Reader Spy: Mercedes-Benz M-Class Hybrid spotted in Detroit
Click above for a gallery of ML450 hybrid spy shots
Thanks to an alert reader, we have a few snapshots of what appears to be a Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Hybrid prototype braving the snowy climes of suburban Detroit. At first glance, it doesn't appear all that different from a standard ML SUV, but the red HEV stickers on the rear, sides and hood of this tester gave its identity away. First previewed at the Frankfurt Motor Show all the way back in 2007, the German automaker has faced a number of obstacles bringing the hybrid to market, not the least of which was a lawsuit against battery maker Cobasys for reportedly breaking its contract to supply nickel metal hydride packs for the hybrid 'ute.
This SUV will be the first vehicle from Mercedes-Benz that uses the sophisticated hybrid drivetrain technology jointly developed with General Motors, Chrysler and BMW. Underhood lies a direct-injected 3.5L V6 that's mated to the two-Mode automatic transmission that the consortium will also be providing to BMW for use in the upcoming X6 ActiveHybrid. Thanks for the tip, Andres!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
waiownsyou 10:42AM (2/03/2009)
What's with that one shot with the weird looking hood bulge and where half of the rim is has its spokes crushed to one side?
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Swede 10:45AM (2/03/2009)
Is it supposed to look like that?
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JD 10:46AM (2/03/2009)
yea, not feeling the hood design.
http://www.30carinsurancetips.blogspot.com
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CarbonBlack 10:59AM (2/03/2009)
I assume the hood is only for the prototype.
CarbonBlack 11:00AM (2/03/2009)
BTW, what is with your link?
Matt 11:25AM (2/03/2009)
Not a flattering angle. Not at all.
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GusTurbo 11:48AM (2/03/2009)
How does this car manage to look strange from all angles? And what's with the front right wheel?
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Chris 12:06PM (2/03/2009)
The MB test cars do continuous loops through my neighborhood- I spotted a hybrid ML last week, but it didn't look anything like this. It was just a normal ML without badges.. and no engine sound. Had I not been walking it would've been very easy to miss.
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Doogie Fullhouser 12:22PM (2/03/2009)
The reason these photos are distorted is probably because they were taken with an iPhone. I think the iPhone lacks a traditional shutter, so when a photo is snapped the data from the sensor is captured a sort of swipe across the frame. If you're capturing a moving object or the camera isn't steady in decent lighting conditions you'll get this crazy distortion effect. There are some videos on YouTube where videographers create a distortion like this deliberately as an effect, its pretty trippy.
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VooDoo Daddy 4:34PM (2/04/2009)
I've seen this tooling around Birmingham (north on Woodward from the first picture in the series - the Detroit Zoo water tower is visible at extreme left) since early last year - I remember the hood bulges but not the HEV stickers.
If I had a decent camera or camera/phone I would have taken pictures. Oh well. We regularly see prototypes, mules, Euro-market and camoflaged vehicles around these parts.
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Justin 5:30PM (2/03/2009)
The ML Hybrid Prototypes all have hood bulges.
The early ones have giant square ones on the passenger side of the hood, this was before they repackaged the Traction Power Inverter Module (TPIM) from the Tahoe/Durango into the PCB (I may have that acronym wrong). The ones with the later packaging only have a small "angle" bulge when viewed from the side. This is due to the PCB sitting ON TOP of the Engine.
Final packaging will change, but not much from that.
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P.V. 5:35PM (2/03/2009)
It may just be the camera, but it looks like the car was made of jelly and bent in a convex shape.
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Andres Mituta 7:20PM (2/03/2009)
Yeah my iPhone was not the best at taking these photos at freeway speeds. The rims are normal :P
-Andres
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