Mercedes-Benz R-Class
R-Class concept debuts with new alu-beam finish
Mercedes showed the R-Class concept at the North American
International Auto Show in January 2005 with the new
alu-beam paint. The paint looks similar to polished aluminum,
creating a mirror like reflection, and was applied in "steel" tone.
The pigment particles are about 30 to 50 nanometers in size, much
smaller than in metallic paints.
paint info page
January 2005
Mercedes introduces GST Vision II with 4 liter V8 diesel hybrid
It was shown at the North American auto show in January 2004. It
uses the 4.0 liter V8 engine from the S-Class together with a 50 KW electric
motor producing 313 hp and a whopping 621 ft-lbs of torque. MB says the
fuel economy improves by as much as 20%. But the hybrid will probably
not make it into the production version.
hybrid info page
January 2004
Hand finished Matte Burl Walnut trim
Ten years ago, a decision was made to make Tuscaloosa a production location - The DaimlerChrysler factory in Alabama prepares for production of the new Grand Sports Tourer
Stuttgart, Sep 25, 2003 Ten years after the location was decided on, the DaimlerChrysler site in Tuscaloosa (in the US state of Alabama) is going to be greatly extended and prepared for production of the new Grand Sports Tourer (GST). The future Mercedes model combines the features of existing vehicle concepts like the Saloon, the Estate and the “Sports Utility Vehicle” (SUV) into a new individual profile. The Grand Sports Tourer, which will go into production at the start of 2005, will, alongside the successful M-Class, be the second model which Mercedes-Benz produces in Tuscaloosa. The designation Grand Sports Tourer describes the key characteristics of the future Mercedes model: “Grand” stands for size, roominess and functionality; “Sports” for dynamism and performance, and “Tourer” indicates that the qualities of this car are those of a comfortable vehicle for long-distance travel.
“This versatile automobile is the result of an intensive dialogue with our clients, whom we have been nurturing for years, in order to identify the wishes of our drivers, analyse them and turn them into new vehicle concepts”, said Professor Jürgen Hubbert, a member of the DaimlerChrysler AG Board of Management and head of the Mercedes Car Group. “The leading technology and exciting design so typical of Mercedes will now also be making their mark in this new vehicle category.”
Exemplary roominess for up to six passengers
The Grand Sports Tourer is being designed as a long-distance car. This is why the engineers are being generous in their planning right from the start, ensuring plenty of room on all seats. In this innovative motor car, up to six people will be able to make themselves comfortable on individual seats which offer all the extras you can think of to adjust them to their individual needs. Thanks to exemplary interior variability, the future Mercedes model also caters for the desires of sports enthusiasts who wish to take bicycles, skis or other equipment with them on their journey.
Under the bonnet of the Grand Sports Tourer quiet six or eight cylinder engines and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission will provide powerful acceleration.
An appealing synthesis of Intelligent engineering and aesthetic styling design
Offering high-tech systems such as electronically-controlled 4-wheel drive, the AIRMATIC DC pneumatic suspension and a whole range of other innovations, the GST is to feature highly intelligent engineering which will be able to actively contribute towards preventing accidents. In the words of Professor Jürgen Hubbert: “We have also set ourselves the goal of developing a vehicle which is not only technically perfect, but which also enthrals from an emotional point of view. For example through aesthetic styling design, high-quality materials, a highly up-to-date choice of colours and innovative details. The Grand Sports Tourer will be a trendsetter and in doing so will offer, in a nutshell, top levels of technical and emotional intelligence”. text DaimlerChrysler
GST spy shot on the Nürburgring / German Autobahn
August 2003: Autoexpress spy video on the Nürburgring
The new Mercedes GST is currently undergoing high-speed testing on
the unlimited German Autobahn and the challenging Nürburgring. Being
scared of spy-photographers, the German engineers do hardly ever
drive on public roads during daytime. However, during one of the few
times the testers left their secured proving ground, our team of
spies shot the prototype of the future soft-roader, production cars
of which will again be built in Tuscaloosa / Alabama (USA), together
with the new GST which is a derivative of the next M-class.
Both new vehicles are due in the U.S. in late 2004 / early 2005 and will hit European and Asian shores in 2005. The additional GST-class brings production capacity from today's 80.000 units per year to 200.000. While the new M-class will remain the luxury 4x4 off-roader with perfect on-road capabilities, the so-called Grand Sport Tourer will be a super-luxury and huge Off-Roader/MPV crossover.
The new M-class and GST will both have unibody construction and no ladder frame. Computer-controlled air-suspension will be standard for the GST while it will be an option for the new M-class. The new SL's sophisticated brake-by-wire system, though, will be on board of both cars. While the new M-class will be a five-seater, the GST will feature three rows of seats.
Gasoline V6-engines with 3.0 or 3.6 litres (231/258 HP) as well as Common-Rail diesel V6s with 2.6 or 3.0 litres (190/218 HP) will be available from the start. A 5-litre V8 with 300 HP will be offered for both cars later, as well as a 5.5-litre V8 with 350 HP for the AMG-version. copyright Auto Express, UK
May 2002, Ward's Auto
Mercedes-Benz says the enormous Vision GST concept, first seen in
Detroit in January, isn't really suited to Europe's crowded conditions.
Instead, parent DaimlerChrysler AG is planning two different GSTs for
European and North American predilections.
The European model will be built on a shorter wheelbase but retain the
same design theme. The North American GST will see few changes from the
basic dimensions or style from the car shown in Detroit.
With three rows of seats, the longer North American GST can accommodate
up to seven passengers, while the European model offers a choice of four
individual seats or a more conventional bench seat to accommodate
five passengers and cavernous luggage space. Both are built on the
platform of the next-generation M-Class, Mercedes' U.S.-built SUV that's
set to generate three entirely different models.
Mr. Mercedes shows the butterfly doors (large pic).
Mercedes-Benz GST: Series Production in Tuscaloosa
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Production Launch Planned for the End of 2004
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Market Launch in the USA Coincides With the Production Launch
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Further Milestone in the Mercedes-Benz Product Offensive
STUTTGART, Germany and TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Aug. 27
DaimlerChrysler AG has announced it will produce the Mercedes-Benz Grand
Sports Tourer (GST) at its Tuscaloosa, Alabama (USA) factory.
Production launch is planned for the end of 2004. The company announced at a
Mercedes-Benz USA dealer meeting that the market launch will correspond
closely with the production launch.
A $600 million expansion is already underway at the Tuscaloosa plant, which currently produces the Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility vehicle. Construction for the expanded facility should be complete by early 2004. Professor Jürgen Hubbert, Board of Management Member of DaimlerChrysler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars & smart: "With the Grand Sports Tourer, DaimlerChrysler is systematically advancing its product offensive, while also defining a new and promising market segment in the premium market area. The GST establishes a new vehicle class that combines the features of various car concepts to form a new independent profile."
The "GST Vision" concept study was presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2002 and subsequently was further developed to the production standard in record time. The Mercedes- Benz GST will be launched in the United States to closely correspond with the production launch.
"With the Grand Sports Tourer, DaimlerChrysler will be continuing the success story of the Tuscaloosa site. The outstanding acceptance of the M-Class, which has been produced in Alabama since 1997, shows that we have developed an ideal market for the sport utility vehicle segment in the USA," said Dr.Joachim Schmidt, Head of Mercedes-Benz PC & smart Sales & Marketing, in justifying the choice of the location. "As a touring car, station wagon, large-capacity vehicle and sport utility vehicle rolled into one the Grand Sports Tourer is primarily geared to the needs of the North American market. However, we also see great potential for the Mercedes-Benz GST in Europe due to its high functionality and flexibility." text DaimlerChrysler
The GST will be produced on a new line adjacent to the existing M-Class. A total of 500 robots are to be installed, greatly increasing the flexibility, such that for example two different models can be manufactured simultaneously on one line. The present facility uses around 60 robots overall, 41 of them in the body shop. The two lines will share the new body shop, but will likely employ separate paint and assembly lines. A new state-of-the-art solitaire paint shop with 56 specialized painting robots spans across two floors.
DaimlerChrysler: GST concept
May 2002: Production to start second quarter 2004.
Mr. Hubbert explains:
"We will place new models within the existing product range. We have
enough free play. Our only restriction is that there won't be any other
Mercedes models below the A class and above the S class. In between
there is enough room. I could imagine that something like the Vision GST
could also be a size smaller."
Autoweek, May 13, 2002
Werk
The mid console lever shifts the gears.
Mr. Mercedes, Jürgen Hubbert at the controls.
22" wheels accentuate the wedge.
March 2002: Mercedes decided to build the GST.
Mercedes-Benz Vision GST Concept World Premier @ NAIAS
Prof. Jürgen Hubbert, January 7, 2002, Detroit
Vision GST
Mercedes-Benz at the 13th North American International Auto Show in Detroit: Exciting six-seater Mercedes Saloon study
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Vision of a "Grand Sports Tourer" for a new market segment
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Innovative concept for an unforgettable driving experience
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SBC, 4-ETS, AIRMATIC and the new safety system, PRE-SAFE
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265 kW/360 hp of power with V8 AMG engine
Stuttgart, Dec 27, 2001 At the North American International Auto Show in January 2002, Mercedes-Benz will yet again be underlining its role as an innovator and trend-setter among premium-segment car manufacturers. The Stuttgart-based brand will be presenting the exciting Vision GST design study in Detroit -- a study which embodies a totally new vehicle concept, designed to meet the changing requirements and wishes of today's customers.
The abbreviation GST stands for "Grand Sports Tourer" and describes an
original, new vehicle category which brings together features from
established car concepts, combining them to create a new, independent
profile: the Vision GST is Saloon, Estate, MPV and Sport Utility Vehicle
(SUV) in one -- but, above all, the study is a car with an unprecedented
feel which gives new meaning to the concept of long-distance driving
pleasure.
Elegant design with echoes of a sports car
The Vision GST is Mercedes-Benz's response to the frequently voiced demand for a stylish, active and technologically sophisticated car to suit every occasion -- for a car which offers plenty of space for the family, leisure equipment, travel needs or work, but at the same time delivers outstanding handling and supreme performance. In the design study these qualities are ensured by a sophisticated design, coupled with groundbreaking technological innovations from the Mercedes range and a high-performance, high-torque AMG engine.
The dynamic looks are dominated, above all, by the striking roof line, which links the A and C-pillars in a gentle curve. It emphasises the elongated silhouette of the vehicle study and indicates, in no uncertain terms, that under this spacious body-work beats a thoroughly sporty heart. The large, 22-inch wheels and the wedge-shaped side profile reinforce this impression.
At roof level, a large area of special electrochromic glass extends from the front windscreen to the rear, and the occupants can alter the tint at the touch of a button according to the intensity of the sun. Equally striking are the side windows of the design study: omitting the B-pillar has created a large area of glass, reinforcing the sporty appearance of the vehicle. Butterfly doors are a further highlight of the Mercedes study. They open is opposite directions, each at an angle of 90 degrees, offering unique ease of access and opening up new design possibilities for the interior.
Hand-crafted materials in the interior
Fine-quality, hand-crafted materials such as wood, leather and aluminium underline the exclusive feel of the interior of the Vision GST. A sophisticated lighting concept with a new type of illuminated strip in the roof liner, in the door panels and on the centre tunnel reinforces the luxurious atmosphere. There are comfortable, electrically adjustable individual seats for the driver, front passenger and the rear passengers, with an integral belt system. A third row of seats for two further passengers is also available in the rear, which means that the Vision GST can comfortably seat a total of six.
The eye-catching feature of the instrument panel is a centre console which appears to hover in mid-air. It consists of two aluminium panels and tinted glass and houses the colour screen, CD player, car radio and a large proportion of the control elements. The monitor belongs to the navigation system; it is controlled by a new type of software, which projects direction arrows, road maps and the graphic display elements onto the display with a three-dimensional effect. The blue, gleaming cockpit instruments also make use of this cutting-edge display technology. An entertainment system with a DVD player and video games is available for the rear passengers.
High-tech equipment with trailblazing Mercedes innovations
Beneath the bonnet of the Vision GST is a 265-kW/360-hp 5.5-litre V8 engine from Mercedes-AMG. Other technical highlights of the vehicle study include the electronically controlled 4-ETS four-wheel drive system used in the M-Class and G-Class, the AIRMATIC air suspension system and the new high-pressure brake system, Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC). The large brake discs are made from carbon-fibre-reinforced ceramics. Occupant protection is enhanced by the new safety system, PRE-SAFE, which detects the threat of a collision in advance and activates the belt tensioners before impact.
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