Southwest Star Magazine 2014 4th quarter

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The Southwest Star COVERING THE SOUTHWEST REGION OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLUB OF AMERICA VOLUME 2, NUMBER 4

Your cars, your events, and your stories

Page 1 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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11 14 - 24 28 34 42 48 52 56

63

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66 70 74 78 80 82 89 93 98 104

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The Southwest Star Covering the Southwest Region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America November 2014 Editor-In-Chief

Marcus Blair Fitzhugh



Managing Editor

VeeAnn Hegreberg



Creative Director

Karcy Bowles

Contributors Mercedes-Benz USA, Steve Ross, Peter Samaha, Mike Zonnefeld, Debbie Ichiyama, Tommy Alvarado, John McCully, Paul Bergstrom, Fred Simon, Joslyn Salisbury, Michael Cooper, Mercedes-Benz USA, Bud Cloninger, Dee Cloninger, Dave Coomber, Matthew Crawford, Laura Dykstra, Verna Eason, Fred Finney, Bob Gunthorp, Lynn Hearn, Mark Ichiyama, Paul Kruger, Diana Kruse, Carol Kruse-Ross, Lolita Machado, Chris Murray, Marlyn Ortiz, Carole Osselaer-Seiver, John and Roberta Phin, Fran Schoenfeld, Bob Scudder, Rod Stewart (yes, that Rod Stewart), Lana Tbilisi, Michael Turner, Beatrice Werner, Kevin Wright, Tina Wright, Tommy V’s and probably 14 other people we’ve forgotten. We apologize to anyone we’ve overlooked. Please send us a note. We’re digital and can correct it.

Southwest Region President - Steve Ross Channel Islands Section President – Peter Samaha www.mbcachannelislands.org ◊ Ventura-Santa Barbara Counties, California Chaparral Section , President - Mike Zonnefeld www.tucsonsmercedesclub.org ◊ Tucson, Arizona Desert Stars Section President – Debbie Ichiyama www.desertstars.mbca.org ◊ Phoenix, Arizona Las Vegas Section President - Tommy Alvarado www.mbca-lasvegas.org Las Vegas, Nevada Long Beach - South Bay President John McCully www.mbcalb-sb.com ◊ Long Beach and the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles Section President - Paul Bergstrom www.la-mbca.com ◊ Los Angeles, California Orange County Section President – Fred Simon www.mboc.info ◊ Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Orange, CA. San Diego Section President - Michael Cooper www.sandiego.mbca.org ◊ San Diego, California The Southwest Star Magazine is published quarterly by Fitzhugh Media and we welcome all contributions. Any and all items submitted to The Southwest Star Magazine will become the sole property of The Southwest Star Magazine and are subject, but not limited to editing, comments, and titles.

The Southwest Star Magazine is a trademark of Fitzhugh Media. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in part or in full - in print, by digital media, broadcast, or in any other manner without the express written permission of Fitzhugh Media. That said, permission is regularly given, so please, just ask first.

The publishers of The Southwest Star Magazine believe the content of the magazine to be reliable and correct at the time of publication. We do our best but no representation is made as to the accuracy hereof as this magazine is subject to errors and omissions. With that in mind, neither the publishers nor contributors can be held responsible for any effects arising from the content of The Southwest Star Magazine. This may include but is not limited to excessive time spent tinkering with, admiring, discussing, or dolling out money on Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The views expressed in The Southwest Star Magazine are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertising is accepted with the understanding that it is accurate and does not contravene the Trade Practices Act. Inclusion of an advertisement should not be construed as an endorsement by The Southwest Star Magazine, the publishers or contributors.

The Southwest Star Magazine is independent of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, its subsidiaries, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, all individual MBCA regions and the associated sections. Neither Fitzhugh Media nor The Southwest Star Magazine is responsible for any claims made by its advertisers or partners. In addition, neither Fitzhugh Media nor The Southwest Star Magazine is responsible for injuries, losses, or damages, to property or self.

All that said, feel free to contact Fitzhugh Media at Info@FitzhughMedia.com

Page 6 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

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Page 7 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

From the editor’s desk

E

arly in October, a webinar was held by the Customer Experience Professionals Association.

Ordinarily, this is the type of invitation that I ignore. However, the webinar was entitled

“Customer Experience from the C-Suite: Discussion with Steve Cannon”. For those that don’t know, Steve Cannon is the President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. Steve gets it.

He understands that we don’t buy his product because we have to.

We buy

Mercedes-Benz vehicles because we want to. We’re all familiar with the Mercedes-Benz slogan, “the best or nothing”. As a manufacturer, it means one thing, but to the customer base, it’s something else. Mercedes-Benz knows their customers want the best or we’re not buying anything from them.

By “the best” we mean more than just the car.

We also want the best buying

experience.

Purchasing a car can be compared to a meal at a restaurant. Would you eat at a restaurant that’s known for phenomenal food, but everything else is subpar? A place that’s questionably clean, in a bad part of town, with no ambience and a standoffish staff?

No.

When we eat at a nice

restaurant, we’re looking for more than simply filling an empty stomach. We can do that at home.

In the same way, we don’t buy a cars like these simply because we need a way to get from pointA to point-B. When thinking about dealers, keep in mind that Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is part of Daimler AG. MBUSA is responsible for the distribution and marketing of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the United States.

Although MBUSA can influence an individual dealership, with the exception of

Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan, MBUSA doesn’t “own” any dealerships. Individual dealerships can be viewed as restaurants that purchase their supplies from the same supplier.

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Like a restaurant, dealerships know customers are one bad experience away from never coming back. Further up the supply chain at MBUSA, Steve Cannon recognizes one bad dealer experience can ruin an entire sequence of potential future sales.

Customer Experience is the new marketing. It’s the most important thing we do. We have the most demanding customers on the planet.

Customer Experience better be at the top of your list when it comes to priorities in your organization.

- Steve Cannon, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA Steve didn’t leave it at “not having bad experiences”. He made it very clear what he feels is required.

Operational excellence is the ticket for entry. We need to eliminate the word satisfied from our vocabulary. Satisfied for me is vanilla.

We need to delight. We need to amaze. We need to provide extraordinary.

- Steve Cannon, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA Steve’s webinar message was to marketers interested in providing a “praiseworthy customer experience”. When you bought your last Mercedes, did the dealer provide a praiseworthy customer experience? I can honestly say, “Yes, they did”. If your last purchase wasn’t praise worthy and you’re in the market for another car, talk it over with fellow attendees at your next event. Find out what dealership your friends used and what they liked about it. Many of us have made multiple purchases and we don’t mind sharing information.

Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

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Page 10 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Regional Director’s Corner

A

lthough a bit late, here is a report on our Presidents/Section Leaders meeting held in Palm Spring May 31, 2014.

We had a very productive meeting according to the

attendees. Lisa Juhl our Director of Marketing and Laura Simonds our National Vice

president gave us very informative and useful information on our strategy to keep and gain members. Our region had members in attendance representing six of our eight sections. I noticed in the section newsletters that many of the initiatives have been covered there.

Based on my own experience, we are not making use of the assets available to us on our MBCA website. I very recently brought up a burning issue I had, only to be told that my issue had been addressed over a year ago and was on our website. Needless to say I felt like an idiot. I have since explored our website and discovered that every question I had was covered there! To access all the information you must first log on the MBCA website. Sometimes we forget that and become frustrated when we can’t find what we are looking for.

We have brought on a website administrator, Hauss Cartwright, to keep our website running smoothly. Bear in mind that no website is perfect but, in my opinion ours is pretty good. Some of the information available are; upcoming events throughout the USA and Canada, latest news about the club and Mercedes-Benz, businesses that offer discounts, special offers, and other breaking news pertaining to the MBCA. Several companies that offer us special treatment are Passport Automobile Transport, Sears, Chubb Auto Insurance and Medjet Assist to name a few.

You will find these under membership and click on benefits. In our resources section every bylaw and procedure is covered. One area in the resources section that all of us can use is the Turn Signals. This newsletter is distributed three times annually by your leadership committee. It is written by people who have had your job in the section and how they approached the issues and what worked for them and what did not. I strongly encourage all section officers and directors to log on and peruse some of these Turn Signals. I promise you will not be disappointed. Please give the website a try.

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Our election is coming up in October and I beg and encourage all of you to vote.

Read the

candidates statements and make a decision. I know it is not always easy to get to know someone in 300 words but you can always call them and get more input. Who we have serving on our national board is important! I am running unopposed for my fourth term as Regional Director. I will not be your Regional Director for life so please help me find my replacement.

Steve Ross

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Page 13 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Desert Stars Section’s President’s Desk

A

By Debbie Ichiyama

s the year draws to an end I would like to take time to thank everyone for all the work they do to make the Desert Stars the best it can be. We have an awesome group of people who work hard to ensure the success of the club.

This past September we held our annual Havasupai event with a coordinated effort form those amazing folks. I would like to give thanks to Roberta and John Phin for setting up the Go-Cart event and Dinner at Orange Sky on Saturday and to Bud Cloninger and Don Burton for the doing the Rallye on Sunday. Please see the articles and pictures in our newsletter about the event. Also, there will be more photos to view at the annual Holiday Party. Did I mention the Holiday Party? Hint hint . . . . . come to the Holiday Party!

Looking forward, we have some really great events coming up next year.

Can you believe, the 50th anniversary of the Havasupai Rallye is upon us?

Watch upcoming issues for details and dates.

I would like to give a special welcome to all of our new members who joined The Desert Stars family this past year. It has been great to see many new folks coming out to events and getting to meet them and know them is why we get together.

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful fall weather and taking advantage of being able to spend time outdoors.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday Season. Stay safe.

New Star Dust Section Members, “Welcome!”

Peter Jacomini, Tom Gregory, Michael Guzzo, Bob Hale, Barbara Lang, Emanuel Novac, Christopher Pagnini, Natalie Price, Philip Stephens, Kenneth Upchurch, Gilberto U Vargas, , Earl Zeig, and Reinhard Zorko.

More Than a Car | We’re a Community

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The Los Angeles Section President’s desk

H

i club members, Here we are at the end of 2014 and our club has enjoyed another great year of wonderful events. Your board members worked hard to give you an entertaining schedule and we

hope you’ve had a good time. I thank them for keeping the club moving forward. We’ve already started on the 2015 schedule and you’ll want to keep some spots available in your calendar.

Before we close the door on 2014, we’ve got three more events listed in the newsletter and on the website.

Our next event is a BIG ONE; the Holiday party at Lawry's Prime Rib Restaurant. This should be a fun gathering for club members and we look forward to a great meal. I am asking each attendee to bring a new unwrapped toy for a charity that is serving our community. I thank you in advance for your gift.

A big welcome for all the new club members. Thank you for choosing to spend time with the Los Angeles Section of The Mercedes Benz Club. In addition to our local members, I have seen a list of the other countries where the Southwest Star Magazine is read. I find it fascinating that people from 189 other countries, as well as 49 of the fifty states here in the U.S. have an interest in what’s going on in our club. With all these eyes on us, the pressure is on to host even bigger events in 2015. In addition to the Route 66 exhibit at the Gene Autry museum, for 2015 we’re planning a trip to Beverly Coachcraft, Newcomb’s Ranch, an open house at a local Mercedes-Benz dealer, and a well-known guest speaker at a local restaurant. That’s a good start to what we hope will be an event filled 2015. We’ll have more event information in the next newsletter!

Lastly, we have a club whose membership is filled with talented people and I would love to talk to any members who would like to get more involved. If you’d like to suggest and help plan an event, please, tell us about it.

This is your club and there are many positions available for those

who would like to help out.

As always enjoy your Mercedes Benz and I look forward to meet you at the future events.

Have a fun fall and safe driving

Paul Bergstrom President Mercedes Benz Club Los Angeles Section

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The Orange County Sections’s President’s Desk

H

ello members I am excited to be serving as president of this wonderful club. I hope to spread this

excitement to you. I think with the activities that we are planning for this coming year, many of you will share in my enthusiasm.

I want to invite all of you to our monthly breakfasts. This is where we will welcome new members by paying their tab and also we can share ideas in a relaxed atmosphere and keep everyone informed of the many events that are scheduled.

Please RSVP as soon as possible to our Christmas dinner. It will be on Sunday December 14th at The Catch in Anaheim.

Fred Simon We welcome our newest Orange County Section members – Ron Davino  Dave Bowers  Tracy Brown  David Crabtree  Gerald Crews  Stuart Flamm  Thomas Gross  Halcomb Hacker  David Heath  Chris Jun  Linda Klawitter  Maria Leggio  Elaine Maghet  Rashid Rahim  Scott Schweer  Earbin Stanciell  Ivan Trahan  John Trump  Mary Ellen Weglarz  Garrett Weston  Michael Wolfe  R J Ziccardi

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From the Desk of The San Diego Section President

By Michael Cooper

N

ow that the year is winding down, we reflect on all of the fun events and activities that we had in 2014. If you recall I mentioned at the beginning of the year that we were going to shake things up a little by planning events with a different flair than in years past. We

have added new events, new meeting locations, new themes and more laughs. Thank you to everybody that participated and helped make these changes possible. But we aren’t done yet! This month we will continue the momentum by going to Lips. (See the write up in this issue) We will then finish up the year with our December Holiday party. Let’s finish the year with a bang! Sign up now for these last events of the year.

Your Board of Directors are already planning some big new events for the upcoming year. If you would like to help with any upcoming event or be part of the success of the club, we welcome you to join us. Please contact any of the board members listed on the front page of this newsletter to get the inside scoop. We hope to see you at an upcoming event soon.

Thank you for the continuing support!

Michael Cooper President

New San Diego Section MBCA Members Mark Burnside  Chris Beucler ~ 2014 Airstream Interstate Donald Haynes ~ 2014 Airstream Interstate  Dot Koerner  Gary McIntire Brian Onbirbak  Durk Van Veen Timothy Yates ~ 2014 Airstream Interstate

A hearty welcome to all our new members.

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I

hope the summer months have been good to all. I must say this has been one of the most

humid summers I can remember. Hopefully, as we go into fall and winter, some of this moisture will linger and turn into some badly needed rain and snow here in sunny California.

It is with great pleasure that I report to you that Lonnie Estrella has joined our Board as the Membership Director. Lonnie and her husband Miguel will be a great asset to the Board. We welcome you to our section.

As you will see in the following pages, this year’s Glow and Show was the best ever. We had front row seats, and I mean not more than 30 yards away from hot air balloons inflating and glowing in the evening sky while tethered to the ground. It was quite a sight!

To all those members who entered their Mercedes and to those who came just to visit and enjoy the day thank you for your participation. As always, it is a pleasure to serve with such a wonderful Board and to enjoy with you those events that Tamara and I are able to attend.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Peter Samaha

It is always a pleasure when we can welcome new members to our club. This month I would like to extend a very special welcome to our newest members: Gregory Hansen of Camarillo and Debbie Soden, of Thousand Oaks

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The President’s Desk

W

e are back into our wonderful fall season and along with it some great driving weather.

Your board has been busy lining up some wonderful driving events for

this last quarter. Along with fun car shows, Rotary Club International show in October, a tour of the St. Anthony Monastery (outstanding) and lunch at Mt. Athos Cafe in Florence in November, and a delightful Christmas dinner in December.

Several Chaparral Section members drove to Albuquerque, NM for the International Balloon Fiesta in early October. The events are designed to enhance the driving pleasure of our Mercedes-Benz automobiles and member camaraderie. Check the events calendar for all the details.

Our annual meeting is in December and if you are interested in serving on the board, let us know as it is always refreshing to have new input and ideas for our club. Everyone is invited to join us at our monthly board meetings as well. We meet the second Thursday of each month at MercedesBenz of Tucson at 5:00 PM. By now you also should be aware of the discounts offered by Mercedes-Benz of Tucson, another benefit of our MBCA membership.

Come join all of our members who attend the events and share in a wonderful Mercedes-Benz owner camaraderie.

Happy summer and drive safe!

For the Chaparral Section, MBCA

Mike Zonnefeld President

New Chaparral Section Members

Robert Bergmann, Annette Lawing, Ron Sevier, Sherri Sevier, Richard Mundinger and Mark & Liz Roy

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Like money, we spend time. Unlike money, we can’t earn more of it. Every second that has preceded “right now” is gone. There are no refunds, exchanges, or rain checks, so time should be spent wisely. You’re reading a magazine with an events section. Like a prospectus, that section can assist you in investing your time. Some may choose to stay home and watch reruns on TV. There’s nothing wrong with TV, and for some, that may be a good return on their investment.

Others may choose to explore something new, mingle with people, and come away from the experience with fresh outlooks and new found colleagues.

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By Marcus Blair Fitzhugh Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz USA

W

ell, almost. You can’t pick up a new AMG GT at your local dealer today, but significant progress has been made. The GT made its world debut and is currently making the rounds

on the auto show circuit, so the wait is almost over. In very short order, you’ll be able to swing by the local Mercedes dealer and pick one up for about the same price as a Carrera S. No, that’s not a typo and I don’t mean the Turbo S or the GTS, but a regular Carrera S. That is, if anyone can consider a Carrera S “regular”. This tells us that although new GT sales will begin where the SLS sales end, the GT is not the SLS’ replacement – just as the SLS was not the SLR replacement.

The GT is the second sports car developed entirely in house by AMG and it has many design elements that stand out from the crowd.

It’s powered by a four liter, dual turbocharged V8 - with the turbos mounted in the V.

That means

the turbos sit where the intake manifold usually resides.

Those

that know a little about engine

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design will probably read that last bit three or four times.

And when they’ve

grasped what that means they’ll think, “If the exhaust manifolds are on the inside of the V, the intake must be on the outer banks of the engine . . . . . . which makes this the opposite of any V8 engine configuration I’ve ever seen.”

Mercedes-AMG calls this a “Hot Inside V” configuration and stuffing the turbos in there is going to make it VERY hot. From a technical standpoint, that was probably an objective. Without turning this into an article on the physics of turbocharging, all powertrain engineers want their turbo mounted as close to the exhaust port as possible. This allows the burning fuel / air mixture that continues to expand while the exhaust valve is open, to do so in the turbine housing.

Additional benefits include a

more compact engine design, better turbo response (lower spool time) and lower exhaust gas emissions. The reason other manufacturers haven’t done this are the technical

hurdles.

Apparently,

the

powertrain engineers at Mercedes-Benz have overcome these difficulties.

The

engine

block

is

aluminum

with

zirconium alloy four valve heads and a dry sump unit.

Dry sump oiling allows the

engine to sit 55mm lower than it would with a conventional oil pan. benefit

is

a

constant

supply

Another of

oil

regardless of the cornering forces, which in this car, can be substantial. Despite the technological advancements, AMG has kept the one man, one engine philosophy. Each AMG GT engine is still signed by the technician who assembled it.

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A design carryover from the SLS is the SPEEDSHIFT equipped seven speed dual clutch

transaxle.

Holding

the

package

together is a space frame that’s 90 percent aluminum. Speaking of aluminum, much of the

509 pound body

is

also

made

of

aluminum.

All of this has resulted in some blistering performance numbers. According to Mercedes-Benz, the GT runs a zero to sixty in 3.9 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 189 MPH.

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Zero to sixty in under 4 seconds is nothing new for AMG. The AMG CLS, E, SL, S, and even the E63 wagon can do a sub-4 sprint. However, the new GT is a sports car. It has braking and handling capabilities that make other AMGs almost appear mortal. We’ll follow up with a seat of the pants test of the GT in a future issue.

"With the new GT we are positioning Mercedes-AMG even more aggressively than to date as a dynamic sports car brand. With its technological substance, the Mercedes-AMG GT fulfils our high aspirations with regard to driving dynamics, agility and sportiness. The new GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG. The car is manufactured according to the motto 'Handcrafted By Racers' – which perfectly encapsulates our heritage and our spirit."

Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

Cars are expected to start arriving at dealers in early 2015. That’s when official prices will be announced and other sports car dealers will watch customers seriously consider changing marques.

Left to right, designo iridium silver mango and fire opal

AMG Solarbeam with the AMG Exterior Night package

Fire opal

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.

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When

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz USA

introduced at the 1996 Turin Motor Show, the SLK wowed us.

The compact roadster was just the right size and its folding metal hardtop was a leap ahead in convertible design. Folding

metal roofs are popular today, but when the SLK was introduced, convertible tops were fabric.

Prior to the SLK, the last large production folding metal roof was by Ford in the 1950’s. The SLK marked an end to the days of choosing between the security and quietness of solid roof or open air motoring.

In 1999, subtle body changes were made and the sport package was introduced. In 2001, major changes arrived. New bodywork, interior upgrades, the original five-speed manual gave way to a six speed, the price of a SLK230 fell by over $2K, and the first major performance improvement was introduced: the six cylinder.

Mercedes-Benz patiently waited until the new six was available before adding it to the SLK lineup.

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This V6 truly was “new”. While Mercedes-Benz had a long history of building high-tech V8 engines, the new 320 was the company's first family of production V6 engines.

In comparison to the prior inline six cylinder engine, the new V6 was a more compact design. This was important, because the old inline six didn’t fit. In addition to being a smaller package, the new six weighed less, had 40 percent lower emissions, was more economical, and cost less to manufacture.

Although not obvious when looking at the zero to sixty times, the SLK320 was much faster than the 230. The zero to sixty difference was only four tenths of a second. The real difference was its longer legs. The new SLK320 shaved a full two seconds off of the quarter mile time. Both cars could achieve their electronically limited 130 MPH top speed, but the SLK320 did so much

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sooner and with a great deal more ease than the SLK230. That’s not to say the SLK230 struggled to reach 130. In unrestricted European trim, the SLK230’s top speed was 148 MPH. With its true 150 MPH top speed, the SLK was a fast car. Then AMG got involved and recalibrated our “fast meter”.

At its west coast press intro, the product rep explained how the SLK32 differed from the standard SLK320. As usual, all AMG engines are hand assembled. Yet still, the hand built AMG 3.2 liter differed quite a bit from the standard 320. First, the engine’s bottom end was upgraded. The crankshaft, rods, pistons and oil pump were all replaced with AMG parts. The top side had an entirely new intake system. The SLK32 has a helical twin screw supercharger that produces 14.5 psi of boost. In addition to the supercharger, the SLK32 has AMG specific cams, valve springs, a high flow / low-back-pressure exhaust system, a reprogrammed engine computer, and a zillion other smaller bits.

BIG HORSEPOWER NUMBERS are always a goal at AMG, but the engineers were also told emission levels and fuel economy were large parts of the equasion. To meet those objectives,

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Teflon-coated helical rotors and an electromagnetic clutch that disengages the supercharger during low load conditions were used. The Teflon coating improves blower efficiency and the clutch simply uncouples the supercharger when it’s not needed.

V8 AMG Kompressor

Compressing air heats it, and hot intake air causes pinging, power drops, increased NOx emissions, and decreased fuel economy.

To avoid this issue, a liquid to air intercooler sits between the

cylinder banks and is connected to a separate, front mounted radiator.

The fruits of AMG’s labor was over 60% more horsepower (349 versus 215) and 50% more torque (332 versus 221) when compared to the standard SLK320. compulsory transmission upgrades. automatic.

With the increased power came

AMG’s answer was the SpeedShift equipped five-speed

These transmissions featured both hardware and software upgrades that allow

aggressive downshifts under hard braking, while restricting upshifts during high lateral g-force conditions. They also featured stronger internals and 35-percent quicker shift programming. This was the only transmission offered in the SLK32. Manual transmissions were offered in the SLK320 and SLK230, but that wasn’t an option with AMG. AMG is more than just the “big engine” division of Mercedes-Benz. All Mercedes-Benz vehicles are balanced performers and the SLK32 is no different.

These cars came with an AMG specific

suspension, matching wheel/tire packages, brakes, and appearance upgrades. The SLK32 looks lower because the stiffer, shorter springs lower it by an inch. The shorter stance is paired with AMG-spec shocks and thicker roll bars.

The wheels are twin spoke 17-inch AMG alloys that

measure 7.5 inches wide up front and 8.5 inches wide in the rear.

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The SLK32 bodywork has subtle styling changes. There is an AMG specific front air dam, side skirts, rear apron, a rear deck lid spoiler, and a few well-placed badges. The interior has contoured sport seats (many in two-tone leather), and an AMG specific instrument cluster.

When new, prices began at $55,565 for a 2002 model. They increased by $550 in 2003, and then went up another $55 in 2004. There were no major differences between the 2002 and 2004 R170 based SLK32. The new R171 based SLK replaced the R170 models in 2005. Those new AMG SLKs had 5.5 liter V8s, but that’s another topic for another article.

I drove a couple of SLK32s at the press intro. As soon as I heard the engine come to life, I knew it was going to be a bit different. That was my first experience with Mercedes’ new V6 Kompressor – and fortunately, it was on a race track. There is a deep rumble to the exhaust. The type of exhale that you’d expect from a hand built, supercharged V6. I knew the specs but I also knew that sometimes numbers lie. Flooring the accelerator as I left the pits answered any questions about forward velocity. The boosted six has V8 type torque, and it keeps pulling throughout the rev range. This is the kind of car that requires you to look in the distance, because that is where you’ll be in very short order.

Turn one, reinforced what earlier SLKs had taught me; that Mercedes-Benz can build cars that truly do handle. Turns three and four taught me the brakes and throttle are somehow linked. The electronic throttle routinely cutoff for a brief second when the brakes are touched while pretty deep on the gas.

Page 38 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The SLK 32 transmission is built for me. It acts just like a manual. As stated earlier, it doesn’t upshift in turns and it downshifts when I brake. Normal upshifts could be described as firm. With the loud pedal planted firmly on the carpet, it zips to redline and bangs the next gear without hesitation. In behaves a bit differently while in manual mode. It will upshift at WOT before redline.

I don’t know if it’s a tachometer calibration issue, but it definitely revs slightly higher in drive before going to the next gear. Does it really matter? Nope. This car runs from zero to sixty in 5 seconds and I found it best to do that with the car in drive. Ditto for the mid to high 13 second quarter mile passes.

If you’re considering one of these first generation SLKs, the SLK32 is somewhat rare, but they are all very good cars. R170 SLKs are at the stage where they’re old enough to stop depreciating, but still new enough to be repaired at any Mercedes-Benz dealer. As with any used car, I highly recommend a pre-purchase inspection. It’s always good to know what items need attention before the money changes hands. This wasn’t a cheap car when new and isn’t now. But then again, most things this good are rarely found on the bargain rack.

Page 39 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 40 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 41 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

I

n California, motor vehicle owners must get their cars smog certified every two years. There are a few exceptions to this rule; 1975 and older gasoline powered vehicles, 1997 and older diesels, electric vehicles, and some hybrids.

One year shy of celebrating its 30th anniversary, standard smog tests were replaced by BAR-OIS; a test that consists of a visual inspection (a formality to ensure the smog hardware is there) and a computerized test.

The new test was rolled out to many station in September of 2013 and beginning last January, all California Smog stations were required to stop using the existing BAR-97 equipment for newer car smog tests. BAR-97 was replaced with the new BAR-OIS system for all 2000 and newer vehicles.

This new system will perform the test through the vehicle's OBD2 port. No dyno and no sniffer (exhaust gas analyzer). If the ECU says you’re good, then you’re done.

This new system replaces the BAR97 Smog Check analyzer and dynamometer. According to the Bureau of Automotive Repairs (BAR), those two devices cost from $28,000 to $33,000 and require several thousand dollars of yearly maintenance. The new BAR-OIS system consists of a Data Acquisition Device (DAD), a bar code scanner, a common printer, and Internet connectivity. Since the Data Acquisition Device is nothing more than a Windows PC with smog test software, the hardware costs for your local smog shop just dropped to about $2,000. Not “by” $2,000 but “to” $2,000. The maintenance costs of the new system consist of software upgrades.

An OBD2 USB cable

The OBD2 port in your car

Page 42 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Here’s how it works: (1) The tech scans the bar code in your driver’s door jamb. (2) The bar code information is passed through the DAD, across the Internet to California’s Bureau of Automotive Repairs (the state smog guys). (3) The PC software instructs the tech where the vehicle’s on board diagnostics port (OBD2) is located. (4) The PC has a USB cable with a male OBD2 socket. That socket is plugged into the car’s female OBD2 socket. (5) The car is started and allowed to idle.

No exhaust analyzer is connected, it just idles. (6) The PC tests and reads the engine computer.

(7) If the engine computer passes all the tests, the State is notified via the web and you’re printed a copy of the smog certificate. The entire process including printing the certificate takes about 10 minutes.

The benefits are reduced test times and lower inspection costs. Honestly, you could do this from your garage at home.

Why read The Southwest Star Magazine?

The answer is as clear as the hood on a freshly detailed Mercedes: We cover your cars and your events And we’re free

Page 43 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

April 11-12, 2015 The Largest Porsche Event in the Southwest on Saturday The Largest SuperCar Event in the Southwest on Sunday

Page 44 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

At The Southwest Star we don’t have a classified section, but that doesn’t mean we’re opposed to ads. Event ads are free. Ads for goods and services are very reasonably priced.

Page 45 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

A picture is worth a thousand words and we’ve saved you a lot of reading

Page 46 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 47 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Ludwig’s Story

L

by Dave Coomber

udwig is my 1958 190SL that I found in 1977. I found Ludwig after spending the previous year learning, searching, reading, visiting auto dealers, and attending auctions around the U.S. Interestingly enough, after looking at cars around the US I finally found Ludwig only

10 miles from my home.

Ludwig’s history is interesting. He was originally delivered in Berlin to US Army Major Herman Bernstein. Coincidentally, 5 years later, I lived in Germany as a child. In 1959, Ludwig was shipped to Washington DC. Major Bernstein kept Ludwig for a few years before selling him to a university graduate student, Nelson Buck Robinson in 1966. Here we have another coincidence as this was 5 miles from where I lived while going to high school at the time. The graduate student and Ludwig moved to Harvard. Harvard is one mile from where I moved to attend college - down Mass Avenue at MIT. After a few months, Nelson decided his 6'3" frame wasn't compatible with a 190SL, so he sold the car. The next owner was Robert Pritsker, the chef and owner of the French restaurant Dodin-Bouffant in Boston. During the next five years, the chef drove Ludwig year round. This included trips in the snow and ice - and salt in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Eventually Ludwig was put up on blocks in the chef’s dirt-floor garage in Brookline, Massachusetts.

I bought Ludwig five years later, on March 10, 1977. What sealed the deal for me were the options fitted to the car: Becker Mexico radio, transverse jump seat and, best of all; the original 3 piece luggage set in the trunk.

I towed the very rusty, non-running Ludwig back to my one-car garage where I embarked on a personal restoration project. This involved many long hours of disassembly, but eventually Ludwig was brought back to life after I rebuilt and replaced a number of parts. During this time I found myself reading George Frebert’s MB, which were then called the Silver Star Restoration

Page 48 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

newsletters. I also took automotive body shop classes at a local vocational school in the evenings and bought many parts from sources around the world. This was long before the Internet and eBay. Back then a lot of postal correspondence and phone calls were involved. About this time I started taking Ludwig to Mercedes-Benz events in the Boston area.

In 1985, a job change resulted in my moving to the Washington, DC area. Knowing that I was in over my head, I had discussions with Rich Splaine at Precious Metal in Michigan about dealing with the underbody rust issues.

Rich made the trip to Massachusetts, and drove Ludwig back to

Michigan. While dealing with the rust, Rich restored the leather interior and top. After repainting the car in its original DB190 Graphite Gray, Rich brought the car back to my new home in Northern Virginia.

I

continued minor repairs and details as they came up, and visited a few east coast events as my schedule allowed.

In 1987 I took Ludwig to the Third National 190 SL Club meet. The event was held at the Valley Forge Hilton, where judges awarded Ludwig a score of 398 points out of 500. That event showed me what areas needed further attention and encouraged me to attend other meets.

While at these meets, I learned to judge and appreciate the finer details of the 190SL.

Page 49 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

In 1997, another job change resulted in a move from Virginia to San Diego. I used this as an opportunity to send the car back to Precious Metal. This time they addressed rust issues involving body panels, along with cosmetic and drive train work.

I've been retired for about three years now and have spent a great deal of time addressing many items.

I’ve rebuilt the brake system, replaced shifter bushings, fabricated the correct ground straps, added proper clamps, located 14" wheels and prepped them for new whitewalls, and restored my tool kit (I actually found a company that applies black oxide just a few miles away). I also added correct details like the original kick panels, under dash panels and padding, floor mats, and rejuvenated the leather interior. Locating parts and specialty trades has been challenging, but fun. I had a lot of drive train deterioration issues due to lack of use. All of that has been fixed and now Ludwig idles great, runs strong and is a pleasure to drive.

The work I had outsourced over the last 35 years amounted to just over a thousand hours and I probably have twice that in my own time. All the records are organized in two large notebooks and include ownership titles going back to 1959, with service records going back to 1966.

Now Ludwig gets the exercise he needs to stay healthy – topping out at about 2K miles in 2012 when my grandson, Naief, and I enjoyed touring before and after the 190SL Club’s National Convention near Sacramento. I was awarded First Prize in the concours event at that time and we enjoyed sights around Lake Tahoe, Yosemite Park and the gold country.

Page 50 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

1.

To participate in the raffle, you must be a member of the MBCA. Not a member? Join now!

2.

Already a member? You need to login here with your mbca.org username and password....

3.

Then you can buy a raffle ticket here.

4.

Print an official order form here.

Need help? Call the National Business office at 800.637.2360 (Monday-Thursday, 8 am - 4:30 pm or Friday, 8 am - 4 pm Mountain Time). Tickets are $50 each and there is no limit to the number of tickets you can buy. A minimum of 4,200 tickets MUST BE SOLD to award the Grand Prize. Buy your tickets today!

(Raffle void in Washington State & where prohibited by law) To purchase tickets by phone: Call the National Business office at 800.637.2360

Page 51 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

M

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

ercedes-Benz confirmed the Maybach is returning as the “Mercedes-Maybach”, specializing in ultra-luxury. Several Maybach S600s were on hand at the Los Angeles Auto Show’s November press launch. At the press conference, we were told the Maybach

is also on display at the 2014 Guangzhou Auto Show – which is currently underway in China.

The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is powered by the same twin-turbocharged six-liter V-12 that’s currently used in the Mercedes-Benz S600. With 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque on tap, the Mercedes-Maybach S600 can sprint to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat. In U.S. trim, the top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

The new Maybach is for those who want the precision of the S-Class, but prefer the exclusivity of

Page 52 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

a Maybach. That exclusivity means Maybach is not just a loaded S. It’s unique in a number of ways, but one that really stands out is the stretched wheelbase. The Maybach is 8.1 inches longer than an S, all of which benefits the rear passengers. This rear space is used for the standard equipment executive seats with reclining and massage functions. In addition, the passengers ride in the quietest cabin of any car currently in production.

Other Mercedes-Maybach indulgences are wood and chrome trim, shoulder height door panel leather, chrome-plated tweeter grilles, a fiber optic ambient lighting system, a unique perfume and a top-of-the-range Burmester 3D sound system.

Mercedes-Maybach S600 sales are scheduled to begin in April of next year.

At the show, a

Mercedes-Benz rep stressed that Mercedes-Maybach is not an equipment line, but a MercedesBenz sub-brand that will produce additional models – which we’ll report on as news is released.

Page 53 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 54 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 55 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

M or AMG. . . . . . . . . . . . the 3 or the 63

Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

Is it just me?

Admittedly I‘m biased, so it could be.

What are the other magazines saying?

Page 56 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

T

he last of the W204 based C63s are available, and some may be inclined to pick one up.

When the subject of purchasing a C63 comes up, BMW’s M3 has a tendency to become part of the conversation. They’re both German, both have V8s, and both are in the same

market segment. considered.

With so many similarities, it’s understandable that both cars should be

Being a Mercedes-Benz centric publication, the Southwest Star may not be an

unbiased source, so let’s take a look at what another publication said.

Some time ago, Automobile Magazine hired a hot shoe to spend a couple of hours shaking down a BMW M3 and a Mercedes-Benz C63 at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan.

After a couple of sessions in each car the driver said of the BMW, “It’s clear to me that, in the right hands, this is ultimately the more capable car”. Yes, the M3 offers adjustable dampers and has the ability to alter shift speeds in its seven speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. However, as the driver said - it would take the right hands to wring the potential performance out of the BMW. That brings to mind a question– Automobile Magazine hired the driver because he could drive. If he, a hired driver, can’t get the potential… latent… hypothetical performance to surface, is it possible that it doesn’t exist? Yes, I know. That may come across as a subtle dig at the M3.

Those may even be considered fighting words to the BMW faithful, but think about it: Potential means something is possible, but not yet actual. Latent means something has potential, but it’s not obvious or explicit.

Hypothetical is when something is assumed or thought to exist by

hypothesis, supposed, or conjecture. The problem is there were no “facts” to back up the claim of BMW’s M3 being an ultimate driving machine.

Which was actually faster on the track?

At a race track, comparing an M3 to a C63, the driver said “To me, it’s so unexpected that the Mercedes would sound better.” For some, the counterpoint is, “Sound, schmound, which one is faster?”

Of the M3 the driver said “That does not look like a $60,000 interior.” The counterpoint for that is, “He’s a driver, not an interior decorator. I don’t need a driver to tell me which interior looks better.”

However, Automobile Magazine said, “The Mercedes seats also provide better lateral

support than those in the M3, particularly from the bottom cushion bolsters”

Page 57 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The driver also said,

“I just felt more comfortable in the Mercedes, period. I would get more out of it faster.”

“If I had driven the M3 with a manual, would I change my mind? I don’t know, but even I will grudgingly admit that the Mercedes’ seven speed auto was very, very good.”

“If every day was a track day, I’d probably go with the M3 just because I’m fairly positive that, given time and familiarity with the limits of both, I could post a faster lap in the BMW. But in the real world, I just connected more with the C63 than I did with the M3, and while the Mercedes’ ultimate limits may be slightly lower in the hands of someone far more skilled, I enjoyed it immensely on the track.”

Sounds to me like the driver really wanted to like the BMW, but those pesky lap times kept getting in the way.

Page 58 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Eurotopia was launched in November of 2012 in Santa Monica, California.

It all began when a

couple of driving enthusiasts came together looking to share a drive through some of California's most scenic roads. Since these humble beginnings, we've held monthly events and continue to do so to this day. Today, Eurotopia is one of the fastest growing driving enthusiast groups in Southern California with 700 registered users. We have branched out to include more events like car rallies, shows, track days, go karting and more.

Why should you consider attending Eurotopia events? If you live in Southern California, enjoy driving events, and the company of like-minded enthusiasts, then the real question is “Why haven’t you attended a Eurotopia event?” The upcoming events are listed below.

Register now on www.eurotopian.com and receive future event notifications

November 29 the Little Tujunga Canyon Run

Page 59 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

MY TRIP TO MONTEREY AND THE MERCEDES LEGENDS SHOW AUGUST 2014

By Bob Gunthorp Photo courtesy Legends of the Autobahn

T

his year I decided to drive the latest addition to my collection (1965 300SE Long) to the Legends of The Autobahn Show. Unfortunately, right from the start my plan didn’t go well.

One thing was that I had a premonition that I would be involved in an accident in the car.

I was late on getting the car ready to go and it still needed alignment. Well, at the alignment shop their employee checked the alignment and parked the car. While he was handing me the keys a man started up a Tahoe as both of us were yelling at him as he proceeded back into the front of my car. I was able to get most of the damage repaired before leaving on the trip. The Tahoe driver did have insurance but his employer tried to keep me from turning in a claim. So I just called my friends at Hagerty Insurance and they took care of the claim for me. It looks like my premonition did come true.

Page 60 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Four of us met at the Rest stop near Camp Pendleton Tuesday morning to caravan to Monterey.

Gary Jarvis in his 2003 SL500, Steve Ross in a 560SL, Brian Kruse in a 190SL with me in my 1965 300SE Long. The trip went well until we hit LA traffic and I discovered an overheating problem with my car in traffic.

I had to abandon the caravan in downtown LA and let the engine

temperature cool down. Once I got through the LA the trip went OK. In Monterey we were joined by the other MBCA members from San Diego Jonathan & Janet White in their 1985 500SEL AMG, Carole Osselaer and Steve Seiver in a 1973 450SL, along with Michael Copper in a 1957 300SL Roadster. Carole Ross and Diana Kruse flew to Monterey after we arrived to join us. Michael and Gary did not enter their vehicles in the Concourse judging. Along with mine, there was another 1964 300SE Long in my class that had also just been restored. With only 1,546 of the 300SE Long vehicles produced, it was amazing to have two at the Legends show with both of them just having completed a restoration. In the judging both vehicles tied in points for first place.

When there is a point tie the judges use the clock’s operation for the tiebreaker.

Unfortunately, my clock worked too well and had gained about ten minutes and the other cars clock was right on time - so my car received the second place trophy. As a point of interest, last year at Legends my Coupe received the first place trophy because its clock worked and the second place cars clock did not.

Sunday the White’s and I went to the Monterey aquarium. I had never been to it before. We ended up spending 6 hours there. It is truly a world-class aquarium and well worth spending a day there.

Gary and I caravanned back together and other than the car over heating again on the “Grapevine” and in LA the trip back was just fine.

Page 61 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 62 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Lotus F1 Team will be powered by Mercedes-Benz in 2015

M

ercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains has announced a long-term agreement to supply the Lotus F1 Team with Mercedes-Benz Power Units. Mercedes-Benz Power Units will be available from the start of the 2015 season through the end of the current Power

Unit generation.

Mercedes-Benz Power Units will be supplied by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) based in Brixworth, UK. The Power Unit will use Fluid Technology Solutions developed by PETRONAS, the technology partner of Mercedes-Benz.

The Lotus F1 Team will continue to design and manufacture their own transmission at its Enstone base where work is already underway on the team’s 2015 E23 Hybrid.

Page 63 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Matthew Carter, CEO, Lotus F1 Team

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport------

Page 64 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 65 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Channel Islands’ July Glow and Show

By Verna Eason

H

ave you ever had a day that, when it ended, you felt it had been a “perfect day”? Our 3rd year of participation in the Santa Paula “Glow and Show” was one of those days. The weather was beautiful, our location on the show grounds was ideal and the participation

of our members was outstandin-g.

There were twelve cars entered for judging and twenty-two members who came to view all the cars and vintage trailers on display. A few of us even visited the petting zoo. (There is a little bit of the child in all of us regardless of our age!) The day gave everyone a chance to visit in a relaxed atmosphere. Needless to say; there was an abundance of food and beverages.

As evening approached, the preparations began for the “Glow” part of the day. Slowly, as darkness descended, the balloons started to rise upward, each seeming to glow brighter than the one before.

From our vantage point we could see the trademark Santa Paula Lemon as it floated above the orchards.

And so ended a memorable day.

Page 66 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 67 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 68 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 69 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

By Fred Finney

O

n Saturday, September 13, 2014, nine fine Mercedes-Benz automobiles and 16 MercedesBenz aficionados traveled north from Tucson headed for the small foothills town of Oracle, Arizona, and the Oracle Inn Steakhouse.

En route to our destination we traveled a curving

and

scenic

road

that

meandered

through rolling hills on the north side of the Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest.

The Steakhouse is renowned, featuring a menu of genuine German cuisine the second weekend of each month, and everyone took advantage of this to feast on a selection of sauerbraten, wienerschnitzel, spaetzle, German potato salad, and of course, the ever popular apple strudel.

Page 70 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The town of Oracle, AZ, is named after its first mine, and indirectly, after a ship and includes some rather eclectic lodging facilities. Situated along American Avenue is the Chalet Village Motel…

Congratulations and THANK YOU to our members who made their first Dine & Drive with the Chaparral Section… Ron Sevier & Sherri Sevier. WELCOME!

Page 71 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 72 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

The Las Vegas Oktoberfest

T

here was a huge turnout for the 2014 Oktoberfest in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of the MBCA Las Vegas Section. Plenty of food, good camaraderie, abundance of sunshine outside and a silent auction inside; which proved to be very successful for the treasury.

A big THANK YOU goes to all volunteers who set up the tables, prepared wonderful dishes and of course SPECIAL THANKS to our own Grillmeister George De Grella. All had a good time.

Page 73 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

San Diego’s August Day At The Races

I

t was another fun event at the Del Mar Race Track. A gathering of 40 members from the San Diego and Orange County Sections met at Milton’s Deli for a bite to eat, some raffle drawings and a few laughs. We then went over to the Del Mar Race Track for an afternoon of fun,

comradery, a few drinks and little betting on the horses. Hoehn Mercedes in Carlsbad sponsored some great raffle prizes.

A special thank you goes out to the Orange County Section members that joined us for this event.

Page 74 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 75 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 76 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

At The Southwest Star Magazine, we’re always on the lookout for your cars and your events.

For your cars, were covering every model Mercedes-Benz we can find – both new and old. The southwest region is swimming in events - MBCA, joint events with PCA, and now our newest friend of the Benz: Eurotopian. What else can we do to get and keep your attention? Race coverage?

We’ve got it. Mercedes is running away with F1. We’ve also got a friend from SoCal, Kevin Ehrlich, who flew to Germany and covered this year’s 24 hour Nürburgring.

Fashion? Lifestyle? Technical articles? Yes, yes, and yes.

Did I mention the magazine is free?

Page 77 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One and

HUGO BOSS

T

he MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team announced a new partnership with HUGO BOSS. The new agreement is effective January 1, 2015.

HUGO BOSS, a market leader in the upper premium and luxury global apparel market, becomes a Team Partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, and the team’s Official Supplier of Lifestyle and Formal Wear Clothing.

With Mercedes-Benz and HUGO BOSS formally ramping up their existing cooperation earlier this year, extending the partnership into Mercedes’ Formula One team was a logical progression. A long-standing supporter of Formula One and motorsport, HUGO BOSS has vast experience in sport and lifestyle sponsorship, where Mercedes-Benz is also active.

HUGO BOSS will create high-performance team wear for Mercedes AMG Petronas for use at

Page 78 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

the Formula One race tracks and the team’s headquarters. This new HUGO BOSS branding will be featured on both the 2015 Silver Arrows cars and trackside. HUGO BOSS will also develop a ‘BOSS for Mercedes-Benz Collection’, inspired by the Formula One team. This collection will be available biannually and feature high-end menswear fashion.

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

Gerd von Podewils, Senior Vice President Global Communications, Hugo Boss

Page 79 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

by Bob Scudder

I

f you have a 107 body SL (350/450/380/560 U. S. versions plus other European versions, e.g. 280SL), you may have noticed that the hardtop tends to collect

dirt and other foreign matter inside the rear window and below the shelf in back. If you've tried to clean this area you know that it is impossible to do. I'd challenge anyone to successfully clean this area with the top installed. The designer, however, was not all that diabolical. The area can be cleaned by using the following procedures: 1. Remove the hardtop from the car and place it on the floor on a large, thick blanket or thick carpet.

2. Carefully turn the hardtop upside down by lifting it from the back and rotating it over the front.

One person can do this but two people are safer.

3. With the top in this position situate yourself at the back of the inverted top. You will notice a number of pan-head Phillips screws that hold the vinyl covered foam backed shelves in place.

Remove all of these screws.

4. The center (larger) tray or shelf must now be carefully removed. Using both hands, carefully pry the tray loose, starting first at one end then working on the other end. The ends of this center piece contain small tabs that fit under the side pieces so be sure not to force anything.

To remove this tray you need to release first one end then the other – try moving the tray backwards (toward the window) rather than forward. This will allow the small end tabs to be released from the side pieces.

Page 80 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

5. After removal, carefully place the tray in a safe place for cleaning.

6. Reverse the procedure in step 2 (turn the top back to its right-side-up position).

7. Tilt the top forward so that you have access to the area to be cleaned.

8. (you'll need flexible wrists for this - dentists should have no problem) you can now proceed to clean the area that's long been neglected. Start with a toothbrush and upholstery cleaner then graduate to Q-tips for fine detail. If the area is heavily soiled or stained, we recommend the use of a solvent called "Pre-Cleano" available at automotive paint and body shop s. It will remove the heaviest of crud yet will not harm the vinyl , if carefully used. Another good cleaner is NAPA’s carpet and upholstery foam cleaner (blue can.)

9. Before you're finished be sure to clean the inside of the rear window glass since you've probably gotten it dirty in the process.

10.Clean the tray you removed in step 4 and replace it using the reverse process. Be careful placing the tabs back under the side pieces – the secret is to not bend anything too much.

Replacing the tray is easier than removing it. When properly aligned, you'll easily be able to replace the Phillips screws.

Enjoy your "new" hardtop. Without really knowing why, your friends will comment on how clean you SL is!

Page 81 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

A

By Lolita Machado

ugust 29th through 31st there was a National Event entitled "Mountains, Movies and Mercedes". With Bob Burke as my co-driver, we drove my Mercedes Benz GLK 350 to Colorado Springs, Colorado to attend. We made a 13 hour of drive that covered almost

900 miles to arrive by 4:30 PM. We checked in at Hampton Inn Air Force Academy where 45 rooms were blocked off for Mercedes-Benz club members coming from Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and even a couple from New Zealand. 32 Mercedes-Benz vehicles and 64 club members attended the Labor Day weekend event. Friday night, August 29 at 7 PM was the opening day gala reception at the Colorado Springs Mercedes-Benz dealership. There we met our fellow participants, who were savoring heavy hors d'oeuvres, adult beverages and enjoying the camaraderie.

On Saturday at 7:30 AM, we met our event HQ host Dan and Cheryl Kerbs at their 2-acre house for breakfast. This was followed by a scenic drive / guided tour to the "Garden of the Gods", which is the most spectacular spot in Colorado Springs. At 9:30 AM we caravanned to the Pike's Peak summit, 14,110 feet above sea level, where the Rangers reserved our star cars parking corral. I felt dizzy when we reached the summit, but the world famous Pike's Peak donuts took care of that.

Going downhill at Glen Cove, we had a brake check contest, followed by 1 PM picnic lunch halfway down on the Peak picnic grounds. At 3:30 PM we met again at the Broadmore Hotel. We then gathered across the street at the El Pomar Carriage House Museum for a tour. This was followed by dinner at the iconic English Pub Golden Bee at 5 PM.

Page 82 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Sunday began at 7 AM, when we met at the Mountain Vista Community School for a Hot Air Balloon breakfast. From there we saw many brilliantly colored balloons launching from a nearby park.

Afterwards we spent some free time shopping at Burlington mall. At 2 pm we rendezvous at the Colorado Springs airport.

There we lined up our star cars at the

airport valet parking in the Departure area.

Inside we sampled

assorted beers, drinks and water to quench our thirsts.

Every driver received a package of instruction CDs, clues and hints for a theme based rally referring to the mystery of our drive-in movie title.

We drove all over Colorado Springs, followed the routes to

answer questions provided on the written instructions, and ended up at the event rally terminus headquarters by 5 PM for a barbecue dinner. Dinner was catered by Famous Dave’s, where each of us had to cook our own barbecue steaks. Prizes were awarded to rally winners during dinner.

Dusk arrived around 8:30 PM, and we lined up our star cars in front of the gigantic screen (one side of a 15 ton cargo truck painted white) for a drive-in movie, which we all guessed the title - "Knight and Day" with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. We tuned in our car radios to the proper frequency for the soundtrack.

There was a drive-in movie concession stand of popcorn, Twizzlers, sodas and water.

The event

ended by 10:30 PM, everyone said their good byes, and we headed to our hotels. Along with the other out of town participant, we checked out the next morning and headed home. Our return trip was a 13 hours at high speed via 1-70 switchbacks through Western Colorado Ski Resorts. Then Utah via a short detour drive to Bryce Canyon in late afternoon and a challenging pitch dark night driving on Zion Park zigzagging road and switch backs to 1-15 to Las Vegas, NV.

Page 83 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 84 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 85 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

L

ast issue we told you about Gunther Holtorf and his prized G-Wagon; Otto. At that time, Gunther and Otto were on the last leg of their epic journey and a number of you have asked how it all ended.

As a recap; in 1990, Gunther, his late wife Christine, and Otto set out on a leisurely drive across Africa. That turned into the mother of all road trips, lasting 24 years and covering 556,000 miles.

How far is 556,000 miles? If you drove from Beverly Hills to the moon and back, then made another

Page 86 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

fourteen round trips from Beverly Hills to New York City, you’d just about cover that distance.

The final leg of the trip was a success. In all, they crossed 215 countries, endured temperatures as low as -15 and as high as 122, and did it all in an 88 horsepower diesel G-Wagon Now that the trip is complete, Otto has been sold to Mercedes-Benz and will go on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

Page 87 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 88 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

W

e both want to thank all who were at the Club’s 25th (Silver) Anniversary. We were humbled and honored to be remembered as Founders of our Las Vegas Mercedes Benz Club - 25 years ago. We started with 6 of us and because of you, look how we have grown.

Thanks also for the gift certificate to the “Bootlegger Restaurant”, it brings back more fond memories as we also had some special times there as a club.

The day was even more special, as we as a club celebrated Oktoberfest in fine style!! Keep our club growing, and let’s plan on a 30th.

Fondly, Ty and Mercedes Hilbrecht

Page 89 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 90 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Club President Tommy handing over Benz car keys to VA Commander

Two VA Commanders shared photo with Tommy Alvarado and Lolita Machado.

Page 91 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 92 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

O

by Paul Kruger ur Club had a well-attended annual Tech Session which was held in Fletcher Jones Training Room.

First pizza and refreshments were made available. Then, Shop Foreman Van Larrison gave a very informative presentation about the newest developments in Mercedes Benz vehicles and answered several questions posed by our club members regarding their personal cars.

Afterwards, Van offered and gave a close-up tour of their Maintenance and Repair Shop to those who were interested.

While there, Van continued to answer questions while pointing out

the

routine

importance

of

proper

maintenance,

and

unfortunately, some of the very costly repairs that can occur when vehicles have not been maintained in good running condition.

Thank you, Van and let’s make this an annual event.

Page 93 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg drive for Mercedes AMG Petronas. Anyone who follows F1 knows this team has dominated the 2014 season. Winning 13 of the first 16 races, Mercedes AMG locked up the World Constructor’s Championship three races ago. Mercedes AMG currently has 651 Constructor’s points, while the second place team has 373.

All that’s left to decide is the World Driver’s Championship.

The Southwest Star is going to press two days before the Formula One showdown occurs in Abu Dhabi.

Currently, eighteen races are in the books. Lewis Hamilton won 10 races and Nico Rosberg won 5. Today, Lewis Hamilton leads F1 with 334 points. Nico Rosberg is in second place with 317 points. The third place driver is over 100 points behind Rosberg. This weekend, if Hamilton finishes first or second, he will take the drivers' title. If Rosberg wins the race and Hamilton finishes second, Hamilton will win the title. At the Southwest Star we’re pulling for a Mercedes AMG Petronas 1-2 podium finish. By a nose.

Page 94 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 95 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Las Vegas: The Tri Star Story

By Norman Ty Hilbrecht

I

was asked, on the occasion of the Club’s

25th Anniversary, to do a short article for the current Tri Star. My assignment arose

from the fact that I served as the first editor of our Tri Star from Volume 1 No. 1, published on June 6, 1991 through Volume 8 No. 6, published in November of 1998. Beginning in January of 1999 the publication of our Tri Star was assigned to the very competent hands of Marty Dowling, who continued as editor until our current super star Brigitte Sutherly, took over. Reviewing some of the early issues of our Tri Star reminded me of some of the club’s early history. Although the club was not formally chartered until later, the Las Vegas Section was active in early 1991. Reading some of the matters reported in Volume 1, No. 1 of the Tri Star, shows that the interests of members then were not significantly different than they are today.

For example, the Editorial of the first edition of the Tri Star reported the Boards consideration of proposed activities for the coming year. The matter was reported as follows: The highpoint of the June 4 Board Meeting was the report of Jerry Muench’s Membership / Activities Committee. Jerry and members Ed Castle and Boo Campbell complied a formidable list of members (and would be members) to recommend to round out the club’s 1991 season.

One of those suggestions was to hold a monthly Brunch meeting where members (and prospective members) can enjoy a leisurely get together to discuss club goal, activities and projects. The board liked this one so much, they decided to start at once.

Clearly, the only way to present the flavor of all the early editions of the Tri Star is to make them available for members to peruse. With this in mind, I have prepared two copies of every issue published by the club while I was editor, so the membership can learn about our sometimes colorful history. We will make them available at the anniversary party and turn them over to the club for its use.

Page 96 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 97 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Desert StarS In The Mirror: Havasupai Rallye

By John and Roberta Phin, and Bud Cloninger

T

he Desert Stars premier event of the year was just that – well attended events,

great

participation

and

camaraderie, some friendly competition, but mostly just good folks enjoying the spirit of motoring and the beauty of our environment.

We started the weekend with our speed event on Saturday afternoon. Octane Raceway Go Carts provided us with a great way to put the pedal-to-the-metal and zip around a well-designed course with curves and tight turns and just a little bit of bumping as the “fast kids” outpaced some of the more cautious drivers. We had a “baker’s dozen” of racers, including several women enjoying the thrill of the competition. Many of our members raced the course twice; one heat to get the feel of the track and then the second time to compete for the great prizes awarded the winners. Everyone got out of their go-cart with a big grin and a declaration of “that was FUN!” Our top driver was Matt Crawford, who showed up with his own racing gear, and then demonstrated how the race should be run. Close on Matt’s bumper in second place was Ron Borino, followed closely by Ken Borowitz in third place. Many vowed to return for a repeat challenge and to enjoy the well designed and managed go cart facility.

On Saturday evening a large group of Desert Stars members met for dinner at the Orange Sky Restaurant at the top of the Talking Stick Resort and Casino. The dining room is large, open, and has floor to ceiling windows that allowed us to watch the beauty of the Phoenix sunset and the

Page 98 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

rising of the night starlight. Orange Sky delivered excellent food and service, and after dinner we awarded those aforementioned great prizes to our day’s race winners. It was a full and fun day for all.

The actual Rallye on Sunday had a little different twist to it than what we’ve known in the past. Rallye masters Don Burton and Bud Cloninger laid out a photo rallye and scavenger hunt that kicked off at Schumacher Mercedes-Benz, and spanned the length of Scottsdale. Unlike the more conventional rallyes, participants were to bring a digital camera without knowing why, and then received turn-by-turn instructions as to where they were going. Imagine that, no guessing at what direction to turn, or where to stop. And with everyone equipped with a camera, that’s when things got interesting. They were only given a hint as to what to photograph when they arrived at each of their ten destinations. And it was their job to bring a photo from each stop back to the rallye masters, knowing how they were to be scored. One point awarded for the correct photo. Two points if you were both in the photo (selfie). Three points if you are touching the object in the photo. Four points if your complete bodies are in the photo touching the object.

Page 99 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

As no one brought a tripod along, the rules and point scoring requirements made for some very interesting photos! With the rallye completed everyone meet at Mark and Debbie Ichiyama’s for an authentic Hawaiian Luau. After Dinner and scoring was completed Ron and Rhonda Borino were awarded First Place. John and Roberta Phin came in a close second place. Matt Crawford and Arnie Brown made it into third place. A special mention must be made for Cary and Kathy Hobson. They took the Photo of the Saguaro Cactus with the most arms. With over forty members attending the Luau, I really want to thank Mark and Debbie Ichiyama for opening their home and hosting the Luau.

We would also like to thank Rebecca Crawford and Dee

Cloninger for lending a helping hand at the Luau. We are all looking forward to the next one!

Page 100 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Y

es, plural - first to Lake Mead for a Sunday Brunch, on the Desert Princess in September, and then on to one to Mexico in October. What’s on the schedule for next year???

Page 101 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Go, California Chrome, Go! Best wishes for the Triple Crown!

Anyone can frame a photo, but commissioning a piece of fine art elevates even an iPhone photo to a heightened level of intensity.

Artist Jane Roberts captures the essence and energy of everything she paints, adding color and dimensionality that bring her subjects to life.

These one of-a-kind pieces become heirlooms that can be enjoyed for generations or simply cherished every day.

Jane helps you celebrate what you love, be it a boat, a pet, or a Triple Crown contender.

Contact the artist at Jane@JaneRobertsArt.com .

View samples at www.JaneRobertsArt.com

Page 102 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 103 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 104 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 105 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

If you would like to attend an event listed here, please be sure to contact the event coordinator of the hosting section.

This is important as many events

require an RSVP so we can know how many people to expect. Also, additional details may be available at the hosting section’s website.

Join EUROTOPIAN for the Little Tujunga Canyon Rd Saturday November 29th At 8AM, we’re meeting at VIBE Motorsports: 10923 Randall St, Los Angeles, CA 91352 and departing for a 75-80 mile run. Lunch will be at SP Engineering: 424 Turnbull Canyon Rd, City of Industry, CA 91745. Things to bring: Sunglasses & Water. Things to do the day before: 1) Fillup gas tank. 2) Check your tire tread/pressure. 3) Check your brake fluid/pads/rotors. 4) Check coolant/oil levels.

Read more at http://eurotopian.com/thread/864/group-drive-little-tujunga-

canyon

Page 106 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Join the Los Angeles Section for their Annual Holiday Party at Lawry’s The Prime Rib Restaurant Saturday December 6, 2014 –

The festivities will begin at noon and the price is $40 per person. Think about what we’re offering – a full dinner, in Beverly Hills, with the Mercedes-Benz Club of America.

How can you possibly

miss this event? Details are at the Los Angeles Section website www.la-mbca.com. If possible, we will ask that you bring an unwrapped toy for a local charity serving our community.

Join the Chaparral Section for their Holiday Party at the Mountain Oyster Club Saturday December 6, 2014 – Come out and join your fellow Chaparral Section members for an evening of fun, frivolity, food and friendship as Chaparral Section members Ed and Barbara Gladish have again agreed to host the Chaparral Section and enjoy the warmth and Southwestern hospitality of the Mountain Oyster Club. President Mike Zonnefeld will conduct a brief business meeting which will include electing members of the Board of Directors for 2015. Additional information will be sent to the Chaparral Section membership as the date for the party approaches.

Contact: Fred Finney, fvfinney@comcast.com.

Page 107 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Join the Desert Stars Section for Holiday Party Time Sunday December 7, 2014 – Here we are ladies and gentlemen. There are only so many shopping days left until Christmas is here. Hanukkah starts before that and New Year’s plans are just about set. So do you know what that means?

It’s time for the Desert Stars Annual Holiday Party Luncheon with the always

important Member Anniversary recognition celebration (see page 4). It is time to reflect back on 2014 as we spend time with friends and fellow members catch up, and welcome in the spirit of the holidays.

We have a treat this year! Mr. Zoran Klisara, owner of Tommy V’s Urban Kitchen and Bar, has offered to open his restaurant exclusively for the Desert Stars for our annual party. Normally they do not open until 4pm on Sundays, however for us they are opening at lunchtime so we may celebrate. We will have the whole place to ourselves, with a private bartender and a specialized menu for our enjoyment. Tommy V’s is located in the heart of downtown Scottsdale with its own parking lot right in front of the restaurant. So there is no need to hunt for parking spaces in Old Town. In fact, the location of the restaurant is perfectly suited for an afternoon of holiday shopping after lunch. Nearby are all of the local Western and Arizona themed stores for you to pick up a gift or two for friends and family.

Make this holiday season a special one by joining your Mercedes-Benz club for an always enjoyable lunch. Anniversary celebrants must attend to receive your recognition pins (or you need a really good excuse for not being there!) So we want to see you! Oh, don’t forget we are collecting for Toys for Tots so please bring an un-wrapped gift!

Tommy V’s Urban Kitchen and Bar

7303 E Indian School Road

Las Vegas Section’s Holiday Party Wednesday, December 10, 2014 Join us at the Spanish Trail Country Club for our annual holiday party. Cocktail hour is from 6pm until 7pm with tray passed Hors D’Oeuvres (No Host Bar). Dinner will be served at 7pm. The Spanish Trail Country Club is located at 5050 Spanish Trail Lane, Las Vegas 89113. The phone number is 702-364-5050

Page 108 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Join the Chaparral Section at the Cars and Coffee & Toys for Tots Benefit Saturday December 13, 2014 –

This year, the Chaparral Section and Tucson Cars & Coffee are hosting the Toys for Tots Benefit as a joint effort to help out this very worthwhile charity event. The location for the event is the normal Tucson Cars & Coffee location at the AJ’s Fine Foods parking lot at the NW corner of N. Campbell Avenue and E. Skyline Dr. (https://www.facebook.com/TucsonCarsandCoffee).

Stay

tuned to the Chaparral Section website (http://tucsonsmercedesclub.org/) for more information as the event date approaches.

Contact: Lynn Davison, crackerdog@cox.net.

Free on Friday December 12? Join the LA Section at the Euro Car Meet!

The 1st Euro Car Meet Up was held back in June and it was GREAT. Many have been asking when the 2nd meet will be held . . . so clear your schedule & save the date, FRIDAY DECEMBER 12TH! Everyone is welcome and the price is free!

Page 109 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 110 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

San Diego Section’s Christmas / Holiday Party Sunday, December 14, 2014

The Christmas/Holiday party this year will be held at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo, the same place we went to last year. The reviews we received were very positive so we decided to return. Plans are in the works to make this year’s party much more exciting, so mark your calendar and we will see you at the club.

The Los Angeles Section’s Gene Autry Museum Tour Saturday January 3, 2015

On Saturday January 3rd we're headed to the Gene Autry Museum where the main exhibit will be Route 66: The Road and the Romance.

Connecting Chicago to Los Angeles, the 2,400-mile-long Route 66 highway was a witness to history and a symbol for America on the move. The Route 66 Exhibit covers the iconic road from its inception in 1926, through the drama of the Great Depression, to its heyday as a travel destination

Page 111 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

and the route's eventual displacement by the Interstate Highway System. The exhibition concludes with a contemporary look at the road and the movement for its preservation.

In addition to Route 66, there's the rest of the museum! The Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum features much of Mr. Autry's collection of Western art and memorabilia. The museum's mission is to present the unique and diverse perspectives of the American West, including the romanticized West in pop culture and the "real" nuanced history.

We're meeting in front of the museum at 9:45 AM and entering at 10. The club rate is $5 per person, which is half price. The Autry is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462.

Join the Los Angeles Section as we head to Newcomb’s Ranch in Angeles Crest Sunday February 8, 2015

Established in 1939 and at an elevation of 5,400 feet, Newcomb's Ranch is a renowned historical restaurant nestled in the Angeles National Forest. It is the only private property along the Angeles Crest Highway and is very popular with motoring enthusiasts.

We'll meet in Pasadena at 9:30 AM in the Ralphs' parking lot at 160 N Lake Avenue. There is a Starbucks inside where we will gather. We'll head out at 10:00 AM. Lunch @ 11:30AM (no host lunch - everyone will be pay separately) RSVP by February 5th with Tina Wright by email.

Page 112 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Maps are at the LA Section Website. **important item: you must have a full tank of gas there is no gas available once we

are on Angeles Crest. **

The Desert Stars Section’s Mercedes-Benz Enthusiast Dinner Saturday January 17, 2015 The holiday season is imminent, and after the turkey, the candles, the presents, or whatever else you may plan to celebrate the season, after all that the real fun begins. The AUCTIONS!! January brings the beautiful cars with the stunning prices or unbelievable bargains, and so much eye carcandy that many dazed auction attendees are seen wandering the desert for days. So how do the Desert Stars celebrate the Auction-mania? We get some beautiful cars to gawk at and we eat a great meal together and enjoy the fellowship of the group. And we add a sprinkling of information provided by classic and collector car experts. We will gather this year at Maggiano’s, 16405 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ for a family style meal in a “room with a view”. The view will be of cars provided by Schumacher European, and perhaps a few of our own classic treasures.

Join us at 5:30 PM on Saturday Jan 17. The dinner includes two appetizers, two salads, two pasta dishes, two entrees, and two desserts, plus Ciabatta Rolls, coffee, hot or cold tea, and sodas, all for $55 per person. The registration form is included in this newsletter and we require your paid registration by Jan 8, 2015. Call John and Roberta Phin at 480-272-8851 for more information.

John and Roberta will make the arrangements at Maggiano’s; please do not call the restaurant.

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Desert Stars Section’s Poker Run Saturday February 21, 2015 Desert Stars members love the Poker Run! It is one of our very best attended events each year, and that is a good thing since the Poker Run organizers put quite a bit of effort and creativity into its’ design and implementation. We are fortunate to have Susan and Harman Cadis planning the event again this year. They promise something very different from last year – just to ensure new sights and venues for us to explore as a club. The event is to be run on Saturday Feb 21, 2015.

There will be more event specifics and registration information provided in the next newsletter; for now all we ask is that you mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE!!

Page 113 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Arizona Concours d'Elegance: Don’t forget, The Arizona Concours d'Elegance,is looking for volunteers. January 11, 2015, including field spotters and class hosts. Avid car guys and gals are needed. Contact MikeMullan@ArizonaConcours.com for more information or contact the Desert Stars own Chuck Stanford at 602-549-4789 or CStanford@arizonaconcours.com.

Concours in the Hills: Saturday, February 7th will mark the second annual Concours held at the Fountain Park in Fountain Hills. Schumacher European Mercedes-Benz participating, and they have invited the Desert Stars to join them in a Mercedes Corral presenting a collection of old and new star cars. Registration forms available, contact the Desert Stars own Chuck Stanford at 602-5494789 or azbenzguy@msn.com.

Special THANKS to Laura Dykstra of the Orange County Section for the following: 

November 30 in Yorba Linda - The 17th annual John Force Holiday Car Show - 10am-4pm.

Contact carshow@johnforceracing.com



December 6 in Indio – The annual Riverside County Classic Car Show - 7am-4pm.

Contact (760) 908-8798 contact brucecwalter@gmail.com



December 6 in Irwindale – The annual Show & Drag.

Contact sales@mooneyes.com



December 6 in Redondo Beach – The annual Cruise at the Beach Christmas Car Show.

Contact (310) 376-7829 - email



December 28 in Santa Ana - Customs & Classics Car Show - 11am-2pm.

Contact (714) 550-7764



January 1 in Pismo Beach – The annual New Year's Day Garage Tour - 9am Sharp



January 10 in Vista - 27th Annual Burger Run - 8am-1pm – Contact (760) 744-3340



January 10-11 in Upland – The annual Cable Air Fair Car Show - 10am-4pm Contact (909) 982-9886



January 17 in Buena Park – The 6th Annual Jeff's Fun Run - 8:30am Contact (657) 464-3115 funrun@pickupslimited.com



January 23-25 in Pomona – The 65th Grand National Roadster Show Contact (877) 763-7469 / chanelle@nevadawildfest.com

Page 114 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America



January 31 in San Juan Capistrano - 11th Rotary/CARE Car Show - 9am-3pm.

Contact (949) 436-1351 / cohon@cox.net



January 31 in Santa Maria - Santa Maria High Race Team Car Show - 8am-3pm Contact (805) 934-1717 / csimas@verizon.net



February 7 in Firebaugh – The annual Eagle Field “Runway Drags” Contact (559) 351–3537



February 12-15 in Pomona – The Winternationals



February 14-15 in Sacramento – The annual Sacramento Autorama Contact (877) 763-7469



February 14 in Temecula – The annual Sweetheart Car Show - 10am-1pm Contact (951) 609-6948 - chrisjunger25@gmail.com



February 20-22 in Palm Springs – The annual McCormick's Collector Car Auction



February 20-22 in San Diego – The annual Big 3 Auto Parts Exchange



February 21 in El Segundo – The annual Hot Rod Cruise Night at the Automobile Driving Museum



February 21 in Whittier - Whittier Area Classic Car Show - 9am-4pm Contact (562) 945-4500 / wacccarshow@gmail.com



February 22 in Long Beach –Early Times Mid-Winter Rod Run - 9am Contact (310) 339-3268



February 28 in Los Angeles - Corvette Anniversary Contact (323) 964-6325 / shill@petersen.org

April 11-12, 2015 The Largest Porsche Event in the Southwest on Saturday The Largest SuperCar Event in the Southwest on Sunday

Page 115 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 116 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 117 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Wannagoshopping?????

Hats embroidered with section logo only $12 each Available at all events or by mailing check to MBCA Long BeachSouth Bay Section PO Box 30132 Long Beach, CA 90853-0132

T-Shirts in blue or black with silver screen printed logo $12 each

New!!!

Polo shirts with embroidered Long Beach-South Bay Section logo. Only $25 each Add $5 for packaging and postage per shipment

Page 118 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 119 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

If you would like to see your ad here, send us an email at info@FitzhughMedia.com

Page 120 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Advantages to being an MBCA member Your membership with the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) comes with special privileges, like saving $500 off the purchase or lease price of a NEW Mercedes-Benz. To qualify, you must be a current Member of MBCA and have at least one year of uninterrupted membership with the Club, prior to your new car lease or purchase.

The offer excludes Sprinter Vans, smart, SLS AMG Coupes and SLS AMG Roadsters.

Discount CAN be combined with other MBUSA incentive programs; including Guest Appreciation Certificates, European Delivery, seasonal event discounts and other (select) Dealer offers. Please check with your Dealer in advance to confirm which offers may be combined with your $500 Loyalty Reward discount.

Don’t need a new car? That’s OK, here’s something for your current Mercedes-Benz.

Discounts on parts, service & accessories at participating Mercedes-Benz Dealers As a Mercedes-Benz Club of America member, the presentation of your membership card may entitle you to 5%, 10% or (up to) 20% off parts, service and accessories from U.S. and Canadian Mercedes-Benz dealers. Call your local Mercedes-Benz dealer in advance to confirm their participation in the Mercedes-Benz Club of America dealer discount program.

Have and older model? A classic with parts that aren’t typically carried at a dealer?

15% discount on parts from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center Club members receive 15% off hard-to-find parts from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California.

The Center caters to the needs of classic car enthusiasts like you with a vast array of services.

From car sales to meticulous restorations, its manufacturer-trained technicians offer a wealth of expertise you won't find anywhere else. Because in the end, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center isn't only restoring cars ... it's restoring dreams.

Page 121 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Page 122 The Southwest Star Magazine – covering the southwest region of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America