Back in December we told you about a roadway mishap in Japan that many had taken to calling the world’s most expensive car accident. In case you missed it, here’s a synopsis: a caravan of exotic sports and luxury cars were on their way to a weekend motor festival when one Ferrari driver attempted to change lanes and hit a barrier, skidding out of control and causing the vehicles behind him to collide into one another. The resulting list of casualties: eight Ferraris, three Mercedes, one Lamborghini and a couple of Toyotas. 14 vehicles in all, with damages estimated at over $1 million. (Thankfully, zero human casualties.) In the event your morbid curiosity and/or sense of schadenfreude is still not satisfied, click through for video of the gruesome aftermath. An appropriate title for the short film? Ferrari Graveyard. via: Jalopnik

Though there is no narrative in this new video by Mercedes AMG, the images are quite self explanatory. A contender in the GT3 racing circuit, the SLS AMG GT3 is actually an exact copy of its street legal counterpart. Furnished with an aerodynamic kit including carbon fiber front and rear wing, the GT3 variant also includes a safety cell, also made from carbon fiber, and other performance parts. But at its heart is the same 6.3-liter V8 capable of propelling this beast of a machine from 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds. See how specialists at Mercedes piece it all together in this first episode of a new video series.

Who wants a silver spoon when you can have a suped-up Merecedes as your personal vehicle? While the outrage over Lenox Hill Hospital‘s over-the-top preferential treatment of Blue Ivy Carter continues, the 7-pound bundle of joy headed home with parents Jay-Z and Beyoncé on Tuesday. The newly crowned Princess of Hip-Hop also received her first taste of ultra-luxury in this customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Quipped with fully adjustable leather seats, satellite TV, mini-bar, and other must-have accessories for the rich and famous, Mercedes Sprinter Van Grand Edition whisked the famous couple and their newborn through the hospital’s loading dock yesterday. Security details in a fleet of blacked-out SUVs then escorted the vehicle to its destination to prevent any paparazzo from trailing behind. via: NYDailyNews

For those who were present at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo in October, 2011 got the chance to see the mastermind JAPAN x Mercedes-Benz G-550 in person. What looked to be an one-off promotional vehicle is actually in the process of being mass produced. The long bodied G-550 is dressed in Obsidian Black on the exterior with chrome accents and the famous mastermind JAPAN logos on each corner. Contrasting the cool exterior is the warm interior made from Chestnut Brown seats and trim. Official launch of these vehicles are scheduled for March during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo 2012 Autumn/Winter event. Stay tuned for more details on this stunning automobile. via: Eyescream

Its one thing to arrive in style, say in a Lamborghini Gallardo, but most would opt to arrive in both style and comfort, like the Mercedes-Benz Vito Modified Luxury Van. Created by the Bulgaria-base tuner VILNER, the modified Mercedes-Benz Vito 120 CDI adds a level of sophistication and luxury to the otherwise lowly van. Appointed with Alcantara, Nappa leather, and plenty of genuine wood trims, the interior also includes a 19-inch LCD, a mini fridge, and a set of four automatically adjustable seats with leg rest. Because passenger comfort is in direct correspondence to the driver in front, VILNER also replaced the standard seating with ones from Mercedes CL-Class. Since Mercedes-Benz Vito is only available in Europe thus far, no words on availability this side of the Atlantic yet. But don’t surprise if a few eccentric millionaires import them on their own. via: Auto Evolution

German tuning house Senner Tuning makes it clear, it is not necessarily the amount of horsepower which makes a great sports car. A mildly tuned vehicle can in fact be easier to tame than a high powered beast. The upgrade package on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG includes a combination of high flow air filter and stainless steel exhaust system, and a remapped ECU for improved efficiency. All of that equates to maximum horsepower rating at 606hp and 690Nm (509 lb-ft), a considerable increase over the standard output of 571hp and 650Nm (479 lb-ft). To finish off, the suspension is also upgraded along with 20-inch alloys from Corniche Vegas. via: Carscoop

Aside from their engineering prowess, German auto makers pride themselves in plan execution which rivals military precision. So its quite uncharacteristic to have an upcoming product “leaked” to the general public. Even more so since it was done not once but twice. A day after its sales catalog surfaced, official images of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL Class unceremoniously appeared over the Internet. Though there was no press release attached to the photos, its already known this completely re-designed Mercedes-Benz flagship model features an all-aluminum chassis that will be 300+ pounds lighter than the current design. What’s more, it will feature a new windshield wiper system, sub-woofers integrated to the chassis, and visual design cues reminiscent of the SLS AMG super car. Guess we will have to wait till next month’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit for more details, unless someone will divulge more tomorrow… via: Autoblog

A warning to fans of the Prancing Horse, the content of the following story might be too graphical and emotional for some, viewer discretion is advised. Aside for a string of auto insurance frauds (like the Texan who intentionally drove his Bugatti Veyron into a saltwater marsh), a massive 14-car pile up in Japan this weekend might just be the most expensive auto mishap ever, at least for 2011. While en route to a super car gathering in Hiroshima, one of the Ferrari veered off on the highway. A “pin-ball effect” ensued, resulted in eight wrecked Ferraris, two Lamborghinis, and a few Mercedes. No one was seriously injured in the mayhem though we cannot say the same about the owners’ wallets.  The price-tag of the damages is estimated at over $1 million dollars and likely to increase. via: Autoblog

Scheduled to be unveil not till January’s North American International Auto Show (NAISA) in Detroit, though Mercedes-Benz been hard at work in letting people know about its new SL Class. In the pursuit of engineering excellences, the upcoming SL will be one with an all-aluminum chassis. Hydroformed, metal inert gas weld, chill casting, and vacuum casting, the dynamism of the hi-tech production process equals to a frame even more rigid than its steel predecessor. But because its aluminum, the car will be 308 lbs lighter than this year’s model, truly living up to the original intent of its classification as SL or Sport Light.

Additional to the new chassis and appearance, the SL will also include Magic Vision Control, a windshield wiper system with nozzles built in. Washing fluid can be dispense evenly now through a series of laser-etched holes. Another innovation is the FrontBass system. With sub-woofers mounted directly onto the chassis itself, M-B engineers claimed a sound characteristic that rivals a concert hall but within the confine of your car. Mercedes will disclose more details and innovations on its new SL Class as the official day of unveiling nears.

Being that tinseltown is the host to the latest international auto show, the 2011 Los Angeles Design Challenges asked each of its participants to create cars worthy of a new Hollywood film. Taking on the proposition, engineers at Merceds-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Sindelfingen (Germany) conceived the smart 341 Parkour.

As with the gravity-defying sport its named after, the smart 341 Parkour is a car up for any obstacles. Not just a simple road going vehicle, the passenger compartment, or “occupant cell”, turn upright along the chassis. Now, you can literally “slide-in” into the smallest parking space. With a another pull of a lever and the hub of each wheel becomes a giant suction cup, allowing the smart 341 Parkour to climb walls. It can even hover in midair. All these features are “must-haves” for the intrepid young reporter Annie Angle from Cantpark City.

As a continuation to their concept last year, Mercedes-Benz designers based the smart 341 Parkour on the make-believe film ”Annie get the Grannies“. In it, Ms. Angle must find the missing”smart granny robots”, a purported carbon-fiber knitting robot that created the smart 454, winner to last year’s Los Angeles Design Challenge. Armed with her trusty long lens, camera, and the smart 341 Parkour, Angle is off to the hunt. But will she find what she’s looking for? Find out more at this year’s L.A. Auto Show.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the new 2012 ML63 AMG before its official launch at the Los Angeles auto show on Wednesday, November 16th. The biggest improvement of this vehicle is in the fuel economy where it has shown 33 percent efficiency over the previous model, rating at 16 mpg (14.7 liters per 100km). Power is delivered through the 5.5 liter V8 twin turbo engine pushing out 518 horsepower (386 kW) and 516 lb-ft (699Nm) of torque. More power can be extracted from the SUV by upgrading to the AMG Performance Package, increasing the output to 550 horsepower (410 kW) and 560 lb-ft (738 Nm) of torque. This new version ML63 AMG will start rolling out on the first quarter of next year. via: WCF

An exciting new concept design was rendered by Steel Drake, entitled Mercedes-Benz SF1, which looks like it could be straight out of the Transformers movie. Steel Drake sharpens up the exterior drastically by implementing several key redesigns on the current Mercedes-Benz models. First up, the familiar three-pointed star logo is stripped of its circular frame, leaving only the star. Angular front and rear lights accentuate the flow of the sharp lines formed from front to back. Large rectangular and triangular vents evoke speed and functional ventilation for the proposed rear mounted engine. via: Behance Network