This is how far the trucking world has gone – meet the latest ‘special’ Mercedes-Benz Actros truck, it is an Edition 1… and limited to just 400 units. That’s right, strictly in that sense this Actros is rarer than a Ferrari F40 (originally set for a production run of 399, but eventually became over 1,200 units), or for a more current comparison, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (limited to 900 units). This is taking the Edition 1 designation – usually plastered on passenger vehicles – to heavy duty levels.
We don’t need to tell you this but this thing has some serious torque too; the top-shelf mill is a six-cylinder 15.6-litre unit that makes 625hp and THREE THOUSAND Newton Metres, from just 1,100rpm too. Gearbox? A 12-speed auto.
The Edition 1 is based on the latest Actros which above everything else features Active Drive Assist that is basically partial automated driving. New elements are the active latitudinal control and the combination of longitudinal and lateral control in all speed ranges through the blend of radar and camera information. The feature includes cruise control with stop-go function and lane-keeping assistant.
There’s also Brake Assist 5 which is basically autonomous braking when there is a danger of collision. It supports the driver when in danger of rear-end collision, or when the sensor sees that a person is walking into, or already in the path of the truck. Now in its fifth generation, the technology is now based on camera and radar information.
And look at the side mirrors, or rather the lack of gigantic ‘ears’ popping out the truck’s sides. The new LS has em’, and so does the Audi e-tron, but the latest Actros has replaced the main mirrors and wide-angle mirrors with mirror-cams as standard equipment. This two-camera system improves all-round visibility for the driver, plus a great benefit for aerodynamics. Video off the cameras are presented on two 15-inch displays located on the A-pillars inside the cab.
The Edition 1 Actros comes in seven packages and the one that gets my attention is the Comfort Package, and that gets you night & day ambience lighting, a shaving mirror, and refrigerator, among others. It is also distinguishable by Edition 1 logos such as in the sun visor.
This is not the first time the Actros has come with special editions, however. One of the more recent prominent variant is the Actros 1 that was limited to just 100 units.
