world premieres include a never before seen concept model and two AMG cars, the 2012 C63 AMG Coupe that we’ve already showed you, and another one which has not yet been revealed.

While we can only speculate on the unnamed concept model, it is very likely that the AMG production car is the SLS AMG Roadster as it was recently teased in the German firm’s SuperBowl commercial.

As for the North American motorshow debuts, these are new 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350, C-Class Coupe, and C-Class (the latter was shown at a special media event on the sidelines of the Detroit Show in January).

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Mercedes wants us to think the C63 AMG Coupe is Faster than a Ducati 848 EVO

The freshly revealed Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe is featured in two promotional videos released by the company. The first footage shows the AMG coupe taking on a Ducati 848 EVO motorbike on some scenic twisty roads. The winner of the duel isn't hard to guess - after all, this is a promotional video for the C63 AMG - but one can't help but wondering if the Merc could stand a chance in front of the Italian superbike if the race hadn't been a friendly one (or at least if the two vehicles would have taken the same route).

However, the appearance of the 140HP Ducati motorbike in the video is the fruit of the marketing collaboration between AMG and the Italian brand announced last year. Scroll down to enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful duel, plus a short presentation of the C-Class Coupe in AMG guise in the second video.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Mercedes-Benz to Debut Updated 2012 C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car at Australian Grand Prix

At this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne (March 25-27), Mercedes-Benz will debut its revised 2012 C63 AMG Estate Official F1 Medical Car. The German station wagon has been used in Formula 1 for the past three seasons, but in 2011 it will appear in its facelifted form with a refreshed design and updated technology that includes the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed transmission.

Other new features include the aluminium bonnet with modified powerdomes, the radiator grille, the headlamps and the AMG rear apron, while there’s also a redesign front apron with larger intake apertures and side air vents.

The C63 AMG Estate Medical Car is motivated by a 6.3-litre V8 engine equipped with the AMG Performance Package delivering 487HP at 6800 rpm for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.5 seconds.

Special features of the Performance Package include the variable intake manifold painted in titanium grey and the AMG high-performance braking system with internally ventilated composite brake discs at the front axle.

The car rides on 19-inch wheels shod in tires with size 235/35 R 19 (front) and 255/30 R 19 (rear).

The Medical Car stands out visually from the stock model thanks to its F1 logos, the roof light bar, the stroboscopic flashing LED lights at the front and rear, plus the number plate illuminated with LEDs and displaying the words "Medical Car". Inside it is equipped with four sports bucket seats with six-point seat belts, and comes with two monitors integrated into the centre console for monitoring the race and a radio set for communicating with Race Control.

The SLS AMG that takes the role of the Official F1 Safety Car will join the C63 AMG Estate in the Australian Grand Prix. There are no changes for the SLS AMG that has been used in Formula 1 since 2010.

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Mercedes-Benz Launches New Ad Campaign for 2012 C-Class, Releases 70 Photos

Mercedes-Benz has kicked off a major advertising campaign for its facelifted C-Class series under the tagline “A Class Ahead”. The new model will be promoted across print media, TV, radio stationsa nd the Internet. While the TV advertisements are filmed in rural environments, the print ads put the C-Class in urban settings. Each advertisement highlights a specific feature of the 2012MY C-Class, such as the 20-second commercial called “Souvenir” (view below) that underlines the estate's 1,500-liter load capacity and the “Rocker”, dedicated to the interior of the car. In addition, the German automaker released a new photo gallery of the 2012My C-Class, which you can check out below.

The redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class range is claimed to be up to 31 percent more fuel-efficient than its predecessor thanks to the updated engines, all equipped with start/stop function as standard (with the exception of the C 300 CDI 4Matic).

The updated C-Class also benefits from the introduction of ten new driving assistance systems, including the Attention Assist drowsiness detection and the Distronic Plus proximity control. Also available is a new generation of telematics with internet access and 3D navigation display.

In total, more than 2,000 new components have been added to the new model, according to Mercedes-Benz. The new C-Class will be launched onto the European market this month.

By Dan Mihalascu

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