On November 30th 2007, Kurt Oblander, the legendary Mercedes-Benz engineer will celebrate his 80th birthday.

Mr Oblander was an engine developer at Mercedes-Benz from 1955 through to 1991 and was a key figure in the development of emission control, particularly the catalytic converter.

The M 100 eight-cylinder unit of the Mercedes-Benz 600 is one of Mr Oblander’s signature designs while the six-litre V 12 engine that made its mark in the SE/600 SEL S-Class models was his last triumph in 1991.

Perhaps his biggest achievement was his part in the development of the exhaust catalytic converter of which Mercedes-Benz was the first motor manufacturer to offer as standard from 1986.

On retiring from Daimler-Benz AG in 1991, after 36 years of work, he described his 12 cylinder engine in a passenger car, saying: "It is nothing special to build a steam-hammer engine with lots of power and torque. In a Mercedes-Benz, however, I want to have torque and power combined with high levels of comfort and refinement."

His love for the environment was continued in his capacity as a consultant of Daimler-Benz AG on environmental protection and nature conservation issues after he retired.

Lewis Hamilton is set to take on The Stig as he swaps his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One car for the driving seat of a Suzuki Liana in the latest episode of Top Gear.

The Formula One ace takes part in the "star in a reasonably priced car" feature, to be aired this Sunday at 20:00 on BBC 2.

But the 22-year old ace will have his hands full as he tries to beat the fastest lap-time set by The Stig of one minute and 44.4 seconds.

Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Mark Webber are all stars of Formula One that have previously taken to the Top Gear circuit and Hamilton will be competing alongside celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay and Jennifer Saunders.

Celebrities usually drive the Chevrolet Lacetti but Hamilton will drive the Suzuki so that his time can be compared to that Formula One drivers before him.

Simon Cowell currently tops the leader board with a time of 1.45.9 but the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver, who narrowly missed out on last season’s championship, will have The Stig’s time in his sights.

Find out more about Mercedes-Benz motorsport.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing its reputation as an environmental innovator by introducing a wind turbine at its United Kingdom Head-Office in Milton Keynes.

At 20 metres tall the turbine spins wherever the wind comes from due to its unique helical design and will be installed today (December 1st).

Noise and vibration are minimalised by the high-tech carbon fibre blades and the vertical axis turbine is one of only six in the country.

Over a year the turbine will generate enough electricity to power an electric smart fortwo for 30,000 miles or to power two average sized homes.

Wilfried Steffen said that by taking the lead in the use of energy-saving technology, Mercedes-Benz UK was hoping to inspire companies to reduce their carbon footprint.

"Mercedes-Benz invests in a wide range of environmental technologies through its vehicles and production facilities and the wind turbine is another way we can lead by example and make a difference," he added.

Three charging points are being installed next to the turbine allowing drivers of the smart ed to charge their vehicles.

The introduction of the turbine is part of the long-term goal to produce ten per cent of the energy needs on site.

An Italian car magazine has named the smart fortwo cdi as the vehicle with the lowest average fuel consumption that it has ever tested.

Quattroruote measured the low fuel consumption of the vehicle over a 620 mile journey across Italy.

Travelling from Rome to Salzburgon, the smart fortwo cdi travelled the distance on a single tank of fuel.

The route consisted mainly of motorways but there were also detours and traffic jams as a result of roadworks, long up-hill stretches and city traffic in Rome, Bolzano and Salzburg.

But the car still did it on a single tank meaning it consumed only 3.3 litres of fuel per 62 miles while emitting only 88 grams per kilometre of CO2 emissions.

The test confirms the efficiency and environment-friendly qualities of the smart fortwo cdi that features the world’s smallest direct-injection diesel engine.

A few milliseconds before the main injection a small quantity of diesel is injected into the combustion chambers to preheat the cylinders.

A computer then calculates how much fuel is needed and the interval between the pilot injection and the main injection ensures a quiet engine.

Lewis Hamilton has been doing his bit for charity before he begins his preparation for the 2008 Formula One Grand Prix season.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver attended the Prince’s Trust Future Investment Charity gala dinner at the Roundhouse in Camden.

One of the biggest charity fundraisers of the year, the event helps young people to overcome barriers and realise their potential.

Youngsters who are struggling in school, who have been in care, or have been in trouble with the law are supported by the Prince’s Trust.

Hamilton’s busy schedule continued as he attended the dinner after an interview for GQ Magazine conducted by Naomi Campbell.

The 22-year-old ace then headed to a filming session for BBC television programme, Top Gear which will be shown this Sunday on BBC 2 at 20:00.

But Hamilton will get back to business next week as he continues his preparations for next season with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.

Jerez, in Spain, is holding a testing session and the driver, who missed out on the championship by a single point, will take to the wheel of the Formula One car for two days.

Find out more about Mercedes-Benz motorsport

Mercedes-Benz US International (MBUSI) has manufactured its one millionth vehicle, just over ten years since the first M-Class rolled off the production line.

Coming off the line this week was a white M-Class 350, featuring sporty wheels, running boards, a rear view camera and a navigation system.

The vehicle was then donated to a non-profit organisation to be decided by the manufacturing plant in Tuscaloosa.

Leading the way as a sporty utility vehicle, the M-Class is the ultimate in design for SUVs.

This year 146,900 of the vehicles have been sold worldwide and 59,400 of these coming from the Alabama plant.

All the vehicles are assembled with gasoline and diesel engines which are produced in Germany.

The M-Class features precision technology as well as the comfort of the luxury Mercedes-Benz interior.

The 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission is fitted as standard giving the driver seven forward gears delivering excellent acceleration and low fuel consumption.

Shifting down the gears manually is done with the touch of a button, with no need to remove your hands from the steering wheel, tap the gearshift buttons and the 7G-TRONIC technology will respond.

The Mercedes-Benz R-Class has won, for the third year running, the Auto Trophy, which is voted for by readers of Auto Zeitung, the European car magazine.

Following in the steps of the R-Class, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was confirmed as the ultimate luxury vehicle, winning first place in the luxury class.

Over 100,000 readers vote for the awards via the internet meaning the win is a major coup for Mercedes-Benz.

Beating 17 other vehicles to the title, the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, the luxury multi-activity vehicle, was acknowledged as a trend-setter.

Comfort while travelling, spaciousness, a striking design and first-class safety made the vehicle a popular choice among voters.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the ultimate in luxury car design, fought off the competition of 13 competitors in the vote for the best luxury car, confirming its position as the flagship model as its stylish design, elegance and innovative technology making it a hit with voters.

AIRMATIC suspension is one of the technical developments in the luxury saloon along with Brake Assist PLUS that uses radar sensors, and the PRE-SAFE system.

The award was picked up by Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Explore the R-Class luxury multi-activity vehicle for yourself.

As the Formula One awards season continues, Lewis Hamilton has been recognised for his superb debut season for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.

F1 Racing Magazine voted the 22-year-old British driver as man of the year in recognition of his impact on motor racing’s premier sport.

But the man of the year didn’t stop there, the driver picked up four other gongs to accompany the prestigious award on his mantelpiece.

Reacting to the awards, the Formula One ace said: "I really want to be the best at everything that I do. If I make mistakes it’s because I am pushing so hard. An award like this is fantastic, because it shows that people notice and appreciate how hard you’re trying. So, thank you to everyone."

Lewis was also the winner in the rookie, qualifier and personality of the year categories as well as driver of the year.

The young driver has also been busy promoting his book, Lewis Hamilton: My Story, and visited Bristol and Oxford this week to sign copies.

Thousands turned up to have a copy signed by their Formula One hero and speaking to ITV Bristol, he said: "This is my first time in Bristol, but what I have seen so far I like it. It is great to be here doing this."

Find out more about Mercedes-Benz motosport.

The Autosport awards take place on December 2nd and as a testament to the growing impact of Formula One they will be televised for the first time.

Started 26 years ago, ITV1 will be televising the award ceremony, with the broadcast going out on December 4th, that is widely regarded as the biggest and best-attended event in the motorsport awards calendar.

Lewis Hamilton’s performances for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team have seen him become the first British driver to finish inside the top two since 2001 when David Coulthard finished second.

A British driver has not won the championship since 1996, when Damon Hill was victorious and Hamilton’s revival has been widely stated as the main reason for the surge in the sport’s popularity.

Viewing figures in Britain have jumped by 40 per cent this season, according to Grandprix.com, which has prompted ITV to televise the event.

Hamilton may also find himself in line for an award after scoring 109 points in his debut season in Formula One and missing out on the title by just a single point.

However if he fails to pick up a prize at the Autosport awards, the FIA Awards in Monte Carlo follow just a few days later.

Executives are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a new car and Mercedes-Benz is providing powerful, yet economical vehicles and combining performance and comfort.

Rating its ‘best buys’, What Car? Magazine rated the Mercedes-Benz C 180 KOMPRESSOR SE in the top two best compact executive vehicles on the market.

The 25-year old anniversary of the compact executive saloon, or "Baby Benz" as the first models were affectionately known, is associated with high standards of safety, comfort and economy.

The executive category also saw a Mercedes-Benz making the top three.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS 320 CDI was described as "stunning" by the magazine, which is no surprise considering over 100,000 models in the CLS range have been delivered to customers across the world since it was launched in October 2004.

Dr. Klaus Maier, executive vice president of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said the model provided the elegant design of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a sedan.

"The extraordinarily positive customer response to a model that is still unique underscores Mercedes-Benz’ role as a trendsetter in the development of new vehicle concepts and impressively demonstrates the success of our product strategy," he said when speaking earlier this year.