STUTTGART, GERMANY - The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the best car in the upper executive segment, while the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is the best sports car, according to a reader survey conducted by one of Germany's well-known specialist car magazines, "auto motor und sport." The E-Class and SLS both walked away with the title "Best car of 2010."

The editorial team of "auto motor und sport" asked readers to vote on 326 vehicles across ten categories, and 96,784 respondents answered the call to cast their votes in the traditional reader survey to find the best cars of the year. This is the 34^th time the publication conducted the survey.

In the upper executive segment, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class emerged victorious against the competition to claim its crown as "The best car of 2010". In awarding this honor, the readers acknowledged the special position enjoyed by the E-Class as the most successful business saloon.

Among its many features, it benefits from a dynamic design, innovative technology, exemplary comfort, and also a high degree of economic efficiency. It also comes with a unique combination of driver assistance systems, including for example ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, and DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control together with PRE-SAFE Brake, which automatically applies emergency braking if there is an acute risk of an accident.

In the case of the sports car, the readers of "auto motor und sport" placed the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in pole position, thereby honoring the new gullwing model as the best car of 2010 in its category, and as such paying tribute to both its uniquely exciting design as well its advanced technology. The super sports car excels with its uncompromising lightweight construction, superior driving dynamics and exemplary safety.

These attributes are ensured by a unique technology package consisting of a lightweight aluminum spaceframe body, AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid-engine with dry sump lubrication producing 420 kW (571 hp), seven-speed double-declutch transmission in a transaxle arrangement and a sports suspension with aluminum double wishbones. This combination guarantees dynamic performance at the very highest level. The gullwing model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 317 km/h.