Some time ago, we reported that Mercedes Benz is planning on dropping the A and B Classes and replace them with a range of vehicles. If details about the CLA are scarce, one thing’s for sure, a small crossover will be part of this range. What’s it gonna be called? Who knows. We wrote about the GLA, but today another option showed up. The guys over at AutoCar published a rendering of a small Merc crossover, which they call the BLK (yeah, I know, it’s getting more and more confusing). Placed below the GLK in the lineup, the BLK is planned to compete with the upcoming Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Land Rover LRX. Autocar speculates that the car will get 4WD and a possible FWD ‘Eco’ version and a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, sized between 1.6 litres and 2.2 litres.

Read More: "Rumors: Mercedes Benz BLK"

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The latest number of german auto magazine AutoBild has a very interesting front page article regarding the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, showing it the first time without camouflage. The pictures show quite a different car as oppose to the current generation.

The front side stands out with the new angular head lights, which replace the old round ones, to create a more edgier and agresive look. On the rear, we find new rear lights which split between the trunk lid and sides of the car, and, in my oppinion, remind me of the BMW 3-series rear lights. The boxy angular theme is found also in the interior, which according to Mercedes, is supposed to remind clients of the 80’s era cars. The new Mercedes Benz E-Class is set to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year.

Until then, enjoy more scans after the jump. Read More: "Possible preview of the new Mercedes Benz E Class ?"

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Bang & Olufsen, one of the most recognized names in the car audio and visual equipment, has just released that it has a new automotive client, Merdedes’ high end performance division, AMG, thus enriching the portfolio which also included Audi and, more recently, Aston Martin.

This new partnership between AMG and B&O has made quite a few people in both companies smile. On the AMG side, Chairman of the Management Board, Volker Mornhinweg stated that “Mercedes-AMG represents high performance and exclusivity. The same is true of Bang & Olufsen’s in-car sound systems. Jointly, we are therefore able to meet Mercedes-AMG customers’ expectations to sound systems.”. On the B&O side, President and CEO of the company, Karl Kristian Hvidt Nielsen also stated that previous experience with Audi will be developed even more by this new partnership, “The agreement enables Bang & Olufsen to further utilize the expertise and processes we have built up in order to meet the requirements of the automotive industry, and, of course, Mercedes-AMG is also an interesting partner for Bang & Olufsen because the cars are sold across the world.”.

This comes as great news for future Mercedes drivers as the regular sound system in the cars wasn’t really that good, at higher volume, the sound becoming really distorted.

Read More: "Bang & Olufsen teams up with Mercedes-AMG"

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One of the most expected cars from MercedesBenz, the E-class was spied again. Although under heavy camouflage, we can see that the headlights are not round anymore, and from some of the pictures we can partially distinguish the dashboard. The all new angular dashboard, now includes a huge center display screen (most likely S-class “stolen” from) and also the gear-lever on the steering column was added so that the 2010 E-class will align to the M class, GL and S Class trend.

The business class sedan and station-wagon is due to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, next year. With a wide selection of engines, diesels and petrol, the E-class is also expected to embrace hybrid technology, start-stop technology to fit into earlier stated plans of the manufacturer.

Read More: "2010 Mercedes Benz E-class New Spyshots"

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We already know that Mercedes is considering dropping the A and B Class and replace them with four new models. After last month we told you about the CLA (or the “baby CLS”), here’s another possible new car, the GLA. Though there’s no official confirmation from Mercedes, the GLA, which is a compact SUV, definetly fits in, especially with the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3 getting closer and closer to their debuts. The photo above shows a rendering published in the August issue of German car magazine Autozeitung. If the car really makes it into production, it will probably debut in 2011 and will be marketed as a 2012 model.

Read More: "2012 Mercedes Benz GLA rumors"

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According to Car Magazine, Mercedes Benz and Aston Martin are planning a cooperation in the future. This is not the first time rumors like this showed up, but now it seems that things are serious. Dubbed “Project Alligator”, the partnership could mean that Mercedes engines could power future Aston Martins (for example, AMG’s 6.2-litre V8 could be used on Vantage models), German diesel and hybrids for Aston Martin, platforms shared by the two manufacturers, and a partnership between Maybach and Aston Martin is also possible.

We’ll get more details about this very interesting partnership in the September issue of Car Magazine.

Read More: "Project Alligator: Mercedes-Aston Martin partnership?"

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Only a month after the first orders, it seems that the new Mercedes Benz GLK figured out the recipe of success, because 10,000 cars have already been reserved only in Western Europe. 1000 units from the 10,000 models ordered, are GLK Edition1, a model available exclusively at the time of getting out, with a particular exterior design, a different interior and an AMG leather steering wheel. The first deliveries will begin in October, and first US owners will get their cars in 2009.

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The Mercedes Benz SLR being discontinued next year and this will also mark the end of the cooperation between Mercedes and McLaren. The German company’s replacement for the SLR will be the Mercedes Benz SLC gullwing, which will be developed by Mercedes and AMG. Scheduled to debut at next year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Mercedes SLC was recently caught testing. Though heavily camouflaged, we do have some clues on the SLC’s final appearance, with the long hood, truncated rear cabin and short rear deck highlighting the design. An adjustable rear spoiler is also present, although the final design will almost certainly change before production.

Latest rumors say that SLC won’t be in the same class as the SLR, but closer to the SL63 AMG and the final price will be somewhere around €150,000 ($234,000). The sports car will be powered by AMG’s 6.2 liter V8 engine which is expected to develop around 580 hp (433 kW) and which is mounted up front but behind the front axle, for better weight distribution. The SLC will weight around 1,650kg and the expected performances are: 0 to 100km/h (62 mph) sprint in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 315 km/h (195 mph).

After the Frankfurt debut next year, the first deliveries will start in mid 2010 and Mercedes expects to sell between 3,000 and 5,000 units per year.
Read More: "Mercedes Benz SLC gullwing spied"

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Have you got a lot of spare time, or nothing to do at work? Mercedes has found the solution: a virtual race on the streets of London on board the Mercedes CLC. “CLC Dream Test Drive” can be downloaded for free from CLCdreamtestdrive and all you have to do is enter an email address and then you can download the game. To accomplish the best time on the streets of London, in a Mercedes CLC, you have to review a few details such as engine power and torque, and also how many seconds you need for 0 to 100 km/h acceleration.

Read More: "Let’s play with the Mercedes Benz CLC"

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The crash you see in these photos happened sometime during the morning of July 15th, somewhere in Qatar. By looking at what was left of the Mercedes SLR, we can tell that the car was travelling at very high speeds. And, as you’d expect, the 22 year old driver instantly died. We don’t have any other details so far, so we don’t know if the driver lost control of the car or it had some mechanical problems. All we know is that this accident really is terrifying and shows, once again, that supercars might be really really cool, but they’re definitely dangerous.

More photos after the jump.
Read More: "Terrifying Mercedes SLR crash in Qatar"

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The compact crossover market segment will be really disputed in the next period, most manufacturers preparing one player for this class. What is the GLK? If you analyze the acronym GLK with the German-English dictionary, you will find that letter K stands for “kurz” which means “short”. So the model will be a “miniature” of seven seats Mercedes model and inherits many features of bigger brother, including the quadrate profile.

With 4.52 meters, GLK is shorter than the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5, but longer than the Volkswagen Tiguan. If we compare strictly the german quartet we’ll have to wait until we see them all on the roads, but in manufacturers class Mercedes is in top, having the most diverse group in the crossover premium group.

The GLK was seen in videos, so mystery surrounding the release of the series has pretty much dissapeared. The commercial version does not differ much from the concept that was presented at the Auto Show in Detroit.

Mercedes says that GLK is one of the best SUVs on the road. All versions are equipped with 4MATIC full traction and the power distribution ratio is 45:55. The secret skills outside the road lie in the specific program activated by the “G” button placed on the central console. With a single click of a button accelerations becomes more soft and enable off-road ESP, which improves the control.

The top of the line is the GLK350 which comes with a 272 hp 3.5 liter V6 and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (60 mph) in only 6.2 seconds. Europeans will also get the 170 hp 220 CDI diesel, the 320CDI BlueEfficency and the 231 hp 2.8 liter V6.

The GLK comes with chrome-plated elements, 20” alloy wheels, a navigation system that saves the route travelled so the driver can easily find the track back. The model also provides a revolutionary intelligently tri-zonal air-conditioning system. The well-known luxury interior will not be missed, having noble materials such as Sienna Pine wood, leather and chrome, all depending on the level of facilities. It also will not be deprived of panoramic roof, Sirius audio system and the display from central console.

Prices for the German market, without VAT, are:
• GLK 220 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY: € 33,900
• GLK 320 CDI 4MATIC: € 38,700
• GLK 280 4MATIC: € 36,600
• GLK 350 4MATIC: € 38,700

More photos after the jump.
Read More: "Mercedes Benz GLK, official pictures and details"

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Lately, rumors fly around about the 3 pointed star manufacturer giving up the costly sandwich structure of the current A and B class in favor of a small 4 door coupe named CLA. This is only one of the four distinct products that will take over the A and B class positions.

While giving up the sandwich structure, we can only ask ourselves if the new models will line up with the rest of the fleet and have proper RWD so we won’t hear enthusiasts complaining that “its not a real Mercedes” anymore.

The German Car Magazine Autozeitung has generated an artist’s impression of what might the CLA look like, although we will not know for sure until around 2012. Furthermore, the small coupe will probably be built in the new plant Mercedes is starting in Hungary.
Read More: "“Baby” CLS to replace A&B class from Mercedes"

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Last week we wrote about the awesome Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series and new we’ve got a video update on the car. Looks really exciting! Enjoy!

Read More: "Video: Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series"

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The first thing that crosses my mind when I hear about the Black Series is the superb video made by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson with the CLK Black Series. I absolutely loved it and apparently the car is a wonderful ride. Now Mercedes finally announced another beast, the SL65 AMG Black Series.

The “bad news” is that, even though the first rumors said that the 6 liter V12 engine which powers the car and was able develop 720 hp would be limited to 680 hp, the final power output is 661 hp. However, considering that Mercedes stripped out 550 pounds (250 kg) from the “regular” SL65 AMG, the car’s performance figures are still very impressive: fitted with five-speed automatic gearbox equipped with AMG’s speedshift software the car goes from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and reached 198 mph (320 km/h) top speed.

The Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October and US sales are scheduled to start next year at a starting price of $320,000.

More photos after the jump.
Read More: "The Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series"

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The V12 bi-turbo, 690-hp (0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 350km/h) one of a kind Maybach Exelero is for sale. Before you hurry-up and order it be sure to have your bank stand-by for a 5 million Euros transfer.

The automobile was comissioned, conceived and built for Fulda, the tyre manufacturer, as a rolling test mule and marketing tool for their highest performance products. It has been an iconic car since its uncovering in 2005, and it represents a reinterpretation for the 1930’s legendary sports-car.

Home come it is now available for sale? Is Fulda selling it? No. As we found out, there’s an Austrian car dealership that ordered the car and never sold it, and are now offering it for the respective heart-stopping price. So, yes, you’d be owning a two-of a kind car, actually.

Do you want to buy it? Better hurry up before the arabians hear about it and have it modified into a station-wagon.
Read More: "Got 5 mil? Buy a one of a kind Maybach Excelero"

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