It's the inner values that count/Johnson Controls raises the bar with the interior of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

BURSCHEID, Germany 16.12. 2003 (ots/PROTEXT) - Hardly anyother vehicle has captured the attention of as many peopleworldwide as the new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The two-seaterwith the hallmark gull-wing doors and stylish Silver Arrowsfeatures of the Formula One model has rekindled the magic of thelegendary SLR racing car of the fifties. Johnson Controls, oneof the world's leading suppliers of automotive interior systemsand electronics, worked with DaimlerChrysler engineers to developthe majority of the vehicle interior.

Hand-sewn leather exclusive to the new SLR

A successful mix of luxury and pure sports car practicalitygives the interior of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren its uniquefeel-good factor. As Matthias Berg, Vice President & GeneralManager of the DaimlerChrysler Customer Business Unit of JohnsonControls put it: "It was a real challenge for us to develop theinterior of this model, and one that our staff rose to withrelish and real commitment." The superb leather developedexclusively for the SLR, along with other elite materials suchas aluminum and carbon fiber, provide a thrilling contrast tothe pure functionality of this vehicle, with its firm roots inthe motorsport world. The cockpit, for instance, was deliberatelypared down to the bare essentials and reflects its racing carorigins. Clearly visible digits on a blue background are adistinctive feature of the classically elegant chronometerdesign of the instruments. Experts at the Johnson Controlsfactory in Grefrath have encased the cockpit in the finest"Silver Arrows" leather - exclusively developed for the SLR andall hand-finished, with meticulous care and loving attention todetail. Several interior colors are available to choose from -including of course the signature red that set the tone in thoselegendary SL and SLR sports cars of the fifties. The centerconsole made of high-grade aluminum is another eye-catchingfeature of the interior. Alongside the air-conditioningcontrols, radio and navigation system, new switches have beenadded to activate and control some of the innovative technologyof the SLR. These little extras ensure maximum driving pleasure.

Interior photos of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren areavailable on the DaimlerChrysler homepage,www.daimlerchrysler.com, under the heading "Media Services".

Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global market leader inautomotive interiors, interior electronics, facility managementand control. In the automotive market, it is a leading supplierof seating and interior systems and batteries. For non-residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides buildingcontrol components and systems and facility management services.

Johnson Controls (New York Stock Exchange: JCI), founded in1885, has its headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Europeanheadquarters is in Burscheid, Germany. Its sales for 2003totaled 22.6 billion US-Dollars, the Automotive Group aloneaccounting for 17 billion US-Dollars of this figure. In thecurrent "Industry Week" business magazine rankings, JohnsonControls has been listed as one of the top 100 best-runcompanies in the world for the sixth time in succession.

ots Original Text Service: Johnson Controls GmbH Internet:http://www.presseportal.de

Further information is available from: Johnson Controls GmbHEuropean Headquarters Astrid Schafmeister Industriestrasse 20-3051399 Burscheid Germany Tel.: +49 2174 65-3189 Fax: +49 2174 65-3219 E-mail: astrid.schafmeister@jci.com

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