Quick search
Type search term(s) for
articles, places or events,
then hit enter |
|
|
|
|
Articles older than two
issues are available in our
Archives back to 1990.
(free search and retrieval) |
|
|
|
Interested in Advertising?
Black Engineer provides black technology news and information about black engineering, black entrepreneurs, black technology, black engineers, black education, black minorities, black engineer of the year awards (BEYA) and historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) from black community in US, UK, Caribbean and Africa. Find out more about your reader demographics, web-traffic, and valued added client services.
Click here to contact us
|
| |
|
NSBE - Wikipedia
|
|
|
|
|
|
Automotive News
 |
Every once in a great while, you chance upon something that is about as close to perfection as you can imagine. It puts you in a state of mind in which everything is right with the world -- no matter what is going on in real life.
When it comes to classy sports cars, the Mercedes SL500 Roadster is that almost-perfect thing. Looks? As a hard top, it is sleek, classy, smooth, and looks as if it is built to flow in a jet stream. But with the push of a button on the key ring, the top and rear window neatly slide into the trunk, a process that takes about 15 seconds and transforms the Mercedes into one of the most stylish convertibles on the road.
With the top down, you feel so good in the car that you do not want to leave. The interior is as stylish as the outside, which you have every right to expect in a luxury car topping $90,000. The dashboard is divided into two gentle curves, giving the driver and passenger the feeling they are in private compartments, riding in tandem and linked by the center console. The dash has a built-in hood to minimize the glare, a good thing, since you won't want to put the top up in the daylight. The dash, seats, and steering wheel are in a two-tone beige leather, offset by a stained, pinewood trim. The seats, with adjustable height headrests and lumbar supports, would look and feel just as good in a home.
The 500 is a two-seater with several built-in compartments for both space and aesthetics. Each armrest, for example, conceals an eight-inch deep, two-foot long storage box. There are two larger compartments behind the seats; one holds the six-disk CD changer and room for spare disks and cases. Under each seat is a storage pouch, one with an emergency first aid kit.
The command center in the console is just that: a modern marvel designed for voice commands. You can activate the phone, the radio, the CD player, and the navigation system with voice commands. The eight-speaker Bose system will do a nice job of destroying any teenager's eardrums. The navigation system also can be handled manually, but that's a chore and not something you can do while driving.
But you wouldn't spend this kind of money just for a looker -- even a car that looks as good as this one. The 500 is built for the road. It is not a muscle car, but the 24-valve, V-8 engine -- with 302 horsepower and 339 foot-pounds of torque -- provides speed and power with surprising quiet. More important, the car's Electronic Stability Program, with automatic slip control, adjusts the wheels to match the road conditions, making it virtually impossible to spin out, even when you're accelerating on gravel. On Catskill and Berkshire Mountain highways at 100 mph, the Mercedes hugged the road tightly, leaving you with the sheer joy of driving rather than an uncomfortable fear of flying.
If I have a beef with the Mercedes' German designers, it's their insistence on devoting more space and engineering to the ashtrays -- which can hold two cigars neatly -- than to the cup holders, which are barely capable of holding a European demitasse. It's a minor annoyance, but they ought to remember smoking is not the national pastime here.
Cadillac is planning to compete with the Mercedes SL500 with a high-performance convertible that also features a retractable hard top. They are going to have to work awfully hard to come even close.
Test Car
2003 Mercedes SL500 Roadster
MSRP: $90,005 (with $1,300 gas-guzzler tax)
Fuel Economy: City - 15 mpg, Highway - 22 mpg
Performance:
5.0 Liter, V-8 fuel-injected engine; 302 horsepower, 339 foot-pounds torque; 5-speed electronic touch shift automatic transmission; active body control, active suspension; front suspension -- independent 4-link; rear suspension -- independent 5-arm link multi-link; 8.5" x 17", 7-spoke alloy wheels with performance tires
Comfort:
Retractable hard top; dual zone climate control w/ dust & pollen charcoal filter; leather interior w/ wood trim; 4-spoke steering wheel; trip computer; electric adjustable steering column; 12-way adjustable heated seats w/ lumbar support & 3-position memory; automatic dimming rear and driver side mirrors; 8-speaker Bose audio, AM/FM/ Weatherband Radio w/ 6 disc CD changer; phone and voice control wiring; Comand navigation
Safety:
Tele Aid emergency calling; steel reinforced cabin w F&R crumple zones; front and side airbags; drivers knee airbag; SmartKey security w/ user recognition; xenon headlamps w/ high pressure washers/ electronic braking w/ antilock and brake assist; electronic stability program w/ automatic slip control; antitheft w/ engine immobilizer; automatic pop-up rollover bar
To read more about Almost Perfect: The 2003 Mercedes SL500 Roadster see Almost Perfect: The 2003 Mercedes SL500 Roadster in the USBE News archive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A virtual spokesperson for black technology, BlackEngineer aspires to serve as leading news and information provider on the advancements in black technology with deep insights into black engineering, black entrepreneurs, black education, and historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). In fact, BlackEngineer is one of the very few to promote the achievements of black technology. The Black engineer of the year awards (BEYA) is one of our successful ventures to promote black technology, progress and achievements made in black technology, and the sentiments of the Black community in the US, the UK, Caribbean, and Africa.
|
|
|
Black technology entrepreneurs are increasingly providing the horsepower that drives the global economy. Over the last two decades, black entrepreneurs have created more jobs, and contributed much more to the economic expansion of the Black community as a whole, than any black pastor or politician. Black entrepreneurs are taking risks and building businesses that generate economic growth and increase prosperity in underserved areas, as more minority-owned and minority-focused businesses emerge, willing to serve the financial needs of Black entrepreneurs. US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine's annual list of Top Black Technology Entrepreneurs reflects the expanding scope of leading Black entrepreneurs in information technology, homeland security, and defense.
|
|
|
|
|
