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2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches a bit early

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

2012 mercedes-benz a-class

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class revealed – Click above for high-res image gallery

You’re looking at what appear to be the patent images for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The images found their way into Belgian automotive site AutoScoop.be, and you can peruse them in the gallery below.

We expected the car to ditch most of the concept-crazy before it winds up in dealer showrooms. The version seen here does stick to the overall form of the concept, minus the hypnotic grille and several of the deep creases found all over the conceptual car’s body.

What we’re left with is a car that’s clearly a Mercedes-Benz, but not particularly far from the hatchback standard. Bits of CLS can be found in the curving roof-line and that familiar MB mug is staring you down front and center. We’re excited to see this hatch (expect CUV and sedan variants as well) in the flesh at an auto show later this year.

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches a bit early originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will offer E63 AMG wagon, AWD-only E550

2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to a leaked dealer order guide for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class range, we red-blooded Yankees might be able to once again sink our teeth into the super-hot E63 AMG Estate. As you’ll recall, Mercedes-Benz decided not to offer the new-for-2010 E63 wagon here in the States, but that is wrong is reportedly being righted for 2012. BenzBoost.com reports that the cargo-hauling AMG stunner will be available for U.S. customers later this year, powered by the same twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 that debuted in the E63 sedan at last month’s New York Auto Show, complete with start/stop technology and mated to a seven-speed MCT dual-clutch transmission.

We can already picture the inevitable E63 AMG Wagon vs. Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon battle, and it looks awesome.

In other E-Class news, BenzBoost reports that the E550 sedan – which gets a new 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 – will only be available with 4Matic all-wheel drive. A similar move was made to the 2011 CL550 coupe, which uses the same engine and is no longer available in a two-wheel-drive configuration. Stay tuned for the official details later this year.

2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will offer E63 AMG wagon, AWD-only E550 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz Drive & Seek action movie stars C-Class, scantily clad bank robbers

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz Drive&Seek video

Mercedes-Benz Drive & Seek – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Part of what made the The Driver, the series of BMW films with Clive Owen, so compelling was that it was well written, it was underplayed, and as far as action films went it didn’t obliterate believability. The laconic Owen was able to sell hopped-up adventures with his relaxed delivery of cutting lines, and it was credulous that a driver-for-hire made his living in a 5 Series.

The Mercedes-Benz movie Drive & Seek, however, throws all of that away. A promotional piece for the C-Class Coupe, it’s slick, utterly good looking, outrageously over-the-top, and goofy in every way possible. The only reason we know it’s not a Michael Bay film is that nothing explodes, otherwise it prays at his altar: a hot woman in a bathing suit (Kate Nauta, from The Transporter 2), hot women in white skinsuits robbing a bank, gunfire in an expensive suit, an absurd car chase… and some other stuff. If that’s your bag, there’s 9:25 of it in the video after the jump.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Drive & Seek action movie stars C-Class, scantily clad bank robbers

Mercedes-Benz Drive & Seek action movie stars C-Class, scantily clad bank robbers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class getting upgraded V6, twin-turbo V8

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Wagon, Mercedes-Benz

2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan

2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The hardcore Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG isn’t the only E-Class model that gets a new heart for the 2012 model year. According to our sources within Mercedes-Benz, both the E350 and E550 models will receive new powerplants currently found elsewhere in the automaker’s lineup.

The base E350 will now be powered by the automaker’s new 3.5-liter V6 with direct-injection, an engine that we recently tested in the C350 sedan and SLK350 roadster. Rated at 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, the new engine provides power increases of 14 hp and 15 lb-ft over the current V6, while the use of direct-injection and a seven-speed automatic transmission will no doubt return improved fuel economy.

Moving along, the eight-cylinder E550 will ditch its naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 in favor of a twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter unit with direct-injection, currently found in the CL550 coupe. In the E-Class, this engine will be good for 402 hp and 443 lb-ft – improvements of 20 and 52, respectively.

Look for the refreshed E-Class range to debut this Fall.

2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class getting upgraded V6, twin-turbo V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz gears up for the demise of the G-Class with BA3 Final Edition and Edition Select

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury, Off-Road

Mercedes-Benz G500 Edition Select

Mercedes-Benz G500 Edition Select – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Hummer is gone. The Land Rover Defender is to be replaced. The Toyota Land Cruiser has let itself go over the years into a bloated luxo-barge. One of the last remaining icons of hardcore off-road SUVs is the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and it is soon to be replaced as well. But before it does, Mercedes-Benz has announced a pair of special editions.

The BA3 Final Edition marks the end of production for the short-wheelbase three-door G-Wagen. The farewell special is distinguished by body-colored fender flares, an AMG grille, 18-inch alloys and extra chrome inside and out, with black leather interior offset by walnut burr veneers and ambient lighting.

While the long-wheelbase five-door model will continue on for a while longer, it hasn’t been left out of the special treatment. The Edition Select gets contrasting black trim with blacked-out 18-inch alloys, AMG-spec sports exhaust and a two-tone leather cabin with piano lacquer trim.

The Edition Select comes exclusively in G500 spec with a 5.5-liter V8, while the BA3 Final Edition can also be had as a G350 with BlueTec diesel six. Both models pack all the off-road equipment you can shake a stick at, but appear to be available exclusively overseas for the time being. So we’ll just have to bide our time until the Gelandewagen’s eventual replacement rolls around, and content ourselves with the details in the press release after the jump and the high-res photos in the gallery below.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz gears up for the demise of the G-Class with BA3 Final Edition and Edition Select

Mercedes-Benz gears up for the demise of the G-Class with BA3 Final Edition and Edition Select originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-electric Mercedes-Benz S-Class being considered

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Electric, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Jaguar built an electric XJ last year, Rolls-Royce showed off an electric Phantom this year, now Autocar reports that Mercedes is open to considering an electric offering. To be precise, Autocar said such an S-Class “is not being ruled out” and that Mercedes’ technical head Thomas Weber said, “We are looking at customer demand.” All that really means is that it’s on the table, probably alongside a whole lot of other things that might or might not ever happen.

However, Mercedes is part-way there with its S400 Hybrid, and the next S-Class due in 2013 will add a plug-in hybrid option. Until then it’ll be up to Fisker to – eventually – bring ionized motoring to the luxury sedan masses.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

All-electric Mercedes-Benz S-Class being considered originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shines in Manhattan

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class live in New York

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class – Click above for high-res image gallery

Fresh off of its unveiling halfway around the world at the Shanghai Motor Show, Daimler graced the squeaky-clean floors of its brand-new flagship showroom, Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, with its striking Concept A-Class.

Nestled in the corner of the 11th Avenue megaplex (five floors and over seven acres of floor space in New York City), the Concept A comes off as surprisingly dynamic for what amounts to a conventional three-door hatchback – and a static one at that (unlike the car shown in China, the New York Auto Show star only has a half-interior). And it’s not just unique details like the elaborate pinwork grille (composed of hexagonal silver nubs on blacked-out stems), the windswept headlamps or the waifish side mirrors – the whole package just somehow comes together. We’re not sure if we’re finally getting more comfortable with the blunt-nosed look that’s infiltrating the Three-Pointed-Star’s lineup (see: SLS AMG, CLS, etc.), or if it just works particularly well here, but in the metal, the Concept A-Class looks more convincing than we expected from the first batch of press images.

That’s good news, because Benz is very serious about making its next production A-Class a world car – including North America. To that end, even in showcar regalia, the Concept A has perfectly feasible mechanicals: a 2.0-liter, 210-horsepower four-cylinder from Daimler’s new M270 range driving the front wheels and shifted by a dual-clutch gearbox. It also appears to be more conventional in chassis construction, eschewing the clever (if costly) ‘sandwich’ architecture and upright profile of the original 1997 model.

When it finally arrives in production form, the next-generation A-Class will no doubt ride on smaller wheels, have a taller greenhouse, and the engine will likely nestle behind a more conventional grille. Even so, Mercedes will still be on to something if it can preserve the appeal of the Concept A-Class’ form factor.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class: New York 2011

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

New York 2011: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shines in Manhattan originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World Class Driving offers pieces to the 200-MPH puzzle. We assemble them

Filed under: Etc., Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari

Autoblog Returns For Another Crack At The 200-MPH Club

World Class Driving 200 MPH

World Class Driving 200 MPH Challenge – Click above for high-res image gallery

Driving 200 miles per hour has always been at the top of my bucket list. Unfortunately, accomplishing this dream has always eluded me as it is laden with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. First, the task requires a machine capable of the speed. Second, one needs a very long, straight piece of pavement. Lastly, there is the hurdle of the law – getting tagged at three times the typical legal limit will not only seriously ruin your weekend, but also take a sizable chunk of money (and probably a driver’s license) out of your leather wallet.

After decades of frustration, World Class Driving has come to my rescue. The same company that has been touring the nation with its fleet of expensive exotics, offering regular civilians the opportunity to drive on road and track, offers the “200 mph Challenge.” In a nutshell, they provide the cars, pavement and amnesty from the law in one turnkey package. It isn’t cheap ($4,995 for this program), but successful completion puts participants in a very exclusive group of non-professionals who have driven 200 mph. To put it into perspective, more people have been launched into space.

Participants are an eclectic group. Of the 16 in my class, there are prominent physicians, attorneys, CEOs and wealthy adventurists who do it for sport (you know, the kind who travel to Russia for a supersonic flight in a Mikoyan MiG-29). There is also young 16-year-old Alec Feintuch, attending through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Poignantly, I’m not the only one with the dream of driving 200 mph.

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Gallery: World Class Driving 200 MPH Challenge

Continue reading World Class Driving offers pieces to the 200-MPH puzzle. We assemble them

World Class Driving offers pieces to the 200-MPH puzzle. We assemble them originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Videos: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shows off its finer points

Filed under: Concept Cars, Videos, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class video screencap

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The current Mercedes-Benz A-Class might boast some innovative construction, but it isn’t exactly the most striking design the German automaker has ever come up with. The new Concept A-Class, however, now that’s another story. While the outgoing production A-Class takes on the likes of the Volkswagen Golf Plus and Opel Meriva, the new concept looks poised to take the fight to the BMW 1 Series, Lexus CT 200h and Audi A3.

Naturally, as a concept car, some of the flashier bits are bound to be lost on the road to eventual production, but overall the showcar emerges as a clear step in the right direction. But don’t take our word for it – follow the jump to watch a trio of videos: two showing the A-Class Concept from all the angles in smooth silence, and a third with MB designer Mark Fetherston highlighting some of the finer points of the Concept A-Class. Thanks for the tip, John!

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

[Source: Mercedes-Benz via YouTube]

Continue reading Videos: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shows off its finer points

Videos: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shows off its finer points originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class hatches ahead of New York and Shanghai

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Shanghai Motor Show

mercedes-benz a-class concept

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nearly four years ago we heard rumors that Mercedes-Benz was considering dropping the diminutive A-class from its lineup. Oh how times have changed. The German automaker is prepping an all-new A-class (M270), and we get some insight into what it will look like courtesy of the Concept A.

The Mercedes-Benz Concept A is a stylized version of the upcoming 2012 A-Class. Falling in line with the rest of the family, the squared-off nose is aggressive and wears the Tri-Star emblem well. From the side, the Concept A shows hints of the CLS and even the R-Class. Though most of the swoopy lines seen above are concept-cool, we expect the production A-Class to to share lots of design notes with the Concept A. Yet we doubt the star-filled nighttime sky grille will make the cut.

A front-wheel-drive Benz, the Concept A will benefit from both turbocharging and direct-injection. A BlueEFFICIENCY 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is fitted under the hood, and produces 210-horsepower. That four-banger is paired with a dual-clutch transmission.

More than a styling and propulsion exercise, the Concept A aims to add first-rate features to luxury compact segment. A radar-based collision-detection system will be the first of its kind in this segment and, when paired with Adaptive Brake Assist, can help lower the risk of having someone rear-end your 2012 A-Class.

We’ll get to see this concept car in person when it debuts at the 2011 New York Auto Show. Mercedes is also bringing the Concept A to Auto Shangai 2011. Until we can bring you live images, the gallery below will have to do. Be sure to click past the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class hatches ahead of New York and Shanghai

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class hatches ahead of New York and Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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