Forbes’ Most Beautiful Cars of 2012

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The definition of beauty is a highly subjective matter, one that hinges on personal opinions and emotions, but as a whole, it’s pretty easy to agree that Forbes did a fantastic job in coming up with their list of the “Most Beautiful Cars of 2012.”

With incredible Italian, English, Danish, and German examples of automotive artistry, this “top 9” list pulls from a broad spectrum to excite your visual sense. Even more exciting, in our personal opinion, is that 5 of the top 9 most beautiful cars of 2012 can be found in a local Park Place Dealership.

For the full list, you can read Forbes’ “Most Beautiful Cars Of 2012” here, or check out the gorgeous cars on the list that can be found at Park Place Dealerships below!

Jaguar F-Type

To be perfectly honest, you can’t actually see the F-Type in our showroom yet because it hasn’t been released, but it’s easy to see why this re-animation of Jaguar’s sports-car heritage made it on the list

McLaren MP4-12C and 12C Spider

Based on styling cues and technology straight out of F1 racing, this entirely carbon fiber supercar truly is a thing of beauty, with the power to back it up. The flawless, sweeping lines of the body are completely uninterrupted as you will find a lack of hardware, with the incredibly unique dihedral doors opening with a high-tech touch interface rather than traditional handles.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

AMG took the lead in designing both the body and powertrain for this impressive, aircraft inspired, example of AMG engineering. Want to turn heads in a classically styled, modern behemoth of a car? This is a brilliant choice.

Bentley Mulsanne

The Mulsanne blends the best of yesteryear with today’s modern touches. Plush interior, supercar power, and refined design prove where Bentley’s focus stands, the pure joy of the driving experience. That is evident in this quote from Car and Driver, “As extravagant and comfortable as the Mulsanne is, its most impressive trait is its poise.”

Maserati GranTurismo Sport

If your tastes hail from Italy, this inspiring GT car is as good as it gets. With bold lines, an almost sinister style, Italian engineering under the hood, and all of the refinement you’ve come to expect from Maserati in the cabin, this is a car that can scare you and put a smile on your face at the same time.

Unveiled At Goodwood: 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake

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If you aren’t familiar with the term “Shooting Brake”, get ready for a lesson in vehicle styling from a couple of centuries back. Shooting-Brake is a term, originally adapted from the name of a piece of farm equipment used with horses, to describe estate vehicles that were designed to transport shooting parties, hence the first part of the name, to and from their hunting expeditions. Bringing back this history of luxury and excitement, Mercedes-Benz officially unveiled the new Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Most features from the current CLS line remain, however the 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake utilizes a stretched platform with a longer wheelbase and additional cargo room. The AMG model will be equipped with a twin-turbo 5.5L V8 engine, producing 525 horsepower, a top speed of 155 mph, and a 0-62 mph time of 4.4 seconds.

Plans for U.S. sales have not been announced, but this is a beautiful car to check out nonetheless!

Park Place Motorcars 2012 Fresh Faces of Fashion

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Park Place Motorcars Dallas recently revealed its Freshest Face, the all-new 2013 SL550 Roadster, at the  6th Annual Fresh Faces of Fashion Reveal Party, held at the dealership’s Lemmon Avenue location.

Hosted with Modern Luxury Dallas Magazine and Stanley Korshak, the event welcomed over 500 guests and benefitted the Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas.

Joy Cioci’s fashions sizzled on the runway but our favorite models were the two SL550 Roadsters; steel gray with black leather interior and Iridium Silver with Red and Black Leather interior with Magic Sky Control!

Vy Tran purchased the winning raffle ticket, one of more than 740 $100 Raffle Tickets sold, for the chance to win the winner’s choice of the Mercedes-Benz C250 sedan or C Coupe.  The proceeds, of course, benefitted the Suicide and Crisis Center.  Park Place Motorcars Dallas also made an additional $10,000 contribution.  Margie Wright, the organization’s Executive Director was delighted to accept the donation and noted that this year’s Fresh Faces of Fashion events were some of their most successful fundraisers.

Mercedes-Benz To Offer AMG Version Of GL Crossover SUV

There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to 2013 models and Mercedes-Benz. Some of then are making their debuts now (like the popular SL550 Roadster) and others have already started to grace our showrooms. (Such as the all-new ML-Class SUV and the SLK Roadster) Certainly, the excitement never ends in our industry, and when it comes to the popular Mercedes-Benz GL Crossover SUV, we’re hearing news that there is something extra special to ignite attentions: An AMG model – the GL63 AMG, due to arrive early next year.

The GL63 AMG does it with a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine that puts out 550 horsepower, coupled with a seven-speed transmission. It also is said to sport a fuel-efficient ‘start-stop’ system that shuts the engine off at stoplights to conserve fuel. (and pennies at the pump) The model includes the signature AMG stainless-steel running boards, floor mats “sports pedals” and steering wheel.

Mercedes-Benz mbrace2 Brings Popular Apps and Technology To The Cabin Of Your Car

Mercedes-Benz is known for innovation and technology, and now, with mbrace2, it’s truly at your fingertips. With mbrace2, an array of apps and usable tools are built right in the interior design, utilizing the latest internet access capabilities.  You’ll now be able to access navigation tools from Google Local Search app, connect with your social networks, and even find and review entertainment with Yelp.

Ryan Emrie – Park Place Motorcars – Among Top 40 Mercedes-Benz Stars of Service Champions Nationwide

Ryan Emrie, technician with Park Place Motorcars Dallas, was named among the top 40 Mercedes-Benz Stars of Service Champions nationwide last week. These technicians represent the top one-half percent of eligible participants.

The Mercedes-Benz Stars of Service Championships are a multi-level national competition sponsored by Mercedes-Benz USA to identify the technicians and service advisors best suited to demonstrate world-class knowledge, skills, and teamwork.  The finalists will compete in Jacksonville to determine the 2012 team.

Join us in cheering on Ryan – as he continues his competition. What an exciting accomplishment!

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes takes silver medal at 2012 Edison Awards

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes joins a host of international brand leaders, all of whom earned recognition from the Edison Awards judging panel for their ongoing commitment to technical innovation and excellence.  Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: “I’m delighted that our ongoing efforts to manage and improve our carbon efficiency have been recognised by the Edison Awards judging panel. This is a fantastic achievement for the whole team.

“The nominees’ list at last night’s ceremony in New York read like a Who’s Who of the great and good in the world of inspirational technical innovation, and I’m immensely proud that our team has been recognised on that list.

“While our silver medal is further validation of the steps we’ve made, and certainly helps showcase our efforts on a global level, it is still merely the starting point for an ongoing and concerted mission to ensure that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes conducts its business in an environmentally conscious and responsible way.”

For the full announcement, visit McLaren.com here.

Mercedes-Benz Compact Concept Style Coupe Debuts At Beijing

The Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe (CSC) is making a splash at the Beijing Auto Show this year, with it’s new sporty, sexy design and even somewhat masculine look and feel. Rumor has it that new model is a preview of the upcoming CLA 250 compact sedan, which was confirmed for production at the show by Mercedes-Benz CEO  Dieter Zetsche.

Inspired by the highly successful CLS model, “It is the avant-garde sibling that strives to be bold and different, to establish a strong non-conformist identity and to even show a bit of attitude,” revealed Zetsche. “The Concept Style Coupé is expressive and powerful in its design. We are staking our claim very clearly here. This is the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future.”

From Mercedes-Benz Club of America:

Billed as a junior CLS, the CLA will sit below the C-Class on price and features in the future line-up. Using the CSC’s dimensions as reference, the new entry-level sedan will be about 2 inches longer, almost 5 inches wider and close to 2 inches lower than current the C-class. The CSC is 182.5 inches long, 74.4 inches wide and 55 inches tall. Based on Mercedes’ new MFA platform (Mercedes Frontwheel Architecture) FWD, it has a 106.25 inch wheelbase — 2 inches shorter than the C-class but the same as the A-class.

Read more from Mercedes-Benz Club of America Writer and Park Place Motorcars Dallas Member Joe Quenet

A Preview Of The All-New Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL-550

The sixth-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is getting rave reviews across the internet, and is a perfect addition to the iconic SL-Class lineup. Details such as the lightweight-body (300 pounds lighter than it’s immediate predecessor), aluminum body shell, the 429 horsepower bi-turbo V-8 engine, and an eco ‘start-stop’ feature to help make the design and functionality a bit ‘greener’ – have been carefully thought out and executed in this all-new SL-550. Learn more from Mercedes-Benz SL-Class product manager Dave Larsen, as he offers an intricate explanation of it’s new features and technology, styling and performance specifications.

Mercedes-Benz Furniture Collection

Mercedes-Benz is making its mark on the interior design industry with a new line of home furnishings. In partnership with Italian furniture manufacturer Formitalia, Mercedes-Benz plans to debut this new designer furnishing line at the upcoming Milan Furniture Fair.

The collection will consist of a sofa, a chaise lounge, a dining room table, a sideboard, assorted chairs, a home theater system stand, a chest of drawers and a bed. Each piece promises to offer “dynamic yet timelessly elegant design,” including wooden chair backrest shells inspired by the seat shells in Mercedes’ latest research vehicles.  Each piece will wear a subtle Mercedes-Benz Style logo.

Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes-Benz Style said of the collection, “The various pieces of furniture reflect the progressive, dynamic design idiom of our current show cars and concept vehicles, offering an exclusive, emotional experience outside our vehicles as well.”  While Mercedes-Benz is new to furniture, other high-end auto makers have strayed from vehicle design into other luxury goods markets. Maserati recently partnered with ultra-luxury designer Fendi on an exclusive line of travel gear. 

The true Mercedes-Benz enthusiast can furnish their space with pieces from this new collection starting in October. The furniture will be available through high-end furniture stores, studios and interior designer showrooms.