--CarJunkie's Car Review--

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing is one of the most iconic cars. It is an important car in the automotive industry. It is the first ever sports car to have a gasoline direct injection. Before the 300SL was produces, fuel and air were mixed into a carburetor before entering the engine. The 300SL coupe is also the first car to have gullwing doors, the defining characteristic for the car. The 300SL Roadster does not have the gullwing doors. The 300SL was produced from 1953 to 1963 with 1,400 coupes and 1,858 roadsters made. When the 300SL Gullwing was released, it was the fastest street-legal production car, reaching a top speed of 145 mph. It dethroned the Pegaso Z-102 as the fastest production car. I recently saw the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe and the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster at the 20011 Houston Classy Chassis: Concours d'Elegance. The roadster looked beautiful. The coupe has a paint cracks on the front bumper. I had a scale model of the 300SL Gullwing growing up.

It was nice to see a 300SL Gullwing in person. The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is powered by a 3.0L inline-6 engine, paired with a four-speed manual that produces 212 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 mph time for the 300SL Gullwing Coupe is 7.2 seconds an the 0-60 mph time for the 300SL Roadster is 7.1 seconds. Both the coupe and roadster reached a top speed of 140 mph. The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing has been featured at Jay Leno's Garage. James May reviewed the 300SL Gullwing during Top Gear Series 5, Episode 5. A few Chasing Classic Cars episodes featured the 300SL Gullwing Coupe and 300SL Roadster. The 300SL Gullwing Coupe and 300SL Roadster are the iconic Mercedes-Benz cars. They are highly collectible and the 300SL Gullwing Coupe is the basis for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The SLS may have better technology, but it will never capture the spirit of the 300SL Gullwing. I would much rather have the 300SL Gullwing over the SLS AMG. No car was faster that the 300SL Gullwing when it came out. Even the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss is based on the 300 SLR race car that was driven by Moss.

This infotainment platform and control concept on the new A6 Avant combines the advantages of simple operation, a perfect position and consistent operating logic. With MMI having already set the standard in the luxury-class Audi A8, it is now continuing its story of success in the executive segment. As in the Audi A6 saloon before it, the system is available in three different configurations: as MMI basic (standard), MMI basic plus, and MMI. The Audi A6 Avant comes as standard with MMI basic, featuring the terminal, a 6.5-inch monochrome display, as well as an integrated radio and single-disc CD player. Music output is via a 2x20 Watt amplifier and four loudspeakers in the front doors. Like all radios, the basic system comes with speed-dependent volume control and, thanks to the diversity aerial, excellent radio reception. As well as the radio functions and the broadcasting of traffic information, numerous vehicle functions such as the air conditioning and interior light configuration can be controlled via MMI basic, as on the Audi A8. On MMI basic plus, available as an optional extra, the radio system of MMI basic can be further upgraded with extra components.

A TP memory, for example, is able to record traffic messages lasting up to four minutes. Over and above the basic unit, MMI basic plus comes with a sound system incorporating a total of 10 loudspeakers (three-way combinations at the front and two-way combinations at the rear). MMI basic plus can also be combined with a CD-based navigation system featuring optical destination guidance using arrow pictograms and additional text in formation in the driver information system presented exactly in the driver's line of vision. The system also indicates the route acoustically to the driver. Route planning takes all information provided by TMC traffic radio messaging into account. Fitted as an option with the full range of features, MMI comes with a 7-inch colour monitor in the new Audi A6 Avant. In addition to the high-quality audio system already featured with MMI basic plus, a double tuner and a six-disc CD changer are included in the radio system.

As on the A8, MMI can also be supplied with DVD navigation. A DVD provides more than ten times the storage capacity of a conventional CD ROM, coupled with a noticeably faster access time. A further advantage is that the navigation system calculates the route much more swiftly than on CD-based systems. This is particularly noticeable during map loading and when using the zoom function. This allows a flowing zooming in and out and enables the map to be moved in all four directions. As an alternative, the navigation system can also be operated using voice control. As on the Audi A8, the new A6 Avant, and parallel the saloon, comes as an option with an intelligent "travelling companion": second generation radar-aided adaptive cruise control that automatically maintains the right distance from the vehicle ahead. Supplementing the optional cruise control function, this system significantly enhances driving convenience by automatically controlling the speed of the car relative to the vehicle ahead and the distance chosen.