SLS AMG Desert Gold, G 55 AMG 79 Edition and GLK V12 premier in Dubai - E-Class Convertible premiers in Abu Dhabi

Some automotive markets and motor-shows world-wide, including Top-Shows like Tokyo Motor Show and Los Angeles Motor Show, are suffering heavily from the world economic crises which had and still has devastating consequences on both the motor-shows as well as the car manufacturers.

A lot of motor-shows were canceled and other renowned motor-shows were missing major car manufacturers. At the recent Tokyo Show only one German car manufacturer made all the way to Japan. The tiny but extremely luxury-oriented car tuner ALPINA showed his products in Japan, while all the major brands like Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, VW and Audi withdrew from the show. At the Los Angeles Motor Show a lot of major car manufacturer, e.g. Nissan, didn't participate either. And those who participated in Tokyo and Los Angeles focused more on green technology and economical cars.

Only the Middle East market region in general, and the United Arab Emirates market in specific, seem to be resistant to the worldwide automotive crises.

And although the Middle Eastern and North African motor-shows are not as privileged as the leading motor-shows in Europe, USA and Asia in terms of world-wide premieres, and although a few car companies neglect the Arabic-speaking media when it comes to international launches and test-drives,
this year a few car manufacturers such as Brabus and Mercedes Benz decided to launch a few 'world-premieres' and special edition models at the leading Motor-show in Middle East and North Africa, the Dubai Motor Show.

While Brabus launched its 'fastest SUV in the world', the Mercedes GLK with the Brabus V12 engine, Mercedes Benz launched the SLS AMG Desert Gold and G55 AMG Edition 79 in Dubai.

Simultaneously to the Dubai Motor Show, Mercedes Benz also launched the elegant E-Class Convertible in Abu Dhabi, to which unfortunately no professional motoring media from the Middle East was invited. The launch in Abu Dhabi was surely a big favor to Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investment company, share-holder of Daimler.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, surely one of the highlight of this year's International Motor
Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main, is on display in a stunning gold paint finish at the Dubai
International Motor Show. This matt silk finish with the designation "AMG Desert Gold" lends
an extraordinary aura to the new super sports car, and made it surely the high-light of the show.
The show in Dubai is also the premiere of the special G 55 AMG KOMPRESSOR "Edition 79" model.

The Dubai International Motor Show is regarded as the most important motor show in the Middle East, and takes place every two years, surely one reason why Mercedes decided to use it as a platform for the SLS AMG Desert Gold and the G55 AMG Edition 79.

Matt gold on the aluminium body together with striking highlights in high-gloss black - an
extraordinary and highly attractive combination. With its matt silk surface, "AMG Desert Gold"
further accentuates the sporty appearance of the Gullwing model. All the decorative and
mounted features that are in shining chrome or Silver Shadow in the standard SLS AMG have
been given a deep-black paint finish by AMG's designers. Whether for the Mercedes star and
the trim strip on the cross fin at the front, the fins on the bonnet and flanks, the filler cap or all
the model plates: high-gloss black is used everywhere, ensuring a striking contrast with the
matt silk sheen of the gold paintwork. The black-painted AMG light-alloy wheels in size 9.5 x
19 at the front and 11.0 x 20 at the rear are embellished with a golden ring on the rim flange.

"AMG Desert Gold" has currently only been used for the display vehicle at the Dubai
International Motor Show, but given sufficient customer demand, this special gold paint finish
could become available as an individual optional extra from the AMG PERFORMANCE
STUDIO. Two alluring matt paint finishes - AMG Monza grey magno" and "designo magno
alanite grey" - are already offered for the SLS AMG. And as a highlight, the unique "AMG
alubeam silver", a finish that makes the paintwork glisten like liquid metal. At present SLS
AMG customers have a choice of nine attractive paint colours.

The interior of the special SLS AMG model is in uncompromising, sporty black, the AMG
sports bucket seats corresponding with the solid carbon-fibre centre console and other carbon-
fibre interior features. Opening the bonnet reveals the 420 kW (571 hp) AMG 6.3-litre V8
engine, which is strikingly framed by the high-quality carbon-fibre engine compartment cover.

"The premiere of the SLS AMG in "AMG Desert Gold" at the Dubai International Motor Show is
a token of respect for the Middle East. After the USA, Germany and Japan, the Gulf region is
the fourth-largest market for AMG," says Volker Mornhinweg, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.


Exclusively destined for the Middle East, the special G 55 AMG KOMPRESSOR "Edition 79"
model is a reference to the sales start of the series in 1979. This 373 kW (507 hp) off-road
icon has a particularly large community of fans in the Gulf region - which is the largest sales
market for the top AMG model. The "Edition 79" has a highly attractive combination of unique
features: the exclusivity of this limited edition of 79 off-roaders is immediately made apparent
by the "designo magno alanite grey" paint finish. This matt finish is already familiar from the
SLS AMG, but is otherwise unavailable for the G-Class. The G 55 AMG KOMPRESSOR
"Edition 79" differs from the standard model in having a crash bar at the front, carbon-look side
trim strips, 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels in a tita-nium finish and chromed protective grilles
for the front indicators, tail lights and the underguard. Eyecatching interior features include the
designo leather seats in black/sand, high-quality, solid carbon-fibre trim and the Edition
logo "1 out of 79" positioned in front of the selector lever.


At the Dubai International Motor Show, AMG, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz
Cars, is demonstrating the variety of its model range currently consisting of 16 high-
performance models. One particularly attractive example on display is the E 63 AMG, the
new sports saloon with a 386 kW (525 hp) AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine. The C 63 AMG and the
S 63 AMG complete the AMG lineup at the show. Eight Mercedes-Benz vehicles on the
display stand are equipped with the AMG Sports package - among them the S 400 HYBRID
and the new E-Class Coup?©. The Dubai International Motor Show is open to visitors from 16
to 20 December 2009.

With more focus on the 'professional' Middle Eastern motoring media I am sure that Mercedes models in general, and the amazing AMG models in specific, would get a much better public awareness in key-markets such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar as well as emerging markets such as Iraq, Jordan and Egypt, where
recently new custom and tax rules will surely pave the way for such high-performance super-saloons and sports-cars to enter this market in huge numbers.