The 2nd National Spirit Achievers Award Ceremony was held on March 28, 2008 at the Beijing 798 Art Zone, brightening up Beijing in early spring. Mercedes-Benz, the co-founder of the Award Ceremony, also celebrated the first anniversary for the China launch of Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance vehicles of Mercedes-Benz. In only one year, Mercedes-AMG's exquisite craftsmanship, excellent quality and "One man, One engine" philosophy have captured countless consumers in China.

The Achievers Award honored ten young outstanding Chinese personalities, - Chen Qigang, Ding Lei, Gu Changwei, Fang Lijun, Feng Lun, Li Biao, Xu Bing, Wang Xiaoshuai, Wang Zhongjun, and Zhu Pei – all of whom thrived in areas as diverse as culture, arts and business, with an enthusiastic keenness for progress and innovation, triumphly embracing new challenges. The "Life Achievement Award" was sent to Leoh Ming Pei, one of famous architects in the world, as recognition on his contribution to the development of world architecture. "As one of the organizers, Mercedes-Benz takes the chance to encourage more Chinese youngsters to work hard and be optimistic and positive when facing challenges, to aspire to self-achievement, and to become an essential power for social development. This year's achievers are endowed with stern determination, enormous power and ingenious aspiration, being in complete harmony with what Mercedes-AMG stands for." said Mr. Klaus Maier, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd.

The award ceremony, themed "Will ‧ Power ‧ Dream", allowed Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed star to once more radiate its glitz and stand out amongst the numerous celebrities present at the event. Each of the four Mercedes-AMG models featured is an eye-catching masterpiece and embodies outstanding performance characteristics. Among them, S 65 AMG is the most powerful sedan in the world, and E 63 AMG is distinguished by its perfect combination of dynamics, comfort and elegance, while the ML 63 AMG represents the highest level of sportiness and agility in the SUV family. Also in the same segment, the powerful cross-country performance capabilities and striking exteriors are fully exemplified by the G 55 AMG. All of above allowed the brand to steadily capture Chinese consumers' attention in merely after one year of its launch in China.

Commenting on AMG's first-year performance in the Chinese market, Mr. Mornhinweg, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-AMG said, "Mercedes-AMG, as Mercedes-Benz's range of high-performance vehicles, provides top Chinese elites in pursuit of prestige and exclusivity with a freshly innovative alternative to luxury automobiles. Both market performance and customer feedback reinforced the ingenious strategic move to launch the series in China, clearly exceeding our expectations last year."

At the award ceremony, in alliance with Mercedes-AMG spirit, the selection of performances featured an exquisite array of styles and flare. The ceremony started with Li Biao, a famous percussionist and one of this year's achievers, enchanting the crowd with his passionate sounds and skillful percussion, unerringly conveying the powerful vigor Mercedes-AMG has perpetuated. The atmosphere at the party was further heightened with the fantastic performance of "An Interrupted Dream" by the "Peony Pavilion." Hou Honglan, China's ballet princess, and Zhang Jun, the prince of Kunqu Opera, artfully combined elegant ballet moves with the sounds and tunes of Kunqu Opera, adding exotic sentiment to the classic drama.

The ceremony came to an end with the sounds of Wu Xing (the Five Elements) Symphony presented by the China Philharmonic Orchestra and composed by Chen Qigang, a famous composer. In this representative work, Chen Qigang perfectly translated the abstract concept of Wu Xing into musical notes. As one of this year's achievers and the Music Director for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Chen Qigang added strong Olympic spirit willpower to this symphony. Guests were awed by his original style and the orchestra's excellent performance.

The stories of the "Will, Power and Dream" will still continue after the ceremony. More outstanding Chinese personalities with the "National Spirit" will lead China to be a country with even higher level of spiritual and substantial qualities. In the meantime, Mercedes-AMG will feature in more beautiful melodies in 2008, attaining brilliant achievements and bringing unparalleled experience to drivers.