Mercedes-Benz Thailand Magazine 4/2014 (Eng)

Issue 4 ·2014

4·2014

mercedes-benz.com issn 1617-6677

cit y love

Copenhagen: experimental lab for urban living and cutting-edge cuisine

mountain breeze

Across the Alps with the B-Class Electric Drive

Formula 1: Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton AMG Driving Academy Sebastian Copeland

heart throb

Athleticism, passion, perfection: the AMG GT

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photos niko schmid - burgk, markus bolsinger illustr ation 500GLS @ unit.nl

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“Only people who fall in love with our world will be eager to protect it.”

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Sebastian Copeland

Hybrid The S 500 Plug-in Hybrid runs on electricity and gasoline.

top athle te Fast, yellow and new on the grid: the AMG GT.

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photos Cover Markus bolsinger, enno k apitza , sandro bäbler

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Drive

Inte llige nce

16 y e llow g o ld The new sports car from Affalterbach has more to offer than its striking yellow paintwork – such as a V-8 biturbo engine, an aluminum frame and a top speed of 310 km/h (192 mph)

8 the b est o f m o b ilit y a nd r ese a rc h Rocket skates, bacteria that generate propane gas and the secret passion of OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder

4 4 t he s tro n g , s ile n t t y pe On our test drive in the mountains, the new B-Class Electric Drive proves that plug-in cars are not just made for the city 76 he says , s he says Momoko and Masaru tested the E 250 on the maze of streets that serves Tokyo’s population of nine million

32 p ow er tr ip The first electric-drive luxury sedan: the S 500 Plug-in is a pioneer for further hybrid-drive models

char ac te rs 26 p o le sta r Once a society photographer, now an environmental activist: how Sebastian Copeland aims to save the polar regions.

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contents

e motion

standards

60 the b es t o f d es i g n , a r t a nd ind u lg en c e Hollywood, haute-cuisine fast food, poolside party

24 D i g ita l On the Web: new gems for Mercedes treasure-hunters

6 4 e y es to t he fu t u r e Green, modern, lively and in love with great food: Copenhagen has become a role model for urbanists around the globe

52 a he a d o f it s t ime In 1969, anything was possible: Woodstock, the first man on the Moon – and the futuristic C 111 sports car

sp orts

74 f YI Information and technical specifications

38 he a d to he a d Team-mates and serious rivals: Formula 1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton 75 p u b li cat i o n d e ta il s

54 h ot o n i c e The AMG Driving Academy in northern Sweden teaches you to how drive at the limit on a frozen lake in temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F)

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80 M o men t s 82 i c o n s

68 page

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photos enno k apitza , Get t y Images (2) , dieter rebmann

take a se at Chair by Moroso, a fair trade product from Senegal

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winning t ypes Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg made for a nailbiting F1 season and secured the World Championship title for Mercedes AMG Petronas.

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northern cool Copenhagen’s architecture and exciting foodie scene are a big draw. Pictured here, Olivers Garage at the Arne Jacobsen gas station.

cold start Driving on snow and ice under the watchful eye of the AMG Driving Academy.

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ryan te d d e r

intelligence

secret pa s s i o n

The best of technology, mobility and research

He is widely regarded as the secret king of pop and has written hits for Beyoncé (“Halo”), Leona Lewis (“Bleeding Love”) and Adele (“Rumour Has It”). But Ryan Tedder is best known through his membership of the band OneRepublic. It was with them that the 35-year-old wrote the song “I Lived” for the advertising campaign for the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class. He enthusiastically describes his first drive in the virtually noiseless Electric Drive version (further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures are available on page 75): “At first I thought the engine wasn’t even running, it was so quiet.” He is fascinated by the rapid acceleration of the vehicle and its potentially low environmental impact. “With tour buses, trucks and jets, bands like ours have a pretty huge CO2 footprint,” he says. His hope is that electric vehicles will change all that. And in the meantime, he dreams of the perfect sound for his trips in the EV: “Beethoven at full volume while I cruise through the silence of the Swiss Alps.”

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PHotos le ann mueller (1) , daimler ag (1) , driveclub™©2014 sony computer entertainment europe (2) , Get t y images (1)

S Q UA R E D E A L Some people like to look at prints, others prefer to share their photos with the rest of the world. With the “Socialmatic” version of the good old Polaroid camera, both are possible: the integrated printer creates pictures immediately, and via WiFi you can also post them on Facebook, Pinterest and other social media.

new biofuel Coli bacteria generate propane gas.

By genetically manipulating the Escherichia-coli bacterium, British researchers were able to generate tiny quantities of fuel that could theoretically be used to drive an engine. Some work remains to be done to increase efficiency, but in five to ten years, this renewable fuel source should be market-ready.

quick off t h e m ar k Speed record for a Mercedes: four weeks after it was launched in the real world, the AMG GT appeared in the virtual world as well – in the latest version of Driveclub for Playstation 4.

The on-screen GT faces strong competition from a further five AMG models on the grid. dr i v e c l u b . c o m

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i n tell i g e n ce

road s to n o w here Endless roads across stunning natural landscapes. For his Escapes photo collection, Stefan Bogner took shots of lonely Alpine roads.

But his austere pictorial language is almost better suited for Iceland.

In his latest book, the photographer focuses on the bleak beauty of this northern island. A hundred photos show empty roads winding through vast landscapes. del i u s - kla s i n g . de

w e hav e l i ft- off FAN CY F O OT WO R K is what the developers of Rocket Skates had in mind with these rather special roller skates, which are worn like regular shoes. Tilt your foot forward, and two 50-watt motors accelerate you to almost 20 km/h (12.5 mph). Battery charge and speed can be measured by smartphone app – and, provided no one is wearing them at the time, they can even be remote-controlled.

LEADER OF T H E PA C K The “Nimble” rucksack lacks one important feature: the bag element. Instead, this awardwinning design study offers a host of other options. You can use straps and hooks to attach skis, snowboards, hiking equipment or other bulky objects and carry them on your back. b eha n ce . n et/ n a n do m b

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illustration julia pelzer photos daimler ag (1) , corbis (1)

rocket s kate s . co m

R an k i ng These cities have the best mobility concepts: 1. H o n g ko n g 2 . S t oc k ho l m 3 . A m s t erda m 4 . C o p enhagen 5 . v i enna 6 . S i nga p ore 7. p ar i s 8 . z ur i ch 9. l ondon / he l s i n k i 10 . m un i ch (* Total points in 19 categories)

5 8 . 2* 5 7. 4 5 7. 2 56.4 56.0 55.6 55.4 54.7 53.2 53.0

mo b i le city

The Urban Mobility Index describes how well prepared the world’s cities are for the challenges of modern mobility. The criteria involved include the density of street and cycle path networks, the availability of car- and bike-sharing schemes, levels of vehicle-generated CO2 emissions and the average drive time to a job in the city center. The cities that most urgently need to take a leaf out of Hong Kong’s book are Baghdad, Hanoi and Atlanta.

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42-year-old Eric Krzeslo is co-founder of SoftKinetic in Brussels – a company specializing in gesture control for gaming consoles and cameras. The technology will soon also be available in automobiles.

What would you like to be able to control by gesture in a car?

We are initially concentrating on areas like infotainment, navigation and air-con systems.

How does the system work?

The main element is a 3D camera which measures distances and generates a three-dimensional image – even in the dark. The software then analyzes the image and searches specifically for hands and fingers, which it isolates from the rest of the body. It then evaluates the gestures.

How does the driver know what gestures to use?

All you need is a short training session – no more than five minutes.

We keep things simple: if you don’t want to talk on the telephone, you make a gesture of rejection. If you do, you put your thumb up.

GROUND CHARGE You park your electric vehicle outside your house and the next time you get into it, the battery has been fully charged. Time to say goodbye to cable connections – Daimler and BMW have reached agreement on the joint development of a standardized inductive technology using a primary coil in the ground and a secondary coil in the vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz is already fleet-testing the system on the new S 500 Plug-in Hybrid (further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 74).

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times more precise than GPS-based navigation systems – British researchers are working on a quantum navigation system that calculates the influence of the Earth’s magnetic field on individual atoms, making satellite data redundant.

Surely you could do that using speech recognition.

Yes, but if there’s background noise, you can have problems. For us, gestures and speech recognition complement one another perfectly.

You say “music” and hold up one or two fingers to select a playlist.

When do you expect we will see such systems in use on the roads?

They could start spreading as early as next year. In the long term, we are working on a 3D camera that analyzes driver behavior to warn him if he is being distracted. Or that opens the door for him if it recognizes his face.

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i nte l l i g ence

P ro f. C hr i s toph s t i l l er

“In the long term, we won’t need traffic lights” The head of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, an expert in self-driving cars, predicts that the car of the future will communicate automatically with traffic lights. It will know, for example, how much longer the lights will stay green and whether to brake or accelerate. And in 30 years, according to Stiller, cars will communicate so well that stop lights will no longer be needed for controlling traffic at intersections – at most, they will be used to inform pedestrians who don’t have a smartphone.

f i nd i n g your f eet Combined with GPS data from a smartphone, these shoes from Indian manufacturer Lechal can be used as a satnav: if the wearer is supposed to turn left, the left-hand shoe vibrates.

At the same time, the system – also available as an insole – measures steps taken and calories burned. l echa l . co m

a f r i ca

cape town

table mountain

noordhoek

len gth – 9 kilometers (5½ miles) numb er o f bend s – 114 durati on – approx. 15 minutes

s outh afr i ca

c l i f f han g er THE AR E A AR O UND CAPE TOWN is a showcase for the region’s natural beauty – with this

road as one of the highlights. Chapman’s Peak Drive, in the southwest corner of South Africa, is only nine kilometers (five and a half miles) long – but it is an unforgettable nine kilometers! The road snakes its way round no fewer than 114 bends, with stunning views of the Atlantic coast. In the early 20th century, it took seven years to hew the road out of the 630-million-year-old granite of the Cape.

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PHotos holger k arius/dreamstime.com (1)

hout bay

on Tour The best apps, audiobooks and songs for when you’re on the move

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knit / i O S For messaging while you’re out and about: this app only delivers your message when the recipient arrives at the place where you left the message.

Tripit / A n d r o i d + i O S Hotels, flight times, rental cars or route planning: after receipt of your confirmation mail, this app stores all your travel info in one place.

the n and n ow

cool st yling Circular vents were not exactly new when they appeared in the Mercedes 350 SL in 1971 (above left), but it was the first time they had been placed above the center console.

Together with other details, the new, round design indicated what the 1970s models had that their predecessors – and the competition – lacked: variable adjustment to ensure virtually draft-free ventilation. After several years of absence, the centrally located vents reappeared in 2009 in the SLS AMG, and then also in the C-Class (above right) and other new models. But by then, they were no longer just elements of the air-conditioning system – they had long since become iconic features identifying the vehicle as a Mercedes.

photo sphe re / A n d r o i d + i O S An app that generates high-quality 360-degree photos in a very simple way – and sends them, if you wish, to GoogleMaps.

wild by Cheryl Str ayed For long road journeys: an audiobook about an even longer trip. In Wild, the author describes how she traveled the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada (some 1,800 km / 1,100 miles). The movie of this bestseller, starring Reese Witherspoon, is due for release in early 2015.

pa p e r c ompu t e r The Livescribe notebook from Moleskine enables analog creativity to be seamlessly conveyed to the digital world: handwriting can be transferred to an electronic device by means of a smart pen and a dot matrix. moleskine.com

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Kr af t werk : autobahn Long before the era of electric cars, the German band Kraftwerk prepared the ground for electronic music.

Autobahn is a 23-minute symphony that is ideal for in-car listening – not only on account of its title.

from jet-propelled rollerskates to GPS shoes and inductive battery charging: more info online via the QR code. m b - q r . c o m / 0 l Z

photos daimler ag (2)

ta k e n o t e Following synchronization, sketches can be further processed on a tablet.

drive

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yellow

gold

AN ENTHUSIAST’S SPORTS CAR – what exactly does that mean?

The answer comes in the shape of the latest creation from Affalterbach, a combination of biturbo front mid-engine, magnesium and lashings of aluminum – a heady mix that is addictive even in small doses.

w or d s D a v i d S t a r e t z photos m a r k u s b o l s i n g e r

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V-8 BITURBO, TOP SPEED 310 KM/H (192 MPH):

PRIMED FOR ATTACK

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IDEAL WEIGHT At 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) per hp, the GT is an elite athlete.

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andcrafted by Racers – Tobias Moers needs little more than the company slogan to sum up the essence of the latest sports car to come out of Affalterbach.

However, it is mainly the hand gestures with which he describes the details of the new front mid-engine projectile that punctuate his words with a big imaginary exclamation point. Is it a coincidence that, even here, Moers only rarely moves his hands from the 9 and 3 o’clock positions that are de rigueur for achieving fast laps? Even in conversation, he seems poised to instantly nip any rear oversteering in the bud with the determination of a professional race driver.

Prior to his current position as Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, Moers was Head of Development at AMG until 2013. And it goes without saying that he was the man behind the wheel during the the latest GT’s final acceptance run on a dried-up salt lake in Bonneville, USA. He sums up the thinking behind the new two-seater: “We wanted to bring the fascination of motorsports into everyday life.”

the design combines tradition and futurism – sheer efficiency laced with fan appeal.

Lap record on the Nürburgring Acoustically, this has proved an overwhelming success in the case of the Mercedes-AMG GT – though the aural spectacle it produces is anything but quotidian. Christian Enderle is the concertmaster, as it were, who conducts the powerful cylinder octet that resounds so thrillingly in the ears.

Not inside the car, mind you – this aural display of power is being staged on the in-house AMG engine rig in Affalterbach, which is firmly bolted to the floor. Initially, the virtuosity with which the V-8 biturbo unit attacks its performance can only be guessed at from the hot orange glow of the coiling exhaust system that is visible through the bullet- and soundproof glass.

“This engine is just setting a new lap record for the Nürburgring,” explains Enderle, “although it doesn’t yet know it.”

Finally, the engine chief presses a button and the sound of the power unit – built on the “one man, one engine” principle (each unit is assembled by a single mechanic and, at the very final stage, endowed with his personal signature) – is relayed over the facility’s loudspeaker system.

Suddenly, it dawns on us: that was the tricky Hatzenbach section, and now it’s uphill to Breitscheider Brücke.

But there’s no need to go all the way to the Nordschleife to experience such spectacular soundscapes: thanks to adjustable exhaust flaps, the GT driver can modify the sound of the power unit at will.

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PERFECT AERODYNAMIC S Depending on the drive program selected, the rear aerofoil extends and retracts at various speeds. The shape of the underbody guarantees effective airflow to the rear diffusor.

90 PERCENT OF THE spaceframe IS

Aluminum

Resetting the benchmark

E y e - opener LED High Performance headlamps with daytime running lights as a stylized eyebrow and turn signals lend the GT its unmistakable look.

The AMG GT is a textbook of modern sports car construction. The engine comes in two power bands, the GT unit developing 340 kW and the GT S, with identical displacement (3,982 cc), offering 375 kW. Top speed: 304 km/h (189 mph) and 310 km/h (192 mph) respectively – figures worthy of a sports car engine designed according to the “hot inside V” principle.

In short, this means the turbochargers are mounted inside the cylinders’ V configuration rather than outside on the cylinder banks. This facilitates a compact engine design with low exhaust gas emissions thanks to optimum airflow for the close-coupled catalytic converters, while the chargers ensure optimum respon< siveness. And the technology doesn’t end 21

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there: the model boasts a locking differential and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

With the transmission in transaxle configuration and the V-8 biturbo mounted as a front mid-engine with dry sump lubrication, the concept brings with it an ideal weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent between the front and rear axles. A curb weight of just 1,540 kilograms (3,395 lb) makes for a power/weight ratio of 3.3 kilograms (7.2 lb) per hp, propelling the car to the top of its segment.

On the wings of design The design of the sports car plays with the brand’s tradition (e.g. the side air vents with hallmark double fins), while at the same time striking a futuristic note with its LED High Performance headlamps or aggressive, openmouthed front splitter beneath the stretched hood whose pronounced powerdomes evoke the flexing of muscles. The retractable rear aerofoil and the new turn signals at the rear (18 individual LEDs on each side that indicate the driver’s intention with sequential lighting) can only be fully appreciated when the car is operational. Inconspicuously out of sight, meanwhile, are the antennas for the navigation system etc., configured in such a way as not to compromise the overall appearance of the car.

There’s little time to explore where the antenna technology might be concealed as we turn to

hands - on r acing Performance steering wheel in three-spoke design with 12 o’clock marking, flattened bottom section and aluminum shift paddles.

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i AMG GT Engine / Output 4.0-liter V-8 biturbo, 340 kW (GT S: 375 kW); max. torque 600 Nm (GT S: 650 Nm)

Transmission AMG Speedshift DCT seven-speed dual clutch

From Comfort to Sport plus Sports suspension with electronically-controlled damping comes as standard on the Mercedes-AMG GT S and is available as an option with the GT. Damping characteristics are controlled at the push of a button by selecting one of three settings.

Ceramic takes the heat Reduced weight, longer service life and even better fade resistance – theseare the benefits of the optional ceramic high-performance composite brake system. Brake disk diameter: front 402 mm, rear 360 mm.

Further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 74.

the compelling narrative of Raphael Winter, Head of Development Chassis Systems, who is elaborating on the new GT’s extremely firm suspension. He draws our attention in particular to the sports chassis with its aluminum double wishbones. He is also particularly proud of the elastokinematics of the chassis attachment, which ensures the high-precision wheel control one expects of a car built to exacting motorsports standards.

Another advanced high-tech feature is the control electronics in the GT S – known as the AMG Chassis Controller (ACC). This unit allows the dynamic engine mounts and rear axle transmission mounts to be actuated independently of one another and continually adjusted for stiffness – in a matter of milliseconds – to suit prevailing driving conditions.

Brook no compromise By now, the basic philosophy underlying the GT and GT S is clear: first off, the hardware – the mechanical basis – had to be right before work could start on the fine tuning, such as the threestage ESP or the speed-sensitive sports steering with its variable steering ratio that responds according to speed and lateral acceleration. And let’s not forget the obvious: What is the AMG GT actually made of?

The intelligent material mix betrays the complex approach: the entire chassis, including greenhouse and body, is made of light alloy, and 90 percent of the spaceframe body – the bodyshell – of aluminum. Tipping the scales at just 231 kilograms (507 lb), it sets a new benchmark figure in the sports car segment. Surprisingly, perhaps, the trunk lid is made of steel; in practical terms, this is the lightest solution.

The front deck, meanwhile, shuns the usual compromises and is made of ultra-light magnesium. You could listen to the explanations of the experts for hours; the terms they use – “smooth underbody” or “rear diffusor” – hail from the vocabulary of sports car design.

As we turn our focus to the cockpit, the longawaited test drive begins to look more imminent. The seating position is low and the dashboard boasts wing-like styling with perfectly integrated air vents, while the freestanding central display with information systems conveys an almost magical feeling of lightness.

With styling reminiscent of the NACA air intakes of race car fame, the center console is at once elegant and dynamic while also exemplifying outstanding ergonomics. The hand goes to individual functions as if of its own accord and everything seems to have been conceived and designed by true enthusiasts – Handcrafted

by Racers. It’s high time to experience it for > ourselves…

d i g i ta l

the next dimension From augmented reality to robotics: in the new magazine Mercedes-Benz next, experts in technology and transportation express their views on important innovations and future-oriented issues through articles and videos. n e x t . m e r c e d e s - b e n z . c o m

all amg This blog is independent of Mercedes-Benz and solely dedicated to all things AMG. Catch up on the latest models, racing news and technological innovations. theworldofmbamg. wordpress.com

the QR code is the key to unlocking a world of digital offerings on your smartphone. m b - qr . c o m / 0 m C

web art The Daimler Art Collection contains some 2,200 works by 800 artists, more than 350 of which – from paintings to furniture – are on view in this new online exhibition. a r t. da i m l e r . c o m

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illustration cristiano rinaldi photos josef albers, nesting tables 1926/27 daimler art collection stut tgart/berlin photogr apher uwe seyl, stut tgart, daimler ag (3 ) , mercedes amg

t o ta l t e c h n o l o g y MBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elaborate online Tech Center explains, in several languages, the functioning of various Mercedes-Benz innovations in the areas of safety, comfort, environment and sportiness. techcenter.mercedes -benz.com

networked The social cloud page gathers posts about Mercedes-Benz from independent web sources, e.g. blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, as well as from the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social media outlets. social.mercedesbenz.com

digital

treasures the internet is strewn with hidden gems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you just need to know where to look. Here are a few hot tips for the digitally adventurous.

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characters

pol e sta r

Sebastian Copeland once had Hollywood celebrities in his camera sights; today, he prefers to photograph icebergs in the polar regions. He is a society photographer turned eco warrior, an activist who uses breathtaking imagery to campaign for climate protection.

IN t e r v i e w m a r g o t w e b e r

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Portr ait niko schmid - burgk

photo sebastian copel and portrait niko schmid - burgk, hair : thomas kemper, st yling : napapijri

visionary Photographer and environmental activist Sebastian Copeland.

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dreamland Snowstorm over the Greenland ice sheet, the largest area of ice on Earth outside the Antarctic.

P R OTE C TI V E IN S TIN C T In the Canadian Arctic, the wolfhound Zepher gives reliable warning of the presence of polar bears.

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obody documents climate change quite as beautifully or as bluntly as photographer and adventurer Sebastian Copeland. Until a few years ago, the 50-year-old worked as a promotional filmmaker and celebrity photographer, his portraits of actors like Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock or his cousin Orlando Bloom appearing in glossy magazines all around the world. But since 2007, the Brit who now lives in West Hollywood shoots mainly icebergs rather than stars of the silver screen. As a member of the supervisory board of Global Green USA, he campaigns for climate protection in the polar regions in his own individual way: by capturing their perfection in amazing photographic images. During a brief visit to Munich – where Copeland’s wife was born – the environmental activist explains what motivates and inspires him. Throughout the entire two-hour interview, Copeland remained alert and focused. That presumably comes from being the extreme sportsman he still is.

What do you say when people ask you what you do?

That’s tricky! I’m three things: adventurer, photographer and environmental activist.

First and foremost, though, I see myself as an artist. But you could also say I’m simply a guy who tries to pursue his passions.

photos sebastian copel and

And what are they?

I’m an extreme sportsman and I need that adrenaline kick. As a child, I was fascinated by the mountains and oceans, I used to sail and ski whenever I could. Later, I took up mountaineering and rock climbing, surfing, windsurfing, parachuting and scuba diving. And photography, of course – I started taking pictures when I was 12. My grandfather, who lived in South Africa, once took me with him on a photo safari into the backcountry. As a child, I read everything I could find about adventurers, mountaineers and explorers – Livingstone, Scott, Amundsen, Mallory and Hillary.

What is it about photography that made you want to make a career of it?

The chance to capture a moment forever and make it immortal. And then to be able to share it with others.

What do you hope to achieve through your photography?

I want people to fall in love with our world so they are eager to protect it.

But ultimately, a picture is just a picture.

Through my photos, I want people to fall in love with our world so they are eager to protect it.

Sebastian Copeland

Can a photograph really be a force for change?

For me, a picture is an emotional tool. It reaches out to people in a way that intellectual arguments simply cannot.

After studying film, you spent one and a half decades working as a society photographer and promotional filmmaker in Los Angeles.

What did that period mean to you?

Those were important years for me – they shaped my understanding of photography.

And they were key in enabling me to discover what I wanted to do with my life.

You took a sabbatical in 2003. Did this mark the end of that phase of your life?

I guess you could say that. I simply felt a growing rift between me and my former profession.

Was that when you began to take an interest in the issue of climate change?

No, I learned about that back in the late 1990s, when I met the CEO of Green Cross, known in the U.S. as Global Green. This organization was founded in 1994 by Mikhail Gorbachev, and although it focuses mainly on climate change, it also deals with the issue of clean drinking water.

In essence, the organization looks at the footprint we humans leave behind on Earth and considers the consequences. But I became clear about one

thing during my year out: if I were suddenly to involve myself seriously in campaigning for a better use of our planet’s resources, it would be a turning point in my life. My activities as a promotional filmmaker, creating campaigns designed to make people buy more and more, would no longer be compatible with this new life.

So what was the first thing you did with your new life?

In addition to photography, I had one other important string to my bow: a knowledge of advertising and marketing – and a list of contacts. So in 2005, I used my connections and persuaded the actors Salma Hayek and Jake Gyllenhall to travel with me to Greenland on behalf of Global Green.

Our aim was to make people aware how melting ice is threatening the lives of the Inuit. We got a lot of coverage, it was a great success for us.

What came next?

Another Antarctic expedition gave rise in 2007 to my illustrated book Antarctica, for which I persuaded Mikhail Gorbachev and Leonardo Di Caprio to write the preface. And I returned to the Antarctic in 2008 with my cousin Orlando… … the actor Orlando Bloom… … and once again we succeeded in focusing media interest on the melting ice. After a

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icy focus Sebastian Copeland (left) on an expedition to the North Pole with his most important piece of equipment: his camera. In the Canadian Arctic on Ellesmere Island, he photographed Iceberg VIII in Otto Fjord. The frozen saltwater is as smooth as a mirror.

few years, I began to realize that all my interests and skills complemented each other perfectly.

Why are they so special?

Ice landscapes are clean. There are no people.

They are exceptionally beautiful. And they are the only places in our biosphere that look as if they belonged to another planet.

Is the situation the same in the Arctic and Antarctic?

No. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents and covered with a thin sheet of ice no more than 1.8 meters [6 ft] thick. Whereas the Antarctic is a giant continent, one and a half times the size of the U.S. It is surrounded by seas and its ice extends right down into the depths. Temperatures in the Antarctic are much more stable than in the Arctic, because the colossal volume of ice ensures constantly freezing temperatures.

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As humans, we have the capacity to reinvent everything.

We must now use this gift to safeguard the survival of our species.

Sebastian Copeland

So the Arctic is actually under a greater threat?

Precisely. Because there is so much less ice in the Arctic, it is much more sensitive to global warming. What’s more, the Arctic is under a two-pronged attack – from above, from the increasingly warm air, and from below, from the increasingly warm water. According to forecasts by the World Climate Council, the Arctic will be ice-free in the summer months some time between 2015 and 2035.

What impact would an ice-free Arctic have on the planet?

It would set in motion a downward spiral of events in many areas. The less ice there is on Earth, the quicker the planet will heat up.

Meltwater from the poles could also interrupt the flow of the Gulf Stream, which is responsible for Europe’s mild climate. The temperature of the seas would rise. At the micro level, this changes living conditions for plankton, and at the macro level threatens the lives of polar bears and the Inuit. It would also have an impact on the infrastructure of entire regions: if the permafrost were to melt – i.e. the permanently frozen ground beneath the tundra and forest regions of North

photos sebastian copel and

Why did you devote yourself to the polar regions and not the rainforests?

The poles represent ground zero when it comes to climate change. The ongoing concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere is having a major impact on global warming, causing air temperatures and the temperature of the oceans to rise. The first and most visible consequence of this global warming is the melting ice caps.

But in addition to that, I have a deep personal fascination for ice landscapes.

America and Eurasia – roads and railroad lines would become impassable. But the main problem is that the permafrost contains huge quantities of methane and carbon dioxide. If there were a thaw, these would be released into the atmosphere, driving temperatures even higher.

How do you maintain your commitment, given this state of affairs?

In spite of everything, I have great faith in the human species. I believe we have the capacity to reinvent everything. We must now use this extraordinary talent to safeguard the survival of our species.

Why do you you feel a personal responsibility to be campaigning for environmental protection?

It’s a kind of moral imperative for me. Where the poles are concerned, I have come to be something of an authority. Today, I have the knowledge to tell stories and scenarios about the ice – and use these to inspire others. It has become a kind of calling: I feel I have to do it.

You could put it another way: Would it not be irresponsible on my part if I didn’t apply all the skills I have acquired over the years to a good cause?

Is there still a chance to stop global warming or is it already much too late?

That is the fundamental question. I don’t know

LIFELI N E S Born in 1964, Sebastian Copeland comes from a dynasty of musicians and actors; his father is a well-known French orchestral conductor.

He grew up in France and New York and, on graduating from high school, studied film in Los Angeles. Since 2007, he has devoted himself to protecting the environment.

His book Antarctica was published in 2013, his photographs are distributed through Galerie Bernheimer in Munich.

Online adve nturer From film trailers to personal blog – Sebastian Copeland’s website is worth a visit.

mb - q r .c o m/0M7

the answer. But I’m not particularly optimistic – and nor are most researchers and scientists.

Why not?

The Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, but there has only been human life here for 175,000 years. That is nothing by comparison. Even flowers have been around for over 135 million years. Despite this, we humans think we are something special. Just because we are able to build spacecraft, computers and skyscrapers, our relationship to Earth is no different than that of a flower, a bird or a tree. To be honest, we are more destructive towards our planet than any flower, bird or tree could ever be. We are more of a virus than a blessing for our planet. The fact is, it doesn’t need us and it will continue to exist without us.

How difficult is it not to despair in the face of such an outlook?

Would it change anything if I were to lead a joyless existence? Hopelessness is not what I want to feel.

So you are an optimist at heart?

I celebrate life at the end of the day, just as every one of us should. All I’m trying to do is promote a common awareness that we ought to avoid doing this at the expense of our children and grandchildren.

<

time to reflect Iceberg XVIII in northern Greenland. Nine tenths of it are hidden below the surface.

intelligen c e

power

trip

FOLLOWING THE DEBUT of the world’s first ever plug-in luxury sedan, hybrid versions of all Mercedes model series will be rolled out in the coming years. wo r d s R o b e r t Z s o l n a y illu s t r a tion 5 0 0 G LS @ U n i t . n l

I

t is described as “sailing” – and that’s exactly what it feels like as the Mercedes-Benz S 500 Plug-in Hybrid purrs smoothly, and almost silently, across the Øresund bridge.

When it was opened in 2000, the almost eight-kilometer (five-mile) cable-stayed bridge across the Øresund Sound between Denmark and Sweden was hailed as a triumph of engineering. The same claim can be made of the vehicle in which I am crossing it – an opulent luxury sedan from Mercedes-Benz that happens to be the company’s first plug-in (externally rechargeable) hybrid model. Smooth and effortless propulsion, particularly in the engine-off “sailing” mode, is one of its specialties. A discreet double vibration from the haptic accelerator lets me know when it’s time to lift off the gas and enjoy that special sensation of light and effortless propulsion. What is actually happening is simply that the internal combustion engine has been switched off and decoupled from the powertrain, leaving only the electric motor engaged.

With this new model, even that normally driest of subjects – technical data – has the power to thrill. Combined output of 325 kW and fuel consumption of 2.8 l/100 km (84 mpg) with CO2 emissions of 65 g/km (104 g/mi) set new benchmarks. And although Mercedes has already put two hybrid S-Class models on the road, it is the plug-in hybrid S 500 that gives the “S” in the

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badge an added attribute – superior sustainability. Two things stand out above all. First, the virtually seamless interaction between the 245 kW V-6 twin-turbo engine and the 85 kW electric motor mounted directly on the seven-speed automatic transmission.

Second, the way information is continuously circulated between the powertrain and the electronic systems, enabling the electric motor and internal combustion engine to work together in perfect tandem and in perfect alignment with the route topography and traffic conditions. Based on information about everything from gradients to speed limits and congestion, the hybrid pow< ertrain calculates when to deploy the engine

USING TOPOGRAPHICAL information, the navigation system helps select the optimal operating strategy for the electric motor and internal combustion engine.

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intelligence

Hybrid is the default mode in which the electric motor and internal combustion engine are engaged or disengaged based on factors like driving style and battery charge status.

In E-Mode, the vehicle operates on all-electric power wherever possible. The internal combustion engine only cuts in if the driver pushes the accelerator pedal past the pressure point.

or the electric motor for minimum emissions.

The vehicle ahead is slowing down and the gap is closing, prompting the S-Class to activate its radar-based recuperation system to ensure the electric motor acts as a generator and maintains a safe following distance. The display shows the direction of energy flow: white arrows pointing towards the battery indicate that the electric motor is recovering energy and feeding it to the battery. This strategy can be deployed whenever the Hybrid drive mode and the E+ transmission mode are engaged. In this combination, the driver knows that the luxury sedan can always be relied on to adopt the most energy-efficient powertrain strategy all by itself.

The S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is the most intelligent model ever to emerge from the luxury S-Class stable, in a career that now dates back more than 34

E-Save mode “freezes” the battery’s current state of charge, ensuring there is always electric power in reserve to allow for all-electric operation on a later section of the journey, e.g. in town.

mind the gap: keeping a safe distance is left to the recuperation system, not the driver’s discretion.

If the mode switch is set to Charge, the internal combustion engine fully replenishes the high-voltage battery while the vehicle is being driven.

This takes about half an hour.

40 years. Throughout that time, the S-Class has been a byword for cutting-edge automotive engineering. In 1978, it featured the world’s first electronically controlled anti-lock braking system (ABS) in a production car, in 1981 the first driver airbag was fitted, and in 2005 it pioneered radar-based Brake Assist. Small wonder the current S-Class is the world’s top-selling highend sedan, with sales exceeding 100,000.

After a short coffee break, it becomes clear that cruising through the city is an experience likewise verging on the serene. Electric drive is automatically selected when pressing the start button at the beginning of the journey, and that initial silence can be surprising. At first, you might think nothing was happening. But then you notice the instrument cluster has already sprung to life. And electric power is not only

I n t e l l i g e n t ta l k f r o m t h e p e d a l In E+ transmission mode, the S 500 Plug-in Hybrid uses radar technology to adapt to traffic in front.

A double vibration of the accelerator pedal tells drivers precisely when to lift off the accelerator so as to synchronize their driving style with the traffic ahead and to maximize fuel efficiency.

recovering energy If the driver responds to the double vibration at the pedal, the vehicle switches to engine-off electric “sailing” and recovers energy as soon as the vehicle in front slows down. Experts refer to this as radar-based recuperation.

about “sailing” or cruising – it can also be used to provide boost power. The plug-in hybrid offers this function whenever the S transmission mode is selected. Activated by pressing smartly on the gas, the boost feature uses the electric motor to supplement the combustion engine for increased performance. On the highway, I try it out and just love the way it thrusts me back in my seat.

The car quickly picks up speed and the arrows in the energy flow display show red – a sign that significant quantities of energy are flowing out of the rear-axle-mounted battery pack.

Trailblazer for new plug-in models The S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is every inch a trailblazer. By 2017, Mercedes plans to offer as many as ten different hybrid models. That means launching a new one roughly every four months,

i Further technical

specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 74.

starting with the C-Class in 2015, then the E-Class, and eventually the large off-roaders.

Daimler board member Thomas Weber recently commented that hybrid drive will soon be as normal as gasoline or diesel models are today.

Back in town, it’s time to plug the cable into the charging port behind a discreet flap on the rear bumper. Depending on socket rating, charging takes some two to four hours. Within the lifetime of this model generation, the plug-in hybrid S-Class is set to be joined by an “unplugged” version with a wireless, inductive charging system.

Finally, how did I do on fuel? Not as well as I might have done. It seems I was too heavy on the boost. But although I didn’t achieve the quoted 2.8 liters/100 km (84 mpg), my fuel economy was nothing short of awesome for a high-performance < sedan in this class.

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sports

38

head

head to

job done. Mercedes AMG Petronas has won the F1 world title for the first time. This success in the most exciting season for some time was spearheaded by Messrs Hamilton and Rosberg. Team-mates they may be, but the dominant drivers of 2014 could hardly be more different. w o r d s B i a n c a l e pp e rt

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ico Rosberg balances a ball on his foot in the Hockenheim paddock, unperturbed by the ring of 20 journalists gawking at him.

One second the ball’s in the air, the next it’s nestling back on his instep. It’s all part of Rosberg’s pre-race ritual.

The German’s every movement is recorded by cameras as the 29-year-old negotiates life in the proverbial – and inevitable – fish bowl. Inevitable, because right now he leads the Formula 1 drivers’ standings. His every gesture, word and move on the track is scrutinized by the media.

Behind him is the Mercedes hospitality building, “Congratulations to our national team on their title win” daubed across its darkened glass.

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When you’re competing against your team-mate, you can always see exactly what he’s up to. l e w i s h a m i lt o n

Barely six months later, Mercedes AMG Petronas are world champions themselves. 19 races have separated the winners from the rest, but the foundations for the team’s success were laid long before the first grand prix of the season. The start of 2014 marked the dawn of a new era in Formula 1. The changes to the technical regulations, such as the switch from V-8 to 1.6-liter V-6 turbo engines and the increased focus on the hybrid system, have been viewed as the biggest revolution in the sport since the inception of modern F1 in 1950. “We’ve closed the gap between grand prix cars and road cars,” says Rosberg. “In the future, we’ll also see production cars running turbocharged hybrid engines. Formula 1 provides a platform for the development of this technology.”

Sparkling performance Champagne for the winner: Hamilton crossed the line ahead of Rosberg at the Bahrain GP in April 2014.

Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were installed as favorites for the season as early as winter testing. The Mercedes F1 W05 hybrid racked up almost 5,000 kilometers (approx. 3,100 miles) – more than any other car – as the engineers honed their machines. “Our level of performance this year is the result of many years of work by Mercedes,” Hamilton is keen to emphasize. “The right people were brought into the right places at the right time. And it was a massive advantage that we were able to use our in-house expertise to develop the KERS hybrid system some years ago. We’re now reaping the rewards.”

In a race of their own Mercedes AMG Petronas was the team to beat in 2014, right from the opening race of the season in Australia. As one 1-2 finish followed the next, Mercedes might as well have been on a different planet as far as its rivals were concerned. The inhouse battle between Rosberg and Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix was a classic and provided the catalyst for a rivalry in the Prost/Senna, Mansell/Piquet mold. In the view of many, their head-to-head was the best thing that could have happened to F1 as Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff and non-executive chairman Niki Lauda put their tactic of “letting the guys race” into practice.

Hamilton held the edge over his German teammate in the early-season exchanges, but then Monaco brought a turning point when Rosberg < wrested back the initiative. Their personal

sports

H U N T ING INS T INC T Nico Rosberg climbed to the top of the podium at the Austrian GP in June 2014. The battle between the team-mates reached a new intensity last season.

battle was heating up as Rosberg maintained his lead in the World Championship. But the pressure he was under became clear at the Italian Grand Prix, where two driver errors left the door open for Hamilton to claim the win. Another victory in the night race in Singapore put Hamilton back on top of the drivers’ standings. With the post-race fireworks lighting up the sky, the Briton knelt on his car and planted a kiss of gratitude. An exciting season was turning into a marathon 350 km/h (200 mph) game of tit-fortat. Controversy was never far away, and a generous dose duly arrived with the coming together of Rosberg and Hamilton at the Belgian Grand Prix. “We’d rather be having to rein our drivers in from time to time than showing them how to drive fast,” says Mercedes Board Member for Development Thomas Weber.

The odd difference The two title protagonists are quite familiar with driving fast. Hamilton contested his eighth season in Formula 1 this year, Rosberg has been on the grid for eight years. Although they’ve only been team-mates for two years, they know each other’s quirks and foibles inside out. Indeed, they were Mercedes-Benz McLaren team-mates for two years in their karting days.

Their journeys into motorsports are as different as their characters. The foundations for Rosberg’s early career were laid by his father, former F1 42

You have to strike a compromise, to choose how far you drive for the team and when you start looking after yourself. nico rosberg

world champion Keke Rosberg. Hamilton, from a less glamorous background, approached McLaren team boss Ron Dennis as a teenager to ask for backing. The rest is history. In 2008, the Englishman saw off Felipe Massa to claim his first world title success with McLaren Mercedes.

“When I was fighting against Ferrari in 2008, I could never see how the other drivers were reacting,” recalls Hamilton. “But when you’re competing against your team-mate, you can always see what he’s up to. That situation is trickier.”

Rosberg takes a similar line. “You have to strike

all photos daimler ag

a compromise, choose how far you drive for the team and when you have to look after yourself.

It’s not an easy line to draw.” Last season represented something of a coming of age for both men. While others in their rising-30 peer group might be privately pondering the vagaries of finally growing up, Rosberg and Hamilton have had to prove their maturity in front of a global audience. And they have very different ways of dealing with the pressure.

Hamilton wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to let his feelings off the leash. During the “off” periods of his on-off relationship with Nicole Scherzinger, his emotions were written all over his face. His faithful companion is his bulldog Roscoe, whom he describes as his best friend. The diamonds, the tattoos, the dabbling with R&B are all part of the bad boy image Hamilton sometimes likes to project. “Telling him he doesn’t need his dog, Los Angeles and all the other stuff won’t get you anywhere,” says Toto Wolff.

“It’s exactly what Lewis needs; it allows him to do his job well.”

Rosberg, on the other hand, is like a politician.

In interviews, he chooses his words carefully and doesn’t like to be drawn into emotional talk.

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, he invited his crew for a barbeque in appreciation of their work. And away from the circuit, he can often be found scooting around his home of Monaco on a restored Vespa, or he’ll spend time in Ibiza with his wife Vivian. For a long time, he was regarded as the most underestimated driver in Formula 1 and the sport’s Mr. Nice Guy. The public personas of Rosberg and Hamilton are frequently reflected in their driving on the track.

Hamilton’s emotions have been known to get the better of him, while Rosberg’s discipline usually prevails. But last season, with the big prize within reach, Rosberg showed he wasn’t afraid to fight fire with fire. “Nico’s always been like that,” says Wolff. “I don’t know why he’s seen as this mild-mannered guy.” Some would say his time as a team-mate of Michael Schumacher turned him from boy to man and taught him to be more assertive. Others even interpret his change of helmet design from bright yellow to aggressive black as a war cry.

As for next season, the world champions would be advised to remember one thing: Formula 1 never sleeps. Put your feet up for a moment, and a wake-up call won’t be long in coming. As winter deepens, final preparations for testing get underway and the slate is wiped clean. If there are congratulations to world champions on the hospitality windows next season, they will likely be addressed to the team. And if Rosberg and Hamilton pause for a moment to admire them, you can be sure the media will be watching < them with a keen eye.

drive

the strong,

silent type electric cars have much to recommend them in the city. But what about the mountains?

We went to the Silvretta High Alpine Road to find out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the first series-produced Mercedes-Benz powered by an electric drive system. words jan wilms photos sandro bäbler

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HIGH AND MIGHTY Even on the way up, the new B-Class Electric Drive takes the switchbacks with speed and ease.

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drive

S

hortly before you reach the village of Partenen in Austria’s Montafon valley, a panoramic view opens up to the East that is undeniably worthy of the name.

A narrow valley with a steadily rising floor is flanked by mighty mountain ranges pointing the way to the sky – via the Piz Buin massif. The road may be long, but it’s worth getting to the top. The same applies to electric mobility as it completes the journey from vision to reality. The new B-Class Electric Drive, available since November, is the first series-produced car from Mercedes-Benz powered purely by an electric drive system. Several months ahead of the market launch, we took a tour with the production-ready research model based on the U.S. variant.

All around us lies the natural beauty of the Vorarlberg region, which you’re loath to disturb. Problem is, you’re also eager to immerse yourself in this giant rock garden with its deep green pastures draped over it like a velvet throw and pervaded by the scent of gentian. You want to thread your way through the thick pine forests and explore the barren peaks beyond the tree line.

The favored method of exploration may be on foot – or on a mountain bike, which in summer, at least, replicates skiing-speed descents in winter.

But for those on four wheels, the Silvretta High Alpine Road isn’t a bad alternative. And you can at last also feel in unison with nature in a car – when you’re driving a silent electric model with zero tailpipe emissions, that is.

Silent energy saver As the new B-Class Electric Drive sets off down in the valley, it is easily drowned out by a group of hikers getting kitted up for the Hochjoch ascent.

The only sound it makes leaving the parking lot is the crunch of stones under its wheels. The best, though, is still to come, and you don’t have to wait until the descent for the mountain driving pleasure to kick in. An impressive 340 Nm of torque is not far off that of the range-topping model of this series, enabling the Electric Drive to skip deftly up the mountainside through the hairpin curves.

Sharing a trait typical of electric cars, the Mercedes’ motor makes its peak output of 132 kW instantly available and maintains it throughout the rpm range. Indeed, the electric B-Class sprints down the road in a genuinely sporty fashion: 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is accomplished in 7.9 seconds.

But figures are a side issue when you’re gliding through the green alpine meadows with an air of relaxation greater even than in a conventional automobile. The key here is the single-speed transmission. The drive system’s responses can be adjusted through two driving modes: Sport < allows the motor to channel its full power 46

mountain tour on battery power

electrifying

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drive

state-of-the-art electric mobility

sustainability

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directly to the wheels, while Eco limits output to around 100 kW and assists with energy saving.

Kickdown summons full power – such as when overtaking. Of course, if you charge up the mountain with indecent haste, the car’s maximum range of 200 km (124 miles) is going to suffer.

But 30 percent of this energy can be regenerated on the way back down in a process known as recuperation, which feeds the energy released under braking back into the battery. So, in hilly terrain, you’ll find yourself factoring in this “silent reserve”.

We soon reach the crest of the High Alpine Road: the 2,032-meter (6,664-ft) Bielerhöhe. A particularly eye-catching feature of the summit is the opaque, strikingly turquoise water of the Silvretta reservoir. The Electric Drive is a rather clearer proposition; aside from its propulsion, it’s a regular B-Class with all the ride comfort and spaciousness that implies. The battery is installed flat in the underbody of the car, lowering its center of gravity and ensuring impressive roadholding.

Here, the Mercedes engineers addressed another issue specific to electric cars – the battery. Their solution means that neither passenger room nor trunk space is compromised by the installation of the large battery. It’s a familiar B-Class story inside the cabin. The three circular air vents above < the center console reference Mercedes cock-

outlook good The Electric Drive offers all the qualities of a B-Class, like the familiar ridecomfort and generous onboard space – as your author (above) discovered on a test drive through the Montafon.

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pits of times past, while the dashboard flatscreen adds a striking dose of the present. It includes the navigation and multimedia system, as well as data on electric power consumption, battery charge level and range.

Mercedes has also expanded the range of connect me services for the Electric Drive model. For example, owners can now access the above data online as well.

As for the series-production version, it has even more to offer. Presented concurrently with its conventional B-Class siblings, the Electric Drive version features most of their attributes – such as newly styled LED rear lights, optional Keyless-Go and Collision Prevention Assist with autonomous partial braking.

The drive across the rocky high valley has confirmed that driving electric in the B-Class never takes as much acclimatization as all the new technology would suggest. Instead, it’s intuitive and stress-free.

And now it’s time to see if the promised energy recuperation under braking checks out. The braking effect is initiated as soon as you lift your foot off the accelerator. Its intensity can be adjusted through four stages, depending on whether you’re coasting along a straightaway or negotiating a sharp descent. With a little practice, you discover that the B-Class Electric Drive can be driven with barely any use of the brake pedal – even driving back down a mountain in the High Alps, such as the descent from Vermuntsee to Partenen with its 32 curves and a vertical drop of 700 m (2,300 ft) over a distance of just 3.5 km (2.2 miles) as the crow flies. I felt the need to actively brake only twice, and was otherwise able to adjust the car’s speed using the accelerator. Back down at the valley floor, a glance at the range display revealed that the battery had been recharged with a quarter of the energy used.

The best of everything – as always The most important question with the B-Class Electric Drive concerns what customers can expect from an electric Mercedes-Benz. The answer is simple – and familiar: the best of everything.

The Daimler Group’s holding in electric car pioneer Tesla gives the engineers in Sindelfingen access to the California-based company’s pool of expertise. With this recipe in place, the B-Class Electric Drive combines progress made in two worlds. And it delivers an experience that still holds plenty of curiosity value for well-traveled, wellinformed and well-connected drivers. As I discovered, a tour through the most beautiful of landscapes can now be not only dynamic, safe and comfortable, but also locally emission-free.

Another vision on the road to sustainable mobil> ity has become a reality.

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energy from a socket

charged up

connected The maximum range of the B-Class Electric Drive is 200 km (124 miles).

Charging the battery from a wallbox takes less than three hours.

i B-Class Electric Drive Engine / Output Electric motor, 132 kW; max. torque 340 Nm

Battery / Range Lithium-ion battery; approx. 200 kilometers (124 miles)

Going the extra miles Available as an option is a radar-based, recuperative braking system that recovers energy even more efficiently.

Seventh sense Collision Prevention Assist Plus comes as standard to reduce the risk of collisions. This system warns the driver of obstacles, assists with braking – as the situation requires – and can also initiate autonomous partial braking.

Further technical specifications and information on fuel consumption can be found on page 74.

a lway s u p -t o - d at e The large display shows the charge level of the lithium-ion battery, which is compactly installed in the so-called energy space in the car’s underbody.

L e g e nds

The C 111 set new standards: from Wankel engine to speed record.

1970

Four-rotor Wankel engine, 350 hp, top speed 300 km/h (187mph), acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 4.8 seconds!

1976

C 111 - I I

The same fiberglass body, but now powered by a “stroke-8” diesel unit – with a turbocharger and 190 instead of 80 hp.

C 111 - I I D

NO LIMITS Woodstock (above) is seen as the climax of the hippie movement, the miniskirt keeps getting shorter and Berlin’s TV tower rises skywards.

From road car to sleek racer with perfect aerodynamics and a diesel engine boosted to 230 hp.

1979

C 111 - I V The land speed record is broken at Nardo, Italy, thanks to large front and rear spoilers: the C 111 clocks 403.978 km/h (252.486 mph).

n e w di r e ctions Neil Armstrong sets foot on the Moon and Willi Brandt (far left) becomes West Germany’s first SPD Chancellor.

words Alex ander runte photos daimler ag (5) , ddp images (2) , action press, gett y images, edith images, adsd darchinger archiv, picture press

1977

C 111 - I I I

ahead of

nose to the wind The supersonic Concorde takes off (above) and Easy Rider (below) promises cinemagoers a taste of freedom.

the times

1969 is a year for reaching new heights: the first man on the Moon, the first supersonic airliner – and the C 111, foreshadowing the car of the future.

B

y the time the Frankfurt International Auto Show (IAA) opened its doors in September 1969, mankind had already experienced quite an eventful year: March saw the maiden flight of the supersonic Concorde, which ushered in a new era in aviation; the Summer of Love was held in Woodstock, where 400,000 half-naked people danced to the music of artists such as Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix; a bizarre, psychedelic series titled Monty Python’s Flying Circus hit television screens – and one man, Neil Armstrong, took that legendary giant step for mankind on 21 July.

From today’s perspective, it is remarkable to think that a single iPhone is several times more powerful than the entire computing capacity available to NASA for the Moon mission.

Virtually no other year has seen so many cultural, economic and technological trends reach their climax: 1969 was the year in which everything seemed possible and achievable, even the attempt by the University of California to send messages between two remote computers – known today as e-mail.

s ta r - s t r u c k Futuristic, orange, wedgeshaped: visitors to the IAA are enthralled by the new C 111.

This was the backdrop against which the 44th Frankfurt Show took place, with MercedesBenz presenting a concept car that deftly matched the current mood of the prevailing sense of a new departure like no other: the C 111 had more in common with the space-age visions of NASA or the promise of freedom in Peter Fonda’s Easy Rider than the other vehicles that populated the roads at the time.

Marking a firm departure from the rounded, softer design of the time with its angular, wedgeshaped form, but also boasting the famous gullwing doors, the concept car was intended by the Mercedes-Benz designers and engineers as a visionary vehicle for the future rather than a production model.

However, the response among the exhibition visitors to the C 111 – bearing the internal code name of “Weissherbst” (“white autumn”) on account of its paintwork colour – was so enthusiastic that a number of blank checks were sent to Stuttgart by people keen to purchase the striking concept vehicle.

This was undoubtedly due to the fact that the new Mercedes was in many ways groundbreaking: the interior design with its modern-looking instrumentation was reminiscent of an aircraft cockpit such as Concorde’s. Moreover, for the first time, the use of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic was tested in the body. In technical terms, the vehicle also set new standards: with a revolutionary 280 hp Wankel engine mid-mounted behind the bucket seats, the C 111 reached a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph), taking only five seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph).

The year 1969 may have marked the end of modernism – for example, with the completion of the IBM Building, the last edifice to be designed by architect Mies van der Rohe prior to his death. But even in the less ordered world of post-modernism that began in the 1970s, the C 111 proved to be a visionary vehicle. At the beginning of the new decade, with the oil crisis looming, the Mercedes-Benz engineers produced a diesel version of the C 111 and proved that a breathtakingly beautiful sports car could also < lead the field in fuel economy.

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s p ort s

photos dieter rebmann

ORANGE COUNTY In Arjeplog, just outside the Arctic Circle, the sun calls it a day at two in the afternoon during the winter months.

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hot on ice

OUT IN NORTHERN SWEDEN, the AMG Driving Academy offers experiences that push the automotive limits – at minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F). Cool stuff. words m i c h a e l m o o r s t e d t

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sp o r ts

T

urn in carefully. Start out into a drift with a short but definite nudge of the gas. Then spin the wheel back – hands blurring – in the opposite direction. And ease off the throttle.

So far, so straightforward. Not so fast, tiger; I’ve overcooked it and the rear wheels let go. Next thing I know, the back of the car is whirling round to my right and I leap on the brakes. Too late. Now I’m facing in the opposite direction, admiring the scenery on the other side of the frozen lake. At least until the inevitable cloud of snow blocks it out. The world has stopped spinning, but it’s still abuzz. Time to catch my breath before the radio crackles: the voice of Bernd Mayländer brings me back into the present. The pro racer and driver of the Formula 1 Safety Car summons me for some one-to-one instruction. And it had all started out so promisingly…

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S I D E W AY S G L A N C E The four-day AMG Winter Sporting Advanced driver training course is one of three spectacular winter packages run by the AMG Driving Academy. Here, on the edge of the Arctic Circle, it’s not all about the joy of drifting; the nearby AMG Lodge also does a nice line in indulgence and relaxation. Meanwhile, the professional instructors on the courses in Lungau, Austria, will introduce the art of driving quickly on snow and ice to those looking for an initial experience of cars at their physical limits. m e r cedes - a m g . c o m / d r i v ing - acade m y

Rewind a few hours. I’m on my way to Arjeplog, a veritable hot spot for the automotive industry during the coldest months of the year. The road heads ramrod straight through Swedish Lapland, endless forests lining the route, along with those occasional signposts warning of ambling moose.

The landscape appears to have been brushed in icing sugar. Then, suddenly, the trees part to reveal a huge expanse of white on either side.

This is one of the 8,000 or so frozen lakes dotted around the province of Norrbotten in the far north of Sweden.

The testing season runs from mid-November to the end of April. Along with the thousands of engineers examining top-secret prototypes under the most exacting conditions, Arjeplog also attracts people in search of a very special challenge amid an icy winter wonderland. They have come here for four days to experience driving at the limit with the AMG Driving Academy.

“Switch off ESP,” orders Mayländer over the radio as the participants make their way onto the frozen lake for the first time, three hours after their arrival in Arjeplog. Together, we’ve formed an impressive column of 15 silver AMG Mercedes cars on the ice.

It was at a location not far from here that ESP was developed more than 20 years ago for the S-Class. The system checks if the car’s target values match its actual status up to 150 times per second, and detects if a loss of control is on the cards. Holding down the ESP button on the center console changes everything. Where before, we were driving along the snow-covered road as if on rails, now the mildest jerk of the

photos dieter rebmann

S L I P P E R Y C U S T OM E R S Gas, brake, opposite lock: participants learn how to execute the perfect drift on snow and ice.

a lap on the ice and snow alongside the ex-DTM race driver feels like a ride on a roller-coaster.

steering wheel plunges the car into a swerve, spiked tires notwithstanding.

The driving school students, in their rear-wheeldrive C-Classes and SLKs, indulge in an involuntary competition of who can spin their rear wheels the fastest.

There’s not much point in getting out to push, either, given the distance between wheels and ground. A G-Class is summoned to pull the car back onto the course.

We’re trying hard, but our best efforts must remind Mayländer’s team (consisting of five former race drivers and current racer / chief instructor Jan Seyffarth) of a toddler’s first steps. A lap alongside ex-DTM star Mayländer feels like a ride on a roller-coaster. As I slide this way and that in the front passenger seat, I’m aware he’s taking the corners with ease and at twice the speed I managed. The car is locked into a constant drift, the transition between curves smooth and flowing as Mayländer hits the pivot point to perfection, time after time.

Happily, the instructors have good teaching instincts to go with their finely honed driving skills. And with the necessary patience, they explain to each participant the basics of driving physics on ice and how to counteract under< and oversteering.

we ll pre pare d Ice groomers work all hours to ensure the track surface is in the best condition.

Roller-coaster ride Stability restored, the 20 participants on the course pair off to share cars. They’ve come here to enjoy the feeling of speed unhindered by the technology developed to bring safety to these kinds of hazardous situations. They’ve come here to feel the sort of thing you’d actually rather not experience out on the road every day: oversteering, sliding, drifting.

Instructed by the AMG crew, the local icemakers have used their heavy machinery to carve five courses across the surface of the lake. Everywhere you look there are S-bends, high-speed sections and chicanes. And one of the above has just finished showing me that, however much of a rally driver I feel on this first evening, that particular career is still very long way off.

“Today, the cars are still dictating what’s going on,” says Bernd Mayländer during a break. “But in two days’ time, we’ll have got you to the point where you’re telling the cars what to do.”

Ten minutes later, the radio is crackling again.

“We could do with a hand here,” pleads one of the two British ice drivers. There they are on the other side of the course. Standing next to their A 45, a shared look of bafflement has followed their angled slide into the snow barriers, accompanied by a hearty thud.

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on the first day, the cars are still dictating what’s going on.

By Day 3, participants have got to the point where they are telling the cars what to do.

B e r n d M ay l Ä n d e r

now suspended in the sky above us, nobody stirs.

One of my classmates is racking up the laps on a simulator in the lobby, but he hasn’t attracted any company. I, for one, am finished for the day. And even as I lie in bed, I can’t entirely shake that feeling of sliding.

Getting the knack “Perfection Training” is the title of the first unit on the morning of the final day. I feel a long way from perfection. But, fortunately, Bernd Mayländer’s lessons are having an effect. Slowly, I’m internalizing how the different cars behave. The C 63 Coupe Edition 507, for example, is far easier to control through the curves than the similarly rear-wheel drive SLK 55; the latter’s low weight and short wheelbase gives it the character of a skittish race horse. And there’s a reason why the instructors have nicknamed the A 45 “The Beast”.

By contrast, the E 63 AMG S is the most forgiv-

photos andreas lindl ahr, dieter rebmann

Nailing the perfect drift requires a lot of things to come together in a very short space of time.

The next lap beckons, and Mayländer is keeping tabs on me over the radio. The instructor’s suggestions are limited to “gas” and “brake”. “That’s a lot better already,” comments Mayländer over the radio a lap later. I am bursting with pride.

Although the driver training accounts for only four hours or so each day, I’m exhausted come the afternoon. In the elegantly appointed AMG Lodge, the instructors take time for a debriefing. This is already the second or third time on the ice for most of my fellow students. Data analysis devices fitted in the cars allow a personal performance profile to be generated for each participant, and a visual map of our acceleration and braking phases is created and cross-matched against the ideal line recorded by the pros.

By the evening, things have quietened down inside the AMG Lodge. With a large yellow moon

C O L D S TA R T Driver training below freezing on one of Norrbotton’s 8,000 frozen lakes.

The participants were clearly smitten (above right).

ing, thanks to its permanent all-wheel drive. You could almost call it mild-mannered, if that didn’t sound totally out of place for a car with a rated output of 430 kW. It gets dark quickly when you’re this far north, and the sun is now but a pallid presence above us; by two o’clock in the afternoon, the sky is pitchblack. The mercury has fallen to 30 degrees Celsius below (-22°F). The climate control system is running at full blast, yet even so, ice crystals are weaving their patterns across the inside of the windows.

I’m on my own in the car now. My passenger has already thrown in the towel, worn down by my lurching progress around the track. Now it’s all about outstripping my own ambitions. Uncertainty has given way to dogged determination. I hustle the E 63 around the ice track, which has been polished into a foreboding sheen after a full day’s training. The wooden poles marking out the course flash up here and there in the beam of the headlights. The rear of the car edges alarmingly towards the snow wall. But then I push down on the accelerator – more gas, more gas. The engine howls, its 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) hauling me out of a decidedly dicey situation. Suddenly, the car is sideways through the corner. All the centrifugal and engine forces are pushing in different directions and yet appear to be in balance. Here it is, at last. Check out the perfect drift. <

E XPERIENCE PE RFORMANCE You can find AMG Driving Academy dates and the registration form online by scanning the QR code. m b - q r . com / 0 N D

emotion

“I said to my father, ‘Daddy, do you know Brad Pitt?

I’m going to be in a movie with him!’

And he said, ‘I don’t know him personally, but I’m glad you got a job.’”

The best of design, art and indulgence

L u p i t a NY o n g ’ o

at h o m e i n HOLLY W OO D Lupita Nyong’O – only insiders were familiar with the name. That was until the actress appeared in 12 Years A Slave. The role of slave girl Patsey earned her the 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, the daughter of a Kenyan politician needn’t worry about her future career. Most recently, the 31-year-old appeared in the action thriller Non-Stop alongside Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, and right now she is working on the sequel of the Star Wars space epic. When that’s in the can, she is scheduled to meet up with Brad Pitt again – together, the stars will be taking Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning novel Americanah to the silver screen. It tells the story of a young Nigerian seeking her fortune in the USA. That’s all we know so far, apart from the name of the lead actress: Lupita Nyong’o.

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tone colors Optimal noise cancelation, crystal-clear sound, outstanding wear comfort – frequent fliers and music lovers have long been persuaded by the Quiet Comfort headphones from Bose. Now we could see design aficionados joining their ranks: customers can choose from 46 colors to create their own personal look (currently only available through the U.S. website). b o s e . CO M

m Ja

C AREER B E H I N D A C AMERA Elio Sorci wasn’t just any old paparazzo, he was the paparazzo. In the 1950s and 60s, no star was safe from the Roman snapper’s lens – not even Elizabeth Taylor or Marcello Mastroianni.

When Sorci died in 2013, he left behind thousands of photos. Paparazzo. The Elio Sorci Collection brings together his best-known pictures and provides a fascinating, unobstructed look behind the scenes of a golden era in film.

ROADS.CO

es Par

k

The 67-year-old Briton and his agency JPA Design fit out the interiors of airlines, airports and luxury hotels.

The Singapore Airlines business class cabin designed by Park was recently crowned the world’s best.

Mr. Park, what is it that marks out your business class designs?

We radically changed the design of business class seats and created a seat which – in contrast to the usual offerings – can be converted fully into a flat bed. We worked for nearly 20 years on the execution of the design.

You also design hotels and lounges.

What’s the appeal of airline seats?

A good seat is what sets an airline apart.

The more attractive and comfortable it is, the more at ease the people traveling in it will be. And it’s a challenge to have so little space to work with but ultimately come up with a solution that covers all the bases – not only design and space, but also safety and entertainment.

PHotos Gett y Images Contour (1) illustration julia pelzer

What’s the biggest challenge in designing for aircraft?

It’s all about offering travelers a special experience. The requirements of airlines have changed radically over the years: they want more technology, more entertainment, but also lower and lower costs.

Flying used to be far more luxurious.

L U X UR Y MEA L S O N W H EE L S Burge r and fr ie s ? Think again. The Meteor Food Truck serves food for

gourmets – think white gazpacho, oysters on chard in butter sauce, soft cheese with glazed carrots and seabuckthorn syrup. The Truck was the brainchild of Maarten van Essche, 35, and Floris Van Looy, 31. The Belgian cooks tour their home country, the Netherlands and France with their Peugeot bus, which was last seen servicing a queue of fashionistas during Paris Fashion Week.

Van Essche and Van Looy will take to the Internet to announce when and where you can next sample their low-country haute cuisine. ME T E O RF O O D T RU C K . B E

How do you create that exclusivity in a world which is getting less exclusive all the time?

Genuine exclusivity is not something you’ll find in most airlines nowadays, because first class is no longer a financially interesting proposition. In today’s world, people who can afford first class tend to prefer a private jet. Real innovations are therefore only found in business and economy class now.

Here, flying is getting more and more affordable, but also more comfortable.

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e m o ti o n

German Guelphs left their mark on England as kings. But what about the Brits?

They gave Lower Saxony the Lady Di Fan Club Hameln (above) and other quirky institutions – captured by Martin Parr for the photo exhibition “We Love Britain”. It runs until February 22, 2015 at Hanover’s Sprengel Museum.

S P R ENGE L - M U S E U M . DE

Here’s an idea with looks as well as brains: “Pi-no Pi-no” changes color and form, depending on how the various elements of glass and wood are combined. Take the flowers away, and the vases also make rather attractive containers. Their Finnish designer Maija Puoskari used the same glass to create the Liuku hanging lamp.

MAIJAPUOSK ARI.COM

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p o o lsi d e n o stal g ia PAR IS For 60 years, the Piscine Molitor in the 16th Arrondissement was the most famous and visually stunning swimming pool in the French capital. The bikini even saw fit to celebrate its world premiere here in 1946, and the pool also hosted gala events. Legends like Johnny Weissmüller, Boris Vian, Françoise Sagan and Emanuelle Béart swam lengths here – until the increasingly ramshackle art deco building closed its doors in 1989 and the vandals moved in. Recently, however, the complex has reopened as a hotel and is busy rekindling its glamorous past. 124 rooms with modern appointments have been created around the 46-meterlong (150-ft) historic outdoor pool. The complex also hosts its own spa, a restaurant headed by French Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno, and regular art exhibitions – all in keeping with its house motto “Pool – Art – Life”. M L T R . F R

PHotos martin parr/magnum photos, abaca corpor ate/boris zuliani (3 ) , ikko kinnunen, chik ako har ada , dr. thomas schoepke w w w.pl ant- pictures.com, tosti.it

fl o w e r p o w e r

p r ic k ly pai r Cardamaro has been around for over 100 years, but this artichoke and blessed thistle liqueur is currently experiencing a surge in popularity. In Piedmont it’s taken after a meal, whereas in the U.S. it’s more popular beforehand due to its mild aroma and delicate hint of wine. Aperitif or digestif?

Your call! T O S T I . I T

e l egant mi x Art deco meets mid-century – this hotel bar was created by interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel.

HAUTE CUISINE ON THE MOVE , a historic swimming pool refreshed and Anglo-German cultural transfer – for more information on these and other subjects, scan the QR code. suite d r eams The rooms have a clean, clear design and offer a generously sized private terrace.

m b - q r . com / om 6

ON A WING AND A CHAIR Witnessing an ostrich stretching its wings in a display of courtship provided designer Sebastian Herkner with his inspiration for the Banjooli series, part of Moroso’s Afrique collection. The garden chair is made under fair trade conditions in Senegal.

MOROSO.IT

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emotion

Eyes on the future

copenhagen has become a model for urbanists the world over: the city is green, modern and lively. And with the invention of Nordic Cuisine, the Danish capital has also become a mecca for gourmands. words Gero G端nther photos Enno K apitz a

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C O L L E C T I V E LY S P E A K I N G Copenhagen has baristas like Callum Hare of The Coffee Collective to thank for the development of its robust coffee culture, while architecture’s number one rule – that the people using a building should feel comfortable in it – is exemplified by the university dormitory Tietgenkollegiet in Ørestad (left).

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T

he early evening sunlight streams through the huge window, fanning out between the seats and sculptures, drawings and plans. Outside the meter-high (3-ft) window pane, a freighter churns its way through the bluegreen sea, while on the horizon the whirling rotors of a wind generator trace a translucent circle. Sailboats glide back and forth. “Our mission is to bring a breath of fresh air to businesses and institutions,” says Rosan Bosch. Her eyes flash briefly, as if she’s demonstrating that her battery pack is fully charged. “And we happen to be in exactly the right place for doing that.”

Breaking down borders is this 44-year-old designer and artist’s specialty – an approach that works especially well in Copenhagen, a city that prioritizes movement and flexibility over hierarchical structures and tradition. Bosch has designed several schools, libraries and university buildings, and even jolted the developers of Lego with an office where they have to use slides to move between floors. “The desire to learn,” she says, “is one of our most basic instincts.”

Her schools look anything but ordinary. In place of traditional classrooms, they feature open learning zones, rest platforms and flexibility.

Bosch, who relocated to the Øresund years ago from Holland, favors solutions that are playful and experimental. “My first job in Denmark was designing creative office spaces for the ministry of economics,” she relates. “I got the job even though I was a complete unknown at the time.”

That’s Copenhagen in a nutshell: people are keen to approach things differently than before.

Increasingly, Copenhagen is becoming a kind of research laboratory, a city that defines itself as a prototype for a new urbanism. In numerous surveys, Copenhagen was consistently rated as having the highest quality of life of any city in the world. A quick stroll through the city streets, and you understand what the fuss is about. The cafes and bars are packed, people bask outside in the sunshine, groups of joggers and cyclists zip past, the harbor is full of paddlers. Skateboarders, women in head scarves, bearded hipsters and senior citizens all rub shoulders in the city’s public squares. Brandnew buildings like the Royal Danish Theatre or the “Black Diamond” – the name bestowed by locals on the massive library – attract hundreds of visitors daily, and the classic designs of Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Louis Poulsen are everywhere in evidence.

“People ought to like the city they live in,” says Camilla van Deurs, an expert in public spaces, landscape architecture and master planning in the office of legendary urbanist Jan Gehl. Aged 78, he is one of the prime movers behind Copen66

ALL CLEAR Modern architecture meets the harbor: the Saxa-Bank Building stands in stark contrast to the historic city center at the Amagertorv (right).

BIKE CITY Public spaces expert Camilla van Deurs wanted Copenhagen to be known as the world’s best city for cycling – lo and behold, it is.

hagen’s transformation. As a university lecturer, city government advisor and visionary, Gehl worked for decades to get his ideas implemented. He envisioned a city for pedestrians and cyclists, and it appears his ultimate goal has been realized. These days, Gehl and his staff are busy exporting his success formula around the globe.

Aided by social scientists and anthropologists, van Deurs and her colleagues have amassed thousands of statistics specific to Copenhagen. Where do people like to spend time, and for how long? How do people react to different kinds of sidewalk? When do they feel safe, and where? “The detailed knowledge we have accumulated allows us to offer solutions tailored to specific problems. And many of our proposals aren’t expensive,” explains the 37-year-old, exuding an optimism that has nothing to do with naiveté. In Copenhagen, she maintains, areas have been connected that previously had nothing to do with one another. As the city grew, it

Copenhagen is exactly the right place to bring a breath of fresh air to businesses and institutions. rosan bosch

simultaneously drew closer together. Greenbelts were created, and formerly troubled neighborhoods were improved through citizen-sponsored initiatives. Of course, Copenhagen boasts sights that more than justify a visit to the city in their own right: Rosenborg Castle, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek or the brand-new aquarium Den Blå Planet. But what really makes the contemporary city so uniquely captivating is its densely interwoven network of greenways and water, public spaces and attractive architecture, all intended for use by anyone and everyone.

Copenhagen’s cityscape is not the only thing that has undergone drastic change, however.

So have the attitudes of its residents. And its epicurean culture. “We have become surprisingly receptive to fine food and wine,” says Peter Dupont. The 40-year-old is one of four founders of The Coffee Collective, a showcase Copenhagen company specializing in gourmet coffee.

It currently has two locations in the capital’s center: one on trendy Jaegersborggade in the Nørrebro neighborhood, the other in the indoor market at Israels Plads. “It’s a development that would have been impossible without Noma,” continues Dupont. In his view, Noma – several times named the world’s best restaurant – has almost single-handedly vaulted Copenhagen onto the global culinary map. Nordic cuisine has long since taken up an elevated position in the gourmet cooking world, and Copenhagen has become a foodie mecca.

These developments were not lost on The Coffee Collective’s founders, who recognized in them the nascent tenets of their own business model: green, fair and using only the very best beans available. Too fine for espresso machines, their specialty coffees have to be painstakingly brewed with filters. This preserves the delicate aromas, the product of an unusually slow roasting process. “Our coffees have a sweetness and purity that you don’t come across very often,” explains Dupont. But his ultimate goals are much higher: “As far as coffee goes, we’re just scratching the surface of the potential flavor experiences.” Copenhagen is clearly the perfect place to savor such experimentation.

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Beards galore a v o i d i n g a street encounter with someone who looks like Tokes (below) would have been the recommended course of action just a few years ago. Nowadays, tattoo-covered arms and a full beard are considered socially acceptable and cool. “Actually, I look just like most of the other hipsters in this town,” says the 31-year-old bartender with a grin. Tokes is a good-natured fellow, forthcoming and friendly, and he loves the nabe in which he lives and works. Vesterbro once had a reputation as a den of iniquity. Though trendier now, the area still preserves a few rough spots. “You come across people here from all walks of life,” says Tokes, manager of the Lidkoeb Bar, one of the city’s hottest watering holes. Despite its size – its rooms take up three entire floors – the Lidkoeb is ultimately a cozy place, reminiscent of your living room. The cocktail menu is as lengthy as it is original. And on the topmost floor is located the dimly-lit whiskey bar, where overcrowding is never a problem – only 28 guests are let in at any time. l i d k o e b . d k

Copenhageners have discovered epicurean culture, and have a burgeoning interest in wine and fine food.

C O C K T AIL P A R T Y Bartender Tokes (right) can mix any drink you want, from regular old whiskey to fancy cocktails.

But only until 2:00 a.m., when Lidkoeb closes.

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food by the sea Once it sold ferry tickets, now The Standard houses three restaurants and a jazz club.

Studio, run by Michelin-starred chef Torsten Vildegaard (below), is also located there.

i Leek w i t h H ay a s h and White Miso Makes 4 servings leeks 2 tsp. parsley oil (made from dried parsley and grapeseed oil) 1 oz. miso citrus thyme hay

Shooting star on the Øresund F e w c h e f s h av e e a r n e d a Michelin star faster than Torsten Vildegaard with his Studio restaurant.

It opened its doors in fall 2013; a scant three months later, the former Noma chef had his first star. “I’m kind of an ambitious guy,” he deadpans. “Let’s wait and see when I get my second.” Vildegaard describes his dining concept as “Nordic food without restrictions”. While he prefers his ingredients to be regionally sourced, “there’s no need to make a religion out of it.” Vildegaard’s light, modern cuisine represents culinary craftsmanship at its best.

His creations are clever and complex, “but it’s good to have a decent piece of meat on your plate every now and then.”

Like lamb with sorrel, for instance, or monkfish garnished with crispy pig’s ears and bergamot. With its friendly waitstaff, there’s hardly a better place in Copenhagen to dine these days than Studio. Just don’t run for cover when the sauce for the gooseberry granitas shows up in a flower vase. e n . t h e s t a n d a r d c p h . d k / s t u d i o

Clean leeks. Wrap the green part in a wet dishtowel and boil for 4 to 5 minutes with only the bottom part submerged in the water. Briefly plunge in ice water, rub with parsley oil and garnish with citrus thyme.

Combine miso and parsley oil and refrigerate. Incinerate the hay until it turns to ash, place in a blender, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Coat half the plate with the marinade, then dust with powdered ash and arrange the leeks on the plate.

eyes left Michelin-starred chef Christian Puglisi (far right) demonstrates how to break down culinary boundaries.

Simply different s i c i l i a n - b o r n Christian Puglisi may be a Michelin-starred chef who used to work in El Bulli and Noma, but nowadays he prefers things to be uncomplicated. The dishes in his restaurant Relae are simple, yet rigorously thought-through and perfectly executed. Instead of luxury items, he likes serving up surprises like trout with chicken skin. r e s tau r a n t- r e l a e . d k

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bread as art At the Hallernes stand, the enjoyment of smørrebrød in its lip-smacking varieties is more than just a culinary feast.

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Once the preferred hangout of the Hell’s Angels, the Jaegersborggade in Nørrebro is now the city’s trendiest promenade. As well as 40 boutiques, bars and restaurants, it boasts an organic hairdresser, a subterranean wine bar and Meyers Bageri, an ecological baker. Owner Claus Meyer also counts Noma and The Standard among his portfolio.

What better place to put a museum than right on the Øresund. The sculpture park and the seashore would be worth a visit by themselves, but add to that the Louisiana’s world-class modern art collection and magnificent special exhibitions, and it’s a no-brainer. The museum stays open until 10:00 p.m. en . l o u i s i ana . d k

Be it furniture, décor or lighting – everything bearing the most illustrious names of Scandinavian design, from Arne Jacobsen to Verner Panton, can be had at Illiums Bolughus on Amagertorv 10. Right next door are flagship stores belonging to Copenhagen’s trademark brands – silversmith Georg Jensen and Royal Copenhagen, manufacturer of fine porcelain.

Go deeper wan t t o g o eye to eye with a hammerhead shark?

No problem – at Europe’s biggest aquarium, visitors stroll underwater through glass-enclosed tunnels and imagine being deeply submerged or next to a coral reef. Den Blå Planet was designed by 3XN, a Copenhagen architectural firm. Seen from above, the complex resembles a beached whale. d enblaa p lane t . d k

Simple chic i f a m en i t i es g al o r e are what you want in a hotel, SP 34 might not be the best place for you. There’s not even a reception desk – visitors check in at the bar. The fourstar hotel’s 118 rooms are divided among three townhouses in the Latin Quarter university district. It may be restrained and minimalist, but the hotel definitely isn’t dull: its long hallways with their artfully soiled asphalt carpeting and crumbling plasterwork are meant to convey a rough, urban sensibility. The décor is slightly retro, yet fully contemporary.

SP 34’s service staff are dressed Danish casual – in shirtsleeves – and wine hour is religiously observed daily between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., with guests allowed to help themselves to a pour or two from open bottles. b r o c h ne r - h o t els . d k / o u r - h o t els / s p 3 4 71

e m o t ion SEASIDE DRIVE A trip to the fishing village of Humlebaek in the Mercedes GLA*.

(*Further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on p.75)

On the go I N den m ar k ’ s capi tal , brand-new bike paths crop up constantly. One of the most impressive routes runs south of the Langebro bridge along the harbor to Bryggebroen. Cylists pedal on undulating ramps from viewpoint to viewpoint, taking in the Cykelslangen (“bicycle snake”), a slender new cycling bridge that elegantly winds its way between the water and the blocks of urban architecture. Ride back on the other side, and you’ll pass by the renowned Islands Brygge open-air swimming facility. Watch out during rush hour, though, when thousands of cyclists are about!

Need to know F irs t - na m e b asis

Equality and simplicity are greatly valued in Denmark. People address each other on a first-name basis in almost all areas of life – whether it’s your co-worker, your boss or your teacher. When introducing yourself, just go with your first name right off the bat.

V enice of t he N or t h There are few cities in the world where water encroaches as deeply into the downtown area as in the “Venice of the North”. So squeakyclean is the harbor with its branching network of canals that you can jump in for a dip anywhere. Many newer apartment buildings include jetties for docking boats and swimming.

Some residents have even abandoned the land entirely, choosing to live on houseboats.

All around the Danish capital people are busy rowing, paddling and sailing, while at Amager Beach Park, kite surfers clatter across the water. And as if that weren’t enough, the city limits include three overlapping lakes.

A SLICE IS NICE “Smørrebrød, smørrebrød røm, pøm, pøm, pøm” was the trademark Danish phrase ironically used by the Swedish chef character on the Muppet Show. The Danes have elevated the humble sandwich to another level altogether, some so sumptuously garnished as to render the bread underneath completely irrelevant. Hallernes in Torvehallerne, an upscale indoor market and culinary hall, makes some of the best smørrebrød around.

Copenhagen’s urban planners routinely tear out their hair figuring out how to entice people to stop and stay awhile. They’re actually quite good at it: the city is full of quiet zones, sitting areas and public spaces where people gather. Among the best are Israels Plads, Superkilen and the skateboarding area inside the huge Faelledparken.

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DISCOVER COPENHAGEN Check online for more information about restaurants, nightlife tips and interesting sights.

Just scan the QR code with your smartphone. m b - q r . co m / 0 m E

Illustration Anna Schäfer

Space age

aim for the top On the Silvretta High Alpine Road with the B-Class Electric Drive.

t h e v a l u e s s t a t e d were calculated according to the measuring methods specified in the currently applicable version of Directive 80/1268/EWG. The data do not relate to a specific vehicle and are not part of the specification, but are merely for the purpose of comparing different vehicle types.

i

AMG GT (AMG GT S)

S 500 Plug-in Hybrid

B-Class Electric Drive

Engine / Output

Engine / Output

Engine / Output

4.0-liter V-8 biturbo engine, 340 kW at 6,000 rpm (GT S: 375 kW at 6,250 rpm); max. torque 600 Nm at 1,600-5,000 rpm (GT S: 650 Nm at 1,750-4,750 rpm)

3.0-liter six-cylinder, 245 kW at 5,250-6,000 rpm; max. torque 480 Nm at 1,600-4,000 rpm; total system output 325 kW; total system torque 650 Nm

Electric motor, 132 kW; max. torque 340 Nm

Transmission

Acceleration

AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission

7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic

Acceleration

0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.2 s

0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.0 s (GT S: 3.8 s), electronically limited

Mercedes -Benz Maga zine Road reports on the latest models, extended travel features, interviews with intriguing personalities: in a word, everything that makes up Mercedes-Benz Magazine is now also available as an app for Apple and Android devices. i t u n e s . a pp l e . c o m android.com

Acceleration

Top speed

Top speed

250 km/h (155 mph)

304 km/h (189 mph) (GT S: 310 km/h / 192 mph)

Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption urban: 12.2 l super plus/100 km (19.4 mpg) (GT S: 12.5–12.2 l / 18.8-19.3 mpg) inter-urban: 7.6 l super plus/100 km (31 mpg) (GT S: 7.9–7.8 l / 29.7-30.1 mpg) combined: 9.3 l super plus/100 km (25.3 mpg) (GT S: 9.6–9.4 l / 24.5-25 mpg)

CO2 emissions (combined)

224–216 g/km (360-347 g/mi)

Energy class G 74

(from page 32)

combined: 2.8 l super/100 km (84 mpg)

(from page 44)

Acceleration 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 s

Top speed 160 km/h (100 mph)

Range approx. 200 km (124 miles)

Power consumption weighted: 17.9–16.6 kWh/100 km (62 miles)

CO2 emissions (combined) 0 g/km (0 g/mi) (local)

Energy class A+

CO2 emissions (combined) 65 g/km (104 g/mi)

Energy class A+

Enthusiast’s car The new AMG GT is “Handcrafted by Racers”.

photos sandro bäbler, Daimler AG, markus Bolsinger, Enno Kapitzk a

(from page 16)

GLA 220 CDI 4Matic (from page 64)

E 250

(from page 76)

Engine / Output

Engine / Output

2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel, 125 kW at 3,400-4,000 rpm; max. torque 350 Nm at 1,400-3,400 rpm

2.0-liter four-cylinder, 155 kW at 5,500 rpm; max. torque 350 Nm at 1,200-4,000 rpm

Transmission

Transmission

7G-DCT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission

7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Acceleration

Acceleration

0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.3 s

0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.4 s

Top speed

Top speed

215 km/h (133 mph)

243 km/h (151 mph)

Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption

urban: 6.0–5.9 l diesel/100 km (39.2-39.8 mpg) inter-urban: 4.5–4.4 l diesel/100 km (52.2-53.4 mpg) combined: 5.1–4.9 l diesel/100 km (46.1-48 mpg)

urban: 7.7–7.5 l super/100 km (30.5-31.3 mpg) inter-urban: 5.1–4.8 l super/100 km (46.1-49 mpg) combined: 6.1–5.8 l super/100 km (38.5-40.5 mpg)

CO2 emissions (combined)

CO2 emissions (combined)

Energy class A

Energy class A

132–129 g/km (212-207 g/mi)

142–135 g/km (228-216 g/mi)

p u b licat i o n de tail s Published by Daimler AG · Mercedesstraße 137 · D-70327 Stuttgart Mailing address Daimler AG · HPC E402 · D-70546 Stuttgart Responsible on behalf of the publishers Thomas Fröhlich · Mirjam Bendak Publications Manager Dr. Denise Heinermann-Bieler Publisher’s Council Ola Källenius (Chairman) · Thomas Fröhlich · Christoph Horn · Jörg Howe Gesina Schwengers · Natanael Sijanta · Dr. Jens Thiemer · Andreas von Wallfeld Concept and Editing Condé Nast Verlag GmbH · Karlstraße 23 · D-80333 München Managing Director Moritz von Laffert Editor at Large Philip Reichardt (V.i.S.d.P.) Art Director Dirk Meycke Managing Editor Tobias Nebl Chief Copy Editor Christine Mortag Editorial Contributors Jenny Buchholz, Gero Günther, Christoph Henn, Julia Karnick, Sunny Kröger, Marija Latkovic, Bianca Leppert, Michael Moorstedt, Alexander Runte, David Staretz, Margot Weber, Jan Wilms, Robert Zsolnay Graphic Design Sebastian Krawczyk Picture Editor Birgit Biechele Final Editing Edda Benedikt Final Graphics Katja Listl Condé Nast Manufaktur · www.condenast-manufaktur.de Creative Head Doris Huber Operational Head Wolfgang Sander Advertising Daimler AG Tanja Oder Distribution Daimler AG Uwe Haspel Mercedes-Benz magazine reader service Zenit Pressevertrieb GmbH · Postfach 810580 · D-70552 Stuttgart Tel. 0800 0010001 · leserservice @ zenit-presse.de Annual subscription EUR 22 · CHF 34 · Free of charge for MercedesCard holders.

Production Daimler AG Jennifer Helke Pre Media Solutions Meyle + Müller GmbH+Co. KG Maximilianstraße 104 · D-75172 Pforzheim Printing Stark Druck GmbH + Co. KG · Im Altgefäll 9 · D-75181 Pforzheim Rights Reprints and use, as a whole or in part, only with the express written permission of Daimler AG. No responsibility can be taken for unsolicited texts and photographs. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or the editors. No guarantee is given for information on vehicle equipment and accessories. For binding information and prices please refer to the official Daimler AG sales documentation. All other content in this magazine has been compiled to the best of our knowledge, but no guarantee is given.

ca p i t al a s s e t Copenhagen, a city on the move – and one in which the GLA feels utterly at home.

Mercedes-Benz magazine appears quarterly, with editions published under cooperation or license in 40 languages.

Number 335, 60th year of publication Printed on chlorine-free paper · Printed in Germany 6720033502 ISSN 1617-6677

75

drive sanctuary Momoko Maruta and Masaru Tahara with the E 250 at the Akasaka Hikawa Shrine

i Masaru, 44

Momoko, 38

Profession

Profession

Customer support officer in an agency

Event organizer for the advertising industry

Kilometers per month

Kilometers per month

500â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1,000 (310â&#x20AC;&#x201C;620 miles)

400 (644 miles)

Status

Must have room for the golf bag.

Excursions are best.

76

i

Status

h e says, sh e says for her, what counts is safety on long journeys. For him, it is more about how the sedan copes with narrow streets – or is it the other way around? Women and men often have different priorities – particularly when it comes to cars. Here, we ask Momoko and Masaru from Tokyo about their experiences. w o r d s J e n n y B u c hh o l z p h o t o s YO S H I H I T O S A S A G U C H I

downtown Off to the city – Ginza is the place for shopping and entertainment.

D

riving the E-Class in Tokyo was actually great fun,” says Momoko Maruta, sounding not a little surprised. Even for locals, the megacity’s road network can quickly turn into a maze of oneway streets. With over nine million inhabitants, Japan’s largest city is in a state of constant flux. Here you see houses barely three feet wide, driving schools on supermarket rooftops and any number of impossibly narrow alleyways. We invited Momoko Maruta and her colleague, Masaru Tahara, to test-drive the E 250 Avantgarde. As a rule, the pair only uses public transportation. But for once, they couldn’t resist the idea < of exploring their city in the E 250.

77

drive

SPACIOUS and elegant, yet ideal for a city the size of Tokyo. momoko

ste ady ahe ad Active Lane Keeping Assist comes in useful on Rainbow Bridge.

Momoko F o r m e , the E-Class is a proper grown-up’s car. When I got in for the first time, I was

Driver swap A brief rest at the foot of Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower.

78

struck by how big it is on the inside. And by the elegance with which even the dashboard is designed, with its trim elements and analog clock beneath the onboard computer. I particularly liked the “dual torch” headlamps, which shine in the dark like the eyes of some mythical creature. At twilight, the LEDs bathed the surroundings in a light so bright, it was almost like looking at a cinema screen. The doors, too, surprised me, because they were so easy to open, even when we parked on a slope and had to push them upwards to get out. The spacious E-Class and Tokyo’s narrow streets proved an ideal match. I realize that sounds paradoxical and, to begin with, I also wondered how this luxury sedan would cope with the narrow streets of Shinjuku district – some barely wider than the car. But the E-Class was very easy to maneuver around corners, street stalls and parked vehicles. Sometimes, we had to sit in the car for long periods and remain still for the photographer, which usually leaves me feeling tired very quickly. But using switches on the door, you could adjust the amazing seats to any position you wanted – I was still wide-awake even after sitting in the car for hours. Although I really wanted to do my job, the photographer had to use all his charms to get me to pose beside the car with a cheerful smile. It’s not easy to strike a relaxed pose with curious passers-by inspecting the car you are leaning against.

i E 250 Engine / Output 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 155 kW; max. torque 350 Nm

Transmission 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic

Warm glow The optional ambient lighting creates a cozy atmosphere in the interior using indirect lighting. Three light colors are available and brightness is continuously dimmable.

Dazzle-free driving Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus enables the driver to use permanent high beam at night by masking out other vehicles in the cone of light.

Further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 75.

Masaru i l i k e t h e E-Class. Because I usually drive rental cars, I often get the feeling as soon as I get in a car that we don’t really suit one another. But as soon as I got into the E-Class, it was like a match made in heaven. It has to be said: this car is elegant. But the word I would use to describe it is rational.

It is an extremely well-designed and versatile car. The engine is not big and flashy, instead it’s smooth and pacey. What I find fantastic are the extensive safety functions, such as the Active Lane Keeping Assist system and Brake Assist, which prevents rear-end collisions. With these on board, I was as relaxed and assured about driving long distances as I was about tackling downtown Tokyo. The navigation system even made easy work of the city’s maze of one-way streets. After picking up the car at the Mercedes-Benz Connection in Roppongi, we drove to the Akasaka Hikawa Shrine.

Most Shinto shrines are dedicated to commercial success, but this shrine exists to help couples and families – so the atmosphere was much quieter. Our last stop was Shinjuku, where a sudden downpour drenched the photographer while he stood in front of the car to take pictures of us inside. At least the trunk was big enough to offer space and < protection for his equipment.

VERSATILE and well designed – with a smooth yet powerful engine and safety assist functions. masaru

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M o m e n ts

NOT TO BE MISSED

K E Y D I A R Y D A T E S F ROM NOVEMBER 2 01 4 T O F EBR U A R Y 2 01 5

from

d e c 25 Harbin

I c e F e sti val

november

december

f r o m 26 j e ff ko o n s , pa r is

from 3 CHRISTMAS LIGHTS in Ne w yo r k

His art might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but its prices speak for themselves: since his “Balloon Dog” was auctioned for nearly 60 million dollars, Koons is without a doubt the priciest artist alive. The Centre Pompidou is currently hosting his first European retrospective.

80

The most famous Christmas tree of them all has been lighting up the plaza in front of New York’s Rockefeller Center for over 75 years. The tree is traditionally a Norway spruce up to 30 meters tall and at least 13 wide (100 x 40 ft), and the annual process of choosing the most magnificent specimen could easily be the subject of a reality TV show – proud tree owners enter their prize spruces as Christmas tree candidates in an online competition. These days, the massive conifers are illuminated by tens of thousands of energy-efficient LED lights.

4 –7 A r t b as e l , m ia m i B e a c h This is the place for anyone looking to snag a few last-minute arty gifts and enjoy lovely weather to boot. With Miami’s art-deco skyline as a backdrop, more than 250 galleries from all over the world display works by modern artists as well as up-and-coming talents.

13 –14 r a c e o f c ha m p i o n s , barbados F1, rally racing, NASCAR, MotoGP, touring car racing or the X-Games: this end-of-season event sees top drivers from all race disciplines going head-tohead – in the same type of race car.

photos 360° editorial (1) , daimler ag (2) , imago sportfoto (1)

For two whole winter months, this northern Chinese city plays host to a fantastic, frosty attraction: countless sculptures and large-scale reproductions of famous buildings made entirely of ice and open for visitors to wander through and admire.

night lights What to do at the Sunburn Festival in Goa, India? Try tripping the light fantastic.

f e b r ua r Y 1 s u p e r b o w l X LI X , Phoenix

27–2 9 s u n b u r n f e s t i va l , goa The 2013 edition of this event on the west coast of India drew 160,000 music fans, making it far and away Asia’s biggest dance music festival. Organizers are again promising massive scale and a plethora of stars alongside flea markets and theatrical presentations.

j a n ua r Y 6–9 C ES , L a s V e g a s The Consumer Electronics Show is the place where the world discovers which TV, smartphone, gaming console or totally new device will be the next big thing in 2015. Over 20,000 new products are scheduled to be on display.

10 –18 b a r r e t t - J a ck s o n ’ s c a r A u c t i o n , Sco t t s d a l e A can’t-miss event for classic car fans with pocket money to burn: in 2013, the 1,399 classic cars that flew off the auction block fetched a total of 113 million dollars.

17–2 5 De troit auto show The first major car show of the year also happens to be the USA’s most important.

Needless to say, Mercedes-Benz will be represented there as well – most likely with one or two automotive surprises in tow.

17–2 5 b oo t D ü s s e l d o r f The vessels on display at the world’s largest boat show range from canoes to 30-meter (100-ft) yachts. Nearly 1,600 exhibitors will showcase their products within a variety of themed exhibition areas, with massive pools for on-site testing of some of the exhibits.

19 –21 MB fa s h i o n week, berlin January is prime time for fashionistas to discover the hottest trends for the 2015-2016 fall/ winter season.

At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin, designers from around the world will parade their models and creations down a runway located directly at the Brandenburg Gate.

f i r s t l ook Fashion Week Berlin is Germany’s most important sartorial event.

2 2 –1 sundance film f e s t i va l The Park City, Utah-based festival ranks as a mecca of the independent film world, having witnessed breakthroughs by several now-famous filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. The festival’s founder is himself a celebrity: Robert Redford.

The 49th edition of the National Football League’s (NFL) championship game is one of the world’s most spectacular sporting events, attracting roughly 800 million at-home television viewers.

Many are just as interested in the halftime show as they are in the game itself.

f r o m 14 C RI C K ET W O RLD C UP, AUSTRALIA & NEW Z EALAND Every four years, 14 of the world’s major cricket-loving nations pit their top athletes against each other in a sport which has captured the imagination of one fifth of the world’s population. The World Cup lasts six weeks, ending March 29. This year, reigning champ India will attempt to defend its title.

13 –17 mardi gr as, New Orleans “Fat Tuesday” is the name given by the French to one of their most beloved carnival celebrations. In the 18th century, French immigrants to New Orleans brought the name – and the entire festival – along with them. Today, “Mardi Gras” is synonymous with a weekend of colorful parades, jazz and laid-back partying.

action The cricket World Cup will be followed on television by millions.

ICONS air pressure

A M AT T ER O F TAS T E How tomato juice tastes depends on the altitude. Studies have shown that in the low-pressure environment of an airplane, it has a fruity, sweet flavor, while on the ground it has a more earthy taste. Many ordinarily-flavored foods taste slightly bland at cruising altitude.

P O P G O Y O UR EARS The world’s fastest elevator is slated to begin operation in China in 2016.

To reduce the aural discomfort that many people experience while ascending at a rate of 4,000 vertical meters (over 13,000 ft) per minute, the engineers have designed a system that minimizes air pressure fluctuations inside the elevator car.

THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR shows whether or not a car’s tires are adequately inflated. But air pressure also plays an important role elsewhere, as our six examples demonstrate.

PE O PLE U N D ER PRESSURE The average air pressure at the Earth’s surface is 1,013 hectopascals – equivalent to 14.7 pounds per square inch. So why don’t people feel any of that pressure? Because the forces are equally distributed on all sides of our bodies, in effect canceling themselves out.

PU M P I T UP The bigger the tire, the lower the air pressure: tractor tires need less than two bar (29 psi), while much thinner race car tires can handle up to 130 bar (1,885 psi). The reason: larger surface areas allow more moving air particles to impact against the inner tube, bringing far greater force to bear.

GONE WITH THE WIND Wind is mainly caused by pressure differentials between adjacent air masses.

Mount Washington in the USA is a good place to observe this – its summit is reputedly home to some of the worst weather on the planet. The secondfastest wind velocity of all time was recorded there – 372 km/h (231 mph).

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illustration leandro castel Ão/dutchuncle photos visum tr avel, bildagentur fnox x/arnulf het trich, fotolia , prisma , get t y images, daimler ag

PRESSURE I N D EP T H Underwater, pressure increases by one bar (14.5 psi) per meter (3.3 ft) of depth, while oxygen toxicity also rises. The record for the deepest non-submersible descent is 701 m (2,300 ft), achieved in a pressure chamber. The decompression phase – vital to survival – lasted over 550 hours.