Mercedes-Benz made history again this month. Its 'Bionic Car' completed the first lap of one of the tracks at its 'Mercedes-Benz World' site at Brooklands – 98 years, 4 months and 28 days since Ethel Locke-King led a procession of cars around at the opening launch party back on 17th June 1907.

Under a crisp blue autumn sky, DaimlerChrysler Development Engineer Ralph Hettich, responsible for the Bionic Car project, became the first person to complete the first official lap of the new Brooklands track.

Building work on the impressive 155-acre site continued unhindered as the car completed its first lap of the 0.6 mile circuit loop in a time of 3m32s. Despite the low average speed – due to the 10 mph speed limit in force while the site is under construction - the significance of the first lap was not lost on those present.

"The Bionic Car perfectly embodies the enduring pioneering spirit of Mercedes-Benz, so it was the ideal vehicle to complete the first lap today;" said Peter O’Halloran, Mercedes-Benz World Director. "The Mercedes and Benz race cars at the inaugural meeting in 1907 were at the cutting edge of technology for their day, and this Bionic Car is no different. Its revolutionary design and construction shows what the future of motoring could hold, which is why it was chosen for the inaugural lap of our new track."

The new handling courses are still under construction, but already the surface is smooth enough for a complete circuit. After laying the top layer of smooth, grippy asphalt next (northenr) spring, the completed tracks (totalling 1.55 miles) will give visitors a thrilling chance to experience how the Mercedes-Benz cars react to different driving conditions, including ESP® tests on wet grip circles.

The handling circuit’s tracks, adjacent 10-acre off-road course, and huge Brand Centre building will be available to customers, families and to companies which have hired the complex’s facilities. Mercedes-Benz World is already open to bookings from the end of 2006.

Mercedes-Benz World will also function as a vehicle retailer for Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart models. New and used vehicle sales, service and repair, and accessories will all be available alongside a display of every vehicle in the Mercedes Car Group range.

Displays of the company’s most famous models past and present, interactive displays and a low pressure ‘no hard sell’ atmosphere will all make Mercedes-Benz World the perfect venue for a wide range of users of all ages.

After completing the first laps of the new circuit, Mr Hettich demonstrated the Bionic Car to families who were spending their day at the Brooklands Museum. He drove along the famous old Members’ Banking, the enthusiastic crowd watching as the car got to within feet of the top of the banked circuit.

It was an appropriate way to end an afternoon where Brooklands enjoyed a glimpse of the future; a glimpse of a car that features leading edge environmental and safety technology making history; a glimpse of the start of the next chapter in the enduring story of Mercedes-Benz and Brooklands.

The plans for Mercedes-Benz World include:

• A flood compensation scheme that will help reduce the impact of flooding on the Brooklands Museum and local homes.
• Developing a 60 acre Community Park plus riverside nature walks.
• Offering Wellington Way and part of Sopwith Drive for adoption as a public highway and implementing a high quality local bus service.
• Mercedes-Benz World is to be housed in a carefully designed single building and will include display galleries and a technology centre.
• The Gullwing restaurant will offer a five-star food and beverage menu; there’s also the 1886 Café.
• A feature will be made of the long history of racing Mercedes at Brooklands and the theatre, visitor, education and hospitality facilities will be used by local businesses and schools.
• The new building is next to the Brooklands Museum and historic motor racing circuit. The Centre will provide an opportunity for customers and visitors to learn about the evolution of the present day range of cars and to experience at first hand the many performance, safety, economic and environmental benefits of owning a Mercedes-Benz passenger car.
• The centre will offer customers the ability to customise and collect their new Mercedes-Benz and to test drive vehicles on the specially designed circuit.
• A proposed business development adjacent to the existing light industrial area and a five star hotel.
• A new additional access road and parking for the Brooklands Museum.
• The site was granted detailed planning permission in March 2004, and work began in July 2004.

Mercedes-Benz designers have taken their inspiration from nature and looked at the body shapes of fish in order to understand how they swim efficiently. The Bionic Car is the result.

Designed to mirror the streamlined features of the tropical boxfish, the Bionic Car has been fused with the latest Mercedes-Benz diesel engine technology to deliver world-first characteristics.

Its lightweight construction and superb aerodynamics mean that the car consumes 20 per cent less fuel than regular production cars. Its drag coefficient value of only 0.19 helps deliver fuel consumption of 4.3l/100km (65.7 mpg).

It has an SCR technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction) diesel engine, using Adblue to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80 per cent, exceeding proposed Euro V emission standards expected in the UK in 2010.

Its revolutionary body shell is designed using the boxfish’s body for inspiration. It is up to 40 per cent more rigid than other cars, yet its weight is reduced by around one third. Strength and crash safety is unaffected.

New 2.0 TDI Engine For Audi A4 Range
21st November, 2005
Audi’s new A4 2.0 TDI with 7-step multitronic, priced at $56,990, is now available in Australia ..... more

Cadillac Wins Manufacturers’ Titles
18th November, 2005
With a total of four victories, two pole positions and nine podium finishes, the CTS-V racers of Team Cadillac claimed a clean sweep of both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series ..... more

New Volkswagen Passat Clinches Prestigious Award
17th November, 2005
Upholding the tradition of all its predecessor generations, the new Passat again takes the honours as winner of the Bild am Sonntag newspaper’s “Goldenes Lenkrad” (golden steering wheel) award ..... more

Ford Invention Wins Award
17th November, 2005
The UK's Autocar magazine has presented Ford with the "Idea Of The Year Award" for its Easy Fuel Concept, a simple device that prevents drivers from accidentally filling their diesel car with petrol ..... more

Porsche Again Makes A Record Profit
17th November, 2005
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG turned in the highest profit in its corporate history during the 2004/05 fiscal year ..... more

Repsol Team Takes Win in UAE Desert
17th November, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Repsol Team driver Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret clinched their third UAE Desert Challenge victory in four years ..... more

Green Light For New Audi R8 Sports Car
17th November, 2005
It’s official. The new 2007 sports car from Audi has been named the Audi R8 ..... more

Mika Häkkinen Continues in The 2006 DTM
17th November, 2005
Mika Häkkinen has extended his contract and will race again in the 2006 DTM, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced this week ..... more

New Audi S4 Launched in Australia
16th November, 2005
The new Audi S4, now in its third generation, is instantly recognisable thanks to a completely new exterior design and a dynamic front end dominated by the brand’s formal design idiom, the single-frame grille ..... more

Grand Sports Tourer Gets AMG Makeover
15th November, 2005
The new Mercedes-Benz Grand Sports Tourer (the R-Class), due to arrive in Australia next year, has been given an AMG makeover ..... more

Porsche: Turbo Driving Force
15th November, 2005
The very concept of turbocharger technology is linked inseparably with the name Porsche and the Porsche brand ..... more

Mercedes-Benz G-Class To Continue
14th November, 2005
DaimlerChrysler will continue to produce the G-Class in the coming years and the hot version, the G 55 AMG may come to Australia ..... more

DaimlerChrsyler Selling Mitsubishi Shares
14th November, 2005
DaimlerChrysler AG has agreed to sell its remaining equity interest in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) ..... more

Porsche To Build New Drive Centre
14th November, 2005
The town council of Weissach authorised the application for planning permission by Porsche AG, for a new drive centre ..... more

Peugeot Welcomes UK Bio-Fuel Iniative
13th November, 2005
Peugeot is keen to make customers aware that their HDi diesel cars are already capable of operating on this environmentally friendly fuel ..... more

UK Requires 5% Renewable Fuel By 2010
13th November, 2005
The UK's Transport Secretary has announced new measures to make transport fuels 'greener' by requiring 5% of all fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010 ..... more

UK Crackdown On The Uninsured
11th November, 2005
In the UK, tough new enforcement action to crackdown on uninsured drivers has been unveiled. From yesterday, police forces across the UK can use automatic number plate recognition cameras to spot and ultimately seize and destroy cars being driven without insurance ..... more

Audi: Sweaty Overalls Off, Italian Fashion On
11th November, 2005
Following a gruelling season of the German Touring Car Masters series (DTM), Audi drivers swapped their sweaty racing overalls for renowned Italian fashion label, René Lezard ..... more

Duke of York Visits Bentley Motors
11th November, 2005
Bentley Motors welcomed HRH Duke of York to their factory yesterday, in his capacity as Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment ..... more

Mitsubishi Upgrades Outlander & Pajero
11th November, 2005
Two of Mitsubishi’s popular models – Outlander and Pajero – have received upgrades to enhance their popularity ..... more

Europe's VW Touareg W12 Sport Edition
10th November, 2005
A sporting look and dynamic performance with outstanding comfort. The Touareg W12 Sport Edition with an extensive package of equipment is available now in Europe ..... more

Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Roadsters
9th November, 2005
Australian customers snapped up more than 1,000 second-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadsters in the car’s first year on sale ..... more

Mercedes ML 320 CDI Arrives
8th November, 2005
The all new V6 diesel-powered ML 320 CDI is now available in Mercedes-Benz showrooms across the country, priced from $82,900 ..... more

Volkswagen California and California 4MOTION
7th November, 2005
The Volkswagen California has been synonymous with freedom and leisure since the late fifties. Many other car manufacturers have tried to copy the original, but none have succeeded in capturing the true essence of the ‘VW Bus’, nor its derivative, the all inclusive, kitchen sink as standard, Volkswagen Camper ..... more

Industry Gears up for End of Year Sales Push
6th November, 2005
Australian motor vehicle sales dropped slightly in October, interrupting a run of record monthly results that have pushed the market to new heights this year ..... more

Strong Demand For Boxster In North America
6th November, 2005
Porsche’s sports cars posted another considerable increase in sales in October 2005. The strongest rise in Boxster shipments was recorded in North America ..... more

Peugeot’s Carbon Sink in the Amazon Forest
5th November, 2005
The CEO of PSA and the Director of France’s Office National des Forêts (ONF), traveled to the São Nicolau tree farm in Brazil for a review of their experimental carbon sink project ..... more

The Last Rover
5th November, 2005
The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust has discovered the mystery surrounding the very last car built at the MG Rover Longbridge plant in Birmingham ..... more

Audi Hits 4,000 Units in Australia
3rd November, 2005
Following the company’s 10th consecutive month of record sales, Audi Australia has leapt the 4,000 units year-to-date hurdle following October sales results ..... more