Holiday Party
New Location! La Ferme Restaurant
elebrate
in style at the GWS Holiday Party Winter Brunch on Sunday, January 12 at noon. It's still in Chevy Chase, but it's going to be a bit more private and a little more posh. You can still count on the great food and drink that GWS Holiday Parties are known for!
Are you looking forward to winter so you can get into the G-wagon, the ML, or the 4MATIC and go off someplace new and exciting? GWS members love to celebrate no matter what the weather and they always do it in style! This year's Holiday Party has been turned into a January Sunday Brunch.
This year's Holiday Party has been moved at the request of many members to celebrate north of the Potomac River and not in December when everyone's calendar is so full. So this year we will be doing just that!
La Ferme is set in a charming French style farmhouse where you will feel instantly transported to Provence. After leaving the Mercedes- Benz-only private parking area you will receive a warm welcome at the door from their international wait staff. La Ferme's brunch specialties include Angus Black Minute Steak and egg, Norwegian Salmon with Hollandaise sauce, Emmental cheese, wild mushroom and herb omlette, Brioche French Toast, or Grilled paillard of chicken. We will start off with canapés and an appetizer and finish with your selection of one of their famous desserts. The cost for members and their guests is $39 per person, and includes two "hard" drinks, unlimited soft drinks, and plated brunch.
Join us for the always-great conversation, the camaraderie of fellow section members, and the excitement of the awards ceremony---all set in a quaint country inn.
Our Annual Toys For Tots drive was held at the New Members Welcome Reception, but we will continue our tradition of collecting food for the needy at the Holiday Party. Please bring canned goods or dry staples. Claire Luke will coordinate the distribution. Don't have time to go shopping? We'll gladly accept your check and make sure it gets where it will do the most good.
So... Mark your calendar now for Sunday, January 12 at noon. And don't forget to mail your check and coupon right away to reserve your place!
Directions: From the Beltway (I-495) take Exit 33 (Connecticut Avenue South---Chevy Chase). Go one mile. Turn left on East-West Highway. Go three blocks and make a right turn onto Route 186 (Brookville Rd.). Follow 186 two-thirds of a mile and you will see La Ferme on the left side of the road. Directions are also available on La Ferme's website.
magine
wandering through lush gardens, green everywhere you can see. Imagine tropical plants, waterfalls, fountains, and plenty of floral displays. Imagine shopping for the best in garden goodies. Imagine all that in March after a long cold wet winter!
If you are an avid garden enthusiast, you know the Philadelphia Flower Show, like the Chelsea Garden Show in London, is a must for anyone who loves the garden. And if you have been to the Philly Flower Show you know that it is always mobbed, elbow to elbow, cheek to jowl, and very hard to even see anything but people! Well... that is if you have the regular tickets!
But we have a special treat in store for you---a limited number of pre-show tickets to the Festival de las Flores at the 2003 Philadelphia Flower Show. These pre-show tickets allow us to view the show privately with our own guide, before the public is allowed in.
For Tuesday, March 4, we have arranged for special rates at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel---a recently remodeled art deco building that will offer us shelter for both our persons and our cars. For those not wanting to drive, the Amtrak station is not far away. We will then gather at 7:30AM on Wednesday March 5 for our special private guided tour to view the show.
These limited pre-show tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Member pricing is $110 per person until December 31. After that tickets will be $125, if any are left. Loews Hotel rates start at $129 per night for a double occupancy room, $26 for parking, plus taxes and gratuities. Hotel reservations must be made on your own---mention the Mercedes-Benz Club of America for special rates.
Mail your check now with the centerfold coupon for your tickets. Call Bill Hopper at 202-363-4189 or email him for more information.
Calendar of Events
Greater Washington Section Events
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President's Message
It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...
kay.
So I stole the title from a world-famous author... You know him. His nom de plume is simply... Snoopy. With as little time as there's been since the Annual Membership Meeting and elections I've not been able to drum up a "name" for my article. Maybe it's a form of writers' block. It'll come to me.
I would like to introduce you to the section's new officers. (Drum roll, please.) Our new vice president is Harry Newman. Our new secretary is Al Angulo. And, our treasurer is Jim Glenn who has held the job since September 2001.
New board members are Rob Kaplan, Debbie and Bill Repass, Ben Weber, and Steve Walters (Technical Committee Chair). Continuing board members are Bill Hopper and Judy Roth (Social Chairs), and Klaus and Debbie Hirtes (Membership Chairs).
Dave Thompson and Paul Vanderburg will graciously continue as our webmeisters.
Bruce Roth will head up a new Concours Committee that will teach car preparation for concours and concours judging.
We have also formed a Rallye Committee. Janet McFarland, who, with husband Steve Walters, designed several Tri-O-Rama rallyes, has volunteered to serve on the committee.
If you would like to serve on a committee or help at an event, please contact any officer, board member, or the committee chair. It's the only way we can be sure to carry on the expertise we've gathered over the last 45 years.
We all owe a great deal of appreciation to our outgoing officers and board members. Thanks to officers Dick Pedersen, Ed Ayre, and Mason Beale for the years they gave to the club. And, many thanks to Vern Luke for all of his work---especially as Tech Chair.
On a very serious note, this is both a season for family and a holy season for many members of many faiths. But, it's also the silly season. With so much on peoples minds... shopping, planning trips and meals, the kids, attending events, and so on... everyday driving becomes even more hazardous. Folks often leave their "driving brain" at home when they hop in the car.
Even the sun's position becomes a problem from November through March. It sits low on the horizon in the morning and the evening, blinding us during peak driving times.
In the last three days I've seen three serious accidents right here in Reston. All were during the evening rush hour. All were on two or four lane side roads in moderate to heavy traffic. All appeared to be caused by a car making a left turn without either looking or being able to see the oncoming traffic. Please be careful out there. Look twice!
I am very excited about beginning my term as your president. The club has been an important part of my life for more than 16 years. I will do all I can to continue to bring you the best!
| Joe |
pylon alley by Joe Wozney
Autocross #7
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hat
a weird day. Almost sunny when we left Reston... bad fog while crossing the mountains to our west... and pouring rain just as we pulled up to the high school. Fortunately, the rain stopped. And, as it turned out, the rain abated until we put the last of our equipment in the trailer at day's end.
Bruce Richardson's new CLK55 eked out a 42 thousandths of a second victory over Al Angulo for Mercedes Fastest Time of Day. But Al did the same for a slim class win over Debbie Hirtes in the SL group. Debbie took second in class and fastest Time of Day for all women at the event.
Larry Taylor handily took the 300E/190 2.6 class and can still tie Jim Smith for the class championship with a win at the last event in November. John David and daughter Dana were third and fourth.
The two class winners that deserve the most praise are Steve Walters and Klaus Hirtes. Steve's sedan is 30 years old and almost as big as a Hummer---the original Hummer. Steve handles it like it was an SLK. Smooth!
Klaus' beast, on the other hand, is a 1987 whale of a diesel---big, heavy, and down on power. He's a tad (heehee) less smooth than Steve but knows just the right way to toss the car around... aggressively but (almost) always in control! Both Steve and Klaus ran incredible 60 second runs. Not bad for a total of nearly 8000 pounds of "old" iron.
In the non-Benz women's class, Angie Brochu easily won over newcomer Michelle Taksey. It's hard to say how fast Angie might have gone since I can no longer remember which events she's had to run the Bimmer after Bill's broken it.
Gonzalo made it two wins in a row in the men's class with a two-tenths gap between him and the aforementioned Bill. If Gonzalo can beat Bill by three places in #8, he can tie for the season championship. By four places? He can win it all. Third place was captured by an impressive David Reeves in his Subaru Impreza---very, very quick.
Marty Gallagher was fourth and took his third Fastest Time of Day this year. His 2003 Mustang Cobra is not loud but the whine of the supercharger spooling up gives the observer a surreal exhilaration... kind of like the scene in Independence Day when Will Smith flies the alien ship for the first time and yells, "I have got to get me one of these!"
Next up in fifth was Andrew Lee. The SM class Audi S4 makes almost no noise... no squealing, no squalling, just quiet acceleration and speed. The car is the sleeper of the bunch. Ohhh, and Andrew drives it very well!
Lief Graham edged out Ken Lober for sixth place. Lief has had a top-ten finish in every event he ran this year except for his one attempt to resurrect his Rabbit. Had he run the GTI he might have moved up one or two slots in the overall trophy race. Ken on the other hand...
Summit Point Drivers' Ed! March 8-9
It's Summit Point Time
o
you pretty much have your early spring plans in place---some gardening, a little work on the car? Want to have some real fun? Why not plan on coming to our two-day performance driving school at Summit Point Raceway on March 8 and 9. If you can't make two days, then join us for one day.
The Point is a two mile long track with a half mile straight and ten turns. It's a safe and fun track to drive with lots of runoff room. For a good look at what it's like doing a hot lap, call up the Summit Point page on the Internet.
Are you a novice with no previous track experience? No problem! Instructors from Bill Scott Racing will be on hand both days to teach you performance driving.
You'll love the track and the instructors. No one will force you to drive any faster than you comfortably want to. We want you to progress at your own pace.
Don't want to drive the new Benz? Or the old one? You can drive any car you wish, as long as it has $100,000 liability coverage and will pass the mandatory tech inspection. Rag tops require a roll bar or a hard top.
The pre-event car safety inspection sheet can be downloaded on the club's web site, as can the registration form if you prefer not to use the one in this newsletter.
Rates for the event are only $295 for both days or $165 for one day and include a hot lunch. Additional lunches for your guests are $12 each. Rates rise on February 16 so act now!
Optional hotel arrangements have been made with the Shoney's Inn in Winchester for Friday and Saturday at a special $50 rate (plus tax). The rooms will be held until March 1. Call them at 540-665-1700 and tell them you're with the Mercedes-Benz Club. Shoney's is only 15 or 20 minutes from the track.
Listen! This stuff is good for your soul and will help eliminate the stress in your life. You won't know what fun is until you get off the *#%ř Beltway and try performance driving. Plan now on joining us! If you have any questions, please call Joe Wozney at 703-437-7866.
n
October 20 at American Service Center, the Greater Washington Section Annual Meeting and the biannual elections were held. The election was well attended with more than one hundred attendees and 96 registered voters. In addition to the candidates found in the prior issues of the Metro Tri-Star, Joe Wozney was nominated from the floor to run for President. The results of the elections were as follows:
| President: | Joe Wozney |
| Vice President: | Harry Newman |
| Secretary: | Al Angulo |
| Treasurer: | Jim Glenn |
Eighteen members received either their 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25-year anniversary pins. In fact, we had two 25-year pins awarded---one to Max Van Valkenburg and the other to Ray Stroh.
This year we were fortunate to have several people interested and willing to run for office. We hope that we can continue this in the future. The section will only remain the vibrant club that it is, if everyone participates. So whether it is tinkering with you car, driving and dinning, taking tours, seeing how fast your car will run at Summit Point, or just meeting other Benz enthusiasts come out to an event and ask how you can help! The section is always looking for volunteers to give an extra hand. Volunteering is a great way to see what goes on behind the scenes and to get to meet some of your fellow section members. So, contact any officer or committee chairmen and get involved.
| Janet McFarland, Nominating Committee |
everal
members have asked for a reprinting of the following article, which appeared in both the November 1997 and November 2000 Metro Tri-Star. Following the recommendation can have an important impact on safer driving.
The instructions are also covered in an article with drawings on Click and Clack's web site.
Many preventable accidents occur because drivers fail to see what's around them. Here's a solution for those driving blind spots. The method was developed by engineer George Platter. He presented his method at a recent meeting of the Society of Automobile Engineers. The technique was then tested by the National Safety Council. The very positive test results were published in the Council's September/October 1997 issue of Traffic Safety.
Here's how it works!
First, forget how you learned to adjust your mirrors by plopping behind the steering wheel and adjusting the mirrors so that you saw the side of the car.
Instead, while resting your head against the driver's side window, adjust the driver's side mirror by turning the mirror so that you just see the side of the car. Once this is set, move to the center of the vehicle and turn the passenger's side mirror so that you can just see the side of your car from the center of the vehicle. That's it!
You won't see your own car in either mirror, yet what you will see is far better. Cars behind you show up as usual in the rearview mirror, but the instant the car leaves your field of vision (from the rearview mirror) the outside mirror picks it up---there's no blind spot, no delays, no wondering where that car about to pass you has disappeared to. And, there's no waiting for the car you just saw in your rearview mirror to show up in your outside mirrors. All mirrors work in harmony with one another and the blind spot has been eliminated! Try it today.
resh
from the catwalks of Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek, Mercedes-Benz USA has launched The Collection personal accessory line for Fall, which features for the first time exclusive weekend wear created by couture designer Anne Bowen. While the catalog includes perennial accessory favorites, it has been tailored with a glossy highly stylized look and 75 percent of the items are new.
The Anne Bowen Exclusively for Mercedes-Benz limited edition travel collection ($400) includes a weekend tote, cosmetic case and purse fashioned out of lush vicuna cashmere and exquisite pebbled chocolate leather---a perfect match with the luxurious supersoft silk/cashmere blend running suit set ($300) complete with shell, jacket and pant.
You can view The Collection online and browse over 300 Mercedes-Benz personal accessory products, or you order a complimentary catalog by calling 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES or stop by a local Mercedes-Benz retailer.
have before me a well worn copy of Sports Car Magazine dating back from February 1962. This journal was and is the national monthly of the Sports Car Club of America. On the cover from forty years ago is a picture of a rallye car dashing across the Serengeti, competing in the East Africa Safari. The cover girl is none other that a 1962 Mercedes finback piloted by Bill Fritschy and Viscount Mandeville. Mercedes finback sedans dominated the international rallye scene back in their day. My own 1965 finback is very proud of her heritage.
There is no automobile manufacturer with a longer or more distinguished history in motor sports than Mercedes-Benz. Starships were winning races when Walter Owen Bentley was still building freight trains. Mercedes were in the winner's circle when BMW was producing Austin econoboxes under license from the English. Old Professor Ferdinand Porsche cut his automotive teeth designing cars for Mercedes. How many manufacturers have silverware from the Vanderbilt cup races, Indy, Le Mans, the Targa Florio, the Carrera Panamericana?
Today Mercedes builds world beating racecars and sports cars. You can go to your local dealer and pick up a supercharged Benz with six speed manual transmission and performance suspension which will outrun just about anything else on twisty, give-and-take back roads. Mercedes four-door sedans routinely out perform the sports models put forth by other manufacturers. In Europe if you ask anyone from sophisticated savants to the guy on the street to name the world's premiere sporting marques the name Mercedes-Benz will invariably be at or near the top of the list.
So why is it that here in 21st century America so many folks think that Mercedes is the conveyance of the Beverly Hills dentist? Why do people assume that Sindelfingen makes conservative, staid carriages for the affluent elderly? What conspiracy is this? Who has hypnotized our nation? Is this the work of sinister infiltrators and rumormongers in the secret employ of other manufacturers?
Recently I was competing in an open class rallye organized by the Porsche Club of America. I was running in my Cosworth Mercedes 190E 16-valve with SCCA stickers and numbers plastered all over the vehicle. The car proudly wears its three pointed stars above the radiator, on the trunk lid and on all four alloy wheels. At the start location I neglected to turn off my fog lamps when I went in to sign up for the event. At the beginning of the drivers meeting the Porsche Club's rallyemaster made an announcement, "There is a BMW in the parking lot with rallye stickers on the doors which has its fog lamps on." What the _____! BMW indeed!
Now I have just purchased a new vehicle. I simply had to have this car. It is, in my opinion, the finest sports coupe currently available on the U.S. market. I bought a Mercedes C230 Kompressor. This diminutive two-door package can accommodates four WNBA basketball players under a spectacular sliding glass roof; propelled by a 192 horsepower supercharged engine, backed by a six speed manual tranny. This automobile will walk away from a BMW 325i and can successfully dice it out with a Porsche Boxster. 'Nuf said!
I've been having a blast in my new starship. All the leafblower crowd must hate me as I set the brilliant colors of autumn flying in my swirling wake. My Kompressor and I rule the back roads. The other day I quite literally dusted a mean looking Audi TT.
Yessss...
Just last week I drove "Red Storm" to a clay target shooting event sponsored by the Order of Edwardian Gunners, a shotgun group to which I belong. The Mercedes C230 Kompressor was the star of the parking lot at the posh shooting lodge. I had to set down my 28 gauge Zoli side-by-side twice in order to take some friends for a spin. Just before dinner the dean of our sporting fraternity, a fashionable, older gentleman who shoots a matched pair of Parker AHEs, called me aside and confided, "I love that beautiful, new, red BMW of yours!"
John Kuhn Bleimaier |
Mercedes-Benz News
First Car With 'Reflexes'
he
2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is the world's first production car equipped with an astonishing new system that can sense a possible collision a few seconds in advance and take pre-crash protective measures. Called Pre-Safe, this high-tech system inaugurates an entirely new era in vehicle safety.
Mercedes engineers concluded that cars can be equipped to sense an imminent crash up to five full seconds before the actual impact. As a result, they've designed the innovative Pre-Safe system to first tension the seatbelts if the system senses an impending collision. The system uses new resetable electric tensioners in addition to the existing pyrotechnic belt tensioners that still deploy on impact. What's more, if any of the power seats---front or rear---are reclined, Pre-Safe moves them to a more vertical position, and, if the vehicle skids (sometimes a precursor to rollover), the system automatically closes the sunroof. If a crash is averted, the electric belt tensioners automatically relax and are ready to deploy again if necessary.
Pre-Safe reacts to uncorrected fishtailing (or oversteer) as well as "plowing" (or understeer) by using existing sensors for ESP stability control that measure steering angle, vehicle yaw and lateral acceleration. Emergency braking can also trigger Pre-Safe, which monitors sensors for the Brake Assist system as well.
Mercedes-Benz accident researchers found that about two-thirds of all accidents are preceded by skidding, emergency braking or a sudden evasive maneuver---all of which can provide several valuable seconds of advance warning before impact. In the past, the auto industry didn't make use of this relatively wide and potentially lifesaving "window," since conventional airbags and seat belt tensioners are only triggered when the impact actually occurs.
However, Pre-Safe makes use of technology that reads these danger signals in advance and uses the remaining seconds to react and take precautionary measures. In a sense, Pre-Safe equips the car with reflexes, almost as if it's alive. Just as the perception of sudden danger triggers a human reflex action, so the innovative safety technology of the S-Class triggers systems to reduce the risk of occupant injury.
In the future, Pre-Safe could include additional subsystems such as extending bumpers, smart crumple zones or moveable interior door panels designed to help keep occupants further away from dangerous deformation zones. Radar, infrared or ultrasound technology could be used to monitor the vehicle's surroundings and measure the speed, angle, and mass of an approaching object. If it's a truck or van, vehicle height might even be raised to improve crash compatibility.
Mercedes-Benz engineers have pioneered numerous other safety innovations such as the airbag, belt tensioner, belt force limiter and curtain airbag---all of which were developed based on analysis of real-world accidents. In addition, anti-lock brakes, traction control, ESP stability control, and electronic braking were all Mercedes-Benz inventions. These systems have been refined to the point where entirely new approaches such as Pre-Safe are needed in order to continue making significant advancements in automotive safety.
ercedes-Benz
USA (MBUSA) reported its all-time best September on record with sales of 17,480 new vehicles, breaking the record of 16,952 set in September 2000. Year-to-date sales also hit an all-time record with 153,692 units sold, up 2.4 percent over last year's record-setting pace of 150,105.
September sales volume was led by the C-Class family of sedans, coupes, and wagons, which recorded 4,810 units, setting an all-time September sales record. Boosted by its recent launch, the all-new E-Class recorded 4,397 units in September---a 61.2 percent increase over the 2,728 sold in September 2001. Year-to-date, the C-Class was also the volume leader with 48,998 sales, a 38.9 percent increase over the first three quarters of 2001.
Other highlights for the month included major sales gains for the high-end model lines. Sales for Mercedes-Benz's high-end model lines as a group---the CL, SL and S-Class models---increased 7 percent year-to-date with 27,434 units sold through September in 2002 vs. 25,528 sold through September in 2001. "With the pending launch of the face-lifted S-Class sedans and CL-Class coupes, we anticipate a strong finish to the year for our high-end vehicles," added May. "The astonishing new Pre-Safe system, our 493-horsepower bi-turbo V12, and the addition of 4MATIC give these models new excitement. The addition of all these new models and features make our line up as diverse and exhilarating than ever."
Separately, through its Starmark pre-owned vehicle program, MBUSA recorded sales of 3,212, an increase of 5.1 percent over last September. On a year-to-date basis, Starmark sales increased 15.7 percent to 32,281 units sold compared to 27,898 year-to-date in 2001.
190SL, 1957: White/red. New interior, rebuilt engine. Great condition daily driver. Over $45k invested. Sale price $22,000. Call Gary at 703-282-8386.
190SL, 1962: Gray/white top/red interior. Both tops, wt. sheepskins, 57k miles, Near new tires. Orig. unused spare. Cover, owner's manual, cat. serv. records, pix. $36,000 obo. Don't let this one go! Call Fred Moran at 301-572-8009.
220S, 1964: 4-dr sedan, ivory/red. 180k highway miles. Becker radio and Kulhmeister A/C. Great shape cosmetically and mechanically, one owner car. Asking $4,800. Email Tom Newman at: Tom.Newman@GD-NS.Com
600 SWB, 1965: Dark green/gray wool interior. 48k original miles. Perfect body & chrome. Sun roof, A/C, rebuilt suspension, excellent hydraulics. Many new & rebuilt items. Engine and trans smooth. Becker Grand Prix. $35,000. Call Preston at 410-296-4063.
280SL, 1971: Blue/blue leather, immac. roadster. soft & hard tops, garaged, prof. restored. Auto trans, A/C, 60k miles. Incl. cover, 280SL book collection, winch for storing hard top. $26,000. Call Tom Thomson (Richmond) at 804-254-1083 or email: tthomson53@attbi.com
250, 1972: Sedan. Beige/blue. 20k miles on rebuilt engine. Very good condition. Many new parts. In family since new. No A/C. Come see and make offer. Call Steve at 301-229-8445.
280SEL 4.5, 1972: Brown/brown. 4.5 liter V-8. Very clean. New lifters, rebuilt power steering, brakes. New tires, battery. Asking $6125. Call Nersi at 301-610-9295.
190E 2.3-16, 1986: Black pearl/black, 5-spd. 94k miles. Overall in very good shape. Runs well. A/C not working. Includes extra set of factory wheels with R1s, car cover. Complete records since '89. Maintained by RC Imports. Make offer. Call Chris at 703-904-7470.
300E, 1987: Pearl black/gray leather. 220k miles. Clean and well maintained. $4000. Call Porter at 410-584-9393.
SL600, 1996: Silver. 36k miles. Perfect! Mercedes StarMark certified. 2 years left on 100k warranty. NADA value $54,475. Reasonable offers considered. Call Ken at 301-215-5471, 301-320-2516.
SLK32 AMG, 2002: Roadster. White/red. Perf. condition. 350 hp. 6500 mi. Sale price $47,500. Call Gary at 703-282-8386.
Wheels/tires: 4 original wheels from '97 E320, 7.5J x 16HZ. 4 mntd Goodyear Eagle LS w/44.5k miles. $300 obo. 4 dust shields avail. Call Gerald at 301-249-4877 or email at: gpops2@msn.com
Tires/wheel: 4 Michelin snow XM + S330 225/50R 16 M+S (6 mo. use), plus one 1997 16 in. MB factory wheel, for 1997-2002 E-Class. Great cond. Avail. due to new car. $200 obo takes all. Call Ed at 301-490-4585.
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American Service Center
703-525-2100 EuroMotorcars 301-986-8800 Merchant's Tire & Auto 800-637-2426 RC Imports 301-762-4205 Curry's Auto Service 703-502-0400 MB Motors 703-978-4564 Potomac German Auto 800-831-7686 |
Radial Tire Co.
301-585-2740 Dent Wizard 800-336-8949 EMB Parts 703-425-5380 Wheel Worx 410-969-7301 MB Roadside Assistance 800-367-6372 Electronics Service Center 301-881-8637 |
The Metro Tri-Star is published monthly by the Greater Washington Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. It is furnished to each of the approximately 1,750 Section members. Please send all materials for publication to The Metro Tri-Star, 1625 Park Overlook Drive, Reston, VA 20190. For display advertising information, contact Joe Wozney, Editor, at 703-437-7866. Explicit permission to copy or republish any article is given to all sections of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. The articles in Metro Tri-Star are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is given or implied as to the validity of any expressed opinion.