Our team of spy photographers have snagged the production version of the upcoming 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class dressed in a see-through plastic wrap as the car was being loaded off the transportation truck.
Clearly descended from the current-generation of Stuttgart’s mini-MPV model, the new B-Class follows a more conservative styling language than its smaller sibling, the 2012 A-Class, official patent images of which we showed you in May (see here).
The five-seat 2012 B-Class is based on an all-new front-wheel drive platform, dubbed MFA, which features a conventional unibody and replaces the sandwich structure used on the current A and B-Class models.
Not too long ago, we brought you official design images of the brand new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sporting a five-door hatchback body styled after the impressive A-Class concept seen at the New York and Shanghai Auto Shows in April. Now we have some revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 B-Class minivan. Being that the next A-Class and its larger B-Class sibling belong to the same family, you would expect a similar design philosophy between the two models.
However, as these latest scoops demonstrate, that is not the case with the new 2012 B-Class. We had a very hard time telling the differences between the current B-Class and its successor, as the overall shape and styling of the small MPV have been kept intact. Nevertheless, the new B-Class is slightly taller and longer than the current model, with the front and rear ends influenced by the latest crop of Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs.
The regular Mercedes-Benz B-Class wasn’t exactly created with the motoring enthusiast’s needs in mind, but this one-off B55 special is another story. Trainees of Mercedes-Benzs Rastatt plant in Germany turned a B200 CDI diesel model into a full-blown sports car by planting in a 388 hp 5.5-liter V8 and transferring the drive from the front axle to the rear.
The idea of the project came from plant manager, Peter Wesp, while the execution fell on the shoulders of foremen Andreas Würz and Matt Rieger and a team of twelve second and third-year trainees specializing in production mechanics and automotive mechatronics.
The team aimed to fulfill several goals, drawn up in a book of specifications. According to the plan, the spatial concept as well as the body of the B-Class were to remain unchanged. The interior, however, was to be upgraded to reflect the newly acquired qualities and the overall goal was to create a vehicle suitable for everyday driving.
The regular Mercedes-Benz B-Class wasn’t exactly created with the motoring enthusiast’s needs in mind, but this one-off B55 special is another story. Trainees of Mercedes-Benzs Rastatt plant in Germany turned a B200 CDI diesel model into a full-blown sports car by planting in a 388 hp 5.5-liter V8 and transferring the drive from the front axle to the rear.
The idea of the project came from plant manager, Peter Wesp, while the execution fell on the shoulders of foremen Andreas Würz and Matt Rieger and a team of twelve second and third-year trainees specializing in production mechanics and automotive mechatronics.
The team aimed to fulfill several goals, drawn up in a book of specifications. According to the plan, the spatial concept as well as the body of the B-Class were to remain unchanged. The interior, however, was to be upgraded to reflect the newly acquired qualities and the overall goal was to create a vehicle suitable for everyday driving.
While fitting the powerplant into the rather small engine bay wasn’t the hardest part of the build – the team was able to use the original engine mounts, installing other parts proved to be more difficult than anticipated. That was the case with the engine control unit, which had to be reprogrammed only to process signals from the rear axle, and the steering as well. Fortunately, by combining various replacement parts and doing a fair share of modifications, engineers were able to solve all problems.
The rear axle was sourced from a W210 E-Class and suitable brakes were found in the C32 AMG replacement parts catalogue. The B55 rides on 18-inch AMG alloys, shod in 235/50 front and 255/35 rear tires. The final performance upgrade is comprised of a K&W-sourced coil-over suspension.
Fellow trainees from the Sindelfingen plant helped modifying the interior, which was upgraded with sport seats and steering wheel, Alcantara linings and other, more luxurious materials.
The end result is a low-key, but definitely high-performance B-Class, which only weighs 180 kg (397 lbs) more than the stock model. With 530 Nm (391 lb-ft) on tap, the B55 accelerates like no other B-Class before it and can also do some pretty sweet burnouts.
“We have not made any measurements yet, but we should manage a sprint to 100 km/h in under six seconds”, said Andreas Würz.
The B55 may notr see the mass-production line, but the project's officials didn’t rule out the possibility of other similar conversions.
Check out the video below for some... smoky action from the Mercedes-Benz B55.
Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp., commonly known by the acronym BAIC, is one of Mercedes-Benz's partners in China. However, that didn't stop the Chinese automaker, which has acquired the intellectual rights for Saab's older 9-5 and certain 9-3 models, to rip off the design of Mercedes' B-Class for its new BC301Z five-door hatchback and to a lesser extent, the BC302Z sedan. Read more »Source URL: https://ashesgarrett.blogspot.com/search/label/Mercedes%20B-Class Visit ashes garrett for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp., commonly known by the acronym BAIC, is one of Mercedes-Benz's partners in China. However, that didn't stop the Chinese automaker, which has acquired the intellectual rights for Saab's older 9-5 and certain 9-3 models, to rip off the design of Mercedes' B-Class for its new BC301Z five-door hatchback and to a lesser extent, the BC302Z sedan.
The styling similarities are not only concentrated on the outside with the profile line, V-shaped grille, headlamp and bumper designs, but are continued inside with the dashboard.
Fortunately for Mercedes, that's not the case with the drivetrain as the 4.038mm long BC301Z hatchback will be offered in China with a choice of two Mitsubishi-sourced gasoline engines, a 1.3-liter unit linked to a five-speed manual and a 1.5-liter powerplant hooked up to a CVT. The five-door model will be followed next year by a four-door sedan (BC302Z) and station wagon (BC303Z) variant.
Clearly descended from the current-generation of Stuttgart’s mini-MPV model, the new B-Class follows a more conservative styling language than its smaller sibling, the 2012 A-Class, official patent images of which we showed you in May (see here). 
