Mercedes Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept

Mercedes ads a lot of flair to the CLS with this breaking concept car which outputs 435 horsepower.

While a soft spot will always remain for the big and boxy Benzes of yore, its designs like the new CLS Shooting Break Concept that keeps us excited for what’s to come. The design, which is a close indicator of the final model (and even more excitingly, the new CLS sedan), is a significant evolution of the curvy lines of the former CLS with sculpted lines and a new aggressive stance. Engine options will vary from a new direct injection V6 all the way to a 4.6 liter V8 that will deliver around 435 horsepower.

Mercedes-Benz 1st-quarter China deliveries double

Mercedes-Benz was China's fastest-growing premium brand in the first quarter, according to the firm. "We aim to sell more than 100,000 passenger vehicles in China this year," said Joachim Schmidt, an executive vice president at Mercedes-Benz Cars. China was Mercedes-Benz's third-largest sales market in the first quarter of 2010, behind Germany and the U.S., the firm said. In the same quarter of 2009, China had been in sixth place.

2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class

The refreshed 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class gets an E-Class nose job.

Introduced on Wednesday: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class Wagon

What is it? A hurried midcycle freshening of some of the more unfortunate aspects of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class “sports tourer.” Help couldn’t come soon enough. And apparently more than a “freshening” was needed for this styling bomb.

BRABUS takes Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series to the next level

Owning a Mercedes-Benz is one thing. Taking it to the next level is another. But how are you going to deal with a Benz that’s already sickeningly fast? We’re talking about the Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series. This baby can hit 62 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds, while having the capability to accelerate up to a 198.8 miles per hour top speed.

So what do you do to get such an already impressive machine to become even more impressive. You go to BRABUS, of course. Next to AMG, BRABUS has the means and ends to turn your already out-of-the-ordinary Mercedes-Benz into something that’s even more sinister and death-defyingly powerful.

Brabus Vanish: A Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series with 789-hp

Producing a total of 661-hp from its 6.0L twin-turbo V12, the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series is far from anything but one of the most ridiculously fastest cars to come out of Stuttgart. However, if you’re German tuner Brabus, than too much horsepower is never enough.

Future Infiniti G Could Get Mercedes-Benz 4-Cylinder

The Infiniti G comes with a 3.7-liter V-6, but automakers are turning more toward smaller fuel-efficient engines for even their luxury cars.

Nissan’s Infiniti G will someday be available with a Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder engine, said Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault and Nissan, in a conference call with reporters this week.

Mr. Ghosn’s informal announcement came after a Wednesday press conference in which Daimler and Nissan announced a strategic partnership.

The use of modest displacement, fuel-efficient engines in luxury and near-luxury automobiles has been common in Europe for many years, but until now United States car buyers have mostly not been offered that choice, nor have they clamored for it. But with a flood of electric and fuel-stingy cars pouring into every level of the automotive market, it appears that efficiency will no longer be the sole province of small, inexpensive cars.

Mercedes confirms C-Class Coupe

Mercedes C-Class Coupe
Mercedes confirmed that a Coupe version for the current C-Class will be unveiled in 2011. It will be produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, next to the Saloon, the Estate, and the compact GLK SUV.

"The decision by the Board of Management to produce the Coupe version of the current C-Class here in Bremen as well represents another important milestone on our way to becoming Mercedes’ competence center for the C-Class and is a clear sign of the trust in the Bremen team’s capabilities and standards," says Peter Schabert, Head of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen.

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe Confirmed

Mercedes-Benz plans to launch a new C-Class Coupe to replace its CLC Sportcoupe model sold overseas and partially fill the gap left by the CLK, which itself has become the new E-Class Coupe.The information was confirmed by Peter Schabert, the chief of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, Germany where the current C-Class is built.

"The decision by the board of management to produce the Coupe version of the current C-Class here in Bremen as well represents another important milestone on our way to becoming Mercedes’ competence center for the C-Class and is a clear sign of the trust in the Bremen team's capabilities and standards," Schabert revealed in an official statement.

The new 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe is expected to join the rest of the facelifted C-Class range early next year. The car will feature a unique body and styling to set it apart from its Sedan sibling, however, all engines will be shared across the range and there could even be a high-performance AMG version complete with the company’s new twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8.

MERCEDES E-CLASS COUPE CABRIOLET ; new Mercedes convertible

FIRSTDRIVE MERCEDES E-CLASS COUPE CABRIOLET: FOR ALL the modern gadgets and gizmos on offer these days, it was the sight of a simple folding cloth roof that brought a smile to our face at the Mercedes launch, writes MICHAEL MCALEER Motoring Editor

Such a basic bit of technology from a company whose lineage can be traced to the founding father of the modern automobile, might suggest Mercedes is not moving with the times.

Complete tosh: given its chequered history in the last decade of applying some new gizmos that caused more trouble than they were worth, it’s nice to see the three-pointed star is now more selective about which new trends to follow and which to ignore.

After several years of supposed engineering innovation and improvement we can officially confirm folding metal roofs are a flop. The engineering brains behind the auto origami deserve credit. But the price paid in terms of storing that folded mass in an extended rump, along with the extra weight from motors to perform the magic, turns even the sportiest convertible into a metal sloth.

So hats off to Mercedes for ignoring the peer pressure and sticking to the winning formula of folded cloth for its new E-Class coupe cabrio. With the roof up, there’s little difference inside the cabin as the lining is more padded than a luxury mattress. Push the button and 20 seconds later it’s retracted and stowed away in the boot, leaving nothing but clean metal. The great news is it has no impact on the smart lines of the E-Class coupe, except for a missing roof.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG racer

Mercedes-Benz is showing off its new SLS AMG GT3. Basically, they took the hottest car and made it hotter for the racetrack.

It's the racing version of the SLS AMG, and it should start showing up on the circuits next year.

The GT3 race car has a new front skirt with enlarged air intakes. The hood features a central opening for the extraction of heat from the engine and there are side openings in the front fenders. The side and rear windows are made of polycarbonate instead of glass to reduce weight. The windshield might even get the same treatment. There's a carbon fiber spoiler on the rear.

New York Auto Show: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class

The refreshed 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class gets an E-Class nose job.

Introduced on Wednesday: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class Wagon

What is it? A hurried midcycle freshening of some of the more unfortunate aspects of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class “sports tourer.” Help couldn’t come soon enough. And apparently more than a “freshening” was needed for this styling bomb.

How’s it look? Hearselike — still — from the back. An E-Class nose job helps disguise the R-Class coming, but liposuction is still sorely needed to camouflage it going. Even with new taillights and bumper, everything from the C-pillar back remains wrong, proportionately. The interior, which was downright handsome in the lighter optional colors, needed little to improve it -– and that is what it gets. Next time, the interior and exterior design teams should swap assignments.