Mercedes-Benz Cuddles Up to the iPhone

We are totally the iPhone's bitch at TheCarConnection.com. TCC has its own iPhone application, half the office has one, 70 percent of those are about to get superseded by 3G models, and this photo plus caption of the new Mercedes-Benz in-car iPhone adapter alerted not only the editorial brain trust, but got our CTO geeked enough to email it out on a Saturday night.

The new Benz device couples the iPhone directly into the heart of the Mercedes' audio brain, so it can switch from calls to music quickly. The steering-wheel controls on Mercedes vehicles will control the iPhone's functions, and the adapter keeps the Magic Phone within view of the driver (not always a great thing). It also charges the iPhone on the run.

Right now the iPhone kit's a German option, celebrating the addition of the phone to the T-Mobile network over there. You can tell this one's not in a U.S.-spec Benz, since there's no 64-ounce Chick-Fil-A cup in the holder. It's offered on the C-Class, E?Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, CL-Class, SL-Class, M-Class, and R-Class, and will be offered with the new GLK-Class when it goes on sale in October. It's a $385 option in Germany; stay tuned to see if it's offered for U.S. cars. Mercedes-Benz iPhoneEnlarge PhotoWe are totally the iPhone's bitch at TheCarConnection.com. TCC has its own iPhone application, half the office has one, 70 percent of those are about to get superseded by 3G models, and this photo plus caption of the new Mercedes-Benz in-car iPhone adapter alerted not only the editorial brain trust, but got our CTO geeked enough to email it out on a Saturday night. The new Benz device couples the iPhone directly into the heart of the Mercedes' audio brain, so it can switch from calls to music quickly. The steering-wheel controls on Mercedes vehicles will control the iPhone's functions, and the adapter keeps the Magic Phone within view of the driver (not always a great thing). It also charges the iPhone on the run. Right now the iPhone kit's a German option, celebrating the addition of the phone to the T-Mobile network over there. You can tell this one's not in a U.S.-spec Benz, since there's no 64-ounce Chick-Fil-A cup in the holder. It's offered on the C-Class, E?Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, CL-Class, SL-Class, M-Class, and R-Class, and will be offered with the new GLK-Class when it goes on sale in October. It's a $385 option in Germany; stay tuned to see if it's offered for U.S. cars.