In 2014 and 2015 there were 38 F1 races in total. Out of the 38, the Mercedes Petronas Formula 1 team won 32 races and finished first and second in 23 of them. They are favourites to do the same in 2016 too, which means we’ll be seeing Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg spraying lots of champagne again this year.
Mercedes-Benz has been fairly quiet about their Formula 1 success, so perhaps the time is right to launch a car to commemorate their period of dominance. Say hello then to the Mercedes-Benz A250 Motorsport Edition, which the Germans hope will appeal to dyed-in-the-wool Merc and Formula 1 fans.
Available in very limited numbers, it’s essentially an A250 Sport (recently refreshed) decked out in AMG Line trim and equipped with exterior flourishes from the Aerodynamics package. The really stand-out bits though are the ‘petrol’ green accents liberally sprinkled throughout the car. It’s reminiscent to the hue used on the F1 machines and the corporate colour of Malaysian oil giant Petronas, so it’s a bit extra special for Malaysians.
The front and rear bumpers, exterior mirrors and 19-inch wheel flanges all have green flashes as do the end plates on the roof mounted rear wing. Inside, the sports seats are trimmed in black leather/Dinamica microfiber and carry contrasting green strips down their middle. The colour is also found on the seat belts, air vents and stitching used on the dashboard, seats, floor mats and arm rests.
Standard equipment on the car includes the Night Package, LED headlamps, AMG Exclusive package and the Audio 20 CD in-car entertainment system. The mechanical package is unchanged from the A250 Sport, so power and torque remain at 211hp and 350Nm with drive directed to the front wheels via a 7G-DCT gearbox. Available in four different colours (cirrus white, cosmos black, polar silver and mountain grey) the Mercedes-Benz A250 Motorsport Edition is priced at RM256,888 inclusive of GST, which is a RM18,000 premium over the newly refreshed A250 Sport.
C-Class range gets new members
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia also recently announced the addition of two new C-Class variants that bookends the locally-assembled CKD range. It now starts with the ‘entry’ but reasonably well-equipped C180 Avantgarde Line, powered by a 156hp/250Nm turbo-charged 1.6-litre four-cylinder, and priced at RM228,888; and tops out with the C300 AMG Line, which is essentially a C250 with a raised output of 245hp/370Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder, larger 19-inch alloys and a couple of extra comfort features. The C300 retails for RM307,888.
