Lewis Hamilton will be handed the keys to a McLaren F1 LM if he wins the Driver’s Championship and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes wins the Constructor’s title in this season of Formula One.

The British Ace told the Sun the Ron Dennis had promised him the rare car if he brings glory to the team.

"The LM has always been my ultimate dream car since I first saw it when I was 13. When I first went to McLaren it was there and I fell in love with it.

"There are only five LMs in existence and the normal ones - the GTR - are worth about GBP1m, so the LM must be double that," said the 23-year-old.

"If Lewis can win the two titles the car is his. Fortunately, our deal gives me a bit of time to save up," Dennis said.

Hamilton is sitting at the top of the Driver’s Championship after his opening win in Australia and fifth placed finish in Malaysia.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is also top of the Constructor’s leader board and if it stays that way by the end of the season, the V12 powered vehicle will belong to Hamilton.

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The relationship between Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton is blossoming as the new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes line-up begins its assault on the Driver’s Championship.

Having joined the team in the close season, Kovalainen achieved his first podium finish in Malaysia and his relationship with the British driver has been closely watched.

Team boss Ron Dennis was delighted with the competition developing between Hamilton and Kovalainen and expects the Finnish driver to push the young Brit throughout the season.

"Lewis knows it and they are happy and joking about it. I hope as and when it becomes competitive between the drivers that the harmony keeps on," he told the Daily Telegraph.

Martin Whitmarsh, chief executive officer of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, was also delighted with the growing friendship between the two men.

"Lewis and Heikki get along fantastically well," he said, "in my 19 years with the team I don’t ever recall seeing such an honest exchange of information between drivers".

"He’s a very enthusiastic and open individual and the team spirit is great," Mr Whitmarsh said of Kovalainen.

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Gorden Wagener will head the design division of Mercedes-Benz from mid-2008 after Professor Peter Pfeiffer announced his retirement.

Mr Wagener currently heads the Strategic Advanced Design department and acts as director of the Mercedes-Benz design studios in California and Japan.

Dr Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management, was delighted to announce the appointment.

"Gorden Wagener will continue the successful work of Professor Peter Pfeiffer. He was involved to a considerable degree in developing the design of the passenger car models currently on the market, and will lead the Mercedes design into the future with his new and creative ideas," he explained.

Mr Wagener has worked for Mercedes-Benz since 1997 and has developed future vehicle concepts including the F 700 research vehicle which was unveiled last year.

He comes in to replace Professor Pfeiffer who is retiring aged 65 after 40 years with the automaker.

"Under Professor Peter Pfeiffer, design became a Mercedes-Benz trademark more than ever before and contributed to the brand’s success," said Dr Weber.

"In translating the current Mercedes design concept into forms, Peter Pfeiffer gave our automobiles their future-oriented appearance, and in this way defined the new image of the Mercedes-Benz brand," he added.

Review the various Mercedes-Benz model designs by visiting the showroom.

The latest version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which will be show-cased in Leipzig, has received a design makeover.

A younger design gives the new A-Class a different view from the front and the back as well as new features in the interior continuing its tradition as an innovator in design.

On the front-end of the vehicle, the sweeping lines of the headlamps follow through to the flanks giving a streamlined look while the bumper radiator grille and the bumper have been re-shaped to give the car more impression.

Meanwhile, the rear is dominated by a new bumper and new tail lights that extend into the flanks to ensure a wider and more powerful look.

Inside the A-Class drivers can look forward to a more luxurious style and design.

New high-grade upholstery fabrics and door trim along with new trim elements in smoke grey give the interior an expensive feel while the brushed aluminium adds another dimension.

Some of the A-Class models also come with larger storage compartments in the centre console as well as a new look cup holder between the front seats to give drivers more flexibility during their journey.

Meanwhile, the new A-Class enhances its environmental reputation by being the first compact-class car to have an Environmental Certificate.

The A-Class is the world’s first compact car to receive the Design for Environment certificate - an award based on the ISO standard 14062 and takes the whole life of the car into account, not just emissions and fuel consumption.

The new car comes to the UK later this year. Find out more about today’s A-Class on mercedes-benz.co.uk

Lewis Hamilton has been hailed as the saviour of Formula One after his debut season in Formula One.

Bernie Ecclestone praised Hamilton’s impact on the sport following his ground-breaking debut season in the first year after the retirement of seven-time champion, Michael Schumacher.

With the race for the title going down to the final Grand Prix in Brazil, Ecclestone believes the rise of a new star was a key behind the sport’s surge in popularity.

"The year could have been disastrous and boring, but fortunately along came a youngster called Lewis Hamilton and saved the season. It was phenomenal," he told FHM Magazine.

"This will be the big year of Hamilton, and I am not saying he should win the World Championship, but he will have to prove that he is competitive," Ecclestone added.

He said that Hamilton’s ability to converse with media was brilliant for the sport and was pleased with the 23-year-old’s ability to handle publicity.

"Hamilton’s attitude benefits us because he draws more attention and generates more publicity because he likes to talk," he explained.

Lewis Hamilton currently leads the Formula One World Championship by three points after winning the opening race in Melbourne and finishing fifth in Malaysia.

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Daimler AG has announced the retirement of its group senior vice president and head of global external affairs and public policy, Robert Liberatore, who will leave the company at the end of the first quarter.

Responsible for relations with governments and societies around the world, Mr Liberatore, 59, will leave the firm and join the German Marshall Fund.

After spending 23 years in the automotive industry, Mr Liberatore felt it was time to explore the not-for-profit sector.

Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: "I thank Rob Liberatore for his professional and loyal support over the years. He will be difficult to replace.

"Rob Liberatore combines an understanding of the priorities of government officials with a sophisticated knowledge of our business," he added.

His successor is yet to be announced and Dieter Spoeri, corporate representative in the Berlin officer of Daimler, will lead the external affairs and public policy department in the meantime.

Heikki Kovalainen has been built into a World Championship challenging driver after enduring a torrid season last year.

According to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal, Ron Dennis, the Finnish driver has a new found confidence that will allow him to challenge for the title.

"Heikki is a guy who was systematically taken apart last year and we have systematically put him back together again," the McLaren boss told the Daily Telegraph.

"Give him three more races and he will be giving Lewis a real hard time," he predicted.

But Kovalainen’s new found confidence is not creating rifts with his new team-mate, according to Dennis.

"I hope as and when it becomes competitive between the drivers that the harmony keeps on," he said.

Since joining the team at the beginning of the season, Kovalainen has finished fifth in Australia and third in Malaysia while Hamilton stormed to victory in Melbourne before finishing fifth in Malaysia.

Dennis also indicated that Kovalainen was the number one candidate to fill the position alongside Lewis Hamilton.

"He (Kovalainen) was miles ahead of any other option," explained Dennis.

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A McLaren Mercedes SLR sold for a record price at Manheim Auctions when it went under the hammer for GBP160,500.

Over 300 buyers registered their interest in the car being sold at the Prestige Sale in Colchester.

The vehicle topped the previous record paid for a similar car at Manheim’s Manchester Auction in January, GBP158,000.

Chris Cush, manager at Manheim’s Colchester Auction Centre, said: "The atmosphere was really exciting especially when the McLaren Mercedes SLR came into view.

"To have broken the price record for a car sold by Manheim Auctions in Europe was an unexpected bonus and rounded off a great day," he added.

Also sold on the day was a Mercedes-Benz SL 5.4 AMG convertible which fetched £31,200.

Mercedes-Benz has recently revamped the SLR range and it was also named as the best Roadster in Europe at the Auto 1 von Europa Awards.

The new models are built from carbon fibre and have a motorsport chassis to provide outstanding handling ability.

Visit slr-uk.com for details of other pre-owned Mercedes-Benz SLR McLarens.

Fans of Mercedes-Benz can now share their experiences with the world in the form of the ASMALLWORLD online community.

The community is an invitation only network that comprises over 300,000 members from more than 200 countries and brings entertainment, blogs from prominent personalities and invitations to its members.

"The partnership with the ASW community enables us to reach a young, influential target group, and to become part of their everyday interactions," said Dr Olaf Gottgens, vice president of brand communications at Mercedes Benz Cars.

"This partnership opens up a new channel that makes direct dialogue possible," he added.

As part of the new scheme, Mercedes-Benz will sponsor the new ASW TV feature and will be the first ASW brand partner to broadcast.

Joe Robinson, chief executive officer and president of ASW, said: "A partnership of this magnitude has yet to be seen on the internet, the collaboration holds exciting possibilities for all involved."

Lewis Hamilton is top of the Driver’s Championship while Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is top of the Constructor’s table after a challenging Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s fifth placed finish scored him four points, taking his total to 14 while Kovalainen took his season’s tally into double figures after he came third.

Meanwhile, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes leads the Constructor’s Championship with 24 points scored so far.

The story could have been different had Lewis Hamilton not been hampered by a wheel nut locking mechanism failure during his first pit stop but "strong performances" from the two drivers kept Vodafone McLaren Mercedes on top.

Kovalainen had cause for celebration after making his first podium appearance for the team and praised the team effort.

Speaking after the race, Ron Dennis, said : "Heikki had a great race dealing well with the traffic and achieving a well deserved first podium position with the team."

Kovalainen said: "The team really did a fantastic job and I am happy to reward them with my first podium for the team."

Meanwhile, chief executive officer of the team, Martin Whitmarsh was also delighted with Kovalainen’s first podium finish but warned the team against complacency in future races.

"We’re leading both World Championships, so it hasn’t been too shabby a start to the year, but we need to raise our game in Bahrain and carry that through into the European season," he said

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