Automotive News : VW Embraces TDI, Bails Out of Bluetec Diesel Alliance

Automotive News

Volkswagen has decided to return to its own TDI branding for diesel vehicles, rather than bringing out its own Bluetec-equipped cars here in 2008. The German magazine Wirtschaftswoche said VW is abandoning the diesel alliance because the Bluetec brand is too closely linked with rival Mercedes-Benz.

TDI has been used on diesel-engined VWs for many years. "We already have 800,000 diesel vehicles running in the U.S.; for that reason we want to go ahead with our TDI brand," VW spokesman Hans-Gerd Bode told Thompson Financial.

Last fall, BMW AG decided not to join the alliance, preferring to launch its own clean-diesel vehicles in the U.S. next year. It is expected that Chrysler vehicles with diesel engines co-developed with DaimlerChrysler will still use Bluetec badging in the near future.

Mercedes-Benz Revs Up Its Own Internet TV Broadcasting Service

In a pioneering move that is bound to be copied by competitors, Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday announced that it is launching its own Internet television broadcasting service on July 12.

Internet viewers will be able to watch Mercedes-oriented programming 24 hours a day on Mercedes-Benz TV. The service's five Web channels are dedicated to "lifestyle," cars, engines and sports, history and legends and innovation. The move into Internet TV makes traditional advertising approaches, such as the 30-second TV spot, seem as quaint as a horse-drawn carriage.

Mercedes said its television programming will be broadcast in German and English. It said that Mercedes-Benz events, including world premieres at auto shows, will be broadcast live in the future.

The first week of programming centers around Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin. Racing drivers, including phenom Lewis Hamilton, will pilot vintage and new Mercedes-Benz vehicles on a special course around Berlin.

Mercedes Partners With AMG on New SLC Supercar

Following a decision to discontinue its project to build the midengine McLaren F2, Mercedes is instead moving forward with a different car to be built by AMG.

Mercedes originally partnered with McLaren Automotive to produce the 617-horsepower Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and the $450,000, 200-mph supercar was launched in 2005. The car's development didn't go smoothly, as McLaren bridled under the requirement to create a front-engine car, while AMG wanted to build the car itself, not just the engine.

The cheaper, midengine F2 was supposed to be developed by McLaren once the SLR project reached production, but the project was halted in late 2004. Mercedes is certainly no stranger to midengine cars, as it unveiled its three remarkable C111 experimental cars in 1969 at the Frankfurt auto show and then raced at Le Mans in the 1990s with the CLK-GTR and CLR.

Mercedes has now decided to go its own way with what is being called the Mercedes SLC. The SLC will be lighter and smaller than the SLR, and is expected to be powered by a new, turbocharged 6.2-liter V8 built by AMG. The new supercar might share parts with the future SL Black Series, reducing the financial burden of the engineering costs.

The new car will be engineered by HWA, a racing company established by Hans Werner Aufrecht, one of the founding partners in AMG, which was acquired by Mercedes in 1999. HWA is located in Affalterbach, the same small town where AMG builds its special editions for Mercedes.

Mercedes expects to unveil the SLC concept at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, and if all goes well, production will begin near Stuttgart as early as 2009. Meanwhile, the midengine McLaren F2 will now be a solo effort by the racing company's automotive division at the elaborate McLaren Technical Center in Woking, England.

Mercedes-Benz Announces Pricing for 2008 C-Class Cars

Mercedes-Benz announced that its 2008 C-Class will be starting under $32,000 and hitting a top price of $37,275 for the C350 Sport Sedan. The new cars arrive in U.S. dealerships on August 7.

The '08 C-Class models are the fourth generation for the lineup. They're bigger than the cars they replace — about 3.9 inches longer and 1.7 inches wider, with a wheelbase that's 1.8 inches longer. New for 2008, the C300 Sport and Luxury versions both can be had with 4MATIC all-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission starting in September.

Among the standard features for the 2008 C-Class are eight-way power front seats, two-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, an LCD display screen and a power sunroof. Another interesting touch is the three-pointed star in the center of the front grille of the C-Class Sport models, which Mercedes calls "AMG-inspired."

The suspension and steering have been revamped for a "noticeably more agile" driving experience, Mercedes says.

The 228-horsepower C300 Sport Sedan is priced starting at $31,975. The C300 Luxury Sedan's price tag is $33,675. The C350 Sport Sedan costs $37,275 — $1,500 less than the 2007 model, which was priced at $38,775. A $775 destination charge is included in all prices.

Mercedes-Benz Hearse Makes for a Stylish Final Ride

Do you want your last ride to be as classy as you were in life? Take a peek at the latest take on a hearse from U.K. coachbuilder and vehicle designer Binz.

The stodgy look of a traditional hearse has been tweaked to give it a more contemporary and coupe-like design. Binz took a Mercedes-Benz E-Class and added a CLS styling option. "By offering our customers this CLS styling option," it said in a statement, "they now have yet another way of differentiating their service from that of the competition." Still, you can't get away totally from the bulky and boxy rear hatch in this case.

Binz says its limousine lineup is now complemented by two E-Class hearses designed specifically for the U.K.