Southwest Star Magazine 2018 3rd Edition

COVERING YOUR CARS & YOUR EVENTS VOLUME 6, NUMBER 3

In this issue - Luftgekühlt, the Upgraded C63, Nürburgring 24, the AMG GT 4 Edition 1, 911T, AMG at the VPC, AC Tech, and more The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

911 Carrera GTS Coupe

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

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10 Luftgekühlt 22 The upgraded C63 30 24 Hours at Nürburgring

42 A Special 959 at The Petersen 50 GT 4 Edition 1 56 Getting The Shot 60 AMG Thousand Oaks 64 Getting Started 70 The original 911T 75 No longer NLA 81 International Engine of the Year 84 SL65 89 AMG visits the VPC 92 Carbon+Forged 100 A-Class L 106 Impossible fuel economy 109 AC Tech 114 Upcoming Events

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

Covering your cars & your events June 2018 The Southwest Star Magazine is published four (or five) times per year by Fitzhugh Media Santa Clarita, California, USA www.thesouthweststar.com info@thesouthweststar.com www.fitzhughmedia.com

Special Thanks to

Editorial

Porsche

Editor in Chief Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

The Petersen Automotive Museum

Creative Director Karcy Bowles

Forgeline

Motorsports Editor Kevin Ehrlich Features editor Mary Fischer East Coast Bureau Chief Wendy Fitzhugh Creative Consultant Sean Fitzhugh

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz USA Mercedes-AMG Daimler AG

AMG Thousand Oaks

Distribution The Southwest Star is available worldwide via the web at thesouthweststar.com, the 8 MBCA Southwest Section websites, Issuu, and Fitzhugh Media

Queries info@thesouthweststar.com

Contributors To This Issue Becky Shepard Jay Pill Kenny Pi Tony Brown VeeAnn Hegreberg

Hollis and 217th Street ISSN# 2576-9472

Legalese 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 and/or Porsche 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, Porsche, all car clubs and their 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 The Southwest Star at Info@TheSouthwestStar.com Š 2005 Fitzhugh Media

Subscribe Subscriptions are free of charge. We ask that you support our advertisers as they keep us afloat. To receive an email notification when new issues are released drop us a note at me2@fitzhughmedia.com We will not share your email address or send you spam. We will send you one email notification each time a new issue is released.

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My therapist said to look for something positive every day.

The hunt is officially over.

2019 Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe. European model shown.

See your local authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.

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From the editor’s desk

W

e all know VW's reputation was eviscerated over the diesel scandal.

The Hoaxwagen

stench even spread to VW subsidiaries. That's a shame because just before dieselgate broke, Audi, a VW subsidiary, made a momentous announcement.

In 2014, at an Audi research facility in Dresden, Germany, there was a press release that said they created synthetic diesel fuel. It was a breakthrough because the fuel was allegedly made from carbon dioxide, water, and electricity. The synthetic diesel came from a base called Blue Crude. The press release made it sound extra-green by saying the electricity came from renewable wind and solar, but I don’t care where the electricity came from. Synthetic diesel fuel from air and water was the important part.

Initially the German government welcomed the new tech and Germany’s Federal Minister of Education and Research called it, “a crucial contribution to climate protection and the efficient use of resources”. Then the VW diesel fiasco broke and the automotive breakthrough of the century was relegated to the back page.

We understand part of the holdup. Audi initially partnered with Climeworks and Sunfire for this project and the fuel was produced at the Sunfire facility. Due to their size, Sunfire had a production capacity of 42 gallons of Blue Crude per day. Of that Blue Crude, 80 percent could be converted into diesel fuel. Thirty-three and a half gallons of diesel per day won't change the world, so Audi made plans for a new facility.

Audi began building the factory earlier this year and plans to begin delivering the e-diesel within the year. The new facility has an expected capacity of over 100,000 gallons of fuel per year.

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Audi also has a facility where it makes synthetic methane, which it calls e-gas. E-gas is for the natural gas-burning Audi g-tron models; the A3, A4 and A5.

The manufacturing process involves breaking down steam into hydrogen and oxygen through hightemperature electrolysis. The hydrogen then reacts with CO2 and the result is a liquid called Blue Crude. The Blue Crude is then refined to make e-diesel.

I’m sure there’s more to it, but let’s think this through. A car manufacturer is making fuel and one of the three ingredients is carbon dioxide, a gas that some say is at ‘dangerous levels’. The more synthetic fuel consumed, the more they’ll have to make. The more they make, the more CO2 they’ll use, which is better for the environment.

Electric cars receive Federal incentives

because they’re allegedly green. If consuming synthetic diesel is better for the environment, then an incentive should be given to encourage its use. In fact, cars that are less economical should receive larger incentives.

I’m waiting for the synthetic 100 octane gasoline breakthrough.

An AMG GT C Coupe has a

combined government rating of 17 MPG, and if they’re passing out incentives, I could go green.

Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

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uftgekĂźhlt is a secret password of sorts. If you know, you know.

Prior to March 2014, most in the U.S. had never heard of the German term, fewer knew what it meant, and even fewer could pronounce it.

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Story and photos by Kevin Ehrlich and Mary Fischer

Luft-ge-kühlt. In German, “luft” translates to air. “Kühlt” is a verb to cool or chill and the adjective to describe something that is chilled is “gekühlt.” Put them together and you have the German term for air cooled.

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Why is that significant? Porsches built prior to 1998 featured air-cooled engines, before production moved to water cooled engines. The air-cooled era represents the origins of the marque, a distinctive engine sound and is a proxy for a time of automotive design that flowed more from the hands of designers and engineers than from wind tunnel numbers, computers and electronics.

In March 2014, founders Patrick Long and Howie Idelson hosted about a hundred aircooled Porsches in Venice, California for an event titled simply “Luftgekühlt.”

You might

have heard of Mr. Long – he is the only American factory Porsche racing driver at the moment.

Fast forward to April 2018 and the fifth edition of Luftgekühlt. The event was huge and epic.

As significant as the Luftgekühlt theme is, it is only a sliver of the puzzle. There are plenty of gatherings around the country on weekends of like-minded enthusiasts who gather around certain marques or vintages. Remaining faithful to the original formula of an informal gathering in a unique venue with no concours-style awards, no ropes and an appreciation from the full spectrum of air cooled Porsches and their owners, the Luftgekühlt event now operates at a much larger scale.

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How big?

Ganahl Lumber in Torrance provided the venue and was able to accommodate thousands of people and hundreds of cars. Even with acres of space, the event was completely sold out.

The lumberyard closed for business at 6pm on Saturday and turned over the keys to the Luftgekühlt team who spent the night preparing and arranging. Some very special cars were brought in and positioned on simple wood floating decks, i.e., boards strapped together to highlight that the car was special and worthy of note.

Just after dawn, people came from near and far. Social media crackled the week before with Porsche road trips starting at points of origin across the country. Those that didn’t drive booked airplane tickets. Extensive logistics were employed to manage the masses of cars that converged on the location.

Some of the spectators arriving in air-cooled Porsches were actually part of the displays.

Cars ranged from the absolute original to the extensively modified, from the pristine and polished to the beaten and ragged, and from the large-scale road-car production to the extremely rare and bespoke.

Rows and rows of lumber in the outdoor lumberyard provided avenues for parking and display. Interior warehouse space similarly provided clusters and lines of cars. Under a The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

typically warm Southern California sky, the shade of the indoor areas and towering lumber racks offered a welcome respite from the sun.

At this point, there is a temptation to describe the cars in attendance. After all, the venue was loaded with individual cars of distinction, rarity, race history, patina, and other unique attributes. Some were valuable and rare and others were more valuable to their owners than anyone else. Therein lies the challenge…

Time-capsules with decades of original patina? Sure. Would you like to see a completely untouched 356 or a 911 (take your pick of colors) or perhaps a completely unrestored hand-beaten aluminum 1949 Gmünd coupe?

Race history?

Sure. Would you like to see a 1993 964 LeMans class winner, a 1962 Formula One winner driven by Dan Gurney, a Can-Am 917/10, the 356SL that was Porsche’s first works Page | 14

LeMans entry in 1951 that won its class, or a 908 shorttail prototype driven by Vic Elford at Spa in 1968 (with Mr. Elford in attendance)?

Customized Porsche road cars across all model years with all manner of spoilers, flares, wheels, lights, paint jobs, mechanical upgrades, and other goodies?

Naturally.

The blessing and the curse of LuftgekĂźhlt is the very rich assortment of layers upon layers of interesting angles, stories, and ways to connect.

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It is all marvelous. It is all overwhelming. It is absolutely infeasible to take it all in.

Almost every car has an amazing story that could warrant a solo feature. Chapters in books can (and have been) written about some. Despite that, there no ropes or barriers.

Some are worth seven figures and yet there is only respect for the cars and their owners.

At some point, it almost feels necessary to apologize when walking past car after car that would each anchor a car show or concours anywhere else on their own.

Even after

circulating for several hours, it is difficult to walk past a car (likely for the third or fourth time) that has decades of compelling history which would otherwise easily warrant dedicated attention – but there are a hundred such cars.

Others are homebuilt custom visions with no pretense of originality and are more valuable to their owners than anyone else.

Some are clearly madness (how about a 356-ice

racer?). The magic is that all are welcome, all are part of the broader family, and all share common DNA. There are so many gems to find and stories to tell.

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The vehicles on display were almost all from private owners.

This was not a museum exhibition or even an official Porsche display.

The amount of work from individual owners to prepare and transport their cars was amazing – and greatly appreciated.

For those armed with a camera, the Ganahl lumberyard was one of the best venues imaginable.

Peeking through racks of lumber, iron and piping amid walkways and catwalks in the shelving to gain vistas above Page | 18

the cars, with both sun and shade – all the raw material that photographers thrive on to produce memorable pictures. Professional photographer, television commercial producer and Porsche enthusiast Jeff Zwart thoughtfully placed vehicles around the grounds setting up some truly marvelous photo opportunities for those who recognized the possibilities.

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Social media platforms buzzed with photos permitting those who weren’t there to appreciate the entries and share. It also offered a chance for those who were there to see something they may have missed or appreciate photo angles not considered.

Luftgekühlt is a ready-made event for the social media age and likely owes much of its popularity to the pure power of the interwebs.

Each of the five Luftgekühlt events has grown, both in number of display cars and attendees. It seems like Patrick and Howie (and the many dedicated support staff) have hit on a winning formula.

Now a mandatory stop on the calendar of the Porsche

enthusiast, the challenge will be to retain the secret sauce of distinctive cars on display in a thoughtfully unique venue.

But it is absolute madness. Glorious, absolute madness. Luftgekühlt madness.

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T

he 2019 C63 was rolled out at the New York show and to no one’s surprise, the facelift doesn’t include the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX).

This was

expected. The upgraded C300 and 43 were introduced in Geneva, and they didn’t

have it, but some held out hope.

The 63 has a lot of advancements, but a bespoke

dashboard isn’t one of them.

The floating-style touchscreen infotainment system has the same functions as the MBUX, but it doesn’t have the latest system’s dual-screen layout.

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by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh | photos courtesy Mercedes-AMG

“When we do the next-generation C-Class, we will see the next-generation of our MBUX, but for now, the system in the facelifted C-Class has all the same functions, it’s just that the interface is different.”

- Christian Fruh, C-Class Program Manager The rest of the interior has some new touches. The standard model has black seat covers in MB-Tex / DINAMICA microfiber, with natural grain black ash wood and brushed aluminum trim. The new options for all three body styles include trim in natural grain The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

gray oak wood, and natural-grain walnut wood. Carbon fiber with aluminum and silver fiberglass with aluminum is also available.

Upholstery options include Nappa leather in black, black with gray accents, red pepper black, platinum white pearl with black and a new option; magma gray and black with yellow contrasting topstitching. The C63 sedan is available with the designo package. That includes diamond quilting in saddle brown and black or platinum white pearl and black.

Speaking at Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, Dietmar Exler, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, and Tobias Moers, Chief Executive of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, gave an overview of the C63s and explained the technical highlights.

“In the U.S., the world’s biggest market for Mercedes-AMG, the sports car brand successfully grew by almost 50 percent compared with last year. In order to maintain this growth, we’re bringing several groundbreaking AMG models to market.”

- Dietmar Exler, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA “Here in New York, we have no fewer than five new AMG models representing the extremely broad spectrum of our lineup. From freshly modernized performance cars like the globally successful C-Class, to unique SUVs like the new G 63, to thoroughbred sports cars like the all-new GT 4-Door Coupe.”

- Tobias Moers, Chief Executive of Mercedes-AMG GmbH Page | 24

The new C has an AMG GT style grill with 12 chrome vertical louvers. The lower air intakes have a horizontal louver and the lower divider is now in black without the chrome trim.

The rear has redesigned exhaust with dual chrome twin tailpipes tucked in a redesigned diffuser. The S-models are supplemented with a diffuser board. The lateral air curtain look of the rear bumper provides enhanced air flow at the rear end, as does the spoiler lip on the trunk lid.

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The C63 Coupe is available with an optional AMG Aero package. This is a sportier look with a different front splitter, spoiler lip with integral Gurney flap, broader side skirt inserts, flics in the rear bumper and a more dramatic diffuser insert.

The power is just as you remember it; 469 horses with 479 pound feet of torque on the C63, or 503 horses with 516 pound feet of torque on the S. They’re all rear wheel drive and available as a sedan, coupe or cabrio. Europeans also have the option of an estate.

If you’re in the US and absolutely, positively have to have a 500 horsepower estate, walk into your dealer and tell them you want a European Delivery C63 S Estate.

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2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C Coupe. Optional equipment shown

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he same race every year around the same track, for the same amount of time, at generally the same time of the year, with fairly similar cars year after year. What could possibly be THAT different each year? Don’t the cars just follow each other around for 24 hours and everybody drinks beer and celebrates at the end? Don’t the same VERY enthusiastic hundreds of thousands of spectators inhabit the forests around the track to honor the traditional combination of racing, music, fire and beer?

Ummm… Yeah. (Especially the fire and beer part.)

With German pride on the line, factory drivers and “privateer” efforts from Audi, Mercedes AMG, BMW and Porsche comprised over 30 entries capable of fighting for overall honors - a marvelous field for the spectating race fan. The full starting grid comprised 146 cars across 24 classes. The grid is so large that it actually starts in three separate groups, each with its own safety car.

Holding the 24-hour race in early May in the Eifel mountains practically guaranteed a weather conundrum. Bordering on the periphery of winter and spring, teams needed to Page | 30

Story and photos by Kevin Ehrlich and Mary Fischer

be prepared for sun, snow, rain and hail. The storyline would likely involve a combination, with the headline focusing on the elements at race end.

Naturally, weather was a major point of speculation leading up to the race. On Thursday evening, one driver remarked that Sunday was certain to bring a deluge of rain. A The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

commentator on Friday, relying on his cell phone weather app, reported (hopefully) that the hourly forecast now suggested that the rain was delayed, but might arrive in time to make an interesting finish. The Eifel was about to recognize the wisdom of the driver and laugh in the face of the cell phone forecast.

The 2018 edition of the NĂźrburgring 24 hours kicked off with the green flag waving at 3:30pm on Saturday, May 9. While Audi was the defending champion and BMW earnestly hoped to break a spell of near misses, most were betting on a Mercedes AMG v. Porsche contest. Turns out, the betting was right.

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At the start under sunny skies, Kevin Estre in the #911 Manthey Racing Porsche leapt out to a commanding lead from pole position. The companion #912 Porsche fell back after an early puncture. The pair of Manthey Porsches featured a striking livery of green and yellow.

In a nod to an English word splice, the car is known as “Grello”. Such a simple but creative and dramatic livery surely will come to be recognized as one of the many iconic Porsche color schemes over the decades.

As the race wore on through the day, spectators wandered through displays such as the massive Mercedes AMG car display that included a modern Formula One car, a Project One supercar and a brand-new AMG GT sedan.

Audi likewise had an impressive display in the paddock with a massive TV screen to monitor the television race coverage.

The Nürburgring is a harsh and unforgiving beast. In the best of times, the track is narrow, navigating traffic is a constant challenge (looking both ahead and behind), speed differentials among classes are dramatic and there is little runoff room. If you make a mistake or you get caught up in someone else’s mistake, your race is often concluded.

As with every single 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, a steady procession of bruised cars, flat tires and mechanical maladies make their way to pit lane – if they’re lucky.

The

unlucky ones get stranded out on course and require assistance from their crews or a helpful tow or flatbed back to the paddock. It doesn’t take long before injured cars take up residence in the garages or in the paddock with crews swarming around them wielding tools of all shapes and sizes. After the promising start with shiny and unblemished cars, it can be a harsh reality check.

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Lap after lap clicked through timing and scoring.

Eight laps between pit stops and 8+ minutes per lap (in the dry) meant that each car took a lengthy tour through the grand prix circuit and then the north loop (known in Germany as the “Nordschleife�) through the forest before returning back past pit lane. Spare a thought for the poor soul who encounters a problem early in their lap and needs to limp their car back the agonizingly long journey for a full lap of almost 16 miles to pit lane.

After several hours of running, the pattern for the 2018 race became relatively clear. The two Manthey Porsche 911s had consistent pace over a full stint. The fastest Mercedes AMG cars were competitive in a one lap shootout but could not maintain the same pace lap after lap after lap - as an endurance race requires.

Mechanical issues plagued the BMWs. The lead Audi had a spectacular crash after shooting the gap between two much slower cars, barely glancing off of one of the slower cars causing a flat tire and a wild spin into the barriers. Race done.

Porsche #911, appropriately on a Porsche 911, took a commanding lead into the night until vastly experienced driver Romain Dumas hit oil, spun, and then crashed into the barriers. Race done.

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Amidst the drama, the black and yellow #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG pushed its way to the front. Black Falcon reassembled the driving squad that won overall in 2016 and they were pushing hard to claim another win.

Racing at the NĂźrburgring in the darkness with hundreds of other cars and drivers, all demonstrating different capabilities and speeds is a daunting proposition to say the least.

Now add in the inevitable weather component. Did we mention the thunder and lightning?

What about the rain?

Ah yes, both arrived just after 2am in the deep darkness.

Inconsistent conditions reigned as bands of rain moved across different parts of the lengthy track.

Yet full wet tires at every pit stop remained mandatory.

As usual, dawn at the NĂźrburgring was a cruel milestone.

Sunrise at 5:40am brought

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the reward of surviving the night, but also the challenge of almost 10 hours of racing to go.

The rain and clouds receded enough at dawn to allow a faint glimpse of a sunrise for perhaps 20 minutes. It was worth dodging the puddles and raindrops to take in such a magnificent sight. Mother Nature, however, quickly imposed her will on the mere mortals running around in circles and sent more rain. Big rain. With large drops. Many of them.

At some point, your humble photographer had to concede defeat and retreat for shelter despite the marvelous vignettes playing out in the camera viewfinder.

The lead #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG was steaming to an unassailable lead as the morning progressed. Its closest competitor, the Manthey Racing “Grello� Porsche #912 had spent most of the race catching up from a very early flat tire when it failed to honor a waving yellow flag and was punished with a 3+ minute penalty. After stopping and serving the penalty, the Porsche team knew victory was possible but improbable. Porsches are, however, notoriously quick in the rain. Something about the weight of a rear engine situated right above the rear drive axles has a very positive impact on traction.

The

Porsche Grello car was quicker but a long way back. The race was on‌ The rain never fully let up, but ebbed and flowed with harder and lighter tempos. The rule at the Ring is that racing can continue as long as each marshall post can see up and

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down the track to the adjacent posts. For most of the morning, the wet spray was material but visibility still acceptable.

That worked until the fog descended. It did not envelop the entire track, but some parts become soupy and thick. The iconic Nurburg castle disappeared completely. One end of the front straight was not visible from the other. At some point, with cars already running on the ragged edge in slippery conditions, the race organizers determined that the fog had become too thick to race and red flagged the event.

For the Black Falcon Mercedes AMG team, it was a blow. Their seemingly insurmountable lead vanished immediately. It was a lifeline for the Manthey Porsche team. They had pace, but likely not enough time to catch the lead Mercedes AMG but for divine intervention in the form of the fog.

For many teams, the stoppage provided a free extended pitstop. Red flag rules at the Nürburgring permit work in the pits, so crews pounced on their cars to give them an impromptu mechanical refurbishment.

New bodywork, brake changes, even whole

gearbox changes meant that rejuvenated cars would re-enter the fray when – or if – the green flag waved again.

The weather remained challenging and speculation ran through the garages and social media guessing whether the race would restart at all. Despite lingering fog and continued The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

rain, the field was instructed to re-form behind the safety car. After a single pace lap – and much to the surprise of most drivers – the safety car pulled off and the green flag waved to release the field once again. The delay had lasted two hours, leaving only 90 minutes to race to the finish.

At this point, the race for the win was clearly between Adam Christodoulou in the #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG and Fred Makowiecki in the #912 Manthey Porsche. Both are full factory drivers. Both have extensive experience and deep reservoirs of talent and skill. The Mercedes led the Porsche through the rain.

Anyone within eyesight of a television was glued to the coverage watching both pilots dice and duel. It was remarkable and was a distilled example of everything right about sportscar racing.

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Plunging deep into the first turn, Christodoulou’s Mercedes AMG clawed at the slippier pavement but braked just a hair late at the right hander and Makowiecki pushed his Porsche to the inside. The Mercedes AMG recovered and pivoted to the next corner, a sharp left hander. Christodoulou was a touch too late as Makowiecki laid claim to the apex. The two touched, sending the Mercedes AMG sideways as the Porsche escaped.

Christodoulou gave chase and caught Makowiecki but could not pass. At one point, the Mercedes AMG hydroplaned off the track to drivers left and bounced off the guardrail.

Despite the best efforts of its pilot, the Mercedes AMG

gradually receded in the rear-view mirror of the Porsche. It was a remarkable exhibition from both drivers and cars.

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In a steady drizzle, at precisely 3:30pm, the Grello Manthey Racing Porsche #912 crossed the finish line. The victory gave Porsche and Manthey their first Nürburgring 24-hour win since 2011.

When the weather is sunny and warm, the end of the race typically brings a picnic atmosphere to pit lane. Crews gather to share a cold adult beverage and celebrate or commiserate as the case may be. The dreadful weather dampened celebrations this year as most dissolved back into the background to pack up and head home and dry out, grateful to have survived another Nürburgring 24-hour race.

If you have not yet been to the Nürburgring to take in a 24-hour race, we recommend it highly. You won’t be able to take it all in with one visit. You’ll feel dirty and tired and likely wet. Your body will hurt from hiking around the circuit. But it is a long way from overly sanitized grand prix race courses or events that are more about the social “being seen” aspect. Nobody needs to tell you that the Nürburgring 24-hour race is legendary.

The event makes its own compelling case – every year.

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A Hidden – But Dirty – Desert Gem at the Petersen Museum With 70 years of history, visitors to the Porsche Effect exhibit at the Petersen Museum are led through a virtual timeline of significant road and race cars. It is amazing to see the evolution of aerodynamics, styling, and even racing liveries over the years.

The display

includes extremely rare and significant cars, each of which could anchor an exhibition in any other gallery.

Arrayed against a wall continually showing video clips, factory racing posters and vital statistics, a line-up of race cars ranging from a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder to a 2015 Porsche 919 hybrid prototype bears witness to the fact that Porsches of various shapes and sizes have successfully raced on tracks around the globe. The Petersen Museum’s display includes cars that helped make iconic tracks like Le Mans and Sebring famous.

One unusual car, however, demands eyeballs as visitors circulate through the displays. It ran only one race and didn’t finish that race, let alone claim victory. It is bruised and Page | 42

Story and photos by Kevin Ehrlich and Mary Fischer

battered. Its windshield is cracked. It is filthy. It wasn’t even fully cleaned before it was rolled into the Petersen Museum.

Labeled as a 959 rally car, a blue and white racer with gold and red trim and carrying #185 was one of three such cars built to contest the 1985 Paris-Dakar Rally. The Rally was a particularly brutal desert race. Those that finished covered about 14,000km (8700 mile) but fewer than a quarter of the 361 cars and light trucks that started saw the finish.

The toll on motorcycle entrants was even uglier.

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The #185 is the spiritual predecessor for the late 1980s Porsche 959 supercar, as well as all of the other fourwheel drive Porsche models that came later. It is a prime example of developing and improving the breed in the crucible of the racing, all while the world watched.

At the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche displayed a Gruppe B (or Group B) racing concept. Group B was a particular set of rules to govern a racing series and a 911 on steroids would be perfectly suited. Development of the race car proceeded in parallel with the road car which would come to be known as the 959. One of the keys to the program was developing Porsche’s version of four-wheel drive technology, a frightfully complex engineering challenge.

Encouraged by the success of a four-wheel drive 911 that claimed victory in the 1984 Paris-Dakar rally, Belgium driver Jacky Ickx convinced the Porsche factory to enter three 959 development cars in the 1985 Paris-Dakar race. Ickx began a long and very storied career as a factory Porsche driver in 1976, achieving success driving touring cars, sportscars, and Formula One cars. However, he also dabbled in rally racing with some success. In 1983, for example, Ickx and co-driver Claude Brasseur (a well-known French actor with credits that span decades of work) claimed a win in their Mercedes 280GE GWagen. They had previously run together in 1981 and 1982, so they clearly had a good chemistry running in the sand.

Sponsor Rothmans backed the effort. As a technical matter, the cars were entered in the 1985 Paris-Dakar race as a private effort by Ickx and Rothmans. While Ickx was clearly Page | 44

involved in much of the planning and decision-making, Porsche and legends like Peter Falk and Roland Kussmaul spearheaded the engineering and logistics of running the new race cars.

The 1985 rally cars were a bit of a Frankenstein amalgamation. Externally, the body style was unmistakably 959. Under the skin, however, things got complicated. Each of the race car chassis actually carried a 930 chassis number rather than a 959 chassis number.

185 was a bit cleaner at the 2015 Rennsport Reunion

For the 1985 race, the drivetrain, steering, and suspension were pure 959 race car (albeit modified for desert running), while the engine was a normally aspirated 3.2-liter six cylinder unit from a 911 making about 230bhp. It had some modifications for weight and compression. Special tuning was necessary to cope with the fuels that would be available in Africa during the race. A stronger twin-turbo engine that would later successfully power the 959 was not yet ready.

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Interestingly, the internal Porsche designations for the 1985 race cars were fluid, another indicator of their bespoke development role. In some cases, they carried the type 959 designation. In other cases, they were known as 911 SC cars or 911 SC-4 cars. On other paperwork, they were referred to as Porsche 930 cars. The reality is that all of those were correct, at least in part.

Regardless of the designation, the three cars sent to contest the 1985 Paris-Dakar race were clearly not merely just improved versions of the 911 that had won the year before.

They were full development exercises.

Porsche did not expect to win.

In fact, the official Porsche press release preceding the 1985 race referred to the outing as a “test” and maintained bluntly that “Porsche does not reckon upon a victory of the unproven prototype in the struggle against desert, mountains, jungle, heat and cold.” The Rothmans advance press releases from November 1984 quoted legendary Porsche Racing manager Peter Falk: “Jacky Ickx, Rothmans and Porsche are aware that the entry of an unproven prototype in such a demanding event represents a high risk but it is the view of Porsche that the most effective way of carrying out pre-production testing is under truly competitive conditions.”

The race was scheduled to start on January 1 in Paris and end on January 20 in Senegal, a full 14,000 kilometers later.

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None of the three cars entered finished the race.

Aside from rear suspension troubles,

each of the cars encountered their own issues that forced retirement.

One retired after a crash near the Algeria-Nigeria border, suffering heavy front-end damage.

The second car of Ickx and Brasseur (the #185) saw success before hitting a rock hidden behind a dune and doing major damage to the front end of the car, forcing a retirement in the 8th stage (about half way through).

On the very next stage, after demonstrating stunning speed, the third car suffered a broken oil line which leaked all of the lubricant and killed the engine.

The Porsche experience in the 1985 Paris-Dakar rally was finished. The pre-race caution was warranted.

The pace of development moved forward and success began later that very year. A twinturbo 959 claimed victory in an Egypt rally in October 1985 before a trio of 959 entrants successfully contested the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. Two cars swept the top two overall spots and a third entered as a support vehicle finished sixth.

With that, the rally

development program concluded and the technology was put into production for road car The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

deliveries that began in the spring of 1987. Of course, the factory also put together a road-racing version of the 959 to race at LeMans in 1986 and 1987 known as the 961 but that’s another story…

Meanwhile, the damaged #185 Ickx/Brasseur car was taken back to the factory and photographed to document the damage. At some point, the wounded car was put into storage in the Porsche Museum collection.

Fast forward to September 2014 when the car was delivered to Gunnar Racing in Palm Beach, Florida when a private customer acquired it “as-is” from Porsche. Kevin Jeannette and team got to work. Gunnar Racing has had a close relationship with Porsche and has restored many historically significant race cars over the years. Enough work was done to show the car at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca in September 2015 and the car was finally completed in November 2015.

From there, the very rare rally car was loaned to Porsche Cars of North America for display at the new Porsche Experience Center in Carson.

It

was on-hand for the opening and remained there until the Porsche Effect exhibit at the Petersen Museum unveiled in February 2018.

The Petersen Museum Porsche Effect exhibition runs through January 2019, so you still have plenty of time to visit (or plenty of time to return and take a closer look at the desert racer). It is a rare opportunity to see a unique piece of Porsche racing history that earned its credentials more for what was learned by the exercise rather than the hardware that was handed out on the podium.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

he all-new AMG GT 4-Door Coupé is due to arrive in September. It redefines the term fast four-door, but if that’s not enough, Mercedes-AMG is offering an Edition 1 model. The Edition 1 made its world debut at the Nürburgring 24 in May, and it’s what you’d expect from an ultra-limited edition AMG; the best of everything.

The Edition 1 is only available as a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ 4‑Door Coupé and naturally, it is loaded inside and out.

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By Tony Brown | photos courtesy Mercedes-AMG

The interior has AMG multicontour performance seats with memory in magma grey/black nappa leather with yellow contrast topstitching. Greeting the driver is a flat bottomed steering wheel in DINAMICA microfiber, also with yellow contrast topstitching. The wheel’s bezel, including the control buttons and shift paddles, are in black chrome. AMG matt carbon-fiber trim graces the interior, with the center door panels, armrests and center console cover in matching magma grey nappa leather. The upper section of the instrument panel and door beltlines are done in black nappa leather with more contrast yellow The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

topstitching. It has the AIRBALANCE Package with a new "AMG #63" fragrance, illuminated AMG door sill panels, and Edition 1 specific floor mats in black with leather bands and "AMG" lettering and uh, yellow topstitching.

The exterior has the AMG Aerodynamics Package, including the larger front splitter and integrated flics in the front bumper.

With the larger front apron, the AIRPANEL active air management system can produced an additional 66 pounds of downforce. The rear features an enhanced functionally optimized diffuser, and a fixed rear spoiler with a mechanically adjustable blade. Despite the additional downforce, the Edition 1’s Cd is actually lower than a standard AMG GT 4-Door CoupÊ. This is a win-win combination, providing a better driving experience on both the road and track.

As we go to press, the paintwork is available in designo graphite grey magno, diamond white, or graphite grey metallic.

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However, those last two colors may be for ROW cars only. You’ll have to check with your dealer.

The Edition 1 comes with AMG sports stripes on the sides, roof, hood and rear, but those can all be optionally deleted. The wheels are 21-inch AMG cross-spoke forged units, in a high-sheen matt black finish The Edition 1 has the most powerful version of the AMG 4-liter bi-turbo V8. It makes 630 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Power flows through an AMG SPEEDSHIFT equipped MCT 9-speed transmission, and from there to an AMG 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system. The transmission has a wet clutch, which reduces weight and inertia, optimizing response. The SPEEDSHIFT software produces very short shift times, fast multiple downshifts and delivers an emotional gear shifting experience thanks to its double-declutching. The AMG 4MATIC+ is equipped with an electro-mechanically controlled clutch that connects the permanently driven rear, to the variably The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

driven front. The best possible torque split is continuously computed according to the conditions and driver's input.

All that traction combined with the Edition 1’s RACE START function, allows 60 MPH to arrive in 3.1 seconds as the car heads to its electronically limited top speed of 195 MPH. In addition to the lengthy standard equipment list, the Edition 1 can be equipped with additional optional features including the AMG Night Package, AMG Exterior Carbon-Fiber Package 2, ceramic brake, and the upgraded rear seats.

The AMG GT 4-Door is expected to arrive stateside in early 2019 for the AMG GT 63 and 63 S, and in mid-2019 for the AMG GT 53. Prices haven’t been announced.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

hooting a car standing still can present a challenge. If the objective is to merely document the car as it was presented at that particular event, then freezing the Page | 56

Story and photos by Kevin Ehrlich and Mary Fischer

car in time gets the job done but doesn’t make for a compelling photo. However, adding a bit of flair by lighting, viewpoint, or other techniques can add drama and interest.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

The previous photo was taken at LuftgekĂźhlt 5 (see full story elsewhere in this issue).

Hundreds of cars were scattered around the Ganahl Lumber venue but a few special ones were placed thoughtfully to highlight them.

The Can-Am Porsche 917/10-003 is a twelve-cylinder beast, capable of producing over 1000 horsepower. Extensively developed by Porsche (with much involvement from Mark Donahue), George Follmer drove it to a championship in 1972 for Penske Racing. It was so dominant that it effectively killed the Can-Am racing formula because nobody else would be able or willing to build anything to compete with it. It is one of the most wellknown Porsche 917 cars. It sold at auction in 2012 for $5.5 million. It was displayed at LuftgekĂźhlt with no ropes and was a crowd favorite.

The Ganahl Lumber facility included an indoor space where this car was displayed, surrounded by racks of wood, piping and other raw material.

Ladders and walkways

wrapped around these racks to provide access, conveniently providing an elevated viewpoint. No special permission or media credentials were required.

After watching the scene from above for a while, it became just as interesting to watch the people interacting with the car as the car itself. Some just stopped and looked, often chatting with a friend. Some people inspected every detail, even crouching down on the floor for a better view. Some strode with purpose but slowed down as they passed the car. Most pulled out a camera phone to snap at least a few pictures. Of those, some took pictures of the car while others wanted a selfie with their face in the foreground.

With the benefit of a tripod and a long exposure, this shot sought to freeze the car and show the motion and action that revolved around it. Ironic that one of the best ways to pay tribute to such a car is to keep it standing still and let everyone else provide the movement.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

little more than fifty years ago, two men with a passion for motorsports and engineering founded AMG. Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher started the company in Großaspach, giving us the three familiar letters. Today, MercedesAMG is still a motorsports company. The F1 team has won the last four Drivers’ Championships as well as the last four Constructors’ Championships.

In addition, Mercedes-AMG is the most successful

manufacturer in the history of DTM. This motorsports dominating performance division also produces vehicles for the general public.

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photos by VeeAnn Hegreberg story by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

AMG vehicles are available at Mercedes-Benz dealers, but they differ enough to command their own showroom. We covered the world’s first AMG specific dealership in our January 2007 issue. That dealership is in Tokyo’s Setagaya district, and it’s a dedicated retail outlet whose sole focus is AMG. Since then, AMG Tokyo has been joined by AMG Sydney.

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The third Mercedes-AMG dealership, whose showroom solely consists of AMG vehicles, held its grand opening in June. That dealership is AMG Thousand Oaks.

As the name implies, AMG Thousand Oaks is located in Thousand Oaks, California. This is the first AMG specific dealership in the United States.

Worldwide, there are hundreds of AMG Performance Centers.

The AMG Performance

Centers differ from AMG dealerships in that AMG Performance Centers are dedicated spaces within existing Mercedes-Benz dealerships. In Tokyo, Sydney, and now Thousand Oaks, these AMG dealerships are completely separate buildings.

AMG specific dealerships are more than just buildings. The AMG sales and service staff are among the best you’ll find in the Mercedes-Benz hierarchy. They’re trained to meet the needs of the AMG customer base. This additional training is required because AMG customers are not “average” car buyers.

AMG customers are avid performance

enthusiasts who know the difference between luxury and “almost as good”. The staff is trained to provide the complete Mercedes-Benz ownership experience.

From the

purchase, through the service, and all the stops along the way.

AMG Thousand Oaks is located next door to Silver Star Mercedes-Benz of Thousand Oaks on Auto Mall Drive. Silver Star Mercedes-Benz of Thousand Oaks used to have an AMG Performance Center, but they felt the needs of their AMG clients would be better met by a separate dealership. That’s a major investment. This type of expenditure demonstrates Silver Star Automotive Group’s commitment to customer satisfaction. Last year, Silver Star Mercedes-Benz Thousand Oaks serviced over 700 AMG vehicles. The business was clearly there. They could have pocketed the construction costs and continued running things as-is.

They chose a different route.

One that recognizes the purchase should

include proper surroundings and a staff capable of suppling well founded, competent advice.

At Mercedes-Benz, the slogan is “The best or nothing”. Silver Star is an example of this at the dealership level.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

very car enthusiast starts as an observer. Some observers start from a distance.

They read a magazine, see the photos, read about what’s what, and then take the next step, attending a meet.

The thing about that first meet is, unless you already know someone, you’re on your own.

If you bring a chaperone, you’re on your own together. If that sounds intimidating, it’s not. Well, that’s assuming you’re not attending one of those meets where the village idiot drifts a Mustang into the crowd.

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If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just Google “YouTube drift into crowd”. Avoid those meets.

LA Benz United is a good example of a club that hosts the kind of meets you want to attend. If you attend one of their meets and don’t know anyone, after you start wandering around, someone is going to say something.

“Hello”, “what’s up”, “haven’t seen you

before”, “is this yours”, - you’ll hear something along that line. You can relax. They’re just introducing themselves. This isn’t Tinder, no one is sizing you up to see who has the biggest three-pointed star, and they’re not distracting you from a Mustang that’s about to jump the curb. They’re enthusiast and they’re there for the cars. They want to have a conversation. It’s like going to a dog park, without having to worry about stepping in dog crap. Or fleas. Or getting bit. Think of it like a Benz-Park.

Everyone at LA Benz is friendly. They’ll ask about your car, you’ll ask about theirs, you’ll get introduced to others, and in no time you’ll be a regular. If the event is big, like LA Benz United usually puts together, you’ll meet a lot of people and forget most of their names. That’s OK, most people who attend are on some form of social media. You can refresh your memory on Instagram by putting names with faces.

There are some car meet rules, but it’s all basic common sense. The biggest thing to remember is to ask before touching someone’s car.

Selfies are fine, but don’t lay on

someone’s hood or rub your butt all over their car. That’s because some people detail their cars before meets and they’d like them to stay clean. Others show up with two weeks of dirt on the car and they’d prefer the dirt not get ground into the finish.

If the owner isn’t around and you want to look inside, go ahead, but stay outside. Keep your body parts outside the car. If the windows are down, act as if they’re up. And whatever you do, don’t open someone’s car door for a closer look. Find the owner and ask. Besides, that’s another chance to meet someone. That’s about it. Keep your hands to yourself and enjoy the show So what’s the show like?. With LA Benz United, you can expect cars, sometimes a little music, more cars, friendly people, occasionally refreshments, and in case I forgot to mention it, there’s probably going to be a lot of cars. A picture is worth a thousand words, so turn the page and see what we mean.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

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These photos are only LA Benz United. Turn the page for a list of SoCal meets from several clubs.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

ifty years ago, it was an odd time for Porsche. In the prior year, 1967, Fuchs forged alloys were introduced, the Targa made its debut, and the 160 horsepower 911S was launched, but somehow, the 912 was the sales leader. Some felt the 911, at 2,376 pounds, was heavy.

The 912 was a couple of hundred pounds lighter,

weighing in at a svelte 2,134. With two fewer cylinders, the 912 had a lot less power, but it handled better, could go much further on a tank of gas, and cost 25% less than a standard 911. In case you’re wondering, a 1967 912 cost 45% less than a 911S. The solution? The 911T. The original 911T was initially offered in Europe and eventually found its way stateside late in the year. The “T” stood for “Touring” and it was the new entry level 911. The earliest MSRPs show the 911T cost a mere $700 more than a 912. That may be because the 911T originally had the same standard equipment as the four- cylinder 912. That’s Page | 70

By Marcus Blair Fitzhugh | photos courtesy Porsche

not to imply either car was considered cheap. The 1968 912 cost 45% more than the allnew 1968 Corvette. For those who prefer a European comparison, in 1968, a 912 Targa cost two dollars less than a Jaguar XKE Roadster.

The 911T was initially powered by a 110 horsepower 2-liter. This was a step down from the same year 911L, which had 130 horses, and the prior year 911S with 160. Due to stricter emission standards, the 911S wasn’t offered in the U.S. in 1968. Surprisingly, the T was favored by many because it had more usable torque. Among those who favored the T was Mark Donohue who reviewed the 912, 911T, 911E, and 911S in a 1969 magazine comparison.

In 1969, Porsche stretched the wheelbase by 2.4 inches to improve handling. The rear trailing arms were lengthened, which moved the rear wheels back without relocating the The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

engine. In addition, dual batteries were installed in the front trunk to further enhance balance. The 911L got mechanical fuel injection, a 10 horsepower increase, and was renamed the 911E. The 911S returned to the U.S. with mechanical fuel injection, bumping the horsepower to 170.

The 911T got the same carbureted 110 horsepower 2-

liter it had in 1968.

In 1970 the 911T finally got more power. All 911 engines were increased to 2.2 liters and the new 911T engine produced 125 horsepower. The 2.0 liter that used to power the 1969 911T was reassigned to the all-new 914-6. Why didn’t Porsche use the 2.2 in the 914-6? Porsche and VW had an unsigned deal in place. The deal would allow Porsche to release an all-new entry level car, without a lot of the new car development costs. Then VW Chairman Heinz Nordhoff died nine months before he was scheduled to retire. The new chairman, Kurt Lotz, felt VW wasn’t being adequately compensated and by the time the disagreement was settled, 914-6 chassis cost almost as much as a 911T chassis. In an effort to cut costs, the 914-6 got the least expensive engine Porsche could build – the 2 liter. The 914 is another story for another day, but we’ll leave it with this – remember when we said the 911T was introduced because the 912 was outselling the 911? The 912 was discontinued for 1970 and the 914 instantly became the new sales leader.

With the exception of the engine badge on the decklid, the 1971 and 72 911 look very similar. That badge was big news. It indicated another engine had been introduced; the 2.4. In addition to the new engine, the U.S. spec 911T got mechanical fuel injection.

911Ts in the rest of the world (ROW cars) continued using carbs, but they had higher compression. Fuel delivery proved to be more significant than compression, as the U.S. spec T produced an additional 10-horsepower; 140 horses versus the carb version’s 130.

The more powerful engine necessitated a stronger transaxle, so Porsche introduced the 915. The 915 transaxle did away with the dogleg first gear and was used in all 911s. The 901 continued being produced and was used in the 914.

The 1972 911 is infamous for its oil tank. That year, Porsche moved the oil tank in front of the right rear wheel and added an external oil filler door on the body. This slightly improved balance and allowed oil to be added without entering the engine compartment.

Unfortunately, the oil filler door looked like a fuel filler door. The benefits of not having gas station attendants fill the oil tank with fuel outweighed the improved balance, so the Page | 72

tank was moved back to its original location in 1973. The external filler door was done away with and we’ve continued adding oil through the engine compartment ever since.

In 1973, unique front and rear bumper guards were added for U.S. spec cars. The 1973 cars also have rectangular mirrors and some black trim, but other than that, the 73 looks like the 72.

In January of 1973, the U.S. spec 911T was equipped with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection.

These are commonly called the 1973.5 911T. Bosch K-Jetronic is also known as the CIS system and it was used on all 911’s through the 1983 model year. It was used on the 911 turbo until 1994. The 924 and early 928 also used CIS. CIS differs from other Bosch fuel injection systems by delivering a constant supply of fuel to the engine, as opposed to pulses. This is where the common name Constant Injection System, or CIS, comes from.

CIS systems require a lot less maintenance and get much better fuel economy.

1973 was the last year for the original 911T. The 1974 lineup consisted of three models; the 911, 911S, and the Carrera. 1974 brought a new look with the 5-MPH accordion style safety bumpers, shorter hoods, and slightly smaller trunks.

They also had high-back

bucket seats and an improved ventilation system. But nothing with a silver T out back.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

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by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh | photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz

here are three words no one in the car community wants to hear – “No longer available”.

Well, there are other three-word combinations, like “I dented it”, “It won’t start”, and “Something’s definitely burning”, but “no longer available” is painful. It happens all the time, but it’s shocking when it happens to us personally. In some cases, the Internet can offer hope. There’s always some guy who winters in Minnesota and can MacGyver’s a Buick part and make it available on eBay. That sounds good, but the buyer is providing the R&D. If the new widget comes apart at 80 MPH while you’re out of cell range, well, the word for that is screwed.

Fortunately, both Porsche Classic, the division of Porsche dedicated to classic vehicles, and Mercedes-Benz have both come up with the same solution; 3D printing. 3D printing is a much more cost effective way of producing small quantities of rare parts.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

Despite it’s name, 3D printing has nothing to do with paper and a conventional printer.

With Mercedes-Benz and Porsche 3D printing, new parts are manufactured using the same or better materials, to the original specifications.

Both from a technical and a visual perspective, the new part is just as good, or better, than the original.

Currently, if a Mercedes-Benz or Porsche part is no longer in stock or stock is dwindling, it’s reproduced using the original tools. For larger quantities, production may require the use of new tools. However, if enough parts are sold, that justifies the cost of the new machinery. The problem is ensuring a supply of spare parts that are only required in very limited numbers. Acquiring new versions of the original tooling for small batches of parts drives the price of individual parts through the roof. The solution is 3D printing.

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The fundamental process is as follows. The three-dimensional design data for the part is made.

This is also known as a 3D scan.

3D modeling software prepares a three-

dimensional model. The 3D printer then creates the three-dimensional part. If the parts can then be produced on demand if needed, thereby eliminating tool and storage costs.

The million dollar question is, “Does it work?”

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Key body parts for the Mercedes-Benz W198 300 SL Gullwing are available in factory quality. They can be ordered by their part number from any Mercedes-Benz sales partner.

The production process guarantees these metal parts are precise, minimalizing the need for subsequent bodywork on the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz Classic developed the process in cooperation with a certified supplier.

Today, the 300 SL Gullwing is still a dream car and was voted “Sports Car of the Century� in 1999.

Produced between 1954 and 1957, only 1,400 or so cars were built.

The

preservation of these valuable vehicles occasionally requires key body parts. MercedesBenz Classic has now reproduced these parts, with others in preparation. Their surfaces are electrophoretically painted, which assures the highest technical and visual standards.

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•

The front left panel, part number A198 620 03 09 40, is $14,280.

•

The front right panel, part number A198 620 04 09 40, $14,280.

•

The rear left panel, part number A198 640 01 09 40, is $17,850.

•

The rear right panel, part number A198 640 02 09 40, is $17,850.

•

The rear center section, part number A198 647 00 09 40), is $3,750.

•

The rear end floor, part number A198 640 00 61 40, is $10,710.

Gullwings are million dollar cars. If the left front panel is crumpled, this provides a factory option that did not previously exist. The same holds true for Porsche. Years ago, if someone needed a clutch release lever for a 959, they were told the part is no longer available. With only 292 of these cars produced, the price of that lever used to be whatever the seller felt they could get.

3D printing now allows Mercedes-Benz and Porsche to offer affordable replacement part options for owners with mega-dollar classics.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

Page | 80

International Engine of the Year

udi continued its winning streak at the “International Engine of the Year Awards”. For the ninth time in a row, Audi’s 2.5 TFSI was selected as the best engine in the coveted 2 to 2.5-liter category. At 400 hp, we can see why.

Members of the judging panel of the “International Engine of the Year Awards” praised the Audi TFSI’s 354 pound-feet of torque, which is available at 1,700 rpm, as well as the distinctive sound of the turbo unit. The sound is created by neighboring cylinders firing alternately to more distant cylinders, resulting in a unique rhythm.

The 2 to 2.5-liter category is important because these engines are small enough to be economical, yet large enough to produce big power over a wide rev range. In addition, depending on the design, they’ll fit smaller vehicles.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

For example, the 2.5 TFSI, it’s used in the Audi TT RS Coupe, TT RS Roadster, RS 3 Sedan, and the RS 3 Sportback. The 2.5 TFSI allows the US spec TT RS Coupe to rip to 60 in 3.6 seconds, and the European spec TT RS Roadster in 3.8. The US spec RS 3 Sedan and European spec RS 3 Sportback are right behind them at 3.9 seconds. The top speed for all four models can be optionally set at 174 mph

“The five-cylinder has been an icon of our brand for more than 40 years. Two years ago we completely redesigned the 2.5 TFSI and changed the crankcase to an aluminum version.”

- Oliver Hoffmann Head of Technical Development at Audi Sport GmbH. In the 2 to 2.5 liter category, Porsche placed 2nd with a turbocharged 2.5-liter and Mercedes-Benz 5th with the 2.1 liter CDI. Although the 2 to 2.5 liter award is desirable, it’s not the only award given.

For Best Performance Engine, Ferrari took 1st with their 3.9-liter V8, Porsche’s 4-liter boxer placed 2nd, Ferrari’s 6.5 liter V12 placed 3rd, and Mercedes-AMG took 4th with the 4-liter V8.

In the 1.8 to 2-liter category, Porsche took 1st and Mercedes-AMG took 2nd.

In the 3 to 4-liter category, the Ferrari 3.9-liter V8 took 1st, the AMG 4-liter 2nd, Porsche’s 4-liter boxer took 3rd, and Porsche’s 3.8-liter boxer took 4th.

The awards for the “International Engine of the Year” have been presented annually since 1999. An international panel of 65 motorsport journalists select the best engines of the year in several categories.

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Just keep straight.

Events are listed in the back of the magazine.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

he Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster has always been the standard for open air luxury.

It started in the spring of 1955, when the 190SL was introduced. That first SL Roadster was a four-cylinder, and it was joined three years later by the six-cylinder 300SL Roadster. In 1963, six cylinders became the standard as the 230SL was introduced, and both the 190SL and 300SL were discontinued. For the 1972 model year, the R107 based 350SL was introduced and V8s became the standard. In 1989, Mercedes introduced the R129 based SL and that eventually became the first SL to be offered with a factory V12.

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by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh | photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz

Here we are twenty-five model years later, and the 2018 V12 powered SL65 may mark the end of the road. The SL65 is powered by a hand built 6-liter biturbo twelve that produces 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. This isn’t just an SL with the biggest engine available stuffed between its fenders, it has the best of everything. As great as it is, the sales simply aren’t there. At $222K, buyers are reviewing their options.

The AMG SL63 is an almost best of everything. The main difference being 44 horsepower and 74 foot-pounds of torque, and the 63 is staying.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

I know. The numbers don’t tell the whole story. The 65 is a twelve. Twelves have a cachet that can’t be found in an eight. On the other hand, the twelve costs $70K more.

Plus, it’s only one-tenth of a second faster to sixty. If speed is the selling point, an AMG GT Roadster is just as fast as the SL65 and it costs $98K less.

But we’re not here to talk about alternatives. We’re here to mourn the possible passing of the iconic V12 powered SL. On the upside, nothing has been written in stone. Mercedes hasn’t made a firm commitment. At The Southwest Star, we’re confident that anyone can get a new SL65. If not a 2019, there are bound to be leftover 2018’s. Think it through.

If AMG stops selling new SL65’s, it’ll be because the old ones didn’t sell. If the old ones didn’t sell, there must be some old ones somewhere. If someone has close to a quarter million dollars in SL cash at their disposal, their dealer may be able to fill that need.

If we’ve got this whole thing wrong, and there is absolutely, positively no way to get a 2019 SL65, the 2018 SL65 will have been been a great end of the line.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

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by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

or much of the country, the car scene slows to a stop during the winter months.

In other places, notably SoCal, it's lit 24/7. We're halfway through 2018, and the major players out west never got out of full swing. We could run a hundred pages on any single car club, but we’ll focus on one meet, for one club.

Earlier this year Mercedes-Benz USA hosted the AMG SoCal Lounge at the Long Beach Vehicle Prep Center (VPC). The VPC is special. As soon as any Mercedes enthusiast hears those letters, they know the meet will be exceptional. This particular meet had some extra sauce; Mercedes-AMG designers and product specialists were in from Germany to gather information and answer questions.

This was a give and take where everyone came away with "more". California is AMG's biggest market and it's important that AMG stay abreast of what we're doing and what we'd like to see in the future. Let me say up front, future visual design changes weren’t discussed. The conversation focused on how some existing features work and there were hints about some new features that are in the pipeline. Why fly in to SoCal to talk? The features in the pipeline have to be prioritized, and spending time with the AMG SoCal The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

Lounge gave Mercedes-AMG insight as to what the Southern California market would like to see first.

Commitments weren't made, but attendees who listened carefully could

envision the direction AMG is headed.

In addition to the question and answer session, we were given a rare tour of the Vehicle Prep Center. Tours are rare because the Prep Center is like Area 51. At certain times of the year, vehicles that haven't been released to the public are inside the VPC. This is just one of the reasons photos inside the facility are strictly prohibited. We don’t have photos, so take our word for it - the VPC is stunning. There's much more to it than most people think.

Mercedes-AMG also brought parts and explained some design differences. We saw turbos, rods, pistons, direct injectors, a carbon fiber driveshaft . . . . . parts that we know are buried within the car, but we usually don't have them sitting out in front of us. When we do, we definitely don’t have design specialists on hand to explain why this is better than that. They also brought vehicles. GTs GLCs GLEs Es – just picture AMG at Christmastime.

The best part was having the AMG product techs on hand to answer questions. Not the mundane stuff we badger our local dealers about, but in-depth performance questions.

Ever wonder how the GT's rear steer crossover occurs and how that impacts road feel at speed? Those who attended know. If you missed out, you can get in on future events by joining the AMG SoCal Lounge. The SoCal Lounge is your chance to connect with other Mercedes-AMG owners, and access AMG specific in-depth information.

A special “thanks” to the VPC, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Benz USA for putting this together.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

T

he Forgeline Motorsports wheel brand name conjures mental images of high horse-powered sports cars maneuvering around tight corners on the great race courses of the world.

The Schardt family was involved in the sport as racers before it began turning out the amazingly sophisticated Forgeline brand of performance wheels for both the street and track. Best known for forging racing and high-performance street wheels out of a highPage | 92

by Becky Shephard

tech variant of one-piece aluminum, the company has created a new line of attentiongrabbing carbon fiber wheels for production street cars.

Every product in the company’s line comes from a passion to remain at the forefront of wheel technology and to give customers the exact look they want for their cars. Forgeline’s wheels are track-proven and custom-crafted in a variety of finishes for both racing and street drivers.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

“While we do work closely with the top Porsche racing teams, the majority of our customers are high-end performance car owners, and we understand they want their ride on wheels that perform well, have proven durability and have a unique appearance which allows them to stand out. Our company pays close attention to both sides of the automotive performance world because we value each customer whether they use our wheels to race or to drive on the street.�

- Steve Schardt Forgeline Vice President of Sales and Marketing Forgeline Motorsports’ wheels are manufactured through a single forging from a piece of 6061-T6 aluminum. The 6061T6 variant has exceptional fatigue characteristics so heat does not affect it as much as it does other materials. The final product is lighter than other racing wheels, giving a set-up edge to the professional race teams running the Forgeline brand. The weight difference comes from a 30-percent reduction in needed material for a forged alloy as opposed to a cast-built wheel. By following the flow structure of the 6061-T6 during the manufacturing process, Forgeline creates wheels that are four times stronger than cast aluminum wheels.

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The design characteristics of Forgeline’s racing wheels help racers in more ways than just weight savings. The friction of braking plays a large role in creating the extraordinary heat that surrounds the wheels and tires on a race car or a normal street performance car.

Forgeline’s racing products, with their creative designs, allow for brake heat to evacuate the wheel area more easily. That’s another reason Forgeline wheels last longer: the Forgeline wheels face less heat than other wheels because of the quicker heat dispersal.

Excess heat buildup can melt tire beads, the part of the tire that makes contact with the rim of the wheel. A melted bead can cause irreversible tire damage.

The unique feature of the Forgeline racing wheels is that the same wheels which can be purchased for use on track performance cars can also be used on the same models highend performance car enthusiasts drive. Racing wheels for a Porsche 911 will fit the street performance Porsche 911, for example. The demands on the wheels will be different, but the strength and quality of the wheels are the same. In addition, each wheel is custom made for every customer. A wide array of fit and finishes are available, giving customers the ability to truly customize their wheels to match their car.

“The same technology that goes into producing our racing wheels goes into developing

our

line

of

aesthetic

wheels for passenger cars, Porsche and Mercedes fitments depend on the make and model of the vehicles, but Forgeline offers an impressive array of options for our discerning customers.”

- Steve Schardt The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

In keeping with the company’s dedication to remaining in the forefront of technological wheel advancements, Forgeline has recently released a line of wheels aimed exclusively at the company’s sports car customers: its Carbon+Forged Series. The result of a partnership between Forgeline and EMERGENT™ Carbon Wheels, this new line of twopiece carbon fiber and forged aluminum ultra-high performance wheels is an innovative industry development. Available in 19-, 20- and 21-inch sizes, these stunning wheels weigh in at just 17 pounds for the front wheels and 18 pounds for the rear wheels.

“We are extremely proud of the new Carbon-Forged wheel package,” Schardt said. “The partnership with EMERGENT gives us the opportunity to create a robust line of attractive wheels that will set off the entire car. Forgeline’s creed is to work with customers to give each a once in a lifetime look and this new effort is unique in that way.”

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Forgeline’s Carbon+Forged wheels are engineered to exceed appearance and performance standards, featuring super lightweight carbon fiber barrels that utilize a high-density carbon fiber bundle, a high-clarity resin system and an unusually large carbon weave pattern. These high-tech characteristics create rims that are visually distinctive and 42 percent lighter than equivalent aluminum wheels. The weight reduction is achieved in the wheel’s most critical outer perimeter where the greatest reduction in unwanted inertia is achieved for real-world improvements in acceleration, braking, cornering, plus NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness), driver/passenger comfort and fuel economy.

The superior quality carbon fiber barrels of Forgeline’s Carbon+Forged wheels are engineered and independently tested to meet industry-leading levels of fatigue strength, impact and damage resistance and deflection stiffness. Specifically, the wheels exceed all

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existing SAE and TUV test specifications and surpass the AK-LH 08 Radial Impact Test standard.

“Our wheels meet all industry specs,” Schardt said. “Beyond that, each one is personally inspected before release from our shop. We call this the Hand and Eye Test because we look at and feel each wheel because specifications are one thing, but our reputation is another. Every wheel must be perfect.”

The first wheels to be released from Forgeline's new Carbon+Forged Series are the lightweight racing-inspired CF201 (featuring a five V-spoke design and aggressive I-beam machining details) and the style-conscious CF202 (featuring a unique directional split-5 spoke design). Since the CF201 and CF202 debuted, the company introduced three additional styles: CF203, CF204 and CF205. Each Carbon+Forged wheel is visually distinctive and aesthetically attractive.

The new Carbon+Forged wheels and other Forgeline wheels are available through a nationwide network of Forgeline partners. For more information, visit forgeline.com or call 1-800-886-0093.

About Forgeline Motorsports For over 20 years Dayton, Ohio-based Forgeline Motorsports has designed, engineered and manufactured premium, custom-made one-piece and three-piece forged aluminum street performance and racing performance wheels for the ultimate combination of fitment, performance and style. With a reputation for excellent quality and outstanding customer service, Forgeline creates bespoke wheels that are American originals. For more information call 1-800-886-0093 or visit www.forgeline.com. Follow on Facebook: forgeline, Twitter: @ForgelineWheels or Instagram: @forgeline.

About EMERGENT Carbon Wheels Emergent Carbon Wheels engineers and manufactures advanced carbon fiber automotive wheels for original equipment and aftermarket customers. The company develops proprietary and patent-pending designs and manufacturing methods to overcome limitations previously associated with carbon fiber reinforced polymer wheels. Learn more at emergentcarbon.com.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

lobally, MercedesBenz sold more than 600,000 compact vehicles in 2017.

Mercedes compacts sell, and the offerings are being expanded to eight models.

The A‑Class hatchback and the Chinese variant of the A‑Class long wheelbase sedan are the first two models of this new generation.

The A-Class L is a compact sedan with very short front and rear overhangs. As on the hatchback model, the front-end has features which are similar to those of the CLS. Contributing to this look is the low, long hood, flat headlamps, the diamond radiator grille, and the central star flanked by a single louver. Currently, the Page | 100

by Kenny Pi | photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz

long wheelbase A is only scheduled for the Chinese market, and will be available as a sedan in both standard and sport trim. The sport model will have power domes on the hood.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

The wheels are available in sizes 16 through 19 inches, and fit flush with the wheel arches.

This, combined with the well-defined rear shoulders, gives it a square stance.

Although it’s a compact car, the two-piece tail lights emphasize its width. With this new model, the rear reflectors sit below the beltline between the faux vents. The rear diffuser rounds off the backside. The diffuser is a nice piece; sporty, without going over the top, and it houses dual chrome exhaust tips.

Like the hatchback model, the interior has been revamped and it looks spacious. It starts with the new cockpit which is unconventional in that it doesn’t have a cowl. Two flat screens sit on the dash. This allows the wing-shaped main body of the dash to extend from one front door to the other. A single circular air vent is at each edge of the dash, with three more vents in the lower center section. controls, which flow into the center console.

Below those vents are the HVAC

The flat screens are available in three

configurations; two 7-inch; one 7-inch and one 10.25-inch; or two 10.25-inch displays.

The big news is the new A comes standard with the MBUX multimedia system - MercedesBenz User Experience. This was introduced at CES in Vegas last year. With MBUX, the Page | 102

A-Class is more than a compact with two tablets stuck on the dash. MBUX uses rich, realtime 3D graphics to bring the navigation and entertainment systems to a new level.

“Our mission was to take the user experience to a new level.

To do this, we chose the best technology available to bring AI into the car and created a completely new user experience from the ground up.”

- Ola Källenius, board member for group research and Mercedes-Benz car development.

MBUX has natural language Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing powered by Santa Clara based NVIDIA. This technology provides the most computing performance any automaker has ever shipped in an infotainment system. Like a smart phone, MBUX can be updated over the air, and not with just additional street maps, but new applications can be rolled out while the vehicle is in use. There’s no need to schedule a service appointment, MBUX will update on the fly.

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“The car is a learning system. It’s like a very good butler — the more you use it, the better it knows and anticipates your preferences.”

- Ola Källenius AI-powered natural language processing makes interacting with the vehicle effortless.

Although it's activated by "Hey Mercedes", MBUX doesn't simply respond to canned phrases.

If someone says, “It's cold in here, make it warmer.”

MBUX will raise the

temperature.

“Natural language with AI will be the preferred method of interacting with the car. That’s because speech is the easiest — and safest — way to interact.”

- Georges Massing, Daimler AG’s director of user interaction.

When developing the Chinese market A-Class L Sedan, rear kneeroom was a focal point.

Because of this, Mercedes-Benz extended the wheelbase, making it 60 mm longer than the hatchback model.

Although the A-Class L Sedan will initially be available in China, we believe it will eventually be released in other countries. The A-Class L Sedan will be powered by an all-aluminum 1.3-liter four-cylinder that produces 160 horsepower. This will be followed by a 2-liter four cylinder that makes 187 horsepower. The standard transmission is a 7G‑DCT dual clutch.

Naturally, the A‑Class L Sedan has the latest driving assistance systems giving it the highest level of active safety in this segment.

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The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

Fuel economy numbers supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy

he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officially rejected a mandate requiring automakers to push for impossible fuel economy standards on light vehicles. What makes the standards impossible? First we need a little background.

In 2012, new fuel economy standards for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements were signed into law. The standards work like this – the EPA takes a single automaker and considers the average fuel economy rating of each model vehicle it sells. They then combine those averages into one single average score for the company as a whole. Now you’re ready to hear why it impossible. The mandate required all automakers to have an average Corporate Average Fuel Economy rating of 54.4 miles per gallon by the year 2025.

I like good fuel economy as well as the next guy, but 54 MPG is crazy.

The best-selling U.S. spec Mercedes-Benz is the C-Class. The C300 is a two-liter four cylinder that gets 24 MPG in the city and 33 on the highway. Split the difference and you’re at 28.5 MPG. Except the Feds say it’s 25 MPG and their number is the one that counts. To make their best-selling car reach the mark, Mercedes-Benz would have to invent a magic engine that’s over 117% more economical. What about hybrids?

The C350e hybrid costs 20% more and its combined average still doesn’t make 54.4 MPG. What about completely electric? OK, you’ve got me there. The Smart FORTWO Electric Drive gets 124 MPG. Let’s look at the Smart FORTWO Electric Drive. It’s a great car, but it wasn’t designed to replace a C-Class. For those that don’t know, a Smart FORTWO seats two. Got a family of four? Either buy two cars or strap the kids to the roof. Need to go someplace further than the corner store? That could be a problem. The Smart FORTWO Electric Drive can go 58 miles. At that point, the car has to be parked for three hours to get a full charge.

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Then you can go another 58 miles and park for another 3 hours. San Francisco is 379 miles from Beverly Hills. That’s seven stops at 3 hours per stop. By the way, you’d better have access to 240-volt charging stations, because it’s 21 hours for each charge with a 120-volt charger. In a gasoline powered vehicle, the bay area is a six-hour trip. A bit less if I’m driving. Obviously, the Smart FORTWO Electric Drive wasn’t made for trips “to” the bay area. It was made for trips “around” the bay area.

Besides, do you know how many Smart FORTWO Electic Drives Mercedes has to move for each AMG GT? The Feds say the GT gets 18 MPG. The GT R gets 17, but the math still works. The Smart gets 124, so add that to the 18 and divide by two . . . . . . the solution is simple. Give away one Smart FORTWO Electric drive with every AMG GT. The same is true for every other AMG built. Well, except the GLA45. In that case, they have to sell one Smart FORTWO Electric drive for every two GLA45’s sold. The same is true for the SClass - sell one Smart FORTWO Electric drives for every two S560’s. Here’s the problem – Mercedes-Benz doesn’t sell enough Smart FORTWO Electric drives to cover the AMGs, let alone the other cars.

Porsche would be plain out of luck. Neither the Cayenne Hybrid nor the Panamera Hybrid come close to getting 54.4 MPG. Don’t think of it in terms of their being 8 to 9 MPG off, think of it this way – they’d have to be 16 to 17% more efficient. What’s that? They’re owned by corporate giant VW you say? Anyone waiting for Volkswagen to save the day has a very short memory. The last time “Volkswagen” and “government standards” were used in the same sentence, people were being hauled off to jail.

“Volkswagen” and

“government standards” is why neither Mercedes-Benz nor Porsche sell diesels in the United States.

The good news is, this isn’t a problem. No one has to figure out how to sell people something they don’t want. Those who want to save the planet are free to buy something that fits their needs while others can drive Michelin Pilot Super Sport equipped road cars.

It’s a win-win that doesn’t involve engineers spending time behind bars.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

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Chillin’ like a snowman

by Marcus Blair Fitzhugh

hen we talk about classic cars, we don’t mean some old heap with accessories that haven’t worked since the warranty expired . “classic" suggests an older, desirable vehicle.

The word

Summer is here, and

desirable cars have functioning air conditioning systems.

The W140, 202, 208, early 209, and 210 all use similar automatic climate control systems.

The controller looks like the photo below. Fortunately, these

controllers allow DIY types to check various air conditioning system sensors .

Even if you have no intention of lifting a wrench, knowing what’s going on could come in handy.

Checking the system is simple.

Simple like, if you can turn the radio on, you

should be able to tell what’s up with the AC. To check things out, go for a drive that lasts 20 minutes or longer, then let the car idle for 60 seconds while in park with the AC on. Press and hold the "REST" button on the climate control ler.

The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

After approximately 5 seconds, the controller’s display will change. You can now see the first of the diagnostic screens, so release the REST button.

The left

"auto" button will allow you to scroll forward through the menu. The right auto button will allow you to scroll backwards. Either turning the car off or pressing the REST button again will take the HVAC out of diagnostic mode.

Now that you have access to the numbers, this is what they mean 01 is the in-car temperature sensor.

02 is the reading from bumper temperature sensor.

03 is the temperature of the left-side heater core.

04 is the temperature of the right-side heater core.

05 is the temperature at the evaporator sensor.

06 is the engine coolant temperature.

07 is the barometric pressure of the Freon.

08 is the Freon temperature.

09 is blank, and we have no idea why it’s there .

10 is the voltage at the heater blower control (normal is 08 -6.0, which is .8 to 6 volts).

11 is the emissions sensor voltage (used to detect atmospheric gases and recirculate interior air).

12 is the sun sensor voltage (used to shift airflow in car).

20 is the current at the auxiliary fan (the electric fan on radiator, and it’s in milliamps or mA).

21 is the engine speed (x 100 RPM).

22 is the vehicle speed (km/h or mph depending on installation).

23 is the percentage of battery voltage at terminal 58d ( it’s a percentage of total voltage, 99.0 is 99%).

24 the battery voltage (e.g. 12.8 = 12.8V).

40 is the climate control software version.

41 is the climate control hardware version.

As expected, bad sensors can throw the Electronic HVAC for a loop.

Naturally,

if the in-car temperature sensor (#1) is broken and reads low, the AC will cycle Page | 110

off early while in auto mode. If it’s broken and reads high, you may freeze to death while in auto mode. They get dusty and a simple cleaning may fix it.

Surprisingly, the bumper temperature sensor matters. If it says 180 degrees when it’s 70 outside, you may want to spend the $10 to $20 for a new sensor.

The evaporator sensor (#5) should be close to the in-car temperature sensor while the A/C is off, and a lot lower while the A/C is on. If the sensor is broken, so is your AC. Those cost about $30.

What’s a normal reading?

The 37 degrees shown on the right, is outstanding.

The Freon pressure sensor (#7) is a good way to determine whether the Freon i s low. Low refrigerant pressure will cause semi-cool, lukewarm, or just plain hot air to come from the vents. Of course, the logical question is, "What’s normal?"

My Freon pressure sensor

reads as follows - when the car is started, and the AC is turned on, without touching the gas, it’s as high as 15. It drops to 7 while driving, and is commonly at 11/12 while waiting at lights.

Assuming the heater is not on, the left and right heater cores should be about the same temperature. If one is higher than the other, and it’s higher than the in-car temperature sensor, the Duovalve may be sticking.

What’s a Duovalve? The heater works by passing hot engine coolant through a pair of small radiators called heater cores.

The heater cores are under the

dashboard. Pumping hot engine coolant into the same area the AC is trying to cool is ineffective. The Duovalve controls the amount of engine coolant allowed to pass through the two heater cores.

When the AC is on, the Duovalve is

supposed stop the coolant The Southwest Star Magazine – your cars & your events

Depending on the model car, the Duovalve is located on passenger's side of the engine compartment, just in front of the fuse box. It’s easy to spot as it has two small cylindrical aluminum cylinders. There are 5 Torx screws (T-10?) holding it in place. With the car COLD, the torx screws can be removed. Using a magnetic drive will help ensure the screw isn’t dropped in the abyss, never to be seen again.

The electrical connection should be l eft in place. After the screws are

removed, gently lift the Duovalve’s aluminum cap by pulling straight up. A thin/flexible putty knife can be used to GENTLY loosen it. That will expose two plungers in the lower portion of the valve.

If these are sticking open, it will

allow hot coolant to flow through the heater core. removed.

Gently, the plungers can be

After drying and cleaning the plungers with a clean rag and a safe

chemical solvent, the lower portions can be lubricated with a non -water soluble grease. Afterwards, it’s ready for reassembly. If you lose a screw, are less than gentle, or have to replace it for some other reason, a Duovalve runs about $300.

If the dealer parts person can’t find the part listed as a Duovalve, its official ly called a Dual Solenoid AC heater control valve.

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.

The 100 Rotwild GT S bikes are sold out. The AMG GT is still available. See your dealer for details.

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The Southwest Star Magazine doesn’t host events. We list the information about events as they’re supplied to us. Details about the events listed should be confirmed with the event coordinators.

In 2017, 2.4 million Mercedes-Benz and Porsche enthusiast read the Southwest Star Magazine. If you have an event that would be of interest to our audience, and you’d like it listed here, please email us the details.

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YOUR NEW CAR SHINE IS STILL AVAILABLE Detailed by J is a mobile auto care service. We’re located in Pasadena, California, but we’re happy to come to you. We specialize in complete interior and exterior detailing.

The outside of your vehicle is the first thing you noticed when you bought it, so why not have it look its absolute best?

While we’re at it, we can do the interior. Most people spend several hours each week in their car, and cleanliness should be a top priority. When we’ve finished, many people can’t believe it’s the same car. Our services also include full paint correction and headlight restoration. Give us a call at 626.399.5614 or click this ad to see samples of our work.

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2018 Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe in Iridium Silver Metallic. Optional equipment shown

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