Jay Leno Drives the new SLS AMG

Talk show host Jay Leno is in the SLS AMG in search of Los Angeles’ hidden race track. Leno, who describes himself as a ‘car nut’ was inspired by the short film 'Rendezvous' with a gripping car chase through Paris. With camera angles at a dynamic perspective just over the asphalt the viewer really experiences the ride through the ‘unknown’ side of Los Angeles and the Hollywood hills.

Click here to see the full video:
http://mercedes-benz.tv/en/clip-1124/Jay+Leno%27s+hidden+street+circuit

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Hendrick lends plane to Haiti relief effort

January 18, 2010 HMS Bulletin

Following is an update on the efforts Hendrick Motorsports’ aviation department is making in assisting with Haitian earthquake relief. The devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in Haiti close to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 12.

In 2005, to support relief after Hurricane Katrina, Carolinas Medical Center dispatched their first of its kind mobile hospital called MED1 to New Orleans. Mr. Hendrick knew several of the hospital personnel supporting this effort, and learned their medical teams had a 16 hour one way bus ride to get to their site near in Waveland, MS. Hendrick Motorsports began operating flights for MED1 which allowed the personnel to cut their transit time to two hours.

With that in mind, Mr. Hendrick directed us to find a way Hendrick Motorsports could help with this Haitian
disaster as well, and we began trying to connect with groups that needed to get into Haiti. We reached out to
CMC and several other aid organizations. Most were just ramping up their response efforts. We read about a group called Missionary Flights International (MFI) that had made one of the first relief flights into Haiti the
morning after the earthquake. MFI operates three DC3 cargo planes, with limited passenger seating, so they said this capability we provided to move a lot of people was critical and well-timed.

Our aviation director, Dave Dudley, connected with MFI on Thursday. We learned they have been providing
regular aviation missions to Haiti for decades, and are experienced and knowledgeable with that operating
environment, as well as the processes used to plan and coordinate needs with the agencies controlling relief for this disaster. At the same time, Hendrick Motorsports received authorization from the FAA to operate aircraft in that area.

Volunteers from our aviation department stepped forward, including two complete flight crews and an aircraft mechanic. On Friday, they took the first Saab to MFI's base in Fort Pierce, FL, and received briefing information that afternoon from the MFI operations team. Our first relief flight departed Fort Pierce at 5:00 am on Saturday, carrying in 35 medical and search/rescue personnel and evacuating 27 US citizens. The second Saab arrived Saturday afternoon, and, since Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports has been operating two round-trips per day, with the capability of transporting 180 total passengers.

The trips originate at MFI's hangar at St. Lucie County International Airport (Fort Pierce, FL). From there, a two hour flight is made to Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos, to top off the fuel tanks because there is no fuel available in Haiti. After departing Providenciales, the flights arrive in Port?au?Prince, Haiti, forty minutes later.

The return flight to Fort Pierce, FL, may include a fuel stop in Exuma, Bahamas, depending on wind conditions. Total roundtrip time is approximately eight hours. Our crews are staying overnight in Fort Pierce and will return home at the end of this week when the surge passenger demand is expected to subside.

Fortunately, Missionary Flights’ staff is well connected to aid organizations with the right personnel who need to go in, and to those who need to get people out. This has allowed our team there to focus on the flying. Those going in are primarily medical and search/rescue teams who were either already involved in prior, established relief efforts in Haiti, or have been specially trained for response to natural disasters. The evacuees are people who were in Haiti on missions when the earthquake struck, including many women and children, as well as church groups who had been there doing good works.

Just yesterday, one of our planes carried in a medical team of thirty-three, including trauma surgeons, internists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and EMTs. Their equipment arrived in Haiti at the same time on one of MFI's cargo planes. By the time our first plane arrived back in Florida, the medical team was set up on a street in Port-au-Prince operating on injured people. They are going to be operating there around the clock.

Another passenger that flew in with us was a Haitian teacher who worked in an orphanage there. A few days
before the earthquake struck, she'd taken her first vacation in fourteen years to visit her mother in Wilmington, N.C. Of the fifty orphans she served there, only one was still alive after their building crumbled, and she was returning to help.

On one of the return flights yesterday was a youth group that had gone to Haiti before the earthquake on a
mission trip from their US church. They'd been stranded, and reported there was no means for them to get out since all commercial air service is cancelled. MFI arranged for them to be on one of our planes. A 17 year old high school student among them said since the earthquake hit she'd helped deliver two babies and assisted with amputations on other victims.

Our aviation team there reports being absolutely humbled to provide this support. The schedule is rigorous, but the stories of relief their work is providing have kept their spirits up.

Those who have been there since Friday are:
Scott Amidon, pilot
Dave Dudley, director
Becky Eidson, attendant
Jim Klepper, pilot
Robb Patton, pilot
Laura Shockley, attendant
Chad Spoon, technician
Allan Wrinkle, pilot
Pilots Tom Empie and Stormy Thomas are arriving today to provide additional support.

If you would like to send a note of appreciation or a few words of encouragement to the HMS team there, please email that to bulletin@hmsracing.com. These will be gathered together and shared with them right away.

More information about Missionary Flights International, a non-profit organization, is available at
http://www.missionaryflights.org/. They are in need of financial donations to support their relief work if you are so inclined, and these can be made online under the Support Our Work tab.

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E63 AMG beats CTS-V in Motor Trend comparison

In a wonderful start to 2010, Mercedes-Benz has scored another important victory for AMG and once again helped validate what we already know - that the E63 AMG is the best high-performance sedan in its class. By following the link to the Motor Trend website (click here), you will see that the E63 AMG has handily dethroned the Cadillac CTS-V for the second time in this latest comparo (Car and Driver already awarded the E63 top honors in an earlier comparo).

photo courtesy of Motor Trend website

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Breaking News: Michael Schumacher Will Race for Mercedes-Benz in 2010

After weeks of speculation Mercedes-Benz confirmed on Wednesday that Michael Schumacher will make a comeback to race for the team next season alongside fellow German Nico Rosberg.
Schumacher, who retired at the end of 2006, has signed a deal that will see him return to the Formula One grid at the age of 41, bidding to add to his record tally of 91 wins and seven world titles.
It follows a planned comeback earlier this year for Ferrari - the team with which he won his last five drivers’ championships - to replace the injured Felipe Massa. Those plans had to be abandoned because of a neck injury from a motorbike accident.
Now fully fit, Schumacher will revive his relationship with Mercedes-Benz, a company with whom he had close ties earlier in his career. The German carmaker recently purchased the 2009 title-winning Brawn GP team, retaining team principal Ross Brawn, who previously helped lead Schumacher to title glory at Benetton and Ferrari.
"Mercedes GP Petronas represents a new challenge for me both in a sporting and a personal context,” said Schumacher. “It is a new chapter in my racing career and I am really looking forward to working with my old friend Ross Brawn and my companions from my days with the Mercedes Junior Programme.
“I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula One World Championship next year and I am already looking forward to getting back onto the race track. For me, this partnership closes the circle. Mercedes-Benz supported me for so many years when I began my Formula One career and now I can hopefully give something back to the brand with the star."
Ross Brawn commented: "I am delighted that we can confirm today that Michael will make his much-anticipated return to Formula One next year and drive for our Mercedes GP Petronas team. As seven-time world champion, Michael's outstanding record in Formula One speaks for itself and I am looking forward to working with him again.
“With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula One with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth. We can now turn our full attention to the preparations for the new season and everyone at Mercedes GP Petronas is extremely excited about the challenge ahead.”

Source: (formula1.com)

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MERCEDES-BENZ OWNERS BOOST BRAND TO NUMBER ONE RANKING IN J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES 2009 CUSTOMER RETENTION STUDY

December 11, 2009 from Mercedes-Benz USA, Montvale, N.J. -- Mercedes-Benz USA topped off five years of increasing customer retention rates to become the number one brand in the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Retention Study for 2009. According to J.D. Power, the Mercedes-Benz retention rate is the highest ever achieved by a manufacturer since the inception of the study.
According to the Customer Retention Study, which measures the percentage of vehicle owners and lessees who replace a previously purchased new vehicle with another from the same brand, residual value and vehicle quality have become increasingly important reasons for new-vehicle buyers to remain loyal to an automotive brand.
"This is a very real validation of the intense focus our organization and our retail network have put on making the Mercedes-Benz ownership the best in the industry. This follows on the heels of our impressive ranking in the recent J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index and our strong showing in the many surveys which measure the quality not only of the product but with the entire experience of ownership" said Ernst Lieb, president and CEO for Mercedes-Benz USA. "There is no better vote of confidence on the part of customers than the one they make with their wallets."
According to Lieb, MBUSA has increased its sales volume month-over-month for the past three months and has improved its market share over each of the past four years and currently claims the highest year-to-date market share increase among all luxury brands.

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Room service: Yet another feature of your new Mercedes-Benz

This just in from Mercedes-Benz USA

Enjoy Complimentary Accommodations at the Magnificet Wynn Las Vegas

We would like to thank you for choosing a Mercedes-Benz. To express our gratitude, we're inviting you to a complimentary stay at the world-renowned Five Star, Five Diamond Wynn Las Vegas in Nevada. It's just one of the many exclusive benefits you'll enjoy while owning a Mercedes-Benz.

As an owner, you will receive:

• 
  
  A one-night stay* if you purchased or leased a new NY2009 or new MY2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class, CLK-Class, SLK-Class, M-Class, R-Class, GL450, or GLK-Class.
• 
  
  A two-night stay** if you purchased or leased a new MY2009 or new MY2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, SL-Class, CL-Class, CLS-Class, G-Class, GL550, Maybach, SLR, or AMG.

Start planning your getaway today. Obtain your reservation authorization code, which you'll need in order to book your reservations, by emailing your purchase or lease contract to wynn@mbusa.com or simply fax us at 1-201-476-2858.

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*A one-night stay offer as outlined above entitles one (1) complimentary night (stay must include at least one night Sunday through Thursday for complimentary night to be applicable) in a Wynn Las Vegas Resort Room to any Mercedes-Benz Customer (plus one guest) who purchased or leased a new MY2009 or new MY2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class, CLK-Class, SLK-Class, M-Class, R-Class, GL450, or GLK-Class at an authorized domestic Mercedes-Benz Dealership between 01/01/09 and 03/31/10. Complimentary night is only available for guests who received a special personalized booking code and have booked under that special code and stayed at least one night at the prevailing room rate. **A two-night stay offer entitles two (2) complimentary nights (stay must include at least two nights Sunday through Thursday for complimentary nights to be applicable) in a Wynn Las Vegas Resort Room to any Mercedes-Benz Customer (plus one guest) who purchased or leased a new MY2009 or new MY2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, SL-Class, CL-Class, CLS-Class, G-Class, GL550, Maybach, SLR, or an AMG vehicle at an authorized domestic Mercedes-Benz Dealership between 01/01/09 and 03/31/10. Additional nights reserved beyond the two complimentary nights will be charged at the prevailing room rate. General terms for both offers: two-night minimum stay under these special offers. Any room rate charges for complimentary night(s) will be credited back at check-out. Reservations are subject to room availability, and are available for booking from 09/01/09 through 04/30/10 (special offer good for one stay only during this time period). Participants must stay by 06/30/10. Upgrades to Tower Suites are possible; the Tower Suite rate will be adjusted by crediting the prevailing Resort Room rate. Blackout dates may apply. Room rates are based on single or double occupancy. Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to arrival date. A valid credit card authorized to cover room and tax plus $200 a night for incidentals must be presented upon check-in. Participants and their guest must be at least 21 years of age. Wynn Resorts™ reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify this offer at its sole discretion. This offer is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Offer is not available to employees of Wynn Resorts™ or its affiliates. Problem Gamblers HelpLine 1-800-522-4700™. In order to make a reservation, Customer or Dealer must scan and email or fax the purchase or lease contract to wynn@mbusa.com or 1-201-476-2858. In return, Customer will receive a special authorization code within five working days. Reservations can then be made directly with Wynn Las Vegas by informing the Wynn reservationist of the Mercedes-Benz ownership offer, followed by the special authorization code.

If you have any additional questions please contact a sales representative at Hendrick Motors Of Charlotte, 704/535-6400.