2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Review

Now that the hybrid vehicle market is maturing, some previously unreadable trends are coming slowly into focus. Barring the Toyota Prius – the vehicle credited with starting the current hybrid fever – no other offering has been a commercial success. The line of hybrids that now litter history's garage or linger for months on dealer lots – the Saturn Aura/Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Durango/Chrysler Aspen, Honda Accord, Honda Insight, Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon, Nissan Altima – gets longer each year. Even Toyota's other hybrid offerings – like the Camry and Highlander, and Lexus HS, RX, GS and LS – strain to match even one tenth of the sales of the gasoline-powered models.

Now that the large German manufacturers' investments in hybrid technology are hitting the market, there's a real sense of lost opportunities. The ActiveHybrid X6 is simply BMW's public write-off of that expensive partnership with GM and Chrysler, while Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche all claim to have some sort of battery equipped model arriving in the next year or two. The money spent – and potentially wasted – on the general public's environmental whims is staggering.

Mercedes CLS Grand Edition Gets Matte-Platinum Paint

Mercedes didn’t hold a press conference at the Chicago Auto Show, so it obviously had nothing of interest, right? Wrong. Besides the fact that there’s a new SLS exotic to drool over, Mercedes was showing off a limited CLS Grand Edition model.

Painted in matte-gray, or what Mercedes calls Desigo matte-platinum, this CLS550 is just the latest matte-finished car from Mercedes, which has also offered the IWC SL in matte white and the Night Edition in (what else) matte-black.

Other than the paint, there’s not much else different about this CLS. It gets the same AMG styling accessories and AMG wheels as all CLS550 models and this particular version had a particularly nice sunset red leather. Under the hood is a familiar powerplant too, the 5.5-liter V8 with 382-hp.

The special edition CLS550 Grand Edition is likely to be a collectors item, debuting during the last model year of the original CLS model – a revolutionary product from the typically conservative German automaker. Mercedes is set to show the second-generation CLS later this year.

2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class features a new monitoring system showing individual tire pressures, more aerodynamic outside mirrors and a steering wheel covered in premium leather. A new option is a Dynamic Handling Package for Sport models that includes active suspension, faster speed-sensitive steering and 18-inch split-spoke AMG alloy wheels plus paddle shifters with the automatic transmission. The C300 Sport is equipped with new standard 17-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels.

SPY - 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Klasse

2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan lease, C300 4Matic sedan lease, and C350 sedan lease offer for February 2010

For February 2010, Mercedes-Benz has a special lease offer on the 2010 C300 sedan, 2010 C300 4Matic sedan, and 2010 C350 sedan model. This lease offer is with approved credit from Mercedes-Benz Financial and not everyone will qualify. Leases with more/less miles per year and more/less months (term) are also available, and the monthly payment will vary accordingly. For more details please call 303-504-5999.

C- Class
Model & Year	2010 C300 Sedan (C300W)	2010 C300 4Matic Sedan (C300W4)	2010 C350 Sedan (C350W)
Engine Horsepower	3.0L V6 228 HP	3.0L V6 228 HP	3.5L V6 268 HP
Lease Term	36 months	36 months	36 months
Base MSRP Premium Package / P1 Automatic Transmission Multimedia Package Transportation Charge _________________ Total MSRP	$33,600 + $2,300 $1,490 N/A + $875 _______ = $38,265	$37,100 + $2,300 Incl. N/A + $875 _______ = $40,275	$39,750 Incl. Incl. + $2,650 + $875 _______ = $43,275
Sug. Dealer Contribution MBF Lease Cash	- $1,645 $0	- $1,734 $0	- $1,484 $0
Gross Capitalized Cost Customer Down Payment _________________ Net Capitalized Cost	= $36,620 - $3,750 _______ = $32,870	= $38,541 - $3,750 _______ = $34,791	= $41,791 - $3,750 _______ = $38,041
Monthly Lease Payment	$379	$399	$479
Customer Down Payment Lease Acquisition Fee First Month’s Payment _________________ Amount Due at Signing*	$3,750 + $795 + $379 _______ = $4,924	$3,750 + $795 + $399 _______ = $4,944	$3,750 + $795 + $479 _______ = $5,024
Mileage per Year Total Miles Residual Value – Lease End	10,000 30,000 $22,959	10,000 30,000 $24,165	10,000 30,000 $25,532

Mercedes-Benz GL 63

Brabus will present their kit for Mercedes-Benz GL at the Geneva Motor Show. The result is a V8 bi-turbo capable to develop 650 hp and has a price of 368,000 euros. Tuners from Brabus have developed a performance version ofMercedes GL. The model was equipped with a V8 bi-turbo 6208 cc, which develops 650 hp and maximum torque of 850 Nm.

The engine is taken directly from the ML 63 Biturbo, which debuted last year at the Geneva Motor Show and was able to reach a top speed of 310 km/h. Unlike the ML 63 Biturbo, Biturbo 63 new GL has a top speed of 300 km h and have an acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h of 4.7 seconds.

Mercedes SL600 C25 by Carlsson

On the basis of Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series, those of Carlsson will show us a supercar called C25 and when we say a supercar, just think of one. Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series is an exclusive model, fast and fun on the track. But those of Carlsson think that on the model mentioned above, to make a faster model, more exclusive and designed for more funon the track.

Currently we are presented only sketches, but as we see, the future prototype has a figure more closely worked with curved edges better defined and more radical, plus huge plugs and LEDs. At first glance it seems a rival made at the order for Aston Martin One-77. We must recognize that this project, if it will embody in the form of drawings, will attract many people in Geneva, where it will be presented.

Mercedes S-Class gives moving comfort

During my first drive in the big, powerful, serene and stately Mercedes-Benz S550, I noticed a small symbol of a steaming coffee cup illuminated on the instrument panel, low beside the model's circular speedometer. I thought that maybe the posh luxury sedan was getting ready to brew me a cup.

My first question to Donna, my wife, seated beside me, was, "what's the sticker price on this car?" Often, a manufacturer leaves a copy of the window sticker in the glove box of models sent for my assessment.

"It's $108,000," Donna replied.

OK, I thought, it probably does serve coffee.

But it turned out that the neat little cup symbolized on the dash — shown on a saucer, of course — signified that an S550 feature named Attention Assist was busily monitoring my driving. If, say, my steering became erratic, if I clawed at controls awkwardly, if I failed to signal lane changes, the Attention Assist stood ready to sound a startling beep and flash a bright warning in the speedometer's center. I'd have to stop for coffee on my own.

My next question to Donna was, "how can I shut it down?"

Yes, drivers can de-activate Attention Assist. You simply use what Mercedes calls the "instrument cluster control system." Explained in a 16-page section of the 530-page S-Class Operator's Manual, the instrument cluster control system employs multifunction buttons on the steering wheel to configure the instrument panel. It can, say, reset the trip odometer, monitor fuel usage, operate a cell phone, control the radio and other audio and even video devices. The system can show you where to turn when you're using the route guidance feature of the vehicle's navigation system. It can show you which lane to drive in before turning. It can set up the "Pre-safe" brake that helps models with automatic cruise control prevent a rear-end collision. It does more, but this paragraph is running long.

Deeper inside the Operator's Manual, in a mere two-page entry within the 36-page "Driving systems" section — part of the 127-page "Controls in detail" chapter of the 530-page manual — Donna learned that Attention Assist operates only between the speeds of 50 and 112 miles per hour. I didn't ponder too long over the apparent assumption: at speeds of 113 mph and higher, the streaked landscape blurring so rapidly outside the car will keep you awake no matter how little sleep you managed the night before. I felt a bit blurred myself. I kept Attention Assist switched on.

2011 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe

2011 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe
The new coupe will continue to be available in a variety of variants, but our spy shooters weathering the wintery climes have caught what they believe to be the 604-horsepower twin-turbocharged V12 version wearing a slightly modified fascia adorned with a single chrome slat, enlarged logo, LED daytime driving lamps and a new front bumper and splitter mildly reminiscent of the SLS AMG.

When the refreshed model debuts either next month at the Geneva Motor Show or later this year in Paris don't expect any seriously substantive tweaks to be made to the powertrain. That'll likely come in the next few years when Mercedes begins downsizing and turbocharging, and we expect the S-Class coupe to be one of the first models to benefit from the new mill.

Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor 2LOOK

Aggressively styled like a low-slung racing car, it features an unusually large Mercedes three pointed star on the front grille — for badge snobs.

The exterior is 'mystic white', complemented by an AMG Anthracite leather interior, with two-tone nappa leather sports seats and contrasting top stitching. It feels rather racy for a girl about town — and the country.

Aggressively styled: The Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor 2LOOK features an unusually large three pointed star on the front grille

• It's also safe and comes with dual stage and side airbags for driver and front-seat passenger. It handles well on the road and grips the corners.
• The height-adjustable steering wheel features user-friendly ergonomic controls to change CD tracks or radio stations.
• Decent visibility, even with the roof in place.
• It's cosy. A clever system called 'Airscarf' blows warm air around your neck, perfect for those, like me, who forget their Hermes scarf.
• When the sun comes out, you can transform your metal roofed coupe into a roadster in 22 seconds.
• Nice sound as a result of the high-revving engine, but it hums politely at speed.
• Performance is pleasing from the supercharged 1.8 litre engine, with six-speed manual gearbox and speedtronic cruise control.