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Monthly newsletter of the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America.
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Welcome new members!
Inside this issue:
View From the Peak 2
Shelby Museum 3
Fraud Alert 3 DIY Tech Session 4
Golden Train Museum 4
Star Party 5
Joint Section Picnic 5
MHS Events 5
Enchanted Weekend 6
MHS Regional Event 6 Der Marktplatz 7
Click 7
Valentine’s Dinner 8
G63 6x6 Sold Out 8
Record Sales 9
Tech Updates 9
Autonomous Drive 10
R Outsourced 10
Robert & Roseanne Bobrick
2006 ML500
Robert Groschen1998 ML320
2004 C240S Wagon
Neal & Carmen Lamping2015 E350
Joseph Vijayam
Newsletter of the PIKES PEAK SECTION
MARCH 2015
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Big Cats Fun Run
The Best or Nothing!
Saturday, 21 March 20159:00 a.m.
It’s been a few years since we visited the Big Cats of Serenity Springs. We figured we’d stop by and say “Hi” to our favorites for the March Fun Run. We’ll be heading to the Serenity Springs Wildlife Center after our monthly breakfast on Saturday, 21 March. The Center is located at 24615 Scott Road, Calhan, CO, at the end of a well-maintained dirt road. It’s about 12 miles from the intersection of Woodmen Rd and Hwy 24. They’re at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side. Come through the main gate and park on the mulch. Please wait outside the sanctu-ary’s rolling gate until your guide ar-rives to escort you in.
Big Cats of Se-renity Springs Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe, stable and permanent home for non-domestic felines and other exotic wildlife. They currently have over 120 big cats and exotics in residence, including lions, tigers, cougars, coutimundi, caracals, binturong, servals, bobcats, and leopards. (There will be a quiz later on what some of these are....just kidding.)You’ll hear all about the
animals during our guided tour.
They provide care and love to exotic ani-mals that have been in a situation causing their lives or well-being to be jeopardized. Serenity Springs is one of the very few
facilities dedicated solely to provid-ing a permanent sanctuary for these displaced big cats. The cost to properly run a facility like this one is high - monthly operational
costs now exceed $19,000 per month.
Cost for the hour-long tour is $10 per person. Children under age 2 are free but strollers are not permitted. There are some basic tour rules including: still photog-
raphy is permitted but videography is not. Do not enter the main rolling gate into the sanctuary without a guide, even if the gate is open. The tour is a little over an hour. Dress in comfortable clothes and wear sturdy shoes. Due to the mulch covering the tour route, it is not possible for them to accommodate wheelchairs or walkers. However, they do have a golf cart that can handle one person per tour. Let Julie know if you would like to reserve it.
Contact Julie Nelson for more information or to reserve your spot on the tour - 719-634-7522 (home) or [email protected]. Please RSVP by 19 March 2015.
View From the Peak by Andrew NelsonSection OfficersPresident:Andrew [email protected]
Vice President:Judy [email protected]
Secretary:Mary [email protected]
Treasurer:Julie [email protected]
Directors:Stan [email protected]
Gary [email protected]
Glenn [email protected]
Henry [email protected] Sylvia [email protected]
Dave [email protected]
Webmaster:Robert [email protected]
Editor:Judy [email protected]
Regional Director:Charlie [email protected]
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‘Round the BENZ is published monthly by the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA), Inc. Articles and ideas are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is implied as to the validity of any infor-mation contained therein. Explicit permission to republish any article with proper attribution is given to all sections of MBCA, Inc. Articles for publication consideration should be mailed to Pikes Peak Section, MBCA, Attn: Editor, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 or, whenever possible, emailed to: [email protected]. Deadline for receipt is the 18th of the month prior to the month of issue.
Pikes Peak Section members are encouraged to support the advertisers in our newsletter. They help to make this publication possible.
‘ROUND THE BENZ
Finally the winter sports doldrums are over for me. I am a Colorado Avalanche fan, but their performance this year has left much to be de-sired. With their playoff
hopes dwindling, it was great to watch the NASCAR Daytona 500, which is the kickoff of the auto racing season.
NASCAR, and stock car racing in gen-eral, will always have a soft spot in my heart. When I was a kid, a good friend’s father raced NASCAR Late Model Sportsman. He raced on mostly small quarter-mile dirt or asphalt tracks. As a 12-year-old, I had great fun going to many races, being in the pits, and hang-ing around all the drivers and the race cars. Plus, NASCAR is so quintessential-ly American. When you hear the thunder-ing roar of thirty or so V-8s as they head for the green flag...it gives me goose bumps every time.
I still have to wait a few more weeks until the start of the Formula One season. The main question is, will team Mercedes AMG dominate the 2015 season as they did in 2014? They clearly had the best power unit, with a balanced handling race car to go along with it. Have the other teams caught up, or has the 2015 Mercedes AMG car improved again to leapfrog all the competition? All in all, it should be a great year of auto racing.
Despite all the snow we’ve had recently, we are gearing up (get it?) for our up-coming driving season. A good test run is coming up this month. I hope to see many of you on Saturday, 21 March at our monthly breakfast at The Egg & I restaurant. Please join us at 9:00 a.m. for some good food and fellowship. After breakfast, we’ll drive out to Calhan to vis-it the big cats at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center. If you love animals, especially cats, you’ll enjoy the more than 120 big cats and other exotics in residence. The cost for the tour is only $10 per person, so please RSVP by 19 March to reserve a spot for the “mane” event of the month.
We’re also busy getting Phase II of our Paved Peaks & Passes driving program ready for prime time. You can read all about our nifty little program in the March Star Magazine. There is a 2-page spread detailing our program and outlining how other sections can implement similar driving programs. If you haven’t joined yet, there is still time. And if you haven’t finished your Phase I passport yet, you’ve got an entire summer to get ‘er done. Then you can launch into Phase II, which is dedicated to all those points of interest and roadside signs and monu-ments that you never take the time to stop and read. It’s called Paved Peaks & Passes & POIs. Watch for more details in next month’s ‘Round the Benz.
We’ve got a lot more fun drives and events coming up, so watch your news-letter for details. As always, drive safely, and I will see you down the road.
Andrew
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Shelby Museum/Leanin’ Tree TourSaturday, 18 April 2015
9:00 a.m.Please join the Pikes Peak Section on 18 April for our monthly breakfast at the Egg & I at the Citadel Crossing, followed by a driving event to Boulder, Colorado. Break-fast starts at 9:00 a.m. and we order from the menu.
We will depart the restaurant at 10:30 a.m. for Boulder, where we will visit two museums and have a late lunch. You will be provided directions and GPS coordinates for a drive at your leisure. You will have the opportunity of viewing the Shelby American Museum and the Leanin’ Tree Museum and Sculpture Garden of Western Art. The museums are located near each other and this makes travelling between the two ven-ues relatively easy.
The Shelby American Museum is a treat for any automobile buff. The museum is known for its extensive rare and unique collection of Shelby automobiles; one of the largest Shelby collections in the world. There is a $5 per person admission fee. Url - http://www.shelbyamericancollection.
org/index.html
The Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art in Boulder, Colorado, exhibits the private art collection of Ed Trumble, founder and c`hairman of Leanin’ Tree, publisher of fine art greeting cards since 1949. His collec-tion was born of a passion for American western art that has spanned seven de-
cades. The scope and quality of this rare collection will surprise you. Ad-mission is free. Url - http://leanintreemu-seum.com/
You will have an opportunity to eat a late lunch with the club. The location for lunch is TBD.
Gary Gagnon is the point of contact for this event. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or cell (719) 332-7501.
It has recently come to our attention that non-MBCA members are trying to cash in on one of our prime benefits of member-ship. Several non-members have at-tempted to get the 20% MBCA discount on parts and service that is offered by our local dealership, Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, by claiming to be members.
To preserve this valuable benefit, the Pikes Peak Sec-tion and the dealership have instituted new procedures. To obtain your 20% discount
at the time of service, you must present your membership card to the service writ-ers. The Service Manager will approve all work orders with the discount. If you do not
have your membership card with you, they will call the Sec-tion or the National Business Office to verify your member-ship status. If you need to get a new membership card, you can obtain one by calling the NBO at 719-633-6427 or visit-
ing them at 1907 Lelaray St in Colorado Springs. Sorry for the inconvenience, but blame the opportunists.
Fraud Alert
“...the Shelby
American
Museum and
the Leanin’
Tree Museum
and Sculpture
Garden of
Western Art.”
“...Several
non-members
have attempted
to get the
20% MBCA
discount....”
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Golden Train Museum - 16 May 2015
Time to get ready for summer driv-ing, Pikes Peak Section! Summer is just around the corner and we’ve got places to go and people to see in our beautiful Benzes. The Do-It-Yourself Tech Session is just the ticket to get you out on the road safely. It’s also one of the more tangible benefits of MBCA membership in general and the Pikes Peak Section in particular, all courtesy of Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs.
Get your motorized icon up on a lift to check out the undercarriage. You might be surprised to find out what’s under there. Swap out those snow tires, replace worn-out windshield wipers, adjust your coolant
levels, and check your belts and hoses. These are all quick and easy projects you can do yourself at a huge savings. All you pay for is the parts (at our 20% discount) and a $10 fee to use the service bay.
You can do it all on Sunday, 26 April at 10:00 a.m. at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs. As usual, the dealership will have the parts department open and techs will be on hand to guide you through your proj-ect. Bring your own tools though.
Give Dave Williamson a call at 719-575-7976 to reserve your lift. He provides the space and the techs and may even throw in some coffee and doughnuts. See you there!
“Visit the
1880’s-
replica Depot
Museum....”
D-I-Y Tech Session - 26 April 2015
Our Section has scheduled a tour of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO on Saturday, May 16. Based on the num-ber of persons attending the event we can ask for a volunteer tour guide, as well as receive a 15% discount in admission, provided we have 20 or more in our group. Admis-sion is nor-mally $10 per adult or $8 per Senior.
Stroll the Museum’s 15-acre rail yard with over 100 narrow- and standard- gauge steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, cabooses, HO Model Railroad and G-scale garden railway on their 15-acre rail yard.
Watch as Colorado railroad history is brought back to life in their Roundhouse
restoration facility with working turntable. Visit the 1880s-replica Depot Museum housing thousands of rare artifacts, along
with the Denver HO Model Railroad Club’s operating model layout replicating the various types of Colo-rado mountain railroading. Take home a memory from their Depot General Store.
As we near the tour date, we will ask that members call Stan or Mary Bixler at 719-597-1281 to sign up for the tour. Plan ahead to join us.
“...one of
the more
tangible
benefits
of MBCA
membership.”
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PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS!
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Monthly SocialDate: 18 March 2015Location: Buckhorn ExchangeCost: No hostContact: Lou Rogers, 303-550-6543 or [email protected]
Monthly SocialDate: 15 April 2015Location: 4th St Chop HouseCost: No hostContact: Lou Rogers, 303-550-6543 or [email protected]
Mile High Section EventsFor more information, visit the MHS website at http://www.milehighmbca.org
Golden Train Museum - 16 May 2015
Joint Section Picnic - 11 July 2015For the third year in a row, we are having our Joint Section Picnic with the Mile High Section at the most appropriate place we can think of - Absher Acres. It’s the Pikes Peak Section’s turn to host the picnic and it’s only fitting we turn to the hosts with the most. Clark and Karen Absher have offered to once again host the 2015 Joint Section Picnic. It will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at Absher Acres.
Everything will kick off at noon with a catered lunch followed by a short, fun rally and then dessert and the trophy presenta-tions. All you need to bring is a Mercedes,
and $10.00 per person to cover the cost of the catered lunch. Lunch begins promptly at noon, so plan to arrive no later than 11:45 AM. Arrive with at least a 1⁄2 tank of gas.
Absher Acres (17410 Prospector Drive, Peyton, CO 80831) is located on the north fac-ing slope of the Palmer Ridge, four miles north of Pey-ton. All driving will be on paved roads except for the last
1/2 mile upon your arrival at and departure from Absher Acres.
The rally will be between 50 and 70 miles in length and the closest gas station is 14 miles.
Star Party - 20 June 2015Because the first Star Car Star Party (21 June 2014) was such a success, we have decided to do it again this year. We are in the early stages of planning. The Star Party will be held at Asher Acres near Peyton.
The date will be 20 June 2015. This time we are planning a few minor changes. There will be a $5 per person charge that will help cover the costs of hot dogs, soft drinks and water. We have also decided to
do a modified pot luck. If you have a favor-ite dish, please bring it along. We will have hot dogs and Sherry Sheehan’s Hot Dog Sauce (which was a big hit last year). We have a few other surprises in store for ev-eryone, so stay tuned. We’ll release more info as we get closer. We will have tele-scopes available, so bring your lawn chair and spend another nice evening under the stars. If the weather does not cooperate, we’ll have movies for your entertainment.
“We will have
telescopes
available so
bring your lawn
chair....”
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Mile High Section Regional Event The Mile High Section is planning an exceptional Regional Weekend Event with lots of fun activities. Dates are Friday, 31 July to Sunday, 2 August 2015. The high-light of the weekend will be our Sunset Dinner Train trip on the Cumbres-Toltec Railroad. Spend an enjoy-able evening in the moun-tains on a Cumbres Sunset Train! The Cumbres Sunset Train departs Chama on Saturday evening, 1 Au-gust. Relax to the sounds of a steam engine pulling its way through the beauti-ful Rio Chama Valley as the train climbs through the mountains to Cumbres Pass at 10,015 ft.
We will enjoy a sit-down, served dinner
of prime rib, chicken or salad in the newly built pavilion at the historic Cumbres Depot at the summit of Cumbres Pass. Plan to enjoy live music and view the spectacular
sunsets from the San Juan Mountains.
The weekend will be based in Pagosa Springs and ac-commodations are still being worked out. The event cost is $35 per person; cost of the Sunset Train Trip is an additional $90 per person. Watch the MHS Website at milehigh.mbca.org and The
Constellation for more details and updates about the activities planned for this great weekend. For more information contact Jay or Deborah Hokanson at 303-935-8270 or [email protected].
Pikes Peak Section Enchanted Weekend
“We plan
to drive the
Enchanted
Circle Scenic
Byway and visit
the Black Mesa
Winery....”
The Pikes Peak Section is headed south this Fall for a weekend-long Regional Event called The Enchanted Weekend. We’ll be based in Taos, NM. Details are still being worked out, but mark your calendar today.
This event would leave Colorado Springs on Friday, 9 October for Taos. We plan to drive the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway and visit the Black Mesa Winery and other points of local interest.
The Enchanted Circle is an 83-mile loop through mountains, valleys, mesa, and national for-est, all unique to northern New Mexico. We’ll drive from Taos to Questa via Red River, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire. This beautiful countryside offers dramatic moun-tain vistas of aspen and pine in the shadow of 13,000 ft Wheeler Peak, the highest point in the state.
Then it’s a 37-mile drive down a winding canyon road along the Rio Grand River to the Black Mesa Winery. Black Mesa Win-ery has garnered multiple “Best of Show”,
“Best in Class” awards, and “Double Gold” and Gold Medals in interna-tional competition. Black Mesa’s wines meet the highest standards for wine, not only for New Mexico, but also on the international stage.
Not interested in wine? Taos Pueblo is a living Native American com-munity and National Historic Landmark. The multi-story adobe build-ings have been continu-
ously inhabited for over a 1,000 years.
We will plan to return home Sunday, al-though it’s possible to stay over to Monday and have breakfast with anyone who wants to spend Sunday shopping. Plan to join us for this delightfully enchanted weekend.
“...the highlight
of the week-
end will be our
Sunset Dinner
Train trip....”
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Der MarktplatzRunning Board Trade. I have a 2012 ML 350 that needs running boards. I’m looking for someone with a 3rd generation ML who has running boards but really wants rocker panel covers. Let’s trade. It’s not a hard job to do; Dan Kerbs &
Gary Gagnon can walk us through it and we’ll each save over $1000. Contact Dave Carpenter at 719-532-0257 or [email protected]
Roof Box Cargo Carrier. $500 cash only or make an offer. Contact John or Hilda at 548-8322 or [email protected]
2000 SL-500 hardtop (black and perfect) with stor-age stand for $1,000. Plus I’m interested in pur-chasing a ‘04/’05 SL-500, Black on Black or Black on Gray, the usual stuff - perfect and low mileage for around $20,000 - $25,000. Call Rick Palmer 597-5241.
Kelly M. Shaffer, CSPVice President / COO
2118 Hollow Brook Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
719.528.8888
Accounting + Administrative + Executive + Medical + Technicalwww.addstaffinc.com
This just in from the latest edition of the MBCA e-newsletter, Click, a quick wrap-up of news, dis-counts & special events:
StarTech 2015 — Join us next summer in Cin-cinnati, the celebrated “Queen City,” for Midwest hospitality that will include a sparkling Welcome Party on Friday, June 12, and a fabulous Saturday Night Soiree on June 13, with the opportunity to be a part of the Arthritis Foundation’s Concours d’ Elegance at Ault Park with Mercedes-Benz as the featured marque. Along the way, enjoy interest-ing and interactive seminars and ancillary events for spouses and kids. Contact Pamela Zelman at [email protected]. Additional info can be found on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/StarTech2013/
Welcome back, Gemütlichkeit!! - Gemütlichkeit is the longest running MBCA national event and was last held in 2011. It is a great opportunity to make and renew friendships with other Mercedes-Benz
enthusiasts from across the country. This year it runs from 19-22 August 2015 in Pittsburgh, PA. Ge-mütlichkeit 2015 will feature social events, including an opening reception and closing awards banquet; a defensive driving class, an autocross, track driv-ing, a concours d’elegance, and tours and activities around Pittsburgh.
MBCA 2015 National Election - The Mercedes-Benz Club of America will conduct a National Elec-tion this year to select three Directors at Large and six Regional Directors.
The Directors at Large whose terms expire in 2015 are Terry Kiwala and Jim Luikens. Regional Direc-tors in the six odd-numbered regions will also be elected this year. These regions include the Rocky Mountain Region.
Active members interested in running for office are encouraged to go online for information and petition forms at www.mbca.org. Click “Our Community” tab then click on the drop down tab titled “Resources” – the printable petition forms are under the “Election” section.
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Valentine’s Day Dinner Recap On Saturday, 14 February, the Pikes Peak Section dined out in style. Ten couples celebrated the iconic day at Joseph’s on 8th Street. After
cocktails in the bar, we settled down to a epicu-rean menu of seafood, beef, lamb, and chicken. During the leisurely meal, we
got reacquainted with old friends and met new ones. It was a great way to celebrate
Valentine’s Day with loved ones.
The Kids’ Table
Remember when Mercedes-Benz un-veiled the monstrous G63 AMG 6x6? At the time, the automaker stated that two had been built, and a few more could be produced pending customer de-mand. Well, it turns out that demand was pretty strong for a six-wheeled-vehicle that cost over $400,000. Over 100 examples were produced, and that run has just come to an end.
According to GT Spirit, Mercedes is done building the world-wanderer-capable luxury off-roader. We’re sure that a number of them will most likely stick with their original owners but it will be quite interesting to see what a few of them
fetch on the secondary market as they change hands. Will one wind up crossing an auction block somewhere? Could an ex-ample wind up on eBay at some point? We
don’t know but we’re eager to find out.
In the meantime, we can look forward to the next evolution of the iconic G-Class. Mercedes-Benz is expected to unveil its G550 4x42 at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. This new model looks to be a bit more formidable than your standard G-Class, thanks to its
beefier tires and raised suspension setup. See-ing as the G-Class is already ex-ceptionally capable off of the
road, it will be quite interesting to see what a more hard core version can do.
G63 AMG 6x6 Sold Out by Jeff Glucker
Barb, Cheryl, Dave, Andrea, Julie & Ligia - lookin’ good!
Linda, Sylvia & Charlie Henry, Andrew & Steve
“...demand
was pretty
strong for a
6-wheeled
vehicle that
cost over
$400,000...”
G63 AMG 6x6 Sea Monster
G550 4x42 Concept
The Edmonds & the Hamms
Dave & Andrea
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M-B Record Sales by Andreas CremerGerman luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz said on Friday sales jumped 14 percent in January to a record 125,865 models, pow-ered by double-digit gains in Europe, China and the United States.
Daimler’s flagship division posted 14.5 per-cent sales increases in each Europe and China to 47,693 and 28,080 cars respec-tively, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer said.
Deliveries in the U.S. were up 8.9 percent to 24,619 cars. Editor’s Note: The Pikes
Peak Section is certainly doing our part to pump up sales. Keep it up!
“...E-class will
get a new
infotainment
system and
other tech
features.... ”
E-Class Tech Updates by Stephen EdelsteinFor the 2015 model year, European ver-sions of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class will get a new infotainment system and other tech features, which will likely arrive in the U.S. for the 2016 model year.
Mercedes is the latest carmaker to offer 4G LTE as an option, giving any smartphones or other devices in the car consistent In-ternet access. The company won’t discuss which carrier it will use or the cost of data plans just yet.
The optional Comand Online system offers full Internet access while stationary, Mercedes says. While the car is in motion, functionality is limited to spe-cific Mercedes-Benz Apps like “Mercedes-Benz Radio” and “Service Mercedes-Benz.” Linguatronic voice control can be used for most infotainment func-tions, including “one shot” entry of com-plete addresses into the navigation system.
All E-Class models get a 7-inch display screen, and the base infotainment system can now be upgraded with Garmin-based
navigation.
Mercedes is also offering its Live Traffic information service free for three years on the European E-Class. As the name states, it supplies live updates of traffic on a pre-designated route, and can calculate arrival times based on this information.
These will probably be the last significant updates for the current-generation E-Class
before a new model arrives. Expected for the 2017 model year, it will ride on the MRA platform used by the smaller C-Class, and adopt styling features from both that model and the current-generation S-Class.
Powertrain rumors include a modular inline-six engine and nine-speed automatic transmission, as well as a new E63 AMG performance vari-ant with the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that debuted in the AMG GT.
Stay tuned for more updates on the newly-introduced tech features, and the rede-signed 2017 E-Class.
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Autonomous Driving Test by Stephen Edelstein
Bosch engineers have brought highly au-tomated driving to the German Autobahn. Test drives in everyday driving situations help to put functions to the test and to improve them. The safety concept worked up for the test campaign was tested and approved by TÜV Süd.
Containing some of the few stretch-es of public road with no speed limits, Germany’s network of autobahns has always
been a magical place for enthusiastic driv-ers. Now, they’ll also be a testing ground for technology that could make driving obsolete.
The German government is planning a pilot program to test autonomous cars, accord-ing to reports out of Europe. Testing will take place on a portion of the A9 autobahn, which connects Munich and Berlin, if the plan goes ahead.
Test vehicles will communicate with each other and the infrastructure, in a way that sounds similar to the “vehicle-to-vehicle” (V2V) technology currently being tested on public roads around Ann Arbor, Michigan, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Sensors and other equipment for that sys-tem will be tested first. A specific start date for autonomous car testing wasn’t dis-cussed, but the first cars aren’t expected to roll down the autobahn until at least 2016.
This won’t be the first time a self-driving car is tested on German roads. Back in 2013, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Intelligent Drive prototype traveled between Mannheim and Pforzheim—a distance of about 60 miles—with some human assistance.
Clearly, German manufacturers are inter-ested in self-driving cars, and the autobahn pilot program should provide a useful outlet for that interest. It will also allow them to keep up with the likes of Google, which plans to start testing its own self-driving car very soon
R-Class Outsourced by Stephen EdelsteinRemember the R-Class? Mercedes says it will outsource production of the R-Class to Humvee producer AM General, which will build the luxury crossover-minivan chi-mera at its plant in Mishawaka, Indiana.
The R-Class was pulled from the U.S. market in 2012, and virtu-ally every other global market shortly after that. However, it’s still sold in some markets, the main one being China, and that’s where the majority
of R-Classes produced by AM General in Indiana will go.
A German automaker contracting assem-bly of a vehicle to a U.S. company so it can be sold in China? Now that’s globalization.
Mercedes currently builds the R-Class at its plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but wants to free up capacity there for other utility vehicles, such as the GL-Class (soon to be renamed GLS), M-Class (soon to be renamed GLE), and the upcoming GLE Coupe.
The agreement will make AM General Mercedes’ first contract manufacturer in the U.S. The company plans to hire more workers ahead of the start of R-Class production, which is expected to begin this summer.
While the R-Class will still be built in the U.S., don’t expect it to make a comeback in showrooms here anytime soon. Mer-cedes sold just 2,385 of them in the U.S. in 2011, a fraction of the sales racked up by each of the automaker’s more conventional SUV models.
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3 March 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
21 March 2015Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Big Cats Fun RunJulie Nelson 719-634-7522
7 April 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
18 April 2015Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Shelby Museum/Leanin’ TreeGary Gagnon 719-282-9313
5 May 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
16 May 2015Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Golden Train MuseumStan & Mary Bixler 719-597-1281
2 June 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
20 June 2015Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.Star PartyKen Sheehan 719-433-9025
7 July 2015Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522
Calendar of Upcoming Events
The Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors meets the First Tuesday of Each Month at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m.
All Section members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Return Service Requested
On the Web at www.mbca.org/pikes_
peak/
To:
‘ROUND THE BENZ
‘Round the BenzEditor
4335 Penhurst Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
MBCA Pikes Peak Section
Happy St Patrick’s
Day
