Oh Hi: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS

Mercedes-Benz decided to leak official pictures of the next generation CLS ahead of its official debut at the Paris Auto Show.

The car that started the whole four door coupe craze retains a similar sweeping profile, with some S-Class added to the mix, along with a front facia more in line with the rest of the Mercedes-Benz family.

If you thought Audi is going nuts with LED lights, then think again. Mercedes is going to be the new LED king. There are 71 LED bulbs in the headlight cluster alone! The headlights, daytime running lights, turn singals and side lights are all going to be LED. Same story goes for the tail lights, which now have a more eye catching design. While that may look cool, that just means more of a chance of lights burning out down the road. Probably costly to replace too. The interior is all new as well with a three spoke steering wheel now standard as well as a steering column gear shift like the S-Class has. No manumatic option then?

No word on engine specs, however expect a 3.5 litre V6 and a 4.6 litre V8 to be available. An AMG version will come down the road.

With BMW already green lighting its Gran Coupe concept, and Audi premiering the A7, the refreshed CLS could not have come at a better time.

Click here for more pics.

[Mercedes-Benz via Autoblog]

Art in London

Good. God.

I never wished I was in London this bad in my life.

[Youtube]

Mercedes-Benz Reportedly Working on 9-Speed Automatic

This is just ridiculous.

In the car world, the automaker with the most gears for its automatic transmission is the same as the guy with the biggest penis in a room. It’s nothing more than an ego trip.

Autocar is reporting that Mercedes-Benz indeed wants other automakers to drop their proverbial pants and whip out the measuring tape because they reckon they are going to be the one with the most gears as they are developing a 9-speed automatic. NINE SPEEDS! WTF?

During my test of the BMW 550i GT, I wasn’t even able to make it up to the 8th gear. I would have been arrested and stoned to death on site if I had because I was able to get up to 180 kph in 5th gear alone at 6000 rpm. If I had gotten to the 8th speed, I probably would have been going well over 300 kph! And if you are a cop and you are reading this, then I was just joking about being able to get the 55oi GT to 180 kph in fifth gear.

But seriously, even if you consider having 8 gears for fuel efficiency in mind, it still doesn’t work. You never get to that point. You either need to adjust your speed because of a red light up ahead, or you are in stop in go traffic at rush hour. And on top of that, since it’s an automatic and therefore stupid, it can never make up its mind as to which gear it wants to be in. And then you’re just left with a jolty ride.

Mercedes, if you do indeed do this, you might win the biggest penis contest, but having a big penis is only useful if you have interested parties. And this could be the very thing that could draw customers away.

Think about it.

[Autocar]

BMW’s Supercar to be Called M8? May Have Hybrid Set Up

It’s going to be the battle of the 8′s! M8 vs. R8.

BMW’s new supercar is reportedly going to be called the M8 according to Autozeitung. It is going to take aim directly at the Audi R8.

The M8 is going to take a lot of styling cues from the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept pictured above. That concept uses a diesel-hybrid engine which relies mostly on torque for its get-up-and-go and was thought to carry over to the production model, but apparently BMW has dropped that idea in favour of another hybrid set up.

They will reportedly take the power plant from the upcoming M5 which is expected to produce 580 horsepower from either a V8 or a V10. They are then going to add two electric motors for added boost and of course for added efficiency. Since it’s a BMW, the weight will be distributed properly with one electric motor in the front, and the other in the back for perfect weight distribution. Total output is expected to be in between 600 and 700 horsepower!

Add the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG into the mix and you’ve got yourself one tasty German supercar showdown. Can’t wait!

[Autozeitung via BMWblog]

International Engine of the Year Award Winners Announced

Congrats to Volkswagen!

They picked up International Engine of the Year award honours for 2010 for the 1.4 litre TSI twincharger engine typically found in the Golf, Jetta, Scirocco, Tiguan, Touran, and Seat Ibiza Cupra. Unfortunately for us, we don’t get to experience that engine in any of VW’s offerings in North America. Volkwagen also picked up a second award for the 2.5 litre five-cylinder turbo that they use in the amazing Audi TT-RS.

BMW picked up the most awards for four different engines. The first was for the incredible 3 litre inline six D1 twin turbo used in the 135i, 335i, 535i, X5 35i, X6 35i and Z4. Next BMW was awarded for the 1.6 litre turbo found in the Mini Cooper S, Clubman S, Peugot 207 & 308 as well as the John Cooper works Edition Cooper and Clubman. BMW’s wonderful diesel was recognized as well, specifically the 2 litre twin turbo used in the 123d and X1 123d. Finally, and not surprisingly, BMW picked up an award for the 4 litre V8 used in the M3.

Mercedes-Benz and Toyota rounded out the list, each picking up one award. Mercedes-Benz won for their 6.2 litre V8 found in all the AMG models and Toyota was awarded for their 1 litre engine found in the Yaris and IQ.

Congrats to all the winners!

[International Engine of the Year]

What Does the SLS Compete With Anyway?

Autocar found out. Check it.

Audi Plays the Stereotype Game With…Everyone

Audi and BMW have long been German rivals as they have both taken pretty funny shots and jabs at each other from time to time. This time, Audi has decided to take a few additional shots at two other rivals: Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.

The 3 minute spot is called “Meet the Beckers” and although it’s an oldie, it’s a goodie. The whole point of the spot is that Audi is for normal people and its rivals are for walking stereotypes.

First Audi naturally takes aim at BMW. We see a blue E46 M3 convertible speeding down the road. It is driven by a stereotypical (in Audi’s mind anyway) BMW driver which is a douchebag wearing a blutooth headset, blasting European techno music with a rather dim witted female in the passenger seat. Driving very aggressively, they catch up to a slow moving Toyota Prius which angers the BMW driver so he lays on the horn, passes on the right, cuts off the Prius without signalling all while giving the Prius driver the middle finger. Basically Audi is showcasing the stereotype that BMW drivers are inconsiderate, aggressive driving pricks who show off to girls and blast loud questionable European techno.

Then Audi picks on Mercedes owners where we see an old man who is obviously not with the times and seemingly has lots of money. He has a gold digging wife much younger than he and has trouble operating all the gadgets and gizmos in the Benz as he leaves his parking spot with the wipers on and the right turn signal on…as he turns left. We also see them splash puddle water into a homeless man begging for money as they make a turn. So basically Audi’s stereotype in this case is that all Mercedes-Benz owners are old rich white guys who have young trophy wives and don’t know how to operate their cars (insinuating they only have a Benz for the badge).

Then Audi turns its eye to Lexus owners as we see a preppy family who seemingly is happy, normal and wholesome, but really they are a bunch of freaks. The daughters aren’t quite what you’d call normal with a gothic heavy metal tendency. Meanwhile the father is clearly a neurotic nerd who may or may not be a hypochondriac. So basically Audi sees Lexus owners as boring, nerdy people who are freaks deep down inside.

Of course, Audi sees their drivers as completely normal level headed people.

Do you think all the stereotypes are accurate? Check out the video above and sound off in the comments.

Oh Hi: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS

The CLS has sort of set up camp on the proverbial back burner of Mercedes’ stove, but not for too much longer as the big sedan that started the whole four-door coupe craze has been caught at a photoshoot.

The new CLS will get more eye catching tail lights, a reworked front end more in line with the rest of the Mercedes family and an assortment of LED’s to make sure people know just how flashy the car is.

Surprisingly, despite its size and weight, the CLS is quite competent in the performance department – it’s not all just about showing off to your neighbour. To ensure performance doesn’t take a back seat to styling the CLS  350 (pictured) will get a 3.5 direct injected V6 making 306 horsepower. A 4.7 litre V8 will also be offered making a rumoured 435 horsepoer and 516 pound feet of torque. This begs the question: what will the AMG version will have under the hood? We’ll just have to wait and see.

A few more pics after the jump.

[Inside Line]

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2012 Mercedes-Benz ML Prototype Involved In Fatal Accident

Mercedes-Benz was testing their new 2012 ML-Class this past weekend when they were involved in a fatal accident in Germany on the Autobahn.

There were three vehicles involved in the accident. A 26 year old man had been involved in a minor accident just moments prior as he apparently experienced a problem with his vehicle which caused him to collide with the guard rail. Two good samaritans pulled over to offer assistance.

As the 26 year old was exiting his vehicle, the ML prototype struck him and his vehicle at a high rate of speed. This caused the 26 year old’s vehicle to strike one of the good samaritan’s vehicle. Apparently the ML driver had not noticed the other accident. The ML then rolled over after striking both vehicles.

The 26 year old was killed upon impact and the driver of the ML was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The good samaritan’s received minor injuries.

Our condolences to the families of those involved.

Hybrid Only S-Class Line Up Will Include AMG Versions

Last week we reported that Mercedes-Benz had decided to make the flagship of their lineup, the S-Class, hybrid only meaning every single trim level offered would be a hybrid.

Mercedes-Benz assured us that the only exception would be the high performance AMG version. It was expected to stay gas only but apparently that is not the case.

Automotive News is reporting that the AMG version of the S-Class will indeed by hybridized. If true, this will mark the first time that an AMG Mercedes will be a hybrid. It could also set precedent for future AMG Benz’s as well.

On the flip side, Automotive News has reported that some Mercedes-Benz dealerships aren’t happy with the idea saying that most S-Class drivers are interested in performance, not fuel economy.

True, if you are going to buy an S-Class, efficiency is likely not at the top of your priority list, but if Mercedes can somehow maintain AMG performance with added efficiency, isn’t that just a bonus? BMW has some ideas up its sleeve on how to acheive performance and efficiency, so if they can do it, you can be assured that Mercedes-Benz will try too.

Miss the SLR? Blame the MP4-12C

The McLaren Mercedes SLR was quite possibly one of the most significant supercars in the last decade. It was blisteringly fast, great on the track, had the classic long hood, short rear design and was actually quite comfortable in normal driving situations.

It was announced a while ago that the SLR would no longer be produced and that the SLS AMG would be its successor. This was a bit unexpected, especially since McLaren would have nothing to do with the new SLS AMG. This caused rumours of a rift between the two companies, and well, those rumours turned out to be right.

McLaren had been working on the MP4-12 supercar and wanted to produce it independently from Mercedes. This got Mercedes pretty upset and thus, the SLR partnership fell apart.

Who the real winner and loser is will be determined by who ends up making the better supercar. We can’t wait for the SLS AMG vs MP4-12C comparos to come fourth now that we know what really went down. Our money is on McLaren.

Oh Hi: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class

It’s funny. On my way to work this morning I was behind an R-Class and I thought to myself, ‘I wonder when Mercedes is going to come out with a mid-cycle refresh of this thing. It’s getting a bit long in the tooth’.

Little did I know that today was the day the R-Class refresh unofficially got revealed.

The new R-Class refresh sees a much cleaner front end design with reworked headlights, a new grille and a new hood. The rear gets the new signature LED turn signal lights and the interior gets a mild refresh as well.

The refreshed R is expected to retain the same V6 engine and diesel that it currently has, and there’s also a rumour of an R63 AMG version.

Here’s hoping that this new R-Class helps to boost sales, which haven’t been so great from the get-go.
More pics after the jump.

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Next Generation S-Class Will Be Hybrid Only

Looks like Mercedes-Benz is actually serious about meeting CAFE standards and not paying any more fines anymore.

The next iteration of the benchmark setting S-Class is expected to switch up its game under the hood and go hybrid only. At least for the U.S. This would likely mean the same fate for the new S-Class in Canada as well.

Apparently S400 hybrid sales are currently doing so well that it seemed only logical to hybridize the S-Class lineup. The S400 hybrid has a 3.5-liter V6  for 295 horsepower along with a mild electric motor assist. This is good enough to get the big heavy executive sedan 9L/100 kms combined. Not bad considering the gas version of the S550 get a 15.8L/100 kms city rating.

There will be one exception to the hybrid only rule being enforced on the S-Class however. AMG versions are expected to keep performance purists happy as they will stay gas only and deliver the same or better numbers that we are all used too. Except for mileage that is. The AMG S-Class currently gets 19.3 L/100 kms city. Yikes.

Mercedes-Benz Isn’t Fine With Paying Fines Anymore

Two years ago Mercedes-Benz was fined just under $30 million for being over the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. CAFE standards are regulations made in the United States that require manufacturers’ fleet of cars to average a set fuel efficiency standard. These standards came into play after the 1973 Arabic oil embargo. Should a manufacturer not meet the standard, they are to pay a fine if they wish to continue to sell their models in Amurrica.

Since 1983, however, Mercedes-Benz has missed the CAFE standard and has paid over $200 million in fines as a result. But that won’t be a continuing trend according to product development chief Thomas Weber.

Says Weber “From 2010 on, we won’t pay anything, That’s clearly our goal”.

Uh. Should that not have been the goal from the get go?

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Let’s Try This Again: Next Lexus IS to Spawn Wagon

We called it just a few posts down, and Lexus is helping to prove us right. We said to expect to see more wagons coming in the near future.

You may be forgiven if you’ve forgotten all about the IS 300 SportCross you see pictured above. But it did indeed exist from 2001 to 2005  and it sold badly. So badly that Lexus had decided it was wasting its valuable time and money on it and the SportCross swiftly got the axe.

But AutoCar is reporting that the next generation IS will see the return of the wagon. Whether or not they’ll call it SportCross again is anyone’s guess, but we’re going to go on record as saying they won’t call it the IS wagon. Wagon is such a taboo word for some reason.  Also, the next IS is rumoured to receive a hybrid variant.

So, let’s take a look at the wagon list. BMW has the 3 series wagon, Audi has their A4 Avant, Volvo has their V60 coming, Acura has just announced a TSX wagon will debut this year, and now we have Lexus. Expect Mercedes-Benz to re-examine their decision not to sell the new C-Class wagon here very soon.