Mercedes-Benz has released these official photos of the facelifted SL roadster, which is heading for a world debut at the Geneva show in March.

Tracing the SL’s heritage back to the 300SL Gullwing roadsters from the 1950s, Mercedes says the new SL gets reshaped headlamps, a new hood with twin power domes, air outlets behind the front wheels and new fenders that all link it more firmly to its past. The formerly optional AMG styling kit is now standard on the SL, which is set to go on sale in the spring.

A trio of models returns to the lineup: the V-8-powered SL550 with its seven-speed automatic; a V-12-powered SL600 with a five-speed automatic; and the SL63 AMG edition.

In the cockpit, a new three-spoke steering wheel has been installed (as in the CLS four-door), and new gauges wear red needles that oscillate to maximum and to zero when the car starts. An updated COMAND system integrates a six-disc changer, a music hard drive and MP3 player connectors, along with Bluetooth.

The SL’s top lowers or raises in 16 seconds. The Airscarf option, which had been offered in Europe, pumps warm air around the occupants’ necks in cold-weather driving. The system is built into the SL’s seats and headrests; it’s standard on V-12 and AMG models and an option on the V-8 version.

New Mercedes-Benz CL550

Popularity: 84% [?]

Now we’ve got that pesky Padberg woman out the way, we can have a proper look at the new  Mercedes CLC. We saw a couple of teaser shots of the baby coupe, but now the two-door C-Class has been revealed in all its voguish glory.

When we say C-Class, we’re talking about the old one: like its predecessor, which launched in 2001, the CLC is based on the previous-gen C. But Merc engineers say they have revised more than 1,100 components to bring it bang into fashion.

Most obviously, the CLC’s front end has been completely overhauled, giving it a similar face to the current C-Class. It’s a similar story round the back, with a LED brakelight strip stolen straight off the C. Following the SLK and the SL, the CLC gets Merc’s new direct steering system, which should provide more tactile, sporty handling and do away with the traditional lazy Mercedes cornering manners.

There are no surprises under the bonnet: the CLC comes with the same choice of engines as the current C-Class, minus the 6.2-litre V8 out the C63 AMG. Opt for one of the bigger V6s and you’ve got the choice of a seven-speed auto with flappy paddles, or a six-speed manual.

No word on prices yet, but the new Merc CLC will go on sale in Europe from May this year.

© Source: topgear
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Where’s the trunk?

Americans seldom take kindly to hatchbacks. And who could blame us? What, when we have the open roads, the wherewithal, and – until recent times – the least expensive gasoline in the civilized world to spread out?

No fat jokes, please.

Moreover we expect – nay – demand that anything with a luxury moniker have either a trunk (a.k.a. “boot”) or the closing hatch of an SUV or wagon.

There are certain chic exceptions. The MINI surely ranks not only as new cult classic, but Cinquecento-sized car that boasts Hummer-sized caché. And on the detour that is the Fiat 500, I’m sure if Fiat, SpA could get it’s collective act together and sell Stateside, there’d be plenty of American car buyers that would embrace Italy’s hot little number.

That said, for some unfathomable reason Mercedes-Benz feels that it can sell a hatchback C-Class to us gullible Yanks. It’s sales logic that on its face is almost as dumbfounding as the Northeast media’s smug lean toward Hillary Clinton.

This time they’re calling it the CLC. As if that’s somehow supposed to entice buyers here that a $30K hatchback – or in truth a full two-door that looks like some drunk October-fest goer came back to the factory after hours and took a saw to the trunk.

I guess it makes a certain economic sense. According to CAR, 320,000 of those infernal predecessor “sports coupés” have found new homes worldwide since 2001.

And true to trends unfolding at auto shows this world round, there seems to be a design movement that seeks to phase out the trunk for space considerations; the protruding boot’s exit is nigh.

Still, I pause to rejoice that I live in a land that -for the moment- doesn’t have to settle for a less-is-somehow-more definition of luxury. Mercedes-Benz can keep the CLC on their side of the Pond. We’ll take the C-Class in sedan form, thank you.

Popularity: 85% [?]

An icon not without flaw.

Admiring an R107 Mercedes-Benz 560SL is a very different sensation that driving one.

Like some of the most iconic Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris, and Maseratis of yore, the two seater Benz powered by the flagship 5.5 liter V-8 of the late 80s fell someways short of the legend it espoused.

Automotive icons are seldom so long lived as the R107 which as a chassis started in the late 1960s and drove straight up to the start of 1990s. For the North American and Asian markets, the 560SL was supposed to be the grand finale that would epitomize the notion of owning a modern classic.

Yet as classic as the Benz was (and remains), it always had the feel of makeshift automobile.

How could I possibly mean that?

Don’t get me wrong. As a Benz enthusiast, in my book, the R107 line (including the 560SL) ranks among the greatest cars ever made. But the panels looked like they never quite fit right, to mention nothing of the gaps that could swallow sparrows mid-flight.

What’s more the car shook terribly without its top and with its roof it let in the rain through still more gaps which could be found where the window panes met the fixed glass of the removable hardtop.

Two speakers provided Mercedes’ cheap excuse for a full audio system on their flagship roadster and heated seats were never made available. And on the subject of seats, the SL’s were manually adjustable (minimally) and always seemed disproportionately big for the cabin.

Add some more injury, the signature helm sized steering wheel found its position fixed in the driver’s lap, the trunk was good for a lady’s purse, and did I mention that the interior was cramped and that the seats didn’t adjust?

All of these character flaws could have been forgiven and forgotten were the 560SL’s engine the same V8 found in the 560SEL flagship. But for whatever reason, the sound and performance that the 560SL gave was akin to that of the earlier 500 powerplant which featured a smaller 5.0 Liter, V8.

Straw picking? Hair splitting?

Anyone who has driven a 500 (SL, SEL, SEC) knows that as old fashioned, aluminum big-bloc V8s go, it pulled heroically, if with little drama as witnessed by a low-revving tachometer and mild engine roar.

The 560 engine as witnessed in the SEL sedan not only cut the 0-60 time from mid 8’s to high 6’s, it would scream like a banshee as it hit the red line.

So, one would figure that the SL – seemingly half the size of the S-Class sedan, less insulated and at least four hundred pounds lighter – would thrill the driver even more by harnessing the 560 powerplant and launching from 0-60 in perhaps six seconds flat with the roar of Wagnerian V8 chorus?

Nein!

The older 500’s performance times remain along with the low drama. Sigh.

All that carping aside, the 560SL sure is pretty. About the prettiest boulevardier one could ever hope to buy for a mere $14,900 and to say nothing of getting such a low price for so high an icon.

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Popularity: 60% [?]

The CLS. Face lifted.

Taking a note from Joan Rivers, Mercedes-Benz has – after four prosperous years – elected to update its CLS-Class with a face (and tail) lift. And as is also the case for the renowned comedienne, we have yet to see the benefits that such augmentation has brought.

Somethings really are better left for time to sort naturally. It’s not that the CLS looks bad now or before, per se. Coming to think of it, Joan Rivers doesn’t look bad either – but let’s stop that train of thought there.

It’s that the sedan – no sorry – “coop-ay,” is a seriously contrived P.O.S. (and that acronym doesn’t stand for “point of sale”)

Time and again, I fail to see the “romance” in those comic book curves. The CLS looks like something the Joker would drive if only it were sold in acid green and dark purple.

Plus, there’s that mousy front airdam (which the face lift didn’t help) and those amorphous yet somehow pointed headlights. Combined they give the Merc the look that an angry sewer rat might give a wayward cat.

And on the topic of Mercs, what urks me further about the CLS is that Stuttgart’s arts & ideas people seemed to have drawn all their emotive inspiration from the late 1990s Mercury Sable; probably the second lamest car for a decade when FoMoCo design knew no depths.

The rear three quarter profile similarities are scarily similar. So rather than celebrate along with the rest of press for the new CLS’ recent return from Palm Springs’ seclusion, I’d prefer to extol the Camry-esque virtues of the platform-sharing E-Class instead.

Something tells me that Joan would, too.

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Popularity: 59% [?]

What’s New for 2008
The racetrack-inspired CLK63 AMG Black Series coupe joins the lineup. It boasts a 500-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 along with a track-ready suspension, upgraded composite brakes, no backseat and seriously supportive front seats. Only 350 are slated for the U.S. market. On the other end of the spectrum, the volume seller CLK350 gains a few new standard features, namely a sport suspension and twin six-spoke 18-inch wheels.

Introduction
Sitting midway between the compact C-Class sedans and the über-expensive CL-Class coupes and SL-Class roadsters, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class offers the best of both worlds. Specifically, the CLK boasts sleek two-door styling, something not available in the C-Class, along with luxury and performance that virtually equals that of the pricier cars.

The CLK is available as a coupe or convertible. Both models lack a B-pillar (the traditional side pillar behind the front doors), and this gives the car a very graceful look. The drop-top, drop-dead gorgeous version of the CLK is thesnew only oercedes convertible that can seat four people, though unlike its siblings and a few of its rivals, it forgoes a retractable metal roof in favor of a traditional well-insulated cloth top. No matter which model you look at, power is plentiful. It ranges from 268 horsepower in the CLK350 on up to 500 hp in the mighty, new-for-2008 CLK63 AMG Black Series coupe (which actually is available in colors other than black). Neatly splitting the difference between these two is the 382-hp CLK550.

Overall, we’re quite fond of the CLK, and those who value luxury and performance equally should find the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class more than sweet enough for their cravings. This segment contains many tempting (and potentially less expensive) choices, however. The ultra-responsive and communicative BMW 335i still reigns supreme as the driving enthusiast’s choice, while Infiniti’s G37 offers potent performance along with a considerably lower price tag. Making your decision process even tougher this year is the new Audi A5 with its sensuous styling and standard all-wheel drive. If you’re looking at the V8-powered CLKs (the 550 and AMG versions), you might also consider the BMW M3 and Audi’s S4/RS4 and S5. If it’s the limited-edition Black Series coupe you’re eyeing, bear in mind there are many, many fine cars you might consider at or below its lofty $135,000 price point, not least of which is the Porsche 911 GT3.

© Source: edmunds
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Popularity: 94% [?]

That the R-Class has not been the most successful vehicle in the history of Mercedes-Benz is no big secret, but after staunchly espousing its virtues for year, the automaker has finally admitted it. And as any recovering addict could tell you, admitting you have a problem is the first step on the long road to recovery.

Mercedes had pegged production of the crossover at its Vance, Alabama, plant at 50,000 units annually, with half of that staying in the United States. Last year, however, American dealerships sold only 18,000 units. According to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, the R-Class “has definitely not lived up to our original plans.”

Mercedes is planning a replacement for R-Class, and while it could retain the same big CUV/wagon set-up, the next R is more likely to take another format altogether. Mercedes biggest competitor at BMW, meanwhile, is evidently thinking otherwise with the X6 crossover it just unveiled yesterday.

Used Mercedes-Benz

Popularity: 90% [?]

(from Daimler Press Release) Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board, and Ron Dennis, Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group, welcomed all the guests to the official presentation, with Lewis Hamilton, who celebrates his 23rd birthday today, and Heikki Kovalainen joined on stage by Pedro de la Rosa and fellow test driver Gary Paffett to unveil the MP4-23. The car was completed yesterday and left the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK at around 18:00 GMT on Sunday and was driven in a Mercedes-Benz Actros to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart-Unterterkheim, having covered approximately 1000kms, arriving around 10:00 this morning.

Upon arrival in Stuttgart, the car was transported to the 53,000 sqm Mercedes-Benz Museum, one of the world’s largest and most renowned car museums. About 700 Mercedes-Benz employees from the nearby manufacturing plant Stuttgart-Unterterkheim had the opportunity to attend today’s event at the end of their early shift alongside the more than 400 media and other guests. The Mercedes-Benz employees had the opportunity to enter a draw of which the lucky winners were able to meet and spend some time with Lewis and Heikki.

Following today’s event the car will be transported to the Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain, where on Wednesday 9thJanuary Heikki and Pedro will start the test programme with two MP4-23 chassis at a private test. The team will remain at the circuit for five track days, excluding the weekend.

© Source: seriouswheels
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Popularity: 89% [?]

Much the reason.

Popularity: 93% [?]

Seller: The Garage
Address: 9400 NW 25th Street
City: Miami
State: Florida
Country: USA
Price: $179,900.00
Date Added: January 8, 2008
Expiration: May 7, 2008
Link: ht…ltimate-carcollection.com
Views: 325
Description:
Source: www.TheUltimate-CarCollection.com/
The Garage
9400 NW 25th Street
Miami, FL 33172
Contact Name: Steve
Phone: 305-594-2223

IRDIUM SILVER OVER BLACK EXCLUSIVE NAPPA LEATHER INTERIOR,PARKTRONIC, WOOD/LEATHER SHIFT KNOB, VOICE CONTROL,PANORAMA ROOF, BLACK ASH WOOD.

© Source: seriouswheels
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Popularity: 78% [?]