Who wants to drive the same vehicle like everybody else on the road? Of course not. Larte Design is a tuning company based in Russia. Their latest tuning kick – Mercedes GLS Black Crystal – was on full display at the MIAS 2016 (Manila International Auto Show) in the Philippines.

Discerning Car buyers want to distinguish themselves. Driving a unique SUV turns heads and draws attention. The new Mercedes GLS Black Crystal turning kit does just that and it’s impressive.

The Mercedes GLS Black Crystal tuning kit utilizes new materials such as basalt and carbon and about 50 new parts. The end result is a modified Mercedes GLS that is truly impressive.

There are several new features for the SUV’s front bumper. There is a splitter, as well as aelegant carbon fiber inserts. The Black Crystal Swarovski symbol can be seen on both the right and left sides of the front bumper.

On the rear bumper, you’ll find a diffuser plus carbon inserts. Due to this design, a nice feature is the Larte Design experts still allow the SUV’s tow bar to be used.

Back up front, the Mercedes GLS radiator grille is adorned with impressive carbon fiber, plus the company’s logo has a shape like a horseshoe. As a result of giving the GLS a more powerful look, the tuning kit adds expanded side arches.

The tips on the dual exhaust are made from carbon fiber. Another nice touch in this cool Mercedes GLS Black Crystal tuning kit that provides individuality and style.

What we like about the extended use of the carbon elements, is they can be easily painted to complement the color concept you desire. If you are going to customize your Mercedes GLS, then go all the way. Each client should make their car design unique.

In conclusion, Larte Design offers a wide selection of tuning kits available. In addition to the Mercedes GLS Black Crystal kit, you can choose to customize the following vehicle makes and models:
– Infiniti Q70 LR, QX60 LR1, QX70 (FX37) and QX80 (QX56)
– Lexus LX 570 Alligator and LX and NX accessories
– Maserati Ghibli accessories
– Mercedes GL Black Crystal and V-class Black Crystal
– Range Rover Evoque and Sport Winner
– Tesla Model S Elizabeta

If you would like to pimp your rise, contact The Life of Luxury and we can help you. Consider the Mercedes GLS Black Crystal kit from Larte Design or one of their other incredible options. Be sure to come back again and read our luxury blog.

Photo: Larte Design

Who isn’t tired of the boring car key we all use?  Now you can pimp up your standard car key with a stunning gold & diamond Mercedes Benz car key.

Selected Jewels is a company from Germany that specializes in both the production and retail selling of exquisite and breath-taking jewellery.

The Golden Key is an innovative and original masterpiece and perfect for that discerning and select clientele, family member or acquaintance in your life.

The Golden Key is a gorgeous Mercedes Benz car key that has been made with a solid gold inset and also includes 300 cut diamonds that total 3.14 carats in size. The unique personality and individual style of each car owner can be accentuated.

It could make the perfect gift for anyone who owns a luxury Mercedes vehicle. Available in rose, white and yellow gold plus platinum. Throw in the full range of brilliant high-class gemstones plus the opportunity to have the Golden Key personally engraved.

So out with the old boring, standard plastic key and in with the new bespoke Golden Key. Each of these highly sought after pieces of jewellery are unique and therefore become special to the owner.

For further information about the Golden key, please contact The Life of Luxury and we assist with the buying process.

2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350

Style, elegant quality, reliability and safety features are just a few of the reasons you should drive a Mercedes Benz. Heading into 2013 there is yet another reason.

Mercedes is offering one of the most efficient SUV’s in their 2013 lineup. The compact Mercedes-Benz GLK350 is a entry-level vehicle that has been redesigned with over 1,000 new parts.

Called the “gateway” to the Mercedes line of Sport Utility Vehicles, the 2013 GLK350 is just the right size for many families that are looking to downsize their vehicles yet keep the perfect balance of performance and versatility all at an affordable price that will beat other luxury SUVs in the Mercedes-Benz family.

The notorious circle-star logo on the front of the car, the sleek roofline slopes, the integrated spoiler trailing off the edge of the roof, to the dual rectangular chrome exhaust tips are a few of the apparent changes to the exterior of the vehicle.

The interior is equally impressive … leather accented by brushed aluminum finish trim. Leather seats featuring eight-way power adjustments with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 5-inch color display for navigation, and plenty of storage access in the center console are just some of the luxury features that will have you riding in comfort and style.

The smooth ride of this luxury 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 sedan with its 3.5-liter V-6 engine, sporty appearance, plus an enhanced seven-speed automatic transmission with Touch Shift manual control, delivers a quality ride with a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.

As one of the most efficient SUVs in the impressive Mercedes lineup, the luxury GLK350 offers 16 miles per gallon city and 23 mpg on the highway.

Choose between the rear-wheel drive model starting at $37,090 or the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system version at $39,090, and be the proud owner of a Mercedes Benz today.

The London NYC lobby

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is the world’s premier fashion event. What better place to stay but The London NYC, which is ideally located in the thriving heart of Manhattan.

The London NYC has just been recognized as one of Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2011 World’s Best Hotels.

The London NYC is within walking distance of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and will definitely be the place to be and be seen for New York’s fashion crowd.

The London NYC is a luxury all-suite hotel and just steps from Fifth Avenue Shopping, Central Park, the Museum of Modern Art, and the famous Broadway theaters.

As Manhattan’s tallest hotel, guests of The London NYC will enjoy unbelievable views of Central Park, the city skyline, plus the Hudson River from any of its 561 spacious suites.

The London NYC can be found in the pulse of midtown Manhattan, and rises to the style and service expectations of even the most discerning traveler.

For foodies, enjoy an incredible fine dining experience at one of The London NYC three delectable dining options: Gordon Ramsay, Maze, and The London Bar.

The two Michelin starred Gordon Ramsay is a luxurious French fine dining restaurant based upon Gordon’s eponymous “Restaurant Gordon Ramsey” in London.

For guests looking for a slightly less formal experience, Maze offers a daily changing menu of market specials, incorporating gastronomic influences into the innovative tasting-sized dishes.

Lastly, the London Bar offers a traditional full English breakfast, an afternoon tea that includes freshly cut sandwiches and a variety of decadent pastries, and a small bites menu and unique cocktails in the evening.

The London NYC is an intimate oasis in bustling midtown New York and is located at 151 West 54th St., between 6th & 7th Ave.

For additional information on The London NYC, please visit www.thelondonnyc.com

Courtesy of: Mercedes

The all-new Mercedes 2010 E-Class series of vehicles continues to prove just how advanced these German designed cars really are.

It’s obvious that one look at an E-Class car and you can quickly see the complete effort: planning, designing, testing, and overall driver luxury goes into creating a line of cars.

The E-Class has a feature called Attention Assist which is amazingly cool and incredibly brilliant. Mercedes mentions that that people who wrongly drive when they are tired and drowsy get into car accidents approximately 100,000 times a year. That is surprisingly almost as much as driving while intoxicated.

The Attention Assist feature monitors about seventy different parameters to develop a baseline of your driving habits. It then uses that data to compare it in real-time against your current driving habits.

As you begin to drive your car, the intuitive system automatically is monitoring different things that you do for the first 20 minutes. Variables are measured such as how aggressive you are with the steering wheel, braking patterns, and much more.

Once that personal driver baseline is determined, the car’s system then can decide if your patterns changed for the worse and then alerts you. The driver receives both an audible alert, in addition to a visual one in the instrument cluster.

Research conducted by Mercedes shows that drivers of their luxury cars typically have a heart-rate that’s reduced by 5% compared to other drivers of other brand vehicles.

Why you ask? Well, it seems the reason is because of how much attention Mercedes pays to the vehicle’s cabin and the entire experience of making the driver feel like a driver. A driver that’s driving safe and comfortable is more at ease.

Another intelligent feature on the new E-Class is named the Adaptive High Beam Assist. It uses a camera that views oncoming headlights and taillights of cars in front of you. Based on that information, it can automatically soften your headlights as other cars pass by to minimize the lighting so not to blind them.

The Adaptive High Beam Assist can actually switch between both your high-beams and low-beams automatically. Even more incredible … the whole system is totally automatic and will auto-adjust your headlights to compensate for 1,000 feet of road (including vehicles) in front of you.

Mercedes also offers another technological achievement titled the Pre-Safe Brake. It utilizes a feature called Distronic Plus that uses radar to detect whether another vehicle that’s front of you has stopped and actually stops your car in emergency conditions. The system works by sensing that a possible rear collision may occur and sounds three warning tones to alert you.

Although the Mercedes 2010 E-Class is loaded with features, the car is also very customizable. You can easily configure your car and turn on or off the array of advanced features as you wish.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 model is not a completely new version. It appears it’s a mid-cycle revamp of this roadster classic. The additions and enhancements to the SL550 result in improvements on a car that was one of the finest things on wheels in the first place.

The 5.5-liter V8 engine in the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 remains untouched from previous models. The SL550 seven-speed V8 engine putts out 382 hp and 391 lb.-ft of torque with a 0-60 of 5.3 seconds.

Given the unique way the horsepower and the torque match up, driving the Mercedes-Benz SL550 feels like taking yoga. You and your SL550 are perfectly balanced.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound includes 10 speakers (510 watt output), a slot for music memory cards and even a Bluetooth interface. Music lovers can download up to 4 GB of your favorite music to a memory card and slide it directly into the sound system.

Another SL550 creature comfort is the AIRSCARF. It’s a heating system that’s built into both the driver and passenger seat headrests and efficiently circulates warm air around the head and neck at the push of a button.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz  SL550 offers a retractable hardtop that can be opened or closed in just 16 quiet seconds. The unique folding design offers an incredible large cargo area about 7.2 cubic feet when the top is down. The trunk holds 10.2 cubic feet when the top is up.

From the Mercedes Simplex to the E Series, Mercedes vehicles are, and have always been, sought-after vehicles. Mercedes has been known for their cars since 1871, when the company was founded in Stuttgart, Germany.

The company crafted its first car in 1886, and in 1901 the original Mercedes was released for public consumption.

The Mercedes Simplex, technically the third vehicle they ever created, was first produced in 1902 and again in 1909 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. Wilhelm Maybach was the designer of the Mercedes Simplex, which offered more engine performance and more stability than previous vehicles.

The Mercedes 35hp, that was created the year before the Mercedes Simplex, broke with several standards of automobiles of their time. To keep up with the tradition Maybach and Daimler knew they needed the Simplex to be even more of what consumers were considering a “standard” car. They decided to added comfort by means of simplicity, hence the name “Simplex.”

As you can imagine, cars like the Simplex are highly sought after because of rarity. With the 1902 vehicle improving the horse power of the engine, the Mercedes Simplex had to prove its worthiness on the race track. The first race track to see the Simplex in action was at Nice, France.

That same year, in the United States, the Simplex raced in Detroit offering another win. William Vanderbilt Jr. was a high-profile fan of the Simplex, boosting the profile of Mercedes in the United States.

In 1903, the Mercedes Simplex gained another fan in Kaiser Wilhelm II. He expressed such admiration for the car in stating that it was a truly magnificent engine, but not as simple as its name implies.

Currently, antique vehicles like the Mercedes Simplex can only be seen at the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. They still have 13 original Simplex units on display. These vehicles still take part in competitions each year as some of the best cars ever made.

Whether you are interested in new, antique, or used Mercedes cars performance and dedication to luxury are marked factors. The modern line of Mercedes vehicles includes SUV’s, trucks, and compacts. They recently began offering Smart cars for city driving. The reputation of Mercedes Benz will continue to be on the top of the quality car list for performance, endurance, and comfort for quality vehicles.

Author: by Fabian Toulouse

Economic uncertainty has many consumers seeking out overall value in new vehicles.

The Audi Q7 tops recent luxury SUV winners from Mercedes and BMW, as Audi finishes 1-2 in the luxury multi-function segment with the A3 and A4/S4 Avant.

The Audi Q7 earned recognition as the best luxury SUV and the Audi A3 claimed the top ranking among luxury multi-function vehicles in the just-released 2008 Total Value Index(R) produced by the consumer research firm Strategic Vision.

The annual Total Value Index brings together what consumers say about their vehicles (in terms of expected reliability, expected fuel economy, price paid and expected resale value) with various ownership measures calculated by Strategic Vision.

In determining the 2008 Index scores, the San Diego-based research firm found clear evidence that consumers are looking for the best pricing along with quality cues that would indicate a vehicle’s long-term value.

“These results reinforce the market’s shift toward experiences Audi offers in terms of performance and technology, luxurious features and efficiency,” said Audi of America Inc. Executive Vice President Johan de Nysschen. “We believe the long-term value of owning Audi models will be a difference maker as these economic times lead consumers to rethink their luxury-vehicle options.”

Strategic Vision noted that consumers are giving greater scrutiny to their vehicles, which it said opens up opportunities. “When economic conditions become more favorable, the manufacturers who have focused their efforts in enhancing product quality and communicating messages of trustworthy products and overall value will be in a position to regain, and even take over new, market share,” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision’s automotive division.

Source: Audi of America, Inc.

What luxury car we drive often tells the world more about us than we think. Do you sit behind the wheel of a fast, sporty vehicle or ride in comfort in a timeless classic car? As 2008 begins zooming forward, let’s take a look at what are the top 10 luxury cars from ForbesAutos.com.

As people shopped for luxury cars on ForbesAutos.com during 2007, they looked into the future for a taste of what they desire. During the fourth quarter, three vehicles not even on sale yet were among the top 10 most researched luxury vehicles on the site.

Two of the future models, the 2009 BMW M3 and 2009 Jaguar XF , were ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. The third ’09 model, Audi’s upcoming remake of its best-selling A4 Sedan, earned sixth place in the popularity contest for October, November, and December, despite not going on sale until the fall.

The remaining entries on the Forbes’ latest list of vehicles most researched on ForbesAutos.com were consistent with those choices from prior periods.  Full article

Aston Martin could co-operate with Daimler AG’s Mercedes on ventures ranging from engines to new models, the British luxury carmaker’s majority shareholder, Kuwait’s Investment Dar, said on Tuesday.

Adham Charanoglu, business development manager for Investment Dar, which bought Aston Martin from Ford Motor Co last March, said it had held talks with Mercedes and with LVMH’s Louis Vuitton and PPR’s Gucci on branded merchandising.

Any brand development would need to be at the top end of the luxury market, with opportunities stretching from apparel, owners’ events and track racing to real estate, Charanoglu said, adding Aston Martin’s merchandising revenue would rise from $100 million in 2006 to more than $300 million by 2009. But Charanoglu said production would continue in the UK.  Full article

It’s no surprise that the most fuel-efficient luxury cars sold in the United States aren’t homegrown. They are imported.

Europe and Japan lead the fuel-economy crusade for the luxury sector. A major reason is because economic conditions in those regions, have given local automakers major incentives to develop cars that conserve fuel while still providing amenities that luxury shoppers crave.

“European automakers have had to be conscious of fuel economy for decades,” says Mike Omotoso, senior manager of global powertrain forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates in Westlake Village, Calif. “In Europe, high-tech includes good performance coupled with good fuel economy.”  Full article