Sad state of affairs at Toyota

 

An open letter to Toyota;

The following is from your website. A few months ago, a family of four in San Diego was killed because the accelerator pedal in their Lexus loaner car stuck. The off-duty CHP officer who was driving was unable to stop the car, and witnesses said that the brakes were on fire before the car crashed doing over 120mph.  At the time, you said the accident was as the result of improperly fitted floor mats. Unintended acceleration had been an ongoing complaint against you involving several of your models for three years prior to this terrible accident. On another part of your website, you discuss your efforts to correct the ill-fitting floor mat problem. But, Toyota, you knew about that problem before this family died. Now you admit that some of your cars' accelerator pedals move without driver input and without floor mats in place.  

Wait, what?

You build cars that meet crash tests, but that don't meet the basic safety standards, like not sticking the throttle wide open. Not only have you put your buyer's lives at risk, you have endangered the financial well-being of your drivers also. Now your cars, regardless of make or model, will suffer decreased value on the second-hand market. Unintended acceleration as reported on television by 60 Minutes nearly killed Audi more than twenty-five years ago, and Audi were absolved in the court system. If we have any outrage left in us at all, you should suffer the shunning of the marketplace until you have earned our trust again.

 

Frequently Asked Questions For Sticking Accelerator Pedal Recall and Suspension of Sales

Which models are affected by the recall/stop sale?

Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following Toyota Division vehicles:

• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4,
• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla,
• 2009-2010 Matrix,
• 2005-2010 Avalon,
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry, 
• Certain 2010 Highlander,
• 2007-2010 Tundra,
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale.

 

Further, Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with VINs that begin with "J" are not affected by the sticky accelerator pedal recall.

 

What is the condition that has prompted Toyota to take this action?In rare instances, there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.  

 

What is the likelihood that my vehicle will experience this condition?The condition is rare and does not occur suddenly. It can occur when the pedal mechanism becomes worn and, in certain conditions, the accelerator pedal may become harder to depress, slower to return or, in the worst case, stuck in a partially depressed position.  

 

Are you continuing to investigate other models?Toyota is confident that all models that contain the potentially sticking pedals have been identified.  

 

Why has Toyota stopped selling the affected vehicles?  Until Toyota has finalized an appropriate remedy to address the potential for sticking accelerator pedals, a sales suspension is necessary.  

 

How long will this stop sale be in effect?New cars covered by this recall will not be delivered until a remedy is finalized and then implemented.  

 

When do you expect to have a remedy?Toyota is making every effort to remedy this situation for customers as quickly as possible.  

 

What options are you exploring for a remedy?Toyota is reviewing a number of different options, and the company hopes to announce a remedy soon.

 

What should I do if I believe my vehicle is affected by this condition, i.e. I have noticed that my accelerator pedal is hard to depress, slow to return or is unsmooth during operation. What should I do? The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.  

 

What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of the following actions:

  

• If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.
• Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
• If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

• If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button. 
• If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.  

 

If I am an owner of one of the affected vehicles, what action do I need to take?Toyota is working quickly to prepare a correction remedy and will issue owner notifications in the future.  No action is required at this time unless you feel you are experiencing this condition.  If you are experiencing this condition, immediately contact your nearest Toyota Dealer for assistance.  

 

Toyota stated that this did not affect new/low mileage vehicles, has the situation changed?The law requires that the entire universe of new vehicles identified in the recall notice must be included in the stop sale. 

 

Why are you stopping production at your factories?Production is being stopped temporarily at five North American production facilities to assess and coordinate activities related to the recall announced on January 21. 

 

What should I do if I still have questions or concerns? If you still have questions or concerns that have not been addressed here, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. 
The Toyota Customer Experience Center hours are:
Mon - Fri, 5:00 am - 6:00 pm PST
Sat, 7:00 am - 4:00 pm PST

Toyota, you need to learn from Mercedes-Benz that safety is more than skin deep. It's not about building door side impact beams into your cars (which Mercedes invented) to pass NHTSA crash tests, so you can put high star ratings on your window stickers and sell more cars.  It's about integrity in every single part of the car; take a look at your door hinges. They're flimsy and cheap. Look at the door hinges on our cars. Better yet, don't, because you'll just copy our door hinges and miss the point altogether that a safe car is an integrated whole, not a cluster of parts designed to be a rip-off of a Mercedes in the first place. 

If I sound angry, I am. Needless deaths make me grumpy. 

 

Signed, 

 

A Concerned Person

This whole thing came out two days after I received a letter from Mercedes-Benz regarding a safety recall on my car. Wait, I thought, my car has 176,000 miles on it, there's no warranty left; I don't expect Mercedes to repair my old car! The letter went on to say that they are concerned that the fuel line in the 1999-2005 ML430s, ML500s, and ML55s, could possibly, due to vibration over time, chafe on the brake line, causing loss of brake fluid, and that's not good, so they want me to bring my car in as soon as possible so they can fix it. You want to know what I felt? Cared for and safe, and a little in awe. So, this is what it means to own a Mercedes, I thought. They still care about my safety, even if my car is ancient and has a bazillion miles on it.  Every penny we spent on that car, all 62 million of them, was justified in that moment. 

Take a memo, Toyota, this is how it's done.

The Vacuum

A few days ago, I picked up The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura, which is a diminutive volume eloquently written over one hundred years ago on "the Japanese tea ceremony and the art of beauty". But it is to me, a book of profound elegance which treats of relating to the natural world in a holistic fashion in order to better understand and integrate our intricate inner world, to master the art of living and to live a life of beauty.

 

It's an odd concept, living a life of beauty. Our western culture doesn't place a high value on art; we eliminate it from our educational curriculum in the schools at the first blush of budget cuts, and after coloring books, rarely speak of it. We are certainly not well-versed in it, encouraged as we are to pursue money and fortune and fame and whatever. Art can be anti-that; slow instead of fast-paced, contemplative instead of quick-to-judge, and timeless instead of of-the-moment. Yes, it might require us to slow ourselves down a bit, to think a little harder about things intangible, and true, that's the hard kind of thinking for which our schooling does not prepare us.

 

What of the open-ness this kind of thinking requires? Perhaps this is what we in our culture are truly guarding against when we don't incorporate reflection in our daily routines.  There is the possibility for vulnerability if one is open and is willing to subjugate one's ego.

But there is tremendous power in the surrender to open-ness, or non-reliance on the personality. Okakura describes Laotse's favorite metaphor; the Vacuum.

…only in vacuum lay the truly essential. The reality of a room was to be found in the vacant space enclosed by the roof and walls, not in the roof and walls themselves. The usefulness of a water pitcher dwelt not in the form of the pitcher or the material of which it is made. Vacuum is all potent because all containing. In vacuum alone motion becomes possible. One who could make of himself a vacuum into which others might freely enter would become master of all situations. The whole can always dominate the part.

I seek to be the four walls within which a person finds themselves comfortably purchasing their car.  My art seeks to create a place in which art, with the viewer's participation, can happen.

Okakura goes on to discuss how Taoists' ideas influence many other seemingly unrelated activities. 

In jiu-jitsu one seeks to draw out and exhaust the enemy's strength by non-resistance, vacuum, while conserving one's own strength for victory in the final struggle. In art the importance of the same principle is illustrated by the value of suggestion. In leaving something unsaid the beholder is given a chance to complete the idea and thus a great masterpiece irresistibly rivets your attention until you seem to become actually a part of it. A vacuum is there for you to fill up to the full measure of your aesthetic emotion.

Thus, in both my professional and my artistic life, I seek to create a vacuum.  In selling cars, the vacuum is a safe place unhindered by the needs or personality of the salesperson, in which the potential client is free to "complete the idea" of how they'd like to buy their car. The salesperson is an active facilitator, devoid of ego or personal needs.

In my art, the vacuum is a place where there's something a little un-done, a little imperfect, a little crack through which the viewer can enter and participate by completing the idea. In that moment, the viewer makes the artwork their own, and by extension, lives a life of beauty though their own willingness to be an active participant in a work of art.

Joy

I carry a camera with me everywhere I go, except the shower. I so often see things beautiful, amazing, or amusing that being able to collect these images brings me great joy. This way I keep making art while selling cars.

Mostly I take pictures of Porsche 911s, for my book. (911s are one of my many obsessions, but that's for another post). But one of the great things about having a camera ever-present is that I sometimes am there when something unusual happens. The other day, it was really raining. If you were anywhere in California, you know what I mean. A storm parked itself over most of the state and dumped Biblical amounts of water. That quantity of anything is transforming. I awoke to steam clouding all of my bedroom windows. Remarking to myself, "Hey, there's steam on the windows", I readied and ventured off to work in the wild wind and pelting rain. I have a car, so don't think hat getting to work was an act of heroism.

It was a slowish start to the day, what with not-exactly-everyone else wanting to brave the elements to go look at cars. I had a bit of time to get caught up on a few things, and then wandering across the showroom floor, looking out the windows at the rain, I saw someone doing something amazing.

Across the street from our dealership are a couple of restaurants with apartments on top. And in one of those upstairs windows was a little person who reminded me what steam on windows is for.

Thank you, little person.

 

 

 

Yelp, redux

If you click on the link below, you will see what one very determined client can accomplish...



Yelp, redux

Mercedes-Benz one of the top 100 companies to work for...!

"MERCEDES-BENZ USA RANKS 49th ON FORTUNE'S "100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR"


01/22/10


MONTVALE, N.J. – Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) announced today that it has been ranked one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE magazine in its 13th annual survey which appears in the February 8 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands on Monday, January 25, and now at fortune.com/bestcompanies. In its first year as an entrant, MBUSA - the only automaker on the list - ranked 49th.

FORTUNE Deputy Managing Editor Hank Gilman says, "The most important considerations for this year’s list were hiring and the ways in which companies are helping their employees weather the recession. All 100 companies on our list are currently hiring, many of them aggressively, leading to more than 96,000 open job positions expected in the next year."

"This is gratifying if you believe, as we do, that in order for a company to achieve long-term success, particularly in this economic environment, it has to have the full engagement, commitment and passion of its employees," stated Ernst Lieb, President and CEO, MBUSA. "Only then can you inspire your retail network to do the same and deliver the dream that customers associate with the Mercedes-Benz brand."

To pick the 100 Best Companies, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Three hundred forty-three companies participated in this year’s survey.

Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the Institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company.


The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company's responses to the Institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication, and diversity."



-For a company with a 120 year history of doing the right thing by its' clients, shareholders and the environment, this doesn't really come as a surprise. It all boils down to one word; integrity. Mercedes "integrity culture"  has permeated into every facet of their business. I am so proud to work for this company, even in an indirect way.
If you like to put your money with companies that not only make a a superior product, but are good citizens of the world, you can do no better than Mercedes-Benz.

Sublime

Today's my day off, as many of you know. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I normally would start with a walk or a bike ride, but it was raining in an epic manner, so I went on to the next task. An hour of Auto Alert training, webinar based, and some time studying our CRM software handbook. Then I made my daughter's lunch, and took her to school. Anyone who thinks I spend my off days on the couch having Vosges chocolate (Fire bar) fed to me by scantily clad eunuchs playing Greensleeves on 200-hundred-year old guitars may be disappointed.

Our days off are so busy, how do people actually enjoy their down time? Or do we have any? Is the price we pay for living in paradise that we are on the (hamster) wheel all the time?

Cancer taught me to not expect entire good days, and also brings perspective to busy "weekends". I no longer hope to have huge, blissful, stress-free chunks of time off. Instead,  I look for the sublime moment, stolen from all the hectic ones.

A cup of perfect coffee is just such a thing. And like every self-respecting sublime moment, this one came with a life lesson.

My favorite coffee, with none others even close, is Blue Bottle. They don't burn the beans, and they are fair trade and organic everything, and they make it for me like I'm the Sultan's wife.

I have to confess I approached my coffee-getting experience with a goal-oriented demeanor today. There are two lines at the Ferry Building Blue Bottle, and one always seems shorter than the other, so we got into the shorter of the two. There was only one fellow ahead of us; this shouldn't take too long, we thought. What seemed like an ice age passed, and he was still getting one coffee after another; seems he must have had a crowd to caffeine up back at the ranch. I was grumbling impatiently. Finally five beautifully prepared coffees rested on the counter in front of the man, who carefully took them away.

I greeted the barista, and ordered our drinks. He looked me squarely in the eye, and softly said, "This is going to take a while".  I got it, and calmed myself down. Anyone who treats their job with such reverence deserves my patience. We did wait an inordinately long time while he lovingly, artistically prepared our coffees. Yet, I didn't find myself impatient, because, A. I had seen the care with which he had prepared the previous customer's order and, B. He had told me ahead of time that my order would take a little longer than I might expect.

The coffee when we got it, was like a love poem to the Goddess of the Volcano. Hot and thick and melty, it was everything good and extraordinary in a brown ceramic cup. We agreed that his conscientious preparation and presentation had made the coffee more than coffee; it became the catalyst to a moment worth remarking upon and savoring. For that instant, life was sweet and unhurried, and it caused us to feel grateful for the simple gift of a cup of coffee, lovingly prepared.

I was reminded of a few inviolable customer-relations tenets today.

1. Treat each customer like they are the Sultan, or the Sultan's wife. Nothing less than the royal treatment for everyone who graces us with their presence.

2. Provide each customer with the absolute most excellent service you are capable of, to the limits of your training and talent, every time. And keep training...

3. Elevate the performance of your job to the level of art form. Your clients should feel awe at your respect for their excellence of their experience.

4. If you're going to do your job above and beyond, let your clients know it may take a little longer than they're expecting. When they know you're going to do something amazing for them, they'll wait.

That's certainly more than I would have remembered about serving my clients well had I stayed home with the eunuchs.

Rain (and what it means to a Mercedes salesperson)

Most people up here in NorCal love the rain. We need it, for one thing, so we can keep supplying LA with the water necessary for their lush lawns, and it makes our hillsides pretty and green for a while, too. It ushers in blooming yellow mustard and happy grapevines in the wine country, and the pink cherry blossoms which grace so briefly the wine-colored branches of the cherry trees. Rain makes for gorgeous, wild surf, and pounds our beaches into new and woolly shapes, if only temporarily. Yes, we NorCal people love our rain.

But driving in it, we're not so good. Actually, Californians in general suck at driving in the rain, as anyone who grew up in an inclement-weather place can attest. We either drive WAY too slowly, as if the raindrops will pop our tires out there, or drive exceedingly fast, as if there couldn't be anything remotely slippery on a road that hasn't been wet down in months, and that the laws of physics do not apply to busy people. Add to this equation streets in various states of disrepair and the occasional sinkhole, and you have a recipe for fender benders and worse. Most people stay home if they have the option. Accidents are more common, and worse in severity, so staying at home seems a prudent safety strategy.

This type of weather brings out the cozy in us; we're lucky to have it. Having lived in SoCal, I know the guilt wrought by yet another sunny day. When do we get to stay indoors, in our jammies, for crying out loud, and read the newspaper and watch Singin' in the Rain? The incessant sun exhorts us to get off our butts and go do something, anything, but relax.

But here, on a ferociously rainy day, we all enjoy our day off. It's an excuse to NOT get things done such as errands; we can cite the weather. We make a cup of tea and connect with our pillows, catching up on a nap or two as the rain rattles our double-hung windows, and all is right with the world. Right as rain, indeed.

I didn't have the day off today, and went into work with a sense of duty and  purpose. I know that should an accident be unavoidable, my clients have the best chance of coming though safely, and that makes me feel good. Every time it rains, somebody's life is saved by their Mercedes. They'll show up in our showroom in a week or so, perhaps still in shock, telling us where and when their life was saved by their car. We will then calmly accept the duty of helping them select a new one, silently sending our thanks for the wisdom of the Mercedes engineers.

More rain is expected. Drive safely.

What is Yelp's deal, anyway?

This is the verbage from a Yelp review written on November 23, 2009, by a client of mine. It was up on the Yelp site for a few weeks, and then it mysteriously disappeared. They have left up a couple of reviews written by other clients of mine, but they have not taken down all the not-so-happy comments about our service department, however. (Our service department won Mercedes-Benz' most coveted service award last year, but that's another subject.)

There appears to be a disconnect widening at Yelp between the truth and some manipulated fictions.

Their representatives visited our dealership a while back offering to remove bad reviews for a small monthly fee. This smacked of extortion. Many instances of this ended up documented on the interweb, and Yelp issued a rebuttal. They categorically denied the practice, but everyone I spoke to knew some business owner who had had their business threatened by the mighty Yelp. Anybody can make a mistake, and I thought they would have put those not-so-best business practices behind them.

I did receive some calls from potential clients from my good reviews on Yelp, and did sell some cars from those referrals, too. Then they took down my good review from Robert S.

They had a good thing going, engendering the trust of thousands of people, but they just lost mine for good. I will take all their reviews with a grain of salt, knowing they are cherry-picked for content depending upon which side of Yelp's good graces the business is on. What a pity. We expect corruption from "foreign diplomats" trying to recover funds from abandoned bank accounts and all we have to do is put up a few thousand in earnest money, but what about being deceived about honest business owners in our own neighborhood?

This is my livelihood they're messing with, and I think it's just mean.



"Mercedes-Benz Of San Francisco





500 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

Reviewed by Robert S.



I walked into Mercedes Benz of San Francisco after being completely disturbed by my service experience at an equally local Land Rover dealership. I had a perfectly beautiful Range Rover. But, the new E series Mercedes peaked my interest.



I visited several Mercedes dealerships and, as everyone is clearly aware, the internet has tons of information. I had my pricing guidelines in hand and thought that I was prepared. If you are going to purchase a Mercedes Benz in the state of California I have two words for you: LIZ BOEDER.



Liz Boeder is the most helpful, interesting, and interested sales "friend" (I can't really call her a salesperson because it just doesn't do her justice). I could tell - from the moment that I entered the dealership - that I was probably "small potatoes" for her. I was looking at a fairly mid-priced vehicle when compared to the amazing G63 or CL600. And, of course, I thought that I was fully armed with all applicable information. I was wrong.



Liz immediately took me upstairs and basically visually disassembled a vehicle for me to highlight the 800+ safety features etc. on this car. She spent more than 2 hours with me explaining the car. It's roots. It's concept. As I was going from a Range Rover - which is safe just from it's 6,000 pounds - safety was important to me. She pointed out that the vehicle actually does active work to avoid and predict issues - and that it had so many sophisticated features that Mercedes Benz actually shares with other car manufacturers for goodwill only.



I explained that I wanted a very specific color combination. She found it in about 10 minutes. We settled on a fair price and the transaction was done. After I took delivery, I had highly technical questions about the media register and ipod system - and as the model was brand new and little information was available - she just picked up the phone and called the creator of the system. Incredible!



I had other questions about the tire pressure management system and she answered them honestly and took the time to explain what was going on and basically gave me a physics 101 lesson. And, she does it in a way that is helpful and not at all didactic.



A few things. She knows the most. She's available. She's nice. She's professional. She's honest. She's passionate about Mercedes Benz. She is the perfect synergy that balances client interests with dealership success. It's just a fair and pleasant experience all around.



I can't think of a more pleasant car buying experience. And I do mean experience. She loves her job and I feel as though I made an excellent decision on my vehicle because she had real questions to ask me about my driving style, expectations, and needs. Granted, I am aware that I was choosing a Mercedes - but on a lot where there are cars ranging from $34,000 to $125,000 or more - I could have just been an annoying tire kicker. I don't think it would have mattered. Liz Boeder wanted me to know about the car she sells and represents.



She's the best."

If you're interested, I will be happy to email you a copy of the exact Yelp review, replete with the five red stars.

Traction Control

I wish I had a photo of what happened on a test drive today, so I could share it with you.

A lovely couple wanted to look at the 2010 E350 and the ML350. I dutifully showed them both vehicles, discussing safety features and new technology. They said they might be starting a family in the next few years, and although they have never had a Mercedes, the wife's father had had one.

They're driving a BMW 335i that comes to the end of its lease in April. I shared with them Mercedes racing history, and how winning Formula One Championships has strengthened the breed in terms of safety and performance.

I mentioned the importance of intrinsic safety systems in keeping Mercedes drivers out of harm's way. I explained the importance traction control, and how it can keep you from ever getting into an accident. I've had three separate buyers tell me that their Toyota Camrys had spun out, causing them to crash, so I believe this discussion to be a critical one.

I have developed various different methods to demonstrate the awesome safety systems in place in our cars. For demonstrating the traction control, I drive the car to an empty street and by flooring the accelerator and cranking the steering wheel, I try to induce the car to spin. It's a pretty radical demonstration, complete with squealing tires and sometimes, squealing buyers. I have had some folks get carsick when I do this, but most people think it's great fun.

After the "spinny test" as I call it, it's on to the next opportunity to show off the greatness of the car, by demonstrating the ABS and BAS on a nearby bumpy, former cobblestone street. In case you're wondering, the streets I use are almost deserted, but the occasional passerby does get a funny look on their face...

With my clients driving now, we headed onto the highway, and we had an opportunity to talk about how nicely the new Mercedes drives, how it's smooth and powerful, all the good things you want to hear. The couple had expressed a wish to compare both the E-Class and the ML, so we returned and picked up the ML.

We followed the same route, city streets to the 280 freeway, and taking the Alemany exit, to return. As we approached the freeway entrance this time, however, it was clear that something had gone very wrong on the stretch of freeway we had traversed safely only minutes before. Where traffic had been light, there was now a clot of cars barely crawling along. From the back seat, I could see the solo accident, a car at a 45-degree angle up the embankment. From about a quarter mile away, I had a sneaking suspicion. Before I thought about it, I blurted out, "It's a Camry, isn't it?" And sure enough, as we drew nearer, the scenario became clear. The Camry driver had spun out (as evidenced by the tire tracks all over the blacktop) and skidded to rest up the embankment. The was a CHP officer on the scene, and it appeared no one was hurt.

Thank goodness the Federal Government has deemed traction control so vital that they have mandated it for all 2010 vehicles sold in the US.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles have had traction control since 1979.

The Beautiful Monster otherwise known as the SLS AMG

Please don't drool on your monitor. Consider if you will, some of the sexiest word combinations in the English language and that they apply to the car pictured at right:

Dry Sump Lubrication (keeps the engine from starving for oil during high g-force cornering)

AMG Speedshift Transmission (matches revs on downshifts to help maintain speed and keep the car balanced, putting more power to the road)

Ceramic Composite Brakes (race cars have these, and they dissipate heat better so you can brake harder and deeper into a corner)

Redline of 7050 RPM (higher revs mean using more of the engine's power at top speed, which brings us to...

Top Speed Limited to 196 (wow. means you could remove the limiters and go way over 200, which is almost fast enough, thank you)

11.3:1 Compression (more dense air gets into the engine, helps make more power, which leads to...

563 bhp (five-hundred and sixty-three brake horsepower)

479 lb.ft. of torque (anyone need a house moved down the street?)

Word combinations like these usually only apply to race cars. With the SLS, Mercedes has peppered our dictionary and phrasebook with these ever-so-slightly obscene descriptions that make (gear) heads swoon and hearts palpitate.

And the gorgeousness! Let's not forget that this car is so ridiculously beautiful from every angle that it just hurts.

I can't decide between Imola Grey with the Red interior, or White with the Red interior.