Touring the Mercedes-Benz Sunnyvale R&D center (pictures)

Much of the advanced technology in a modern Mercedes is developed in Silicon Valley. Let's take a tour of where the magic happens.

Mercedes-Benz star
1 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Mercedes-Benz star

Behold the giant, rotating three-point star outside of the new Mercedes-Benz R&D center in Sunnyvale, Calif., now bigger and more-high tech than before. CNET was lucky enough to be let inside for a tour of the place to see some of the work that comes out of the studio, and now you can follow along.

Star and crowd
2 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Star and crowd

The gathered crowd for the grand opening.

Workspace in blue
3 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Workspace in blue

A collaborative workspace at the MBRDNA.

Nest thermostat
4 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Nest thermostat

One of the 114 Nest thermostats to be found at the Mercedes R&D facility.

Dashboard debugging
5 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Dashboard debugging

Dashboard debugging and testing tools.

Adjustable desks
6 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Adjustable desks

Adjustable desks for all.

Letting in the light
7 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Letting in the light

Offices and meeting rooms, with plenty of glass.

It's like this
8 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

It's like this

Speakers at the grand opening.

Whiteboard
9 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Whiteboard

A whiteboard where developers are checking off features for next-generation releases.

3D printer
10 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

3D printer

One of the 3D printers at MBRDNA.

S-class prototype interior
11 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

S-class prototype interior

The prototype S-Class cockpit.

Concept dashboard
12 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Concept dashboard

A concept future dashboard with gesture recognition, as previously seen at CES.

Meeting room
13 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Meeting room

One of the meeting rooms at the MBRDNA.

Car radios
14 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Car radios

Various car radios from various regions.

Pebble watches meet Mercedes app
15 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Pebble watches meet Mercedes app

Pebble smartwatches running the Mercedes-Benz app.

Pebbles a la Mercedes
16 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Pebbles a la Mercedes

Another look at the Pebbles running the Mercedes-Benz app.

The Pebble in red
17 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

The Pebble in red

A Pebble running the Mercedes-Benz app.

In-car apps
18 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

In-car apps

Some of the various in-car apps.

Dashboard warning
19 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Dashboard warning

A navigation system shows a warning because the car ahead has its hood open.

Test tools
20 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Test tools

More testing and debugging tools.

More test tools
21 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

More test tools

More testing and debugging tools.

Meeting room
22 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Meeting room

Inside a meeting room.

License plate art
23 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

License plate art

Art showing appreciation for the states of driving.

Classic CL
24 of 24
Tim Stevens/CNET

Classic CL

Classic CL -- in model form.

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be larger, more luxurious

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be larger, more luxurious

5 Photos
2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392: Dirt-slinging with a V8

2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392: Dirt-slinging with a V8

67 Photos
Meet Roadshow's long-term 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Meet Roadshow's long-term 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

28 Photos
2020 Ducati Monster 821 Stealth: Matte black loud pack

2020 Ducati Monster 821 Stealth: Matte black loud pack

19 Photos
2021 BMW M440i is one long-faced coupe

2021 BMW M440i is one long-faced coupe

34 Photos
2021 Mercedes-Benz Metris: Same van, more tech

2021 Mercedes-Benz Metris: Same van, more tech

25 Photos
2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum is a surprisingly lux family cruiser

2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum is a surprisingly lux family cruiser

69 Photos