.........

Muscles for the M-Class  from "AutoBild" issue 32/98 written by Michael Specht

Photo: AutoBild  Two-piece mounting and add. backgr. retouching by MBEP webmaster	Photo: AutoBild

Power and luxury don't have to stay on the road. Mercedes arms for off-road, too. At the end of next year a widened M-Class starts as AMG ML 55... One not only has to show the competition who's the master off-road: At Daimler-Benz even the newly found brother has to fear to be edged out. Despite the jumbo merger with the third-biggest American car manufacturer Chrysler the Stuttgarters now put an hyped-up M-Class in front of the grille of the best-selling Grand Cherokee (5.9-litre V8, 241hp, 472 Nm), which in terms of power and torque will have the big one from the New World look small: With roughly 354hp and 530Nm torque the already mighty M-Daimler will become a first-class Muscle-Mercedes.

Photo: AutoBild   Nearly at 100 per cent AMG took over the big fenders from the study which stood in Detroit in 1996

The power package more or less can be taken off the shelves. The tuning division AMG already puts this V8-engine successfully into the E-Class. The drive to the wheels is taken over by a five-speed- automatic transmission. As with the normal versions there's a permanent all-wheel drive, but no mechanical limited-slip differential. The traction is done by intervention into the brakes. The wheel which already wants to slip is braked and thus the power supplied to the other three wheels. An electronic management sometimes a bit tricky. At longer off-road drives on soft ground M-owners already noted hot and smoking brakes. But that more or less doesn't matter for the AMG-driver, he nearly exclusively moves on tarmac anyway. Optically Mercedes makes use of the first study shown in Detroit in 1996 which caught much attraction with the audience. The serial version was too harmless for the fans. With AMG this matter probably is gotten rid of. The inflated fenders take care of a macho appearance which basically doesn't fit into the otherwise more discreet AMG-look.

At its birth the ML still was called AAV
AAV (All Activity Vehicle) with thick cheeks.	The study delighted the offroad-fans in 1996 in Detroit.            Both photos and photo texts: AutoBild

That's why Mercedes already thinks about a smaller version to be able to fulfill its customers the  "wolf in sheep's clothing-wish".

Still on secret test drive: Mercedes parallel thinks about a smaller AMG-version

All three photos and photo texts: AutoBild       ML 55: From the front easily to be identified by the air intakes below the star

In the interior will be no lack of luxury. Electric aids and adjustments of all kind are available as well as a choice of different leather- and wood-types which sometimes originate in regions where the car will not drive its whole life long. With that the ML 55 gets the quality feel in the cockpit which is long overdue. And a hopefully perfect finish in the old Mercedes-style. The cheap plastics in the style of the 1970's as well as the plastic-rattle at least can't be the future of Mercedes (See test telegram ML 320: Not worthy of the star).

Photo and photo text: AutoBild Leather and luxury wherever the eye looks at: Then also with central monitor for satellite navigation, radio and telephone

((DM 150.000 are US Dollars 79.000 assumed USD 1 = DM 1.90 and British Pounds 49.200 assumed BP 1 = DM 3.05.)) As usual my remarks in ((blabla)), three ... denote omissions having nothing to do with the ML 55. Colour used as in original text, but not quotation marks "blabla".

18 inch wheels fill the wheelhouses of the ML 55 AMG Photo and photo text: Auto Motor und Sport Additional preparation for the web by MBEP webmaster

Begin of delivery this autumn

Mercedes M-Class in AMG-Trim

Following the IAA ((Frankfurt Motor Show, second half of September 1999)) the first Mercedes M-Class vehicles prepared by AMG will be delivered. Those who order a ML 55 AMG for nearly DM 140.000 ((USD 73.500 assumed USD 1 = DM 1.90; that is ca.7 per cent less than a E55AMG costs in Germany)) get a 235km/h ((146mph)) off-roader, which shall sprint from standstill to 100km/h ((62mph)) in 6.9 seconds. The 5.5-litre V8 develops 347hp ((DIN)) and a maximum torque of 520Nm. The interior - inclusive the sports seats - will be wrapped in buffalo leather.
End of article - translation by MBEP webmaster. As usual remarks in ((blabla))

As a surprise response to the surprise debut of the new BMW Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) at the
1999 Detroit auto show ((USA)), Mercedes-Benz intends to unwrap its top-of-the-line ML55 AMG
at the same event. The 354-bhp (DIN) super ute is going to be the fastest production SUV ever built,
and at about $80,000 it will also be the most expensive mud wrestler since the demise of the Lamborghini LM002. With the arrival of the flagship model, the M-Class range will comprise five different versions:

The Lamborghini LM002:  Length 4900mm, width 2000mm, height 1850mm, 12- cylinder V-engine, 5167ccm, 450hp = 331kw at 6000revs/min, max. torque 500Nm at 4550revs/min, six Weber twin- carburettors, 4 ohc, 48 valves, tyres 345/65VR17, rims 11Jx17, body aluminium and fibreglass, steel frame, tank volume 180 litres, empty weight 3045kg, max. weight 3500kg, top speed 197km/h=122mph, 0-62mph=9.3 secs Price was in January 1988 DM 230.000, a Mercedes-Benz 560SEL then cost DM 127.338

Photo: Lamborghini

Data: Lamborghini  Compilation by MBEP webmaster

the entry-level, Europe-only 150-bhp ML230; the best-selling 215-bhp ML320; the 275-bhp, V-8-
powered ML430 that just went on sale; and the super-frugal ML270 CDI powered by a new 165-bhp, 2.7-liter direct-ignition five-cylinder turbo-diesel (also not available in the States). Whether the torquey 238-bhp, 4.0-liter V-8 diesel engine shown at the 1998 Geneva show ((Switzerland)) will be offered in
the M-Class - after the 2000 model year - is still being decided. Unlike most previous AMG derivatives, the ML 55 is not exactly a sleeper. Instead, it features a conspicuous wraparound body kit inspired by
the AAV show car - which was, incidentally, not designed in Stuttgart ((Germany)) but in Irvine, California ((USA)). The cosmetic surgery includes fully integrated flared fenders with matching sill extensions, a hood with two SL-style power bulges, a more structured new front bumper incorporating high-intensity auxiliary driving lights and headlamp washers, a restyled rear bumper with a horizontal air diffuser, body-colour door mirrors, dual-exhaust tailpipes, new six-spoke wheels with a semigloss surface finish, and xenon gas-discharge headlamps as well as front and rear neutral-density turn signals with clear lenses. Initially, this body kit will be standard on the ML55 and optional on the ML430 and
ML320, but Mercedes is already toying with the idea of offering a slimline "stealth" version fitted with
a big 5.5-litre V-8.              .....Photo: Autoweek

On the inside, the new high-performance M-Class is more luxury sedan than SUV. Discerning elements include off-white instrument faces with the AMG logo, sport seats, door panels and center armrests trimmed in a soft matte-finish leather called mastik, dark gray maple-and-walnut applications, a leather-rimmed steering wheel with wood inserts, power seats with memory, and chrome bezels adorning the instruments and heater and ventilation controls as well as the transmission gate.

To reduce the noise level, Mercedes plans to install extra engine-bay insulation elements as well as double door seals.
Among the new high-quality surface materials due to appear in all M-Class variants in the 2000 model year are a padded soft-touch dashboard, a flock-lined glovebox, a center cubicle with storage tray, suedelike ceiling and pillar trim, deep-pile carpets, an upgraded seat undertray, and polished chrome rocker covers. At the same time, the will abandon the individual three-way split in favour of a more conventional and comfortable one-third/two-thirds arrangement with an integrated center armrest, improved padding, and a slicker folding mechanism. The 1999 M-Class is already available with a new full-length sunroof, called the Skyview top, that has louvered slats rather than a fixed glass panel.
Under the hood of the cream-of-the-crop M-Class lurks the most powerful V-8 engine Mercedes
currently makes. Prepared by AMG (now a wholly owned Mercedes-Benz subsidiary), it displaces
5439 cubic centimetres and musters 354 bhp (DIN) at 5500 rpm and 383 pound-feet (DIN) of torque, which is available at a civilized, off-road-compatible 3000 rpm. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that does without the power/economy-mode selection of the E55 AMG sedan, the big-bore V-8 propels the 4400-pound M-Class from 0 to 60 mph in only 6.3 seconds. Since the engineers are
still fine-tuning the cogworks, they may be able to shave another tenth of a second or two by the time
the vehicle goes into production. Unimpeded by any sort of electronic watchdog, the ML55 is capable
of reaching an honest top speed of 150 mph. Not surprisingly, the fuel economy suffers whenever you put the pedal to the metal. In 65-mph territory, the ML55 can return an eco-friendly 20 mpg ((11.8 litres/
100km)), but on unrestricted autobahns there is a distinct danger of single-digit fuel consumption.
As one would expect, the Mercedes R&D team has thoroughly updated the chassis and brakes of this cruise missile. The AMG package includes stiffer springs and dampers, fatter anti-roll bars, bespoke rubber-metal suspension bushings, mild changes to the kinematics, eighteen-inch mag wheels shod with majestic 285/50 tyres, and of course more powerful ventilated brakes. The bigger anchors will also be standard on the ML430 and all European M-Class models. Another novelty is the speed-sensitive "parameter" steering, which has better on-center feel, quicker responses, and more direct gearing. To ensure optimum directional stability at extreme speeds, the ML55 is fitted with a small chin spoiler and
an air deflector incorporated with the rear apron that increases the downforce. The wipers have aerofoils and are powered by a stronger motor. The engine and chassis changes may not do much to improve the vehicle's off-road performance, but they will undoubtedly enhance its on-road behaviour, which is allegedly more car-like than that of any other SUV. The directional stability is said to be impeccable even at 125 mph-plus, the handling is reportedly both razor-sharp and perfectly benign, and the grip must be phenomenal - if an ML320 shod with eighteen-inch rubbers is anything to go by, the roadholding will leave absolutely nothing to be desired. Those who have sampled the brawny V-8 in the E55 were complimentary about the brisk throttle response, the distinct willingness to rev to 6000 rpm, the formidable midrange oomph, and the untroubled communication with the smooth-shifting automatic transmission. More firmly sprung and set slightly lower than its lesser siblings, the ML55 can be expected to hug the road like a true sports car. Thanks to the improved brake system with emergency assist and the electronic brake proportioning device (ABD), the standard electronic stability system (ESP), and the on-demand four-wheel traction control, the 354-bhp M-Class should set new standards in terms of active safety. And it is bound to be more fun to drive than any other sport-utility vehicle.
The Godzilla of the off-road world is due to go on sale in late 1999 as a 2000 model. Unlike the diesel-
engined and four-cylinder versions that will be built in Graz, Austria, at a rate of 30,000 units starting in mid-`99, the home address of the ML55 AMG will be One Mercedes Drive, Vance, Alabama ((USA)).
End of article
As usual my remarks in double-parentheses ((blabla)), but (blabla) belongs to original text.
All other photos accompanying the article are the same as with the above article from "Auto Bild"
Thanks to Alex A. for sending the article!

Both photos: Unofficial Mercedes M-Class Site

Still bumpers and lights have to be adopted to the body kit   Photo and photo text: Auto Motor und Sport

Last revised technically: Oct. 25th '99... Visits since Aug. 8th '98...

[Sign Guestbook] [View Guestbook]

.........

---

IF YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE ANY MATERIAL FROM THIS SITE INTO YOURS PLEASE ASK BEFORE

---

©1998-1999 by MBEP webmaster This is a private, non-commercial home page.  For detailed disclaimer click here