By donating a $500,000 check to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the Vogue Fashion Fund, American Express has successfully announced its support, jumpstarting the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. As a promise, they said that they want to bring back the thrill of the trendiest event in New York to their card members. Lots of events and initiatives will allow card holders to take on the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week into a whole new level. Because of these initiatives, American Express wishes to establish a certain link between fashion designers and influencers with the fashionista card members.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Vouge Fashion Fund was basically established to help discover American talent in designing. They have been successful so far with this quest, and in supporting the business of fashion. The $500,000 from American Express is another avenue for them to improve their aims and uphold the standing of the Fashion Industry

“At this year’s Fashion Week we are creating extraordinary experiences for our Card members, enabling them to get an up-close, multifaceted look into the world of fashion,” Claire Bennett, Senior Vice President of Advertising, Marketing and Media for American Express was quoted saying in an interview. “Our Card members are passionate about fashion and we are continuously looking at ways to heighten their access to one of the most important industry events and to demonstrate our dedication and support of the industry.”

“The CFDA is proud to partner with American Express as they continue to deepen their presence and influence within the fashion industry,” Diane Von Furstenberg, CFDA President said in the same interview. “Their donation signifies their commitment to the future of this thriving industry.”

According to edubourse.com, here is a preview of Exclusive Card Member Access:American Express® Skybox: American Express will be unveiling a newly enhanced skybox, overlooking both the Main Tent and the Promenade, providing premium access to Gold Card members, Platinum Card® members and Centurion® Card members to experience the shows in a truly unique way. The skybox, a lounge-style viewing room, is undetectable from the runway, however, inside, Card members will enjoy appetizers, cocktails and an up-close view of the runway shows. American Express has numerous surprises in store that will make the once-in-a-lifetime experience extraordinary this year.

Here are some “By Invitation Only” Experiences: In December, the By Invitation Only Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week packages*, available exclusively for Platinum Card and Centurion Card members, were sold out in a matter of days. These packages give Card members full-day access to the Skybox on February 2nd and 3rd, coordinated meet-and-greets with fashion industry insiders, behind-the-scenes tours, and a visit to hair and make-up stylists to perfect their event look.

The American express “Card Member Only” experience in the Fashion Show includes: American Express will be bringing the excitement and passion of Peter Som’s Collection exclusively to an audience of American Express Card members who will be seated as industry insiders “on the floor.” The “Card Member Only” Fashion Show will take place on February 6th at 9 p.m. in the Promenade. Packages* for the Fashion Show will go on sale January 23rd.

Full details of all American Express activities will be announced at the start of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and the proceeds from the sale of event packages will add up to the donated $500,000 to the CFDA and Vogue Fashion Fund.

Source: edubourse.com 

Capping off the Mercedes Benz Championship, one of the most prestigious Golf tournament sponsored by a major automotive company, it was Daniel Chopra who came out as the victor after topping the play-off. Chopra won over Steve Stricker by a “tap-in birdie on the fourth play-off hole, the par-five ninth.” This win is Chopra’s second time to catch the title for his entire PGA Tour career.

At the 18^th hole, it was Chopra and Stricker who both came out to fight mano-a-mano. Stephen Ames however, was one shot further back. Mike Weir, Canada’s representative, actually came out short carding a 70 to finish fourth at 16 under, despite his one-shot lead.

“It was an unbelievable day,” Chopra was quoted saying in an interview. “I felt very comfortable all week, really.”

Stricker was showed what a good sport he was and was quoted saying: “It was a great start to the year. I can be a little disappointed, I guess, because I didn’t win. But again, it was a good start.”

Catch the PGA Tour next year and see who will inherit Chopra’s title, sponsored again by the makers of quality Mercedes Benz parts.

Source: UK press

Get ready Fashionistas, the biggest fashion event sponsored by Mercedes Benz is only three weeks away—and you are definitely not one to miss it.

As the event’s sponsors, producers, and designers rush around New York to prepare hospitality suites and the production of the show, Bryant Park is getting ready to be the center of fashion attention once again. As February unveils itself up to February 8, all eyes will truly be on the Fall 2008 collections which will be showcased at the prestigious Bryant Park.

There will be an official ribbon cutting ceremony on the morning of February 1, signaling that the Bryant Park Tents is open. Featuring IMG Fashion’s Senior Vice President Fern Mallis together with the cast of the new NBC show Lipstick Jungle, Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, and Lindsay Price. Just as well, Lipstick Jungle’s author and series executive producer Candace Bunshell will be present, together with Mercedes Benz USA Vice President of Marketing Stephen Cannon.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about the exciting activities planned for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week this season,” Mallis was quoted saying in an interview by Berlinista. “We have one of the best schedules of designers from around the world, coming together in Bryant Park.”

According to the Berlinista, the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week schedule “begins with Nautica and is followed by The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection 2008, Perry Ellis, Yigal Azrouël, Duckie Brown, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Yeohlee, Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Venexiana, Lacoste, Academy of Art University, Abaeté, Araks, Mara Hoffman, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Juan Carlos Obando, Z Zegna, Verrier, Sass & Bide, Rock & Republic, Akiko Ogawa., Lela Rose, Hervé Léger by Max Azria, DKNY, Twinkle by Wenlan, Tracy Reese, Diane Von Furstenberg, Y-3, Angel Sanchez, Tuleh, Miss Sixty, Terexov, Peter Som, Carolina Herrera, R. Scott French, Jill Stuart, Betsey Johnson, Luca Luca, Pamella Roland, MAX AZRIA, Ports 1961, Iodice, Tibi, Badgley Mischka, Monique Lhuillier, Cynthia Steffe, Dennis Basso, Diesel, Joanna Mastroianni, Vivienne Tam, Malan Breton, Nanette Lepore, Michael Kors, Milly by Michelle Smith, Carlos Miele, Anna Sui, Richard Chai, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Temperley London, Vera Wang, Naeem Khan, Rebecca Taylor, Bill Blass, Reem Acra, Calvin Klein, Chris Han, Tommy Hilfiger, Custo Barcelona, Zac Posen, Jayson Brunsdon, Project Runway, Ralph Lauren, Tadashi Shoji, Carmen Marc Valvo, Willow, Donna Karan Collection, Zang Toi and Sean John.”

For the eight days of the Fashion event, it is the three Bryant Park Tents that will be the busiest. The three tents are: the Promenade, the Salon, and the largest venue, the Tent. The tents will host more than 100,000 fashionistas, watching the spectacle by attending runway shows, or the press conducting interviews, reviewing and of course, buying collections. Just as well, the said event is aimed for the people to recognize the “importance and economic impact of the city’s prestigious fashion industry,” according to the Berlinista.

When it comes to making the event possible, title sponsor Mercedes Benz will be joined by “DHL, American Express, MAC Cosmetics, LYCRA®, Judith Ripka, YKK, W Hotels Worldwide, The Heart Truth Campaign, Evian, Peroni, Rioja Wines, Imperia Vodka, Chambord, and BAWLS Guarana as well as the following media partners The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, Full Frontal Fashion, ULTRA HD, IQONS and Getty Images. Each of these sponsors will be providing hospitality, services and amenities to make the hectic week of shows as effortless and pleasurable as possible for all attendees.”

Source: The Berlinista

Fear not, the Smart Car has reached Stateside.

The small, fuel-efficient and very practical car made by Mercedes Benz is about to make its US debut this 2008, and its site will be constructed at Orlando, making Central Florida the first Smart Car dealer. As of now, there is progress as the site will soon be erected near the Mall at Millenia on Central Florida.

The Orlando dealership will not stand alone however. It will be joined by another name that is familiar in the automotive industry, the Infiniti dealership. Both dealers were scheduled to open by May, while James Bond’s Aston Martin brand will be opening a showroom when fall comes. According to bizjournals.com, “the $14 million project is being developed by TT of I-4 Inc., an entity formed by Terry Taylor, owner of the behemoth Central Florida Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge dealership in south Orlando, and his business partners.” All of a sudden, Central Florida seemed to be the hub of America’s automotive industry.

Together with Smart Watch Co., Mercedes Benz was able to develop the Smart Car which gained popularity in Europe. The cars are now being manufactured in a division of Mercedes Benz, and it will be distributed in America by Bloomfield Hills, a Michigan-based Smart USA Distributor, an arm of Penske Automotive Group.

An official announcement will be made next week by Smart USA, to spread the word about their 74-store dealer network across the States, spokesman Ken Kettenbeil said in an interview. One will be located in Orlando, while eight will be in Florida.

Source: bizjournals.com

Mercedes Benz manufacturer DaimlerChrysler India took the 9^th Auto Expo as an opportunity to launch the latest C-Class sedan to hit the Indian luxury car market, the Mercedes Benz C-Class.

After its launch in Europe in early 2007, the C-Class will finally be debuted in India after such an extensive testing and development work. This is targeted at making some India-specific changes, especially in the face of their automotive market.

As a direct competitor of the BMW 3-Series, the new C-Class sedan is priced by Daimler Chrysler India (DCIL) at Rs 27 lakh for the petrol C200 Kompressor variant, and at Rs 30 lakh for the diesel-engined C220 CDI variant. Competition not only in terms of price tag that is, but also with performance and luxury. The C-Class models will be re-rated for their power output’s improved performance. The two variants of the powerplant were delivered forward from the previous version of the C-Class sedan.

Here’s the inside details about the C-Class sedan launch, care of Auto Expo 2008:

The car is said to be assembled in the company’s Pune plant, and it features some interesting changes in the design layout—inside out. In fact, the new C-Class sedan is notably about seven centimeters longer, and about 4 cms wider than its older version. Just as well, the wheelbase increased notably about 4 cms, and its interiors gets to have a generously sized interiors.

Completely geared with Mercedes Benz’ newly-developed Agility Control package with situation-responsive shock absorber control, Pre-Safe preventive occupant protection system and Adaptive Brakes, the new C-Class is definitely making a good impression on the Indian market.

According to Wilfried G. Aulbur, the CEO and Managing Director of DCIL, the company was setting a new sales record during 2007 just by selling 2,491 cars, with the C-Class and E-Class contributing sales of 779 units and 1,137 units respectively. This statement was captured at the launch conference. Just as well, the sales of the completely built units were 118 cars during the same period.

Aulbur also said that the company was able to strengthen its distribution and after-sales network, and that it is currently represented in 28 cities around the country. In other news, DCIL also launched the new CLK-Class, a sporty and luxurious coupe which toughened the company’s standing as a maker of luxurious, high-quality rides.

Source: sify.com

Autocar, the leading weekly automotive magazine in UK, has awarded the European automaker Mercedes-Benz with the “safety and Technology” award because of its revolutionary DIESOTTO drive system.

During the award ceremony in London, the editor of Autocar, Chas Hallet, said that the DIESOTTO concept of Mercedes-Benz was an impressive leading-edge technology. It has a high degree of practicability and it can assure a bright future for both the car enthusiasts and the industry of automotives.

The success of the DIESOTTO engine is due to its combination with a hybrid module which is present in the Mercedes-Benz F700. This system shows that a large touring saloon is still capable of returning a fuel consumption figure of just 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers. This means that there is a decrease in carbon dioxide emission but it does not compromise performance. An example of this is the four-cylinder drive system which has a two-stage turbocharging that’s fitted in the Mercedes-Benz F700. It still provides the same level of performance like that of the existing S-Class that is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 naturally-aspirated petrol engine.

Johannes Fritz, the Director for Sales and Marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East and Levant, said, “The DIESOTTO concept shows how, in the medium term, a petrol engine can be made just as efficient as its diesel counterpart and how the internal combustion engine will remain a key drive concept when it comes to meeting private-transport requirements.”

The European New Car Assessment Program crash tests has performed a series of crash tests and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class had been lucky enough to bag five stars from this European organization. NCAP has even recognized the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon as one of the safest cars available in the auto market today.

Having five stars from NCAP confirmed the safety concept that is behind the C-Class success. This model has been optimized based on the analysis of real-life accidents. As such, it naturally performs significantly well in the standardized rating crash tests. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class actually deserves the five-star rating it got from NCAP as it is equipped with a lot of safety equipment. These safety equipment include seatbelt tensioners, belt-force limiters, seven airbags, and NECK PRO crash-responsive head restraints that come as standard on the model. With all these installed, there’s no doubt the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has the ability to offer the highest possible passenger protection in the event of a collision or any road accident. Even the structure to which the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been designed ensure that the forces of the impact of the collision are distributed over a wide area and on four independently acting impact levels. This only means that the passenger cell can remain mostly unharmed.

One would also be happy to drive this around and feel completely safe as almost 70 percent of its bodywork panels are made from only the state-of-the-art and high quality strength steel alloys. However, this doesn’t mean that the model is heavy to drive around as these steel alloys reduce weight and maximize safety. Of course, as these steel alloys are strong and durable, they also provide great protection to passengers from side collisions.

The safety systems that are incorporated into the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are based on the concept of the German automaker which are already tried and tested. This systems emphasizes on accident avoidance and anticipatory occupant protection.

Aside from the safety equipment incorporated in the model, there are other systems integrated in the model. These systems include the standard-fit ESP and Brake Assist which will gladly be of help to drivers in critical moments to keep them in control of the vehicle. Furthermore, the Brake Assist provide pedestrian protection as well as it reduces accidents that involve pedestrians.

All these safety systems and equipment make the Mercedes-Benz C-Class worthy of the five-star rating it got from the European NCAP organization.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles, because of the luxury and elegance they exude, may be too expensive for the budget-conscious car enthusiast. However, the German automaker wants to prove the people tagging its vehicles as expensive wrong. Mercedes-Benz has decided to release the Mercedes ride for the budget-conscious, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport Sedan. But don’t get them wrong, even though its base price costs only around $31,200, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport Sedan is still equipped with luxuries uniquely Mercedes-Benz.

When you drive this around your city, you’ll surely get amazed and astonished stares from bystanders, leaving their mouths wide open. This is because the exterior of this model is accentuated by rock-solid slabs of steel making up its flanks. It’s great looks are also from the model’s great looking black roof linings making it stand out amongst vehicles of its kind. You can also carry around more baggage as its trunk is enormous but not in an awkward way.

Once you’re inside, you’ll surely get all excited of all the luxuries this Benz ride has. It is equipped with an eight-way and power-adjustable front seats, there’s a “tunnel mode” button which allows you to close all windows with just one touch of a button, and there are aluminum trims on the console. Of course, there’s a sunroof for that extra sun glow when you feel like it. You also get a sun sensor which adjusts the temperature. There’s also a 5-color display which is easy to read. And of course, since the MP3 and Bluetooth technology have found their way in vehicles, these are available in the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport Sedan as well.

Mercedes-Benz has been known for many years now as a producer of vehicles that are among the finest and most luxurious cars in the market. However, as much as the German automaker wants to produce luxurious vehicles, it has to first pass the soon-to-be-really-strict EU Commission standards on carbon dioxide emissions. EU Commission will soon limit the carbon dioxide emissions to 120 grams per kilometer staring 2012. But it also said that automakers will be allowed to trade carbon dioxide credits between themselves.

This means that the automakers of large and powerful vehicles can reach the 120-gram limit by buying credits from smaller and more economical vehicles.

The automakers will have to pay for the carbon dioxide credits in order to make up for the shortfall. Or they can pay the fines charged on the companies that were not able to reach the 120-gram limit.

EU Commission said in a document, “In order to provide flexibility for manufacturers, manufacturers may agree to form a pool on an open, transparent and non-discriminatory basis for the purposes of meeting their targets under this proposal.”

In the event that the automakers form a pool, they have a greater chance of meeting the carbon limit if of course, the emissions of the members of the pool do not exceed the target.

This will be good for the German automaker as this will mean Mercedes-Benz can produce luxury vehicles that are also economical and environment-friendly.

AMG is the German automaker’s in-house tuner division and for the 2008 model year, Mercedes-Benz decided to update its S-Class sedan models. The result is the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, a big and fast sedan. It may be big but those who’ve taken it out for a test drive are saying that even though they were already going 75mph, it felt as though 45mph.

Of course, as it has been tuned by AMG, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG features a lot of electronics such as a stereo system with a great audio quality and a nice navigation display. Aside from that, would-be owners of this Mercedes-Benz beauty will be able to experience a unique relaxation brought by the massage seats feature of the model.

There’s also the presence of the speech recognition system. This recognition system speaks with a clear and pleasant female voice. The speech recognition guides the driver on how to use the navigation system and the navigation system. Another luxury of this model is its Bluetooth telephone system.

Owners of this Mercedes-Benz model can also enjoy the car’s adaptive cruise control. When this system is activated, the S63 AMG will use its radar to follow the car in front of it so that it could match its speed. At the same time, it will also drive safely by maintaining a safe driving distance and operating its own accelerator and brakes. But of course, drivers should still keep their hands on the steering wheel for more control.

A Night Assist Vision has also been installed in the 2008 S63 AMG to help drivers with driving during the night. It makes use of a night vision camera which provides drivers with a nicely illuminated image of what’s ahead of their car. This feature is really helpful as its video would show much more of the road ahead than what they will see on their windshield.

The powertrain under the hood is impressive as well. AMG equipped it with a 6.3-liter V8 engine with its cylinders coated in a special finish in order to reduce friction. This engine is capable of 518 horsepower and is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission that’s been tuned to allow faster shifts. This engine allows the driver to speed up from 0-60mph in a matter of 4.5 seconds. But even though it’s that quick to reach that speed, drivers will not feel body roll as the model makes use of tires that make a pleasant singing sound when on the road.

The EPA recorded the fuel economy of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and it showed the car is capable of only 11 miles per gallon in the city and 17 mpg on the highway.