If you're new here, you can subscribe to AMG Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts and receive summary updates when new content is published by the editors (no updates, no email, no SPAM). Our blog subscribers also receive some premium content privileges. Thanks for visiting!

Mercedes-Benz World is a new facility at the historic Brooklands circuit in Surrey, UK and it is celebrating it's first birthday on November 3-4, it opened in October 2006. MB will be unveiling the brand new Silver Arrows AMG Display Team, who will be giving their first public performance of breathtaking handling skills. << MORE HERE >>

Is Mercedes-Benz next? An article published in AdAge earlier this month indicates auto magazine publishers are turning to new digital tools - "Virtual Test Drives" - to boost ad revenues. Car and Driver and Road & Track have jumped on the band-wagon in a big way; Ford and Chevrolet have already signed up.

Beware of this new form of "advertorial." Let's hope unbiased auto reviews and other valued editorial content are not a thing of the past. Hat-tip to MarketingVOX for alerting us to the story.

[Note: the original article is available to paid subscribers only so we are unable to provide a direct link to the source of this story.]

VIRGINIA, Dec. 15 - eoecho.com | PR News - Mercedes-Benz USA has informed the Mercedes-Benz Club of America that it will continue the "MBCA Member Loyalty Program" until the end of 2007. The program allows members of the club to obtain rebates on certain vehicle purchases.

For a $45 investment in club membership you can receive up to $2,500 back in rebates on your next Mercedes-Benz purchase. However, there are certain restrictions, which include uninterrupted club membership for at least one year previous to making your purchase. Therefore, if you plan to buy a Mercedes at the end of 2007 join the club now so you'll be eligible for the program.

MBCA published the details of the Membership Loyalty Reward Program on their website; here is a PDF file that provides more info: MBCA Loyalty Reward Program

MBCA Contact: www.mbca.org
(MBCA does not have a designated PR contact person)

eoecho | PR News Media
Contact: Greg Magnus, eoecho.com, 804-915-7379

MIXED TAPE 15 RELEASED - FREE MUSIC DOWNLOAD

VIRGINIA, Dec. 7 - eoecho.com | PR News - As an ongoing marketing promotion, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) released Mixed Tapes 15; an hour’s worth of free music. Fifteen new MP3 files are available for free download until the next release, which is slated for February 2007. You can listen to all songs online then select the songs you like or download the entire CD at: Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape.

This marketing promo keeps the Mercedes-Benz brand in front of prospects and existing customers year round. To increase the effectiveness of the campaign, MB offers an email subscription that alerts you when the next release is available.

Don’t bother downloading the files on the day you get their announcement; download speeds come to a crawl due to site traffic - wait a week or so. MP3’s are large files; 78 megs of data if you download the entire CD at once. Download individual songs if you don’t have a high-speed Internet connection.

From the MB marketing newsletter:  

Mixed Tape 15 now online – the latest urban sounds on the move!

Once again, our editorial team has picked out the cream of international new talents for you to discover. Simply visit http://www.mercedes-benz.com/mixedtape to explore, download and enjoy 15 exceptional new releases. Among the latest crop of international newcomers, it is the youngest that cause the biggest splash: While headliner Ben Westbeech enjoys the unanimous respect of London’s radio scene, the not-so-secret future queen of UK garage and dubstep, 21-year-old Lady Destiny, juggles music with journalism, college studies and her own radio show. Not to forget California’s sassy hip-hop duo Diva’s Harmony, whose younger half still attends high school. Compared to these hyper-talented youngsters, British duo My Toys Like Me and Norwegian singer Kristin Hild might seem almost grown-up, yet their uniquely infectious soul and pop gems are equally ahead of their peers. Please note - to keep up with the ever-changing music scene, Mixed Tape updates its selection of tracks every ten weeks: from February 27th, 2007 the URL will feature Mixed Tape 16 with a great range of new musical surprises.

 

If you're one of many people bothered by the current state of Mercedes-Benz perceived "quality," you'll enjoy this Fortune article by Alex Taylor III at CNN.com. Here's the link and a few excerpts:

Read the article:
Mercedes vs. Consumer Reports at CNN.com

Excerpts:

First some background: For the 2007 edition of its New Car Preview, Consumer Reports surveyed its six million subscribers about what serious problems they had with the cars they own. Some 1.3 million responded and the results weren't good for Mercedes-Benz.

In a listing of the least reliable luxury cars, based on 2006 models, three of the six cars are Mercedes: the old S-class (prior to the recent redesign), the CLS and the E-class Sedan.

Mercedes has the worst record of any automaker with that many models. For a brand that claims to be "engineered like no other car in the world," that is fairly frightening.

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO TOYS FOR TOTS! Who wouldn’t want to be one of a select group that includes the likes of Jay Leno, Michael Jordan, and Paris Hilton? And what if you could become a member of this group for just $100? It’s true, each of these people own a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Mercedes-Benz of Salisbury (Maryland, USA) is going to make one lucky winner very happy. The retail price for this ultimate raffle prize - a 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren - is $465,000. All proceeds benefit Toys for Tots, the Marine Corps Reserves organization that donates new toys to underprivileged families for the holidays. “It’s a very rare, exotic vehicle and we saw it as an opportunity to raise a substantial amount of money for charity,” says Chris Hagel, Marketing Manager for Pohanka. There are only 5,000 of them in the world; just 1,500 in the United States. It does zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds. The body is carbon fiber - the same material used to make high-tech planes, spacecrafts and yachts. The engine is a 5.5 liter supercharged V8, and runs at a top speed of 208 miles per hour. Should the winner decide that they do not want the vehicle, they can choose a $300,000 cash prize instead. “Every year we try to raise money for Toys for Tots; we just try to have fun with it," says Hagel." We are close to reaching our goal, with about 1600 tickets left to sell. The deadline for buying tickets is Dec. 10. You can buy tickets on the Internet by visiting www.Mclarenraffle.com or you can mail in your check made out to toys (see website for more details). Raffle Contact: Chris Hagel, Marketing Director The Pohanka Automotive Group of Salisbury Phone: (410) 749-2301 ext 8030 Email: ChrisRobinInc "at" aol.com

VIRGINIA, Oct. 21 - eoecho.com | PR News - The Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) has published the election results for the four open Director at Large (DAL) positions and the open Regional Director (RD) positions. The four DAL candidates earning the most votes begin two-year terms on the national board; they join four incumbent directors.

At the club’s national board meeting, which takes place in Phoenix on November 11, the board will elect a national president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer from among the eight directors. The RDs serve two year terms on the national board as well.

Out of 20,000 plus MBCA members, 2047 cast their votes; a 10 percent response rate. The results are provided in the tables below:

MIXED TAPE 14 RELEASED - 15 SONGS FREE TO DOWNLOAD

VIRGINIA, Oct. 12 - eoecho.com | PR News - As an ongoing marketing promotion, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) released Mixed Tapes 14; an hour’s worth of free music. Fifteen new MP3 files are available for free download until the next release, which is slated for December. You can listen to all songs online then select the songs you like or download the entire CD at: Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape.

This marketing promo keeps the Mercedes-Benz brand in front of prospects and existing customers year round. The marketing strategy includes an email subscription offer that alerts you when the next release is available. Don’t bother trying to download the files on the day you get their announcement; download speeds come to a crawl due to site traffic - wait a week or so. MP3’s are large files; 78 megs of data if you download the entire CD at once. Download individual songs if you don’t have a high-speed Internet connection.

There are now literally thousands of websites where you can “legally” obtain free music for your iPod and/or your home computer, which in turn can easily be connected to your home or AMG stereo system. Laptops or desktops can be connected with a simple audio cable plugged into the audio output (PC) and the stereo input jack - or wireless connections can be used. You can also burn a CD and listen to the music in your car. Inexpensive systems are available for connecting your car stereo to you iPod or any other portable music player.

Via the Internet, you can also listen to hundreds of radio stations, iTunes, or songs from social networks such as MySpace, YouTube…the list is endless. Why listen to only local radio stations or pay for satelite radio when there is a huge selection of music available online for FREE!

GLEN ALLEN, VA (eoecho.com | PR News): According to the latest data released by the Publishers Information Bureau, the year-to-date sale of magazine ad pages in the “automotive” category is down 12.7 percent. Overall magazine ad sales are up only 0.7 percent, largely due to the poor showing of auto ads in both auto mags and non-auto related mags.

Here’s a sample of the trends for a few popular auto mags (January thur Sept.):

Publishers Information Bureau (PIB) is the premier source of consumer magazine ad spending and related data. TNS Media Intelligence collects and monitors this data and supplies it to PIB. PIB is a membership organization, administered by Magazine Publishers of America, consisting of approximately 250 different magazine titles and newspaper-distributed magazines.

No sidewall, no air, no flats, just “tweel.” A revoluntionary new tire design by Michelin - given the name Tweel - has been in development at the company’s Greenville, South Carolina research and development facility since 1995.

The Tweel is available for low-speed vehicles such as wheelchairs, Segways, and military vehicles. Currently, the Tweel is being testing under high-speed conditions and Michelin reports improved performance and better handling. According to Michelin, the Tweel is projected to replace existing tire designs within the next 10 to 15 years.

A composite reinforced treadband, flexible wheel and polyurethane spokes replace the traditional designed tire. As shown in the video below, you can see right through the area of the tire normally filled with air.

The Michelin Tweel - Video

Hat tip to WallStreetFighter.com for pointing out the YouTube video to us at AMG Mercedes-Benz | Enthusiasts.