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Mercedes-Benz
Make more parking spaces on the lot for the line of Mercedes-Benz of Germany, which enters 2008 with even more vehicles in its diverse collection. The products, clustered in alphabetical classes by size and style, include sophisticated two-seat sports cars, sporty two-door coupes and four-door sedans, rakish convertibles and muscular sport utility wagons, plus souped-up performance versions in many classes under the Mercedes super-tuner label of AMG. Two noteworthy new Mercedes vehicles are compact-size C Class sedans, which earn generational change for 2008, and the CL Class of full-size and over-the-top super-luxury coupes.
S Class deluxe full-size Mercedes sedans rank among the world's most sophisticated and luxurious cars. Styling is bold and angular for a structure cast on a long-wheelbase platform. That sets up massive personal space in a five-seat cabin stocked with every conceivable luxury feature. S550 packs a dual-cam 5.5-liter V8 which displaces 5.5 liters to explain the 550 nomenclature of the nameplate. The plant develops 382 hp through the 7G-tronic seven-speed TouchShift automatic transmission. Ultra edition S600 stocks a 5.5-liter Mercedes V12 with 510 hp, while new S63 AMG extracts 518 hp from AMG's hand-built 6.2-liter V8.
CL Class top-tier and full-size coupes, with fluid lines sweeping up an exaggerated hood and over the pillar-less roof, cap the Mercedes line in designs drawn off S Class sedans. There are four different treatments for 2008. CL550 employs the 5.5-liter V8 from S550 with 382 hp, as CL600 acquires twin turbos for that plant to boost output to 510 hp. New CL63 AMG nets 518 hp from AMG's 6.2-liter V8, and top-of-line CL65 AMG with the 12-cylinder AMG bi-turbo soars to 604 hp. A limited-production CL65 40th Anniversary Edition for 2008 glows in Liquid Metal paint.
E Class mid-size Mercedes cars include four-door sedans and five-door wagons with an eco-friendly diesel or super AMG sports sedan and wagon. E320 BLUETEC brings a clean-burning 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 worth 210 hp. E350 stocks a 3.5-liter twin-cam V6 for 268 hp. E550 has the 5.5-liter V8 at 382 hp, but E63 AMG rip with AMG's 6.2-liter V8 dialed to 507 hp. Optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) equipment works on E350 and E550 models, and a new AMG Sport kit for E350 and E550 sedans applies AMG aprons and wheels, plus the AMG steering wheel with shift paddles.
Compact-size Mercedes C Class cars for 2008 show new designs with angular body styling and a long list of electronic gear for safety, performance and comfort. There are three V6-powered models -- C300 Sport, C300 Luxury and C350 Sport. These are rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicles, although optional AWD equipment -- dubbed 4Matic in Mercedes nomenclature -- is available for C300 models. The 3.0-liter V6 for C300 Sport and Luxury puts out 228 hp, and the 3.5-liter V6 in C350 Sport makes 268 hp. The 3.0-liter plant is a flex-fuel engine capable of burning E85 ethanol or gasoline.
Described as a four-door coupe, elegant CLS Class sorts in size between mid-size E Class and full-size S Class sedans. Part of the structure comes off E Class but the design draws graceful styling of a sporty coupe with that low sweeping roofline. There are two models with CLS550 and powerful CLS63 AMG. CLS550 pulls from the Mercedes 5.5-liter V8 tuned to 382 hp, as CLS63 AMG merits AMG's high-performance 6.2-liter V8 cranked to 507 hp. Both also use the 7G-tronic TouchShift transmission. New gear for 2008 includes satellite radio service and 18-inch spoke wheels.
Hard or soft tops work on sporty mid-size Mercedes two-door cars in the CLK Class. Convertibles, derived from hardtop coupes, are cut to airy drop-tops by German car crafter Karmann. Three two-door coupes appear this year, as do three convertibles, with two powertrain upgrades. CLK350 continues with a 3.5-liter twin-cam Mercedes V6 for 268 hp. CLK550 stocks the 5.5-liter dual-cam V8 zipped to 382 hp. CLK63 AMG Cabriolet contains AMG's 6.2-liter V8 metered to 475 hp plus shifter paddles on the steering wheel for hands-on transmission control. And racy CLK63 AMG Black Series coupe nets 500 hp from the 6.2-liter V8.
Elite Mercedes SL Class roadsters have two seats in a luxe cockpit crowned by a hardtop lid that tucks into the trunk. Design for the roadster, in part homage to the original Mercedes gullwing 300SL, is the most artistic from the tri-star brand. Four models continue for 2008 -- SL550 with the 382 hp 5.5-liter V8, V12-based SL600 and rippers SL55 AMG and SL65 AMG. SL600 uses a V12 boosted to 510 hp, while SL65 AMG runs with a 12-cylinder AMG bi-turbo at 604 hp. SL55 AMG has a supercharged AMG 5.5-liter V8 stretched to 510 hp.
SLK Class two-seat roadsters stock a pop-top lid that stows in the trunk. There are three engine options. Entry-edition SLK280 shows a 3.0-liter dual-cam V6 for 228 hp. SLK350 totes the 268 hp and 3.5-liter V6 with six-speed manual shifter or seven-speed 7G-tronic automatic. Top performer SLK55 AMG earns a 5.5-liter AMG V8 for 355 hp through the AMG-modified 7G-tronic automatic. Options extend to a deluxe surround-sound audio system with 380-watt amp and 11 speakers. And SLK puts a nifty feature focused on a rider's neck -- the Airscarf neck-level heat vent concealed in the headrest.
The made-in-America M Class SUV by Benz has a unibody structure and full-time AWD equipment with three open differentials -- front, rear and center. Then Mercedes adds a four-wheel adaptation of the electronic traction control system labeled 4ETS. The five-seat cabin installs fine leathers with trim in polished hardwoods and brushed aluminum. ML350 employs the 3.5-liter V6 for 268 hp. New ML550 wears AMG body styling and bundles the 5.5-liter Mercedes V8 with 382 hp. Powerful ML63 AMG gets the 6.2-liter AMG V8 for 503 hp, as the diesel-rigged ML320 CDI delivers 215 hp.
The full-size GL Class crossover utility vehicle (CUV) rides on a unibody platform and comes together at a Mercedes assembly plant in Alabama. It brings the sticky tire traction of a pavement-hugging AWD wagon with three engine options. GL450 has a 4.6-liter V8 for 335 hp plus the Mercedes 7G-tronic automatic transmission. GL320 CDI uses the clean-burning 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 with 210 hp, and new GL550 leaps with a muscular 5.5-liter V8 pumping 382 hp. The AWD device has three open differentials and ties to the 4EATS traction controller.
The R Class sport tourer cars of Mercedes-Benz combine driving manners of a sports sedan packaged as a wagon-type vehicle with AWD and the cabin of a premium luxury car. Three tiers of seats have a pair of individual buckets in each row. The series hones to two trims for 2008. R350 takes its name from a 3.5-liter V6 producing 268 hp, and the diesel-powered R320 CDI musters 221 hp plus superb fuel economy scores. R350 for 2008 is available with AWD or new RWD traction. Also, seating for seven is offered for the series.
From an assembly plant in Graz, Austria, the hand-crafted G Class wagons roll out in limited numbers as ultimate go-anywhere off-road SUVs. Each carries every mechanical armament -- a full-time four-wheel-drive (4WD) system, traction control, vehicle stability system, three differential locks -- and a luxurious five-place cabin with leather seats and DVD-based navigation system. G500 draws from the 5.0-liter Mercedes V8 ranked at 292 hp. G55 AMG carries the AMG 5.5-liter V8 with supercharging and inter-cooling to generate 493 hp. New cabin gear for 2008 editions lists revamped instruments, rearview camera and hands-free telephone interface.
The scissor-door supercar SLR McLaren is based on a monocoque structure made from ultra-stiff carbon-fiber composites and it carries a supercharged aluminum 5.4-liter V8 engine hand-built by the performance gurus at AMG. The plant peaks at an incredible 617 hp as teamed with a five-speed AMG automatic with one-tap SpeedShift feature. For 2008 the too-cool coupe is joined by a new drop-top roadster variation featuring a semi-automatic lid which opens or closes in under ten seconds.
