Mercedes Provides The German National Football Team With New Travego Touring Bus
Posted by www.eMercedesBenz.com on May 29, 2006 at 3:40 PM CST In football-related news (or soccer for my American readers), Mercedes has announced today that they have provided the German Football Association (DFB) with a new team bus to transport the German national team. Mercedes, who is a general sponsor of the DFB, handed over the keys to a new Mercedes-Benz Travego before a friendly match that took place between the German national team and FSV 63 Luckenwalde. In addition to a 428 hp power plant, the Travego features a number of technical innovations, including Electronic Stability Control, an anti-lock braking system, acceleration skid control, Brake Assist, and a reversing aid with a reversing camera, as well as a custom interior designed specifically to meet the needs of the German national team. According to Wolfgang Diez, the man responsible for bus and coach activities at DaimlerChrysler: " We want the players to travel safely and comfortably from game to game, so that they can relax and concentrate on their next fixture. Complete with a unique equipment and appointments package, the new Travego is just the ticket for this." For more info , visit www.eMercedesBenz.com to see photos of the German national team's Mercedes-Benz Travego, or learn more about the touring bus' unique features in the full press release below. OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE German Football Association (DFB) receives new Mercedes-Benz Travego touring coach for the German national team New Travego M high-decker luxury touring coach provided by general sponsor Mercedes-Benz Outstanding levels of comfort and safety Enhanced, more dynamic form and design Environmentally-friendly Euro 4 diesel engine featuring BlueTec diesel technology Stuttgart/Frankfurt, May 29, 2006 With the FIFA World Cup fast approaching, the German Football Association (DFB) has received a new team bus. General sponsor Mercedes-Benz handed over the Travego M high-decker luxury touring coach in the run-up to the friendly between the German national team and FSV 63 Luckenwalde, which was played in Frankfurt/Main on May 16, 2006. With an output of 315 kW (428 hp), the 12.96-metre long vehicle is the DFB’s first ever three-axle touring coach. „We want the players to travel safely and comfortably from game to game, so that they can relax and concentrate on their next fixture. Complete with a unique equipment and appointments package, the new Travego is just the ticket for this. For instance, the already exemplary standard safety package has been further enhanced“, says Wolfgang Diez, responsible for bus and coach activities at DaimlerChrysler. The touring coach is equipped with state-of-the-art safety technology such as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), anti-lock braking system (ABS), acceleration skid control (ASR), Brake Assist (BA), a continuous braking limiter, proximity control, a Voith retarder, a reversing aid with a visual indicator in the exterior mirror and a reversing camera at the rear. „As well as outstanding safety, this touring coach offers the German players the ultimate in comfort, including an interior that has been specially designed to meet the needs of the national team“, adds Diez. The modified design gives the Travego an elegant and distinctive appearance. Sporting a metallic obsidian black paint finish, the new team bus is given extra dynamism courtesy of an eye-catching DFB design incorporating the national colours. These same colours also dominate the interior. The black, red and yellow interior appointments are based on the „Fashion“ appointments line. All of the seats are upholstered in black Luxline leather with mars-red side sections and saffron-yellow piping. Plus they are fitted with footrests. And reducing the number of passenger seats to 36 has provided plenty of extra legroom for the players, coaches and backroom staff. A harmonious contrast is provided by the yellow curtains for the side windows. At the rear of the bus, there are four club tables, should anyone on board wish to leave their seats and get together with other colleagues. High-quality infotainment is also available in the shape of a 6 DVD changer, a TV tuner and three electrically folding 15-inch screens – one at the front, one in the centre aisle and one at the rear – to name but a few examples. In addition, the touring coach features a whole host of further highlights including a 32-kW roof-mounted air-conditioning system with automatic climate control and separately controlled driver’s air conditioning, an axial-fan sidewall heating system with elbow-level outlets and electrically adjustable roof hatches which are fitted with a rain sensor and close automatically when a certain level of moisture is detected. Other on-board equipment includes a heated toilet, a fully equipped galley, a drinks dispenser with space to put down drinks, a separate auxiliary refrigerator, a wardrobe and a satellite navigation system. Needless to say, the new DFB Travego is also equipped with an extended central locking system, a video monitoring system for the centre entrance and an anti-theft alarm system. The powerful OM 457 LA 6-cylinder in-line engine has a displacement of 12 litres, an output of 315 kW (428 hp) and a peak torque of 2100 Nm. Thanks to the new BlueTec diesel technology, it is fully compliant with the Euro 4 emissions standard due to come into force in autumn 2006. Power is sent to the wheels via a GO 210 6-speed manual transmission. Measuring 2.55 m wide and 3.71 m high (incl. the roof-mounted air-conditioning system), the luxury touring coach has a permitted gross vehicle weight rating of 24 t. Its top speed is limited to 100 km/h. „The national team has been benefiting from the comfort and safety of Mercedes Benz coaches for over three decades“, says DFB President Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder. „This highly sophisticated team bus raises the bar once again and allows our team to concentrate fully on the task in hand when travelling to matches or training sessions.“ „Of course, the new team bus is also designed to create a feeling of wellbeing among the German team“, says Burghard Graf Vitzthum, head of alternative communications at DaimlerChrysler and also responsible for Mercedes-Benz sports sponsorship. „We are proud to once again support the DFB by providing an extremely safe, comfortable and attractive touring coach. Mercedes-Benz wishes all those on board many pleasant trips and continued success!“ For more Mercedes-Benz news and information, visit www.eMercedesBenz.com.