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Sales of Mercedes Car Group passenger vehicles rose three percent in May 2007 to a record 116,000 units (May 2006: 112,700 units). During the first five months of the year as a whole, sales of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brand vehicles amounted to 500,500 units (January-May 2006: 508,500 units). At 103,400 units, MayÂ’s result marks a new all-time high for sales of Mercedes-Benz brand vehicles (May 2006: 101,800 units). Since the beginning of the year, deliveries of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles have risen to the record level of 468,400 units (January-May 2006: 459,100 units). With the new generation of the E-Class, Mercedes-Benz gained market shares in all triad markets. As a result, worldwide deliveries in the upper-range segment have increased by twelve percent since the beginning of the year, to 99,500 units.

The last C-Class station wagon of the 203 series rolled off the assembly line at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Bremen on Thursday, marking a major milestone in the success story of the Mercedes Benz C-Class. Approximately 360,000 units of the C-Class station wagon have been sold since the model was launched in early 2001. The last vehicle produced at the plant, a black C230 Kompressor equipped with right-hand drive, will go to a customer in England.

The smart fortwo is a car’s length ahead of its time and lends a new, modern dimension to urban mobility. The smart’s clever vehicle concept remains unrivaled in its second generation as well, a fact also reflected by the new ‘Accessories for the smart 2007.’ The extensive range of features, which are based on intelligent ideas and sophisticated detailed solutions, include everything from practical storage elements to functional foot mats, effective navigation systems, and outstanding sound systems. The new bicycle, ski, and snowboard racks impressively demonstrate how large equipment items can be stored in the smallest possible space — it’s truly intelligent cargo management à la smart.

At Mercedes-Benz it is not just the cars that benefit from the companyÂ’s involvement in the field of motor racing – motorsport know-how is also used to optimise various top-class technological Collection products. The latest example is the new ‘Racing Bike 2007’: thanks to an innovative frame made from carbon fibre – a high-tech material used in Formula 1 – this competition-standard cycle weighs just seven kilograms. With its consistently lightweight construction and exclusive equipment, this is a cycle that will appeal to professional cyclists and serious amateurs.

With a daring, unconventional design, the ‘Collection for the smart 2007’ captures the attitude to life that is unique to smart enthusiasts and individualists. The cult bags, fashionable clothing and attractively designed utensils are just the thing for picnics, parties or any other occasion. The ‘smart fortwo edition 2007’ products were created specially for the new fortwo. smart drivers are smart by nature and have a weakness for unusual design. And they wonÂ’t be disappointed by the current ‘Collection for the smart 2007’, now available from smart partners. The ‘digital’ and ‘analogue’ watches not only boast a modern design but also precision – either square with a striking LCD display or round with luminous hands and date window. Made from brushed stainless steel, the solid casing forms a striking contrast with the cheerful green or vivid red textile strap. The watches come in a round neoprene case and a unique feature is that the bag has compartments inside and can later be used as a CD case.

I ran across this story last week but unfortunately due to limited time constraints I wasn’t able to publish it, so if you’ve already seen it, I apologize for my tardiness. For everyone who hasn’t heard (or seen) the news, spy photographers recently captured new shots of a wagon variant of the Mercedes C63 AMG. As you’ll see in the photos, the model retains the same handsome styling found on the rest of the 2008 C-Class lineup, with the added addition of more storage space to allow the obsessive-compulsive among us to stuff even more crap into the back of their vehicle (or, for the Tony Sopranos among us, a few more bodies). Power for the model is rumored to come from a de-tuned version of Mercedes’ 6.2-Liter V8 outputting somehwere between 420 and 450 horsepower, while other highlights of the model likely include enhanced AMG styling, brakes, suspension… basically the same feature set found of the rest of the AMG variants.

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend. To kick things off this bright May morning we have a recap of the F1 race that transpired in Monte Carlo over the weekend. As usual, if you have it TIVO’d and plan on catching it later, read no further; otherwise, keep reading for the full press release.

It’s been a relatively slow week for Mercedes reviews, with by our count no more than three publications weighing on a Merc model. As it turns out, this week’s manufacturer-sponsored event gave testers the opportunity to strap themselves in behind the wheel of the roughly $200,000 CL65 AMG, meaning we have three looks at what’s undoubtedly one of the most covetable new Mercedes models currently available.