The new-generation Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster has won the Internet Auto Award 2008. Voted top in the Convertibles & Roadsters category, it received the prestigious CAROLINA award.

This year again over 300,000 people cast their votes in Europe’s largest Internet public award. 154 vehicles in nine categories were judged by Internet users of AutoScout24 throughout Europe. From a line-up totalling 18 high-quality convertibles and roadsters competing for the award, they voted the Mercedes-Benz SL as their favourite.

In nominating the SL for first place, the public jury paid tribute to the longstanding tradition of this legendary sports car, which is second to none in its market segment in offering a fine balance of sportiness, safety and comfort. Launched in spring 2008, the new-look SL is more emphatically sporty, featuring the new Direct-Steer system and a particularly responsive sports engine in the

SL 350. The SL has also moved up a gear in terms of comfort - with an all-new COMAND multimedia system and AIRSCARF neck-level heating - and safety - with the optional Intelligent Light System. The Mercedes-Benz SL is the most successful premium roadster in its class. The latest version - now the fifth generation - has already convinced around 150,000 customers worldwide.

The new SL generation is another highlight in the illustrious history of these Mercedes sports cars, which began in 1954 with the legendary 300 SL Gullwing. This was followed by the first SL roadster in 1957. To date, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer has produced well over 600,000 SL sports cars.

Twentieth-ranked Kent State will compete in its third – and next-to-last – event of the fall this weekend at the 12th annual Mercedes-Benz Women’s Collegiate Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. The 18-team field features seven ranked squads that will be competing Oct. 10-12 at the par 72, 6,058-yard Fox Den Country Club.

The host Lady Volunteers and Flashes will be joined by No. 25 Arkansas, Central Florida, Chattanooga, No. 7 Denver, Furman, Indiana State, Kentucky, No. 18 LSU, No. 19 Louisville, Mississippi, No. 10 North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, SMU, No. 24 Texas A & M and Tulane in the 54-hole event.

The Golden Flashes will be led by Kirby Dreher (Fort St. John, B.C.), who has four top 10 finishes in her last five events dating back to last season and stands 34th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.  Dreher finished 10th at the 2007 Mercedes-Benz, leading the Flashes to a fifth-place finish.

However, KSU will be without the services of sophomore Martina Gavier (Cordoba, Argentina) for the second straight event, as she is in Australia competing for Argentina in the World Amateur Team Championships Oct. 8-11. She is joined in the competition by recent KSU grads Kira Meixner (Canada) and Tara Delaney (Ireland).

Joining Dreher in the lineup will be sophomore McKenzie Jackson (Uniontown, Ohio) and freshmen Mercedes Germino (Necochea, Argentina), Shamira Marshall (Macedonia, Ohio) and Mandi Morrow (Kent, Ohio).

Following the sales tax hike on big cars as of September 1, Mercedes-Benz China has recently announced the price markup of its 3.0L-plus models. The company’s 4S stores have begun to sell all imported Mercedes-Benz cars of big engines at the new price, which has risen by as much as 630,000 yuan ($92,400), said xinhuanet.com today.

Most of the 3.0L-plus Mercedes-Benz models have been marked up by tens of thousand yuan. The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG sedan has its price increase from 2,980,000 yuan to 3,618,000 yuan, up by 638,000 yuan. As the sales tax has risen 10% on 3.0L - 4.0L cars and 20% on 4.0L-plus vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG now sells for 3,477,000 yuan, up 497,000 yuan.

Sales staff of Mercedes-Benz 4S stores said that all their cars are now actually selling at the new price whose implementation is scheduled for October 20, as the sales tax was effective from September 1 and the imported Mercedes-Benz cars are in short supply.

However, Mercedes-Benz will offer some token discount to customers who buy its cars at the new price. A buyer can get a 20,000 yuan discount on the 1,480,00-yuan Mercedes-Benz GL450 model.

From January to June, Mercedes-Benz sold in China a total of 18,000 luxury cars, including locally made and imported ones, up 52% year on year. Its imported cars have sold better than the locally made ones in China.