Mercedes-Benz Thailand Magazine by Mercedes-Benz Thailand

Issue 4·2012

Mercedes-Benz

www.mercedes-benz.com

issn

1617–667 7

4·2012

car chase Legendary: the 500K

Role models: Steve Waugh, Sergey Bubka, Mika Häkkinen 360° camera

adventure Exploring Africa by balloon and helicopter

Speed Drivers to look out for Magic Art in the Alps taste Macaroons from Paris

endurance test Putting the G-Class through its paces in the Carrara quarry

a u t o m o t i v e With 33 years of production under its beltline, the Mercedes-Benz off-roader boasts iconic status and makes a special kind of statement. On a test run through Italy, this horse-for-all-courses shows off its remarkable versatility. words michael moorstedt

p h o t o s m a r c t r au t m a n n

Gee whiz

sungl asses: Dunhill, leather jacket: belstaff, shirt & shoes: hugo, pants:daks, bag: armani jeans

Raring to go: the G-Class is all set for a triathlon of quarry clambering, city chicanes and highway cruising

SUPREMACY SET IN STONE In the bizarre moonscape of the marble quarry, the off-roader proves its prowess.

a u t o m o t i v e

Stones spray out from under its surging tires, but the G-Class is still nowhere near its limits

19 17

a u t o m o t i v e

glasses: Baldessarini, jacket: patrick Mohr

The hallmark lines of the G-Class body have remained virtually unchanged over the years

After a day at the quarry, car and tires have acquired a silkywhite coating

UNSTOPPABLE

Gullies, gradients, gravel and great chunks of marble â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nothing proved too much for the G.

a u t o m o t i v e

vest: Etiqueta Negr a , jacket & pants: DAKS

The exceptional height of the seating position makes for great visibility, not just in quarries but in narrow streets as well

ix letters and a hyphen is all it takes to set car lovers’ pulses racing. The magic word is G-Class – that remarkable, almost legendary powerhouse of a machine. Surely this must be the most genuine off-roader in the world – the granddaddy of all SUVs. Mercedes-Benz has been building this iconic automobile for the past 33 years. And the basic shape has remained largely unchanged. This has nothing to do with any lack of innovation in the design studio. It’s just that when it comes to that old designer’s credo, “form follows function”, there can be few better examples around. The G-Class still does exactly what it was designed to do: take an uncompromising approach to all types of terrain. You want to go that way? OK, let’s go. The G-Class enjoys enduring popularity, and in the past three decades has compiled an impressive catalogue of anecdotes. It is the offroader of choice for hunters, the military and other services; it has won the Paris-Dakar; and even the Pope relies on its safety at his weekly

Three differential locks make clambering and climbing child’s play

general audiences – one of the Papamobiles is a converted G 500 with mother-of-pearl paintwork and a removable all-weather dome. 21

a u tmo omboi tl i v e

Back in town: even at a standstill, the G makes a splash

A modest makeover: new door mirrors and LED daytime running lights

Exercising the workhorse But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite enough superlatives and hisgiven its third facelift. In keeping with tradition, those striking exterior lines survived virtually untouched. The right angle remains the right angle for the G family and it takes an expert eye to spot the changes. What does shine through, though, is the switchover to LED daytime running lights located beneath the headlamps â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the door mirrors have been restyled. Take a seat in this big off-roader and all memories of the robust angular bodywork fade to gray. In the redesigned interior the eye comes to rest on the new steering wheel, smart-looking switches and buttons, and the Comand Online infotainment system complete with GPS navigation and Internet connectivity. The generously dimensioned freestanding screen above the center console, meanwhile, is now fitted as standard. 22

HIM _suit: Hugo, shirt: Daks, shoes: Calvin Klein her _ dress: Versace, pant yhose: Ma x Mar a , Clutch: Stell a & Dot, ankle boots: Rosarot

tory lessons. This year, the current G-Class was

m o b i l

FOREVER YOUNG

Right angles continue to dominate the lines of the bodywork. The Comand Online infotainment system with large display, navigation system and Internet connectivity are now standard equipment.

So where better to try out this bullish workhorse than in the white marble quarries of Carrara. Set in the north of Tuscany, this is where the stonemasons and sculptors of the Renaissance sourced the material for artworks as timeless as Michelangelo’s David. Over the centuries, their successors have made countless pilgrimages to Carrara to choose the ideal blocks of stone, leaving behind a jagged panorama of unlikely gradients in a surreal moonscape, criss-crossed by dusty tracks of white gravel and edged with uncut chunks of marble. Courtesy of Italian art and architecture, the perfect proving grounds for the G-Class are therefore located between Genoa and Pisa. Here, this car can truly show what it’s made of. After just a few minutes in the quarry, a sense of sovereign calm settles over the driver, although at first it’s hard to put a name to it. The car is in its element. Dip the gas pedal and the stones spurt out from beneath the wheels. Treacherous rugged trails and steep inclines, deep gullies and fair-sized blocks of stone are all taken smoothly in its stride. As they developed the G-Class, the engineers at Mercedes-Benz clearly never wavered in their determination to endow it with reliability, robustness and almost unrestricted off-road capabilities in even the toughest terrain. More than 30 years on, the car has lost none of these qualities. And now the reason for that sense of calm becomes clear: it’s a feeling of unstoppability, feeding on the fascination of an almost primeval yet highly civilized tour de force.

The downtown stress test After eight hours in the quarry, there’s no option but to award the G top marks in every category. The only reservation is a nagging sense of having failed to push the 155 kW G-Class Bluetec anywhere near the limits of its potential. There was certainly no need to utilize the cool-looking aluminum buttons that activate the three differential locks. The fact is that most drivers run out of courage long before the G-Class hits the ragged edge. And that has to be a good 23

a u t o m o t i v e s tat s

Output range 155–450 kW Fuel consumption urban: 22.7–13.6 l/100 km (10.3–17.3 mpg) inter-urban: 13.7–9.8 l/100 km (17.1–24 mpg) combined: 17.0–11.2 l/100 km (13.8–21 mpg) CO2 emissions combined: 397–295 g/km (638–474 g/mi) Energy class G–F

thing.

The essence of versatility is a full-blown off-roader that still feels right when you’re heading for the opera, dressed to kill

So now it’s time for the next test, maybe even more challenging than Carrara: tackling the streets of Genoa. At almost five meters (16 ft) long and weighing more than two and a half

is the center of attention.

tonnes (2.8 tons), how is the uber-off-roader go-

And so we come to the final discipline in the

ing to cope with the narrow and winding alley-

grand G-Class triathlon – the freeway run

ways and squares of this ancient Ligurian port?

across northern Italy and through Switzerland

First, though, a trip to the nearest car wash is on

back to Germany: 650 kilometers (400 miles) of

the agenda as the fun and games in the quarry

high-speed travel. Inside the car it’s pleasantly

have draped a white patina all over the glossy

quiet. The G-Class surges up the Alpine hair-

black paint.

pins on the Gotthard autobahn with effortless

Remarkably, in Genoa too the G-Class performs

ease – before soaking up the admiration of SUV

well. The exceptionally high seat position

owners at the next gas station.

gives the driver a clear overview of the bustling streets. Instead of blocks of marble, the

Both gifted and graceful

obstacles here are madly weaving scooters and

After three days with this institution in the

the urban chicanes created by delivery vans

world of 4WD called the G-Class, what impres-

parked at crazy angles. But most of all it’s the

sions remain? That this car is more versatile

G-Class that causes a stir – at traffic lights and

than it appears at first glance – gifted over

from passing buses, the admiring glances are

rough terrain, graceful on the blacktop. That it

everywhere. And while the driver would love to

cuts a dash both in the quarry and outside the

think all this non-verbal recognition was aimed

opera. And that, when you take a seat at the

at him, it’s the car and nothing but the car that

wheel, you feel equally at ease in over-

The values stated 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. The figures are provided in accordance with the German regulation “PKW-EnVKV” and apply to the German market only. www.mercedes-benz.com

st yling: Stephan K all aus@fame- agency.com; hair & Make- up: Sabine Heberle@phoenix- agentur.de; Production Italy: soloprod.it; models: Chris walters@kultmodels.com; Alicia Medina@womenmanagement.it her _coat, over-the- knee boots and clutch: Burberry him _tuxedo: Polo R alph L auren, shirt: L agerfeld, tie: Dior Homme, pocket square: Tom Ford, patent shoes: santoni

G-Class

STRIKING GOOD LOOKS Even in the background, some profiles will always stand out from the crowd.

a u t o m o t i v e

AUTOMOTIVE TALES

Trash to treasure i l l u s t r at i o n 5 0 0 g l s

For many years, Rudolf Caracciola’s Mercedes-Benz 500K was effectively registered missing. U.S. reporter Michael Mraz set out in search of the legendary car, picking up a trail that led to a dusty Los Angeles salvage yard.

udi Klein was an eccentric

car parts for restorers and wealthy collectors.

you see, lies a trove of

guy with a brusque side

Reacting with characteristic pique to an ap-

automotive treasure. My

that was easily roused. Peo-

plication for an injunction tabled by a German

information is that here, perched

ple who knew him tell of his

sports car manufacturer, he renamed his firm

on a set of flat tires and covered in grime, sits

hostility towards outsiders

Porche Foreign Auto.

the Mercedes-Benz 500K that was built in 1935

(like me) who came asking

Since Klein’s death in 2001, his two sons, Jason

for German racing star Rudolf Caracciola (1901-

questions about his cars. A former butcher of

and Ben, have overseen the family business,

1959). Informed estimates put the rare four-

German extraction, Klein set up shop in Los An-

and I have them down as my next port of call.

wheeler’s potential auction value at a cool 10

geles in 1967 as a purveyor of extremely rare

Buried within their melting pot of metalwork,

million dollars.

A POWERFUL PRESENT for Rudolf Caracciola, star racing driver of the 1930s.

Shades of an offbeat film noir

tion to speak to me. So off I went to find another

vine, California – felt like he’d stumbled onto the

The first few times I stopped by at Porche For-

of the select few who might have set eyes on

set of an offbeat film noir, when he came across

eign Auto in South Central Los Angeles, I was

Caracciola’s 500K.

“all these ultra-exotic vehicles rotting away in

swiftly sent on my way again – politely, but in

Well-known U.S. car collector Bruce Meyer re-

front of my eyes”.

little doubt that I had outstayed an already brief

calls a past visit to the Kleins’ dilapidated ware-

If cars could tell their own stories, the 500K

welcome. The 500K had plenty of stories to tell,

house. There, wedged between the scrap, he

would treat us to a real crime yarn. The tale be-

Jason Klein told me. “But you’ll have speak to

found vintage automobiles worth millions “piled

gins in 1930, during the Mercedes-Benz Silver

my brother Ben if you want to know more.” The

up like firewood”. Meanwhile, Mike Kunz – man-

Arrows’ era of domination in grand prix racing.

problem was that Ben had absolutely no inclina-

ager of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Ir-

Racking up feats in the cockpit few others 33

a u tomoti v e pearance at Pebble Beach in 1978, when it was crowned best in class (the latest in a string of successes). Not long afterwards, it was bought by Rudi Klein – an outsider viewed in collectors’ circles as a bit of a horse trader – and the 500K duly vanished off the radar. Having pulled together the varying threads of the story, I made another attempt to catch a glimpse of the car in the metal. The Kleins’ place may be just 350 miles (560 km) south of Pebble Beach, where the 500K celebrated its most recent major success, but it might as well be on another planet. Mountains of scrap metal and towers of used tires line the streets of South Central Los Angeles. I ring the bell at the yard and Jason Klein appears. I’m about to introduce myself again, but he quickly interrupts me; he knows who I am. Again he tells me I need to speak to Ben, but Ben isn’t there. And “I don’t run his diary for him.”

via Paris and Ethiopia to Los Angeles. Next stop: private collection, museum or auction?

So far, so discouraging. However, after a few unanswered phone calls, Ben agrees to email a reply to my questions. Not that he answers my request to see, or even photograph, the 500K –

could match was Rudolf Caracciola, who tasted

the war – beneath a dung heap in Ethiopia. “It’s

apparently holed up in a warehouse outside the

glory in the German Grand Prix on six occa-

incredible what you can find hidden under piles

Kleins’ main premises. He’s equally cagey when

sions. It is a record that remains unbroken to

of mess,” says Tom Hanson, car parts expert at

it comes to another issue. Just over 10 years ago,

this day (even Michael Schumacher has “only”

Mercedes-Benz Classic in Irvine, as he picks up

Mercedes set out to arrange a loan agreement

four Formula 1 German GP wins to his name).

the story of the 500K. Long Beach-based Bugatti

with the Kleins and give the 500K its own dedi-

As a token of appreciation, Mercedes presented

collector Milton Roth acquired the 500K at auc-

cated room in the Museum. But the proposed

its celebrity driver of the 1930s with a 500K

tion in the early 1960s. In 1965, another owner

deal was cut adrift after Rudi Klein died in 2001.

“Roadster Limousine”, a stylish one-off model

brought it along to Hanson’s father, Dale, who

With that in mind, I ask Ben Klein how he sees

custom-built for Caracciola’s personal use.

had carved out a niche restoring luxury cars. The

the future for the one-off car with the fascinat-

car was in pretty shoddy condition: “We needed

ing past. Will Caracciola’s 500K embark on a

Sitting out the war in a dung heap

two low-loaders just to keep all the parts of the

final voyage to its native land? Will this piece of

Where the trail gets murky is the point at which

big old girl together,” recalls the now 86-year-

history be offered up for sale and be given the

Caracciola and his Mercedes-Benz masterpiece

old Hanson senior. “It was only when you got up

chance to break auction records? Or will it con-

went their separate ways – and why. His chest-

close that it was recognizable as a Mercedes.”

tinue to eke out an existence as a dust collector?

nut-colored 500K eventually resurfaced shortly

Little more than a year later, Hanson had re-

Ben Klein remains tight-lipped. But he does let

before World War II in a Parisian luxury car

stored the 500K and was presenting it to whoops

an intriguing little nugget slip when I ask him

dealership. There it was bought by Benito Mus-

of excitement at the 1966 Pebble Beach Con-

whether his father was more proud of the 500K

solini for his son-in-law, the Italian foreign min-

cours d’Elegance; Hanson’s gem finished second

than his other automotive beauties. “That’s for

ister Galeazzo Ciano, who had played a valuable

in its class at the classic car get-together. Over

sure,” writes the son of the former butcher, who

role for the Duce in his occupation of Ethiopia.

the years that followed, the 500K won about as

perhaps wasn’t quite the hard-hearted bruiser

In contrast to Ciano, who fell (fatally) from Mus-

many trophies at shows as Caracciola earned on

his reputations suggests. “He carried a photo of

solini’s favor, the 2.7-tonne (3-ton) car survived

the race track. The Roadster made its last ap-

the car in his wallet.”

7 STEPS TO HAPPINESS

Slick shifter

Sporty, direct, efficient and smooth: the Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission promises a flying start every time. words tobias nebl

i l l u s t r at i o n s 5 0 0 g l s

A B L I N K O F A N E Y E and the power pours on again. The barely perceptible gear change takes

1 POWER FLOW

just 100 milliseconds or so. Even sports car purists would be forced to admit that not even the deftest

Multiple-clutch plates running in an oil bath ensure direct, spontaneous power transmission – a foreign concept to conventional automatic transmissions with their torque converters. This construction goes by the abbreviation MCT, standing for Multi-Clutch Technology.

of hands could propel a shift lever through the gate with such alacrity. The Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission in the new CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake also double-declutches with a throaty growl for a more dynamic edge and added pleasure. It all adds up to an automatic transmission that sets pulses racing, while saving fuel, too. 46

CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake Fuel consumption urban/inter-urban/combined: 14.0 / 7.8 / 10.1 l/100 km (16.8/30.1/23.3 mpg); CO2 emissions combined: 235 g/km (378 g/mi); energy class: F

p e r f o r m a n c e

2 FREEDOM OF CHOICE

3 R A C I N G S TA R T

4 LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN

Four driving modes are available: the Controlled Efficiency mode saves fuel with early upshifts and a start/stop function. In Sport and Sport Plus, the transmission holds on to the gears for longer and downshifting becomes more dynamic. The Manual mode produces scintillating shift times on a par with Formula 1.

The Race Start function turns every red light into a pole position. A simple press of a button prompts the electronics to maximize traction at the drive wheels and set the optimum rev speed for starting off. A quick flick of the shift paddle to confirm, then floor the gas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the transmission takes care of the rest.

The Speedshift transmissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low rotating masses mean extra agility. Magnesium is employed to trim the weight to a benchmarksetting 83 kilograms (183 lb). Another innovative feature is the space-saving location of the transmission control unit in the oil sump.

M o d e r n

success story

Sporting triumph Mercedes-Benz has a long tradition of building powerful two-door cars â&#x20AC;&#x201C; quick, fleet-footed coupes with a penchant for the dynamic. words christof vieweg

p h o t o s/c g i r t t

m o d e r n

bursting with POWER

and the agility to rouse the fun receptors, this Coupe turns every corner into an experience.

m o d e r n

THE SHORT, CRISP TAIL,

flowing lines and clearly defined wedge shape of the body lend a distinctive character to the Coupeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design.

moder n

s tat s

C-Class Coupe Output range 115–380 kW Fuel consumption urban: 18.2–5.6 l/100 km (12.9–42.0 mpg) inter-urban: 8.8–3.7 l/100 km (26.7–63.6 mpg) combined: 12.2–4.1 l/100 km (19.3–57.4 mpg) CO2 emissions combined: 286–109 g/km (460–175 g/mi) Energy class G–A

A fresh radiator grille design gives the car a distinctive face

oupes refresh the parts other cars

character, very much like the people who would

can’t reach. They blend sporting tal-

hope to buy them. The C-Class Coupe fulfills this

www.mercedes-benz.com

ent with elegance and style, and are

brief with a flourish, stealing the glance with its

designed with connoisseurs of beauty

flowing lines, arching roof and short, crisp tail.

even through briskly taken corners. Rear pas-

in mind. Their charms may have fallen on inat-

A character line rises from the front wheel arch

sengers, meanwhile, can relax into a pair of in-

tentive eyes over years gone by, but now their

towards the rear, lending structure to the car’s

dividual seats. The Coupe’s 450 liters (15.9 cu.

popularity is blinding.

flanks. It extends precisely into the upper edge

ft) (acc. to the VDA measuring method) of trunk

Mercedes-Benz boasts an enduring reputation

of the rear apron, which itself forms a seamless

space is only 25 liters (0.88 cu. ft) short of that

for designing expressive cars fitting the coupe

continuation of the low-slung, wedge-shaped sil-

in the C-Class Sedan, equipping the stylish

template. While the early models developed in

houette. The rear bumper was also designed spe-

two-door Coupe impressively for epic shopping

Carl Benz’ and Gottlieb Daimler’s day were effec-

cially for the C-Class Coupe. It creates a muscular

trips and holiday travel, and allowing it to make

tively an evolution of the horse-drawn carriage,

impression and defines the athletic appearance

a compelling case as an everyday companion.

the majestic supercharged “Kompressor” sports

of the two-door model – above all in the Sport

While its design majors on individuality, the

cars of the 1930s penned the opening chapter of

version, which ups the dynamic ante another

two-door’s technology points directly to mem-

what was to prove a resounding success story for

notch with options such as lowered suspension

bership of an established and successful model

Mercedes Coupes. 75 years ago, Mercedes-Benz

and a rear spoiler. The C-Class Coupe embodies

family. The Coupe can be ordered with all the

presented the 320n, the great-grandfather of to-

what might be called expressive design with a

C-Class’ state-of-the-art engines (from the fru-

day’s mid-range C-Class Coupe. And ever since,

sporting edge, cut from a single mold.

gal 4-cylinder to the bubbling power of the V-8),

not to mention proximity radar, an emergency

one principle above all has held sway in Stuttgart when it comes to Coupe design: individuality.

Part of an established model family

braking system and other electronic aids which

The company’s development engineers are keen

The Coupe’s lounge-style interior picks up the

spring to the driver’s assistance in critical situa-

to ensure that their Coupe models are not just

exterior’s athletic theme. Among its foremost

tions. The optional multimedia system Comand

Sedans with a sawn-off tail, but join the line-up

sporting features are a leather-trimmed three-

Online, meanwhile, ensures that the Coupe is

as stand-alone models in their own right. Indeed,

spoke steering wheel and specially developed

tuned into the Internet – as well as the sporting

the aim is for them to have their own individual

front seats offering excellent lateral support –

instincts of its driver – at all times.

m o d e r n

safety

Blind spot zapper 66

Better control of risky situations: the display shows everything, even what’s behind the car

Reversing out or maneuvering in the dark – situations that call for skill and, even then, are never without risk. The new 360° camera has the answer. A practical test in the SUV. words jo clahsen

photos steffen jahn

L Don’t look back – the camera above the license plate does that for you

ook to the front, check the right and left exterior mirrors; then, to make extra sure, a quick glance back over the passenger seat backrest, before finally, gingerly reversing out of a very narrow driveway. Even if you religiously apply everything once learned at driving school, an element of the unpredictable always lingers – whether it’s the rolling ball in your blind spot or the child that’s running after it. Moments like this are every driver’s nightmare, especially in an SUV where the raised seat position makes it difficult to spot everything. Mercedes-Benz now promises to resolve this dilemma with the aid of a 360° camera. I test it out in a Mercedes GL: when I select reverse gear, the camera system that is linked to the Parktronic parking aid rises up automatically. A crystal-clear view of the situation be-

Even exiting a narrow drive is no problem: nothing escapes the 360° camera

hind my car appears in the display, alerting me to any obstacles that are difficult to see from the driver’s perspective. 67

m o d e r n

A panoramic view: all-round safety in the GL

The display shows obstacles at the front in positions that are awkward for SUV drivers to see

The inconspicuous lookout under the star shows the surrounding area when driving forward, too

FOUR EYES INSTEAD OF TWO allow views to be visualized which cannot physically be seen.

I now switch to the forward view at the push of a button, and then to the virtual bird’s-eye view. I’m astounded by what I see, and compare the image in the display with the real world outside using the exterior and rear-view mirrors. It really does match up – looking round the vehicle, everything is exactly where it is shown in this view from above.

Sharp, high-resolution pictures It’s all down to the camera system’s four “eyes”, located at the front in the radiator grille, on the bottom of the exterior mirror housings and above

Bird’s-eye view: the camera in the exterior mirror (top) and the yellow guidelines (right) help with tricky maneuvering situations

the rear license plate. Positioned behind the onemegapixel lenses are powerful CMOS sensors, which compile the information into configurable images with the aid of metal-oxide semiconductors and the Comand system. 180° fields of vision in each case guarantee an all-round view in sharp resolution, meaning you can say goodbye to blind spots. These four lookouts miss nothing in an area three meters (approx. 10 ft) to the front or rear of the car and two and a half meters (approx. 8 ft) to either side. Absolutely nothing – even at night-time, thanks to the infrared headlights. Furthermore, dynamic yellow guidelines appear, indicating the best line to take in order to safely pilot the car through the tight space. In theory, I could now rely on just the all-seeing technology to navigate my way out of the narrow gateway, but in fact I keep checking the mirrors as well as watching the display. The GL has barely reached the sidewalk after reversing along the wall when I see the camera’s field of vision open up to reveal the view to the left and right of the gateway. It’s fair to say that the view is vastly superior to

s tat s

GL-Class Output range 190–410 kW Fuel consumption urban: 15.8–8.1 l/100 km (14.9–29 mpg) inter-urban: 10.3–6.9 l/100 km (22.8–34 mpg) combined: 12.3–7.4 l/100 km (19.1–31.8 mpg)

before in such situations. But there’s more: switching the display to split-

depict views that are not actually physically possible: for instance, the camera system can provide imagery from a height of over three meters

rear while driving to protect it from rainwater

www.mercedes-benz.com

me a sense of reassurance that I have never felt

tored with hawk-like eyes. It’s even possible to

Energy class E–B

speaking, of course. The vehicle’s flanks, more-

help of radar – to instrument flight, and it gives

while the areas to the left and right are moni-

(10 ft), even when the parking deck ceiling is

screen mode minimizes the GL’s size – virtually

you’ve switched from flying by sight – with the

remove any trace of the interior from the image,

CO2 emissions combined: 288–192 g/km (463–309 g/mi)

what you can see with your own eyes. It’s as if

over, can be pushed together electronically to

just a few inches overhead. One especially practical touch is the flap that masks the eye at the or slush. The flap opens again automatically as soon as the 360° camera is activated. Besides guarding against damage to the bodywork, the cameras join forces with the steering motors to help me to find a parking space as well. The 360° camera system in a Mercedes-Benz GL can offer more peace of mind than any other assistance system, even in tricky maneuvering situations. And it helps to banish those nightmare moments. 69