The Automobile And American Life
The new Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen, near Stuttgart, is simply the best auto museum I have gone to. In terms of the setting, the exhibits, the ambiance, it outstrips the Petersen in Los Angeles, and that is no mean feat! With a PCA membership card the entrance fee is only four Euros, and there is also a modest charge for parking in an adjacent parking garage. Like everything Porsche does, from making their cars to racing, it is done just right. There are varied opportunities to eat here, from a snack bar to a full sit-down restaurant. At the end of the visit I drove to the Mercedes Museum in nearby Cannstadt, although it took me far longer than I would have liked due to my poor map. The Mercedes Museum, in my opinion, is overly commercialized. Sure Porsche wants to sell you a car, but it seems that is all the Mercedes folks aim at doing. The Museum seems like mere gravy to them!
The Paris Motor Show doesn鈥檛 officially kick off until tomorrow, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped Mercedes from unveiling an assortment of new models at a special event in the city. Starting things off is the Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC which is designed to slot between the standard A-Class and the upcoming A45. Given its positioning, the model has a hot - but not too hot - turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 301 hp and 400 Nm of torque. The engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel drive system. This setup enables the hatchback to rocket from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds before hitting a limited top speed of 250 km/h. As part of the AMG makeover, the car has been equipped with a sportier front fascia which features a revised grille, a new splitter and small flics. The rear end has also been updated thanks to a new bumper, a distinctive diffuser and an AMG dual exhaust system.
Other highlights include a sports steering system, an AMG Ride Control suspension and 18-inch lightweight alloy wheels which are backed up by a high-performance braking system. While the A35 is certainly an interesting addition to the Mercedes lineup, crossovers were front and center at today鈥檚 event. The more interesting of the two was the electric EQC which will compete with the Audi E-Tron. Set to become Mercedes鈥?first mainstream electric vehicle, the EQC has two electric motor which are powered by an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This setup gives the crossover all-wheel drive and a combined output of 402 hp and 765 Nm of torque. In terms of performance, the EQC can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 180 km/h. The company also says the model will be able to travel more than 450 km on a single charge in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The other crossover at today鈥檚 event was the 2019 GLE. Set to battle the redesigned BMW X5, the GLE sports an evolutionary design which follows the company鈥檚 latest styling philosophy.
Larger and more luxurious than its predecessor, the GLE will be launched with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that produces 362 hp and 500 Nm of torque. The powertrain also has an EQ Boost function which can temporarily deliver an additional 21 hp and 250 Nm of torque. The engine is connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission which sends power to a 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. Besides the new powertrain, the GLE has an upscale interior with two 12.3-inch displays. The model also has a more spacious second row which can be equipped with segment exclusive six-way power seats. Last but not least, Smart showcased the Forease concept. Designed to pay tribute to the 2001 Crossblade and 2011 Forspeed concepts, the Forease is based on the EQ Fortwo Cabrio and features unique styling inside and out. Mercedes hasn鈥檛 released detailed specifications, but the electric concept likely has a 17.6 lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor that develops 80 hp and 160 Nm of torque. This should enable the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in approximately 11.8 seconds.
When it comes to German brand-name cars, they most decidedly are on the lips of every dedicated car lover at all times. After all, whether it is Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Opel etc. they all are well known for delivering world-class performance, huge comfort, great functionality, great luxury and great style. Also, these hallmark cars boast next-generation technology as well as a variety of incredible features and functionalities. So, taking a ride on these luxury branded Mercedes, BMW or any other similar car boasting German technology, you can show off in public with confidence. The levelheaded idea is to entrust your branded Mercedes car to licensed BMW service centre with full-fledged car mechanics who are assured to treat your car the ideal way. Fortunately, for residents of Essex and London particularly, the cities have authorised and premium car BMW servicing and repairing centres to ensure you get best satisfaction and pleasure. Not to mention, they offer premium quality services at reasonable price rates whilst the mechanics are licensed and factory trained with years of rich expertise and experience in providing service and repairs to these high-class and sophisticated cars. Also since customers are the August persons for them, so they naturally believe in maintaining transparency and honesty in terms of services and customer support they offer in order to maintaining long-lasting alliances. If you conduct research in your area, you will find various regular auto service centres most probably demanding hidden charges that are not listed on the receipt, which is a bolt from the blue for many end users. That means you cannot pin faith on the services of these spurious service providers for your BMW service maintenance that use specious tricks to woo customers and want to impress them by hook or by crook.