Mercedes-Benz World is a one-year old facility at the historic Brooklands circuit in Surrey, UK. The facility is celebrating it's birthday on November 3-4, it opened in October 2006.

Mercedes-Benz World offers driving experiences on five purpose-built courses, from learning advanced skills with qualified instructors to feeling the thrill of an AMG. Visitors will be able to stay at the 5-star hotel and spa when it is completed in 2008, tour the historic museum, relax in the 60-acre landscaped park, shop at the boutique and dine in the cafe or restaurant. A kids zone is included.

Entry to the full complex, excluding the hotel and spa (when completed) is free. Uniquely, Mercedes-Benz World offers driving lessons to anyone over 1.5m tall. This means children as young as 8 or 9 can drive on part of the original Brooklands Circuit.

The building is spread over three floors with over 100 cars on display, including a 300SL Gullwing as well as the McLaren Mercedes SLR supercar.

Everyone attending the event has the chance of winning an exhilarating ride in the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. And, MB will be unveiling the brand new Silver Arrows AMG Display Team, who will be giving their first public performance of breathtaking handling skills.

The AMG and Off-Road passenger experiences will be available for the special price of just £15. If you're in the area, stop by for some birthday cake and raffle prizes. Admission is free. 

New Paint Choices – Will the New Matt-Paint Finish Be All the Rage?
High-gloss paint is no longer the only option for your AMG Mercedes-Benz. Both Mercedes-Benz and BMW are working hard on matt-finish paint options. BMW hopes to have a matt finish with a coarse stealth-fighter look, but is struggling to seal the surface. Paul Gover of Cars Guide has a brief article on the developments: 

Benz has already developed a two-pack system available as a special order on its AMG performance cars.

The companies believe that going matt could accelerate development of cars that need less washing and body maintenance, as well as using fewer toxic chemicals when they are being painted. A low-gloss surface is also less likely to show minor dents and blemishes.

The BMW system is some way from production, though it was displayed last year at the press preview of the Z4 M coupe in Spain. But Mercedes will sell a matt-finish AMG car to anyone with the desire and the cash. "It is something that we offer. But we don't promote it, so we have not done many cars,” AMG-Mercedes marketing chief Mario Spitzner says. "Paint and colour is the perfect opportunity to make some differentiation for our cars. It is something exclusive.”

The AMG-Mercedes system is called Alu-beam and it was announced earlier this year for the CL65 AMG coupe. More at Cars Guide here.

A quick glance with an untrained-eye at the new 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL63 and you might think it was a CL550. A closer look shows that this is no regular CL. The CL63 is a road-hungry Autobahn killer destined to greatness by its AMG builder. More from the Sun Times here.

Miscellaneous News 

Mercedes-Benz Brings Diesel to California
October 15, 2007 – On the runway at this week’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) unveiled a version of its E320 BLUETEC, a diesel sedan that will immediately be available in limited numbers to California customers through a special two-year/24,000-mile lease.

Limited in quantity, the 1988 300CE AMG Hammer is a rare find. Built by Mercedes-Benz and modified by AMG prior to the merger. The 3.0-liter 177-hp 6-cylinder 300E originally sold for $39,000 (W124 body style). For $17,000, AMG would replace that 3-liter unit with the 5.5-liter V8 from the 560 SEC after adding 32-valve cylinder heads and twin camshafts. During 1988, additional options included:

• $39,950 – AMG bored out the 5.6-litre to 6.0-liters
• $33,302 – upgraded rear differential, Gleason-Torsion LSD, stronger rear sub-frame, plus more chassis modifications
• $14,170 – upgraded AMG suspension, 17 inch chrome wheels/tires, AMG interior package, etc.
• $18,000 labor charge
• Total package cost in 1988: around $162,000.

The following pictures and information were provided by the AMG's owner (2007):

History
Original owner was professional baseball player Robert Deer:

• Rob Deer is famous for hitting the game-tying home run on Easter Sunday in 1987 to give the Milwaukee Brewers their 12th straight win to start the season. The home run was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
• June 6, 1978: Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round of the 1978 amateur draft.
• San Francisco Giants (1984-1985), Milwaukee Brewers (1986-1990), Detroit Tigers (1991-1992), Boston Red Sox (1993), San Diego Padres (1996)

At AMG Market, we get a lot of requests for information pertaining to Mercedes-Benz collectible cars. To help out our readers we are providing, with the authors permission, an article titled, "Value Diminution – Fact or Fiction?" (Source: John Olson's SL Market Letter #323)

There are many opinions we've all heard for avoiding loss of value in collectible cars. Is it better to rebuild an original engine's block than replace it? At what point do you take original paint off a collectible car? Many people spend extra thousands of dollars returning a car to it's original color after learning how it left the factory when new.

The SLML has praised the charm and often superior durability of original paint. Giving up a 90% well preserved original finish, even if faded, to eliminate a few scratches or dents doesn't make sense. Obvious losses come from hasty repair work that shows — from overspray on rubber that should have been removed to misaligned body work that belies an accident free past. Finally, there are obstructive insurance practices that can prevent proper repairs << MORE >>

Mercedes-Benz announced that their marketing promo "Mixed Tape" – free MP3 files anyone can download – is coming to an end in its current format. The current and last release, Mixed Tape 18, is a compilation of all-time favorites from previous releases. 

If you're an avid Mixed Tape fan, you likely have all of the MP3 songs on this final release. Here's the promo newsletter I rec'd yesterday:

The cream of the crop: Mixed Tape 18 with 10 all-time favourites from the popular compilation series
 
All good things come to an end – Mixed Tape 18 will be the last compilation in its current guise. To sweeten the blow, we have compiled a very special best-of edition featuring 10 highlights from our well-stocked archives – available free of charge at www.mercedes-benz.com/mixedtape.

A delectable distillate of our most promising talents, Mixed Tape 18 throws a spotlight on Norway (R&B singer Kristin Hild), New Zealand (dub producer Tubbs remixed by legendary compatriots Fat Freddy’s Drop), Germany (pop wonders Wagner Love) and the UK (singer/songwriter Bev Lee Harling) to celebrate the wealth of young artists around the world who pursue their own visions.

And while this trip to the past marks the end of a popular format, it paves the way for future innovations.
Join us in the forum to discuss the next generation of Mixed Tape, scheduled for an autumn relaunch.

Enjoy the mix!

Your Mercedes-Benz Team
http://www.mercedes-benz.com/mixedtape

During the course of this Mercedes-Benz marketing promo hundreds of free MP3 songs were released. Unfortunately, you can't download previous releases but search on the web and you might find someone providing access to all of the MP3 files. Enjoy.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class and SL-Class vehicles are among the top 7 cars most likely to be stolen according to data released by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), which tracks per-car theft losses. The rankings are reported in relative terms.

For example, a car with an HLDI theft loss score of 100 is considered to be average – numbers above 100 are higher than average. The Cadillac Escalade EXT has an astronomical loss ranking of 1,728. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class and SL-Class rank 6th and 7th on the list; rankings of 227 and 209, respectively.

Additional Resources

Forbes has a more detailed story on the HDLI's report. The article is published here on MSNBC  for those interested.

Mercedes-Benz debuted two new AMG cars to the world today, along with the North American debut of the 2008 C-Class. First to debut was the 2008 CL65 AMG, powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine that produces 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.  On display, the limited edition 40th Anniversary CL65 AMG comes with special Alubeam paint to celebrate the 40th year of AMG high performance cars.

Following the CL65 AMG, the 2008 C-Class sedan entered the stage.  The new C-Class will be launched this summer with three V6-powered models – the C350 Sport, the C300 Luxury and the C300 Sport.

Mercedes-AMG CEO, Volker Mornhinweg, followed the C-Class by introducing the CLK63 AMG Black Series, a street legal version of the Official F1™ Safety Car.  After lighting a fuse that caused an explosion of light and smoke, the CLK63 AMG Black Series was revealed.  The Black Series is a 500 horsepower version of the AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine, with 0-60 mph acceleration of 4.1 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 186 mph.

Besides the autobahn, where can you drive a variety of AMGs to the limit without getting arrested? How about at the California Speedway or Lime Rock Park? Mercedes-Benz offers an event for AMG enthusiasts branded "The AMG Challenge." For a couple of grand you can experience the power of AMG on the track and learn professional skills to tame the track.

If you own an AMG you should have rec'd an invite from Mercedes-Benz, but if you didn't you can contact them by phone (see the end of this post). Also, you may forward an invitation to a friend by having them register at www.mbusa.com/amgchallenge using the code AMG999. If the events are sold out, they will be placed on a waiting list.

Here's the description of the event provided by Mercedes-Benz and the dates/locations: 

Your day at the AMG Challenge will give you an adrenaline rush…unlike any other. You'll learn high-performance driving skills from racing greats including Le Mans and World Challenge champions. You'll experience the twists and turns of a first-class race track driving a range of Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles including the E55, C55, CLK55, CL55, SLK55 and the S55. And you'll power through esses with the SL55 AMG and thunder down the high-speed stretches with the all new CLS55 AMG.

It will be a full day packed with excitement including:

• On-track driving clinics
• Timed competition on an autocross track
• Performance driving exercises highlighting car positioning, steering method, throttle control, racing line theory and much more
• Open lapping on the main track
• Hot laps with top-name professional drivers
• At the conclusion of the event, there will be a celebratory champagne toast including a certificate, trophy and awards presentation

It all adds up to an unforgettable experience that you won’t want to miss. The event admission fee is $1,195. If you haven’t registered yet, sign up now. These limited spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

AMG Challenge Dates 

UPDATE (April 2007): The dates and locations for the AMG Challenge have changed!

Click image to view large pic.

May 11 or 12
[May 10 added to dates]
California Speedway – Fontana, CA
AMG Challenge Graduate date, May 13

July 31 or Aug. 1
[NO LONGER OFFERED AT THIS TRACK AS OF APRIL 2007]
Lime Rock Park – Lakeville, CT
AMG Challenge Graduate, Aug. 2

Aug. 18 or 19
[NO LONGER OFFERED AT THIS TRACK AS OF APRIL 2007]
Autobahn Country Club – Joliet, IL

Sept. 18 & 19 [TRACK AND DATES ADDED]
Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, PA

Oct. 5 or 6
[DATES CHANGED TO OCT. 11 & 12]
Homestead Miami Speedway – Homestead, FL
AMG Challenge Graduate, Oct. 7

Additional Resources
AMG Market | Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts

Visit one of the following links or call the phone number provided below if you want more info:

• AMG Challenge Overview Page (enter the guest code AMG999 to access the info)
• Phone for more info: 201-802-7891 or 201-802-7892 (9:00AM-6:00PM EST)

Other Resources

• Video of 2003 AMG Challenge on the AMG Market Video Page
• Brief video of 2006 AMG Challenge on photobucket
• Collection of photos from 2003 AMG Challenge at Lime Rock, CT

Editors Note: Sorry, you can't drive you own car – vehicles are provided. 

According to a statement by DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes-Benz will sell four AMG models in China this year. The AMG models slated for sale are the S65 AMG, E63 AMG, ML63 AMG and G55 AMG.  Mercedes-Benz expects strong sales given the wealth that now exists in China.

Source: Forbes.com

Besides the autobahn, where can you drive a variety of AMGs to the limit without getting arrested? How about at the California Speedway or Lime Rock Park? Mercedes-Benz offers an event for AMG enthusiasts branded "The AMG Challenge." For a couple of grand you can experience the power of AMG on the track and learn professional skills to tame the track.

NOTE: We updated this post and links. You can find the AMG Challenge Event info here.