Mercedes Active Body Control To Go 'Magic' in Next Generation

[Wolfgang]

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Fuhrpark.de : BFP Forum am Nürburgring

 

[tennmb]

I, too, favour older cars because I'm not a fan of all that complicated new stuff, but you seem to like bashing Mercedes just for the sake of it, finding bad things to say even of their most awesome creations. Strange.

I was just making a joke. Maybe you guys over in whereever you are from, don't understand good ole American sarcasm.

But, since you brought it up. I've worked for MB for 12 years. I think they do some things great. Other items, I think they throw money away, and ignore simple improvements they could make to their current product line.
I get to deal with those owners who come in at 90k miles with the airmatic suspension failing. BTW, The air suspension in the GL has NOT been reliable. I get to deal with the crashing resale value because no one wants to take ownership of a 90k mile Benz with all this tech getting ready to go on the fritz. So, I understand the ooh and ahh of being a brand fan, and getting all tingly over the latest gadgets. But, I also understand reality. I went through the worst reliabilty period in the history of the company. I stuck with Benz, when I could have bailed on numerous occassions. I think I've earned a little latitude.

 

[coolraoul]

It's true that Airmatic can fail. I wouldn't be serene with an Airmatic equipped car, TBH, past the warranty period. And in fact, it's the same for pretty much every modern, techno-freaked car.

And the past years were very dark for Mercedes, true.

But, I think that Magic thing won't be too different from the Airmatic in terms of hardware, so no real worries here imo...

No modern car is made to exceed 300.000kms without major repair, that's sad but true.

 

[Wolfgang]

But, I think that Magic thing won't be too different from the Airmatic in terms of hardware, so no real worries here imo...

Magic is closer to ABC than Airmatic.

PS. A little suspension reliability datapoint: One of those early full hydropneumatic suspensions is my daily driver presently, which MBUSA refused to sell in the early 80s due to imagined aggravations ('81 500SEL). It now has more than 200,000 mi on the original hydrostruts, and turns out to be one of my more reliable MBs.

 

[Wolfgang]

Report: Mercedes-Benz developing 'Magic' active body control

by Jonathon Ramsey | Autoblog.com

Mercedes-Benz has codenamed its latest suite of driver convenience aids "Magic," and the automaker will soon introduce a Magic Body Control suspension technology and a Magic Sky Control roof tech. Sadly, there are no wizards nor Tinkerbells involved in any of this, just a whole bunch of electro-hydraulic and magnetorheological engineering.

Magic Body Control is the next generation of Active Body Control. Created with the help of ZF, the system of bushings atop the strut towers neutralizes wheel and body movements at two different frequencies. Daimler's testing indicates that MBC reduces 80 percent of unsavory suspension reverberations. It will show up on the S-Class and CL-Class in 2013.

Magic Sky Control will be seen as soon as next year on the new SLK. Working like photochromatic sunglasses that get darker in the sun, a magnetorheological glass offers a range of opacity from "near totally clear" to "dark blue." It doesn't alter the form of the roof and can be applied to any window, so expect to see this new development work its way through Mercedes-Benz's lineup. This technology could be used around a car's entire greenhouse and perhaps obviate the need for sun visors.

Report: Mercedes-Benz developing 'Magic' active body control — Autoblog

 

[Merc1]

Okay, so the system knows about the road surface, but how does it actually feel behind the wheel or from the passenger seat? Well, "magic" pretty accurately describes it. Drive a bumpy, lumpy road with the system turned off and then with Magic Body Control activated, and the difference is nearly unbelievable. We tested the system on truly nasty surfaces, and it ironed out the bumps to such an extent that we felt like we were essentially driving on a smooth road. On one run, we approached a visibly scarred road—the type where everyone in the car frantically searches for a handhold in anticipation—at a wildly excessive speed, and the suspension shrugged it off, keeping the body level and passenger compartment relatively serene. Wow factor, indeed.


From the Car and Driver, pretty impressive.


M

 

[Tarek]

^The next S is gonna be too good..

 

[jackywhatever]

if it will be a $10,000 option... argh

 

[Wolfgang]

Auto Motor and Sport confirmed it will be called Magic Body Control.

A new comfort system from Mercedes

Magic Body Control - thus baptizes Mercedes its proactive comfort system that detects
road damage and responds to it, and is expected in 2013 in the next Mercedes S-class.

Auto Motor und Sport MBC article - Google Translated

 

[K-A]

I was just making a joke. Maybe you guys over in whereever you are from, don't understand good ole American sarcasm.

But, since you brought it up. I've worked for MB for 12 years. I think they do some things great. Other items, I think they throw money away, and ignore simple improvements they could make to their current product line.
I get to deal with those owners who come in at 90k miles with the airmatic suspension failing. BTW, The air suspension in the GL has NOT been reliable. I get to deal with the crashing resale value because no one wants to take ownership of a 90k mile Benz with all this tech getting ready to go on the fritz. So, I understand the ooh and ahh of being a brand fan, and getting all tingly over the latest gadgets. But, I also understand reality. I went through the worst reliabilty period in the history of the company. I stuck with Benz, when I could have bailed on numerous occassions. I think I've earned a little latitude.

I agree.

This stuff is great to have, but further enhances the reason we are in a Leasing-then-throw-away society.

It will never be like the older days, where 20+ year old Benzes will be roaming around, sought after, and still reliable. This is the stuff that makes legends.

I bought a W220 WITH ABC, and I had so many people telling me (owners of new S's on Message Boards) that the car is a throw-away to them, they wouldn't take it for free, etc. etc. Due to how ridiculous it'll cost to fix any problems (about the price of the car potentially), since it was well out of Warranty.

Most of these cars will either be sent to the crusher early, or extremely beat up, driven by owners who either can't afford to keep them up, or cut corners as much as they can (leaving us poor examples of what should become historical models).

Not to mention, with ALL these safety innovations, what happens when/if they do fail? Can be very dangerous to the drivers and people on the road, and dangerous for the Daimler company.

 

[K-A]

Oh, and the "Magic" name is bizarrely stupid.

Makes me question if the handlers of the brand have their heads on right. How ANTI Benz is that name? I love the stern and engineer-based terms M-B usually come up with, THAT is "Benz". This is something Nissan MIGHT come up with, if they were desperate for a goofy name to please the 15 year old girls who are looking for their first car once they turn 16.

 

[Wolfgang]

^^^
There might be interest in joining Peter G. Neumann's comp.risk forum? where such stuff is discussed. He also wrote a book:

from the forum:

Date: 22 Jul 1990 11:03:45 PDT (Sunday)
From: Rodney Hoffman <Hoffman.ElSegu...Xerox.com>
Subject: BMW Drive-by-wire

A short item in 'Business Week', July 30, 1990:

BMW PUTS A BACKSEAT DRIVER ON A CHIP

The latest cars offer a plethora of computerized wonders -- like chips that
control the engine or warn you is a door is ajar. But would anyone want a
computer that took over control of a car if it judged the vehicle was being
driven too fast or improperly for road conditions? BMW engineers are
betting the answer is yes.

They've already installed an early version of their Heading Control system
in cars at the auto company's research center in Munich. A camera above
the rearview mirror tracks the center stripe and the line along the right
side of the road. If a driver gets too close to either marker, a small
electric motor integrated into the steering system is activated to put
things right. Later versions will gauge road conditions and differentiate
between broken and solid lines, so the computer can tell such things as
whether it's okay to pass. Drivers being corrected might feel a tug on the
wheel. But they can easily override the computer by continuing with
wahtever they are doing. BMW engineers say the system is at least five
years from market. And they predict that once customers get used to the
idea, they'll love it.

 

[bum-man]

Ooohhhh, so this is the same system that was shown on the F700?

 

[Wolfgang]

Yes, PreSCAN is similar. MBC is the next step.

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[Wolfgang]

driving with MBC ON

driving with MBC OFF


Car and Driver - Driven: Mercedes-Benz Magic Body Control

 

[K-A]

Haha, that's awesome.

 

[bum-man]

Finally! What we always wanted, now it is possible to take our pet fish on vacation with us. The future is bright1

 

[LaArtist]

This will be a new era of comfort..

 

[bmer]

I already know which song they will use for the ads.

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[Tarek]

Finally! What we always wanted, now it is possible to take our pet fish on vacation with us. The future is bright1

Lol.