THE PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE

2008

THE NEW SL 63 AMG

LEGENDTHE SPEEDBOAT DREAM TEAM IN MIAMI

EVOLUTIONTHE STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN OF THE C 63 AMG

FORMULA 1THE RACETRACK ARCHITECT

ROAD STAR

BOUNDLESSTHE POWERFUL ELEGANCE OF THE DESIGN ICON FROM AFFALTERBACH SHINES THROUGH

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NEW PERSPECTIVESOPEN UP WITH THE PANORAMIC VIEW. THE WILLINGNESS OF THE ROADSTER TO PERFORM ACHIEVES NEW DIMENSIONS

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SELF-ASSURANCEIS EMBEDDED IN THE GAZE OF THE LEGENDARY TWO-SEATER.STRIKING LINES EMPHASISE ITS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL

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ATTRACTIVEAND ASSUREDTHE FIRSTCLASS OF THE CARWORLD PRESENTS ITSELF

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NOBLE POISETHE EXPRESSION OF PERFECT POSTURE, REFLECTED INEVERY DETAIL OF THE REFINEDATHLETE

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EVENING TRANQUILITY:

PHOTOSHOOT AT THE EL MIRAGE SALT LAKE

IN NEVADA/USA

We at Mercedes-AMG are proud.Proud of the latest evolutionary phaseof our most successful model: the SLRoadster. Known as the SL 63 AMG,the car naturally impresses at firstglance with its extremely eye-catchingdesign, the new front apron, the high-gloss of the radiator grill or the special-ly designed AMG engine hood.

When you experience the elementalforce of its 6.3 liter V8 engine, you willbe happy to know that the new star ofthe AMG cosmos has internally venti-lated and perforated brake discs. Onereason why the exciting body of the SL63 AMG can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds is the 630 Nmtorque. An almost primeval force isbrought under control on the tarmac.

The 525 hp (386 kW) has been trans-lated into maximum speed recordsthanks to a futuristic innovation fromAMG: the SPEEDSHIFT MCT-7 speedsports transmission. This acts with thespeed of an experienced racing driver,while the special RACE START functionalso allows you to experience a realrocket launch – with no shift interrup-tion until you reach high speed.We at AMG are extremely proud of ourtop star for 2008. Form is comple-mented by perfect function.

Top-quality performance – such as theSL 63 AMG – is the theme of this lat-est edition of AMG Magazine. In thekingdom of Bahrain Formula 1 racecourse designer Hermann Tilke describes the architecture of speed.

The Formula 1 of the seas is dominat-ed by Skip Braver. A dedicated AMGfan, Skip is head of the famous “Cigarette Racing Team” in Florida.260 meters above the seabed on 50centimeters of frozen water, BerndMayländer, who drives the official F1™safety car, coaches the participants inthe AMG Winter Sporting event innorthern Sweden in the delicate art ofice dance with the AMG models C 63AMG, CLK 63 AMG and SLK 55 AMGBlack Series.With so much talk of speed, I hope youenjoy a few moments of cerebralpleasure. Savor the world of Mercedes-AMG, which has a lot in common withthe new SL 63 AMG: fascinating goodlooks, unique technology, and a littletaste of things to come - right now.

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Yours Volker Mornhinweg Chairman of the management board Mercedes-AMG

PORTRAIT

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“BENDS SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A REASON”

HERMANN TILKE

THE ARCHITECT OF SPEED AND HIS

NEWEST MASTERPIECE: HERMANN TILKE

ON THE HOME STRAIGHT OF THE

BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT

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LORDOF THERINGSRACETRACK DESIGNER HERMANN TILKE IN BAHRAIN

TEXT NICOLE HILLE-PRIEBE PHOTO MARKUS BOLSINGER

20 AMG 2008

he Formula 1 god is human after all.He is 1.86 meters tall, wears jacketsand jeans, has a firm handshake and

smiles with his eyes. It is quite possible thatHermann Tilke was already optimistic when,aged 18, he secretly pushed his mother’s carout of the garage, modified the drive train anddrove to his first mountain race. He has cer-tainly retained a youthful smile when he talksabout racing and cars. Only the first racingcar, his mother’s, is gone. Tilke’s garage nowbasks in the light of a Mercedes star.“When did I grow up? I hope I never will,” saysTilke who sits down and closes his eyes todraw the course of the Bahrain InternationalCircuit. Drivers can expect plenty of chal-lenges on the 5,417 meter desert course, cre-ated on the design computers of the Germanstar architect and his team. There are five lefthand bends and seven right hand bends to benegotiated before they can reach top speedsof up to 317 km/h on the 1,090 meterstart/finish straights. The hilly site is sur-rounded by just desert and rocks. The con-stant wind makes for slightly chilly conditions,

and fine sand is blown across the asphalt.Storms can make the surface as smooth asglass - a very special challenge for the driversof the high-tech Formula 1 racing cars.

heik Hashim doesn’t see the desertas a problem, after all it is his nativesoil. His G 55 AMG Kompressor

must have dreamt of these conditions when itleft the car plant in Affalterbach. In the mid-day sun the special paint finish on the classicall-terrain vehicle shines like golden sand. Under the hood lies a 500 hp engine, ready to spring into action and to fill the silence cur-rently enveloping the course with the unmis-takable V8 sound. “I love it!” says the Sheikenthusiastically. This member of the royalfamily who has commissioned the German tobuild the racetrack meets Tilke in the Sakhir-Tower, the eight-floor VIP tower that is the cir-cuit’s landmark. When the first Formula 1 raceon Arab soil was held in Bahrain in 2004, Tilkereceived an award from the King. Or, to put itmore precisely, five awards ranging from din-ner-plate size to something as small as a cuff-

link; he always keeps the small one in hispocket as he jets back and forth betweenbuilding sites in different continents and cultures.

ermann Tilke’s racetracks are con-sidered the safest and most difficultin the world. “These days drivers

rarely make mistakes. To keep things interest-ing, we build as many potential traps as possi-ble and provide fast overtaking lines. Formula 1has now reached such a high level that with-out these features it can get boring.” The diffi-culties of his chicanes are readily apparent on the Playstation that allows you to drive theBahrain circuit in the form of a computergame: “I’m no better on my own courses thanon any other,” says Tilke. Of course, once thetrack is complete, the Aachen-based architect,himself an amateur racing driver, will have theopportunity to try out the course for himself.The German course designer’s recipe for suc-cess is simple enough: Tilke believes in him-self and in the future of motor racing - and hereally loves what he does. “Ferdinand Porsche

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A GERMAN ARCHITECT IS PLANNING THEWORLD’S NEWEST RACETRACK FOR BERNIEECCLESTONE AND HIS FORMULA 1. HIS NAME: HERMANN TILKE. HIS TRADE-MARK: A RELAXED ATTITUDE. MEETING US IN BAHRAIN, AT THE FIRST FORMULA 1 CIRCUIT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, TILKE EXPLAINED THE LOGIC BEHIND THE BENDSAND STRAIGHTS AND REVEALS WHY RACING CARS HAVE A PROMISING FUTURE

CLEAR CONTOURS PICTURED IN THE DESERT

SAND: THE LAYOUT OF THE RACETRACK

INSPIRES PHOTOGRAPHERS AND FORMULA 1

DRIVERS ALIKE

THE BAHRAIN COURSESTONES AND SAND WERE IMPORTED ESPECIALLY

FROM MALAYSIA AND WALES FOR THE 5,417 METER

COURSE OF THE BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT –

THE REASON: THE BAHRAINIS PROTECT THEIR DESERT

LIKE A VALUABLE NATURAL RESOURCE. THE IMAGE

OF THE FIRST FORMULA 1 COURSE IN THE ORIENT IS

DISTINGUISHED BY THE CONTRAST BETWEEN STRAIGHT

LINES AND SWEEPING CURVES.

IMPRESSIVE AND FAST: THE 1,090 METER START

AND HOME STRAIGHT, ON WHICH A RECORD SPEED OF

317 KM/H WAS RECENTLY MEASURED.

CREATIVELY AND EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE AMG MAGAZINE:

HERMANN TILKE’S SKETCH OF HIS CREATION.

ART IN THE DESERT EXPANSE: THE DESIGN OF THE LINES

RESEMBLES ABSTRACT PAINTING – FULL OF TENSION,

BUT HARMONIOUS. A DISCERNING COMPOSITION, FROM THIS

CALCULATING ARCHITECTURE OF SPEED

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once said: The last ever car will be a sportscar. I say: The last ever car will be a racingcar.” For Tilke the best example of the changein mobility is the horse. “In earlier times trans-port would have been unthinkable withouthorses - now they are only there for pleasureand sport.”

he 53-year-old architect leads a lifein which differences are there to bebridged. If he were a country he

would probably be Switzerland: neutral, toler-ant, and independent. This is the only way tocope with the confusion of the life of a wan-derer between two worlds, the Orient and theOccident. In Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a 5,000 meter Formula 1 circuit is currently under construction, a project in which Tilke aims to surpass himself.

Under his direction, several hotels and semi-nar buildings are also to be built on the 2,500hectare Yas island. Artificial hills will ensurethat there will be enough rises and falls on theoriginally level site when the circuit opens in2009, while the remaining two-and-a-half kilo-meters of the course will pass the lively mari-na. His friend and adviser Bernie Ecclestone isvery enthusiastic because he wants to bringFormula 1 back to its urban roots, back to thepeople. Tilke’s first meeting with the F1-impre-sario was a decisive step into this major sport-ing arena. What began in the mid-1990’s witha commission for a short access road for theNürburgring, took off in 2002 with the plan-ning of the new course. At the first race onthe new course Ecclestone wanted to meetthe man behind the new design. “And thatwas me.”

owadays, Hermann Tilke and hispartner Peter Wahl manage a team of120 engineers and architects which

has already developed over 40 racetracksthroughout the world. There are three coursescurrently under construction in Russia: “Thesearen’t Formula 1 tracks, but would be suitablefor Formula 1,” says Tilke with a twinkle in hiseye. Applying a congenial mixture of imagina-tion and technical expertise, the Tilke teamworks on chicanes, bends and brake pointsthat are tested again and again in computersimulations and, when in doubt, discussedwith Michael Schumacher. “We can build oneor two new features per track. Bends must al-ways make sense.” If the topography doesn’tplay along, Tilke will help a little by buildinglakes or hills where Mother Nature forgot toput them. In Bahrain he learned how tochange the desert. “There was no material.Because the Bahrainis protect their desert thesame way we Germans protect our forests, weeven had to import the sand. We shipped inthe rocks from Wales and Malaysia.” When it comes to the architecture of thebuildings on the circuit, Tilke always takes hiscue from the building traditions of the coun-try. Thus the racetrack opened in Shanghai in2004 follows the shape of the Chinese charac-ter for the name of the city “Shang”, while in

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HERMANN TILKE’S RACETRACKS ARE REGARDEDAS THE MOST DIFFICULT IN THE WORLD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE SAFEST– TWO IMPORTANT ARGUMENTS FOR SHEIK HASHIM’S FAMILY. BAHRAIN’S SOVEREIGNCOMMISSIONED THE FORMULA 1 PROJECT

CATCHING UP: SHEIK HASHIM DRIVES TO

THE CIRCUIT ESPECIALLY TO SEE HERMANN

TILKE. HIS CAR, FITTING FOR HIS POSITION:

A G 55 AMG KOMPRESSOR

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PERFECTION ON THE TRACK: ELECTRONIC SENSORS ARE EMBEDDED

IN THE ENDLESS STRIP OF ASPHALT AT DEFINED POINTS. THEY ALLOW

MEASUREMENT OF PARTICULAR RELEVANT SECTOR SPEEDS

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Bahrain traditional Arab Bedouin tents andwind towers were the model for the unmistak-able look of the two grandstands. The bestideas are hatched on site: “In Malaysia wewanted to produce something organic. Peterand I developed the idea of echoing the shapeof banana leaves in the roof of the grandstandwhile having dinner one evening.” Can’t bedone is not a phrase in Tilke’s vocabulary. Andif, as happened in Abu Dhabi, a design some-times reaches too high for local conditions, hewill simply turn over the glazed pinnacle of thebuilding and allow it to overhang the sea.

omehow this European architect fitsin perfectly in this futuristic environ-ment where monarchs can fulfill

their dreams with an adventurous mix of com-posure and radical temperament. On a per-sonal level, Tilke also unites tradition andmodernity, but with a different emphasis. Hishome in Aachen is not one of his own steeland glass design, but rather an old villa with alookout tower from which a Prussian general,who moved there in 1913, could monitor theGerman-Belgian border. His offices arehoused in an old shirt factory: here, where in-

ternational projects with budgets of many mil-lions are planned, sat seamstresses at theirmachines 200 years ago. “Old buildings havea flair that new structures take a long time todevelop.” When it comes to the futuristic ar-chitecture of the Gulf States with their ambi-tious designs, the engineer is undecided. “Idon’t know if I like it. They want to create oneicon after another, but it’s the same as withmonuments – you can’t create them yourself.” At present things come and go in the Arabworld faster than anywhere else. This is appar-ent in the evenings, when the shadows of thetraditional fishing boats in the harbor mergewith the mirror-glass silhouette of the capitalManama. And during the day, when a soundsystem that would be the envy of any rockstar carries the call of the muezzin as far asthe fitting rooms of the designer shops in thecity’s shopping malls. The boundaries be-tween what is and what will be are beginningto blur: the driver’s enclosure of the new For-mula 1 track was once a camel farm. Just afew miles further, in the middle of the desertand not far from the Gulf region’s first oil well,opened in 1931, and more than a kilometerfrom the nearest water source, is the un-

changing “Tree of Life”, one of the landmarksof Bahrain. This is a gigantic natural greenwonder in the middle of the endless dust andlifeless stones. When Hermann Tilke asked theCrown Prince the secret of the 400-year-oldevergreen mesquite tree, the answer was:“One doesn’t need to know everything.” It wasan answer that he liked.

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PASSION AND PROFESSIONALISMARE MERGED PERFECTLY IN THE PERSON OF HERMANN TILKE. AT 18, THE ARCHITECT HAD ALREADYBEGUN CAR RACING. A PASSION TOWHICH HE HAS REMAINED LOYAL

MEDICAL CARTHE AMG MERCEDES WAS FIRST EMPLOYED AS THE

FORMULA 1 MEDICAL CAR AS EARLY AS 1984. AMG HAS

PROVIDED THE MEDICAL AND SAFETY CARS PERMA-

NENTLY SINCE 1996. AMG TOOK THE CONSTANTLY

IMPROVING SAFETY STANDARDS IN FORMULA 1 AS AN

OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUOUSLY OPTIMISE THE

MEDICAL CAR AS WELL. BECAUSE SECONDS CAN MAKE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH IN AN

EMERGENCY RESPONSE, THE DRIVING DYNAMICS OF THE

MEDICAL CAR IS THE FOCUS. WHILE TWELVE YEARS AGO

A C 36 AMG SEDAN WITH 206 KW / 280 HP WAS USED,

BASICALLY A PRODUCTION MODEL, FOR THE 2008

FORMULA 1 SEASON A COMPREHENSIVELY MODIFIED C

63 AMG T-MODEL, WITH 336 KW / 457 HP, GUARANTEES

MAXIMUM SAFETY.

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TEXT FRANK MÜHLING PHOTO SIMAYER/MARTENS

AMG 2008 29

ormally when medical practitionersdrive to work in a Mercedes T-mod-el, they value the high level of driv-

ing comfort and the quiet, ecologically com-patible engine. For Dr. Gary Hartstein and Dr.Jacques Tropenat, it’s a very different story.For them, power and speed are all that mat-ter. The doctors commissioned by the FIA areresponsible for emergency care in Formula 1– and here, it simply all comes down to thesecond. Their workplace is the new officialF1™ medical car, based on the C 63 AMG T-model. The high-performance station wagonis powered by an AMG 6.3 liter V8 engine,with 336 kW/457 hp and 600 Nm. Accelera-tion: 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, top speed280 km/h. In short: Dr. Gary Hartstein andDr. Jacques Tropenat are the fastest doctorsin the world – and AMG has built the perfectcar for them.

The C 63 AMG station wagon for Formula 1was developed by specialists of the AMG De-velopment Team and the AMG PerformanceStudio – and constructed completely by hand.

Here, experience and know-how are whatcount. The AMG team has plenty of both,which is demonstrated by the simple fact thatthe same team looks after the Formula 1Safety Car, the SL 63 AMG in its special de-sign as official F1™ safety car.

Born in America, Dr. Gary Hartstein (52) is, asofficial FIA Rescue coordinator, responsiblefor the management of all rescue operations.As passenger, he puts his trust in the drivingskills of his colleague, Dr. Jacques Tropenat(55). The French amateur racing driver has al-ready been a participant in the Dakar desertrally, and has been driving the Formula 1medical car for seven years.

In the current 2008 season, both doctors aresitting in the keenest medical car ever. It’snot just the finest motor sport technology inthe high-revving AMG V8 naturally aspiratedengine that fascinates, but also the powertrain, running gear and braking system. Andin the end, that’s where the roots of AMG lie.A quick look over this unique C 63 AMG T-

FIRST AIDAT TOPSPEEDTHE FASTEST DOCTORS IN THE CARWORLD DRIVE AN AMG MERCEDES. IN THE 2008 FORMULA 1 SEASON, THE C 63 AMG T-MODEL WILL START AS THE OFFICIAL F1™ MEDICAL CAR

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A 35 PERCENT DIFFERENTIAL LOCK. WHEN SAFETY CAR

DRIVER BERND MAYLÄNDER (36) HITS THE TRACK IN THE

SL 63 AMG, THE FORMER GERMAN TOURING CAR CHAM-

PIONSHIP DRIVER HAS TO LEAD THE FIELD UNTIL THE

CRITICAL SITUATION HAS BEEN DEFUSED. MAYLÄNDER

IS CALLED UPON EVEN WHEN BAD WEATHER IMPAIRS

A NORMAL START TO THE RACE: THEN, THE FORMULA 1

MACHINES START FROM BEHIND THE SAFETY CAR.

SAFETY CARTHE SAFETY CAR PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE

FORMULA 1 SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS. IN 2008, THE

NEWLY DEVELOPED SL 63 AMG WILL BE USED. IN LINE

WITH THE DEMANDING TASK OF LEADING THE FASTEST

RACING DRIVERS IN THE WORLD AROUND A COURSE IN

CRITICAL SITUATIONS, THE TRACK PERFORMANCE OF

THE TWO-SEATER HAS BEEN OPTIMISED FURTHER. VARI-

OUS WEIGHT-REDUCING MEASURES HAVE REDUCED

THE TARE WEIGHT OF 220 KG. TOGETHER WITH THE

NEW, VARIOUSLY ADJUSTABLE ALUMINIUM SUSPENSION

COILS, THIS RESULTS IN HIGHER TURN SPEEDS.

THE COOLING AND BRAKING SYSTEMS ALSO OFFER IM-

PROVED PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO ITS PRODUC-

TION-MODEL COUNTERPART. THE MOTOR AND DRIVE

TRAIN, IN CONTRAST, REMAIN LARGELY UNCHANGED.

THE 6.3 LITER AMG NATURALLY ASPIRATED V8 ENGINE

GENERATES 386 KW / 525 HP AND 630 NM, AND ACCEL-

ERATES THE SL 63 AMG OFFICIAL F1™ SAFETY CAR TO

100 KM/H IN 4.4 SECONDS. THE NEW AMG SPEEDSHIFT

MCT 7-SPEED SPORT TRANSMISSION WITH WET START-

ING CLUTCH, RACE START FUNCTION, FOUR DRIVING

MODES AND AN AUTOMATIC THROTTLE-BLIPPING FUNC-

TION TRANSFERS POWER TO THE REAR WHEELS VIA

model quickly gives away the special position-ing of the car. Broad, bullish and squat – thisstation wagon simply belongs on the race-track. Large openings in the new front apron supplythe ample radiator with air. Separate vents onthe lower left and right conduct fresh air tothe heavily stressed brakes on the front axle.Powerful six-piston callipers grasp internallyventilated, perforated 360 x 36 mm discs. Forimproved heat dissipation the AMG engineerstrust in the tried and tested motorsport com-posite technology, in which floating cast irondiscs are joined to an aluminium pot.

he technicians have also given theirfull attention to the cooling of themotor: A larger high-performance

radiator guarantees the absence of any heatissues, as do the two additional external mo-tor oil coolers in the front apron. Because itgets pretty hot when 22 Formula 1 drivers areon their way from the starting line to the firstturn. The medical car always follows for a fulllap, because the start is fundamentally themost dangerous period in a Grand Prix.

Regardless of whether the asphalt is dry,damp or wet – the 3 stage ESP® enables maximum driving safety. Three differentmodes are available at the push of a button,so that Dr. Jacques Tropenat can reach hisdestination without risk, but at the same timeas quickly as possible. Two AMG aluminiumsteering wheel paddles enable manual gearselection. Just like in the Formula 1 machinesof Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

A further look around the interior of the med-ical car reveals four AMG sports bucket seats.Thus, this C 63 AMG T-model is probably oneof few station wagons around which offersspace for only four occupants – but thanks tothe bucket seats and four-point seatbelts,

maximum side-hold is provided for each ofthem in fast turns. In each Grand Prix, otherlocal doctors occupy the rear section.

A two-way radio facilitates communicationwith race management. On two monitors, onein the front and one in the rear, the medicalcar team follows the racing events live. Differ-ent switches for the activation of variousflashing lights are located on the instrumentpanel, such as for the roof light bar and the“Medical Car” numberplate, lighted withLEDs.

With 485 liters of luggage space, the fast T-model offers plenty of room for the emer-gency equipment of the Formula 1 doctors.Accordingly, a defibrillator for the restorationof cardiac functions is always on board. In ad-dition, an artificial respirator and an infusionset for the stabilisation of circulation standready.It’s clear, then, that neither AMG nor the re-sponsible FIA officials have left a single detailto chance. The medical car is perfectly pre-pared – though everyone would be happy ifits trip around the track is only precautionary,and it never has to be deployed in a seriouscase.

THE SAFETY CAR IS AN-OTHER ELEMENTARYBUILDING BLOCK IN THESAFETY CONCEPT OF FORMULA 1. ALONGSIDETHE MEDICAL CAR, WHICHESCORTS THE RACE DOC-TORS TO AN ACCIDENTSCENE AS QUICKLY ASPOSSIBLE, THE SAFETY CARLEADS THE FORMULA 1DRIVERS AROUND THECOURSE SAFELY IN CRITI-CAL RACE SITUATIONS,SUCH AS AFTER AN ACCI-DENT OR IN THE CASE OFEXTREME WEATHER. BOTHVEHICLES ARE INDISPENSI-BLE COMPONENTS OF THEEFFORT TO MAKE FORMU-LA 1 AS SAFE AS POSSI-BLE. AMG MODELS HAVEBEEN USED CONTINUOUSLYAND EXCLUSIVELY AS MEDICAL AND SAFETYCARS SINCE 1996

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Combined fuel consumption: 13.9 l/100 km, urban: 21.4 l/100 km, extra-urban: 9.5 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 330 g/km.The figures do not express any description of the emissions or fuel consumption of a car, are not part of any offer, and are intended to compare types of vehicles only.

The day Italians st dreaming in Germ Mercedes SL 63 AMG. A different fast.

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Combined fuel consumption: 13.9 l/100 km, urban: 21.4 l/100 km, extra-urban: 9.5 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 330 g/km.The figures do not express any description of the emissions or fuel consumption of a car, are not part of any offer, and are intended to compare types of vehicles only.

The day Italians st dreaming in Germ Mercedes SL 63 AMG. A different fast.

art an. art an.

34 AMG 2008

ESSAY

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t first glance these might seem likeordinary everyday cloths - nothingspecial. Just lying around. An unre-

markable color. Ready for any task. Hardlyworth mentioning. On the other hand, thesecloths are not just used anywhere. They arethe cloths used in the Mercedes-AMG enginemanufacturing plant. That gives you plenty tothink about. Naturally their primary task is tobe used in the human hand as universal in-struments that ensure cleanliness. In otherplaces they might be treated with disinterestor even disdain.

But not here.

The cloths begin their career in Weil imSchönbuch, a leafy idyllic town nearStuttgart, Germany. A local company special-izes in work wear and cleaning solutions. Itproduces cleaning materials and aids of allkinds - including cloths. Here at the manufac-turers premises they still talk of “workshopcloths” with a certain lack of emotion. How-ever, things change immediately the clothspass through the factory gates in the compa-ny’s own fleet of delivery trucks.

Carefully treated and packed into cardboardboxes, the cloths undertake the journey fromWeil im Schönbuch to Affalterbach every fourweeks, 9,000 of them in all. Each cloth meas-ures 42 by 38 centimeters and has a smallgray strip with the company’s name. The realwork begins after the unpacking is done.

Color coding in the cotton cloths is used toindicate their area of use. While the bluecloths and those with a white strip are usedin the mechanically robust world of the work-shop, the pink cloths are taken directly to theengine manufacturing plant and engine devel-opment department of Mercedes-AMG. Thepink cloths are as soft as they are absorbentand, most importantly of all, do not leave anylint behind. Without complaint they mop upoil spills, remove greasy fingerprints andclean tools. However, when it comes to theextremely sensitive area of engine construc-tion, which requires conditions similar to aclean room, not a single particle of dust, nora single cotton fiber can be left behind insidethe engine.

An article with a street value of just a fewcents triumphs in a world of sinfully expen-sive precision tools - isn’t that odd?

Yes, but it is also part of an overall concept.The pink cloth separates the outside world ofthe workshop from the interior world of theengine to a certain extent, while acting as avisible link between the two worlds.

Saturated and filthy, the ubiquitous cotton he-roes aren’t simply thrown away after use. In-stead they are collected in specially providedcontainers and the next time the pink clothservice calls, 9,000 of them are transportedback to Weil im Schönbuch. Although theservice life of the material is long, it is finite,

and worn-out cloths are replaced with newones. With the thoroughness you’d expectfrom a Swabian company, the partner of AMGin Weil im Schönbuch has an ISO 14001-certi-fied environmental management system.

This consistent sequence in the lifecycle ofthe pink cloth is not the result of an accoun-tant’s penny-pinching. Although this would bea quality feature in the strictest sense, it issimply part of the self-imposed dedication toperfectionism familiar in all areas of produc-tion at Mercedes-AMG. In other words: noth-ing is left to chance.

Thus, the apparently unassuming pink clothshows that it’s the little things that makegreat things great.

PINK SIGNALTHE STARRY FIRMAMENT OF MERCEDES-AMG IS DOMINATED BY VISIONARY TECHNO-LOGICAL BRILLIANCE AND PERFECT CRAFTSMANSHIP. NOTHING IS LEFT TO CHANCE.THIS PRINCIPLE EVEN APPLIES TO THE UNASSUMING PINK CLEANING CLOTHS

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TEXT THOMAS SCHULZ PHOTO CHRISTOPH MORLOK

SHOWROOM

1ML 63 AMGTHE SOVEREIGN

CYLINDERS V8

DISPLACEMENT CM3 6,208

RATED OUTPUT KW/HP 375/510

AT 1/MIN 6,800

TORQUE NM 630

AT 1/MIN 5,200

DRIVETRAIN AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC

0 -100 KM/H S 5.0

TOP SPEED KM/H 250 ELECTRONICALLY LIMITED

36 AMG 2008

AMG 2008 37

NEW OPTICS AND EVEN BETTER EQUIPMENT: PRECISE RETOUCHES MAKETHE ML 63 AMG EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE. UNCHANGED CHARACTER:WHERE THERE’S A PURPOSE, THERE’S A WAY –VERY SAFE, VERY FAST

here are those cars that just take ussafely from A to B; and there arecars that can take us anywhere. But

there is only one that does it particularly fastand powerful: the ML 63 AMG. The perform-ance SUV from the Affalterbach stable is asymbol of pure sovereignty. A glance at thetechnical specifications explains why: theAMG 6.3 liter V8 engine and the AMG SPEED-SHIFT 7G-TRONIC meet the permanent four-wheel drive with asymmetrical power devel-opment. In the final analysis, the 100 percentindependently developed eight-cylinder aspi-rated engine provides a top performance of375 kW/510 hp at 6.800 rpm and a torque of

630 Newton meters at 5.200/min. The agilehigh-speed V8 enables phenomenal accelera-tion from zero to 100 km/h in phenomenal5.0 seconds and an electronically limitedmaximum speed of 250 km/h. Figures usual-ly known from the sports car league.The ML 63 AMG from the age-group 2008has, above all, plenty of highly visible newfeatures: the modified front apron with thechromed under-chassis protection and thehigh-gloss black grille in the lower air vent arereal eye-catchers. New headlamps and thenew AMG specific radiator grill round off thepicture. There is a matching chromed under-chassisprotector on the back. If you choose the op-tional Bi-Xenon headlamps, the darkened rearlights will be replaced with LED rear lamps inclear glass finish. Something else new: thealuminum side mirrors and roof rails.Measuring 20 instead of 19 inches, the newAMG metal alloy wheels are now one size big-ger. The ten-inch-wide titanium gray paintedAMG alloy wheels in the eye-catching five-spoke design are fitted with 295/40 R 20wide tires. Something even more impressiveis available to fill your wheel arches on re-quest: 21 inch AMG wheels in double-spokedesign with 295/35 R 21 tires. The AIRMATIC-based AMG sports suspension

fulfills the highest standards for driving dy-namism and comfort: the adaptive dampingsystem ADS allows to select the suspensionsetup, while a ride-height control system automatically lowers the body of the car athigher speeds.Inside, the ML 63 AMG features a high-classyet functional finish. The new highlight is theAMG ergonomic steering wheel with silveraluminum paddles for manual gear changing.The lower spokes of the steering wheel carrya silver trim, while perforated leather on thesteering wheel grip optimise handling. TheAMG has sports seats with alcantara insertsin the shoulder area and nappa leather trim.The interior can be turned into something really special by having the top of the instru-ment panel covered in nappa leather, too. Logical controls and perfect entertainmentare united in the new on-board audio and navigation systems of the ML 63 AMG.Whether you are traveling to meet a businesspartner or on the way to an exclusive offroad-destination, the new telematic generation willnavigate you safely, quickly, and conveniently. Getting away from the beaten track and enjoying the attractions of dynamic driving –one of the main strengths of the new ML 63AMG. The M-Class top model apparentlyknows no limits.

NEW STYLE ATTRACTIVE AMG 20-INCH LIGHT-ALLOY WHEELS (ON REQUEST: 21-INCH)

WITH WIDE 295 TIRES, ALUMINIUM-LOOK ROOF RAILS AND AN EXPOSED SIDE MIRROR GIVE

THE ML 63 AMG A NEW LOOK

UNDER CONTROL

THE NEWLY STYLED AMG ERGONOMIC SPORTS

STEERING WHEEL AND THE AMG SPORTS

SEATS WITH ALCANTARA INSERTS, OPTIMISE HAND-

LING. AS AN ADDITIONAL FEATURE,

A NAPPA LEATHER COVER FOR THE INSTRUMENT

PANEL IS AVAILABLE AS AN OPTION

T

SHOWROOM

2SLK 55 AMGTHE EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETE

CYLINDERS V8

DISPLACEMENT CM3 5,439

RATED OUTPUT KW/HP 265/360

AT 1/MIN 5,750

TORQUE NM 510

AT 1/MIN 4,000

DRIVETRAIN AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC

0 -100 KM/H S 4.9

TOP SPEED KM/H 250 ELECTRONICALLY LIMITED

38 AMG 2008

AMG 2008 39

THANKS TO FINE REVI-SIONS, THE NEW SLK 55AMG FASCINATES AES-THETICALLY AS WELL ASTECHNOLOGICALLY. THEEXCEPTIONAL ATHLETEPRESENTS ITSELF AS MORESTRIKING AND AGILE

ome decisions require vision, somerequire courage. Better still whenthe two are connected. Best exam-

ple of this: The idea of combining a large-volume eight-cylinder engine with a compactroadster. The result appeared in 2004 andwas called SLK 55 AMG. With a capacity of 5.5 liters, a maximum output of 360 hp(265 kW) and a maximum torque of 510 Nm,the Roadster was absolutely unique. His char-acteristic AMG V8 sound became the audiblesignal of this composition.So that this remains the case in the future,AMG has given him a well-tempered tuning.A greater aesthetic presence of the SLK 55AMG is granted by a more sharply taperedfront apron with modified Mercedes star, larg-er cooling air vents and a black lower crossmember. The new, dark-colored projection

headlights intensify this superior impression.External mirrors, with more reflective surface,and arrow-shaped side indicators give theroadster a dynamic note. The same is true for the new 18 inch AMGmulti-spoke alloy wheels: The titan-grey paintand the polished metal rim star provide effec-tive contrasts. 225/40 tires at the front and245/35 tires at the rear give the SLK out-standing road hold. The sportscar-like handling was always agreat talent of the SLK 55 AMG. Hard to be-lieve, but an improvement is still possible, bymeans of the recently developed, standard inthe SLK 55 AMG direct steering with variablesteering assistance. The innovative steeringrack allows a spreading of the gear transmis-sion ratio from 15.8:1 to 11.5:1. When drivenon curvy terrain, the advantage of immediate,direct responsive behaviour from a steeringangle of about five degrees is tangible. Be-sides the gain in agility, the driver also profitsfrom more comfort when parking or turningsharply, as only little more than two turns ofthe steering wheel are required from lock tolock.Driving dynamics of the highest level, assurednot only by the AMG sports suspension, butalso by the AMG high-performance brakingsystem. The same applies to the AMG SPEED-SHIFT 7G-TRONIC: Thanks to steering wheel

paddle switches and three driving modes, the7-speed automatic responds even more im-mediately. In “M” and “S” gear changes arearound ten percent faster than previously.This is made possible by new gearbox compo-nents, as well as by a new motor and gearboxcontrol system. Positive side-effect: a morecomfortable shifting process. The interior of the SLK 55 AMG presents thenew AMG ergonomic three-spoke sportssteering wheel as well as the AMG instrumentpanel with silver-red needles. AMG sportsseats, with alcantara inserts for improvedside hold, and nappa leather upholstery,come as standard. Brand new is the latestgeneration of telematics. All radio and naviga-tion systems are user-friendly and provide extra functions.Specially customised for races is the optionalAMG Performance Package. It includes theAMG high-performance braking system, with360 x 32 mm internally ventilated and perfo-rated brake discs on the front axle, and 330 x26 mm internally ventilated and perforatedbrake discs on the rear axle. The Packagealso includes AMG performance suspension,multi-part 18 inch AMG double-spoke alloywheels, the AMG performance steeringwheel, with flattened bottom section and re-duced diameter, and AMG carbon trim in theinterior. Conclusion: pure emotion.

VERY DIRECT THE NEW DIRECT STEERING SYSTEM WITH VARIABLE STEERING RATIO GUARANTEES

CONSUMMATE DRIVING DYNAMICS. THE AMG ERGONOMIC SPORTS STEERING WHEEL WITH SILVER

BRACE INTENSIFIES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DRIVER AND VEHICLE

S

ALL SENSES

ENJOY THE TYPICAL AMG V8 SOUND FROM TWO

DOUBLE EXHAUST PIPES WITH THE OPEN VARIO

ROOF – THIS EXTRAORDINARY PLEASURE CAN ONLY

BE EXPERIENCED IN THE SLK 55 AMG

40 AMG 2008

SHOWROOM

3CLS 63 AMGTHE ORIGINAL AS ICON

CYLINDERS V8

DISPLACEMENT CM3 6,208

RATED OUTPUT KW/HP 378/514

AT1/MIN 6,800

TORQUE NM 630

AT 1/MIN 5,200

DRIVETRAIN AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC

0 -100 KM/H S 4.5

TOP SPEED KM/H 250 ELECTRONICALLY LIMITED

CONSIDERED TO BE THEIDEAL SYNTHESIS OF TRUEGREATNESS AND FASCI-NATING SPORTINESS - THELATEST MODEL UPGRADEHAS MADE THE CLS 63AMG EVEN MORE ATTRAC-TIVE

utomobile enthusiasts with a tastefor something special are ravingabout the Mercedes-Benz CLS. True

HP-aficionados worship him as CLS 63 AMG.Perfect design plus matchless driving dy-namism. Nonetheless, it is well known thateverything can be improved upon. That’s whythe AMG-Coupé is getting a new black paint-ed radiator grill with two fins instead of theprevious three. The extravagant lights on thetailgate are impressive. They have arrow-shaped indicators and fast-response LEDs forthe brake and tail lamps as well as indicatorlamps. The side mirrors with increased sur-face also have the new arrow-shaped indica-tors. The new titanium gray, highly polished 19 inchAMG light metal alloy wheels are furtherhead-turners. Their delicate three-spoke de-

sign provides the side view of the CLS 63AMG with an astonishing visual appearance.Wide tires in 255/35 R 19 format at the frontand 285/30 R 19 format at the back makefor perfect road-holding. The AMG sportschassis based on AIRMATIC DC offers theCLS 63 AMG driver a comfort-based ordemonstrative sporty driving mode. Thedamping and suspension respond to the cur-rent driving situation in next to no time, butcan also be changed manually at the press ofa button. The AMG sports chassis is the ideal partnerfor the powerful AMG 6.3 liter V8 engine. Thehigh-speed aspirated engine with 378 kW/514 hp and 630 Nm torque, developed atAMG, provides inspiring values which enablea driving performance typical of sports cars.Thus, the 100 km/h-mark is achieved afteronly 4.5 seconds. The even more imposingsound of the V8 is new: two chromed double-ended pipes create the very sound that wascomposed in the redesigned silencers before. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC of-fers even more emotional moments: Everydownward shift is accompanied by the auto-matic intermediate gas function – an acoustictreat. In addition, the almost load-free down-ward shift leads to reduced load cycle reac-tions, which has a particularly positive effectwhen braking before taking a racetrack bend.

The AMG high-performance brake system en-sures that the CLS 63 AMG driver is alwayson the safe side. Internally ventilated and per-forated brake discs are featured all around;the more heavily loaded front axle brake isequipped with composite discs in 360 x 36millimeter format. The new ergonomic three-spoke AMG sports steering wheel makes asignificant contribution to perfect vehiclecontrol. The hand area is specially shapedand is covered with perforated leather. Twoaluminium paddles are used for manual gearselection. The optional Performance Package includesthe AMG performance steering wheel with itsreduced diameter and slightly flattened lowersection. The package developed in the AMGPerformance Studio also includes internallyventilated composite brake discs on the frontaxle (390 x 36 mm), the AMG performancechassis, an AMG rear axle blocking differen-tial with 40 percent blocking for even bettertraction and 19 inch AMG light metal alloywheels in forged technology with a two-spokedesign with a combination of 255/35 R 19and 285/30 R 19 tires.All CLS models use the new generation oftelematic technology. However, consideringthe sound quality of the AMG V8 motor, theentertainment electronics is probably hardlynecessary.

SHINING LIGHT THE INIMITABLY CURVED HEADLIGHTS LEAVE NOTHING TO BE

DESIRED IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY – BI-XENON AND ACTIVE CORNERING LIGHTS

GUARANTEE HIGHEST VISIBILITY IN ALL WEATHER

DISCREET BUT ACCOMPLISHED

THE NEW AMG RADIATOR GRILL, WITH TWO FINS

INSTEAD OF THE PREVIOUS THREE, EXTERNAL MIRRORS

WITH ARROW INDICATORS AND NEW 19-INCH AMG

TRIPLE-SPOKE LIGHT-ALLOY WHEELS DISTINGUISH THE

2008 CLS 63 AMG

A

AMG 2008 41

TIRES

NO BLACK MAGICPIRELLI DEVELOPS HIGH-PERFORMANCE TIRES ESPECIALLY FOR MERCEDES-AMG. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS COOPERATION IS THE TIRE FOR THE CLK 63 AMG BLACK SERIES.AN EXPERT LOOK BENEATH THE BLACK SHELL OF THE PIRELLI P ZERO CORSA

AMG 2008 43

he CLK 63 AMG Black Series deliv-ers fascinating performance figures. 507 hp and 630 Nm torque from an

engine capacity of 6.2 liters, in conjunctionwith a high-performance braking system andthe fully adjustable AMG sports coil suspen-sion, ensure a very special type of driving ex-perience. Yet one thing remains clear: Theonly contact with the asphalt is made by thetires. It’s obvious that here, too, AMG leavesnothing to chance. One of the few selected development part-ners of Mercedes-AMG is Pirelli. The Italiansprovide the extreme 19 inch P Zero Corsasports tires which have been developed ex-clusively for the Black Series CLK. In addition,Pirelli also configures the “normal” P Zero es-pecially for AMG. This tire celebrated itsworld premiere last year, and since then hasbeen regarded by aficionados as one of thebest ultra high-performance tires there is. AtAMG, the P Zero is already used on the C 63,CLK 63, S 63 and S 65, and now on the SLK55 AMG and the 525 hp SL 63 as well.Yet it’s the special designation “MO” (Mer-cedes genuine parts) on the sidewall whichraises the Italian, with its aesthetically exqui-site appeal, above the masses, and confirmsit as the perfect partner for Mercedes-AMG.But how is it different to the basic product?What makes a P Zero into a P Zero MO forAMG?

It’s the details. Pirelli uses special nano-com-ponents, which protect the structure fromloss of performance – even under extremedemands. Further, the MO Pirellis are special-ly adjusted to the needs of a 500 hp rear-wheel drive.Here, the specifications are for optimum roadgrip on wet and dry road surfaces, pairedwith best possible durability.

But the compound isn’t everything. Today, thetire construction has significant influence ondriving performance. Thus, the two-ply radialdesign provides maximum protection frompuncture damage, which could otherwise becaused by potholes or contact with the kerb.In addition, the so-called 0-degree nylon ca-sing, positioned above the steel belt, ensureshigh-speed stability and durability in its spe-cial AMG design.Another substantial part of the tire construc-tion is the bearing carcass. It provides stabili-ty, and ensures cohesion. The sensitive tirewalls are thereby protected through a special-ly developed rubber compound and a rim pro-tection rib. To round it off: The so-called bead. It guaran-tees the perfect fit of the tire to the wheel. Here, too, the AMG P Zero shows its originali-ty. It has a completely individual characteris-tic in the areas of steering response and sus-pension comfort. All this precision handwork on details ulti-mately guarantees a tire with which the opti-mum performance of a Mercedes-AMG canreally be experienced. Regardless of whetherin everyday life or on the racetrack.When it comes to kerbs, the ultra-sporty P Zero Corsa of the CLK Black Series is in aworld of its own. Previously, the first versionsof these “semi-slicks” could only be used withgreat caution – quite different to the currentAMG P Zero Corsa. With very good adhesionvalues, it shows what professional partnerssuch as AMG and Pirelli can make possible.No wonder, the P Zero Corsa was developedspecially for the CLK 63 AMG. And the Corsareally can be distinguished from the excellentP Zero, going one better than the premium.Whether through its unique tread compound,modified steel belt or the 0-degree casingmaterial. Here, the P Zero Corsa delivers a

new dimension. For both CLK Black Seriesversions, 265 and 285/30 ZR, the Corsa gen-erally and exclusively remains an AMG Pirelli.And whoever has the pleasure of pushing aCLK 63 Black Series to the limit will never for-get the experience.The performance balance between best dry-handling characteristics, including largelyneutral handling, good wet grip and mileage,is quite simply unique. But that’s just whatyou can expect from a Mercedes-AMG – especially with regard to tires.

P ZEROTHE FOLLOWING AMG MODELS CURRENTLY

HAVE CLEARANCES FOR PIRELLI P ZERO TIRES:

SLK 55

225/40 ZR 18 92Y P ZERO ROSSO

245/35 ZR 18 92Y P ZERO ROSSO

CLK 63

225/40 ZR 18 92Y P ZERO MO

255/35 ZR 18 94Y P ZERO MO

CLK 63 BLACK SERIES

265/30 ZR 19 93Y P ZERO CORSA

285/30 ZR 19 98Y P ZERO CORSA

C 63

235/40 ZR 18 95Y P ZERO MO

255/35 ZR 18 94Y P ZERO MO

CLS 63

255/40 ZR 18 99Y P ZERO ROSSO MO

285/35 ZR 18 101Y P ZERO ROSSO MO

255/35 ZR 19 96Y P ZERO ROSSO MO

285/30 ZR 19 98Y P ZERO ROSSO MO

SL 63 & SL 65

255/40 ZR 18 95Y P ZERO ROSSO

285/35 ZR 18 97Y P ZERO ROSSO

255/35 ZR 19 96Y P ZERO MO1

285/30 ZR 19 98Y P ZERO MO1

S 63 & S 65

255/40 ZR 19 P ZERO MO

275/40 ZR 19 P ZERO MO

255/35 ZR 20 P ZERO MO

275/35 ZR 20 P ZERO MO

GL-CLASS

295/40 R 21 111V SCORPION ZERO MO

T

TEXT BERND WEISER PHOTO HEIKO SIMAYER

44 AMG 2008

MOTOR RACING

“IT WAS NEVER A QUESTION OF WHETHER I WOULD BECOME A RACING DRIVER. THE ISSUE WAS SIMPLY: WHEN”

PAUL DI RESTA

MOTOR HOME. IN THE GARAGE OF HIS PARENTS’

HOUSE, PAUL SOMETIMES ALSO FIDDLES WITH HIS

BROTHER STEFAN’S RACING KART

46 AMG 2008

GO FORGOLDPAUL

AMG 2008 47

is gestures are scarce, his sen-tences precise. In the first few min-utes of our meeting in his parents’

house in Bathgate, Scotland, Paul di Restaseems restrained and very grown-up for a 21-year-old. It’s a different story with his Jack Russell Terrier, Jake, who makes for thestrangers right away hoping they will playwith him. The four-legged heart-breakerquickly helps to break the ice between thetalented up-and-coming DTM racing driverand his German guest. Behind his serious shell and the retiring po-liteness so typical of the Scots I detect flash-

es of the friendliness and directness of ayouthful star, a person who is a racing driverwith every fiber of his being - 24 hours perday. “It was never a question of whether I wouldbecome a racing driver. The issue was simply:when?” His father, Louis di Resta, nods brieflyin agreement with his eldest son. His owndays as a Formula driver came to an end inthe mid-1990’s. “I didn’t want to stand in theway of Paul’s career and have always fullysupported him.” Louis di Resta recently start-ed driving a racing car of his own again – justfor fun.Paul was lucky enough to be born into a ra-cing-mad family. The di Resta clan has beenliving in Scotland for three generations andknows only one passion: the one for bends,asphalt and fast engines. Paul’s cousin Dario Franchitti, who was driv-ing in 1995 and 1996 DTM and ITC as well,regularly demonstrates in the AmericanNASCAR-Series what fast driving really

means. Last year he won the Indianapolis500-Mile race and became IndyCar-Champi-on. He is one of the very few Europeans ac-tively involved in the popular US race series.Therefore, one question seems almost in-evitable: Is Dario, his 35-year-old cousin, Paul’s idol?The slim Scot turns his coffee cup thoughtful-ly and stares into the distance. “He is impor-tant to me because we are able to swap a lotof racing stories. But an idol? Well, both heand my father are certainly role models forme, but I have always tried to go my own way.I don’t think it’s a good thing to try to emulateor copy others.”Going his own way has always been the ideal.In 1994, Paul di Resta drove Karts for the firsttime. Then, from 2002 to 2004, he took partin various Formula races for newcomers be-

H

TEXT THORSTEN ELBRIGMANN PHOTO BOLSINGER/MARTENS

HE ONLY THINKS ABOUT ONE THING: RACE DRIVING. PAUL DI RESTA IS THE NEW DRIVER WHO IN 2008 WILL START FOR AMG IN THE GERMAN TOURING CAR MASTERS SERIES (DTM). A HOUSE CALL IN SCOTLAND

MENTALLY, ALWAYS AT THE STARTING LINE. EVEN

AT HOME IN BATHGATE, SCOTLAND, THE DTM TAKES

CENTER STAGE FOR PAUL

48 AMG 2008

fore cleaning up in Formula 3 from 2005 on-wards, winning the prestigious championshipin 2006, as Jamie Green did in 2004 andLewis Hamilton in 2005 with Team ASM. Hemoved on from Formula 3 to DTM in the fol-lowing year. On April 22nd 2007, the Scotmade his debut in Hockenheim finishing fifth.In the course of the next nine races hereached the podium four times and the fifthposition in the championship. Things are mov-ing fast for Paul di Resta. A whole room full ofcups offers impressive evidence of the seriesof victories he has enjoyed, although he doesnot pay much attention to these glitteringprizes. Of course, he was pleased with everytriumph, but he always keeps his eyes on theroad ahead. Memories of past moments of glory are distracting - merely his roots, hedoesn’t forget.

owadays, he still works on the kartsof his younger brother Stefan. Thegarage behind the house is where

the young racing driver finds food for thesoul. This is where he finds inner peace as heworks together with his father on the karts forStefan. “He is very conscientious, almostpedantic,” says father Louis, showing usaround.

Anyone who has ever seen a kart race knowsthe blood, sweat and tears that go into thematerial. Here, in the di Resta garage, a kartthat has seen many races stands next to onethat is almost brand new. There is hardly anydifference between them. “It’s all down toPaul,” says the head of the family proudly.Paul is definitely a chip off the old block. Fa-ther and son share the same economical ges-tures and the same short sentences - theyalso share the fiery passion of the racing cir-cuit. That’s probably why Paul di Resta fits inso well with AMG, where passion and a down-to-earth attitude have always guaranteed suc-cess for more than 40 years.

ans Werner Aufrecht became awareof the Scottish driver’s talent at anearly stage. “Hans Werner ap-

proached me in 2005,” remembers Paul.“Since then he has supported me in Formula3 and I was very pleased to accept his invita-tion to join the DTM tour. He’s a kind of men-tor to me. I am particularly grateful to Mer-cedes-Benz motor sport director NorbertHaug, as well as to the HWA racing team un-der the leadership of Gerhard Ungar andHans-Jürgen Mattheis for the trust they haveshown me,” the 21-year-old pauses for a mo-ment and seems to fix on something in thefar distance before turning back to me, “Mer-cedes-Benz and AMG have given me the op-portunity of a lifetime, that is not given to justanybody.” There is no doubt that the friendly Scot feelsvery much at home in the DTM Team of Mer-cedes Benz. A lot is expected from him, thecars are of the highest standard, and thecrew are complete professionals from first tolast - just like Paul himself. In circumstanceslike these a raw talent can soon becomesomething really great.Last season showed what he can do. In hisfirst year in the DTM series Paul made cham-pionship history when he took first place in

the rankings after three races in a two-year-old AMG Mercedes C-Class. He frequentlyscored points right up to the end of the sea-son, taking to the winners’ podium a total offour times. His reward: fifth place in the totalranking, ahead of the five-times DTM recordchampion and previous year’s winner, BerndSchneider.

ather Louis di Resta strongly be-lieves in a successful future. “Paul isgoing to win the DTM. He’s also got

the right stuff for Formula 1.” The determinedlook in his eyes tolerates no contradictions.This belief cannot be undermined by uncer-tainty. Paul is also banking on winning theDTM 2008. He certainly has the class as wellas the support of his clan. Confident that we have met a future champi-on who combines passion with being a niceguy, we leave Paul di Resta in the ScottishLowlands. As we say goodbye we make a jokeabout the problems we continentals en-counter when we have to drive on the left inthe British Isles. “What’s the problem?” asksPaul. He never encounters any difficultieswhen he leaves the Euro-Tunnel in France. He never thinks about any problems. It allhappens quite automatically. “I just drive,” hesays with a laugh.Maybe it’s this kind of self-assuredness thatwill make him a winner who will certainly celebrate victories with the AMG Mercedes C-class during the 2008 DTM season.

H

F

N

FATHER LOUIS DI RESTA CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED PAUL FROM THE BEGINNING. THE FORMER AMATEUR RACING DRIVER BELIEVES IN A BIG FUTURE FOR HIS SON: “PAUL WILL WIN THE DTM, AND HE’S GOT THE RIGHT STUFF FOR FORMULA 1”

AMG 2008 49

TECHNOLOGY

A SENSUOUSEXPERIENCE

AMG 2008 51

52 AMG 2008

ertainly, it’s true: The new seven-speed sports transmission changesgears snappily, as its lineage would

suggest. On the other hand, with soft, barelynoticeable gear changes, it lends the roadstera particularly comfortable driving feel – ac-cording to the taste of the driver. The squar-ing of the circle appears to have beenachieved: Here, the advantages of classy automatic comfort; there, the sporty directresponse of a manual gearbox.

No other high-performance vehicle offers thisfascinating spread of possibilities; or of emo-tions. Aroused by means of a dial for select-ing driving modes in the new AMG DRIVEUNIT next to the gearshift. Now, the roadsterrolls elegantly and softly through the city traf-fic, the automatic transmission completingnecessary gear changes lithely and complete-ly unnoticeably. Then, out on the open road,the passion awakes. Three sporty stages areavailable. Options which understand how toawake the temperament of the SL. In thethird stage, the transmission functions almostas in a racing car, and ensures that the powerful engine reacts immediately and ex-tremely sensitively to every subtle movementof the accelerator. The world inside the road-ster has become another altogether: louder,more aggressive, more exciting – nerves tingle with delight. The exclusive rights to this unique, new trans-

mission lie with the Mercedes-Benz SL 63AMG. Here, it is paired with the AMG 6.3 literV8 engine with 386 kW / 525 hp and 630Nm – currently the most high-performing nat-urally aspirated V8 engine in its class, it isalso an exceptional being and thereby anequal partner.

While the innovative AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT7-speed sports transmission is based on the7G-TRONIC from Mercedes-Benz, it has beensubstantially modified in important areas. The first thing was to make it suitable for very high torque speeds. Following strength-ening measures, it can now process up to1,000 Nm.

n addition, the transmission was tobe able to react more immediatelyand with more agility. For the engi-

neers, this meant reducing the resistances ofspinning masses in the gearbox. The conven-tional torque converter especially stood stubbornly in the way of the desired direct re-sponse. Hence, they replaced it with a sub-stantially smaller, electronically controlledhigh-performance coupling, which runs in anoil bath. The designation MCT alludes to this.It stands for “Multi Clutch Technology”.

As the coupling has a significantly smallermass than a torque converter, and thus a sub-stantially reduced moment of inertia, the en-

gine is more directly linked to the power train,and can rev more freely, more immediatelyand moreover free of slipping. And no slippingalso means: optimised consumption.

Thus, the SL 63 AMG responds, if desired,just like a racing car, and implements acceler-ator movement almost without delay. Behindthe wheel of the roadster, this feels like an ex-tension of the foot directly to the injectionsystem of the V8 engine. The new technologynot only ensures agile dynamics, but also setsthe heart racing with a decidedly sensuousdriving experience.

he high-performance coupling iscontained in a transmission housingcast from magnesium alloy. The

whole transmission thus weighs just 80 kilo-grams, and thereby represents the absoluteoptimum figure in terms of weight and size.Despite the compact construction, the slip-free coupling is extremely robust, withstand-ing even the highest temperatures thanks toits “wet” design.Even more impressive is the hitherto un-precedented versatility of the new sportstransmission. This begins as soon as it starts.The electronics regulate the engine revolu-tions when starting strategically according tothe situation – lower revs in city traffic, mid-dle and higher revs for sports driving. Therebyit is never a problem, to slip gently into aparking space without stepping on the accel-erator.In addition, the transmission changes be-tween its seven gears exactly as the driverdesires, without interruption to driving power.To this end, there are four driving modes atthe driver’s disposal – as well as the specialRACE START function.

C for Comfort – Gear changing is emphatic-ally comfortable, the motor reacts softly topressure on the accelerator.

S for Sport – The gears will rev out higher,the transmission drops down a gear earlier.Overall, all changes proceed noticeably faster.

S+ for Sport plus – The transmissionchanges gear a further 20 percent faster,thereby definitively emphasising the sportscharacter of the roadster.

C

I

T

SOMETIMES, THE LENGTH OF A NAME ACTUALLY SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY AND GROUND-BREAKING POWER OF AN INNOVATION. LOOKING AT IT LIKE THAT, THE NAME OF THE NEWSPORTS TRANSMISSION FROM AMG IS HARDLY TOO LONG, CONSIDERING THE PROGRESS IT SIGNIFIES. AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-SPEED SPORTS TRANSMISSION IS THE NAME OF THE BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH WILL MAKE THE SL 63 AMG THE MOST VERSATILE CHARACTER ACTOR ON THE SCENE

TEXT HANS SCHILDER PHOTO HEIKO SIMAYER

AMG 2008 53

54 AMG 2008

AMG 2008 55

M for Manual – Here, the gear changes oc-cur at racing speed and must always be initi-ated manually by the driver. That means: inless than 100 milliseconds. That’s more thantwice as fast as in “C” mode. Result: TheAMG 6.3 liter V8 engine reacts immediatelyand quickly, as befits a sports car. An indul-gence. A new dimension. A must for peoplewith a passion for sensuous and fast driving.

Even in the case of racing performance, theengine and transmission maintain an opti-mum connection with one another by way ofa sophisticated electronics system. Data isexchanged at lightning speed. This guaran-tees not only the safest possible road per-formance, but also additional handling fea-tures to whet the appetite.

specially impressive is the function,which refines in the “S”, “S+” and“M” modes every manual or auto-

matic gear change with a precisely controlleddouble-clutch procedure, in order to eliminatethe drag torque of the engine. Through thisdouble-clutch function, the engine is alwayslinked to the accelerator, and enables precisereactions. Acoustically, the automatic double-clutch function brings a racing atmosphere tothe cockpit of the SL. But it also has a verytangible advantage: It minimises possibleload change reactions. This increases driving safety in the wet andon slippery surfaces, and has a thoroughlypositive effect when braking prior to turns onracetracks. A further strength of the new MCT sportstransmission is the ability to change down

through multiple gears quickly and immedi-ately. Depending on the driving situation, forexample for a kickdown, the transmissioncould change from seventh directly down tofourth, or from fifth down to second. Sportsdrivers can thereby better exploit the superiorpower potential of the SL 63 AMG.

n the “M” mode, however, the trans-mission can be relied upon to retainthe selected gear, and will change

down neither in response to full power norkickdown, nor will it automatically change upwhen the upper rev limit is reached. Accord-ingly, only the driver determines in which gearhe wishes to encounter the turn, for example.Only when the engine reaches the lower revlimit while decelerating, the electronics sys-tem will take command and change to a lowergear.

The RACE START function of the new AMGsports transmission enables a completelynew approach to the driving experience. It en-sures rocket-like, optimum vehicle acceler-ation from the stationary state. A pace thatcan otherwise only be realised by experi-enced racing drivers with a manual gearbox.The RACE START function automaticallybrings the engine to the ideal rpm, closes thecoupling optimally and changes gears in sucha manner that the wheels do not quite spin,but push the road grip of the tires to the limitin ensuring best possible traction.

As starting processes which utilise total per-formance potential demand a highly concen-trated driver, a few precautions must be con-

sciously taken prior to engaging the formida-ble RACE START on the SL. The necessarysteps:

- Close doors and move the steering wheel to the straight-ahead position

- The engine must be warm- Hold the brake with the left foot- Activate ESP Sport- Select transmission mode “RS”- Confirm via the right paddle switch- Push the accelerator to the floor- Release the brake

The RACE START function ceases at around50 km/h, and subsequently changes to theS+ driving mode. But in general, the driver de-termines the RACE START function by pushingthe accelerator, therefore the whole processis depending on the intentions of the driver. The central control unit for the AMG SPEED-SHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission isthe new AMG DRIVE UNIT, handily positioneddirectly next to the gearshift of the SL. After ashort familiarisation period, all functions canbe operated without looking. The electronic rotary switch for selecting thedriving modes C, S, S+ and M, as well as forthe RACE START, is located at the front. Be-hind this is the ESP button for switching toESP sport, or for switching ESP off complete-ly via “longpress”.

oubtless, the powerful AMG 6.3 literV8 engine and the new AMG SPEED-SHIFT MCT 7-speed sports trans-

mission, with its various possibilities, are ideal components for comfortable gliding. But they are particularly perfect partners for dynamic driving pleasure and outstandingdriving performance. 4.6 seconds from zeroto 100 km/h for the SL 63 AMG, and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h,speak a plain language.

Words, however, don’t really do justice to thestunning adventure of this new driving dimen-sion. There’s only one way to experience it:You just have to feel it.

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LOOKING AT THE SENSITIVELY SHAPED ELEMENTS OF THE NEW AMG SPORTS TRANSMISSION, TRUE LOVE OF DETAIL BECOMES VISIBLE. AESTHETICS AND TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE ARE INTERTWINED HERE ELEGANTLY, YET SIMULTANEOUSLY PRECISELY

BRILLIANTPROSPECTS

ON-SITE INSPECTION

AFFALTERBACH

58 AMG 2008

THE SWABIAN COMMUNITY OF AFFALTERBACH NOT ONLY REPRESENTS TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE, BUT ALSO STATE-OF-THE-ART

TECHNOLOGY, SUCH AS MERCEDES-AMG. “CAN A RURAL ENVIRONMENT BE COMPATIBLE WITH VISIONARY AUTOMOTIVE

ENGINEERING?” YOU MAY ASK. THE ANSWER: YES, IT CAN AND HAS BEENFOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. FURTHERMORE, THE CURRENT

COMPANY ARCHITECTURE OF AMG DEMONSTRATES THATTHIS IS GOING TO IMPROVE EVEN MORE

OUTLOOK

TEXT THOMAS SCHULZ PHOTO BOLSINGER/MORLOK

60 AMG 2008

s soon as the daily morning sun risesin the east, the new AMG buildingdisplays its own choreography of

light: Corrugated aluminium facades absorbthe sunlight, causing the exterior walls togleam. Extensive glazing attracts attentionand kindles the desire to take a closer look.The building’s proportions – length, breadth,height – leave behind an overall impression,almost alfresco in its nature. Walking alongthe building, one is aware of occasional re-flections in the windows. They display thefields, houses, and age-old Swabian cultivat-ed landscape of Affalterbach. This is how thenew office development of the high-tech Mercedes-AMG enterprise reflects a still com-fortably old-world environment - a stunningcontrast.

However, despite all contrasts in its impres-sion to the outside world, this fascinatingbuilding harmoniously conforms to theprocess of the steady advancement and fur-ther development of AMG’s 30-year old com-pany policy in Affalterbach. As a global player,AMG demonstrates through this new officedevelopment that modern architecture andbuilding services engineering, responsible en-vironmental protection and optimum officeorganisation not only go together hand-in-hand, but are also able to lay the foundationfor a groundbreaking corporate culture. Thus,this building also reflects the visionary orien-tation of the automobile pioneer Mercedes-AMG.

It is quite logical that the growth of a suc-cessful business leads to the need for expan-sion. However, at Mercedes-AMG in Affalter-bach, the interest in physical expansion isonly on a superficial level. It was quickly real-ized that a growing number of employeesmeant the need for an increase in additionalspace, including parking spaces etc., and alsothat a new building should not be an isolatedfunctional one, but an integrated componentof the entire AMG structure.

hen the “Newly Developed OfficeBuilding” (as it was officially called)was opened at the end of 2007, it

was met with great approval. A third of ap-proximately 800 Mercedes-AMG employeeswork here. The generous, well air-condi-tioned and tastefully furnished office spaceis home to the Mercedes-AMG management,commercial business administration, com-plete vehicle development and quality man-agement team.

When planning and constructing this architec-tural showpiece, Mercedes-AMG felt it wasimportant to take into consideration the mostmodern aspects of environmental protection.This involved fulfilling legal requirements re-garding energy consumption and, therefore,complying with set maximum values for heat-ing, warm water, ventilation, cooling, andlighting. In addition, there were also stand-ards concerning foliage and the recycling ofrain water.

The building was therefore constructed in conformance with the latest aspects of environmental protection. However, severalchallenges preceded the successful imple-mentation. One example was the air-conditioning. Theprocessing and regulation of the air flow func-tions fully automatically, not simply for thewhole building, but for individual areas withinthe building. Each room, therefore, has an op-timised supply of fresh air. The temperature isalso regulated automatically, although em-ployees have a small “say in things” and areable to manually correct the warm air supplyby a few degrees centigrade. At 6 pm though,the air-conditioning switches off for energy-saving reasons.

owever, the air-conditioning is stillactive, as it “flushes” fresh airthrough the entire building before

employees arrive at work the following morn-ing. This is not enough – a heat exchangersystem ensures that the fresh air is eitherheated or cooled via stored energy, depend-ing on the time of year and the outside tem-perature. This technology permanently savesaround 300 kW heat and refrigerating capaci-ty compared to a traditional air-conditioningsystem. The lighting also functions fully auto-matically, depending on the amount of lightentering the building from the outside. The gleaming aluminium facades are not sim-ply a designer fad, but rather anticipatechanges, since the older buildings will also be

THE AUTOMOTIVE STARS OF AFFALTERBACHSPARKLE BRIGHTLY. THE ILLUMINATED

AMG CUSTOMER CENTER SHOWS HOW LIGHT CAN BE USED SKILFULLY AS AN ARCHITECTURAL STYLISTIC DEVICE. NOT ONLY CUSTOMERS

ARE IMPRESSED

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gradually fitted one-by-one with the energy-saving panels. Even today, the silhouettes ofthe Mercedes-AMG aluminium flues dominatethe skyline as they shimmer in the Affalter-bach sun. This is how a futuristic roofscapeoriginates. An integral part will be aluminium,merged with additional high-tech materials.Striking greenscaped roofs, which gather rain water, will provide an ecological spot of color.

hereby, Mercedes-AMG has alwaysbeen involved in construction andreconstruction, as a glance at the

company’s history shows. In 1978, when thecompany transferred its base from nearbyBurgstall to Affalterbach with just a dozenemployees, it first moved next to a gardenfurniture manufacturing plant – literally in theopen countryside. Since 1984 even with thestables of the local riding club “Schmiede-äcker e.V.” in full view. This Affalterbach nucleus consisted of a sim-ple garage with three inspection pits, two of-fices, and a small warehouse. This is wherethe outstanding version of the Mercedes 280E AMG with 205 hp was produced in 1978.

However, the ever increasing number of or-ders demanded expansion. In 1994 even ariding hall of the Aufrecht Family served as aproduction building for the E 50 AMG. A re-markable sight in automobile history – on theone side the AMG specialists, conjuring hun-dreds of horse power out of Mercedes en-

gines, and vis-à-vis 24 horses, at first all im-patiently chomping at the bit. Man and beast got along well. The only oneswho sometimes reacted with amazementwere the customers who had come in orderto personally attend the operations carriedout on the motor hearts of their Mercedes.However, they were already accustomed to aSwabian down-to-earth atmosphere from thetime of Burgstall.

Therefore, whoever is acquainted only withthe basic history of AMG, knows that thebusiness was inextricably linked to the privateside of founding father, Hans-WernerAufrecht. For example, in the seventies theAufrecht’s house was located exactly wherethe press vehicles are completed today. An-other former private house, just a stone’sthrow away from the first one, is now an of-fice.

t is not noticeable at first glance,but still discernible and extraordi-nary that this group of production

halls, offices and adjoining buildings, al-though quite spread out, manages to em-anate its own sense of family belonging. Thiscould have something to do with the fact – as has already been said – that some officeswere once the living room of the company’sfounder. The fact that the new office developmentmerges so well with the group of existingbuildings, is, therefore, the expression of a

specific culture at Mercedes-AMG – one ofplain modesty regarding the self-image, com-bined with demanding technology in practice.In other words – form follows function. This professional attitude can also be seen inthe decorative detail. Some visitors, who havean eye for environmental elements, notice thefoliage surrounding the new building. Evenwith this so-called “plant management”, noth-ing was left to chance. First of all, robust sodgrass was laid on the subsoil, which wasmostly a gravel bed, followed by the plantingof native trees like yews and pear trees,which create a pleasant and relaxed atmos-phere.

Affalterbach will continue to maintain its fa-miliar appearance. And when fields, vine-yards, and horses are reflected in the AMGfacades, then this illustrates in the most su-perb way how the company expresses itself.Despite the fact that Mercedes-AMG has ex-perienced great success: it has always re-mained true to its roots. The company, al-ready a well-established legend in automobilehistory, acts as a global player, but is alsofaithful to its home location, Affalterbach – orexpressed somewhat poetically: The groundhas been tilled, the seed has been sown, thefuture is bright.

CONCEPT AND DESIGN ARE TODAY IMPORTANTCOMPONENTS OF A MODERN CORPORATE

STRUCTURE. IN AFFALTERBACH, CLEAR LINESSYMBOLISE A CONSISTENT ATTITUDE, YET

SIMULTANEOUSLY EXUDE DEEP HARMONY. THERESULT IS A FASCINATING COMBINATION OF

DISCRETION AND STRENGTH

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ven merely on the basis of its ex-traordinary “designo magno Kashmirwhite” paintwork, this exclusive edi-

tion of the SL 63 AMG instantly commands allattention. Because the unique shade is avail-able for the first time with the limited edition“SL 63 AMG Edition IWC”. Tobago brown nappa leather upholstery with AMG-specificperforation as well as mat carbon trim for thedoor linings and in the center console set thetone in the interior. The AMG Exterior CarbonPackage with mat surface rounds off thespectacular appearance. Yet it is not just the new vehicle that is on thereceiving end of the exclusive attention – thesame is reserved for the driver, by dint of thedelivery of a valuable watch from therenowned Swiss watchmaker, the so-called“IWC Big Ingenieur”, together with the classySL from Mercedes-AMG. The second jointproject of the engineers from Affalterbachand Schaffhausen follows the now legendaryCLS 55 AMG IWC from 2005.AMG and IWC really do have a lot in common;a distinctive insistence on perfection, and the highest possible level of precision, for example.

The standard AMG Performance Package en-sures the perfect road hold and precise han-dling of the SL 63 AMG Edition IWC. The AMGperformance steering wheel, with reduced di-ameter – in this edition two-tone, in black andtobago brown – flattened bottom section andaluminium shift paddles, implements thecommands of the pilot directly. The AMG per-formance suspension, in conjunction with the19-inch forged wheels and extra large com-posite clutch on the front axle, guaranteesthe best possible stability and shortest brak-ing distance at all times and with utmost

stability. A limited-slip differential on the rearaxle, with up to 40% locking effect, ensuressufficient drive in every driving situation.

The AMG 6.3 liter aspirated V8 engine reach-es its highest output of 386 kW/525 hp at6,800/min; in addition, it delivers a powerfultorque of 630 Nm. This output, of course,must be brought to the road safely – andproperly distributed. The new AMG SPEED-SHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission is re-sponsible for this. Gear changes in the regionof 100 milliseconds without interruption todriving power, throttle-blipping, multipledownshifting and four selectable drivingmodes from C (comfort) to M (manual) givethe driver the choice between comfortablecruising and uncompromising sports perform-ance. The RACE START function allows maxi-mum acceleration with best possible traction:From zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, andcontinuing through to the top speed of 300km/h (electronically limited). Every prouddriver who is able to secure one of the 200SL 63 AMG Edition IWC will also receive, aswe said, the perfect watch to match. Thewatch face and band of the special limitededition of the IWC Big Ingenieur, also limitedto 200, are customised to the vehicle design.An engraving in the housing subtly alludes tothe cooperation between AMG and IWC.

The name “IWC Big Ingenieur” echoes a reallegend among timepieces: The IWC “Inge-nieur” from 1954. Two years after Karl Klingand co-pilot Hans Klenk triumphed in thethird “Carrera Panamericana Mexico” at thewheel of the 300 SL, the first Ingenieur wasintroduced to the market. Today, this icon isinseparable from the factory in EasternSwitzerland.

The current IWC Big Ingenieur is impressive.The housing measures 45.5 mm in diameter,is 15 mm high and weighs 138 g (includingthe leather band). But that’s just appear-ances: Inside, the factory 51112 calibre withautomatic Pellaton winding system and seven-day power reserve ticks smoothly with21,600 vibrations per hour. And that for sevendays, or 168 hours. An outstanding feat ofwatchmaking, as this calibre is the moststately automatic winding system for wrist-watches worldwide. This “engine” can be ad-mired through the sapphire glass back cover. It’s clear, then, that Affalterbach and Schaff-hausen are familiar with legends. And yet,there is another aspect which perfectly sym-bolises the connection between IWC and AMG.Because, just as the heart of a Mercedes-AMG, the engine, can only originate in Affal-terbach, IWC today also continues to manu-facture the core of their watches themselves.

And what is the heart of a watch called? Factory calibre. That even sounds similar toSwabian engine manufacturing excellence.Because engines manufactured by AMG in Affalterbach are truly of their own calibre.

CREATING LEGENDSTHE MAGICAL CODE SL REPRESENTS AUTOMOTIVE LEGEND – AND IT STILL RESONATESTODAY. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE SWISS WATCHMAKER IWC. NOW, THE TRADITIONALALLIANCE BETWEEN MERCEDES-AMG AND IWC IS BEARING NEW FRUITS: THE AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO HAS DEVELOPED A SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVELY FORTHE SL 63 AMG, THE “SL 63 AMG EDITION IWC”, LIMITED TO 200 VEHICLES

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TIME MACHINE

OWNERS OF THE EXCLUSIVE “SL 63 AMG EDITION

IWC” ALSO RECEIVE AN “IWC BIG INGENIEUR” -

THE LEGENDARY SWISS WATCH COMES WITH A

LEATHER BAND THAT MATCHES PERFECTLY WITH

THE INTERIEUR OF THE SWABIAN ROADSTER

MIAMIDREAMTEAM

TEXT NICOLE HILLE-PRIEBE PHOTO GERD GEORGE

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LEGENDS COME FACE TO FACE:SKIP BRAVER’S FAVOURITE ON WATER IS ONE OF THE FASTEST POWERBOATS IN THE WORLD, THE CIGARETTE.HIS NO 1 ON SOLID GROUND: THE AMG MERCEDES

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IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN ON WATER, WITHOUTEQUAL ON LAND: SKIP BRAVER’S MEANS OF TRANSPORT BELONG TO THE BEST OF WHAT THE ART OF ENGINEERING HAS TO OFFER

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SKIP BRAVER IS COOL, UNTILHE GETS GOING– ONSHORE OR OFFSHORE

n hindsight, things often sound sim-pler than they were: Buy a company,turn it inside out, enjoy success. But

with legends, it’s the same as with love – youcan’t buy them, you have to live them. SkipBraver knew that when in 2001 he made thedecision that was going to change his lifecompletely once more. “I’d actually hadenough, I could have retired and enjoyed life.But I wanted to make the brand Cigaretteonce again what it had been: A legend.” Heachieved that. And today he enjoys life morethan ever.

The “Cigarette Racing Team” in north-westernMiami builds one of the fastest powerboats in

the world. Anyone who orders a Cigarettedoesn’t want an off-the rack product, butrather a unique specimen from the worldchampion – from the hull to the interior anddesign to the on-board technology, each ofthe approximately 80 speedboats which leavethe factory each year is unmistakeable. Thelowest common denominator of the high-techpowerboats: Motors with power well in ex-cess of 1,000 hp, and a red one in the label.“When you see the One of the Cigarette logo,you really only see one thing,” Braver saysproudly. Many customers send photos of spe-cific seating and graphic designs, which are then implemented, one-to-one, by the in-house joiners, upholsterers and paint

sprayers into a unique, fascinating craft.“There are people who have more fun design-ing the boat together with us than they laterhave driving it.”

omeone who owns a Cigarette hasabove all sporting ambition. Suc-cess, luxury, sex, and parties are

associated with the brand Cigarette – some-thing that is also reflected in the advertisingmessages for the brand. Accordingly, someposters have never made it into the publicrealm, but only as far as the walls of his of-fice. “We play with the bad-boy image, that’sjust part of our boats.” At this point, Braverlikes to tell the legend of all legends which

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begins 1987 with company founder DonAronow. At the time, Aronow did businesswith the wrong side of the law, but also soldhis speedboats to the law enforcers, to givethem a chance when chasing criminals acrossthe Atlantic – anyone who’s seen a Cigarettein action, even if only in the cult series “Miami Vice”, will understand only too well.

raver’s customer spectrum is spreadwide. “Aside from internationalcelebrities, there’s everyone from a

Chicago policeman to a sheik from the Mid-dle-East.” People who can’t get enough of flying over the open sea at 150 km/h need an adequate counterpiece on land. High-endcars from Mercedes-AMG set the tone inBraver’s garage. A crystal white S 63 stealsthe show from a black CLK 63 and a brightred SL 65. As he starts one engine after an-other, his face radiates absolute content-ment. He is particularly proud of the stylishlysporty S 63 AMG, with an interior fully cus-tomized to his expectations.

The partnership between the Cigarette RacingTeam and the Mercedes-AMG Private Lounge,an exclusive Online Community for AMG cus-tomers, was unavoidable for Braver. “Our cus-tomers want speed and lifestyle – just like Ido, and just like all customers of Mercedes-AMG do. It’s like this: When one of our boatsdrives by, everyone turns to look. When a Cig-arette starts up, everyone listens. And whensomeone has a dream, we fulfil it. The sameapplies to an AMG Mercedes. Cigarette andMercedes-AMG are synonyms for the passionfor racing. They stand for the determined willto win, for fascinating products, and for quali-ty down to the smallest detail”. No wonder,then, that the driver of the Formula 1 safetycar, Bernd Mayländer, would love to havestayed two weeks longer after his visit to the“Miami Boat Show”, to really blow out somecobwebs on the water with a Cigarette.

“On the road, you’re limited by the asphalt,”Braver says. “Offshore racing gives you a feel-ing of complete freedom. This is not a case of boat versus boat, but rather boat versusnature. That’s what makes it so dangerous.”

he revival of the speedboat legendCigarette is Skip Braver’s second ca-reer. In his first life, he founded a

company with his brother Gary which dealt innew products on the electronics market. To-gether, they realised the American dream:“We started with nothing. In order to make animpression, I overdrew my credit card so thatwe could employ a secretary.” When Garydied in a boating accident on Lake Paw Pawin Michigan, Skip Braver didn’t want to keepgoing on his own. “He was more than mybrother or my partner. Gary was my bestfriend.” He sold the business and looked afterhis two children, Erika and Chad, full-time inChicago. After his divorce ten years earlier,he had become “Mr. Mom” to them both. Atthe end of the 90’s, they came of age – andSkip Braver got bored. “I bought myself a Cig-arette 42 Tiger with 500 hp to drive acrossthe Great Lakes around Chicago in summer.That was unbelievable”.In the process, Skip Braver made the ac-quaintance of Neill Hernandez, who hadworked for the Cigarette Racing Team hiswhole life. The two became friends, then part-ners. “The owners who came after DonAronow had completely run the businessdown. I convinced Neill to get together all themoney he could, and throw it in with mine tobuy Cigarette. He had a few sleepless nights,but he did it.” For Hernandez, it was one ofthe best decisions of his life. The dreamteam, with the perfect mix of technical know-how and business acumen, had in a shorttime made Cigarette once again the type ofbrand which had so enthused George BushSnr, Malcolm Forbes and Robert Vesco in DonAronow’s time.

very high-tech powerboat thatleaves the factory could go straightto the start of the next speedboat

race. Aside from a GPS system for positiondetermination, on-board computers and Mer-cury motors, they have propellers sharpenough to make a sushi chef proud. Becausehe feels more freedom on the water than onthe road, being out at the sea is what SkipBraver likes best. The only other place he getsthe same feeling is on the German autobahn,or when he can do a few laps on the northerncircuit of the Nürburgring. “For me, luxurymeans having time for my children and for mycars,” Braver says. “Money can’t buy happi-ness, but it makes life easier. You can enjoyyour life – and drive AMG Mercedes.”

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FINE TUNING

THE CIGARETTE RACING TEAM SPECIALISTS PRACTICE

FILIGREE HANDWORK. THE LEGENDARY RED 1 IN

THE LABEL IS AFFIXED TO THE HULL OF THE BOAT WITH

SURGICAL PRECISION

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STAR RIDER THE AMG PERFORMANCESTUDIO HAS ACHIEVEDCULT STATUS WITH THECUSTOMIZED REALISATIONOF EXTRAVAGENT CUS-TOMER REQUESTS. NOW,THE PERFECTIONISTS FROMAFFALTERBACH HAVETRUMPED EVERYTHING THATHAS GONE BEFORE: THE “SL 63 AMG PERFORMANCESTUDIO” UNVEILS THE EXTRAVAGANT INTERPRETA-TION OF THE THEME OF INDIVIDUALIZATION

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he color of this SL 63 AMG isn’teasy to describe: the paintworkshimmers in an understated mat

olive green with a promising touch of gold.The observer’s hand experiences an almostmagnetic attraction as it glides over the hood.The car has a velvety feel. There’s no doubtthat it’s made from metal. But metal likeyou’ve never seen before. “Yosemite Grey” isthe name of the unusual color, named afterthe unique “Yosemite National Park” in theUS state of California. The color is as uniqueas the roadster itself, which bears the fullname “SL 63 AMG Performance Studio”.The tailor-made implementation of extrava-gant customer requests has long attained cultstatus in the Affalterbach Performance Stu-dio. Individually customized cars are now rou-tine. However the words “Performance Stu-dio” following the letters SL herald somethingvery unusual - a unique vehicle that brings to-gether all the master craftsmanship of expertautomobile builders.

“This was primarily intended as a conceptcar,” explains Bettina Morgenthaler-Kaeding,Director of the Performance Studio. “We willbe watching closely to see how it is receivedand will base our future concept car strategyon what we learn here.” When selecting the beating heart of the newhigh-class vehicle, the designers naturallychose the 6.3 liter V8 engine, the most power-ful of all aspirated engines. In addition, the SL63 AMG Performance Studio naturally alsouses the new AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speedsports transmission.

There’s no ignoring the use of mat carbon inthe SL 63 AMG. This light, durable material isused in the rear spoiler, the diffuser betweenthe exhaust pipes, the gear shifting gate andthe side air vents in the front apron. This sug-gests an association with the DTM, somethingthat can’t be completely wrong in view of thehighly developed sporty ambitions of theroadster.

When it came to choosing and implementingthe interior, the members of the PerformanceStudio team really gave their imagination freerein - while still drawing on their extremelybroad experience. The nubuk leather seatsare a combination of “Yosemite Grey” and“Pebble Beige”. The upper section of the in-strument panel, the top of the arm rest, han-dles and other components are finished inYosemite Grey, creating the desired contraston the one hand, while also setting off the ba-sic Pebble Beige color scheme on the other.The Yosemite Grey theme is also taken up inthe steering wheel. Naturally the driver of the SL 63 AMG Perfor-mance Studio enjoys the comfort of electric-ally adjustable sports seats. The list of exclu-sive features and details is long and thedesigners of the SL 63 AMG PerformanceStudio have looked after the tiniest details.Thus, even the floor mats are edged in nubukleather.

Customization to a previously unheard of lev-el, master craftsmanship in production, fabu-lous good looks: the unique SL 63 AMG Per-formance Studio has it all. Although the word

“solitaire” is actually borrowed from the areaof jewelry, it is hard to think of a better termto sum up this incomparable car.

“The SL 63 AMG Performance Studio will nowgo to the US, where it will be put on show ata variety of events,” explains Bettina Morgen-thaler-Kaeding. It will not return to Affalter-bach until August 2008. The question ofwhether this one-off model is to be sold at alater date is answered by her with a charmingand contented smile: “Unfortunately, this par-ticular car is no longer available, but we canreproduce the Performance Studio featuresshown at any time.” This would mean produc-ing a twin brother for this unique solitaire.

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DRIVING LESSONS IN THE ARCTICCIRCLE? NO PROBLEM FOR AMG. A VERY SPECIAL INSTRUCTORWORKS THERE: FORMER DTM RACER BERND MAYLÄNDER, WHOSE“SECOND JOB” IS DRIVING THE OFFICIAL F1™ SAFETY CAR. THE ARJEPLOG DRIVING ACADEMY: THERE’S NO FASTER WAY TO LEARN

DANCING ON THE ICE–EXTREME DRIVING LESSONS

DRIVING ACADEMY

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felt a slight shudder and heard a dullcrunch, followed by a sound like thecrack of a whip. The ice on Lake

Hornavan, an impressive expanse of water innorthern Sweden, really is alive. If you pushthe fresh snow aside with your boot you willsee the deep black glitter of the ice. It seemsto be shot through with white, marble-likeveins. These are fractures deep within the ice. Every crack heard represents a new fracture.

Over the months, the icemakers at Arjeplogallow the glass-like layer to grow to a thick-ness of half a meter, using heavy machineryto prepare the routes that will be used as thebasis for AMG Winter Sporting course in2008.The falling snow softened the hoarse growl ofthe AMG Mercedes cars on the handling-course. The headlamps had become dancingpoints of light in the infinite distance. Thewinter air here in the Arctic Circle is cutting,

but it was not unpleasantly cold. The air wasfresh and the snow enveloped the world inpurest white. Tall fir trees could be seen fur-ther off on the edge of the lake. They lookedblack, but gradually disappeared in theswirling snow. The sun had already gonedown at two in the afternoon. Now, at aboutfive, the twilight had given way to the dark-ness of the Nordic night. However, conditionswere not pitch black because a mystical,bluish light radiated from the snow.

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THE ICE OF THE HORNAVAN CAN BE UP TO 70 CM THICK IN WINTER,

THICK ENOUGH TO BEAR AIRCRAFT, AS WELL AS CARS. JUST THE RIGHT

COURSE FOR FRIENDS OF AMG WINTER SPORTING

THE ICE DOES NOTFORGIVE MISTAKES.THE AMG PROFESSIONALSSHOW HOW TOHANDLE A VEHICLEON THE SLIPPERYTERRAIN PERFECTLY

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No doubt if you’d grown up here in northernSweden you’d find the mounds of snow, theice and the darkness quite normal, howeverfor the participants in the AMG Winter Sport-ing training course, the province of Laplandwas terra incognita. The AMG disciples hadtraveled from the US, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Ro-mania, and Germany. They were obviously en-joying this fascinating white world and had alltraveled this far for a single reason: theywanted to drive, drift and push their drivingskills to the limit. They wanted to learn underprofessional guidance to drive fast and bebetter drivers. However, each of them would at some timereach the point where rationalism no longerapplied and the silent beauty of this winterwonderland would make them stop and marvel.

he surrounding silence was in starkcontrast with the lively scene on thesmooth surface of the lake. There

were seven well-wrapped-up individuals onthe ice, each of them regularly producing alittle white cloud as they breathed. This wasthe “Blue Group” led by instructor BerndMayländer. The “Yellow” and “Red” groups had the samenumber of members and were already on theway in three SLK 55 AMG Black Series andthree C 63 AMGs, always with two drivers percar. There were three CLK 63 AMGs waitingfor the “Blues”. We got in. There was always agroup of two for each CLK. Our group wasmade up of Germans and Romanians andEnglish was spoken with a variety of accents.Speaking his own brand of Anglo-Swabian, in-structor Bernd Mayländer offered tips overthe radio and encouraged or disciplined theindividual drivers as necessary. Mayländer isMr. Formula 1. Once a very successful DTMdriver in his own right, he has been drivingthe Formula 1 Safety Car for several yearsnow.

Mayländer’s most memorable characteristicsare his infectious laughter and openness.However, things got more serious when mat-ters turn to driving. Bernd (we were all onfirst name terms) wanted every one of us toimprove, relative to our standard. Three daysof Driving Academy in Sweden. Three days ofice-dancing with AMG. Georg and Anke came from Germany’s Ruhrregion. Their children were almost grown upand were quite happy when their parents leftthem with the house to themselves. In the olddays they used to take the motorbike whengoing on holidays. Georg did all the mechani-cal work himself. However over the last num-ber of years the pair had fallen for the AMG.

This wasn’t their first training course with theguys from Affalterbach, but it is the first timethey had trained in the snow. Their main con-cern was to have some fun. Others might en-joy a weekend on a health farm, but theywere treating themselves to this icy experi-ence and taking everything with the relaxedattitude of the typical Westphalian - wellnessfor the soul. Things were different for Stefanand Emilia. This spirited pair from Romanialiked life in the fast lane. This explains whythe two of them very quickly struck up afriendship with the real heroes of AMG WinterSporting, the course managers, with their G 55 AMG. The black jeeps were fitted withan amber warning light and special spikes.Each two-man team would dig the cars out ifnecessary. Stefan was determined to comefirst in his group to guarantee himself a placein Saturday’s spectacular night-time “Race ofthe Champs”. This meant pushing yourself to the limit - but to do that you’ve first got tofind out where your limit lies.

arius was a different case. The tallmechanical engineering studentfrom Brasove in Romania was 22

years old and won this winter training courseas a prize in a competition run by MercedesRomania – and he had me as his co-driver.For him this was a dream come true. How-ever, it has to be said that the enthusiasm heshowed in the hotel had now given way totension as he sat with both hands clamped onthe steering wheel. He allowed me to drive from the hotel to thelake. This was a mark of respect for the power of this 481 hp vehicle. Naturally, theforward thrust of the CLK 63 AMG had to be reined in on the public roads using theESP system. The tires, which were fitted with3 millimeter spikes hummed listlessly as we

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BERND MAYLÄNDER

AS DTM LEGEND AND SAFETY CAR DRIVER HE IS THE UN-CHALLENGED AUTHORITY, AND REMOVES THE FEAROF DRIFTING FOR STUDENTS OF THEDRIVING ACADEMY

traveled along the wide roads. However, assoon as we reached the lake Bernd’s voicecame over the radio “Switch off the ESP!”In the semi-darkness on the day of our arrivalwe were expected to drive across the ice on alake with a depth of 260 meters, following acompletely unknown route marked out with aseries of red poles. There would be no elec-tronics to help us, just a handful of steel pinsin each tire, two G 55 AMGs within view andthe reassuring voice of the instructor in ourears: “Follow me slowly and don’t try any ex-perimental moves. We’re going to familiarizeyou with the first section of the track.”

Marius allowed me to drive this first sectionas well. But now, after a short break, the timecame to change drivers - it’s his turn now.Marius had never driven a Mercedes-AMG be-fore and his first time was going to be in thedark, on the ice.

his was truly an unreal situation fora thrifty Romanian student. He negotiated the bends with care. The

tachometer was hardly moving and Mariuslooked somehow relieved - as did I. As a stu-dent of Bernd Mayländer, he gained confi-dence gradually during the course, learning tocontrol the CLK 63 AMG, cautiously demand-ing more from the car.

The C-Class C 63 AMG suited him as well. Henoticed when the tail slewed out slowly as hetook a bend and had enough time to react.Quite a feat. In comparison with experts likeBernd, most participants were only operatingat half capacity. On the second day of the course, Berndshowed us how driving on ice should be done.One by one we all drove with him. Everyoneof us stepped out of the car completely

amazed, some of us incredibly shocked. Nowit was my turn. Anxious to seem relaxed, I gotinto the bucket seat of an SLK 55 AMG BlackSeries. The three different AMG models usedin Arjeplog were swapped between thegroups. I put on the seatbelt and we were off. With asingle burst on the accelerator, the racingdriver pushed the AMG forward. The exhaustroared and the tachometer swung between3,000 and 4,000 rpm. The SLK 55 AMG shottowards the first bend far too fast. Bernd ca-sually commented on his every move: “Nowmore gas, let the back swing out and correctwith the steering wheel. You see? There! Yousteer with the accelerator. The steering wheelis just for correction (easy really!)”. We tookthe first bend in style. The ice sprayed out be-hind us. The car lurched. The tail made gentle

swaying movements because Bernd wantedto show how to control a wayward rear endon the ice. “Always look where you want togo. Then go there.” This was a good tip which some peopleseemed to have missed. Out of the corner ofmy eye I caught sight of the yellow flashinglights and course managers shoveling snow.

arius also found out how easy it wasto come off the track, but helearned more than just this lesson

in driving at speed. Soon enough Bernd wastaking his hat off to him. While others had al-ready radioed for help four of five times in asingle morning, Marius stuck to the track likeglue. The spikes ploughed into the ice, the400 hp of the SLK 55 AMG pushed the rear-end outwards, the engine revved at 3,500rpm. Too much pressure on the pedal and theroadster, which was more difficult to handlebecause of its short wheelbase, would fly offthe track without the help of the ESP system.Over the radio, Bernd encouraged Marius togive it a bit more acceleration. Then it hap-pened: in a swirl of snow the SLK skidded tothe side. As a matter of routine, a G-Classpulled the elegant AMG back onto the slip-pery track. Marius was obviously shocked. The mild-man-nered student intended to work in the auto-motive design sector after graduating andwould love to have a job in Affalterbach. Itwent against his nature to treat an AMG sobadly, after all they are “the best car in theworld” in his own words. But Bernd justsmiled: “No problem!” He explained that thecars were specially prepared for this purpose.A solid protective casing is fitted underneathto ensure nothing gets broken. And, truth totell, there wasn’t a single breakdown over theentire weekend.

AMG 2008 83

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REINHOLD RENGER

AS ICE EXPERT, THETECHNICIAN COMMUNICATES TOTHE DRIVING STUDENTS THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR AUNIQUE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

84 AMG 2008

The mood was good at lunch. The colorfulgroup gathered on the edge of the lake in the“AMG teepee”. The wooden structure was in-deed reminiscent of a North American Indiantent, although it was in fact a traditionalSwedish kåta; a converted covered hearthsurrounded by benches. Our kåta also had ta-bles, where we could eat and swap stories.We had long forgotten the fact that everytime we took our AMGs out for a spin therewas only a sheet of ice between us and the260 meters of water below.

hat morning, our instructor ReinholdRenger had showed us how muchice can actually withstand. From

thicknesses of about 40 cm it can supportthe weight of wheel-mounted front-end load-ers, while from 70 cm onwards it is strongenough for largish airplanes to land on. Wewere driving on 50 centimeters of deep-frozen water. The smooth surface is main-tained by the “icemakers”. Many of the 3,500inhabitants of Arjeplog share this unusualprofession. They shift the snow to one side assoon as the ice is thick enough to walk on inlate fall. If this insulating layer wasn’t re-moved, the ice would never increase. This is apainstaking business, but it is essential be-

cause up to 1,800 test drivers from all carmakers come to Arjeplog every season. Thewinter test season is the town’s main sourceof income, since the last saw mill closed acouple of years ago. Many families move outof their houses in winter time and rent themout to test drivers. They then move into mo-bile homes in large garages.The Kåta was an almost entirely male pre-serve. Anke and Emilia were the exceptions.Emilia had caught the bug. She was the equalof her husband in her willingness to take arisk, while her eyes twinkled with a longingfor adventure. Anke was much more interest-ed in having fun and tended to see thingsmore from a safety perspective. These twocharacters could be said to represent the twobasic types of AMG Winter Sporting enthusi-asts.

milia’s ambitions were rewarded inthe rankings. After three events,Emilia was two places in front

of Anke – by quite a few points. By contrast,Stefan, Emilia’s husband, was disappointed.The brawny Romanian had hoped to take firstplace, but that honor went to Georg with hisunassuming manner – something he never ex-pected: “Oh, that means I’ve got to take partin the Race of Champs”. It certainly did - justlike the best drivers in the other two groupsand the best runner-up from all three groups.

There was a tense atmosphere as night fellon the second day of the training course.Torches flickered on the ice which had a freshcoating of snow. Mulled wine was served tothose not taking part in the evening race. TwoC 63 AMGs awaited the champs, their en-gines running and their lights ablaze. The racewould be held in pairs. The winners and run-ners-up would then drive again. The first pairhad already started. Most of the rest of thegroup watched enthralled, shouted encour-agement or took photographs. However,some of them had discovered another AMGMercedes. A C-Class. This was fitted with ral-ly tires with extremely long spikes, a roll bar,bucket seats, four-point seat belts (in theback too), and huge spotlights: the ice taxi.Bernd had already buckled up and waved to

me: “Come on! Get in!”. I got in behind themaster. One of the other instructors checkedthat I had fastened the belt lightly enoughand grinned at me knowingly: “Have fun!”.The door slammed shut and Bernd took offinto the night with three of his pupils. 140km/h on the straight and up to 80 km/h inthe bends. The ice sprayed up and the engineroared as it surged ahead. I couldn’t take it all in for the first few seconds, but then theshock was transformed into a broad smile. Itfelt like being on a roller-coaster and this feel-ing stayed with me as I stepped out of the caragain at the starting line. Was the ice moving?Happily it wasn’t - it was just my legs.

he “Race of Champs” was over. Theyellow group, which was always thefastest throughout the training

course, took first and second place. Georgfrom my blue team took the bronze medal.We made it onto the podium. Hat’s off toGeorg.The mood was subdued during dinner: itwould all be over tomorrow. The lake wouldbe just a memory - although a very impres-sive and informative one.

Although they were a bit quiet on the bussesfrom the airport to the hotel on Friday after-noon, the AMG Winter Sporting course participants had really gelled into a cohesivegroup. Business cards were exchanged,phone numbers and e-mail addressesswapped. Bernd Mayländer placed a hand on Marius’ shoulder: “You had by far thesteepest learning curve of everybody here.That was really good!” Surprised to start with, Marius slowly broke into a proud smile. I was beaming too, because a tiny part of this praise is also for me, after all I was theco-driver for the best pupil in the class.

MARIUS FROM ROMANIA

A DREAM CAME TRUEFOR THE STUDENT: HE WON THE TRAININGWITH MAYLÄNDER AND HIS TEAM IN ACOMPETITION

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COMMUNITY

86 AMG 2008

AMG 2008 87

t is 8 a.m. and the team has just fi-nished their daily status call. It start-ed as every other status call does

with a rundown of daily postings and statusof open items. From the outside, this call maybe compared to the calls that many corpora-tions have every day. What set’s this call apartis the topics that are discussed. Gone are thediscussions about bottom line revenue, ex-penses and Sarbanes Oxley, these calls havequestions like: What is the lock-up percentageof the AMG Limited Slip Differential? When can we welcome a Private Lounge group fromthe US in Affalterbach? How many spots dowe have open for the AMG Winter Sporting in2009? It may sound unusual, but it is a nor-mal day in the life of the AMG Private Lounge.

The AMG Private Lounge, or “The Lounge” asit is often referred to by AMG insiders, re-cently celebrated its second anniversary. ThePrivate Lounge was conceived by Mario Spitz-ner, Director Branding, Marketing & Sales, asa way to allow AMG owners a chance to inter-act directly with Mercedes-AMG in Affalter-bach and with each other. Tasked with build-ing an online community, the Private Loungecaters directly to the high octane lifestyle ofAMG enthusiasts through exclusive content,dynamic events, monthly chat sessions andcommunity discussion boards.The AMG Private Lounge is currently in itsBeta phase only having been rolled out toAMG enthusiasts in the United States. On thepart of Mercedes-AMG, Teresa von Tippels-kirch is in charge of the Private Lounge, sup-ported by a team of Mercedes-Benz USA.Scott Preacher, who was mainly responsiblefor establishing the Private Lounge and whohimself is AMG enthusiast and customer, wasappointed AMG Private Lounge Chief Editor.The team varies in size depending on the is-

sue but the core group consists of seven per-sons from the areas product management,marketing and development.Anchored by a dynamic website that can befound at www.mercedes-amg.com/private-lounge, the AMG enthusiast will find a wealthof detailed information about the AMG brand,the history, products and can be linked withother AMG enthusiasts through the OnlineDiscussion Boards. Much of the informationfound on the Private Lounge cannot be foundanywhere else. 2007 saw incredible growth on the PrivateLounge as membership grew close to 10,000.Driven by enthusiast feedback, the PrivateLounge team created some truly uniqueevents and give-aways throughout the year.The stage was set early in the year whenAMG announced at the “New York auto show”that ten CLK 63 AMG Black Series vehicleswould be allocated through the AMG PrivateLounge. This groundbreaking program allow-ed AMG enthusiasts a chance to pick up theirvehicles in Germany and participate in advan-ce on track training as a part of the AMGMASTERS “Sport trophy”.

In an effort to tailor events to AMG enthusi-asts, 2007 marked the first year that a speci-al AMG Challenge Day was offered to PrivateLounge members. This day featured additio-nal support directly from AMG in Germanyand included an appearance by Bernd Mayländer driving the 2006 SLK 55 AMG Formula 1 Safety Car that had been broughtspecifically for this event.To keep the Private Lounge personal, once amonth, a one hour online chat session is heldwhere members can have direct contact withAMG representatives. In true AMG fashion a“boiler room” is set up so that a team of AMGproduct managers can answer questions in

rapid fire succession. These sessions haveproven to be an incredible tool to keep the lines of communication open between AMGand its enthusiasts giving immediate feed-back on a variety of relevant topics.The Private Lounge is driven to provide AMGenthusiasts with a way to get closer than everto the AMG brand and other passionateowners. 2008 will see the continued expan-sion of the Private Lounge with new events,new content, new give-aways and newfunctionality. While the Private Lounge is currently limitedto US AMG enthusiasts, the overwhelming positive feedback has led to potential globali-zation. Be on the lookout as the AMG PrivateLounge continues to connect AMG enthusi-asts around the globe.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE AMG PRIVATE LOUNGEAN INNOVATIVE ONLINE PLATFORM FOR FRIENDS OF THE AFFALTERBACH BRAND SUCCESSFULLY NETWORKS AMG ENTHUSIASTS IN THE USA – AN EXAMPLE TO BE FOL-LOWED BY A FUTURE GLOBAL INTERNET HOMELAND FOR THE AMG COMMUNITY

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AMG 2008 87

TEXT MERCEDES-AMG PRIVATE LOUNGE TEAM

88 AMG 2008

AMG enthusiasts take sterling sporty features for granted.The new AMG Collection offers fashion-conscious fans of the Affalterbach brand the perfect style choices. The top model is black and bears a subtle AMG logo.We’re talking about an all-weather fleece jacket madefrom polyethersulfon (PES) a highly durable synthetic material. Technology plus design, simply AMG. Apartfrom the all-weather fleece jacket, the AMG Collection in-cludes T-Shirts, polo shirts, rugby shirts and windbreak-ers for men, women and children in all standard sizes. As well as cotton, the outdoor clothing is also made fromhigh-grade cotton-nylon mixes and synthetic fibers.Decorative details like collars and button panels in con-trasting colors as well as accessories (caps, key fobs anda lanyard) provide a perfect look for any occasion. All products carry the AMG logo; unobtrusive, but in just the right place. Form and function harmonize at AMG,not just when it comes to cars. Even beyond its classicdisciplines, the team from Affalterbach sets a high standard in the usual sovereign manner; the latest proof: the AMG Collection. www.mercedes-amg.com

FORM ANDFUNCTION

JOURNAL

AMG Collection 2008

AMG 2008 89

“The greatest strength comes from within.” This sayingdescribes the aim of yoga relaxation techniques and alsoapplies to the engines produced by AMG. But how canyoga and AMG be reconciled? No problem. EveryWednesday a group of around 20 employees now meetto practice relaxation exercises at Mercedes-AMG,“Most of them men,” remarks the yoga instructor, Sandra Jonas. Under dimmed light conditions and withthe smell of lemon grass in their noses, these yoga dis-ciples from all AMG departments learn that balance,breathing and concentration exercises can be very de-manding. Who can stand for minutes on end on one legwithout wobbling? “Many people find that hard in the beginning,” agrees instructor Jonas. The rewards for allone’s efforts can be liberating. “Yoga leads to less stressand a more relaxed attitude,” explains the teacher, “and this in turn leads to a harmonious interaction withour fellow men”. And this in turn leads to perfect products. Because it all comes down to one principle: the greatest strength comes from the core, whether aneight-cylinder model or an engine with twelve combus-tion chambers.

RELAXATIONEX WORKS

90 AMG 2008

The Performance Studio has been in existence forabout two years and has already achieved cult status. How do you explain this overnight success?I think, it is because we have always managed tofind the right balance between sportiness, on theone hand, and exclusive individuality on the other.

Where do the limits of individualization lie for thePerformance Studio? The safety and quality of our products are top priorities for us. This means that we sometimeswould have to turn down customer requests, ifthey contradict these principles. However, compli-ance with the Mercedes-AMG safety standards isalways in the customer’s best interest.

Do customer requests vary a lot? Are there anysigns of particular fashion trends?There are indeed tangible differences when itcomes to individualization, particularly when wecompare markets like the US, Japan and WesternEurope. There is a marked difference when itcomes to colors. In this case, developments aremoving in the direction of more individual paintfinishes. Black and silver are no longer as domi-nant as in the past and the trend is now towardscolored paint. However for us here in the Perform-ance Studio the task remains the same - whateverthe changing trends: our aim is always to meetcustomer’s requirements as comprehensively aspossible.

Which markets are most important for the Perform-ance Studio? At present our most important market is Europe.Of course, our aim is to grow, for example, in the United States. The “SL 63 AMG PerformanceStudio”, put on show as part of the press testdrive event in Palm Springs, is a kind of ambassa-dor for us.

What can we expect to see from the PerformanceStudio in technical terms? We have a couple of new features up our sleeves. I think you’ll be quite surprised. I’ll just say this: If Mercedes-AMG is the Mount Olympus of cars,then the Performance Studio is the penthousesuite at the top of that mountain.

AMGPERFORMANCE

STUDIO

JOURNAL

Bettina Morgenthaler-Kaeding wasborn in Stuttgart/Germany and

studied mechanical engineering atthe Technical College in Karlsruhe.

Having qualified as an engineer, sheworked for almost ten years at

Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, oneof her tasks being the logistics

project management for the new C-Class. Bettina Morgenthaler-

Kaeding has been director of the Mercedes-AMG Performance

Studio in Affalterbach since summer 2007.

A discussion about the link between sportiness and exclusive

individuality.

Combined fuel consumption: 13.9 l/100 km, urban: 21.4 l/100 km, extra-urban: 9.5 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 330 g/km.The figures do not express any description of the emissions or fuel consumption of a car, are not part of any offer, and are intended to compare types of vehicles only.

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Only respect can makean F1 driver slow down. Mercedes SL 63 AMG. A different fast.

190 E3.2 AMG

A LOT OF BLACK, NOT MUCH CHROME –

A GOOD TWENTY YEARS AGO, THIS

COMBINATION WAS THE ULTIMATE.

TOGETHER WITH A STRIKING FRONT APRON,

THREE-PART LIGHT-ALLOY WHEELS AND

AN INTEGRATED REAR APRON, THE DESIGN

PHILOSOPHY OF THE 190 E 3.2 AMG

RELIES DETERMINEDLY ON SUBTLE

UNDERSTATEMENT

DYNAMISMANDELEGANCE

DESIGN

AMG 2008 93

AMGS ARE FAST AND DON’T HIDE THIS FACT. HOWEVER,DESIGN AT AMG IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF VISUALSHOW. EVERY COMPONENT REVEALS ITS TECHNICALSIDE. THE FACT THAT IT LOOKS GOOD TOO IS A BONUS

94 AMG 2008

C 36 AMGC 43 AMG

1993

1997POWER, BUT PACKAGED DISCREETLY –

REPRESENTED BOTH IN THE C 36 AMG

FROM 1993 AND ITS SUCCESSOR,

PRESENTED FOUR YEARS LATER, THE

C 43 AMG. THE EVER-CHANGING AUTO-

MOTIVE ZEITGEIST MEANT THAT THE

CHANGEOVER TO A NEW MODEL

BROUGHT A MOVE AWAY FROM CLEAR

LINES TOWARDS DECIDELY

ROUNDER FORMS

EIGHT CYLINDERS INSTEAD OF SIX: ONLY A REAL CONNOISSEUR

WOULD RECOGNISE THE V8 MODEL C 43 AMG

AMG 2008 95

C 32 AMGC 55 AMG

2001

2004AIR OF CHANGE – THE C 32 BEGINS THE

NEW MILLENNIUM WITH FOUR EYES. THE

AMG STYLING REVEALS CURVED EDGES IN

THE AIR INTAKE VENTS FOR THE FIRST

TIME. THE V8 ENGINE OF THE C 55 AMG

DEMANDS A COMPLETELY NEW FRONT END

INCLUDING A WIDER FRONT AXLE

TRACK – AND EVEN MORE COOLING AIR

A NUMBERS GAME: SIX CYLINDERS PLUS COMPRESSOR, OR EIGHT CYLINDERS

WITH AMPLE CAPACITY – C 32 AMG AND C 55 AMG GO THEIR OWN WAYS

96 AMG 2008

AMG 2008 97

98 AMG 2008

C 55 AMG

2004TOTAL WORK OF ART– LONG FRONT

MUDGUARDS AND 18-INCH RIMS IN

AIRY DOUBLE-SPOKE DESIGN GIVE

THE EIGHT-CYLINDER POWERHOUSE

A SELF-ASSURED AURA

AMG 2008 99

he first Baby Benz from AMG datingfrom 1987 and the latest model, theC 63, are world’s apart. What

looks like a giant step from the customer’sperspective is in fact the result of numeroussmall steps for chief designer Claus Hieke.Hieke has been responsible for the look of theracy bodywork at AMG since 1987. The chiefdesigner is a greater believer in evolution thanrevolution. This applies in particular to car design.

What looks like a quantum leap is in fact acontinuous development. “If you ask someonewhat they don’t like, you usually get a fairlyprecise answer,” explains Claus Hieke. “How-ever, if you ask someone what they do like,you will find most people can’t tell you. It’s allabout a feeling of harmony. This is sometimesachieved though tiny details. Things youmightn’t notice at first glance.” This is pre-cisely the job of the Design Department atMercedes-AMG.

If you look at the various models together, aconsistent design principle soon becomes ap-parent. There are five key elements that deter-mine the outer appearance of an AMG model:the front apron, the side skirts, the rear apron,the rear spoiler lip and the wheel rim design.Each individual element contributes to the un-mistakable look of the AMG car, although nothing is added to the standard models justfor the sake of it. Everything follows the clas-sic design principle of “form follows function”.Every design detail should also make sensefrom a technical viewpoint.

For the 1987 E-Class, Claus Hieke did much ofthe groundwork at AMG with the sloping A-shaped cooling fins in the front apron. Withone exception, this basic look is reproduced inall subsequent models and is almost like alogo for customers, who now consciously re-gister the visual elements of the various AMGmodels. The fact that Claus Hieke had chosenthe A shape of the cooling rib finial as the way

to immortalize the A of AMG is now a legend.“It was only much later that I realized the refer-ence to Aufrecht, caused by the A,” smiles thedesigner.

he exception mentioned is the suc-cessor model to the C 36 whosecooling rib finials in the front apron

are not A-shaped. In this case the lines of the radiator mask have been extendeddownwards. This exception is due to the ef-forts at producing a harmonious image. In-cluding an existing linearity it gives the car a familiar look which is positively regarded bythe customer. On a purely emotional level, ofcourse.

Other details typical of AMG will be introducedin the C 36. The new displacement elementson the front apron and side skirts are morenoticeable from a technical perspective than avisual one. The wedge on the front ensuresthat less air enters the wheel arch, thus reduc-

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AESTHETICSDISCERNMENTDYNAMISM

1987

2007THE RAPID PROGRESS OF TWO DECADES

EMBODIES THE FAST AMG MODELS AT FIRST SIGHT. AMG CHIEF DESIGNER CLAUS

HIEKE, HOWEVER, BELIEVES IN “EVOLUTION RATHER THAN REVOLUTION”

TEXT JAN VAN ROSSEM PHOTO HARRY RUCKABERLE

100 AMG 2008

C 63 AMG

2007UNCOMPROMISINGLY SPORTY – THE C 63

AMG EMBODIES THE QUINTESSENCE OF THE

AMG DESIGN LINES LIKE NO OTHER

MODEL. WITH 336 KW/457 HP IT IS ALMOST

TWICE AS POWERFUL AS THE 190 E 3.2 AMG,

AND THE V8 TOP MODEL UNABASHEDLY

SHOWS OFF WHAT’S INSIDE. WITHOUT GIVING

AWAY THE ELEGANCE OF THE DESIGN

LINES IN THE PROCESS

SIDE AIR OUTLETS AND MULTI-SPOKED RIMS: THE C 63 AMG ALSO LEANS TOWARDS

THE SUCCESSFUL DTM TOURING CAR OPTICALLY

AMG 2008 101

102 AMG 2008

ing uplift. “Wide tires aren’t really going to cutthe mustard from an aerodynamic point ofview,” explains Claus Hieke in his charminglylaconic way, then adding with a certain pride:“Our design has largely done away with suchdisadvantages.” And there’s more: the varioussurface mounted parts give the AMG modelsbetter aerodynamic resistance than the stand-ard models. Form serves function.

nother decisive feature for AMG De-sign is the shaping of the wheel rims.Apart from the multiple spoke mo-

dels, the unmistakable five-spoke design haspractically become synonymous with AMG.The recognition value is enormous - despitemany variants with spokes of different widthsand double spokes within the five-star system.This despite the fact that a number of othermanufacturers now also use a five-spoke de-sign. Don’t they say that imitation is the bestform of flattery?

The C 32 was the first model to feature a styleelement that has survived to the present as anelementary detail in various versions of theAMG’s appearance. The sloping side finials ofthe air vent in the front spoiler are now moremarked and have a dynamic twist. The so-cal-led rockers are becoming a hallmark of AMGdesign and are also an expression of the con-fidence of the brand. The powerful, uncompro-

mising visual language shows that the designersbelieve in their work and its impact.

There is one more element that enhances the design of the front spoiler. It counters theshape of the radiator and thus, in a way, mir-rors its shape. This again creates somethingpositive. A familiar form is added and varied. This gives the front of the car a well-balanced, harmonious image.

The more the rockers are varied, as in thecurvy eight-cylinder C 55 version, the moredynamic they are and the more they illustratethe speed and sportiness of the car. The shapeof the rockers is reminiscent of the structureof aerodynamic speedboats, which seem tofloat above the surface of the water. Althoughthis is not an intentional comparison, it is nonetheless a happy one.

In the interior too the designers at AMG havemade their mark. Specially developed seat covers and special upholstery for the seats, thetypical flattened circle of the steering wheeland specially designed controls give the interi-or an unmistakably exclusive AMG feeling.

The latest model, the C 63 AMG, is the currenthighpoint in AMG designs: The much more no-ticeable skirts, the more compact front apronand the autonomous radiator grill with its cen-

tral star are eye-catching developments thatwitness the healthy self-assurance of the 15-strong AMG design team. The two powerdomes on the radiator hood show that thismodel has nothing to hide. This is an act ofhomage to the legendary SL models from the1950s. At the time this was technically essen-tial because of the obliquely positioned engineand the desire to keep the hood as low as possible (otherwise one corner of the enginewould have made a dent in the hood). AsClaus Hieke admits with a smile, these daysthat is just an aesthetic element. But a littlestyle must be allowed. Particularly when it un-derlines that there’s a lot of power under thishood.

he C 63 AMG is something like thequintessence of the AMG design phi-losophy, which can be summarized

as follows: the modifications should be exter-nally visible, but not at all off-putting. They areintended to express speed, but not too ag-gressively, because AMG customers love un-derstatement. The potential driving dynamismof the various models is to be apparent at aglance, although the elegance of the linear de-sign is paramount. This doesn’t give ClausHieke and his team much room to maneuver.However, the longer they do the job, the better the results.

FORM FOLLOWSFUNCTION

1987

2007DESPITE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN

VISUAL PERCEPTION, AMG DESIGN STANDS FOR STRATEGIC CONTINUITY.

IN AFFALTERBACH, THE PURSUIT OF FASHIONABLE TRENDS IS LEFT TO OTHERS

A

T

LASTING IMPRESSION: WITH TWO DOUBLE EXHAUST PIPES AND A DIFFUSOR INSERT, THE REAR

END OF THE C 63 AMG LACKS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE MUSCULAR FRONT VIEW

AMG 2008 103

AFFALTERBACH IS EVERYWHEREARCHAIC SHAPES IN THE NORTH AMERICAN VALLEY OF FIRE AS THE SETTING FOR THE LATEST EVOLUTION STAGE OF THE C-CLASS – INTERPRETED BY MERCEDES-AMG

AMG 2008 105

106 AMG 2008

PUBLISHED BY:

MERCEDES-AMG GMBH

DAIMLERSTRASSE 1

71563 AFFALTERBACH

GERMANY

RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLICATION:

VOLKER MORNHINWEG

CONCEPT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTION:

DELIUS KLASING VERLAG GMBH

SIEKERWALL 21

33602 BIELEFELD

GERMANY

EDITORS:

EDWIN BAASKE

SANDRA BIEBERSTEIN

PETER COURTIN

FRANK MÜHLING

BARBARA POLTROCK

WINFRIED SCHULT

THOMAS SCHULZ

TERESA VON TIPPELSKIRCH

AUTHORS:

THORSTEN ELBRIGMANN

NICOLE HILLE-PRIEBE

DR. RALF KONCZAK

SCOTT PREACHER

JAN VAN ROSSEM

HANS SCHILDER

BERND WEISER

PHOTOGRAPHY:

MARKUS BOLSINGER

GERD GEORGE

ULI JOOS

CHRISTOPH MORLOK

HARRY RUCKABERLE

HEIKO SIMAYER

TILKE, INGENIEURE UND ARCHITEKTEN

ART DIRECTION:

TOM ISING, HERBURG WEILAND, MÜNCHEN

PICTURE EDITOR:

SANDRA MARTENS

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT:

OLAF KLINGER

LITHOGRAPHIC SERVICES:

NUREG GMBH, NÜRNBERG

TRANSLATION:

BARBARA JÜRGENS

ÜBERSETZUNGSBÜRO SCHWARZ AUF WEIß

SCHLOSS HOLTE – STUKENBROCK

PRINTING:

KUNST- UND WERBEDRUCK

BAD OEYNHAUSEN

IMPRINT

FRANK MÜHLING / MARKUS BOLSINGER

AMGREACHING FOR THE STARS

222 PAGES, 200 PHOTOS, FORMAT 24 X 30 CM,

HARDCOVER WITH JACKETEURO 39,90 [D]

ISBN 978-3-7688-1809-4 (ENGLISH VERSION)ISBN 978-3-7688-1808-7 (GERMAN VERSION)

INFOLINE+49 521 55 99 33

FAX +49 521 559 88 114WWW.DELIUS-KLASING.DE/SHOP

POWER, EXCLUSIVITY AND DYNAMISMAMG – the highly distincitve sound of these three letters is familiar to every automotive enthusiast. This company, established in 1967, aquired its image as a professionaltuner through spectacular motor sport successes and powerful Mercedes vehicles and is seen as the pioneer of this entire line of business.The book grants extensive insights into the design and development work.With contributions from Eric Clapton and Mika Häkkinen.

IWC Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Germany: +49 89 55 984 282. Switzerland: +41 52 635 65 65. Austria: +43 1 532 05 800. www.iwc.com.

Big Ingenieur. Ref. 5005: A device that tells you the battery’s empty isn’t

much use out in the wilds. But the largest automatic movement made by

IWC goes on running continuously and reliably. And if you should decide

to take a break between K2 and Mount Everest, it has a seven-day power

reserve. Thanks to its solid stainless steel case, its delicate mechanism

wil l forgive you almost anything. Even a beard. IWC. Engineered for men.

Mechanical IWC-manufactured movement |

Automatic Pellaton winding system

(figure) | Seven days’ continu -

ous running | Power reserve

display | Date display | Anti-

reflective sapphire glass |

Sapphire glass back cover |

Water-resistant 12 bar | Stainless steel

Not this one.