Filed under: Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Police/Emergency, Design/Style, Luxury

We've seen all manner of vehicles being equipped and commissioned for police duty around the world. But this is no ordinary police car. This 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG is the ride of choice for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Force.

The fashion enforcers are out in full force this week in New York as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Fortunately for "the rest of us" Benz's fashion cops aren't looking for people wearing outfits that clash; instead, they're identifying trendsetters on the street and offering them free rides to their next destinations in this specially-prepared CLS 63 AMG, which may well be the best car for the job. See for yourselves in the high-resolution image gallery below and the press release after the jump.



[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG called into duty for New York Fashion Week

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG called into duty for New York Fashion Week originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Not long after Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off of the shapely new CLS-Class at this year's Paris Motor Show, sources within the automaker have told Autoblog that the AMG-fettled CLS will bow at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show.

Much like the revised S63 and CL63, expect the 2012 CLS63 AMG to use the automaker's new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, churning out 544 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That power will be managed via Merc's latest seven-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission sending power solely to the rear wheels. An AMG Performance Package will be on hand, as well, boosting output numbers up to 571 hp and 664 lb-ft. We can't wait to experience this beast firsthand.

Naturally, expect a bulgier, more aggressive exterior appearance complete with large AMG wheels and a host of LED lamps up front. Interior refinement will likely feature sport seats, a smaller-diameter steering wheel with paddle shifters and, of course, carbon fiber trim.

Stay tuned for official images and details closer to the car's official debut in Los Angeles.

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG coming to LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Surprise, surprise - Mercedes-Benz is working on an AMG version of its next-generation CLS-Class coupe sedan. Our spies recently caught this prototype out and about, and underneath all of that cladding is what we imagine to be an immensely attractive, steroid-enhanced version of the new CLS body. We'll take one in black, please.

Shapely lines aside, the most important part of any AMG car is what's under the hood, and the CLS AMG will doubtlessly pack wallop. Expect Benz's new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 to be under the bonnet, as this will rapidly become standard spec for Benz's V8-powered AMG cars. We've already read about this mill in the new S63 and CL63, so expect the CLS to bring around 540 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to the table, though we assume that an upgraded performance package will be available, increasing these output numbers.

We're on the edge of our Recaros for this one, folks. But until the final tweaks have been made, we'll have to settle for these spy shots. See for yourself in the high-res gallery below.



[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz CLS getting the inevitable AMG treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Whoops! The men and women in Stuttgart weren't planning to unveil the new Mercedes-Benz CLS just yet, but the crew from eMercedesBenz snagged these leaked images showing the new four-door coupe in all its production-ready glory.

As expected, the new CLS takes a lot of its styling cues from Benz's Shooting Break concept (they're name, not ours) notably the upright grille and more aggressive front fascia. The sectioned-off headlamp design has also remained intact, and from these photo-realistic renderings, it looks like someone shot the CLS in the eyes with lemon juice. Still, we're eager to see how this mix of LEDs looks out on the road at dusk. The CLS also uses the more shapely rear hips of the Shooting Break concept, rounding out the revised rear end. It's certainly more stylish than the outgoing CLS, which says a lot.

Inside, the CLS continues to use its four-seat arrangement with a center console that extends the full length of the cabin, and we fully expect the overall refinement to fall somewhere between the E-Class and S-Class sedans. Plush stuff, we're sure.

When the CLS launches, eMercedesBenz reports that a new 3.5-liter direct-injected V6 will be offered, as well as a twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 good for around 430 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Of course, an AMG version won't be far behind with the all-new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 underhood.

Now that these leaked shots have hit the web, don't be surprised if the official images and details are published in the very near future. Stay tuned for the full smattering, and in the meantime, scroll through the attached gallery to see the high-res leaked images.



[Source: eMercedesBenz]

Leaked! 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS peeks out before official debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Up until last week, Mercedes-Benz had been doing a rather admirable job keeping the 2011 CLS under wraps. But as we saw last Friday, that got blown out of the water as the forthcoming four-door was caught posing for the camera as part of what appeared to be a photo shoot. All that was missing was a nice clean shot from the front.

Problem solved. This morning, a lone image has appeared that shows off the shapely new 2011 CLS' SLS-inspired fascia with LED lighting, dramatically sloping roofline and its newly contoured bodysides. As we saw last week, a bit of comparison work proves that the production car will share the vast majority of its sheetmetal with the CLS Shooting Break (yes, we know... it should be Brake, but we didn't name it) concept that M-B introduced just a few months back.

In fact, the car in the spy shot looks so much like the conceptual CLS hatch that we had to open the two in their own windows the double check what we were looking at. See for yourself. In any case, we're mostly digging this new fastback sedan shape and relishing the idea of a 5.5-liter turbocharged and direct injected AMG-fettled V8 engine underhood.

[Source: SecretNewCars.com]

Spy Shots: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS shows off even more skin originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 May 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Wagon, Mercedes-Benz, Beijing Motor Show, Design/Style, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz may not have invented the idea of a "four-door coupe" with the original CLS back in 2005, but the German automaker can surely be credited with the recent influx of such designs from automakers as varied and far-ranging as BMW, Jaguar and Hyundai. As such, you can be sure that Mercedes is keenly interested in reinventing the look it made so popular in the first place so as to differentiate itself from its competitors.

As we reported late last month, it seems likely that Mercedes-Benz will use the upcoming Beijing Motor Show to preview its next-gen CLS, along with the introduction of what appears to be a production-ready shooting break design. While the moniker is more often spelled 'shooting brake,' MB is keen to point out that the correct spelling is 'break,' as in breaking a horse that draws a carriage. Whatever the name, we're liking what we see from this concept.

From what we can see in these pictures, which we presume show a conceptual shape that's awfully close to what a future production model will look like, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break seems to be a much more successful design than that of the BMW 5 Series GT that it will undoubtedly be compared to. We'd also wager that the rear hatchback and flat load floor would prove fairly useful in real life due to a suitably tall roof without too much downward slope.

Powerplants for the next-gen CLS are also previewed by this concept. Expect a turbocharged and direct injected 3.5-liter V6 engine with over 300 horsepower along with an uplevel turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 that puts out around 435 horsepower and over 400 pound-feet of torque. Those engines will reportedly provide a 25-percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the mills they replace and will route power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Not powerful enough for you? Perhaps the 5.5-liter V8, complete with turbocharging and direct injection, in the AMG model will be more to your liking. How does up to 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque sound?

Expect to see a sedan (codenamed C218) in addition to this shooting brake (codenamed X218) when the next-gen CLS is finally ready for production. Either way, it appears buyers will be getting cutting-edge styling along with a nicely appointed and luxurious interior. As always, we suggest you take a peek for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

UPDATED: Official press release added after the jump.


[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept revealed ahead of Beijing *UPDATED

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept revealed ahead of Beijing *UPDATED originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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