The Mercedes-Benz CLS is due for a refresh within the next two years, but before M-B releases an all-new version of its pioneering and often imitated four-door "coupe," at least one special edition is in order. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Grand Edition features a set of bi-xenon headlamps, with an integrated cleaning and range adjustment system, along with fog lamps that swivel with the steering wheel to illuminate around the bend. AMG provides a set of 18-inch, five-spoke wheels coated in titanium grey and wrapped in 245/40 (front) and 275/35 (rear) rubber, while "Grand Edition" badges adorn the front fenders and floor mats. By far, the most intriguing part of the CLS Grand Edition is the available platinum matte paint which M-B assures is highly scratch- and dirt-resistant, but for those not particularly partial to the low-gloss coating, obsidian black, iridium silver, carneol red or flint grey metallic finishes are available. Inside, the "designo" interior (a Benz customization option) features anthracite Alcantara headliner and joins "marron," sand, black, mystic red, porcelain or Chablis leather seats and accents, along with laurel wood trim and stainless steel pedals.
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS is undergoing testing, and as is true with so many segment-defining vehicles, there doesn't look to be much of a change going on up top. However, down below, in the area covered by cladding, we will probably see some noticeable tweaks and refinements as the original "four-door coupe" moves from the current E-Class to the new E-Class platform (it will not be built on the S-Class platform). As for engines, in addition to gas and (in Europe) diesel options, it will be offered with the BlueHybrid drivetrain from the S400. In the mean time, for 2009, the CLS gets revised front and rear, a new grille, larger outside mirrors, and LEDs in the tail-lamp clusters. Inside, a new steering wheel complements the reworked interior and a next-generation COMAND system.
The coming CLS appears to offer more of the same: the current CLS is based on the E-Class platform; the next one is expected to be built atop S-Class underpinnings. Other than bigger body with a wider track, and bolder styling to harmonize with Mercedes' current design language, not much is expected to change. That is usually the case with iconic cars. Having invented the category of the four-door-car with a more coupe-like silhouette, Mercedes could be waiting to see what its rivals -- from Aston Martin to VW -- will bring to the segment before it makes a revolutionary move.
Some people are just pathological. At first, it was amusing that Fresh C280, a member of the MDStreetScene forums, would claim to own a Mercedes CLS55 AMG. How a 19-year-old affords a car that normally retails for around $100,000 is the first thing that made everyone on the forum suspicious. A story about a digital camera becoming a sewage buoy was also an immediate head scratcher, since the pic he posted supposedly came from said camera. Further cementing the obvious dementia was the claim that the picture was taken during a dyno run in New York. It could be New York, except right now it's chilly early spring in the Empire State, and the dyno run picture clearly shows garage bays with the doors flung open and leaves on trees. It gets better as it becomes clear how many balls this kid's trying to juggle to hold up his story. There's a nice little synopsis that debunks the girlfriend angle – even though it's supposedly her car.
It didn't take long for total pwnage to occur when Fresh C280s fellow Maryland car enthusiasts did a little detective work. The car is actually owned by a CarDomain member named Xavier, who hails from Florida and showed up with proof of ownership around 30 pages in. All of the pictures posted to the MDStreetScene bulletin board were stolen from the actual owner's CarDomain page. This is weirder than the guy who thought up direct exhaust injection. The makings of a character study are all there – apparent delusional schizophrenia, a longing to be somebody, a sad little existence, and completely self-inflicted massive public humiliation. There's even a cameo by a famous lolcat. It doesn't get better than this, folks, the thread is only a day old so far. Check it out for yourself, it gets good around page 6. Oh, and Fresh C280's quote at the bottom of his posts is oddly prescient.
While we have four big auto shows every year in the United States – Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and New York – the Europeans get only two major shows, one in Geneva and the other alternating annually between Frankfurt and Paris. No wonder, then, that the big European automakers are descending upon Switzerland in full force, and Mercedes is no exception, coming to Geneva's Palexpo with no less than five new models.
Most of the new model debuts we've already told you about. There's the newly updated SL-Class roadster, which Mercedes will be showing with engines ranging from six to twelve cylinders. Its kid brother, the SLK, which we already saw in Detroit, will also be there with its facelift on. The new entry-level CLC will also be on display for the first time since its debut at the Berlin fashion show, along with the updated CLS four-door coupe. What we haven't told you about yet is the fifth model to debut at Geneva under the three-pointed star: the CL500 4MATIC. In case we've lost you by now with the various models bearing the letters CL, the CLC is the compact C-Class hatchback, the CLK is the mid-range coupe, the CLS is the slinky four-door and the CL is the big mama two-door version of the S-Class sedan. 4MATIC, meanwhile, is Mercedes' term for all-wheel-drive, finding its way into the big GT for the first time. The latest version of the system adds only 70 kg (154 lbs.) to the vehicle's curb weight, which relative to its existing heft is like spitting in the ocean, and helps the big coupe accelerate smoothly to 100km/h (62mph) in 5.4 seconds, while sacrificing no penalty in fuel consumption over the rear-drive model.
From the moment the first Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door "coupe" was introduced to the public, other German luxury automakers hit the drafting board. According to the German auto experts at AutoBild, Audi is just over a year away from unleashing its own cleverly packaged sedan. The A5 Sportback would be based off the A4/A5 platform, and takes a little of both models and melds them together. Audi parent company VW has already unveiled a four-door coupe version of the Passat destined for sale in the fall, so an A5 Sportback appears to be a safe bet. The A5 won't be the only four-door coupe in the Audi fleet either, as the A7 should arrive in 2010, and AutoBild mentions the arrival of a new A3 Sportback a year later.
If there is a Sportback edition of every odd-numbered Audi, an Avant version of the even numbered models, and an S and RS for all, it's easy to see how Audi plans to expand its product lineup by 18 models by 2015. The A5 is already handsome, but if the four-ringed automaker could add the practicality of four doors while keeping the coupe's good-looking lines, we foresee another hit for Audi. Click the read link below to view Auto Bild's CGI rendering of the A5 Sportback.
Mercedes-Benz has released official information detailing the evolution changes made to its pioneering four-door coupe, the CLS. While mostly subtle, the exterior enhancements combine to soften the look of the car's exterior a bit. The grille now features two bars instead of four, the sideview mirrors are 32% larger and feature integrated turn signals that look like arrows when blinking, and the rear of the car gets new LED taillights, a redesigned rear apron and twin trapezoidal tailpipes. New wheels are also available in 17-inch and 18-inch diameters. Overall, enough has been changed for the discerning eye to notice, but Mercedes thankfully left this car's sexy silhouette untouched.
