Initially, four variants of the new car will be offered: the S400 HYBRID, S500, S350 BlueTEC and S300 BlueTEC HYBRID. Power ranges from 204HP to 455HP, depending on engine, with the S500 managing the 0-62mph dash in 4.8s. The S300 BlueTEC HYBRID is the most eco-friendly, with a 115g/km CO2 output and up to 53mpg (US); Mercedes will soon release an S500 Plug-In Hybrid model, too. All have adaptive damping air-suspension as standard, but the V8 S500 can be fitted with Road Surface Scan and Magic Body Control, which cooks up new suspension settings on-the-fly after tracking the condition of the upcoming road surface using stereo cameras on the front of the car.

That’s not the only geekery Mercedes has indulged in. Lashings of aluminum mean the body is stiffer than the outgoing model, and the PRE-SAFE feature now automatically brakes when it spots pedestrians in the way, avoid whiplash by using the brakes when the stationary car is hit from the rear, and even use the seat belts to pull front-seat occupants out of the way of an impact. In the back, there are inflatable belt straps and motorized tightening systems to make sure passengers are getting the full benefit.

The new S-Class can’t quite do away with the driver altogether, but it’s getting close. Distronic Plus can take control of the steering and accelerator/brake, navigating lanes and following other vehicles, while active lane-keeping assistance makes sure the car stays where it should be. The brake-assist system now tracks crossing traffic and pedestrians, augmenting braking force as required, while Night View Assist Plus shows thermal views of the dark streets ahead, highlighting anything in the road. Sensors all round the car are networked together, so that they can react more intelligently.

Mercedes S-Class safety and driving features:

Inside, meanwhile, there’s new wood, metal, and pearl-effect paint finishes, and the option of “First Class Rear” seating in the back which adds folding tables, phones, and other office-on-the-go kit. There’s more space both in the front and the rear, and a whole lot more tech: two 8:3 aspect, 12.3-inch LCD TFT screens on the dashboard for dynamic instruments and infotainment, with a touch-sensitive phone keypad, user-assignable keys for commonly-tweaked features, and the option to have text messages and emails read out. The new S-Class can also be controlled via voice, with the updated system recognizing full addresses in one go, rather than needing ZIP code, city, and street details spoken individually.

Various seat options are available to choose from, and they can massage you – with 14 separately-controlled air cushions, with optional warming – and actively cool you. In the long-wheelbase version, which Mercedes says it developed first since the car is expected to be a particularly big hit with chauffeured passengers in the Asia market – there’s the option of the largest backrest-reclining seats in the industry, no less.

Mercedes S-Class interior:

As for entertainment, the standard kit has ten speakers and uses woofers embedded in the firewall to resonate through the chassis; that reduces door bulk and improves sound. Options include a Burmester Surround Sound system, and an even more expensive Burmester 3D Surround Sound version with up to 24 speakers in total. If you’re using the navigation system, you can show a Google Maps route on front and rear displays, complete with live traffic overlays.

Mobile TV and DVD are offered, as well as AM, FM, and DAB radio, and there’s the ability to make mixed-media playlists of music and video. Bluetooth audio is supported, and there are two USB inputs, Gracenote track data identification, the ability to view photos stored on USB or SD card, and WiFi hotspot functionality. In fact, the whole new COMAND Online system Mercedes has used is now powered by an Intel Atom chip, and the driver and front passenger can see different views – such as navigation and TV – on the same central display, using a split-view system.

Mercedes S-Class video overview:

Unsurprisingly, none of this comes cheap. The new 2014 S-Class will be priced from €79,789.50 ($102,600) in Europe for the S350 BlueTEC short-wheelbase diesel, while the S500 long-wheelbase will close out the top of the initial range at €107,635 ($138,500); US pricing is yet to be confirmed, and of course there’ll be an encyclopedia-length options list to gush more money onto.

The laser projection headlights are something of amazement it seems, and thanks to some pretty nifty technology that’s built right into the headlights, drivers can project any image or video onto a screen. The images or video can come from a phone, tablet, flash drive, or even the internet using the GLA’s in-dash COMAND system.

However, Mercedes didn’t add projection to the GLA just for kicks and giggles — there is a logical purpose behind this, and the company says the projection system can be used as a real-time GPS navigation overlay.  It’s certainly something different then just looking at a small GPS screen during the whole trip.

The headlights feature a cooling system composed of a series of fans, so you won’t have to worry about the inevitable overheating of most projectors. Plus, there’s even a pair of HD video cameras mounted to the roof of the vehicle, and they’re detachable so you can take them with you when you’re not driving around. As for the engine specs, you’re looking at a turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder motor pushing out 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

[via Engadget]

Garmin has been in the navigation business for a while, and they’ve been a go-to solution for GPS products. However, the next time you buy a new Mercedes-Benz, it could come with an infotainment system with Garmin navigation component built right in, although there’s no word on when exactly Mercedes-Benz will begin putting Garmin units in their new cars. However, it’s said that the car maker will be slowly ramping up Garmin integration over the next four years.

Garmin says that the built-in navigation for these new Mercedes-Benz models will not only display the usual navigation stuff, but drivers will also have access to other navigation information, like when your next turn is, which will show up on a second display positioned behind the steering wheel, so that drivers can easily glance at it.

The infotainment systems will come with navigation functions that can be controlled via voice while driving, creating a safe, hands-free environment. Plus, Garmin will include technology that will provide GPS information for Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS), which can assist drivers in dangerous road conditions.

With real-time traffic information, the GPS device can recognize traffic jams and route drivers around them before they get stuck for hours. I think this is the best feature in many high-end GPS devices. TomTom has announced that it will be equipping coming Mercedes-Benz vehicles with its HD Traffic service.

That HD Traffic service promises accurate and up-to-date traffic information to help Mercedes drivers get to the destination more quickly and save time as well as fuel. The traffic service will be available for Mercedes customers in 12 countries within Europe starting this summer. TomTom says that the real-time traffic information will automatically be included in high-end Comand navigation system as a three-year service.

Research conducted by the German Aerospace Center in 2012 found that the TomTom traffic information is able to save commuters 50 minutes of travel time per week working out to about 40 hours per year. Having used TomTom’s real-time traffic information in the past, I can say that it does work and will frequently offer you an alternative routes to save even a few minutes on your commute.

The video game rendering you see here is one of the first images of the CLA 45 AMG to be shown. The rendering almost looks like an actual picture of the car and shows off the sexy lines of the Mercedes vehicle and the epic graphics Driveclub will offer. The video game and the PlayStation 4 will launch this holiday season, but the first real world unveil for the CLA 45 AMG and the A 45 AMG featured in the game will be in March.

The Mercedes A 45 AMG is the luxury automakers first high-performance offering for the compact vehicle segment. This vehicle will be presented at the Geneva auto show. The CLA 45 AMG will make its world premiere in New York. The vehicle has 360 HP and 450 nm of torque produced by an AMG tuned 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

The four-cylinder engine uses turbocharger tech to achieve its status as the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine in series production. Both of these AMG tuned vehicles come standard with performance oriented AMG 4Matic all-wheel drive.

[via Driveclub]

Samsung ended up going all out this year for their Super Bowl ad, taking up a full two minutes of airtime, costing them around $16 million after it was all said and done. Actors Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd, as well as NBA all-star LeBron James made appearances in the commercial, and discussed some ideas on what Samsung’s “next big thing” could be. BlackBerry (formerly known as RIM) aired their first-ever Super Bowl ad, spending a few million dollars on an ad showing off the new BlackBerry Z10, which according to the ad, will light you on fire, so be careful.

Best Buy ended up airing their own Super Bowl ad as well, and it features SNL alum and Parks & Recreation star Amy Poehler, who is pretty much the most adorable and funniest woman in show business right now, so we have to give it up for Best Buy for pulling off such a cute and witty ad.

We knew GoDaddy would make an appearance at the Super Bowl, as they do every year, but this time they aired two ads, one featuring the typical sexy theme that you know and love, and then there was an ad that actually wasn’t that bad. The company advertised their .co domain names, and the ad rings true of anyone with an original idea these days.

As far as the automotive commercials, it was a hit or miss mostly. Audi’s “Prom” ad was probably our favorite one out of the bunch, with Dodge’s “Paul Harvey” commercial at a close second. Other car ads included VW’s semi-racist Jamaican ad, Hyundai’s adorable “Team” ad featuring kids with super powers, Kia’s “Hotbots” ad, Mercedes-Benz with their celebrity-filled commercial (as well as one featuring Kate Upton), Lincoln’s Jimmy Fallon ad and “Phoenix” teaser, and an awkward Toyota ad featuring Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco.

Movie trailers were also hot stuff during Super Bowl commercial breaks. The Iron Man 3 trailer caught our eye the most, with Star Trek: Into Darkness also showing off a quick teaser for us. World War Z also made a quick appearance, and we also saw an extended teaser for Johnny Depp’s upcoming movie, The Lone Ranger.

Now we want to hear what you think. We know not every ad this year was amazing, and some were iffy at best. What was your favorite commercial from the Super Bowl? Which tech company blew it out of the park? Which one could’ve been better? What suggestions would you make to the creators of the ads? Sound off in the comments below!

Mercedes says that this new edition of the C63 AMG utilizes a lot of the same technology as the incredibly expensive SLS AMG. That means that the eight-cylinder engine has forged pistons, forged connecting rods, and lightweight crankshaft. The Edition 507 also has a high-performance braking system with red brake calipers standard.

The high-performance sports car will be available in the summer of 2013 and promises to hit 60 mph in only 4.1 seconds from standstill. That makes the car 3/10 of a second faster to 60 mph than the standard C63 producing 451 hp. It’s also faster than the AMG Development Package edition by 2/10 of a second.

The Edition 507 has a top speed increased to 174 mph and comes with Doctor for driver training session at the AMG Driving Academy. The vehicle will be offered in both sedan and coupe forms with identical performance. The car will offer three different equipment and options available on the inside varying from light leather with black trim to black leather with light trim. Mercedes says pricing for the vehicle will be announced closer to launch.

[via Mercedes]