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It was here. It was gone and now it is back! Download the latest Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape release. The Mercedes-Benz promo includes music tracks by international newcomers; nice variety of rock, pop and jazz music you likely have not heard before.

Here is the newsletter content I rec'd earlier today (it includes a link to download the free mp3 files/Mixed Tape CD):

The Mercedes-Benz promo has included hundreds of songs during the marketing campaign. The program will provide 10 free music tracks (mp3 files) every two months. Subscribe to this blog and you'll receive the notices. I'm glad it is back. Enjoy! 

A word of caution, there are numerous scams connected to buying and selling automobiles. The crooks aren't the smartest people in the world, but as it turns out several unsuspecting people have been taken by these scams.

To help protect our site visitors, here are a few resources to check if you are purchasing or selling a Mercedes-Benz in the near future:

• U.S. Department of Justice: Contact the Internet Fraud Division if you've been victimized.
• Automotive Scam Alert - Buzz Trader
• Top Ten Car Scams - Car Buying Tips 
• Car Buying Advice - Cars.com
• European Anti-Fraud Office: Help if you're a victim of fraud in Europe.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.: Advice on how to avoid being the victim of a scam or counterfeit check issue.
• Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection: Contact this agency if you've been victimized by fraud.
• SL Market News: Get current values for Mercedes-Benz SL cars from the newsletter (subscription required).
• Hemmings Motor News: Values for special-interest or collectible cars.
• National Association of Attorneys General: List of all 50 state attorney general offices; contact the consumer protection division to report fraud.
• National Automobile Dealers Association: Retail used-car values.
• National Consumers League: Tips for using escrow services online.
• National Fraud Information Center: Info about Internet and telemarketing fraud.
• U.S. Postal Service: Mail Fraud Complaint Form, report frauds committed via U.S. mail.
• U.S. Secret Service: Get information on check and currency scams from the Counterfeit Division.

We are providing the following form for members of MBCA Central VA Section to pre-register for the 2008 Tech Session at Brown Mercedes on March 22, 2008.

Please complete the following form and follow the instructions in the newsletter to send your payment to Justin Sarafin:

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Selling your Mercedes-Benz? Feel free to add your vehicle to this section (just add the details in a comment to this post). Only Mercedes-Benz vehicles, thanks!

If you want help selling your car, contact us and we'll see if we can help you. 

The last few years have seen a flood of 500 horsepower sedans almost pouring out of Germany from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier this month, however, representatives from Mercedes and AMG announced that the "horsepower wars" were over, saying that outright power would no longer be the "main focus" for future sports sedans.

Apparently, no-one sent that "war over" memo to RENNTECH.

RENNTECH announced a new "stage 3" tune for the 2008 65 series AMG models, which makes use of what the company calls "next-generation ECU software" to get 695 hp and 890 lb-ft of torque from the AMG's twin-turbo V12.

"Power will always be important to many customers, especially torque." explains Hartmut Feyhl, RENNTECH's president and ex technical director of AMG North America. "Our cars have always been able to make considerable torque, and have been praised in magazines for their drivability. Still, we are constantly trying to improve our product."Commitment to constant improvement is one reason RENNTECH has become known as one of the world's premier tuning firms…

RENNTECH believes their new software will further cement that knowledge in the public mind. they have two full-time in-house software engineers and others that work with the software on a part-time or contract basis.

The latest software takes advantage of the increased power of the new engine computers, and offers a number of small improvements that add up to a big 'overall' improvement," Feyhl explains. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh lord, won't you win me, a Mercedes-Benz.

AMG Market provides the following raffle info to Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. We are not involved with the raffles or benefit from the proceeds - we just list the Mercedes-Benz raffles and links for our readers. This is a running list with the most recent raffles at the top of the list:

April 19, 2008
Win a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300
Mississippi Opera’s Raffle - Fundraiser Offers Excellent Odds

THIS IS NOT A LEASE! Mississippi Opera kicks off its annual fundraiser by again raffling the ownership of a brand new Mercedes-Benz! For the third consecutive season, we will put a lucky someone in the driver’s seat of a brand new 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport Sedan, courtesy of Higginbotham Mercedes-Benz of Jackson.

Also included are secondary prizes featuring a strand of opera length Mikimoto pearls, courtesy of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, and a Viking grill, courtesy of Viking Range Corporation. The opera will raffle all three prizes on April 19, 2008. Limiting sales to only 1,000 tickets.

Tickets are $100 each and are on sale at several locations in the Jackson area including Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry in Northpark Mall, Great Scott Men’s Clothiers 4400 Old Canton Road, Sal & Mookie’s 565 Taylor St. in Fondren, BRAVO! in Highland Village, Higginbotham Mercedes-Benz 5397 I-55 North, the Mississippi Opera office 201 East Pascagoula Street, and online. For more info, contact the Mississippi Opera office at 601-960-2300.

February 22, 2008
Mercedes-Benz CLS 550
Sponsored by the National Human Society
Win a 2008 Mercedes Benz CLS 550 or $50,000.00 cash.
Tickets are $100 each - Buy 3 Tickets Get 3 Free!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tech Session
Date: March 22, 2008
Cost: $25 per car, includes 2-person registration
($10 per person w/o car)
Brown Mercedes
Rt. 250 E. Pantops Mountain, Charlottesville, VA
Brown Mercedes graciously hosted several Tech Sessions. The event is always a great success enjoyed by a large group of our members.

Contact: Justin Sarafin

July 13, 2008
Summer Picnic & Rallye
Scottsville, VA
Meet at Monticello/Albemarle Co. Visitor's Center at Route 64 and 20. Then drive down Route 20 through Scottsville, destination Gilbert Somers’ Farm (maps provided). Door prizes will be awarded at the picnic. By 2:00 p.m. the grills will be
smoking with chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs. You are encouraged to contribute your favorite dessert.

That's not all, join us for a tour of Gil's stained glass restoration studio
and examine his eclectic collection of automobiles, including multiple Mercedes-Benz models located throughout several barns on the property. Gil has a history and story for each car, many of which he has owned and driven for decades.
Additional details will be provided in our email newsletter.

August 30, 2008
Private Tour of Monticello
Charlottesville, VA
Meet at Monticello for a private, after-hours tour including dome room, then meet on the downtown mall in Charlottesville at Enoteca for food and wine. Indoor and outdoor seating. A nice Friday summer evening in Charlottesville. Details will be provided in our email newsletter.

Sept. 26- Oct. 1, 2008
National Event - MBCA Starfest 2008
San Francisco, CA
The San Francisco Bay Area with the Sacremento Section present StarFest 2008. The Concours on Treasure Island will have a dramatic backdrop of the San Francisco skyline. Rally across Golden Gate Bridge and through wine country to Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows. Track events will be held at Thunderhill. For more information please contact Laura Simonds.

Past Events:

January 13, 2008 - Holiday Gala- Brunch at Henry Clay Inn -Ashland, VA

Location: Henry Clay Inn, 114 N Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA 23005
Ph: (804) 798-3100

The Henry Clay Inn is situated adjacent the railroad tracks in the center of Ashland, in historic Hanover County. The Inn is re-created in Georgian Revival architecture and features balconies, fireplaces and rocking chairs on the porches.

Meeting Time: 11:00 AM
Cost: $25 per person ($45 per couple)

Please join us for a Holiday Brunch at the Historic Henry Clay Inn in Ashland, Va. The Inn overlooks the Old Ashland Train Station and the campus of Randolph Macon College. We'll sit in the parlor and watch the trains roll by…starting with Libations at 11:00 AM.

Registration Details
Given seating is limited, please register as soon as possible. The deadline is January 7. Please send check made payable to "MBCA Central Virginia Section," the number of people attending and your meal choice to:

Event Coordinators
Therese and Shirley Dodge
1017 Francisco Road, Richmond, VA 23229-6637
Ph: (804) 285-2138

Additional details in our current newsletter.

I have been asked to help find AMG Mercedes-Benz owners interested in participating in a photo shoot in Paradise Valley, AZ. Mercedes-Benz USA is commemorating AMG's 41st Anniversary in 2008.

The event will take place in late February 2008. MBUSA is looking for AMG models from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. This is a great way to meet AMG enthusiasts and increase the long-term value of your car. Your car may be included in MBUSA marketing materials.

Please send me your AMG model info and your contact info if you are interested. Thanks!

While Mercedes' ultra-exclusive SLR McLaren 722 GT track car has been making rounds in the motoring press for several weeks now, a few key questions remained unanswered - including "How much?" and "Where can I get one?"

We can answer the "How much?" question rather easily (795,000 €, or about 1.2 million USD), it's the "Where can I get one?" question that's more interesting.

As of Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT will be made available to the North American market exclusively through RENNtech, the Florida-based MB tuning house owned and operated by super-tuner Hartmut Feyhl, who also lists "technical director, AMG North America" on his resume.

"It's been a very exciting project to be involved in," explains Feyhl.

You can read the full RENNtech press release here. 

This isn't an everyday race but entertaining to say the least. Susie Stoddart, Bernd Maylander, Jamie Green and Fernado Alonso are battling each other at the Silverstone, Grand Prix Circuit.

Current AMG Mercedes-Benz production and motorsport cars are battling against the McLaren MP4-22 Formula 1 race car. Fernado Alonso in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes starts last in a staggered start.

Jamie Green, in the DTM AMG C-class and Maylander in the CLK 63 AMG Black Series are getting 43 seconds advantage over Alonso. In the meanwhile, the C350, with Susie Stoddart behind the wheel, has already done half a lap!

The F1 makes a pit stop and continues the race. Did I mention this is a one lap race. Will Alonso in the F1 even have a chance?

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