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)