The M-Class exterior is tweaked for a more assertive look, and the interior receives upgrades such as walnut trim on the center console and backlit rotary dials for the climate control system. The ML430 is replaced by the ML500, whose 5-liter V8 engine produces 20 more horsepower.

With a range of new and innovative features for 2002, this car could only have been built by Mercedes-Benz. MCS, an M-Class innovation, integrates audio, navigation and phone controls on a large color-LCD screen to keep you in touch, on track and in tune wherever you go.

The limits of performance are found in extremes. For Mercedes-Benz, only the supercharged intensity of the racetrack is sufficient to test our performance systems. And because our engines win on the track, you know they'll perform wonders.