Mercedes at the London motor show 2008

Little in the way of new metal on the Merc stand – but you can let your kids have a crack at driving if they're taller than 4ft 11in in a special Merc contest

By By Gavin Green and CAR reader reporter Sandy T

Motor Shows

23 July 2008 00:29

Mercedes were one of the few premium brands to bother making an appearance at the 2008 London motor show and, although there were no whizz-bang world debuts, there was a reminder of just how busy the car maker has been recently.

What’s new on the Mercedes stand?

Not much. There’s not even one of the new AMG SL65 Black Series, all V12 biturbo 670bhp of it. Pride of place, instead, goes to the rather humdrum CLC – remember the C-class ‘sports coupe’ – and the latest version of the appealing CLS featuring clever ‘True Blue solutions’ eco-tech. 

The mildly facelifted A-class is also on show, though it’s easily missed. Mind you, the big bad Brabus Benzes are on the stand opposite to appeal to the horsepower junkies.

CAR’s highight

For kids, it’s a chance to drive a proper Mercedes and beat the folks in a driving test. There are full details at the London show, though you’ll have to go to Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands in Surrey to do the driving. In a nutshell, any kid over 1.5 metres (4ft 11in) can compete against their parents. It costs £35 and runs through the summer holidays.

What were they thinking?

Mercedes will sheepishly admit that the Family Driving Challenge is ‘biased in favour of the children’. So there’s a good chance you’ll be shown up by your offspring.

In a nutshell

Pretty low-key stuff from Mercedes. But at least they’re here – unlike BMW and Audi.

Click here to go to CAR's London motor show A-Z homepage

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reporter's verdict
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By By Gavin Green and CAR reader reporter Sandy T