Mercedes-Benz Showcases "Alustyle" Carrier System

Posted by www.eMercedesBenz.com on December 13, 2005 at 10:15 AM CST





Although not the most exciting news of the day, Mercedes has put out  
a press release detailing...wait for it... their "Alustyle" line of  
carriers.

Available for the A-, B-, C-, E-, M-, R-, S-, CLS-, CLK-, SL-, and  
SLK- models, the Alustyle carrier system is the perfect foundation  
for mounting luggage boxes, ski and snowboard racks, and of course,  
bicycle racks.  The system, which comes as either a screw-mounted or  
rail mounted carrier, is also the foundation of all other roof- 
mounted accessories offered by Mercedes-Benz GmbH.

I won't delve into specifics of how the Alustyle carrier system  
attaches to your roof or how much it weighs, but if you want to learn  
more, you can find all the info in the full press release below.   
We've also added a ton of photos to wet the appetites of luggage/ski/ 
bike toters everywhere.

To view the photos and full press release, click the link below:

http://emercedesbenz.com/Dec05/13MercedesShowcasesAlustyleSystem.html

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

The Mercedes-Benz "Alustyle" basic carrier: A carrier for many  
different types of transport

Stuttgart, Dec 13, 2005

Easy and secure installation, great stability, and universal  
application - these are the key features of the basic "Alustyle"  
carrier from Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH, which comes as either a  
screw-mounted or rail-mounted carrier. This carrier system, which is  
available for use with a variety of Mercedes-Benz models, forms the  
foundation for mounting numerous types of roof cargo equipment, such  
as luggage boxes, ski and snowboard racks, and bicycle racks.  
Carriers are always precisely aligned to the size and shape of the  
vehicle body, to which they are firmly connected via a roof rail or  
other standard mounting component on the vehicle roof.

The “Alustyle�?? carrier serves as the foundation for fastening all  
other roof-mounted equipment offered by Mercedes-Benz Accessories  
GmbH. This universally useable transport solution consists of two  
elegantly shaped, high-quality aluminium profile tubes with strong  
steel bases. If the basic carrier is not required, it can be easily  
and safely stowed away in a special transport bag.

The carrier can be quickly mounted onto the vehicle roof. To ensure  
such easy installation, the specialists at Mercedes-Benz Accessories  
decided to use a connection with screws rather than with less-stable  
clamps. Although this solution is somewhat more expensive, it is more  
stable and also holds up under high stress. For those Mercedes-Benz  
passenger car models not equipped with roof rails, a high level of  
safety is ensured by a patented "fixed-point fastening" consisting of  
screw bearings located out of sight under flaps in the roof  
reinforcing rail. These screw bearings are themselves firmly bolted  
to the vehicle body. With estate and SUV models, the steel bases are  
clamped firmly to the standard roof rails.

As soon as the carriers have been fastened, they are locked to  
protect against theft. The carriers are designed in such a manner as  
to ensure that the sunroof functions normally even after a roof  
carrier has been mounted.

Unique: Customised system for roadsters

Mercedes-Benz offers the “Alustyle�?? system for A-, B-, C-, and E- 
Class models. It is also available for the new M-, R-, and S-Class,  
as well as for the CLS-Class and the CLK coupe. In addition, Mercedes  
is the first manufacturer to offer “Alustyle�?? variants for the  
innovative vario-roofs in the SL- and SLK-Class roadsters.

Low weight combined with great stability

The basic carrier system from Mercedes-Benz demonstrates that low  
weight and great stability are not mutually exclusive: Although the  
two aluminium tubes, including the steel bases, weigh only 5.7  
kilograms, they can withstand loads of up to 100 kilograms. As such,  
they are perfect for transporting heavy roof boxes and complete sets  
of sport equipment. The “Alustyle�?? system also ensures excellent  
protection of roof-top cargo. For example, it not only fulfils the  
legal stipulations regarding crash safety, but also the much higher  
standards of Mercedes-Benz. The latter involved putting the  
“Alustyle�?? system through crash tests and driving it for long  
periods of time with up to 50 per cent cargo overload and  
acceleration stresses of up to 15 g¹. The result was that the carrier  
and carrier lock withstood even such drastic braking manoeuvres  
without falling from the roof or loosening.

Design: Elegant silhouette even with roof rack

Along with ensuring optimal functionality, the “Alustyle�??  
designers also focused on making their system attractive looking. To  
this end, the roof carrier variants were developed in close  
cooperation with the DaimlerChrysler Design Centre in Sindelfingen -  
which is why they so perfectly match the elegant designs of the  
Mercedes-Benz models they are used with. An individual carrier set  
was in fact developed for each model, whereby the curved basic  
carrier in the set for the SL and SLK-Class roadsters follows the  
elegant lines of those vehicles. The carrier module is mounted solely  
on the upper end of the A pillar and at the rear in a manner ensuring  
that the vehicle's sporty silhouette continues to stand out. In  
addition, the fastening points for the carrier are designed to ensure  
that access to the boot is not restricted and the boot lid can be  
opened easily.

Ideal for winter sport: “Alustyle�?? ski and snowboard rack

The multi-functional “Alustyle�?? carrier system is particularly  
suited for winter sport enthusiasts. For one thing, it forms the  
foundation for the large-scale Mercedes-Benz roof boxes, which  
depending on their format can hold up to five pairs of skis. What's  
more, Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH also offers ski and snowboard  
racks customised to perfectly fit the basic carrier:

The "Standard" rack version can accommodate up to four pairs of skis  
or two pairs of snowboards, while the "Comfort" version holds up to  
six pairs of skis or four snowboards. A special feature of this  
variant is its practical "pull-out" function that makes loading and  
unloading easy. Both systems are suitable for use with carving skis  
and have been tested according to strict Mercedes-Benz standards.  
They can also be locked to protect against theft.

¹ g: acceleration due to gravity (g equals 9.81m/s²)

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