ALL top-end Mercedes-Benz models these days sport a rather
cheap-looking piece of black plastic behind the grill. Far from being cheap, that piece of plastic hides two radars, the
roots of which go back all the way to a graffiti-painted old concrete gun
emplacement opposite the Virginia airport outside Durban.
For in one of the fascinating twists history takes, Durban was a
hotbed of radar research during World War 2 (WW2).
Engineering
Science and Education Journal of June 1992 explains that before WW2, the
golden grail was to get radar to sweep over the horizon to highlight in little
green blocks craft that were prowling out of sight. A group of South Africans were the first to make such radar,
successfully testing their “onions” — as they called their radar — at Signal
Hill in Cape Town in June 1940 and in July at Avoca in Durban. Their flickering
cathode ray tube displayed test ships and aircraft that were 50 km away, “beyond
the optical
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| ‘A modern embodiment of sensual clarity’ with a ‘subtle convex concave effect on the flank’ is how Mercedes-Benz describes the lines of the S-Class. |
The radar in today’s Mercedes-Benz cars also has a tenuous link
with Pietermaritzburg. Journalist and keen military historian Paul Kirk found a
link to KZN’s capital after buying the wartime medals of ex-Pietermaritzburg
mayor Pamela Reid.
“I bought her medals and some of her papers after she died, and
pulled her service records. She served with the Special Signals Services [SSS]
which was a pretty exotic unit, yet made little mention of it after the
war.”
Author Allan Jackson explains in his fascinating book Facts about Durban that the SSS was formed after the Department of Defence had
asked Dr (later Sir) Basil Schonland of the Bernard Price Institute of
Geophysical Research at Wits University to form a team and develop a radar
network in South Africa.
“Radar had been around in primitive forms for a while, but none of
the more sophisticated components available to our British allies could be
sourced in South Africa,” writes Jackson.
“Schonland wasn’t the type to allow a little thing like that to get
in his way, so he and his team built a rudimentary contraption from bits of
bicycles, old radio sets and components surreptitiously bought from radio ham
supply stores. Why surreptitiously? Because South Africa and its defence force
was at the time loaded with Nazi sympathisers [the Osswabrandwag].
“The men and women of the SSS were thus so secretive about their
work that they earned the nickname of the Secret Snob Squad.”
As Schonland and his scientists developed better equipment,
stations were established at intervals along the coast, manned largely by women,
and local military units knew virtually nothing of their purpose.
Schonland’s first radar set, called the “JB” (after Johannesburg)
was tested at Wits, using a water tower as target after a pilot had ignored his
instructions to fly a certain route, causing consternation on the ground.
The new Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG, the most powerful high-performance
sedan in the luxury segment, today uses three different radar, all of which are
a lot more sensitive than Schonland’s first efforts, to guide the car’s cruise
control systems.
These include a multimode radar that monitors traffic behind with a
narrow and a wide angle field.
Behind that cheap-looking plastic are two radars, a short-range one
that monitors the space from the vehicle ahead and checks for objects in blind
spots; and a long-range signal that bounces back from obstacles two soccer
fields away.
The output of the AMG’s 5,5 V8 biturbo engine (430 kW and 900 Nm is
also 439,45 kW more than the world’s first car, Carl Benz’s Patent Motor Car,
which had a a single-cylinder, 0,954 cc thumper engine with a peak output of
0,55 kW at 400/rpm.
“The new S 63 AMG likewise leads the way when it comes to
perfection, high-class appeal and quality,” says Selvin Govender, divisional
manager, marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The “additional optional extras” that I really enjoyed on the
launch drive were the air-balance package and the Burmester high-end 3D surround
sound system, which resonates with the entire body shell.
The new S-Class comes standard with Mercedes-Benz’s PremiumDive
six-years/100 000 km maintenance plan with no customer contribution. There are a
number of “top-up” options available for the discerning customer, ranging from
eight years, 100 000; eight years, 140 000; eight years, 160 000; and up to
eight years, 180 000 km.
The new
S-Class at a glance
S 63 AMG
Short wheelbase
Displacement: 5 461 cc
Output: 430 kW at 5 500 rpm
Max torque: 900 Nm at 2 250-3 750 rpm
Fuel consumption: NEDC combined
10,1 litres/100 km
CO2
emissions: 237 g/km
Kerb
weight: with fuel tank filled 90%, without driver and luggage is
1 970 kg.
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h 4,4 sec
Top speed: 250 km/h (limited)
Price:
The new S 63 AMG is introduced at R2 174 000, including VAT, but excluding
CO² emission tax of R19 289.
The latest in smart driving
THE blog caranddriver.com summarised all the smart driving systems in the new S-Class.
Adaptive cruise control with steering assist
The power steering’s electric motor applies torque to keep the car centred in its lane on straights and in gentle curves. Even where there are no lane markings, the S-class will autonomously follow the car in front, provided it’s travelling at less than 60 km/h.
Adaptive headlights
Shutters in the LED headlamps shape the beams to illuminate corners, highlight pedestrians, and avoid blinding oncoming drivers.
Self-parking
The S-class steers and brakes into parallel and angled spaces with the driver contributing only small amounts of throttle. If the car automatically enters a parallel spot, it can also exit that location.
Night vision
The speedometer switches to a night-vision display when a pedestrian or animal is detected, highlighting the hazard in colour.
Bird’s-eye view
Four wide-angle cameras provide an overhead view of the car, useful for pulling alongside curbs or parking perfectly between the lines.
Pedestrian detection
Using both the stereo camera and radar, this system can spot pedestrians, predict collisions, and initiate braking. At speeds up to 50 km/h, it can automatically avoid an accident.
Collision avoidance
The car warns the driver and applies the brakes if it anticipates an accident is imminent. In addition to identifying cars ahead of you, the new S-class also monitors cross-traffic as you approach intersections.
Collision preparation
Mercedes is the first automaker to locate a radar transceiver in the rear bumper to detect an impending rear-end collision. When it does, a controller activates seat-belt tensioners and increases brake pressure to prevent a secondary collision.
Lane keeping and traffic monitoring
Mercedes has married lane-departure assistance with blind-spot monitoring and forward-facing sensors.
As you wander from your lane, the steering wheel vibrates, but if there’s an oncoming car or a vehicle in your blind spot, the S-class applies the brakes on the opposite side to yank the car back into its lane.
