ROUND THE BENZ. 9:00 a.m., Saturday, 17 November No weapons of any type are allowed on USOC property.

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1 November 2018 ROUND THE BENZ Newsletter of the Pikes Peak Section Welcome New Members! Tony & Mandi Cobb Dudley Jones Jr Ted Schroeders Inside this issue: Holiday Party 3 Planning Meeting 4 DIY Tech Session 4 Top Down Lights Dr 5 M-B Hotel Partners 5 Der Marktplatz 6 Click 6 MBCA Raffle 6 Pot Luck 7 MHS Events 7 Mercedes?? 8 New M-B Stadium 8 SS&GA Recap 9 Echo Auto 10 Olympic Training Center 9:00 a.m., Saturday, 17 November 2018 The Pikes Peak Section has planned a group tour of the Olympic Training Center (OTC) on Saturday, November 17 th, following our monthly breakfast at The Egg & I Restaurant, Citadel Crossing. We will depart for our tour following breakfast. The OTC is the flagship training center for the U.S. Olympic Committee and its training center programs. USA Swimming and USA Shooting have their national headquarters on site. More than 15 other member organizations, two international sports federations and the USOC HQ are also located in our city. The OTC provides housing, dining, training facilities recreational facilities and other services for more than 500 athletes and coaches at one time. There are 2 pools, 242 dorm rooms, 512 beds, on 35 acres. The complex serves over 300,000 meals annually. Tours begin on the hour, so plan on leaving the restaurant in time to assemble for an 11:00 a.m. tour at the Center, located on Boulder just west of the intersection with Union. As you enter the Center at the gated entrance (there s a guard), turn left and park in the large parking lot. We will assemble at the Information Desk just inside the entrance. The tour normally takes 60 to 75 minutes. Plan on extra time following the tour to visit the Olympic Store. The group tour pricing is: Ø 13 and older $12 Ø Children 5 thru 12 $8 Ø Under 5 free Ø Senior and military (with ID) $10 No bags are allowed in the Visitor Center and on tours Any bags brought on to the property are subject to search by security personnel. No weapons of any type are allowed on USOC property. No smoking of any kind is allowed (electronic cigarettes and vapor pens are prohibited). A single payment is required for the tour, so it is important that those attending the tour give Julie the correct amount before leaving breakfast. SIGN UP FOR THE HOLIDAY PARTY TODAY SEATING IS LIMITED!

2 Section Officers: President: Steve Dierks Vice-President: Andrew Nelson Secretary: Judy Bennett Treasurer: Julie Nelson Directors: Karen Absher Wendy Adams Charlie Bennett Joyce Blutt Glenn Hamill Pete Kulzer Henry Russell Sylvia Russell Marla Wiseman Webmaster: Robert Boren Regional Director: Michael Davison View From the Peak by Steve Dierks It is only November and we have already had a taste of winter weather. A Pikes Peak Section member observed that Colorado temperatures had gone from 70 to 20 so quickly that it was like a driver who spotted a Colorado State Patrolman. Last month, the Section conducted the annual meeting of the members. At that meeting Stan and Mary Bixler retired from their terms as members of the Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors. Stan and Mary served your Section for a total of twelve years. They are not only highly valued Section members, but also valuable members of the Section Board. Their Board participation will be missed. Thank you Stan and Mary. At the same meeting, Marla Wiseman became a member of the Section Board of Directors. We are very pleased that Marla has joined the Board and we look forward to her input. There are only a few remaining opportunities to join in on Section activities in Among them is the tech session hosted by Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs on November 18. If you haven t prepared your car for winter conditions, it isn t too late. Just bring your car to the tech session and, with the supervision of a Mercedes-Benz technician, give your car a world-class winter readiness checkup. The monthly Section breakfast meeting is set for November 17 and will be followed by a tour of the Olympic Training Center. We are very fortunate to have the Olympic Training Center right here in Colorado Springs. The annual Section Holiday Celebration is scheduled for Sunday, December 9 and the Holiday Lights Tour is scheduled for December 15. These events are terrific opportunities to build friendships and learn more about the community in which we live. I hope that you will join us. The next Pikes Peak Section Board meeting is set for Tuesday November 6. The primary focus of the meeting will be to build a tentative calendar of events for This is your opportunity to share your thoughts about that event schedule. If you have ideas about fun and interesting club activities, please share your ideas with us. Why not drop in on the meeting? Let s enjoy the drive, Steve Round the Benz is published monthly by the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA). Articles and ideas are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is implied as to the validity of the information contained herein. Explicit permission to republish any article with proper attribution is given to all sections of MNCA. Articles for publication consideration should be mailed to Pikes Peak Section, MBCA, Attn: Editor, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Spring, CO or, whenever possible, ed to: bennett912@ comcast.net. Deadline for receipt is the 18 th of the month prior to the month of issue. Please support our advertisers. They help to make this publication possible. 2

3 Annual Holiday Party 5:00 p.m., Sunday, 9 December 2018 This is the one we wait for all year long and it s finally here! The holidays are right around the corner and your Pikes Peak Section has them under control. We re kicking off the season with our first-class, world-famous, aweinspiring wing-ding at the El Paso Club in downtown Colorado Springs. We re hard at work on the details, but be sure to put the date and time on your calendar today, so you don t miss out on the raffle, the awards, and the great time we always have. don t miss out on the raffle, the awards, and the great time we always have. Contact Judy Bennett at bennett912@comcast.net or for details. Fill out and return the reservation form below to reserve your seats today! Deadline to register is 5 December Pikes Peak Section 2018 Holiday Party Reservation Form Yes, we will attend on Sunday, 9 December 2018: Name/s: Address: Phone: Cost is $60 per person. Total Enclosed: $ Please indicate menu selections by placing the guest s name by the selections: Entrees: Mixed Grill Broiled 5 oz Filet Mignon & Grilled Shrimp Slow-Roasted 10 oz Prime Rib of Beef Chicken Marsala Dessert: Cherry Cobbler Chocolate Cake Eggnog Bread Pudding Please send this form with check or money order made payable to Pikes Peak Section MBCA, to: Judy Bennett, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Springs, CO Space is limited; please RSVP by Dec 5,

4 Annual Planning Meeting 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, 6 November 2018 Don t leave us hanging out there, folks. Your Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors has put on their thinking caps and is trying to come up with some really fun options for our 2019 driving schedule. But we can always use new, fresh ideas. If you have an idea for a drive or social outing that you think our members would enjoy, please share it with us. You can come to the November board meeting in person we meet at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive, at 6:00 p.m. There we ll discuss ideas and decide on the who, what, when, where and why for Alternatively, you can or phone in your ideas to our President, Steve Dierks, at or him at steve.dierks@gmail.com. Don t leave us hanging out there, folks; help us out with some ideas! As #5 would say, (We) Need more input! DIY Tech Session 10:00 a.m., Sunday,18 November 2018 Can youi believe it s November already? Time to start thinking about the unthinkable yes, we re talking about snow and ice that accompany Old Man Winter. We usually have our first flakes this month, so be prepared. Sigh. Do you need to change out your summer tires for your Blizzaks? Do you need new wipers? Do you need to change your oil? Do you need to top off your fluids? Do you need to check your battery? You can do all that and more yourself in the comfort and convenience of the service bays of Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs on Sunday, 18 November. Call Glenn Hamill ( ) to reserve your spot. Cost is still only $10 and you get donuts! 4

5 Top-Down Lights Drive 5:00 p.m., Saturday, 15 December 2018 We re going to be enjoying the lights in the south part of our city this year, including the lighting at the world-famous Broadmoor Hotel. Put this one on your calendar today, everyone. Details will be provided in next month s newsletter. As usual, we re asking participants to bring a dish to share and to don their sparkliest Christmas sweaters, warmest mufflers, gloves and hats because it ll be chilly driving around with tops down and windows open. But even more important, it ll be lots of fun. Contact Judy Bennett at or bennett912@comcast.net for more information or to let her know you ll be joining the fun. Mercedes-Benz Partner Hotel Program Did you know Mercedes-Benz has a partner program with 4 star hotels across the country? For example, plan a Napa getaway at the Auberge du Soleil resort where guests have exclusive access to a fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Bask in the bucolic hillside views, relish the private outdoor terraces and let your hair down for relaxing days in the sun driving the Mercedes-Benz of your choice. Other partner hotels include resorts in Scottsdale, AZ; Carmel Valley, CA; Vail, CO; Santa Fe, NM; Westerly, RI; and Jackson Hole, WY. Take advantage of these offers through Mercedes Me. Visit the MBUSA website at for more information. 5 don their sparkliest Christmas sweaters, warmest mufflers, gloves and hats.

6 Der Marktplatz Driving Quote of the Month: The longest journey begins with a single step, not with a turn of the ignition key. ~Edward Abbey Wanted: C36 or C43 sedan. 300 SEL 6.3 sedan. Call Pete at For Sale: SL. Black, 120,000 miles. Runs great; must see. Call Greg at , For Sale: Classic 1986 SL560 (rag and hard tops). Red with special order black interior; 68K+ miles. Show car, winner of many 1 st & 2 nd place ribbons. $25K or best reasonable offer Click This, just in from the latest edition of the MBCA e-newsletter, Click, a quick wrap-up of news, discounts, and special events: Don t wait any longer space is limited German Trips: Germany trips are very popular and fill up quickly. These member-only trips provide direct and personal access to Mercedes-Benz facilities and museums as well as many amazing European landmarks. Don t wait any longer space is limited on the September 24-30, Fall Stuttgart, Germany Trip Visit mbca.org to download the registration form. To learn more, contact trip Leiter and past national MBCA president Jim O Sullivan at or osullivanj55@gmail.com Meeting of the Members: This annual meeting will be held 9-10 Nov in Nashville, TN. National Board committee meetings will be held on Friday, 9 Nov and the Fall National Board meeting will be held on Saturday, 10 Nov. MBCA Fall Raffle The MBCA Fall Raffle is now open. Enter to win a 2018 Mercedes AMG E63 S (MSRP $128,920). Tickets are $50 each and you can enter as many times as you wish. Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, 5 December The drawing will happen on Thursday, 13 December. Visit raffle.mbca.org, call the NBO at , or check your mailbox for an official mail-in order form. Good luck! 6

7 Preview of Coming Attractions 2019 Pot Luck Dinner 5:00 p.m., Sunday, 27 January 2019 Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs will roll out the red carpet for us on Sunday, 27 January when they host our 20(?)th annual Pot Luck Dinner at their new and improved facility. Come on down and check out the new décor; from the floor to the ceiling, it s all new and all-mercedes. We ll enjoy our usual gustatory extravaganza courtesy of our Section s all-star chefs. Start thinking about what you d like to bring to share, then give Glenn Hamill a call at to let him start making his list. Start thinking about what you d like to bring to share Schedule. Check back next month to find out what we ve got planned for Mile High Section Events For more information, visit the MHS website at Bronco Stadium Tour Date: 10 November 2018 Location: Mile High Stadium, 1701 Mile High Stadium Cir, Gate 1 Cost: $15 per person; no-host lunch Contact: Max Townsend, , diandmaxt@aol.com Annual Christmas Party Date: 1 December 2018 Location: Columbine Country Club, Littleton Cost: $80 per person-beef; $60 per person-chicken Contact: Michael Davison, , mhd539@msn.com 7

8 Mercedes Question of the Month Question: Which class of Mercedes-Benz was first introduced in 1993? Answer: a. A-class b. B-class c. C-class d. E-class Answer to Last Month s Question: b. Blitzen Benz New Mercedes-Benz Stadium Forbes Magazine calls the stadium the best venue in the NFL. It s he-r-e-e! Yes, football season is upon us. So while you re pulling on that well-worn Bronco jersey or those lucky socks or planning a tailgate at the Air Force Academy, be sure to watch a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, home of the Atlanta Falcons. Forbes Magazine calls the stadium the best venue in the NFL. In building Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, the owners of the Falcons understood the comfort of a living room couch in front of a flat screen television and endeavored to compete with that appealing proposition. Certainly no one s home theater can compete with the stunning visual arrays at Mercedes-Benz, which include the largest LED display in sports (a 1075 foot long, 58 foot high, 360 degree Halo video board with 63,000 square feet of video real estate) and a 101 foot, 4- sided video column. In fact, there is no static or concrete signage anywhere in the building. Eighteen hundred wireless access points and nearly 4000 miles of fiber optic cables power every fan s second screen experience, even if they all stream video. Despite the enormous technological infrastructure, integrated by IBM, the venue became the first North American professional sports stadium to receive a LEED Platinum certification for environmental friendliness. The new stadium is an engineering marvel. It can power 10 Falcon games with the renewable energy generated through its 4000 solar panels. It can store over 2,000,000 gallons of storm water on site, helping prevent flooding in neighboring areas. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, also has a novel, eight-panel retractable roof, has hosted the SEC championship and is already slated to be the venue for January s college football national title game, the February 2019 Super Bowl and the 2020 NCAA men s basketball tournament s Final Four. We were shooting for the stars from the very beginning not just to be the next best, but to redefine the benchmark, Steve Cannon, CEO of the Falcons parent company, told SportTechie, which awarded Mercedes-Benz Stadium the award for Most Innovative Venue. 8

9 Silver Stars & Golden Aspens Recap The weather gods smiled on the Pikes Peak Section and our National Special Event, Silver Stars & Golden Aspens, September It was sunny days, cool nights, beautiful fall colors, and spectacular Rocky Mountain vistas for the 80+ MBCA members and guests who participated in the drive. We had folks from 14 states and Canada, coming from as far away as Florida, Massachusetts, and British Columbia. One of our new Canadian friends said that he travelled over 7700 miles by the time he got home! Our adventure encompassed some of the best driving high points in Colorado (yes, pun intended!). We drove up Trail Ridge Road, wended our way through Glenwood Canyon, visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, toured the Ute Indian Museum, and dared the Million Dollar Highway, before ending our sojourn in Telluride at the Telluride festival of Cars & Colors. All of that in only 3 days of driving! Participants declared that this was one of the best MBCA events EVER and our organizing committee had to agree. It was a lot of work, but the results were very much worth it. Many thanks to our awesome organizers for making this a week to remember. Please check out all the pictures on our Facebook page at MBCA Pikes Peak Section. We will also be featured in the January Star magazine. On top of the world At the hospitality suite Ready for Trail Ridge Rd Mercedes-Benz Car Corral 9 It was sunny days, cool nights, beautiful fall colors, and spectacular Rocky Mountain vistas.

10 Amazon s Echo Auto By Sean Szymkowski Amazon's family of Alexa-connected devices is ready for a road trip. The online retailer and technology company announced last month its Echo Auto, which brings Alexa and its voice controls to the car....echo Auto turns any car into a rolling smart device. Some automakers offer Alexa voice control built-in to their infotainment systems, but for millions of drivers with older vehicles, Echo Auto turns any car into a rolling smart device. This is a $50 credit card-sized box that sits on your dashboard and brings Alexa to your car. All it takes is a smartphone and any car with a radio. Amazon says the preferred method to hook up Echo Auto is via Bluetooth or an auxiliary jack, which many modern cars possess. It s a relatively cheap way to smarten u a car that might not have a snazzy infotainment system as well as a new beachhead for Amazon in the automotive world. It s also another pace for you to tell at Alexa to order more toilet paper. Once connected, the device works like any other Amazon product running Alexa and drivers can issue commands hands-free while driving. Echo Auto can handle music selection, set reminders, check the driver's calendar for appointments, and includes the "drop-in" feature. The latter connects to an Alexa-compatible device at home and Echo Auto will let drivers check in on friends or family, or perhaps let them know they've picked up dinner for later phone calls are so For the connectivity-driven drivers, Echo Auto also brings the smart home with it. Users can issue commands such as "open/close the garage door" and control their thermostat or lights directly from the car before they get home. Echo Auto also can be programmed with location-based routines to start when a driver leaves their workplace, for example. To help avoid miscommunications, the device uses eight microphones specifically designed for in-car acoustics. Amazon says the microphones pick up voice commands and hear over car audio, road noise, and climate controls. Those yearning for Alexa in the car can request an invitation to pre-order Echo Auto now. With the nature of driving changing and more cars having semi-autonomous features, the inside of a car is becoming another type of living space where having Alexa Auto makes a lot of sense. Congratulations to Mercedes-AMG s Lewis Hamilton on his 5 th Formula 1 title! 10

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12 Round the Benz Editor 4335 Penhurst Pl Colorado Springs, CO Return Service Requested To: Happy Thanksgiving! Calendar of Upcoming Events On the Web at: org MBCA Pikes Peak Section 6 November 2018 Board/Planning Meeting 6:00 p.m. Steve Dierks November 2018 Breakfast/Olympic Tng Ctr 9:00 a.m. Stan & Mary Bixler November 2018 D-I-Y Tech Session 10:00 a.m. Glenn Hamill December 2018 Board Meeting 6:00 p.m. Steve Dierks December 2018 Holiday Party 5:00 p.m. Judy Bennett December 2019 Top-Down Lights Drive 5:00 p.m. Judy Bennett January 2019 Annual Pot Luck Dinner 5:00 p.m. Glenn Hamill Welcome 2019! The Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors meets on the first Tuesday of each month at Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m. All Section members are welcome and encouraged to attend. 12