MERCEDES BENZ BLOG

The R107/C107 since introduction on North American market sported quad headlights, and from 1974 front and rear bumpers had added 8 inches (203 mm) of rubber on each end to comply with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations. When the first 350s were exported to the US, because of the strict horsepower robbing emission requirements, the US 350s were shipped with low compression 4.5 liter engines. The 450 SL was produced until 1980. Model years 75 and 76 450 SLs suffered from vapor lock and hard restart because of the under-hood position of the catalytic converter. Starting in MY 77, the catalytic converter was moved to replace the resonator, located just behind the transmission in the exhaust system. Next was the 380 SL imported from 1981 to 1985. The 380 SL was the least powerful of the US imported R107 roadsters. This engine came with a single row timing chain from 1981 through 1983. MYs 1984 and 1985 came with a double row timing chain from the factory. These early 380 models were plagued with chain failure problems and the problem was corrected by Mercedes-Benz, free of charge. Some models, however, escaped retrofit and may at some point fail as a result. Another problem area for late 450 SLs and early 380 SLs was the automatic climate control system. Based on a "servo", which controlled coolant flow to the heater core, as well as vacuum to actuate the vents in the interior of the car, the system proved unreliable. It was installed on 450 SLs from 1978 through end of production in 1980, and continued on the 1981 MY of the 380 SL. Models produced prior to 1978 had a manual climate control system, models produced after 1981 received a more reliable automatic climate control system.

The front track of the 2013 Chevrolet Express is 5 ft. 8.1 in. (68.1 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Ford Edge? The front track of the 2013 Ford Edge is 5 ft. 5.4 in. (65.4 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 BMW M3? The front track of the 2013 BMW M3 is 5 ft. 0.5 in. (60.5 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Audi Allroad? The front track of the 2013 Audi Allroad is 5 ft. 2.3 in. (62.3 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Ford Mustang? The front track of the 2013 Ford Mustang is 5 ft. 2.3 in. (62.3 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Ford Flex? The front track of the 2013 Ford Flex is 5 ft. 5.4 in. (65.4 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Scion xB? The front track of the 2013 Scion xB is 5 ft. 0 in. (60 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Volvo S80? The front track of the 2013 Volvo S80 is 5 ft. 2.1 in. (62.1 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Subaru Forester? The front track of the 2013 Subaru Forester is 5 ft. 0.2 in. (60.2 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Infiniti QX? The front track of the 2013 Infiniti QX is 5 ft. 7.5 in. (67.5 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo? The front track of the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo is 5 ft. 2.4 in. (62.4 in.). What is the front track of the 2013 Chevrolet Impala? The front track of the 2013 Chevrolet Impala is 5 ft. 2.4 in. (62.4 in.).

Prior to the fuel crises in the 1970's, rear wheel drive was king. Just about every vehicle, from economy to luxury, came with rear wheel drive. The shift from rear wheel drive to front took about a decade. Since the mid eighties, just about every economy car, family sedan, minivan and even many sport coupes came with front wheel drive. Luxury marks such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz continued on with rear wheel drive but Cadillac eventually moved every vehicle to front wheel drive. Once again, times have changed. Over the last few years we've seen more and more vehicles (re) introduce rear wheel drive. Well, it simple. As cars become more powerful it is difficult to have one set of wheels doing the steering and the accelerating. By having the front wheels do the steering, and the rear wheels driving the car, you get a better-balanced vehicle. This eliminates torque steer and improves acceleration. Rear wheel drive offers better weight distribution (much closer to 50/50 than fwd), which in turn offers more predictable handling. Finally, with the advent of traction control and stability management systems, the front wheel drive advantage in slippery conditions has been significantly reduced.

More and more rwd vehicles have the option of AWD as well. If nothing else, this is a great way for automakers to hedge their bets. Still, some consumers are skeptical of rear wheel drive. Perhaps they are the victims of clever marketing by Madison Ave. that tried to get people to accept fwd and forget all about the virtues rear wheel drive. They did a great job. Perhaps too good. Today cars are more powerful yet yield better fuel economy. As such, we can look at fwd and rwd more objectively. Is one better than the other? Fwd still holds an advantage in terms of packaging efficiency, offering greater interior room in a smaller package. Rear wheel drive provides better handling and acceleration and with the addition of traction control, virtually eliminates the fwd advantage in the snow. In the end, it depends on what you want from your car. If it's performance, you're looking at rwd. If you're indifferent, perhaps looking for a small car with greater interior volume, it's front wheel drive for you. Over the last 20 years, technology has improved both layouts, reducing the advantages of fwd to a point where rwd is a viable option for most people. Ultimately, you've got more choice, and when more choice is offered we all win.

As is the case with 4MATIC’s fine-tuning on a dry or wet road, directional stability and therefore the active safety of the GLK models is always to the fore when wintry conditions prevail, too. The basic 4MATIC mechanism with a 45:55 percent torque split between the front and rear axles along with the multiple-disc limited-slip centre differential with a basic locking torque of 50 Nm adds up to an ideal solution. This basic design delivers high traction since, on the one hand, the dynamic shift in axle load toward the rear axle that occurs during acceleration is used to deliver more drive torque to the rear. Meanwhile, the multiple-disc limited-slip centre differential can also variably shift the drive torque from 30 to 70 or 70 to 30 percent between the front and rear axle, whenever the road conditions so dictate. As such, the electronic control systems ESP, 4ETS or ASR can intervene as late as possible; the bulk of the torque is converted into traction on slippery roads. All interventions go virtually unnoticed, but the drivers are still informed immediately if they are driving on the limit.