On October 21, 33 E-Class cars with clean diesel drive will start on a fascinating long-distance drive from Paris to Beijing, each covering around 13,600 kilometers. With this automotive marathon, Mercedes-Benz is once again demonstrating the capabilities of its latest diesel engines with respect to emissions, economy and operating range, even under the most extreme conditions. Over long stretches of the journey, this long-distance event follows the route of the first transcontinental car race in history, which went from Peking to Paris in 1907. During the five stages of the journey, the new-generation E-Class models will be driven by around 330 drivers from 35 nations, covering a total of more than 450,000 kilometers in nine countries within 26 days.

The E-Class fleet leaving Paris on October 21 consists of 33 standard E-Class models with clean diesel engines, some of them equipped with 4MATIC four-wheel drive. In addition to 30 E 320 CDI models, three E-Class cars equipped with BLUETEC are included. This forward-looking technology makes the Mercedes-Benz saloon the world’s cleanest diesel car. The E 320 BLUETEC is the first and only diesel worldwide that can undercut the US exhaust emission standard BIN 8, which is particularly stringent with respect to nitrogen oxide emissions. From October 15, 2006 the E 320 BLUETEC will initially become available in the USA (in 45 states) and Canada, and consumes up to 30 per cent less fuel than comparable petrol-engined cars in North America. Owing to its enormous operating range of up to 1,200 kilometers with a full tank, it is ideally suited to an automotive marathon like the Paris-Beijing event – as is the E 320 CDI.

The long-distance journey from Europe to Asia passes through France, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Kazakhstan before ending in China. This event is not only a particular challenge owing to very low temperatures, ice, snow and short hours of daylight. Absolving the daily stages of up to 750 kilometers through sometimes impassable areas, under unusual traffic conditions and crossing passes at altitudes of up to 2,900 meters will require outstanding concentration, experience and fitness of the approximately 330 drivers from 35 nations, who will take turns at the wheel during the five 1,900 to 3,400-kilometre stages of the event. They include international journalists, celebrities and online applicants who were chosen from more than 50,000 who expressed interest in the Internet.

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