12
Welcome new members! Inside this issue: View From the Peak 2 Mercedes News 2 VMCCA Car Show 4 Uh-Oh! 4 June Fun Run 5 Joint Section Picnic 5 July Fun Run 5 President’s Rally 5 Mile High Events 5 StarTech 2013 6 VLA Tour 6 Der Marktplatz 7 Click 7 Tech Tips 8 All-Electric B-Class 8 Meet the Board 9 Brunch Recap 9 2013 Unimog 10 Rex Jones 1988 560 SEL Newsletter of the PIKES PEAK SECTION MAY 2013 ‘ROUND THE BENZ Wine Country Weekend 10-12 May 2013 9:00 a.m. We plan to kick off the spring and sum- mer driving seasons with a bang - well not really. But we are planning an overnight trip to Grand Junction, located in the heart of Colorado’s wine country. The Grand Junction area is home to some of Colorado’s best winer- ies and vineyards. Visit the tasting rooms at Desert Sun, Whitewa- ter Hill, Two Rivers, or Ptarmigan Vineyards. If you prefer hops to grapes, be sure to check out local brew- pubs Kannah Creek or Rockslide, where each serves up a selection of its own special beers. If you prefer other activities, visit the color- ful red rock formations, gravity-defying boulders and sheer-walled canyons of the Colorado National Monument. Or try guided whitewater rafting trips through the magnificent canyons in the area. As a special treat, this Mother’s Day Weekend, Main Street in downtown Grand Junction will be alive with art and jazz! Ex- plore jazz performed by local and national musicians, enjoy artist demonstrations in a variety of media, socialize with friends and locals, and browse high-quality artwork. A celebration of art and music, this outdoor event features high quality street vendors, live music, extended shop- ping hours and other fun activities. We’ll be staying at the Fair- field Inn, where our hospi- tality suite will be up and running. We have contract- ed for deluxe queen rooms and king suites for $99.95 and $125.95, respectively. Contact Cheryl Kerbs to reserve your room at [email protected] or call 800- 878-2929 x 177. Rooms at these special prices may still be available, so make your reservations today! There will be an event fee of $25 per person. We will rendezvous in the Safeway park- ing lot at 3275 W. Colorado Ave. at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Then we’ll head up Hwy 24 toward Breckenridge and Frisco and a lunch stop, before taking I-70 west to Grand Junction. Any questions? Give Judy Bennett a call at 719-576-9737.

May 'Round The Benz

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May newsletter of the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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Page 1: May 'Round The Benz

Welcome new members!

Inside this issue:

View From the Peak 2

Mercedes News 2

VMCCA Car Show 4

Uh-Oh! 4

June Fun Run 5 Joint Section Picnic 5

July Fun Run 5

President’s Rally 5

Mile High Events 5

StarTech 2013 6

VLA Tour 6

Der Marktplatz 7

Click 7

Tech Tips 8

All-Electric B-Class 8

Meet the Board 9

Brunch Recap 9

2013 Unimog 10

Rex Jones1988 560 SEL

Newsletter of the PIKES PEAK SECTION

MAY 2013

‘ROUND THE BENZ

Wine Country Weekend10-12 May 2013

9:00 a.m.We plan to kick off the spring and sum-mer driving seasons with a bang - well not really. But we are planning an overnight trip to Grand Junction, located in the heart of Colorado’s wine country.

The Grand Junction area is home to some of Colorado’s best winer-ies and vineyards. Visit the tasting rooms at Desert Sun, Whitewa-ter Hill, Two Rivers, or Ptarmigan Vineyards. If you prefer hops to grapes, be sure to check out local brew-pubs Kannah Creek or Rockslide, where each serves up a selection of its own special beers.

If you prefer other activities, visit the color-ful red rock formations, gravity-defying boulders and sheer-walled canyons of the Colorado National Monument. Or try guided whitewater rafting trips through the magnificent canyons in the area.

As a special treat, this Mother’s Day Weekend, Main Street in downtown Grand Junction will be alive with art and jazz! Ex-

plore jazz performed by local and national musicians, enjoy artist demonstrations in a variety of media, socialize with friends and locals, and browse high-quality artwork. A celebration of art and music, this outdoor event features high quality street vendors,

live music, extended shop-ping hours and other fun activities.

We’ll be staying at the Fair-field Inn, where our hospi-tality suite will be up and running. We have contract-ed for deluxe queen rooms and king suites for $99.95 and $125.95, respectively.

Contact Cheryl Kerbs to reserve your room at [email protected] or call 800-878-2929 x 177. Rooms at these special prices may still be available, so make your reservations today! There will be an event fee of $25 per person.

We will rendezvous in the Safeway park-ing lot at 3275 W. Colorado Ave. at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Then we’ll head up Hwy 24 toward Breckenridge and Frisco and a lunch stop, before taking I-70 west to Grand Junction.

Any questions? Give Judy Bennett a call at 719-576-9737.

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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]

Bill [email protected]

Dan [email protected]

Henry [email protected] Dave [email protected]

Webmaster:Robert [email protected]

Editor:Judy [email protected]

Regional Director:Charlie [email protected]

Page 2

‘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.

Michael Schumacher, seven-time F1 driver’s champ and so fast he had to retire twice to make it stick, will soon be back in an F1 car--this time on the Nür-burgring Nordschleife.

Schumacher will pilot a 2011 Mercedes W02 F1 car around the long, treacher-ous course on May 1. It’s the first time a new-ish Silver Arrow has been around the course since 1954.

Ostensibly, the lap is an exhibition--sim-ply allowing the German driver to drive a German F1 car around Germany’s most legendary track. But anytime Schum-acher gets behind the wheel, you have to

wonder: will he set yet another record? The overall lap record, set by Stefan Bel-lof in a Porsche 956, of 6:11.13, could be where Schumacher sets his sights.

Solid volume growth in its new range of compact cars helped propel sales of Daimler’s (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz brand upwards to 139,920 vehicles, its single highest monthly tally ever.

Thanks to the 6.5 percent increase last month, Mercedes marked a new record high in first-quarter car sales at 324,898 vehicles for a gain of 3.5 percent.

‘ROUND THE BENZ

Mercedes News

Now that you’ve got your favorite Star car in tip-top shape after attending last month’s DIY Tech Session at Mer-cedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, it’s now time to drive it and show it at some events this month.

May 10-12 is our “Wine Country Week-end” trip to Grand Junction CO. Accom-modations are at the Fairfield Inn, so don’t miss the opportunity to tour the many quality wineries around Grand Junction or plan to attend the annual Art and Jazz Festival in downtown Grand Junction.

If you can’t make the weekend event, you have an opportunity on the following

Saturday 18 May to drive to Canon City to show off your polishing prowess at the VMCCA Car Show at Holy Cross Abbey. There will be two options for attend-ing the show; those who are showing a vehicle and those who would just like to attend the car show. Check the newslet-ter for the details for each option.

Don’t forget to vote to approve or disap-prove our Section’s Constitution and revisions to our Bylaws. Vote by sending in your ballot from the newsletter or by at-tending our monthly board meeting 6:00 p.m. Tuesday 7 May 2013 at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs. Seating is limited, so if you plan to attend, please bring a folding chair.

As always, drive safe, and I will see you down the road.

Andrew

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-

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“Hope to see

you there!”

Tuesday, 7 May 20136:00 p.m.

The Pikes Peak Section plans to make our presence known at the Veteran Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA) Car Show at Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City on 18 May. We’re putting together a contingent of beautiful Benzes to show those muscle cars and classics that we can compete on any field.

We’ve done this car show in the past and had a great time, relaxing and talking to anybody who will listen about our babies - not our grandbabies, but our cars! So bring a cooler of frosty drinks, some camp chairs, and your California dusters, and kick back with us. You can also check out the car corral, flea market, swap meet, or craft show.

We will pre-register so we can be parked together on the grass. Pre-registration is $20 per car and includes admission for

the driver and a passenger. Deadline to pre-register is 1 May. After the show, we’ll get together for a scenic drive and a celebratory meal.

This is the first Fun Run of the spring, and it looks to be great. If you would like to join us, call Charlie Bennett at 719-576-9737 to let him know what car you want to show.

Show cars will gather at the Denny’s Res-taurant on the north side of Hwy 50 just as you enter Canon City from the east. Plan to be there by 9:00 a.m. so we can all drive to the Abbey together. Remem-ber, those who arrive together, are parked together on the show field.

Those who only want to spectate will meet at the Golden Corral Restaurant at 9:00 a.m. for our usual monthly breakfast and then convoy down to Canon City for the show. Hope to see you there!

VMCCA Car Show

Uh-Oh!An original Mercedes-Benz 300SL gull-wing, similar to the one pictured above, was almost completely wrecked after a me-chanic crashed the rare classic on a stretch of road near Pleidelsheim, Germany, last week.

The car, one of 1,400 original 300SL gull-wing coupes ever built, was in for sched-uled maintenance when it was involved in the crash.

The initial estimate for the repair bill is approximately $830,000, which the work-shop’s insurance will fully cover.

It’s not clear what exactly caused the crash but there was enough speed for the car to roll at least once. A police spokesman, Peter Widenhorn, said the 50 mph speed limit for the stretch of road where the crash occurred was clearly not observed.

Widenhorn added that the owner remained calm but became--understandably--very vocal upon hearing of his car’s misfortune.

BEFORE!

AFTER!

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.

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June Fun Run - Saturday, 15 June 2013

Join the Pikes Peak Section for breakfast at the Golden Corral Restaurant at 5410 E. Woodmen Rd at 9:00 a.m. on 15 June.

After a leisurely breakfast, President Andrew Nelson will lead us on a unique Fun Run - it’s one we’ve talked about for years and now we’re finally going to do it!

Figured it out yet? Bet you’ve driven by this iconic sculpture

a million times. After breakfast, we will drive our “buggies” to the May Natural History Museum on Hwy 115 to view an exhibit of one of the world’s largest pri-vate displays of giant tropical insects and arachnids including thousands of beautiful butterflies and moths, bizarre beetles, gi-ant spiders and deadly scorpions.

After the tour we will “buzz on down” to the Golden Bee pub at the Broadmoor for lunch. Museum rates are: Adults (13-60) $6 – Seniors (60+) $5 – Kids (6-12) $3.

Please RSVP to Andrew Nelson, 719-634-7522 or [email protected].

Clark and Karen Absher cordially invite you to attend the Joint Section Picnic and Rally at Absher Acres on Saturday,

June 29, 2013. Lunch will be-gin promptly at noon, followed by a short rally and then dessert, trophy presentations, and social hour.

There is noth-ing for you to bring other than yourselves, a Mercedes, and $10 per person to cover the cost of the catered lunch and dessert. If you would enjoy an adult beverage dur-ing the social hour, it will be on a “BYO” basis.

The rally planned for the period of time between lunch and dessert at the Joint Section Picnic will be short (between 50 and 70 miles) and will take place on 98% hard surface rural roads in eastern El Paso County. Each team will be provided a map covering the rally area. During the rally you will be making 4 stops to answer very simple questions or under-taking other simple tasks related to the

place you have stopped. The stops will be well described and very easy to find using the map provided. No electronic or mechanical navigational devices will be allowed during the rally other than your car’s speedometer and odometer. The predetermined time to complete the rally is based on the posted speed limit plus 5 minutes allotted for each stop. This will be a relaxed, short drive in the country where your ability to synchronize the accelerator with the speed limit will determine your finishing position.

If the spirit moves you, horse shoes, badminton, volleyball, chicken watching, and garden visiting will be available during the social hour. In order to properly deter-mine the quantity of food, please RSVP to Clark or Karen by June 21, 2013 at 719- 749-2621 (home phone), 719-332-5334 (Clark’s cell phone) or clarkabsher@aol.

Joint Section Picnic - Saturday, 29 June 2013

“Lunch will

begin promptly

at noon,

followed by a

short rally and

then dessert....”

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PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS!

‘ROUND THE BENZ

Money Museum TourDate: 4 May 2013; 10:00 a.m.Location: 818 N. Cascade Ave, Colo SpgsCost: $10 per person plus cost of lunchContact: Michael Davidson, [email protected]

Luxury Car Detail Tech SessionDate: 11 May 2013; 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.Location: Adams Premium Car Care, 587 S. Taylor Ave, Louisville

Cost: $5 per personContact: Deborah Hokanson at 303-935-8270 or [email protected] Exotic Sports Car Show & ConcoursDate: 9 June 2013Location: Arapahoe Community College Cost: $50 per carContact: Harvey LeCato at 719-302-2900 or [email protected]

Mile High Section EventsFor more information, visit the MHS website at http: www.milehighmbca.org

July Fun Run - 20 July 2013Did you know you live in the middle of A Mining Heritage? We’ll explore this heri-tage on 20 July as we travel to the area around Cripple Creek and Victor after breakfast. You will see signs of active mining in just about every phase. From the valley fill/gold recovery operation along Highway 67, near the Little Grouse Mountain Trailhead, to the surface mine operation that can be seen from American Eagles Overlook, you will gain a perspec-tive of modern-day methods that keep the historic gold mining legacy alive.

• Tours are about 2 hours in length and begin at the Victor Lowell Thomas Muse-um, 3rd & Victor Ave., Victor CO, promptly at 1 p.m. We plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to our tour time to sign waivers and view a safety video.

• Our tour will take you into an active mining area and around large equipment; this is not an underground tour.

• The elevation will vary, as will the temperatures and the driving/walking surfaces will be rocky; please dress for cold, windy weather and wear appropriate walk-ing shoes - no open-toed shoes (sandals) are allowed.

• The company has policies in place to keep you safe and trained tour guides who will ensure these policies are fol-lowed.

Plan to join us.

President’s Rally - 17 August 2013

It’s time for our annual brain gymkhana, also known as the Presi-dent’s Rally. This one is usually a trivia challenge dreamed up by our fearless leader, Andrew Nelson. We don’t know what he has in mind this year but he sure puts a lot of time and effort into making it an enjoyable and scenic experience for everyone. We

hope that folks recog-nize his dedication and plan to participate. It’s not that hard, really! So come on out to the park-ing lot after breakfast on Saturday, 17 August.

Bring a partner, a clip board, a local map, your electronic “toys,” and a sharp pencil for your answers. It will be a day to re-member.

“Bring a

partner, a

clipboard, a

local map,

your electronic

“toys,” and a

sharp pencil...”

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Birmingham, AlabamaMay 18-22, 2013

Come for the Tech!• Factory Tours of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI)• MBUSA and MBUSI Speakers• Touring Laps – Barber Motorsports Road Course• Technical Seminars

Come for the Fun!• Vintage Races at Barber Motorsports• U.S. Space & Rocket Center and NASA Tour• Shopping• Garden & Museum Tours• Something for everyone...

StarTech 2013

For information and registration package contact Liz Robersonat [email protected] | 205.822.8460

Mercedes-Benz Club of America | Alabama Sectionwww.StarTech2013.org

®

– Maintenance– Repairs– Restoration

– Modification– Manufacturing

Aldridge Gardens U.S Space & Rocket CenterMBUSI Welcome Center Title TBD Barber Motorsports Park

Birmingham, AlabamaMay 18-22, 2013

Come for the Tech!• Factory Tours of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI)• MBUSA and MBUSI Speakers• Touring Laps – Barber Motorsports Road Course• Technical Seminars

Come for the Fun!• Vintage Races at Barber Motorsports• U.S. Space & Rocket Center and NASA Tour• Shopping• Garden & Museum Tours• Something for everyone...

StarTech 2013

For information and registration package contact Liz Robersonat [email protected] | 205.822.8460

Mercedes-Benz Club of America | Alabama Sectionwww.StarTech2013.org

®

– Maintenance– Repairs– Restoration

– Modification– Manufacturing

Aldridge Gardens U.S Space & Rocket CenterMBUSI Welcome Center Title TBD Barber Motorsports Park

Saturday, 15 June 2013The NM Section would like to invite you to join us for a tour of the VLA (Very Large Array) in the plains of San Agustin near Socorro, NM, on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

On Saturday morning, June 15, we will depart from Albuquerque at 8:00 AM and drive directly to the VLA where we will enjoy a gourmet box lunch before we start our 1.5- to 2-hour tour of the VLA facility. After the tour you may enjoy shopping at the gift shop before starting your drive back to Albuquerque by one of two routes, a direct route up the Interstate or a scenic route through the mountains and National Forest which is being planned with the assistance of the Mile-High Section. Stops along the way include a 500-year-old Mission in Socorro and the Abo-Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monu-ment.

Social events and dinner gatherings are planned for Friday evening and Saturday after the drive back to Albuquerque. Dinner will be on your own. Pikes Peak Section members plan to return to Colorado on

Sunday, June 16.

Arrangements have been made for a special nightly rate at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque for $114 per night. Mention the Mercedes Club event for this rate. The Embassy Suites also honors various dis-count programs such as senior, AAA and AARP so you may be able to negotiate a better discount rate when you call to make your room reservation. Em-

bassy Suites, 1000 Wood-ward Pl. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Call (505) 245-7100 for reservations.

The deadline for reservations is May 25; however, the New Mexico Section asks that out of state MBCA members get their reservations in early, by May 1, if possible, to help them plan their welcome events, socials and prizes,

etc. Pikes Peak Section members who are inter-ested in caravanning down to Albuquerque on Friday June 14 should contact Harvey LeCato at [email protected].

Cost is $20.00 per person (includes box lunch). Mail your check and contact information to Jo Chase, 6338 Antares Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 or contact her at 505-717-1270 for more information.

VLA Tour by Jo Chase, President, NM Section

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Der Marktplatz

This just in from the latest edition of the MBCA e-newsletter, Click, a quick wrap-up of news, dis-counts & special events:

Spring Raffle, now through June 10: The Spring Raffle grand prize is GINORMOUS! One lucky winner will receive a 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 (MSRP is $105,500) plus $26,000 cash. Raffle ticket sales have been brisk; buy your tickets today and help support MBCA’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

U.S. Loyalty Rewards Program Change: On Friday, March 22, the National Business Office sent an email blast to every MBCA Member alerting them to the changes affecting this popular benefit, which take effect April 1. These changes were determined by MBUSA who solely designs and subsidizes the U.S. Loyalty Rewards Program. The (new) $500 cash discount can now be combined with European Delivery and other MBUSA incentives at authorized U.S. Mercedes-Benz Dealerships.

MBCA Fast Facts: MBUSA is looking for Mercedes-Benz “Owner Stories” to share on MBUSA’s Face-book page. Dozens of MBCA Members have already been featured in photos, videos and in captivating stories. Visit MBCA.org for explanations on how YOU and YOUR MERCEDES can be spotlighted, too.

Legends of the Autobahn, August 16: Thanks to its extreme popularity and swelling crowd size — MBCA’S Laura Simonds, along with leaders from Audi, Porsche and BMW Car Clubs — are upsizing Legend’s location in Monterey, California this year. Check out the impressive new venue on the MBCA website; you won’t want to miss it.

Circle Lake Erie Tour, September 28-October 4: Ron Harshman promises this will be the “tour of all tours.” Visit “picture-postcard” sites and attractions including a cruise along the Maumee River plus stops at the Presque Isle Lighthouse; the Pierce Auto Museum and breathtaking Niagara Falls. Lots of feasting and fun in between.

“Love the Drive” Wind-screen. Fits Model R107 (380SL, 450SL, 560SL). A must for a quiet, top-down drive. Perfect condition. New $395. Asking $200. Call Char-lie at 719-576-9737.

1981 Mercedes 300 SD. Single owner, 80,000 miles, Chinese red with tan leather upholstery. Excellent condition, runs like new. $8500 OBO. Contact Tom at (719) 633-5185; [email protected]

2000 SL-500 hardtop (black and perfect) with stor-age stand for $1,000. Plus I’m interested in purchas-ing a ‘04 or ‘05 SL-500, black-on-black or black- on-gray, the usual stuff perfect and low mileage for around $20,000 - $25,000. Rick Palmer 597-5241.

Mercedes Benz 300 CD, 5-cylinder Turbo Diesel. Sun roof, dark blue/beige interior. New tires, hoses, belts and Bilstein shocks. Mercedes serviced with abundant mechanical records. Third owner, with 236,000 miles. It was displayed at concours/charity shows. Needs nothing. $5,300 OBO. David Hester, 303-933-7610.

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Following along the lines of keeping your MB looking good, I thought I would share some more products I have found useful. First is the old stand-by, WD-40. If you go to the WD-40 web

site, you will find a list of over 2000 differ-ent uses for WD-40 http://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd-40_2042538679.pdf

I will list a couple of my favorite uses along with a recommendation for another prod-uct.

1. Removing Road Tar for your car’s exterior. I know many of you have looked at your car after a trip to find road tar along the lower side of your cars. Some times this tar is difficult to remove. If the tar is light, spray some WD-40 (Water Displace-ment – Blend 40, that’s what it’s name means) on to a clean dry cloth. Use the cloth to wipe the effected area, you don’t need to run very hard, you will see how easy the tar can be removed. On heavier deposits spray the spot with WD-40 let stand for a few minutes then wipe the tar and excess oil from your car. Once you have removed the tar wash the area with soap and water (use only approved car wash soap). Dish detergent or Tide is not recommended they will strip the wax from

your car. Once cleaned re-wax the area. The better your wax, the more protection it gives.

2. Another good use for WD-40 is remov-ing the tape glue that is left behind when you remove tape.

Another under-used product is baking soda. Baking soda and water work great when it comes to removing dead bugs from the front of your car. Wet the sur-face with water, sprinkle area with baking soda. Use a wet cloth or sponge to clean the bugs. Be sure to rinse the area with plenty of clean water. Once the bugs are removed wash and re-wax.

I would like to recommend another prod-uct. Several years ago I began using a product called Tri-Flow, that you can purchase at Ace Hardware. It is a Teflon based material. It works great as a lubri-cant by adding Teflon. It outlasts WD-40 (which is a fish oil). It will not break down under radiation. We used it to lubricate Radiation Therapy Equipment. Natural oils and WD-40 would break down and be-come sticky. The Tri-Flow was not effected by the radiation. I use it to lubricate door, hood, trunk hinges, tools and metal sur-faces.

Until next month.

Ken All Electric B-Class by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Tech Tips by Ken Sheehan

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class may look familiar to world travelers, but the all-electric B-Class Electric Drive version is new. The four-door hatchback is not a particularly large car, with overall exterior and interior dimensions similar to Ford’s C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. The B-Class is sold

internationally with gasoline and diesel engines but not in the U.S. That’s about to

change when an all-electric B-Class — the only variant — goes on sale here in early 2014 with an estimated range of approxi-mately 115 miles.

Mercedes’ electric B-Class is a full-blown luxury car with a classy, light-colored inte-rior and classic Mercedes appointments; its dashboard layout is similar to the recently introduced entry-level CLA-Class sedan. The B-Class’ interior is a step up compared to electric hatchbacks like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. Price has yet to be announced.

“...I thought I

would share

some more

products I have

found useful.”

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“...by

welcoming

new members,

I hope to get

them in on the

fun.”

Sunday Brunch Recap

I have been a member of the Pikes Peak Section for about seven years and have been its Secretary for six years. And, to encourage new member participation, I’ve been sending out welcome notes to the MBCA members new to our Section. We are a very active group and by welcoming new members, I hope to get them in on the fun. We have activi-ties that should appeal to a variety of people. Basically, we like driving our cars and whether its a destination or a drive we get behind the wheel of our Benzes.

Last year, my husband and I organized a driving trip to La Junta, CO to visit Old Bent’s Fort. We had a large group that

braved a brisk wind as we toured the fort with a National Park guide. We have plans to visit other Colorado sights in the future.

Once again we planned the New Member Party in March at Mimi’s Cafe. I enjoyed visiting with the new members that at-tended the event. They like me are excited by the upcoming events we have planned for the remainder of the year. I especially like the “mini vacations” where we make weekend trips out of town. I’m looking for-ward to the Wine Week-end in Grand Junction in

May and the trip to New Mexico in June.

Gary Gagnon hosted a fabulous event at the Chyenne Mountain Resort on Sun-day, 21 April. It was a Sunday Brunch to remember with an expansive selection of food, never empty mimosas, and great company. Clark and Karen Absher, Linda Marderosian, Paul Howell, Dave and Ligia

Carpenter, Judy and Charlie Bennett, and Gary were in attendance for a leisurely Sunday brunch on a beautiful day. The view from the deck was spectacular. We all enjoyed chatting with folks we hadn’t seen in a while. We need to plan another such outing before Summer is over.

Meet the Board by Mary Bixler

Refer A FriendRefer a friend to the Mercedes-Benz Club of America and get one additional month of Club membership FREE, for every friend who joins. The more friends who enroll, the more free months you automatically receive. There’s no limit to the number of free months you can earn. Call the NBO at 800.637.2360 or 719.633.6427 for more details.

Abshers, Ligia, Charlie Abundant Display Gary Marshals the Group

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If you thought the G Class was the tough-est Mercedes-Benz around, it’s clear you’ve never come across a Unimog.

Unimog actually represents a group of heavy-duty commercial vehicles built for the toughest conditions, and the name itself is an acronym for “universal motor device” in German.

Two years ago, Mercedes presented a Unimog concept to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the go-anywhere, industrial brute, as well as preview the future design direction of the vehicle.

Today, the 2013 Unimog range has made its de-but, revealing that Mer-cedes designers have incorporated some of the stylistic features of the previous Unimog con-

cept. In addition, the vehicle also brings more powerful and more fuel efficient engines to the table.

The 2013 Unimog range features 10 mod-els all up--from the Unimog U 216 to the Unimog U 5024.

They are all being launched with, amongst other things, a completely redesigned panoramic cab, new work and power hydraulics systems as well as synergetic traction drive that allows changing over from manual transmission to hydrostatic transmission while driving. Most of the changes are aimed at improving efficiency, however, the biggest gains come from new engines.

Two ‘BlueEfficiency’ diesel engines with radically new designs ensure that the Unimog complies with the latest emissions standards, and there are also some gaso-line offerings, which bring the total number of Unimog engines to seven.

The most potent is a 7.7-liter straight-six unit that develops 354 horsepower and a massive 885 pound-feet of torque. To mini-mize emissions, a number of the engines

circulate exhaust gases back inside and then pass these gases through a series of filters.

Mercedes’ frequent updates to the Unimog ensure that while the design is familiar, the engineering is tough enough to last the years. And while the vehicle isn’t all that popular in the U.S., we know there’s at least one fan out there

2013 Unimog by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

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7 May 2013Membership Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522

10-12 May 2013Wine Country WeekendJudy Bennett 719-576-9737

18 May 2013Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.VMCCA Car Show & Fun RunCharlie Bennett 719-576-9737

4 June 2013Membership Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522

15 June 2013Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.

June Fun Run Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522

29 June 2013Joint Section Picnic - 11:30 a.m.Clark Absher 719-749-2621

2 July 2013Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.Andrew Nelson 719-634-7522

20 July 2013Monthly Breakfast - 9:00 a.m.July Fun Run Henry Russell 719-749-2621

6 August 2013Board 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

Honor Our Vets on

Memorial Day