mercedes-benz thailand magazine 4/2014 (eng)
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city loveCopenhagen: experimental lab for urban living and cutting-edge cuisine
mountain breezeAcross the Alps with
the B-Class Electric Drive
heartthrobAthleticism, passion, perfection: the AMG GT
mercedes-benz.com issn 1617-6677
4·2014
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Hybrid The S 500 Plug-in
Hybrid runs on electricity and gasoline.
d r i v e
16 yellow gold The new sports car from Affalterbach has more to
offer than its striking yellow paintwork – such as a V-8 biturbo engine, an aluminum frame
and a top speed of 310 km/h (192 mph)
44 the strong, silent t ype On our test drive in the mountains,
the new B-Class Electric Drive proves that plug-in cars are not just made for the city
76 he says, she says Momoko and Masaru tested the E 250 on the maze of streets
that serves Tokyo’s population of nine million
i n t e l l i g e n c e
8 the best of mobilit y and research Rocket skates, bacteria that generate
propane gas and the secret passion of OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder
32 power trip The first electric-drive luxury sedan: the S 500 Plug-in
is a pioneer for further hybrid-drive models
c H a r a c t e r s
26 pole star Once a society photographer, now an environmental activist:
how Sebastian Copeland aims to save the polar regions.
“Only people who
fall in love with our world
will be eager to
protect it.” s e b a s t i a n c o p e l a n dpage 26
page 16
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c o n t e n t s
top atHlete Fast, yellow and new on
the grid: the aMg gT.
3
northern coolCopenhagen’s architecture
and exciting foodie scene are a big draw. Pictured
here, Olivers Garage at the Arne Jacobsen gas station.
cold start Driving on snow and ice under the watchful eye of the AMG Driving Academy.
winning t ypes Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg made for a nailbiting F1 season and secured the World Championship title for Mercedes AMG Petronas.
e m o t i o n
60 the best of design, art and indulgence Hollywood, haute-cuisine fast food, poolside party
64 eyes to the future Green, modern, lively and in love with great food:
Copenhagen has become a role model for urbanists around the globe
s p o r t s
38 head to head Team-mates and serious rivals: Formula 1 drivers
Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton
54 hot on ice The AMG Driving Academy in northern Sweden
teaches you to how drive at the limit on a frozen lake in temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F)
s t a n d a r d s
24 digital On the Web: new gems for Mercedes treasure-hunters
52 ahead of its time In 1969, anything was possible: Woodstock,
the first man on the Moon – and the futuristic C 111 sports car
74 f yi Information and technical specifications
75 publication details
80 moments
82 icons
page 64
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take a seatChair by
Moroso, a fair trade product from senegal
page 62
page 38
c o n t e n t s
5
ryan tedder
secre t pas sion
He is widely regarded as the secret king of pop and has written hits for Beyoncé (“Halo”), Leona Lewis (“Bleeding Love”) and Adele (“Rumour Has It”). But Ryan Tedder is best known through his member-ship of the band OneRepublic. It was with them that the 35-year-old wrote the song “I Lived” for the advertising campaign for the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class. He enthu- siastically describes his first drive in the virtually noiseless Electric Drive version (further technical specifi- cations and fuel consumption figures are available on page 75): “At first I thought the engine wasn’t even run-ning, it was so quiet.” He is fascinated by the rapid acceleration of the vehicle and its potentially low environmental impact. “With tour buses, trucks and jets, bands like ours have a pretty huge CO
2 footprint,” he says. His hope is that electric vehicles will change all that. And in the meantime, he dreams of the perfect sound for his trips in the EV: “Beethoven at full volume while I cruise through the silence of the Swiss Alps.”
in t e ll i g e n c e
The best of technology, mobility and research
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ne w b i o fue lColi bacteria generate propane gas.
By genetically manipulating the Escherichia-coli bacterium, British researchers were able to generate
tiny quantities of fuel that could theoretically be used to drive an
engine. Some work remains to be done to increase efficiency, but in
five to ten years, this renewable fuel source should be market-ready. P
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s QuAR e De AlSome people like to look at prints, others prefer to share their photos with the
rest of the world. With the “Socialmatic” version of the good old Polaroid camera, both are possible: the integrated printer creates pictures immediately, and
via WiFi you can also post them on Facebook, Pinterest and other social media.
Quic k off tHe mARkspeed record for a mercedes: four weeks after it was launched in the real world, the amg gt appeared in the virtual world as well – in the latest version of driveclub for playstation 4. the on-screen gt faces strong competition from a further five amg models on the grid. D R i v e c l u b . c o m
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L E A D E R O F T H E PAC KThe “Nimble” rucksack lacks one important feature: the bag element. Instead, this award- winning design study offers a host of other options. You can use straps and hooks to attach skis, snowboards, hiking equipment or other bulky objects and carry them on your back. b E H A n C E . n E T/ n A n D O m b
ROAD s TO nOwHE R E
Endless roads across stunning natural landscapes. For his Escapes
photo collection, Stefan Bogner took shots of lonely Alpine roads.
But his austere pictorial language is almost better suited for Iceland.
In his latest book, the photographer focuses on the bleak beauty of this northern island. A hundred
photos show empty roads winding through vast landscapes.
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wE HAvE L iF T- OFF FAnCY FOOT wORK is what the developers of Rocket Skates had in mind with
these rather special roller skates, which are worn like regular shoes. Tilt your foot forward, and two 50-watt motors accelerate you to almost 20 km/h (12.5 mph). Battery
charge and speed can be measured by smartphone app – and, provided no one is wearing them at the time, they can even be remote-controlled.
R O C K E T s K AT E s . C O m
i n T E L L i g E n C E
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timesmoreprecisethanGPS-basednavigationsystems–BritishresearchersareworkingonaquantumnavigationsystemthatcalculatestheinfluenceoftheEarth’smagneticfieldonindividualatoms,makingsatellitedataredundant.
G ROUND C HAR G E You park your electric vehicle outside your house and the next time you get into it,
the battery has been fully charged. Time to say goodbye to cable connections – Daimler and BMW have reached agreement on the joint development of a standardized
inductive technology using a primary coil in the ground and a secondary coil in the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz is already fleet-testing the system on the new S 500 Plug-in Hybrid
(further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 74).
mObilE C ityThe Urban Mobility Index describes how well prepared the world’s cities are for the challenges of modern mobility. The criteria involved include the density of street and cycle path networks, the availability of car- and bike-sharing schemes, levels of vehicle-generated CO2 emissions and the average drive time to a job in the city center. The cities that most urgently need to take a leaf out of Hong Kong’s book are Baghdad, Hanoi and Atlanta.
42-year-old Eric Krzeslo is co-founder of SoftKinetic in Brussels – a company
specializing in gesture control for gaming consoles and cameras. The technology
will soon also be available in automobiles.
What would you like to be able to control by gesture in a car? We are initially concentrating on areas like infotainment, navigation and air-con systems.
How does the system work? The main element is a 3D camera which measures distances and generates a three-dimensional image – even in the dark. The software then analyzes the image and searches specifically for hands and fingers, which it isolates from the rest of the body. It then evaluates the gestures.
How does the driver know what gestures to use? All you need is a short training ses-sion – no more than five minutes. We keep things simple: if you don’t want to talk on the telephone, you make a gesture of rejection. If you do, you put your thumb up.
Surely you could do that using speech recognition. Yes, but if there’s background noise, you can have problems. For us, gestures and speech recognition complement one another perfectly. You say “music” and hold up one or two fingers to select a playlist.
When do you expect we will see such systems in use on the roads? They could start spreading as early as next year. In the long term, we are working on a 3D camera that analyzes driver behavior to warn him if he is being distracted. Or that opens the door for him if it recognizes his face.
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R ANkiN Gthese cities have the best mobility concepts:
1 . H o n g ko n g 5 8 . 2*
2 . s t O C k H O l m 57. 4 3 . A m s t E R D A m 57. 2 4 . C O p E N H A G E N 5 6 . 4 5 . v i E N N A 5 6 . 0 6 . s i N G A p O R E 5 5 . 6 7. pA R i s 5 5 . 4 8 . z U R i C H 5 4 . 7 9. l O N D O N/ H E l s i N k i 5 3 . 2 10 . m U N i C H 5 3 . 0
(* Total points in 19 categories)
E R i C k R z E s l O
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THE AREA AROUND CAPE TOWN is a showcase for the region’s natural beauty – with this road as one of the highlights. Chapman’s Peak Drive, in the southwest corner of South Africa, is only nine kilometers (five and a half miles) long – but it is an unforgettable nine kilometers! The road snakes its way round no fewer than 114 bends, with stunning views of the Atlantic coast. In the early 20th century, it took seven years to hew the road out of the 630-million-year-old granite of the Cape.
lENgTH – 9 kilometers (5½ miles)NUmbER Of bENDs – 114 DUR ATiON – approx. 15 minutes
The head of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, an expert in self-driving cars, predicts that the car of the future will communicate
automatically with traffic lights. It will know, for example, how much longer the lights will stay green and whether to brake
or accelerate. And in 30 years, according to Stiller, cars will communicate so well that stop lights will no longer be needed
for controlling traffic at intersections – at most, they will be used to inform pedestrians who don’t have a smartphone.
f iNDiNg yOUR fE E TCombined with GPS data from a
smartphone, these shoes from Indian manufacturer Lechal can be used as
a satnav: if the wearer is supposed to turn left, the left-hand shoe vibrates.
At the same time, the system – also available as an insole – measures
steps taken and calories burned.l E C H A l . C O m
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“In the long term, we won’t need traffic lights”
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from jet-propelled
rollerskates to GPS shoes and inductive battery charging: more info online via the QR code. m b - q r . c o m / 0 l Z
knit / iOSFor messaging while you’re out and about:
this app only delivers your message when the recipient arrives at the place where
you left the message.
tripit / Android + iOS Hotels, flight times, rental cars or route planning:
after receipt of your confirmation mail, this app stores all your travel info in one place.
wild by cheryl StrayedFor long road journeys: an audiobook about an even
longer trip. In Wild, the author describes how she traveled the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to
Canada (some 1,800 km / 1,100 miles). The movie of this bestseller, starring Reese Witherspoon,
is due for release in early 2015.
on tourThe best apps,
audiobooks and songs for when you’re on the move
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kraftwerk: autobahnlong before the era of electric cars, the German band Kraftwerk prepared the ground for electronic music.
Autobahn is a 23-minute symphony that is ideal for in-car listening – not only on account of its title. pape r compute r
The livescribe notebook from Moleskine enables analog creativity to be seamlessly conveyed to the digital world: handwriting
can be transferred to an electronic device by means of a smart pen and a dot matrix.
m o l e S k i n e . c o m
ta k e n o t eFollowing synchronization, sketches can be further processed on a tablet.
then and now
c o ol St yling Circular vents were not exactly new when they appeared in the Mercedes 350 SL in 1971 (above left), but it was the first time they had been placed above the center console. Together with other details, the new, round design indicated what the 1970s models had that their predecessors – and the competition – lacked: variable adjustment to ensure virtually draft-free ventilation. After several years of absence, the centrally located vents reappeared in 2009 in the SLS AMG, and then also in the C-Class (above right) and other new models. But by then, they were no longer just elements of the air-conditioning system – they had long since become iconic features identifying the vehicle as a Mercedes.
1971
2014
photo Sphere / Android + iOSan app that generates high-quality
360-degree photos in a very simple way – and sends them, if you wish, to GoogleMaps.
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d r i v e
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AN ENTHUSIAST’S SPORTS CAR – what exactly does that mean? The answer comes in the shape of the latest creation from Affalterbach, a combination of biturbo front mid-engine, magnesium and lashings of aluminum – a heady mix that is addictive even in small doses.
yEllOw
gOldw O R d S D a v i D S ta r e t z P H O T O S m a r k u S b o l S i n g e r
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V-8 BITURBO, TOP SPEED 310 KM/H (192 MPH):
PRIMED FOR ATTACK
D R I V E
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I D E A L W E I G H T At 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) per hp, the GT is an elite athlete.
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andcrafted by Racers – Tobias Moers needs little more than the company slogan to sum up the essence of the latest sports car to come out of Affalterbach. However, it is mainly the hand
gestures with which he describes the details of the new front mid-engine projectile that punc-tuate his words with a big imaginary exclama-tion point. Is it a coincidence that, even here, Moers only rarely moves his hands from the 9 and 3 o’clock positions that are de rigueur for achieving fast laps? Even in conversation, he seems poised to instantly nip any rear over-steering in the bud with the determination of a professional race driver. Prior to his current position as Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, Moers was Head of Development at AMG until 2013. And it goes without saying that he was the man behind the wheel during the the latest GT’s final acceptance run on a dried-up salt lake in Bonneville, USA. He sums up the thinking behind the new two-seater: “We wanted to bring the fascination of motor-sports into everyday life.”
Lap record on the NürburgringAcoustically, this has proved an overwhelming success in the case of the Mercedes-AMG GT – though the aural spectacle it produces is anything but quotidian. Christian Enderle is the concert-master, as it were, who conducts the powerful cylinder octet that resounds so thrillingly in the ears. Not inside the car, mind you – this aural display of power is being staged on the in-house AMG engine rig in Affalterbach, which is firmly bolted to the floor. Initially, the virtuosity with which the V-8 biturbo unit attacks its performance can only be guessed at from the hot orange glow of the coiling exhaust system that is visible through the bullet- and soundproof glass. “This engine is just setting a new lap record for the Nürburgring,” explains Enderle, “although it doesn’t yet know it.” Finally, the engine chief presses a button and the sound of the power unit – built on the “one man, one engine” principle (each unit is assem-bled by a single mechanic and, at the very final stage, endowed with his personal signature) – is relayed over the facility’s loudspeaker system. Suddenly, it dawns on us: that was the tricky Hatzenbach section, and now it’s uphill to Breit-scheider Brücke. But there’s no need to go all the way to the Nord-schleife to experience such spectacular sound-scapes: thanks to adjustable exhaust flaps, the GT driver can modify the sound of the power unit at will.
the design combines
tradition and futurism –
sheer efficiency laced with fan
appeal.
P E R F E C T A E R O D Y N A M I C S Depending on the drive program
selected, the rear aerofoil extends and retracts at various speeds. The shape of
the underbody guarantees effective airflow to the rear diffusor.
HD R I v E
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90 PERCENT OF THE sPaCEFRamE Is
alumINum
E y E - O P E N E R LED High Performance headlamps with daytime
running lights as a stylized eyebrow and turn signals lend the GT its unmistakable look.
Resetting the benchmarkThe AMG GT is a textbook of modern sports car construction. The engine comes in two power bands, the GT unit developing 340 kW and the GT S, with identical displacement (3,982 cc), of-fering 375 kW. Top speed: 304 km/h (189 mph) and 310 km/h (192 mph) respectively – figures worthy of a sports car engine designed accord-ing to the “hot inside V” principle. In short, this means the turbochargers are mounted inside the cylinders’ V configuration rather than outside on the cylinder banks. This facilitates a compact engine design with low exhaust gas emissions thanks to optimum air-flow for the close-coupled catalytic converters, while the chargers ensure optimum respon-siveness. And the technology doesn’t end <
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AMG GT
Engine / Output4.0-liter V-8 biturbo,
340 kW (GT S: 375 kW);max. torque 600 Nm
(GT S: 650 Nm)
TransmissionAMG Speedshift DCT
seven-speed dual clutch
From Comfort to Sport plusSports suspension with
electronically-controlled damping comes as standard on the
Mercedes-AMG GT S and is available as an option with the GT.
Damping characteristics are controlled at the push of a button by
selecting one of three settings.
Ceramic takes the heat Reduced weight, longer service life and even better fade resistance –
theseare the benefits of the optional ceramic high-performance
composite brake system. Brake disk diameter: front 402 mm, rear 360 mm.
Further technical specifications and fuel consumption
figures can be found on page 74.
ithere: the model boasts a locking differential and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With the transmission in transaxle configura-tion and the V-8 biturbo mounted as a front mid-engine with dry sump lubrication, the con-cept brings with it an ideal weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent between the front and rear axles. A curb weight of just 1,540 kilograms (3,395 lb) makes for a power/weight ratio of 3.3 kilograms (7.2 lb) per hp, propelling the car to the top of its segment.
On the wings of designThe design of the sports car plays with the brand’s tradition (e.g. the side air vents with hallmark double fins), while at the same time striking a futuristic note with its LED High Performance headlamps or aggressive, open-mouthed front splitter beneath the stretched hood whose pronounced powerdomes evoke the flexing of muscles. The retractable rear aerofoil and the new turn signals at the rear (18 individual LEDs on each side that indicate the driver’s intention with sequential lighting) can only be fully appreciated when the car is opera-tional. Inconspicuously out of sight, meanwhile, are the antennas for the navigation system etc., configured in such a way as not to compromise the overall appearance of the car.There’s little time to explore where the antenna technology might be concealed as we turn to
the compelling narrative of Raphael Winter, Head of Development Chassis Systems, who is elaborating on the new GT’s extremely firm sus-pension. He draws our attention in particular to the sports chassis with its aluminum double wishbones. He is also particularly proud of the elastokinematics of the chassis attachment, which ensures the high-precision wheel control one expects of a car built to exacting motors-ports standards.Another advanced high-tech feature is the con-trol electronics in the GT S – known as the AMG Chassis Controller (ACC). This unit allows the dynamic engine mounts and rear axle transmis-sion mounts to be actuated independently of one another and continually adjusted for stiffness – in a matter of milliseconds – to suit prevailing driving conditions.
Brook no compromiseBy now, the basic philosophy underlying the GT and GT S is clear: first off, the hardware – the mechanical basis – had to be right before work could start on the fine tuning, such as the three-stage ESP or the speed-sensitive sports steering with its variable steering ratio that responds ac-cording to speed and lateral acceleration. And let’s not forget the obvious: What is the AMG GT actually made of? The intelligent material mix betrays the com-plex approach: the entire chassis, including greenhouse and body, is made of light alloy, and 90 percent of the spaceframe body – the bodyshell – of aluminum. Tipping the scales at just 231 kilograms (507 lb), it sets a new bench-mark figure in the sports car segment. Surpris-ingly, perhaps, the trunk lid is made of steel; in practical terms, this is the lightest solution. The front deck, meanwhile, shuns the usual compromises and is made of ultra-light magne-sium. You could listen to the explanations of the experts for hours; the terms they use – “smooth underbody” or “rear diffusor” – hail from the vocabulary of sports car design. As we turn our focus to the cockpit, the long-awaited test drive begins to look more immi-nent. The seating position is low and the dash-board boasts wing-like styling with perfectly integrated air vents, while the freestanding central display with information systems con-veys an almost magical feeling of lightness. With styling reminiscent of the NACA air in-takes of race car fame, the center console is at once elegant and dynamic while also exempli-fying outstanding ergonomics. The hand goes to individual functions as if of its own accord and everything seems to have been conceived and designed by true enthusiasts – Handcrafted by Racers. It’s high time to experience it for ourselves…
h a n d s - o n r a c i n g Performance steering wheel in three-spoke design with 12 o’clock marking, flattened bottom section and aluminum shift paddles.
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d i g i t a l
t h e Q R c o d eis the key
to unlocking a world of digital
offerings on your smartphone.
m b - Q R . c o m / 0 m c
t h e n e x t d i m e n s i o nFrom augmented reality to robotics: in the new magazine Mercedes-Benz next, experts in technology and transportation express their views on important innovations and future-oriented issues through articles and videos. n e x t. m e R c e d e s - b e n z . c o m
a l l a m gThis blog is indepen-dent of Mercedes-Benz and solely dedicated to all things AMG. Catch up on the latest models, racing news and tech-nological innovations.t h e w o R l d o f m b a m g .w o R d p R e s s . c o m
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w e b a R tThe Daimler Art Collection contains some 2,200 works by 800 artists, more than 350 of which – from paintings to furniture – are on view in this new online exhibition. a R t. d a i m l e R . c o m
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t o ta l t e c h n o l o gyMB’s elaborate online Tech Center explains, in several languages, the functioning of various Mercedes-Benz innovations in the areas of safety, comfort, environment and sportiness.t e c h c e n t e r . m e r c e d e s - b e n z . c o m
n e t w o r k e d The social cloud page gathers posts about Mercedes-Benz from independent web sources, e.g. blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, as well as from the company’s social media outlets.s o c i a l . m e r c e d e s -b e n z . c o m
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treasuresdigital
the internet is strewn with hidden gems – you just need to know where to look. Here are a few hot tips for the digitally adventurous.
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SebaStian Copeland once had Hollywood celebrities in his camera sights; today, he prefers to photograph icebergs in the
polar regions. He is a society photographer turned eco warrior, an activist who uses breathtaking imagery to campaign for climate protection.
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v i s i o n a r yPhotographer and environmental activist Sebastian Copeland.
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d r e a m l a n dSnowstorm over the Greenland ice sheet, the largest area of ice on Earth outside the Antarctic. p
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obody documents climate change quite as beautifully or as bluntly as photographer and adventurer Sebastian Copeland. Until a few years ago, the 50-year-old worked
as a promotional filmmaker and celebrity photog-rapher, his portraits of actors like Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock or his cousin Orlando Bloom appearing in glossy magazines all around the world. But since 2007, the Brit who now lives in West Hollywood shoots mainly icebergs rather than stars of the silver screen. As a member of the supervisory board of Global Green USA, he campaigns for climate protection in the polar regions in his own individual way: by captur-ing their perfection in amazing photographic images. During a brief visit to Munich – where Copeland’s wife was born – the environmental activist explains what motivates and inspires him. Throughout the entire two-hour interview, Copeland remained alert and focused. That pre-sumably comes from being the extreme sports-man he still is.
What do you say when people ask you what you do?That’s tricky! I’m three things: adventurer, photographer and environmental activist. First and foremost, though, I see myself as an artist. But you could also say I’m simply a guy who tries to pursue his passions.
And what are they?I’m an extreme sportsman and I need that adrenaline kick. As a child, I was fascinated by the mountains and oceans, I used to sail and ski whenever I could. Later, I took up mountain-eering and rock climbing, surfing, windsurfing, parachuting and scuba diving. And photography, of course – I started taking pictures when I was 12. My grandfather, who lived in South Africa, once took me with him on a photo safari into the backcountry. As a child, I read everything I could find about adventurers, mountaineers and explorers – Livingstone, Scott, Amundsen, Mallory and Hillary.
What is it about photography that made you want to make a career of it?The chance to capture a moment forever and make it immortal. And then to be able to share it with others.
What do you hope to achieve through your photography?I want people to fall in love with our world so they are eager to protect it.
But ultimately, a picture is just a picture.
Can a photograph really be a force for change?For me, a picture is an emotional tool. It reaches out to people in a way that intellectual arguments simply cannot.
After studying film, you spent one and a half decades working as a society photographer and promotional filmmaker in Los Angeles. What did that period mean to you?Those were important years for me – they shaped my understanding of photography. And they were key in enabling me to discover what I wanted to do with my life.
You took a sabbatical in 2003. Did this mark the end of that phase of your life?I guess you could say that. I simply felt a growing rift between me and my former profession.
Was that when you began to take an interest in the issue of climate change?No, I learned about that back in the late 1990s, when I met the CEO of Green Cross, known in the U.S. as Global Green. This organization was founded in 1994 by Mikhail Gorbachev, and although it focuses mainly on climate change, it also deals with the issue of clean drinking water. In essence, the organization looks at the footprint we humans leave behind on Earth and considers the consequences. But I became clear about one
Through my photos, I want people to fall in love with our world so they are eager to protect it. S e b a S t i a n C o p e l a n d
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thing during my year out: if I were suddenly to involve myself seriously in campaigning for a better use of our planet’s resources, it would be a turning point in my life. My activities as a promotional filmmaker, creating campaigns designed to make people buy more and more, would no longer be compatible with this new life.
So what was the first thing you did with your new life?In addition to photography, I had one other impor- tant string to my bow: a knowledge of advertising and marketing – and a list of contacts. So in 2005, I used my connections and persuaded the actors Salma Hayek and Jake Gyllenhall to travel with me to Greenland on behalf of Global Green. Our aim was to make people aware how melting ice is threatening the lives of the Inuit. We got a lot of coverage, it was a great success for us.
What came next?Another Antarctic expedition gave rise in 2007 to my illustrated book Antarctica, for which I persuaded Mikhail Gorbachev and Leonardo Di Caprio to write the preface. And I returned to the Antarctic in 2008 with my cousin Orlando…
… the actor Orlando Bloom… … and once again we succeeded in focusing media interest on the melting ice. After a
p R o t e C t i V e i n S t i n C tIn the Canadian Arctic, the wolfhound
Zepher gives reliable warning of the presence of polar bears.
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few years, I began to realize that all my interests and skills complemented each other perfectly.
Why did you devote yourself to the polar regions and not the rainforests?The poles represent ground zero when it comes to climate change. The ongoing concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere is having a major impact on global warming, causing air temperatures and the temperature of the oceans to rise. The first and most visible consequence of this global warming is the melting ice caps. But in addition to that, I have a deep personal fascination for ice landscapes.
Why are they so special?Ice landscapes are clean. There are no people. They are exceptionally beautiful. And they are the only places in our biosphere that look as if they belonged to another planet.
Is the situation the same in the Arctic and Antarctic? No. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents and covered with a thin sheet of ice no more than 1.8 meters [6 ft] thick. Whereas the Antarctic is a giant continent, one and a half times the size of the U.S. It is surrounded by seas and its ice extends right down into the depths. Temperatures in the Antarctic are much more stable than in the Arctic, because the colossal volume of ice ensures constantly freezing temperatures.
So the Arctic is actually under a greater threat?Precisely. Because there is so much less ice in the Arctic, it is much more sensitive to global warming. What’s more, the Arctic is under a two-pronged attack – from above, from the increasingly warm air, and from below, from the increasingly warm water. According to forecasts by the World Climate Council, the Arctic will be ice-free in the summer months some time between 2015 and 2035.
What impact would an ice-free Arctic have on the planet?It would set in motion a downward spiral of events in many areas. The less ice there is on Earth, the quicker the planet will heat up. Meltwater from the poles could also interrupt the flow of the Gulf Stream, which is responsible for Europe’s mild climate. The temperature of the seas would rise. At the micro level, this changes living conditions for plankton, and at the macro level threatens the lives of polar bears and the Inuit. It would also have an impact on the infra-structure of entire regions: if the permafrost were to melt – i.e. the permanently frozen ground beneath the tundra and forest regions of North
i c y f o c u s Sebastian Copeland (left) on an expedition to the North Pole with his most important piece of equipment: his camera. In the Canadian Arctic on Ellesmere Island, he photographed Iceberg VIII in Otto Fjord. The frozen saltwater is as smooth as a mirror.
As humans, we have the capacity to reinvent everything. We must now use this gift to safeguard the survival of our species.s e b a s t i a n c o p e l a n d
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the answer. But I’m not particularly optimistic – and nor are most researchers and scientists.
Why not?The Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, but there has only been human life here for 175,000 years. That is nothing by comparison. Even flowers have been around for over 135 million years. Despite this, we humans think we are something special. Just because we are able to build spacecraft, computers and skyscrapers, our relationship to Earth is no different than that of a flower, a bird or a tree. To be honest, we are more destructive towards our planet than any flower, bird or tree could ever be. We are more of a virus than a blessing for our planet. The fact is, it doesn’t need us and it will continue to exist without us.
How difficult is it not to despair in the face of such an outlook? Would it change anything if I were to lead a joyless existence? Hopelessness is not what I want to feel.
So you are an optimist at heart? I celebrate life at the end of the day, just as every one of us should. All I’m trying to do is promote a common awareness that we ought to avoid doing this at the expense of our children and grandchildren. <
America and Eurasia – roads and railroad lines would become impassable. But the main problem is that the permafrost contains huge quantities of methane and carbon dioxide. If there were a thaw, these would be released into the atmo-sphere, driving temperatures even higher.
How do you maintain your commitment, given this state of affairs? In spite of everything, I have great faith in the human species. I believe we have the capacity to reinvent everything. We must now use this extraordinary talent to safeguard the survival of our species.
Why do you you feel a personal responsibility to be campaigning for environmental protection?It’s a kind of moral imperative for me. Where the poles are concerned, I have come to be something of an authority. Today, I have the knowledge to tell stories and scenarios about the ice – and use these to inspire others. It has become a kind of calling: I feel I have to do it. You could put it another way: Would it not be irre-sponsible on my part if I didn’t apply all the skills I have acquired over the years to a good cause?
Is there still a chance to stop global warming or is it already much too late?That is the fundamental question. I don’t know
t i m e t o r e f l e c t Iceberg XVIII in northern Greenland. Nine tenths
of it are hidden below the surface.
l i f e l i N e S
Born in 1964, Sebastian Copeland comes from
a dynasty of musicians and actors; his father is
a well-known French orchestral conductor.
He grew up in France and New York and, on
graduating from high school, studied film in Los
Angeles. Since 2007, he has devoted himself to
protecting the environment. His book Antarctica
was published in 2013, his photographs are
distributed through Galerie Bernheimer in Munich.
oNliNe adveNturer
From film trailers to personal blog – Sebastian Copeland’s
website is worth a visit.
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t is described as “sailing” – and that’s exactly what it feels like as the Mercedes-Benz S 500 Plug-in Hybrid purrs smoothly, and almost silently, across the Øresund bridge.
When it was opened in 2000, the almost eight-kilometer (five-mile) cable-stayed bridge across the Øresund Sound between Denmark and Sweden was hailed as a triumph of engineering. The same claim can be made of the vehicle in which I am crossing it – an opulent luxury sedan from Mercedes-Benz that happens to be the company’s first plug-in (ex-ternally rechargeable) hybrid model. Smooth and effortless propulsion, particularly in the engine-off “sailing” mode, is one of its special-ties. A discreet double vibration from the haptic accelerator lets me know when it’s time to lift off the gas and enjoy that special sensation of light and effortless propulsion. What is actually happening is simply that the internal combus-tion engine has been switched off and decoupled from the powertrain, leaving only the electric motor engaged.With this new model, even that normally dri-est of subjects – technical data – has the pow-er to thrill. Combined output of 325 kW and fuel consumption of 2.8 l/100 km (84 mpg) with CO
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emissions of 65 g/km (104 g/mi) set new bench-marks. And although Mercedes has already put two hybrid S-Class models on the road, it is the plug-in hybrid S 500 that gives the “S” in the
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badge an added attribute – superior sustainability. Two things stand out above all. First, the virtually seam-less interaction between the 245 kW V-6 twin-turbo engine and the 85 kW electric motor mounted directly on the seven-speed automatic transmission. Second, the way information is con-tinuously circulated between the pow-ertrain and the electronic systems, enabling the electric motor and inter-nal combustion engine to work together in per-fect tandem and in perfect alignment with the route topography and traffic conditions. Based on information about everything from gradients to speed limits and congestion, the hybrid pow-ertrain calculates when to deploy the engine
FOLLOWING THE DEBUT of the world’s first ever plug-in luxury sedan, hybrid versions of all Mercedes model series will be rolled out in the coming years.
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USING TOPOGRAPHICAL information, the navigation system helps select the optimal operating strategy for the electric motor and internal combustion engine.
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or the electric motor for minimum emissions. The vehicle ahead is slowing down and the gap is closing, prompting the S-Class to activate its radar-based recuperation system to ensure the electric motor acts as a generator and maintains a safe following distance. The display shows the direction of energy flow: white arrows pointing towards the battery indicate that the electric mo-tor is recovering energy and feeding it to the battery. This strategy can be deployed whenever the Hybrid drive mode and the E+ transmission mode are engaged. In this combination, the driv-er knows that the luxury sedan can always be relied on to adopt the most energy-efficient pow-ertrain strategy all by itself.The S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is the most intelligent model ever to emerge from the luxury S-Class stable, in a career that now dates back more than
40 years. Throughout that time, the S-Class has been a byword for cutting-edge automotive en-gineering. In 1978, it featured the world’s first electronically controlled anti-lock braking sys-tem (ABS) in a production car, in 1981 the first driver airbag was fitted, and in 2005 it pioneered radar-based Brake Assist. Small wonder the current S-Class is the world’s top-selling high-end sedan, with sales exceeding 100,000.After a short coffee break, it becomes clear that cruising through the city is an experience likewise verging on the serene. Electric drive is automatically selected when pressing the start button at the beginning of the journey, and that initial silence can be surprising. At first, you might think nothing was happening. But then you notice the instrument cluster has already sprung to life. And electric power is not only
mind the gap: keeping a safe distance is left to the recuperation system, not the driver’s discretion.
Hybrid is the default mode in which the electric motor and
internal combustion engine are engaged or disengaged based
on factors like driving style and battery charge status.
In E-Mode, the vehicle operates on all-electric power wherever possible. The internal combus-tion engine only cuts in if the driver pushes the accelerator pedal past the pressure point.
E-Save mode “freezes” the battery’s current state of charge, ensuring there is always electric
power in reserve to allow for all-electric operation on a later
section of the journey, e.g. in town.
If the mode switch is set to Charge, the internal combus-tion engine fully replenishes
the high-voltage battery while the vehicle is being driven.
This takes about half an hour.
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about “sailing” or cruising – it can also be used to provide boost power. The plug-in hybrid offers this function whenever the S transmission mode is selected. Activated by pressing smartly on the gas, the boost feature uses the electric motor to supplement the combustion engine for increased performance. On the highway, I try it out and just love the way it thrusts me back in my seat. The car quickly picks up speed and the arrows in the energy flow display show red – a sign that significant quantities of energy are flowing out of the rear-axle-mounted battery pack.
Trailblazer for new plug-in modelsThe S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is every inch a trail-blazer. By 2017, Mercedes plans to offer as many as ten different hybrid models. That means launching a new one roughly every four months,
starting with the C-Class in 2015, then the E-Class, and eventually the large off-roaders. Daimler board member Thomas Weber recently commented that hybrid drive will soon be as normal as gasoline or diesel models are today.Back in town, it’s time to plug the cable into the charging port behind a discreet flap on the rear bumper. Depending on socket rating, charging takes some two to four hours. Within the life-time of this model generation, the plug-in hybrid S-Class is set to be joined by an “unplugged” ver-sion with a wireless, inductive charging system. Finally, how did I do on fuel? Not as well as I might have done. It seems I was too heavy on the boost. But although I didn’t achieve the quoted 2.8 liters/100 km (84 mpg), my fuel economy was nothing short of awesome for a high-performance sedan in this class.
I n t e l l I g e n t ta l k f r o m t h e p e d a lIn E+ transmission mode, the S 500 Plug-in Hybrid uses radar technology to adapt to traffic in front.
A double vibration of the accelerator pedal tells drivers precisely when to lift off the accelerator so
as to synchronize their driving style with the traffic ahead and to maximize fuel efficiency.
r e c o v e r I n g e n e r g yIf the driver responds to the double vibration at the pedal, the vehicle switches to engine-off electric “sailing” and recovers energy as soon as the vehicle in front slows down. Experts refer to this as radar-based recuperation.
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Further technicalspecifications
and fuel consumption figures can be
found on page 74.
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job done. Mercedes AMG Petronas has won the F1 world title for the first time. This success in the most exciting season for some time was spearheaded by Messrs Hamilton and Rosberg. Team-mates they may be, but the dominant drivers of 2014 could hardly be more different. w o r d s B i A n c A l e P P e R T
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Barely six months later, Mercedes AMG Petro-nas are world champions themselves. 19 races have separated the winners from the rest, but the foundations for the team’s success were laid long before the first grand prix of the season. The start of 2014 marked the dawn of a new era in Formula 1. The changes to the technical regula-tions, such as the switch from V-8 to 1.6-liter V-6 turbo engines and the increased focus on the hy-brid system, have been viewed as the biggest rev-olution in the sport since the inception of modern F1 in 1950. “We’ve closed the gap between grand prix cars and road cars,” says Rosberg. “In the fu-ture, we’ll also see production cars running tur-bocharged hybrid engines. Formula 1 provides a platform for the development of this technology.”
ico Rosberg balances a ball on his foot in the Hockenheim pad-dock, unperturbed by the ring of 20 journalists gawking at him. One second the ball’s in the air, the next it’s nestling back on his
instep. It’s all part of Rosberg’s pre-race ritual. The German’s every movement is recorded by cameras as the 29-year-old negotiates life in the proverbial – and inevitable – fish bowl. Inevita-ble, because right now he leads the Formula 1 drivers’ standings. His every gesture, word and move on the track is scrutinized by the media. Behind him is the Mercedes hospitality building, “Congratulations to our national team on their title win” daubed across its darkened glass.
N When you’re competing against your team-mate, you can always see exactly what he’s up to. l e w i s h a m i lt o N
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S p a r k l i n g p e r f o r m a n c e Champagne for the winner: Hamilton crossed the line ahead of Rosberg at the Bahrain GP in April 2014.
Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were installed as favorites for the season as early as winter test-ing. The Mercedes F1 W05 hybrid racked up al-most 5,000 kilometers (approx. 3,100 miles) – more than any other car – as the engineers honed their machines. “Our level of performance this year is the result of many years of work by Mercedes,” Hamilton is keen to emphasize. “The right people were brought into the right places at the right time. And it was a massive advantage that we were able to use our in-house expertise to develop the KERS hybrid system some years ago. We’re now reaping the rewards.”
In a race of their ownMercedes AMG Petronas was the team to beat in 2014, right from the opening race of the season in Australia. As one 1-2 finish followed the next, Mercedes might as well have been on a different planet as far as its rivals were concerned. The in-house battle between Rosberg and Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix was a classic and provid-ed the catalyst for a rivalry in the Prost/Senna, Mansell/Piquet mold. In the view of many, their head-to-head was the best thing that could have happened to F1 as Head of Mercedes-Benz Mo-torsport Toto Wolff and non-executive chairman Niki Lauda put their tactic of “letting the guys race” into practice.Hamilton held the edge over his German team-mate in the early-season exchanges, but then Monaco brought a turning point when Rosberg wrested back the initiative. Their personal
battle was heating up as Rosberg maintained his lead in the World Championship. But the pres-sure he was under became clear at the Italian Grand Prix, where two driver errors left the door open for Hamilton to claim the win. Another vic-tory in the night race in Singapore put Hamil-ton back on top of the drivers’ standings. With the post-race fireworks lighting up the sky, the Briton knelt on his car and planted a kiss of grat-itude. An exciting season was turning into a marathon 350 km/h (200 mph) game of tit-for-tat. Controversy was never far away, and a gen-erous dose duly arrived with the coming togeth-er of Rosberg and Hamilton at the Belgian Grand Prix. “We’d rather be having to rein our drivers in from time to time than showing them how to drive fast,” says Mercedes Board Member for Development Thomas Weber.
The odd difference The two title protagonists are quite famil-iar with driving fast. Hamilton contested his eighth season in Formula 1 this year, Rosberg has been on the grid for eight years. Although they’ve only been team-mates for two years, they know each other’s quirks and foibles inside out. Indeed, they were Mercedes-Benz McLaren team-mates for two years in their karting days.Their journeys into motorsports are as different as their characters. The foundations for Rosberg’s early career were laid by his father, former F1
You have to strike a compromise, to choose how far you drive for the team and when you start looking after yourself. n i c o r o s b e r g
world champion Keke Rosberg. Hamilton, from a less glamorous background, approached McLar-en team boss Ron Dennis as a teenager to ask for backing. The rest is history. In 2008, the English-man saw off Felipe Massa to claim his first world title success with McLaren Mercedes.“When I was fighting against Ferrari in 2008, I could never see how the other drivers were re-acting,” recalls Hamilton. “But when you’re com-peting against your team-mate, you can always see what he’s up to. That situation is trickier.” Rosberg takes a similar line. “You have to strike
H U n T i n g i n s T i n c T Nico Rosberg climbed to the top of the podium at the Austrian GP in June 2014. The battle between the team-mates reached a new intensity last season.
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a compromise, choose how far you drive for the team and when you have to look after yourself. It’s not an easy line to draw.” Last season rep-resented something of a coming of age for both men. While others in their rising-30 peer group might be privately pondering the vagaries of fi-nally growing up, Rosberg and Hamilton have had to prove their maturity in front of a global audience. And they have very different ways of dealing with the pressure.Hamilton wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to let his feelings off the leash. During the “off” periods of his on-off relationship with Nicole Scherzinger, his emotions were written all over his face. His faithful companion is his bulldog Roscoe, whom he describes as his best friend. The diamonds, the tattoos, the dabbling with R&B are all part of the bad boy image Ham-ilton sometimes likes to project. “Telling him he doesn’t need his dog, Los Angeles and all the oth-er stuff won’t get you anywhere,” says Toto Wolff. “It’s exactly what Lewis needs; it allows him to do his job well.” Rosberg, on the other hand, is like a politician. In interviews, he chooses his words carefully and doesn’t like to be drawn into emotional talk. Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, he invited his crew for a barbeque in appreciation of their work. And away from the circuit, he can often be found scooting around his home of Monaco on a restored Vespa, or he’ll spend time in Ibiza with his wife Vivian. For a long time, he was regarded as the most underestimated driver in Formula 1 and the sport’s Mr. Nice Guy.The public personas of Rosberg and Hamilton are frequently reflected in their driving on the track. Hamilton’s emotions have been known to get the better of him, while Rosberg’s discipline usual-ly prevails. But last season, with the big prize within reach, Rosberg showed he wasn’t afraid to fight fire with fire. “Nico’s always been like that,” says Wolff. “I don’t know why he’s seen as this mild-mannered guy.” Some would say his time as a team-mate of Michael Schumacher turned him from boy to man and taught him to be more assertive. Others even interpret his change of helmet design from bright yellow to aggressive black as a war cry.As for next season, the world champions would be advised to remember one thing: Formula 1 never sleeps. Put your feet up for a moment, and a wake-up call won’t be long in coming. As win-ter deepens, final preparations for testing get underway and the slate is wiped clean. If there are congratulations to world champions on the hospitality windows next season, they will like-ly be addressed to the team. And if Rosberg and Hamilton pause for a moment to admire them, you can be sure the media will be watching them with a keen eye. <a
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silent typeelectric cars have much to recommend them in the city. But what about the mountains? We went to the Silvretta High Alpine Road to find out – with the first series-produced Mercedes-Benz powered by an electric drive system.w o r d s j a n w i l m s p h o t o s s a n d r o b ä b l e r
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H I G H A N D M I G H T Y Even on the way up, the
new B-Class Electric Drive takes the switchbacks
with speed and ease.
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hortly before you reach the vil-lage of Partenen in Austria’s Montafon valley, a panoramic view opens up to the East that is undeniably worthy of the name. A narrow valley with a steadily
rising floor is flanked by mighty mountain ranges pointing the way to the sky – via the Piz Buin massif. The road may be long, but it’s worth getting to the top. The same applies to electric mobility as it completes the journey from vision to reality. The new B-Class Electric Drive, avail-able since November, is the first series-produced car from Mercedes-Benz powered purely by an electric drive system. Several months ahead of the market launch, we took a tour with the production-ready research model based on the U.S. variant.All around us lies the natural beauty of the Vorarl-berg region, which you’re loath to disturb. Prob-lem is, you’re also eager to immerse yourself in this giant rock garden with its deep green pas-tures draped over it like a velvet throw and per-vaded by the scent of gentian. You want to thread your way through the thick pine forests and ex-plore the barren peaks beyond the tree line. The favored method of exploration may be on foot – or on a mountain bike, which in summer, at least, replicates skiing-speed descents in winter. But for those on four wheels, the Silvretta High Alpine Road isn’t a bad alternative. And you can at last also feel in unison with nature in a car – when you’re driving a silent electric model with zero tailpipe emissions, that is.
Silent energy saver As the new B-Class Electric Drive sets off down in the valley, it is easily drowned out by a group of hikers getting kitted up for the Hochjoch ascent. The only sound it makes leaving the parking lot is the crunch of stones under its wheels. The best, though, is still to come, and you don’t have to wait until the descent for the mountain driving plea-sure to kick in. An impressive 340 Nm of torque is not far off that of the range-topping model of this series, enabling the Electric Drive to skip deftly up the mountainside through the hairpin curves. Sharing a trait typical of electric cars, the Mer-cedes’ motor makes its peak output of 132 kW instantly available and maintains it throughout the rpm range. Indeed, the electric B-Class sprints down the road in a genuinely sporty fashion: 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is accomplished in 7.9 seconds. But figures are a side issue when you’re glid-ing through the green alpine meadows with an air of relaxation greater even than in a conven-tional automobile. The key here is the single-speed transmission. The drive system’s responses can be adjusted through two driving modes: Sport allows the motor to channel its full power
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state-of-the-art electric mobility
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directly to the wheels, while Eco limits output to around 100 kW and assists with energy saving.Kickdown summons full power – such as when overtaking. Of course, if you charge up the moun-tain with indecent haste, the car’s maximum range of 200 km (124 miles) is going to suffer. But 30 percent of this energy can be regenerat-ed on the way back down in a process known as recuperation, which feeds the energy released under braking back into the battery. So, in hilly terrain, you’ll find yourself factoring in this “silent reserve”.We soon reach the crest of the High Alpine Road: the 2,032-meter (6,664-ft) Bielerhöhe. A particularly eye-catching feature of the summit is the opaque, strikingly turquoise water of the Silvretta reservoir. The Electric Drive is a rather clearer proposition; aside from its propulsion, it’s a regular B-Class with all the ride comfort and spaciousness that implies. The battery is in-stalled flat in the underbody of the car, lowering its center of gravity and ensuring impressive roadholding.Here, the Mercedes engineers addressed another issue specific to electric cars – the battery. Their solution means that neither passenger room nor trunk space is compromised by the installation of the large battery. It’s a familiar B-Class story in-side the cabin. The three circular air vents above the center console reference Mercedes cock-
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The Electric Drive offers all the qualities of a B-Class, like the familiar ridecomfort
and generous onboard space – as your author
(above) discovered on a test drive through
the Montafon.
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pits of times past, while the dashboard flatscreen adds a striking dose of the present. It includes the navigation and multimedia system, as well as data on electric power consumption, battery charge level and range. Mercedes has also expanded the range of con-nect me services for the Electric Drive model. For example, owners can now access the above data online as well. As for the series-production version, it has even more to offer. Presented concurrently with its conventional B-Class siblings, the Electric Drive version features most of their attributes – such as newly styled LED rear lights, optional Keyless-Go and Collision Prevention Assist with autonomous partial braking.The drive across the rocky high valley has confirmed that driving electric in the B-Class never takes as much acclimatization as all the new technology would suggest. Instead, it’s intuitive and stress-free. And now it’s time to see if the promised energy recuperation under braking checks out. The braking effect is initiated as soon as you lift your foot off the accelerator. Its intensity can be adjusted through four stages, depending on whether you’re coasting along a straightaway or negotiating a sharp descent. With a little prac-tice, you discover that the B-Class Electric Drive can be driven with barely any use of the brake pedal – even driving back down a mountain in the High Alps, such as the descent from Ver-muntsee to Partenen with its 32 curves and a vertical drop of 700 m (2,300 ft) over a distance of just 3.5 km (2.2 miles) as the crow flies. I felt the need to actively brake only twice, and was otherwise able to adjust the car’s speed using the accelerator. Back down at the valley floor, a glance at the range display revealed that the bat-tery had been recharged with a quarter of the energy used.
The best of everything – as always The most important question with the B-Class Electric Drive concerns what customers can ex-pect from an electric Mercedes-Benz. The answer is simple – and familiar: the best of everything. The Daimler Group’s holding in electric car pioneer Tesla gives the engineers in Sindelfingen access to the California-based company’s pool of expertise. With this recipe in place, the B-Class Electric Drive combines progress made in two worlds. And it delivers an experience that still holds plenty of curiosity value for well-traveled, well- informed and well-connected drivers. As I dis-covered, a tour through the most beautiful of landscapes can now be not only dynamic, safe and comfortable, but also locally emission-free. Another vision on the road to sustainable mobil-ity has become a reality.
energy from a socket
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B-Class Electric Drive
Engine / Output Electric motor, 132 kW;
max. torque 340 Nm
Battery / RangeLithium-ion battery;
approx. 200 kilometers (124 miles)
Going the extra miles Available as an option is a
radar-based, recuperative braking system that recovers energy
even more efficiently.
Seventh sense Collision Prevention Assist Plus comes as standard to reduce
the risk of collisions. This system warns the driver of obstacles,
assists with braking – as the situation requires –
and can also initiate autonomous partial braking.
Further technical specifications and information on
fuel consumption can be found on page 74.
ic o n n e c t e dThe maximum range of the B-Class Electric Drive is 200 km (124 miles). Charging the battery from a wallbox takes less than three hours.
a lw ay s u p - t o - d at eThe large display shows the charge level
of the lithium-ion battery, which is compactly installed in the so-called
energy space in the car’s underbody.
The C 111 set new standards: from Wankel engine to speed record.
1970
C 111 - I I Four-rotor Wankel engine, 350 hp, top speed 300 km/h (187mph), acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 4.8 seconds!
C 111 - I I D The same fiberglass body, but now powered by a “stroke-8” diesel unit – with a turbocharger and 190 instead of 80 hp.19
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C 111 - I I I From road car to sleek racer with perfect aerodynamics and a diesel engine boosted to 230 hp.19
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C 111 - I V The land speed record is broken at Nardo, Italy, thanks to large front and rear spoilers: the C 111 clocks 403.978 km/h (252.486 mph).19
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N O L I M I T SWoodstock (above) is seen as the
climax of the hippie movement, the miniskirt keeps getting shorter
and Berlin’s TV tower rises skywards.
N e w D I r e C T I O N SNeil Armstrong sets
foot on the Moon and Willi Brandt (far left)
becomes West Germany’s first SPD
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the times 1969 is a year for reaching new heights: the first man on the Moon, the first supersonic airliner – and the C 111, foreshadowing the car of the future.
y the time the Frankfurt In-ternational Auto Show (IAA) opened its doors in September 1969, mankind had already experienced quite an eventful year: March saw the maiden
flight of the supersonic Concorde, which ush-ered in a new era in aviation; the Summer of Love was held in Woodstock, where 400,000 half-naked people danced to the music of artists such as Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix; a bizarre, psychedelic series titled Monty Python’s Flying Circus hit television screens – and one man, Neil Armstrong, took that legendary giant step for mankind on 21 July. From today’s perspective, it is remarkable to think that a single iPhone is several times more powerful than the entire computing capacity available to NASA for the Moon mission.Virtually no other year has seen so many cul-tural, economic and technological trends reach their climax: 1969 was the year in which every-thing seemed possible and achievable, even the attempt by the University of California to send messages between two remote computers – known today as e-mail.
B This was the backdrop against which the 44th Frankfurt Show took place, with Mercedes-Benz presenting a concept car that deftly matched the current mood of the prevailing sense of a new departure like no other: the C 111 had more in common with the space-age visions of NASA or the promise of freedom in Peter Fonda’s Easy Rider than the other vehicles that populated the roads at the time.Marking a firm departure from the rounded, softer design of the time with its angular, wedge-shaped form, but also boasting the famous gull-wing doors, the concept car was intended by the Mercedes-Benz designers and engineers as a visionary vehicle for the future rather than a production model. However, the response among the exhibition visitors to the C 111 – bearing the internal code name of “Weissherbst” (“white autumn”) on ac-count of its paintwork colour – was so enthusi-astic that a number of blank checks were sent to Stuttgart by people keen to purchase the striking concept vehicle.This was undoubtedly due to the fact that the new Mercedes was in many ways groundbreak-ing: the interior design with its modern-looking instrumentation was reminiscent of an aircraft cockpit such as Concorde’s. Moreover, for the first time, the use of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic was tested in the body. In technical terms, the vehicle also set new standards: with a revolutionary 280 hp Wankel engine mid-mounted behind the bucket seats, the C 111 reached a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph), taking only five seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph).The year 1969 may have marked the end of modernism – for example, with the comple-tion of the IBM Building, the last edifice to be designed by architect Mies van der Rohe prior to his death. But even in the less ordered world of post-modernism that began in the 1970s, the C 111 proved to be a visionary vehicle. At the beginning of the new decade, with the oil crisis looming, the Mercedes-Benz engineers produced a diesel version of the C 111 and proved that a breathtakingly beautiful sports car could also lead the field in fuel economy.
s ta r - s t r u c k Futuristic, orange, wedgeshaped: visitors to the IAA are enthralled by the new C 111.
n o s e t o t h e w i n dThe supersonic Concorde
takes off (above) and Easy Rider (below) promises
cinemagoers a taste of freedom.
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O R A N G E C O U N T Y In Arjeplog, just outside the Arctic Circle, the sun calls it a day at two in the afternoon during the winter months.
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OUT IN NORTHERN SWEDEN, the AMG Driving Academy
offers experiences that push the automotive limits – at minus
30 degrees Celsius (-22°F). Cool stuff.
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Rewind a few hours. I’m on my way to Arjeplog, a veritable hot spot for the automotive industry during the coldest months of the year. The road heads ramrod straight through Swedish Lapland, endless forests lining the route, along with those occasional signposts warning of ambling moose. The landscape appears to have been brushed in icing sugar. Then, suddenly, the trees part to reveal a huge expanse of white on either side. This is one of the 8,000 or so frozen lakes dot-ted around the province of Norrbotten in the far north of Sweden. The testing season runs from mid-November to the end of April. Along with the thousands of engineers examining top-secret prototypes un-der the most exacting conditions, Arjeplog also attracts people in search of a very special chal-lenge amid an icy winter wonderland. They have come here for four days to experience driving at the limit with the AMG Driving Academy.“Switch off ESP,” orders Mayländer over the ra-dio as the participants make their way onto the frozen lake for the first time, three hours after their arrival in Arjeplog. Together, we’ve formed an impressive column of 15 silver AMG Mercedes cars on the ice. It was at a location not far from here that ESP was developed more than 20 years ago for the S-Class. The system checks if the car’s target values match its actual status up to 150 times per second, and detects if a loss of control is on the cards. Holding down the ESP button on the center console changes everything. Where before, we were driving along the snow-covered road as if on rails, now the mildest jerk of the
urn in carefully. Start out into a drift with a short but definite nudge of the gas. Then spin the wheel back – hands blurring – in the opposite direction. And ease off the throttle.
So far, so straightforward. Not so fast, tiger; I’ve overcooked it and the rear wheels let go. Next thing I know, the back of the car is whirling round to my right and I leap on the brakes. Too late. Now I’m facing in the opposite direction, ad-miring the scenery on the other side of the fro-zen lake. At least until the inevitable cloud of snow blocks it out. The world has stopped spin-ning, but it’s still abuzz. Time to catch my breath before the radio crackles: the voice of Bernd May-länder brings me back into the present. The pro racer and driver of the Formula 1 Safety Car sum-mons me for some one-to-one instruction. And it had all started out so promisingly…
T S I D E WAYS G L A N C EThe four-day AMG Winter
Sporting Advanced driver training course is one of three spectacular
winter packages run by the AMG Driving Academy. Here, on
the edge of the Arctic Circle, it’s not all about the joy of drifting;
the nearby AMG Lodge also does a nice line in indulgence and
relaxation. Meanwhile, the professional instructors on the courses in Lungau, Austria, will
introduce the art of driving quickly on snow and ice to those
looking for an initial experience of cars at their physical limits.
m E r C E D E S - A m G . C o m/ D r I v I N G - A C A D E m Y
S L I P P E r Y C U S T o m E r SGas, brake, opposite lock: participants learn how to execute the perfect drift on snow and ice.
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steering wheel plunges the car into a swerve, spiked tires notwithstanding. The driving school students, in their rear-wheel-drive C-Classes and SLKs, indulge in an invol-untary competition of who can spin their rear wheels the fastest.
Roller-coaster rideStability restored, the 20 participants on the course pair off to share cars. They’ve come here to enjoy the feeling of speed unhindered by the technology developed to bring safety to these kinds of hazardous situations. They’ve come here to feel the sort of thing you’d actually rather not experience out on the road every day: oversteer-ing, sliding, drifting. Instructed by the AMG crew, the local icemakers have used their heavy machinery to carve five courses across the surface of the lake. Everywhere you look there are S-bends, high-speed sections and chicanes. And one of the above has just fin-ished showing me that, however much of a rally driver I feel on this first evening, that particular career is still very long way off.“Today, the cars are still dictating what’s going on,” says Bernd Mayländer during a break. “But in two days’ time, we’ll have got you to the point where you’re telling the cars what to do.” Ten minutes later, the radio is crackling again. “We could do with a hand here,” pleads one of the two British ice drivers. There they are on the other side of the course. Standing next to their A 45, a shared look of bafflement has followed their angled slide into the snow barriers, accom-panied by a hearty thud.
There’s not much point in getting out to push, either, given the distance between wheels and ground. A G-Class is summoned to pull the car back onto the course. We’re trying hard, but our best efforts must re-mind Mayländer’s team (consisting of five former race drivers and current racer / chief instruc-tor Jan Seyffarth) of a toddler’s first steps. A lap alongside ex-DTM star Mayländer feels like a ride on a roller-coaster. As I slide this way and that in the front passenger seat, I’m aware he’s tak-ing the corners with ease and at twice the speed I managed. The car is locked into a constant drift, the transition between curves smooth and flow-ing as Mayländer hits the pivot point to perfec-tion, time after time. Happily, the instructors have good teaching in-stincts to go with their finely honed driving skills. And with the necessary patience, they explain to each participant the basics of driv-ing physics on ice and how to counteract under- and oversteering.
a lap on the ice and snow alongside the ex-DTM race driver feels like a ride on aroller-coaster.
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w e l l p r e p a r e dIce groomers work all hours to ensure the track surface is in the best condition.
57
Nailing the perfect drift requires a lot of things to come together in a very short space of time. The next lap beckons, and Mayländer is keeping tabs on me over the radio. The instructor’s sug-gestions are limited to “gas” and “brake”. “That’s a lot better already,” comments Mayländer over the radio a lap later. I am bursting with pride.Although the driver training accounts for only four hours or so each day, I’m exhausted come the afternoon. In the elegantly appointed AMG Lodge, the instructors take time for a debriefing. This is already the second or third time on the ice for most of my fellow students. Data analysis devic-es fitted in the cars allow a personal performance profile to be generated for each participant, and a visual map of our acceleration and braking phas-es is created and cross-matched against the ideal line recorded by the pros. By the evening, things have quietened down in-side the AMG Lodge. With a large yellow moon
now suspended in the sky above us, nobody stirs. One of my classmates is racking up the laps on a simulator in the lobby, but he hasn’t attracted any company. I, for one, am finished for the day. And even as I lie in bed, I can’t entirely shake that feel-ing of sliding.
Getting the knack“Perfection Training” is the title of the first unit on the morning of the final day. I feel a long way from perfection. But, fortunately, Bernd Maylän-der’s lessons are having an effect. Slowly, I’m internalizing how the different cars behave. The C 63 Coupe Edition 507, for example, is far easi-er to control through the curves than the similar-ly rear-wheel drive SLK 55; the latter’s low weight and short wheelbase gives it the character of a skittish race horse. And there’s a reason why the instructors have nicknamed the A 45 “The Beast”. By contrast, the E 63 AMG S is the most forgiv-
on the first day, the cars are still dictating what’s going on. By Day 3, participants have got to the point where they are telling the cars what to do. B e r n d M ay l Ä n d e r
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ing, thanks to its permanent all-wheel drive. You could almost call it mild-mannered, if that didn’t sound totally out of place for a car with a rated output of 430 kW. It gets dark quickly when you’re this far north, and the sun is now but a pallid presence above us; by two o’clock in the afternoon, the sky is pitchblack. The mercury has fallen to 30 degrees Celsius below (-22°F). The climate control sys-tem is running at full blast, yet even so, ice crys-tals are weaving their patterns across the inside of the windows. I’m on my own in the car now. My passenger has already thrown in the towel, worn down by my lurching progress around the track. Now it’s all about outstripping my own ambitions. Uncer-tainty has given way to dogged determination. I hustle the E 63 around the ice track, which has been polished into a foreboding sheen after a full day’s training. The wooden poles marking out the course flash up here and there in the beam of the headlights. The rear of the car edges alarmingly towards the snow wall. But then I push down on the accelerator – more gas, more gas. The engine howls, its 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) hauling me out of a decidedly dicey situation. Suddenly, the car is sideways through the corner. All the centrifugal and engine forces are pushing in different direc-tions and yet appear to be in balance. Here it is, at last. Check out the perfect drift.
EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE
You can find AMG Driving Academy dates and the registration form online by scanning the QR code. M b - q R . C O M / 0 N D
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C O L D S TA R T Driver training below
freezing on one of Norrbotton’s
8,000 frozen lakes. The participants
were clearly smitten (above right).
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tone c olorsOptimal noise cancelation, crystal-clear sound,
outstanding wear comfort – frequent fliers and music lovers have long been persuaded by the Quiet Com-
fort headphones from Bose. Now we could see design aficionados joining their ranks: customers can choose
from 46 colors to create their own personal look (currently only available through the U.S. website).
b o s e . c o M
e M ot i o n
The best of design, art and indulgence
lupita nyong’o – only insiders were familiar with the name. That was until the actress appeared in 12 Years A Slave. The role of slave girl Patsey earned her the 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, the daughter of a Kenyan politician needn’t worry about her future career. Most recently, the 31-year-old appeared in the action thriller Non-Stop alongside Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, and right now she is work-ing on the sequel of the Star Wars space epic. When that’s in the can, she is scheduled to meet up with Brad Pitt again – together, the stars will be taking Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning novel Americanah to the silver screen. It tells the story of a young Nigerian seek-ing her fortune in the USA. That’s all we know so far, apart from the name of the lead actress: Lupita Nyong’o.
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“I said to my father, ‘Daddy, do you know Brad Pitt?
I’m going to be in a movie with him!’ And he said, ‘I don’t know him
personally, but I’m glad you got a job.’”l u p i ta n y o n g ’ o
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The 67-year-old Briton and his agency JPA Design fit out the interiors of airlines, airports and luxury hotels.
The Singapore Airlines business class cabin designed by Park was recently
crowned the world’s best.
Mr. Park, what is it that marks out your business class designs?We radically changed the design of business class seats and created a seat which – in contrast to the usual offerings – can be converted fully into a flat bed. We worked for nearly 20 years on the execution of the design.
You also design hotels and lounges. What’s the appeal of airline seats?A good seat is what sets an airline apart. The more attractive and comfortable it is, the more at ease the people traveling in it will be. And it’s a challenge to have so little space to work with but ultimately come up with a solution that covers all the bases – not only design and space, but also safety and entertainment.
What’s the biggest challenge in designing for aircraft?It’s all about offering travelers a special experience. The requirements of airlines have changed radically over the years: they want more technology, more enter-tainment, but also lower and lower costs. Flying used to be far more luxurious.
How do you create that exclusivity in a world which is getting less exclusive all the time?Genuine exclusivity is not something you’ll find in most airlines nowadays, because first class is no longer a finan-cially interesting proposition. In today’s world, people who can afford first class tend to prefer a private jet. Real innovations are therefore only found in business and economy class now. Here, flying is getting more and more affordable, but also more comfortable.
J a m e s P a r k
Care e r Be HIND a Came r aElio Sorci wasn’t just any old paparazzo, he was
the paparazzo. In the 1950s and 60s, no star was safe from the Roman snapper’s lens – not even Elizabeth Taylor or Marcello Mastroianni.
When Sorci died in 2013, he left behind thousands of photos. Paparazzo. The Elio Sorci
Collection brings together his best-known pictures and provides a fascinating, unobstructed
look behind the scenes of a golden era in film. r O a D s . C O
Burger aND frIes ? Think again. The Meteor Food Truck serves food for gourmets – think white gazpacho, oysters on chard in butter sauce, soft cheese with glazed carrots and seabuckthorn syrup. The Truck was the brainchild of Maarten van Essche, 35, and Floris Van Looy, 31. The Belgian cooks tour their home country, the Netherlands and France with their Peugeot bus, which was last seen servicing a queue of fashionistas during Paris Fashion Week. Van Essche and Van Looy will take to the Internet to announce when and where you can next sample their low-country haute cuisine. m e T e O r f O O D T r u C k . B e
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PARIS For 60 years, the Piscine Molitor in the 16th Arrondissement was the most famous and
visually stunning swimming pool in the French capital. The bikini even saw fit to celebrate its world
premiere here in 1946, and the pool also hosted gala events. Legends like Johnny Weissmüller, Boris
Vian, Françoise Sagan and Emanuelle Béart swam lengths here – until the increasingly ramshackle art
deco building closed its doors in 1989 and the vandals moved in. Recently, however, the complex
has reopened as a hotel and is busy rekindling its glamorous past. 124 rooms with modern appoint-
ments have been created around the 46-meter- long (150-ft) historic outdoor pool. The complex
also hosts its own spa, a restaurant headed by French Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno, and
regular art exhibitions – all in keeping with its house motto “Pool – Art – Life”. M LT R . F R
P o oL SIde noSTALgIA
FLowe R P owe RHere’s an idea with looks as well as brains: “Pi-no Pi-no” changes color and form, depending on how the various elements of glass and wood are combined. Take the flowers away, and the vases also make rather attractive containers. Their Finnish designer Maija Puoskari used the same glass to create the Liuku hanging lamp. M A I J A P U o S K A R I . C o M
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german guelphs left their mark on eng-land as kings. but what about the brits?
they gave lower saxony the lady di Fan club hameln (above) and other
quirky institutions – captured by martin parr for the photo exhibition “we love britain”. it runs until February 22, 2015
at hanover’s sprengel museum. S P R e n g e L - M U S e U M . d e
e M o T I o n
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HAUTE CUISINE ON THE MOVE,
a historic swim-ming pool refreshed and Anglo-German cultural transfer – for more informa-tion on these and other subjects,
scan the QR code. M b - q r . C O M / O M 6
pr IC kly pAIrCardamaro has been around
for over 100 years, but this artichoke and blessed thistle liqueur is
currently experiencing a surge in popularity. In Piedmont it’s
taken after a meal, whereas in the U.S. it’s more popular beforehand due to its mild aroma and delicate hint of wine. Aperitif or digestif?
Your call! T O S T I . I T
ON A WING AND A C HAIr
Witnessing an ostrich stretching its wings in a display of courtship provided designer Sebastian
Herkner with his inspiration for the
Banjooli series, part of Moroso’s Afrique
collection. The garden chair is made
under fair trade conditions in Senegal.
M O r O S O . I T
E l E G A N T M I xArt deco meets mid-century – this hotel bar was created by
interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel.
S U I T E D r E A M SThe rooms have a clean, clear
design and offer a generously sized private terrace.p
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words G ero G ü nt her photos enn o K ap it z a
copenhagen has become a model for urbanists the world over: the city is green, modern and lively. and with the invention of nordic Cuisine,
the Danish capital has also become a mecca for gourmands.
Eyes on the future
e m o t i o n
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C O L L E C T I V E LY S P E A K I N G Copenhagen has baristas like Callum Hare of
The Coffee Collective to thank for the development of its robust coffee culture, while
architecture’s number one rule – that the people using a building should feel comfortable
in it – is exemplified by the university dormitory Tietgenkollegiet in Ørestad (left).
65
he early evening sunlight streams through the huge win-dow, fanning out between the seats and sculptures, draw-ings and plans. Outside the me-ter-high (3-ft) window pane,
a freighter churns its way through the blue-green sea, while on the horizon the whirling rotors of a wind generator trace a translucent circle. Sailboats glide back and forth. “Our mis-sion is to bring a breath of fresh air to business-es and institutions,” says Rosan Bosch. Her eyes flash briefly, as if she’s demonstrating that her battery pack is fully charged. “And we happen to be in exactly the right place for doing that.”Breaking down borders is this 44-year-old de-signer and artist’s specialty – an approach that works especially well in Copenhagen, a city that prioritizes movement and flexibility over hier-archical structures and tradition. Bosch has de-signed several schools, libraries and university buildings, and even jolted the developers of Lego with an office where they have to use slides to move between floors. “The desire to learn,” she says, “is one of our most basic instincts.”Her schools look anything but ordinary. In place of traditional classrooms, they feature open learning zones, rest platforms and flexibility. Bosch, who relocated to the Øresund years ago from Holland, favors solutions that are playful and experimental. “My first job in Denmark was designing creative office spaces for the ministry of economics,” she relates. “I got the job even though I was a complete unknown at the time.” That’s Copenhagen in a nutshell: people are keen to approach things differently than before.Increasingly, Copenhagen is becoming a kind of research laboratory, a city that defines itself as a prototype for a new urbanism. In numer-ous surveys, Copenhagen was consistently rat-ed as having the highest quality of life of any city in the world. A quick stroll through the city streets, and you understand what the fuss is about. The cafes and bars are packed, people bask outside in the sunshine, groups of joggers and cyclists zip past, the harbor is full of pad-dlers. Skateboarders, women in head scarves, bearded hipsters and senior citizens all rub shoulders in the city’s public squares. Brand- new buildings like the Royal Danish Theatre or the “Black Diamond” – the name bestowed by lo-cals on the massive library – attract hundreds of visitors daily, and the classic designs of Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Louis Poulsen are everywhere in evidence.“People ought to like the city they live in,” says Camilla van Deurs, an expert in public spaces, landscape architecture and master planning in the office of legendary urbanist Jan Gehl. Aged 78, he is one of the prime movers behind Copen-
B I K E C I T Y Public spaces expert Camilla van Deurs wanted Copenhagen to be known as the world’s best city for cycling – lo and behold, it is.
A L L C L E A R Modern architecture
meets the harbor: the Saxa-Bank
Building stands in stark contrast to the historic city
center at the Amagertorv (right).
TE m o T I o n
66
Copenhagen is exactly the right place to bring a breath of fresh air to businesses and institutions.r o s a n b o s c h
hagen’s transformation. As a university lectur-er, city government advisor and visionary, Gehl worked for decades to get his ideas implement-ed. He envisioned a city for pedestrians and cy-clists, and it appears his ultimate goal has been realized. These days, Gehl and his staff are busy exporting his success formula around the globe. Aided by social scientists and anthropologists, van Deurs and her colleagues have amassed thousands of statistics specific to Copenha-gen. Where do people like to spend time, and for how long? How do people react to different kinds of sidewalk? When do they feel safe, and where? “The detailed knowledge we have accu-mulated allows us to offer solutions tailored to specific problems. And many of our proposals aren’t expensive,” explains the 37-year-old, ex-uding an optimism that has nothing to do with naiveté. In Copenhagen, she maintains, areas have been connected that previously had noth-ing to do with one another. As the city grew, it
simultaneously drew closer together. Greenbelts were created, and formerly troubled neighbor-hoods were improved through citizen-sponsored initiatives. Of course, Copenhagen boasts sights that more than justify a visit to the city in their own right: Rosenborg Castle, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek or the brand-new aquarium Den Blå Planet. But what really makes the contemporary city so uniquely captivating is its densely inter-woven network of greenways and water, public spaces and attractive architecture, all intended for use by anyone and everyone.Copenhagen’s cityscape is not the only thing that has undergone drastic change, however. So have the attitudes of its residents. And its epicurean culture. “We have become surpris-ingly receptive to fine food and wine,” says Peter Dupont. The 40-year-old is one of four founders of The Coffee Collective, a showcase Copenha-gen company specializing in gourmet coffee. It currently has two locations in the capital’s center: one on trendy Jaegersborggade in the Nørrebro neighborhood, the other in the indoor market at Israels Plads. “It’s a development that would have been impossible without Noma,” continues Dupont. In his view, Noma – several times named the world’s best restaurant – has almost single-handedly vaulted Copenhagen onto the global culinary map. Nordic cuisine has long since taken up an elevated position in the gourmet cooking world, and Copenhagen has become a foodie mecca.These developments were not lost on The Cof-fee Collective’s founders, who recognized in them the nascent tenets of their own business model: green, fair and using only the very best beans available. Too fine for espresso machines, their specialty coffees have to be painstaking-ly brewed with filters. This preserves the deli-cate aromas, the product of an unusually slow roasting process. “Our coffees have a sweetness and purity that you don’t come across very of-ten,” explains Dupont. But his ultimate goals are much higher: “As far as coffee goes, we’re just scratching the surface of the potential flavor ex-periences.” Copenhagen is clearly the perfect place to savor such experimentation.
67
Beards galoreav o i d i n g a street encounter with some-one who looks like Tokes (below) would have been the recommended course of action just a few years ago. Nowadays, tattoo-covered arms and a full beard are considered socially acceptable and cool. “Actually, I look just like most of the other hipsters in this town,” says the 31-year-old bartender with a grin. Tokes is a good-natured fellow, forthcoming and friendly, and he loves the nabe in which he lives and works. Vesterbro once had a reputa-tion as a den of iniquity. Though trendier now, the area still preserves a few rough spots. “You come across people here from all walks of life,” says Tokes, manager of the Lidkoeb Bar, one of the city’s hottest water-ing holes. Despite its size – its rooms take up three entire floors – the Lidkoeb is ultimately a cozy place, reminiscent of your living room. The cocktail menu is as lengthy as it is original. And on the topmost floor is located the dimly-lit whiskey bar, where overcrowd-ing is never a problem – only 28 guests are let in at any time. l i d k o e b . d k
C o C k Ta i l P a R T YBartender Tokes (right)
can mix any drink you want, from regular old whiskey
to fancy cocktails. But only until 2:00 a.m.,
when Lidkoeb closes.
Copenhageners have discovered epicurean culture, and have a burgeoning interest in wine and fine food.
e m o T i o n
68
Simply different
Shooting star on the Øresund
f o o d b y t h e s e aOnce it sold ferry tickets, now The Standard houses three restaurants and a jazz club. Studio, run by Michelin-starred chef Torsten Vildegaard (below), is also located there.
e y e s l e f t Michelin-starred chef
Christian Puglisi (far right) demonstrates
how to break down culinary boundaries.
s i c i l i a n - b o r n Christian Puglisi may be a Michelin-starred chef who used to work in El Bulli
and Noma, but nowadays he prefers things to be uncomplicated. The dishes in his restaurant Relae
are simple, yet rigorously thought-through and per-fectly executed. Instead of luxury items, he likes
serving up surprises like trout with chicken skin. r e s ta u r a n t - r e l a e . d k
i
l e e k w i t h h ay a s h
a n d w h i t e M i s o Makes 4 servings
leeks2 tsp. parsley oil
(made from dried parsley and grapeseed oil)
1 oz. misocitrus thyme
hay
Clean leeks. Wrap the green part in a wet dishtowel and boil
for 4 to 5 minutes with only the bottom part submerged in
the water. Briefly plunge in ice water, rub with parsley oil and garnish with citrus thyme. Combine miso and parsley oil and refrigerate. Incinerate the
hay until it turns to ash, place in a blender, then strain through
a fine-mesh sieve. Coat half the plate with the marinade, then dust with powdered ash and
arrange the leeks on the plate.
fe w c he f s have e ar ne d a Michelin star faster than Torsten Vildegaard with his Studio restaurant. It opened its doors in fall 2013; a scant three months later, the former Noma chef had his first star. “I’m kind of an ambitious guy,” he deadpans. “Let’s wait and see when I get my second.” Vildegaard describes his dining concept as “Nordic food without restrictions”. While he prefers his ingredients to be regionally sourced, “there’s no need to make a religion out of it.” Vildegaard’s light, modern cuisine represents culinary craftsmanship at its best. His creations are clever and complex, “but it’s good to have a decent piece of meat on your plate every now and then.” Like lamb with sorrel, for instance, or monkfish garnished with crispy pig’s ears and bergamot. With its friendly waitstaff, there’s hardly a better place in Copenhagen to dine these days than Studio. Just don’t run for cover when the sauce for the gooseberry granitas shows up in a flower vase. e n .t h e s ta n d a r d c p h . d k / s t u d i o
69
b r e a d a s a r t At the Hallernes stand, the enjoyment of smørrebrød in its lip-smacking varieties is more than just a culinary feast.
e m o t i o n
70
C L A S S Y N A B EOnce the preferred hangout of the Hell’s
Angels, the Jaegersborggade in Nørrebro is now the city’s trendiest promenade. As
well as 40 boutiques, bars and restaurants, it boasts an organic hairdresser, a subterra-nean wine bar and Meyers Bageri, an ecolog-
ical baker. Owner Claus Meyer also counts Noma and The Standard among his portfolio.
1 2
B E t t E r L i v i N gBe it furniture, décor or lighting – everything bearing the most illustrious names of Scan-
dinavian design, from Arne Jacobsen to Verner Panton, can be had at Illiums Bolughus on
Amagertorv 10. Right next door are flagship stores belonging to Copenhagen’s trademark brands – silversmith Georg Jensen and Royal Copenhagen, manufacturer of fine porcelain.
3
Simple chic
Go deeper
i f A m E N i t i E S g A L o r E are what you want in a hotel, SP 34 might not be the best place for you. There’s not even a reception desk – visitors check in at the bar. The four- star hotel’s 118 rooms are divided among three townhouses in the Latin Quarter university district. It may be restrained and minimalist, but the hotel definitely isn’t dull: its long hallways with their artfully soiled asphalt carpeting and crumbling plasterwork are meant to convey a rough, urban sensibility. The décor is slightly retro, yet fully contemporary. SP 34’s service staff are dressed Danish casual – in shirtsleeves – and wine hour is religiously observed daily between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., with guests allowed to help them-selves to a pour or two from open bottles. B r o C h N E r - h o t E L S . d k / o u r - h o t E L S/ S p 3 4
Stuff to see
A r t B r E A kWhat better place to put a museum than
right on the Øresund. The sculpture park and the seashore would be worth a visit by themselves, but add to that the
Louisiana’s world-class modern art collection and magnificent special exhibitions, and it’s a no-brainer. The museum stays open
until 10:00 p.m. E N . L o u i S i A N A . d k
wANt to g o eye to eye with a hammerhead shark? No problem – at Europe’s biggest aquarium, visitors
stroll underwater through glass-enclosed tunnels and imagine being deeply submerged or next to a coral
reef. Den Blå Planet was designed by 3XN, a Copenhagen architectural firm. Seen from above, the complex
resembles a beached whale. d E N B L A A p L A N E t. d k
71
DISCOVER COPENHAGEN
Check online for more information about restaurants, nightlife tips and interesting sights. Just scan the QR code with your smartphone.
m b - q R . C O m / 0 m E
Need to know F I R S t - N A m E b A S I SEquality and simplicity are greatly valued in Denmark. People address each other on a first-name basis in almost all areas of life – whether it’s your co-worker, your boss or your teacher. When introducing yourself, just go with your first name right off the bat.
V E N I C E O F t H E N O R t HThere are few cities in the world where water encroaches as deeply into the downtown area as in the “Venice of the North”. So squeaky-clean is the harbor with its branching network of canals that you can jump in for a dip anywhere. Many newer apartment buildings in-clude jetties for docking boats and swimming. Some residents have even abandoned the land entirely, choosing to live on houseboats. All around the Danish capital people are busy rowing, paddling and sailing, while at Amager Beach Park, kite surfers clatter across the water. And as if that weren’t enough, the city limits include three overlapping lakes.
A S L I C E I S N I C E“Smørrebrød, smørrebrød røm, pøm, pøm, pøm” was the trade-
mark Danish phrase ironically used by the Swedish chef character
on the Muppet Show. The Danes have elevated the humble
sandwich to another level altogether, some so sump- tuously garnished as to render
the bread underneath completely irrelevant. Hallernes in Torvehallerne, an
upscale indoor market and culinary hall, makes some of the best smørrebrød around.t O R V E H A L L E R N E k b H . D kSpace age
Copenhagen’s urban planners routinely tear out their hair figuring out how to entice people
to stop and stay awhile. They’re actually quite good at it: the city is full of quiet zones, sitting areas
and public spaces where people gather. Among the best are Israels Plads, Superkilen and the
skateboarding area inside the huge Faelledparken.
On the goI N D E N m A R k ’ S C A P I tA L , brand-new bike paths crop up constantly. One of the most im-pressive routes runs south of the Langebro bridge along the harbor to Bryggebroen. Cylists pedal on undulating ramps from viewpoint to viewpoint, taking in the Cykelslangen (“bicycle snake”), a slender new cycling bridge that elegantly winds its way between the water and the blocks of urban architecture. Ride back on the other side, and you’ll pass by the renowned Islands Brygge open-air swimming facility. Watch out during rush hour, though, when thousands of cyclists are about!
S E A S I D E D R I V E A trip to the fishing
village of Humlebaek in the Mercedes GLA*.
(*Further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on p.75)
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E m O t I O N
72
i
t h e va l u e s s tat e d 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.
aMG Gt (aMG Gt s)(from page 16)
Engine / Output4.0-liter V-8 biturbo engine,
340 kW at 6,000 rpm
(GT S: 375 kW at 6,250 rpm);
max. torque 600 Nm at
1,600-5,000 rpm
(GT S: 650 Nm at 1,750-4,750 rpm)
TransmissionAMG Speedshift DCT
7-speed dual-clutch transmission
Acceleration0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.0 s
(GT S: 3.8 s), electronically limited
Top speed304 km/h (189 mph)
(GT S: 310 km/h / 192 mph)
Fuel consumption urban: 12.2 l super plus/100 km
(19.4 mpg)
(GT S: 12.5–12.2 l / 18.8-19.3 mpg)
inter-urban:
7.6 l super plus/100 km (31 mpg)
(GT S: 7.9–7.8 l / 29.7-30.1 mpg)
combined:
9.3 l super plus/100 km (25.3 mpg)
(GT S: 9.6–9.4 l / 24.5-25 mpg)
CO2 emissions (combined)
224–216 g/km (360-347 g/mi)
Energy class G
B-Class electric drive(from page 44)
Engine / OutputElectric motor, 132 kW;
max. torque 340 Nm
Acceleration0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 s
Top speed 160 km/h (100 mph)
Rangeapprox. 200 km (124 miles)
Power consumption weighted:
17.9–16.6 kWh/100 km (62 miles)
CO2 emissions (combined)
0 g/km (0 g/mi) (local)
Energy class A+
s 500 Plug-in hybrid(from page 32)
Engine / Output3.0-liter six-cylinder,
245 kW at 5,250-6,000 rpm;
max. torque
480 Nm at 1,600-4,000 rpm;
total system output 325 kW;
total system torque 650 Nm
Acceleration7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic
Acceleration0–100 km/h (62 mph)
in 5.2 s
Top speed 250 km/h (155 mph)
Fuel consumption combined:
2.8 l super/100 km (84 mpg)
CO2 emissions (combined)
65 g/km (104 g/mi)
Energy class A+
a i M f o r t h e t o POn the Silvretta High Alpine Road with the B-Class Electric Drive.
e n t h u s i a s t ’ s C a rThe new AMG GT is
“Handcrafted by Racers”.
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M e r C e d e s - B e n z M aG a z i n e
Road reports on the latest models, extended
travel features, interviews with intriguing
personalities: in a word, everything that
makes up Mercedes-Benz Magazine is now also
available as an app for Apple and Android devices.
i t u n e s . a P P l e . C o M a n d r o i d . C o M
74
GLA 220 CDI 4Matic(from page 64)
Engine / Output2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel,
125 kW at 3,400-4,000 rpm;
max. torque 350 Nm
at 1,400-3,400 rpm
Transmission7G-DCT
7-speed dual-clutch transmission
Acceleration0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.3 s
Top speed 215 km/h (133 mph)
Fuel consumption urban: 6.0–5.9 l diesel/100 km
(39.2-39.8 mpg)
inter-urban: 4.5–4.4 l diesel/100 km
(52.2-53.4 mpg)
combined: 5.1–4.9 l diesel/100 km
(46.1-48 mpg)
CO2 emissions (combined)
132–129 g/km (212-207 g/mi)
Energy class A
E 250(from page 76)
Engine / Output2.0-liter four-cylinder,
155 kW at 5,500 rpm;
max. torque 350 Nm
at 1,200-4,000 rpm
Transmission7G-Tronic Plus
7-speed automatic
Acceleration0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.4 s
Top speed 243 km/h (151 mph)
Fuel consumption urban: 7.7–7.5 l super/100 km
(30.5-31.3 mpg)
inter-urban: 5.1–4.8 l super/100 km
(46.1-49 mpg)
combined: 6.1–5.8 l super/100 km
(38.5-40.5 mpg)
CO2 emissions (combined)
142–135 g/km (228-216 g/mi)
Energy class A
C A p I tA L A s s E tCopenhagen, a city on the
move – and one in which the GLA feels utterly at home.
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p u b L I C At I o n D E tA I L sPublished by
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RightsReprints and use, as a whole or in part, only with the express written permission
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Daimler AG sales documentation. All other content in this magazine has been compiled to the best of our knowledge, but no guarantee is given.
Mercedes-Benz magazine appears quarterly, with editions published under cooperation or license in 40 languages.
Number 335, 60th year of publication
Printed on chlorine-free paper · Printed in Germany6720033502 ISSN 1617-6677
75
Momoko, 38
Profession Event organizer for the advertising industry
Kilometers per month400 (644 miles)
StatusMust have room for the golf bag.
i
Masaru, 44
Profession Customer support officer in an agency
Kilometers per month500–1,000 (310–620 miles)
StatusExcursions are best.
i
s a n c t u a r y Momoko Maruta and Masaru Tahara with the E 250 at the Akasaka Hikawa Shrine
d r i v e
76
riving the E-Class in Tokyo was actu-ally great fun,” says Momoko Maruta, sounding not a little surprised. Even for locals, the megacity’s road network can quickly turn into a maze of one-way streets. With over nine million
inhabitants, Japan’s largest city is in a state of constant flux. Here you see houses barely three feet wide, driv-ing schools on supermarket rooftops and any number of impossibly narrow alleyways. We invited Momoko Maruta and her colleague, Masaru Tahara, to test-drive the E 250 Avantgarde. As a rule, the pair only uses public transportation. But for once, they couldn’t resist the idea of exploring their city in the E 250.
D
he says,she says
for her, what counts is safety on long journeys. For him, it is more about how
the sedan copes with narrow streets – or is it the other way around? Women and men often
have different priorities – particularly when it comes to cars. Here, we ask Momoko and
Masaru from Tokyo about their experiences.words J enn y B u c HH ol z photos YOSH I H I TO SASAG U C H I
d o w n t o w nOff to the city –
Ginza is the place for shopping
and entertainment.
<
77
SPACIOUS and elegant, yet ideal for a city the size of Tokyo. m o m o k o
MoMokoF o r m e , the E-Class is a proper grown-up’s car. When I got in for the first time, I was struck by how big it is on the inside. And by the elegance with which even the dashboard is designed, with its trim elements and analog clock beneath the onboard computer. I par-ticularly liked the “dual torch” headlamps, which shine in the dark like the eyes of some mythical creature. At twilight, the LEDs bathed the surroundings in a light so bright, it was almost like looking at a cinema screen. The doors, too, surprised me, because they were so easy to open, even when we parked on a slope and had to push them upwards to get out. The spacious E-Class and Tokyo’s narrow streets proved an ideal match. I realize that sounds paradoxical and, to begin with, I also wondered how this luxury sedan would cope with the narrow streets of Shinjuku district – some barely wider than the car. But the E-Class was very easy to maneuver around corners, street stalls and parked vehicles. Sometimes, we had to sit in the car for long periods and remain still for the photographer, which usually leaves me feeling tired very quickly. But using switches on the door, you could adjust the amazing seats to any position you wanted – I was still wide-awake even after sitting in the car for hours. Although I really wanted to do my job, the photographer had to use all his charms to get me to pose beside the car with a cheerful smile. It’s not easy to strike a relaxed pose with curious passers-by inspecting the car you are leaning against.
s t e a d y a h e a d Active Lane Keeping Assist comes in useful on Rainbow Bridge.
d r i v e r s w a pA brief rest at the foot of Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower.
d r i v e
78
VERSATILE and well designed – with a smooth yet powerful engine and safety assist functions. m a s a r u
Masarui l i k e t h e E-Class. Because I usually drive rental cars, I often get the feeling as soon as I get in a car that we don’t really suit one another. But as soon as I got into the E-Class, it was like a match made in heaven. It has to be said: this car is elegant. But the word I would use to describe it is rational. It is an extremely well-designed and versatile car. The engine is not big and flashy, instead it’s smooth and pacey. What I find fantastic are the extensive safety functions, such as the active Lane Keeping assist system and Brake assist, which prevents rear-end collisions. With these on board, I was as relaxed and assured about driving long distances as I was about tackling downtown Tokyo. The navigation system even made easy work of the city’s maze of one-way streets. after picking up the car at the Mercedes-Benz Connection in roppongi, we drove to the akasaka Hikawa shrine. Most shinto shrines are dedicated to commercial success, but this shrine exists to help couples and families – so the atmosphere was much quieter. Our last stop was shinjuku, where a sudden downpour drenched the photographer while he stood in front of the car to take pictures of us inside. at least the trunk was big enough to offer space and protection for his equipment.
E 250
Engine / Output 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 155 kW; max. torque 350 Nm
Transmission7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic
Warm glowThe optional ambient lighting creates a cozy atmosphere in the interior using indirect lighting. Three light colors are available and brightness is continuously dimmable.
Dazzle-free drivingAdaptive Highbeam Assist Plus enables the driver to use permanent high beam at night by masking out other vehicles in the cone of light.
Further technical specifications and fuel consumption figures can be found on page 75.
i
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nove mbe r de c e mbe r
NOT TO BE MISSED K e Y d I A r Y d AT e S F r o m n o v e m b e r 2 014 T o F e b r U A r Y 2 015
F r o m 3c H r I S T m AS L I G H T S I n n e w Yo r KThe most famous Christmas tree of them all has been lighting up the plaza in front of New York’s Rockefeller Center for over 75 years. The tree is traditionally a Norway spruce up to 30 meters tall and at least 13 wide (100 x 40 ft), and the annual process of choosing the most magnificent specimen could easily be the subject of a reality TV show – proud tree owners enter their prize spruces as Christmas tree candidates in an online competition. These days, the massive conifers are illuminated by tens of thousands of energy-efficient LED lights.
4 –7A r T b AS e L , m I A m I b e Ac HThis is the place for anyone looking to snag a few last-minute arty gifts and enjoy lovely weather to boot. With Miami’s art-deco skyline as a backdrop, more than 250 galleries from all over the world display works by modern artists as well as up-and-coming talents.
F r o m 26j e F F Ko o n S , pA r I SHis art might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but its prices speak for themselves: since his “Balloon Dog” was auctioned for nearly 60 million dollars, Koons is without a doubt the priciest artist alive. The Centre Pompidou is currently hosting his first Euro-pean retrospective.
13 –14r Ac e o F c H A m pI o n S , b A r b A d o SF1, rally racing, NASCAR, MotoGP, touring car racing or the X-Games: this end-of-season event sees top drivers from all race disciplines going head-to-head – in the same type of race car.
F r o m
dec 25H A r b I n
I c e F e S T I vA LFor two whole winter months, this northern Chinese city plays host
to a fantastic, frosty attraction: countless sculptures and large-scale reproductions of famous buildings made entirely of ice
and open for visitors to wander through and admire.
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13 –17m a r d i g r as , n e w O r l e a n s“Fat Tuesday” is the name given by the French to one of their most beloved carnival celebrations. In the 18th century, French immigrants to New Orleans brought the name – and the entire festival – along with them. Today, “Mardi Gras” is synonymous with a weekend of colorful parades, jazz and laid-back partying.
1s u p e r b Ow l X l i X , ph O e n i XThe 49th edition of the National Football League’s (NFL) championship game is one of the world’s most spectacular sporting events, attracting roughly 800 million at-home television viewers. Many are just as interested in the halftime show as they are in the game itself.
27–29s u n b u r n f e s t i va l , g Oa The 2013 edition of this event on the west coast of India drew 160,000 music fans, making it far and away Asia’s biggest dance music festival. Organizers are again promising massive scale and a plethora of stars alongside flea markets and theatrical presentations.
f r O m 14C r i C K e t wO r ld C u p, au s t r a l i a & n e w Z e a l a n dEvery four years, 14 of the world’s major cricket-loving nations pit their top athletes against each other in a sport which has captured the imagination of one fifth of the world’s population. The World Cup lasts six weeks, ending March 29. This year, reigning champ India will attempt to defend its title.
6 –9C e s , l as v e g asThe Consumer Electronics Show is the place where the world discovers which TV, smartphone, gaming console or totally new device will be the next big thing in 2015. Over 20,000 new products are scheduled to be on display.
17–25d e t r O i t au tO s h OwThe first major car show of the year also happens to be the USA’s most important. Needless to say, Mercedes-Benz will be represented there as well – most likely with one or two automotive surprises in tow.
10 –18b a r r e t t- j aC Ks O n ’ s C a r au C t i O n , s C Ot t s da leA can’t-miss event for classic car fans with pocket money to burn: in 2013, the 1,399 classic cars that flew off the auction block fetched a total of 113 million dollars.
n i g h t l i g h t sWhat to do at the Sunburn Festival in Goa, India? Try tripping the light fantastic.
a C t i O n The cricket
World Cup will be followed
on television by millions.
f i r s t l O O KFashion Week Berlin is
Germany’s most important sartorial event.
17–25b O Ot d ü s s e l d O r fThe vessels on display at the world’s largest boat show range from canoes to 30-meter (100-ft) yachts. Nearly 1,600 exhibitors will showcase their products within a variety of themed exhibition areas, with massive pools for on-site testing of some of the exhibits.
22–1s u n da n C e f i l m f e s t i va lThe Park City, Utah-based festival ranks as a mecca of the independent film world, having witnessed breakthroughs by several now-famous filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. The festival’s founder is himself a celebrity: Robert Redford.
19 –21m b fas h i O n w e e K , b e r l inJanuary is prime time for fashionistas to discover the hot-test trends for the 2015-2016 fall/winter season. At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin, designers from around the world will parade their models and creations down a runway located directly at the Brandenburg Gate.
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ICONS air pressure
THe Tire pressure iNDiCaTOr shows whether or not a car’s tires are
adequately inflated. But air pressure also plays an important role elsewhere,
as our six examples demonstrate.
p O p G O YO u r e a r s The world’s fastest elevator is slated to begin operation in China in 2016.
To reduce the aural discomfort that many people experience while ascending
at a rate of 4,000 vertical meters (over 13,000 ft) per minute, the engineers have
designed a system that minimizes air pressure fluctuations inside the elevator car.
p r e s s u r e i N D e p T HUnderwater, pressure increases by one bar (14.5 psi) per meter (3.3 ft) of depth, while
oxygen toxicity also rises. The record for the deepest non-submersible descent is
701 m (2,300 ft), achieved in a pressure chamber. The decompression phase – vital
to survival – lasted over 550 hours.
a M aT T e r O F Ta s T eHow tomato juice tastes depends on the
altitude. Studies have shown that in the low-pressure environment of an airplane, it has a fruity, sweet flavor,
while on the ground it has a more earthy taste. Many ordinarily-flavored foods
taste slightly bland at cruising altitude.
p u M p i T u pThe bigger the tire, the lower the air pressure:
tractor tires need less than two bar (29 psi), while much thinner race car tires can handle up to
130 bar (1,885 psi). The reason: larger surface areas allow more moving air particles to impact against the inner tube, bringing far greater force to bear.
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G O N e W i T H T H e W i N DWind is mainly caused by pressure differentials between adjacent air masses.
Mount Washington in the USA is a good place to observe this – its summit is reputedly home to some of the worst weather on the planet. The second-fastest wind velocity of all time was recorded there – 372 km/h (231 mph).
p e O p l e u N D e r p r e s s u r eThe average air pressure at the Earth’s
surface is 1,013 hectopascals – equivalent to 14.7 pounds per square inch. So why don’t
people feel any of that pressure? Because the forces are equally distributed on all sides of
our bodies, in effect canceling themselves out.
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