Juan Manuel Fangio

Even Fangio found the streamliner Mercedes a handful.
Jenson Button was not the first motor racing world champion to look down the barrel of a gun. His adventure in São Paulo did not get as far as kidnapping, unlike that of Juan Manuel Fangio. A tall young man in a leather jacket approached the 46 year old, who had just won his fifth title, in the Lincoln Hotel, Havana, on 25 February 1958 with a peremptory, “You must come with me.” It was the eve of the Gran Premio de Cuba and Fangio was bundled into a car and driven off.
New York Times
February 26, 1958. p. 3.
Kidnappers Kind, Fangio Asserts
Auto Racer Declares Cuban Rebels Were Friendly
By R. Hart Phillips
Special to The New York Times
HAVANA, Feb. 25—Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentine automobile racing champion, said today that those who kidnapped him Sunday were young men who treated him with consideration and even friendliness. The driver was released shortly after midnight.
The kidnappers told him they were members of the 26th of July Movement headed by Fidel Castro, the rebel leader, whose bands of insurgents are fighting Government troops in Oriente Province.
The kidnapping was allegedly carried out by youthful enemies of President Fulgencio Batista in an effort to embarrass the Government and if possible stop the holding of the second Gran Premio automobile race, which Señor Fangio was considered favorite to win.
However, the race was held yesterday afternoon, but it was suspended when a Cuban driver crashed into spectators. This morning the death toll had risen to six, with thirty-one injured.
Fangio Describes Captivity
Señor Fangio, appearing well-groomed and untired after having been held about twenty-six hours by his kidnappers, talked with reporters in the Argentine Embassy. The Argentine Ambassador, Rear Admiral Raul Lynch, had picked him up from a house on the outskirts of Havana not long before in response to a telephone call from the kidnappers.
“The revolutionists treated me well,” Señor Fangio said. “They tried to explain to me the reasons for my kidnapping and the aims of their organization and their attitude was even friendly. I was well fed by a woman who brought my meals.
“During the period of the kidnapping I was transferred three times to three different houses in three different automobiles. The houses were well-furnished residences and in one of them I saw a part of a film of the Gran Premio race on television.
“My captors took me to a house on the edge of town earlier tonight and told me to go inside and stay inside until someone came for me. Later the Ambassador called for me.” Señor Fangio said he planned to stay in Cuba for several days and would drive here in the next Gran Premio race if invited.
He said he held no resentment against anyone over his kidnapping.

Covering races in Brazil back at the start of Emerson Fittipaldi’s career was an exciting assignment. Picturesque circuits in that vast country were glamorous – except for Interlagos, a run-down slum of a track that made 1970s Brands Hatch look well organised and professional. I drove hundreds of miles in Brazil and loved the place. You had to look out for pickpockets on Copacabana beach. An armoured Mercedes with a driver trained in emergency techniques was the stuff of Bond books.
Met the great man at commemorative events run by Mercedes-Benz. He signed an Alan Fearnley print for me, kindly inscribing my name in response to a written prompt.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet

There accept been letters about the appraisement for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-class Cabriolet. With the Cabriolet’s bigger admeasurement and added equipment, it ability appear as a abruptness to buyers that it is priced analogously to the abate CLK convertible it replaces.

A agent appear that Mercedes-Benz expects the E-class soft-top to be priced at about $56,000 for the V-6 E350 and about $65,000 for the V-8 E550 (which makes it about $8,000 added big-ticket than the auto on which the Cabriolet is based). Mercedes is befitting appraisement advice from the accessible until the Cabriolet goes on auction on May 10.

A auto and a auto in the new-generation E-class ancestors had been launched endure June. And this June, a base wagon goes on sale. Mercedes-Benz had adopted a fold-down bendable top for the E-class convertible rather than a harder top.

The CLK convertible and auto were based on the abate C class; however, they were discontinued at the end of the 2009 archetypal year with the June barrage of the new E-class coupe. The Cabriolet, which uses the E-class auto platform, is about 185 inches long.

Comparably, it is seven inches beneath than the E-class auto and two inches best than the asleep CLK. Christian Frueh, arch architect for the auto and convertible, said that admitting its bendable top, the new convertible is a “four seasons, four people” car primarily because of added abundance features.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet

2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet Wallpaper

2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet Interior

New 2011 Mercedes-Benz SL550

Redesigned in 2009, the SL-Class charcoal the a lot of exceptional Mercedes roadster. The two accessible models for the U.S. bazaar are the SL550 and SL600, while Europeans shoppers can aswell opt for the bottom SL350 and SL280.

The bigger changes to the SL band afterward the 2009 amend are to the foreground of the car. The car now has CLS-style headlamps to accompaniment the new bonanza and grille. Meanwhile, the taillights accept been aggrandized with LEDs and a aesthetic shape.




The SL550 and SL600's engines abide unchanged. The above has a 5.5-liter V8 carrying 382 application at 6000 rpm and 391 pound-feet of torque amid 2,800 and 4,800 rpm. The closing is motivated by a 517 application twin-turbo V12, carrying 612 pound-feeet of torque from 1900 rpm up to 3500 rpm. Both models now accept factionally bigger ammunition economy.

The car's council arrangement has been bigger to affection a capricious arbor ratio, which adjusts in band with the council angle, accretion acutely as anon as this alcove 5 degrees. All of which agency that, compared to a council arrangement with a connected ratio, the disciplinarian does not accept to move the council caster as abundant if cornering.


New lighting technology

A new appearance isn't the alone affair the SL's new headlights accept traveling for them. The units are able as accepted with able bi-xenon bulbs that are purportedly added able and added energy-efficient than commensurable LED headlamps.

Now accessible is the Intelligent Ablaze System, featuring 5 audible functions, which are automatically selected. They are: country mode, motorway mode, added fog lamps, cornering ablaze action and alive ablaze function.

Motorway approach is activated in two stages if the acceleration exceeds 56 mph, accretion the driver's ambit of eyes by up to 60 percent. If the alive ablaze action is activated, the headlamps axis to the ancillary in band with the council angle if the disciplinarian enters a bend, acceptance them to see about 80 anxiety added into a continued bend. The cornering ablaze action is activated automatically at speeds beneath 44 mph.

Interior

The autogenous has been bigger with bigger seats, a new-look three-spoke covering council wheel, and a absolutely restyled apparatus cluster.

As anon as the agitation is switched on, the cockpit instruments grab the driver's attention: the red speedometer and rev adverse all-overs are woken from their "six o' alarm position", circle already about the dials to their best ethics and again backslide to their aught positions.

In agreement of materials, there are two types of covering to accept from, as able-bodied as 5 altered aluminium or fine-wood trims and 5 blush combinations. The SL 600 underlines its top announcement with acutely bendable Exclusive nappa covering and trim elements in affected poplar wood.

The Airscarf arrangement aboriginal apparent on the SLK provides amore to the disciplinarian and commuter for top-down motoring in acknowledgment weather. The blower and heating are now congenital in the arch rests for bigger comfort.

Features

Mercedes has bigger its COMAND infotainment system, which provides admission to information, ball and communications. New additions cover a Bluetooth receiver and a beyond 6.5-inch blush display.

An iPod can now be absolutely chip with the COMAND system, acknowledgment to the new UCI (Universal Consumer Interface). The affection allows the iPod music advance to be adumbrated on the apparatus array and on the COMAND affectation in the centermost console.

Customers can accouter the new SL with the Harman Kardon "Logic7" complete system, which is aswell acclimated in the S-Class. The complete arrangement has an achievement of 510 watts.

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Front View

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Headlight

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 First Look

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Side View

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Race Car

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Interior

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Rear View

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Sport Car

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Taillight

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Swing Door

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Car Wallpapers

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Front View

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Car Headlight

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG unveiled

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Rear Side Angle View

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Pictures

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Rear View

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Car Taillight

2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Exhaust

2010 Mercedes-Benz Sports Cars SL R230 PD Series by Prior Design

PRIOR design presented their latest wide-body kit, the PD-SERIES based on the Mercedes-Benz SL R230. The Prior Design Mercedes-Benz SL R230 comes with a front spoiler with large, greedy air inlets. The cowl with its many air inlets reaches up to the windshield supplying even high-performance motors with sufficient air. 

2010 Mercedes-Benz Sports Cars SL R230 PD Series by Prior Design

For the rear side, the large track of the PD-SERIES is connected by a perfectly rounded rear bumper from one wheel arch to the other, which in turn is equipped with a diffuser based on racing technology. It is available either as sight carbon or full carbon.

The PD Series inspiration very clearly was the super sports car Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series. The result will excite every car enthusiast : Flowing lines, massive air inlets, expressive curves and muscular sides summarize the perfect PD Series view. The side are with its wide wheels is reminiscent of a muscular monster waiting to jump its prey. The side dills harmoniously connect the masculine sides to make the car look as if made from a single cast.

The large track of the PD series is connected by a perfectly rounded rear diffuser from one wheel arch to the other, which in turn is equipped with a diffuser based on racing technology. It is available either as sight carbon or full carbon.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz SL R230 PD Series a specially developed wheel or tyres combination is available as a complete set in the following sizes : Wheel rim PD1 (three-piece stainless steel outer bed, black finish), front axle 10×20 inch with 265/30R20, rear axle 12×20 inch with 305/25R20.

Mercedes-Benz McLaren Sports Cars SLR Stirling Moss

Bearing the namesake of legendary British racer Stirling Moss, the McLaren SLR Stirling Moss, will be making its big debut as the newest McLaren SLR variant amongst the automotive elite (and few entries from Kia) at the 38th Annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January.

Mercedes-Benz McLaren Sports Cars SLR Stirling Moss

Stuttgart– Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are adding the crowning glory to the model family of their highly successful SLR super sports car with a new, uncompromisingly spectacular car. There is neither a roof nor a windscreen to separate the driver and passenger from the outside world; they enjoy unadulterated high-speed excitement with all the attributes of a speedster.

The new SLR Stirling Moss is also characterised by the most sophisticated technology and a breathtaking design which reinterprets the SLR legend. With 478 kW/650 hp the SLR Stirling Moss accelerates its V8 supercharged engine from standstill to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 350 km/h – no other series-production car is at the same time so open and so fast.

This extreme concept makes the new high-performance sports car a legitimate bearer of the name of the British motor racing legend and Mille Miglia record-holder Stirling Moss, who drove the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR racing cars from victory to victory during the 1950s.

A successful collaboration of engineering which is demonstrated far beyond the relatively ancillary exclusion of a windscreen, the SLR Stirling Moss is truly an equal celebration of McLaren’s both past and present. Thus in keeping with its status as a rare breed, production of the SLR Stirling Moss will be limited to only 75 units and, to further prevent your uncultured, peasant hands from touching it, each unit will be priced at a cool $1.04 million (€750,000).

This is why the modern-day version of the legendary SLR carries the additional words “Stirling Moss” in its name. As the new SLR Stirling Moss unites the character of the current SLR models with the fascination of the SLR of 1955. The core values of both the historical and the present-day SLR models include an exciting new design, innovative technology, high-class materials displaying perfect craftsmanship, and, above all: a unique driving experience for all the senses.

Whilst the 300 SLR earned its spurs on racing circuits the world over, the new member of the SLR family is not designed for the racetrack. Although it sets new standards in terms of technology, performance and excitement – just like its forebears – it is aimed at individuals who have exquisite requirements and nurture very special dreams.

Remaining totally true to the specifications of the 300 SLR, the new Silver Arrow’s equipment is extremely sophisticated and yet at the same time decidedly spartan, doing without both a roof and side windows. There are just two wind deflectors a couple of centimetres in height to protect the driver and passenger from the airflow. Two air scoops integrated into the bodywork serve as roll-over bars. With this extreme concept the new SLR Stirling Moss is visually very different from all the other vehicles which belong to the elite sports car class.

Just like the legendary racing vehicles of yesteryear, the SLR Stirling Moss dazzles with its superlative performance. Accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and with a top speed of 350 km/h this puristic high-performance sports car denotes completely new dimensions in open-top driving. And not just because of the impressive performance figures; every time drivers take to the wheel of the SLR Stirling Moss their senses are addressed with a previously unheard of intensity, conveying a driving experience in its purest and most sensual form. This automotive thoroughbred thus facilitates the kind of open-air feeling that is utterly unique for a road-going vehicle.

Developers working on the Stirling Moss were able to fall back on a wealth of experience gathered when producing the SLR Coupé and Roadster, in particular where the technical base was concerned, with its extravagant carbon-fibre design, high-performance suspension and throaty V8 engine. The common denominator uniting the Stirling Moss with the other members of the SLR family is the aerodynamic concept with a closed underbody and a diffuser in the rear bumper for maximum possible downforce at the rear axle – with one difference: the diffuser here is considerably larger than that on the coupé and roadster.

The new SLR Stirling Moss is the kind of high-calibre speedster coveted by the sporting gentry and enthusiasts alike. At the same time it is a collector’s item which marks the pinnacle of an era and, for the foreseeable future, at least, the final curtain for the SLR. In May 2009 production of the SLR models will cease; only a total of 75 units of the Stirling Moss will be manufactured between June and December 2009, bearing chassis numbers from 1 to 75. Not only does this exclusive vehicle represent the conclusion of the current SLR family; it also serves as a very special thank you to the most loyal of SLR customers, for they are the only ones able to acquire a Stirling Moss.

Mercedes McLaren Sports Cars ASMA Design Perfectus SLR 722

ASMA Design have modded the Mercedes-Benz McLaren sports cars SLR 722 to their specifications. The new ASMA Design Perfectus SLR 722 is totally redone with new aggressive custom carbon fibre bodywork and 20-inch wheels.

Mercedes McLaren Sports Cars ASMA Design Perfectus SLR 722

The original SLR only made 650-hp from the 5.4-litre supercharged V8, but this was not enough for ASMA Design, as they have upped the power to 750-hp, and this allows the ASMA Design Perfectus SLR to get from 0-100km/h in only 3.5 seconds, and then go onto a top speed of 216mph.

Making claims of perfection is a dangerous thing to do, especially in the exclusive and demanding world of supercar tuning. But there is one man who can actually make this claim of perfection, and even go as far as to name his incredible automotive creation Perfectus. And this Designer is Erturul ASMA and this is his amazing, all carbon fiber ASMA Mercedes McLaren SLR 722.

Carbon is the customizing material of choice for hardcore tuners alike, but until the unveiling of Perfectus, no-one had truly used this most beautiful and powerful material to its full and awe-inspiring effect. But, as these stunning pictures can only prove, Erturul ASMA has taken the McLaren to entirely new levels of automotive theatre. In fact, thanks to Perfectus, you can forget about the world of top-end tuning here on Earth, and now, and only now, think in terms of an awesome new age of carbon customization.

Wide arch at over 2-metres in total width, with over 10cms of super-phat and super-sculpted carbon over each of the one-off ASMA rims, rims that are also mind-blowing in their dimensions. How does 325-25-20 out the back and 255-30-20 up front grab you? Hard! And once this stunning carbon design grabs you, it will never let you go.

The wide ‘n’ wild completely custom carbon fiber bodywork is simply unmatched and unbeatable, anywhere in the world. Sharp, extra-aggressive F1-inspired bodylines take this SLR to whole new levels of road-presence; this SLR is always in full attack mode, making 700hp to back-up the ASMA Design styling.

Only Erturul ASMA can make and prove his claims of perfection, but he must also apologize… apologize to all the owners of standard SLRs everywhere, for there can be only one Perfectus.