Car Mercedes SL65 AMG

Car Mercedes SL65 AMG Mercedes charming and warm the crowd up at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to display the SL 63 AMG, but next month at New York Auto Show 2012, things will heat up as the company will bring a more powerful version of the current SL-class: the SL 65 AMG .

Currently SL 63 AMG powered by a 5.5-liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 537 HP and 590 lb-ft of torque, the SL 65 AMG will be powered by a 6.0 liter AMG V12 Biturbo which gives a total of 621 HP and maximum torque of 738 lb -ft. With the SL 65 AMG will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, while top speed rises to an impressive 186 mph (in Europe it will be limited to 155 mph).

 In Germany, the new SL 65 AMG will go on sale in September 2012 with prices starting from € 236,334 (approximately $ 310,000 at current exchange rates). The price for the U.S. market will be announced at a later date. Mercedes SL65 AMG

Cars Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series

The latest in a very short but highly distinguished—and completely nuts—line of Black Series Benzes is here. The C63 AMG Black Series is based on the C63 coupe, which we just drove for the first time a few months ago. Following the lead of the not-for-U.S.-sale SLK55 Black Series, the CLK63 Black Series, and the SL65 Black Series, this C63 AMG is amped up visually and dynamically, with a steroidal bump in output to back up the flared nostrils.
In case the 451 hp and 443 lb-ft in the standard-issue C63 AMG or the 481 and 443 offered by that car’s AMG Development Package aren’t quite cutting it, the C63 AMG BS makes 510 hp at 6800 rpm and 457 lb-ft at 5200. Like cars with the Development Pack, the Black Series borrows its pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft from the be-gullwinged SLS AMG supercar. Behind the motor lives the same seven-speed automatic found in the regular C63, packing four shift modes and a launch-control function for when you really don’t want to linger at this stupid party one more split second. We ran a Development Pack sedan to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds; with wider rear rubber, figure on the Black Series shaving a couple tenths from that and clearing the quarter-mile in around 12 seconds flat.







I’m Going to Eat You
Like the Black Series cars that came before it, the C63 oozes menace and purpose. Air can’t flow through stuff, so there’s remarkably little material remaining in the front fascia, the bumper that once resided there largely displaced by intakes covered by black mesh. A gaping central intake is flanked by two smaller holes through which cooling air enters, and two nostrils atop the hood give hot air a convenient exit from underhood. As if to emphasize its name and purpose, the front splitter comes to a sharp point in the middle of the nose.
Flared fenders widen the car by 2.2 inches up front and 3.3 out back, covering tracks stretched by 1.6 and 3.1 inches, respectively. Vents behind the front wheels and ahead of the rears are both nonfunctional, which somewhat diminishes their awesomeness. The lightweight wheels at each corner have their movements controlled by adjustable coil-overs, while speed-sensitive steering issues directional orders and Black Series–specific anti-roll bars maintain the contact patches during aggressive driving. The brake rotors measure 15.4 inches in diameter up front and 14.2 inches out back. Red paint is standard on the calipers, which have six pistons up front and four in the rear. The rubber measures 255/35-19 up front and 285/30-19 out back—that’s up from 235/40-18s and 255/35-18s on the basic C63 AMG coupe—and a limited-slip diff is standard, as is a stability-control system that will get entirely out of the way if you want it to.







Flat Bottom Girls
You’ll notice hard-shell sport buckets in the accompanying photos, but those aren’t likely to make it to the U.S. We are likely, however, to at least get red stitching on whatever seats we do end up with. Calm down. The rear seat has been dismissed in the interest of weight savings, but can be reactivated if you’d like to frighten more than just one person at a time. And AMG has flattened both the bottom and top of the steering wheel, which makes it way more serious than all those wheels with just flat bottoms. Lest the screaming V-8 deafen your passenger to the point they can no longer hear the V-8 screaming, a Black Series logo on the dash will remind them why they can’t hear.
Those who feel the flared and vented look of the C63 AMG Black Series isn’t quite enough will be able to crank up the appearance even more with an AMG Aerodynamics package that includes carbon-fiber winglets on the front valance and a fixed carbon-fiber spoiler with an adjustable aerofoil. AMG says these bits are functional and increase downforce, but isn’t saying by how much. It also won’t provide photos of a car so equipped, so we don’t know by how much they make it look more menacing and/or ridiculous. The C63 Black’s other major option package is a Track pack that includes even higher-performance rubber of unspecified Dunlop pedigree, as well as a differential cooler.
All Black Series cars to this point have been low-production affairs, the SLK55 AMG, for example, being limited to just 120 units. The CLK63 and SL65 sold in slightly higher numbers, at 700 and 350, respectively. While Mercedes isn’t saying yet how many C63 AMG Black Series it will build, representatives do tell us the number will be capped. Figure on a sticker edging close to $100,000. While that’s awfully steep for a car that shares its basic shape and structure with a coupe starting in the mid-$30,000 range, it is about $40,000 cheaper than the CLK63 Black Series and a whopping $200K less than the SL65 Black Series. So if you’ve got a spot reserved in your garage for what will certainly be the cheapest U.S.-market Black Series car yet, get on the horn to your dealer now. U.S. distribution will begin early in 2012.

Source : Caranddriver.com

Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series

With 510 HP under the hood, the Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series looks like a car that needs no updates. But the German tuner Vath did the impossible: they managed to update the car’s engine to an impressive 756 HP!

So how can you get the extra 246 HP? Simple: first you need an extra 38,500 € ($47,800) and then you need to take your car the the Vath shop. In here your car will get lots of high performance engine modification with compressor system, individual precise tuning of the engine electronics and an in-house manufactured water-charging air cooling system. As a result the engine delivers a total of 756 HP and a peak torque of 59 lbs-ft. Top speed limiter will also be removed so that you can enjoy an impressive top speed of 217 mph. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph will be made in just 3.6 seconds.

And if you have a few more thousands to spend, you can also get a stainless steel exhaust-manifold system, a sport rear silencer, a new suspension system that lowers the car’s ride by 20 – 65 mm and a new set of 20" wheels.

Source : Topspeed.com

Mercedes Benz Pricing Announced 2 variant of new car

Mercedes-Benz has announced the arrival of the powerful SLK 55 AMG, as well as the new mid-spec SLK 250. Both join the freshly revamped SLK 200 and SLK 350, which launched locally in mid-2011.

Powered by a naturally-aspirated version of AMG's new 5.5 litre V8, the SLK 55 AMG belts out 310kW and 540Nm of torque and is capable of rocketing from zero to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds.
Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.

The SLK 55 AMG is priced at $155,000 before on-road costs ($24,360 less than its predecessor), and will also be offered with the optional AMG Handling Package.

Priced at $8825, the AMG Handling package includes carbon-ceramic front brake rotors, a firmer AMG Performance suspension and a locking rear differential to improve traction under power.
For a sports car with a 5.5 litre V8, the SLK 55 AMG's fuel economy is actually quite decent thanks to Benz's cylinder deactivation technology. Claimed fuel economy on the combined cycle is only 8.5 litres, with average CO2 emissions of 163g/km.  The SLK 250 BlueEfficiency also joins the SLK range, and sits between the already-established SLK 200 and SLK 350. With a starting price of $91,900, the SLK 250 is $9325 less expensive than the car it replaces - the 2011 SLK 300 - and $640 cheaper than the previous-gen SLK 200 manual. Powered by the same basic 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine as the entry-level SLK 200, the addition of more turbocharger boost sees power and torque rise to 150kW and 310Nm.

The SLK 250 is only available with a seven-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters as standard to enable manual control of gearshifts. Performance is appreciably brisk, with a 6.6 second 0-100km/h sprint time.
Fuel economy is quite good too, with the SLK 250 BlueEfficiency sipping just 7.0 litres of premium unleaded on the combined cycle.
As standard, the SLK 250 is equipped with power-adjustable seats and steering column (with memory settings for both), heated mirrors, self-levelling bi-xenon headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels and an internet-enabled onboard telematics system.

Pricing

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 BlueEfficiency: $82,900
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 250 BlueEfficiency: $91,900
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 BlueEfficiency: $118,900
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG: $155,000
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG With AMG Handling Package:$163,825

Source : themotorreport.com.au

Mercedes B-Class Compact Sports Tourer

Much more agile and efficient, but more comfortable and roomy as ever - the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a winner on all fronts. Reduce the height of the vehicle and the more upright seating position give a first impression that refers to the credentials of the dynamics of the Compact Sports Tourer is.

With a new four-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection and turbocharger, a new diesel engine, a new dual-clutch transmission, a new manual transmission and new systems of care, the car front-wheel drive also sounds in a new technological era for the compact cars from Mercedes-Benz. "There is no paradigm shift in the history of Mercedes-Benz has seen many changes introduced in one fell swoop," says Dr. Thomas Weber, Board member responsible for Group Research and Development Manager, Mercedes-Benz Cars . "The Future of Class B, customers will benefit from this qualitative leap in terms of low fuel consumption and exemplary emission of CO2 along with the driving pleasure, with plenty of space and the highest level of security that has been available in this class. "

The world premiere of the new Class B (length / width / height: 4359/1786/1557 mm) was carried out at the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show. It'll make its way to European showrooms in November 2011.

Exterior design: the perfect disguise in a more attractive

The new Mercedes B-Class sports tourer is a typical, offering plenty of space combined with an impressive performance as a dynamic five-door hatchback. The characteristic lines of its exterior design shows these two attributes: front and rear sport-wide emphasis on design, with a wide grille and prominent headlights extend along the sides at the front while the rear has a large two-piece rear window , the tail lights with horizontal scroll meanders and a tailgate large low load threshold.


Sportsmanship and exceptional new aerodynamics are particularly evident in the lateral line: the bonnet, flows seamlessly into the A-pillar and roof line drops elegantly striking roof spoiler. The roof features a line of print, which gives the vehicle a more. Pronounced wheel arches offset by the lines of dynamic structures under the waistline is a sporty interpretation of the current design line Mercedes-Benz. The lower edge of the body features dynamic side skirts add a touch of light to the vehicle's appearance. Fine details like headlight exquisite design with the new focus element confirm the unmistakable credentials of the premium brand to shine through in the compact, too.

Mercedes SLS AMG Hawk

Another auto show and another large Hamann Hawk seems to show its sleek and stylish exterior. Hamann has been adjusted from 571 HP AMG Mercedes SLS a couple of times now, and this model shares many of the additions the same as the previous packages, including an engine upgrade and a series of exterior and interior modifications.

The only real change is that the Falcon Hamann exterior color. The new switches Hawk Everose Gold exterior finish with a pure white. This new color is combined with carbon fiber elements of the same original box and a set of 21 "wheels. The interior has also been modified to match the lounge with the characteristics of motor sports.

Packet Hawk is still updated every power and speed, so it has reassigned Hamann ECU the car once again to produce a total of 636 HP. Performance specifications remain the same also with a 0-60 mph sprint time of 3.6 seconds - a slight improvement of rule 3 of the car. 7 seconds - and a top speed of 199 mph.

Source : Topspeed.com
Autoneus.com

2 variant Audi A7 3.0T Quattro vs Mercedes-Benz CLS550

If we take a Darwinian view, the automotive world until very recently broke down into the following species: sedan, coupe, wagon, truck, minivan, SUV, and Pontiac Aztek. But evolution never stops its relentless churn, especially when it is believed that gold lies in the (sometimes invisible) fissures between these established groups.
Thus did Mercedes-Benz introduce the oxymoronic notion of the “four-door coupe” in 2004 with the original CLS. This attack of automotive arrhythmia was a play for buyers who want sex-kitten styling but indemnity against the inconvenience of extra passengers. The CLS was—and still is, headed into this new 2012 model—a sedan as surely as a platypus is an Ornithorhynchus anatinus. But it has an alluringly tapered roof and a back seat that has, much like the human tailbone, shriveled in the expectation of reduced importance.

 







In its best year, the CLS only pulled in about 14,000 U.S. sales, a fraction of the business rung up by the mainstay E-class on which it is based. Still, where one German brand goes sniffing for more volume, others instinctively follow. Volkswagen now has its Passat-based CC; Audi has launched four-door coupe-y versions of the A4 and A6 called the A5 Sportback (for Europe only) and the new A7; and latecomer BMW is arriving for the second act with its own car based on the Concept Gran Coupé showmobile of 2010.
Audi’s approach is perhaps the riskiest. Defying the notion that a hatchback equals death in this market, the luxurious A7 rolls four seats, five doors, and 25 cubic feet of cargo space into a slant-back fuselage reminiscent of a 1940s streamliner. The dimensions are within a few whiskers of the CLS’s, but compared with the Benz, the A7 swings for the cheaper seats with a $60,125 base price. The CLS starts at $72,175. One obvious reason is the power; Audi fits a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with a nowadays tame 310 horsepower—the S4’s engine less 23 ponies—to the CLS’s mighty twin-turbo V-8.
Three levels of A7 are offered, this one being the middle Premium Plus, which, for $3620, includes navigation, 19-inch wheels (ours had 20s and a sport suspension for another $1500), parking sensors, HD radio, a color driver-information display, and so forth. Option your heart out, but you can’t get the S4’s torque-vectoring differential, no doubt being held in reserve for the forthcoming S7.

 







Against an onslaught of new competition, Mercedes stands firm on its original formula. Unwrapped last year in Paris, the 2012 CLS is much like its predecessor, with only marginal gains in dimensions but some fascinating new details. The CLS550 pictured here in a sort of metallic molé hue called Cuprite Brown has the new “Blue Efficiency” M278 twin-turbo and direct-injected (and four cams, and 32 valves, and variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing) V-8, displacing 4.7 liters in yet another blow to the old Benz tail-numbering system.
It makes 402 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to make a 4158-pound car feel quick. It also returns better fuel economy than the old 5.5-liter and liberates the CLS from a $1300 gas-guzzler penalty. The roofline has been re-arched to help people access the rear seats without bonking their heads; and with the optional Premium pack, all exterior illumination is done via LEDs, with 71 individual points of light in each of the front headlamp clusters alone.
The Benz’s a la carte pricing plus a couple of heavy options—including the $4390 Premium package (rearview camera, power rear sunshades, power trunk, full LED headlamps, keyless start, heated/cooled front seats, etc.) and the $2950 Driver Assistance package (radar cruise control, blind-spot and lane-departure warning and intervention systems)—push the price to $83,095, That includes 19-inch wheels and summer tires for $500.
Source : caranddriver.com

Cars Mercedes-Benz M-class

Before the recession, Mercedes-Benz had no trouble selling 34,000 MLs in the U.S. each year. For 2011, the company’s best-known SUV is back on track to hit 30,000 sales. Right now, in fact, ML sales are up 14.5 percent. “It puts us in a funny position,” confesses Mercedes U.S.A. president and CEO Ernst Lieb. “We’re spending millions to replace a car that remains a huge profit center.” It’s like replacing Yankee Stadium’s hot dogs with, say, toaster waffles. Are you sure you want to mess with a good thing?
That’s nonetheless what Mercedes is doing with its third-gen M-class, which, we hasten to add, resembles wieners and waffles only in its ability to cause customers to queue up. The first to arrive is the ML350 4MATIC, powered by a new, direct-injection 3.5-liter gas V-6 producing 302 horsepower (an increase of 34). It will be partnered with the ML350 BlueTec 4MATIC, motivated by a redesigned 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel making 240 horsepower (an increase of 30). Base price for the gas ML is $49,865, and the diesel, now accounting for 13 percent of sales, fetches an additional $1500.
This new ML is about an inch longer and a half-inch wider, and it squats 0.8-inch lower than before. Cargo capacity behind the rear seat has grown seven cubic feet.
The baseball bat of a turn-signal/wiper stalk thankfully has been moved to the 10-o’clock position on the steering column, and its cruise-control function has been relegated to a second stalk at 8 o’clock. Unfortunately, you’ll still find yourself flicking at the column-mounted gear selector whenever you desire wipers. It’s annoying.







On road, we drove a gas-powered ML350 with the Dynamic Handling package. That $5150 option includes the Active Curve System (ACS), which decouples the anti-roll bars both off-road and during straight-ahead freeway slogs. We never felt it coupling or decoupling. We never felt it doing much of anything, to tell the truth, although body motions were satisfactorily controlled in the hills. But body motions were also satisfactorily controlled in a non-ACS ML we sampled, and that one didn’t max out at a cosmically startling $73,055. As the ML negotiates turns, you can still feel huge lateral load transfers, and the seats’ weak bolsters further suggest that this SUV might possess grand ambitions, but handling is not among them.
We’ll tell you one thing: This new ML is spectacularly quiet, subjectively as quiet as, say, a Lexus LX570, thanks to high-insulation glazing and additional sealing. And the ML pretty much matches the Lexus’s memorably cushy ride, too. Suspension travel feels endless; road nastiness is filtered to a fine fare-thee-well. Unfortunately, highway textures and slip angles are likewise filtered out of the light steering, as if such information might be an affront to the driver. The brake pedal isn’t doing much talking, either. At least interstate tracking is flawless.
The seven-speed transmission’s upshifts and kickdowns are supremely gentle, and engine roar is reduced to a velvety hum seemingly emanating from an adjacent ZIP Code. Fit and finish are of a quality that should make assembly workers in storm-smacked Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, proud. For two riders, back-seat legroom is excellent, kneeroom superb, headroom vast.







We nosed an ML350 BlueTec diesel off-road, through sippy holes, bogs, and ugly ruts. Over hill and dirty dale, the long-travel suspension, the silky dampers, and the rock-solid platform conspire to improve the experience. You’ll find that the road-biased M+S rubber, however, is not your ally in the mud. The diesel engine definitely is an ally—it’s among the most velvety oil-burners ever installed in a passenger car. No clatter, no soot, no odor, no tactile evidence to reveal its baser origins. The driver notices only a slightly delayed throttle response, an added half-second of laziness at step-off.
Eight-cylinder MLs will arrive in the first quarter of 2012. Two-wheel-drive models will follow, as will a more off-road-biased version with a terrain selector and a two-speed transfer case.
Mercedes says the new ML is only a few pounds heavier than its forebear, but the vehicle feels massive, a little slow-witted, and somewhat resistant to course corrections. If you’re looking for driving gratification or personality, well, it will have to derive from the M-class’s luxurious fittings and from its soothing soundlessness. Ten minutes after climbing out, you’ll remember the awesome stereo more than any dynamic merits. Sometimes progress smells like waffles.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

BASE PRICE: $49,865–$51,365

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter diesel V-6, 240 hp, 455 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 302 hp, 273 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.8 in Length: 189.1 in
Width: 75.8 in Height: 70.7 in
Curb weight: 4900–5150 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.9–7.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.2–15.8 sec
Top speed: 130 mph

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (MFR'S EST):
EPA city/highway: 17–20/22–25 mpg
source : Caranddriver.com

Fastest Cars In The World: Top 10 List 2011-2012

World's Fastest Cars

While most of us can only dream of owning the fastest car in the world, some will do whatever it takes to possess the most powerful speed. So, how fast are the fastest cars in the world? Here are the 10 fastest cars available on the market (production models, as opposed to concept cars) measured by tested top speed (theoretical speeds do not count).

1. Bugatti Veyron: 267 mph, 0-60 in 2.5 secs. Aluminum, Narrow Angle 8 Liter W16 Engine with 1200 hp, base price is $1,700,000. The Super Sport version is $2,400,000. The speed was tested again on July 10, 2010 with the new 2010 Super Sport Version: the Bugatti Veyron once again claims the title of the fastest car in the world at 267 mph.

2. Koenigsegg Agera R: 260 mph, 0-60 in 2.8 secs. 5.0-liter V8 Engine with twin turbo’s, housing 1099 hp. Base price is $1,600,000. If you're into snow sports, the Agera R can be fitted with a Ski Box as well as winter tires, not that I would take one on a ski trip or anything like that. While the Agera R has a massive theoretical top speed, the current tested top speed is 260 mph. Expect this snow car to be the Bugatti's arch enemy for the next 5 years.
3. SSC Ultimate Aero: 257 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 secs. Twin-Turbo V8 Engine with 1183 hp, base price is $654,400. Tested in March 2007 by Guinness World Records, The SSC Ultimate Aero was the fastest car in the world from March 2007 to July 2010. On March 2011, the Koenigsegg Agera R also surpassed it, forcing this American made car to the #3 spot.

4. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo: 248 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 secs. Twin Turbo All Aluminum V8 Engine with 750 hp, base price is $555,000. Smooth and bad-ass. It will make you want to show it off non-stop.

5. Koenigsegg CCX: 245 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 secs. 90 Degree V8 Engine 806 hp, base price is $545,568. Made in Sweden, it is the older brother of the Agera R, only losing to 4 other supercars in the world.

6. McLaren F1: 240 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 secs. BMW S70/2 60 Degree V12 Engine with 627 hp, base price is $970,000. The fastest car in the 20th century with doors that looks like bat wings. Maybe Batman needs to order one and paint it black
7. Gumpert Apollo: 224 mph, 0-60 in 3.0 secs, 4.2 liter V8 Engine that houses 650 hp. Base price: $450,000. Gumpert claims that the Apollo was designed such that it could drive upside-down in a tunnel with speeds at 190 mph or above. Of course, no one has tested this yet.
8. Noble M600: 223 mph, 0-60 in 3.7 secs. Twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 Engine with 650 hp. Base price is $330,000. The Noble M600 also happens to be a very cool car. Its inconspicuous design sports a slender and contoured body which does not scream out for attention at every second of the day.
We have a tie for 9th and 10th places:
9. Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster: 217 mph, 0-60 in 3.4 secs. Twin turbocharged AMG V12 engine that produces 678 hp. Base price is $1,850,000. The Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster is a limited-edition, with five ever produced. It is the quintessential exotic and exclusive supercar.
9. Ferrari Enzo: 217 mph, 0-60 in 3.4 secs. F140 Aluminum V12 Engine with 660 hp, base price is $670,000. Only 399 were ever produced; the price goes up every time someone crashes.
9. Jaguar XJ220: 217 mph, 0-60 in 3.8 secs. Twin Turbo V6 Engine with 542 hp, base price was $650,000. Made in 1992, this car still has what it takes to make the list.

10. Ascari A10: 215 mph, 0-60 in 2.8 secs. 5.0 litre BMW V8 S62 Engine with 625 hp. Base price: $650,000. The company planned to produce 50 of these supercars at its factory in Banbury, England.
10. Pagani Zonda F: 215 mph, 0-60 in 3.5 secs. Mercedes Benz M180 V12 Engine with 650 hp, base price is $667,321. With a V12 motor, this baby can do much better.


Source : thesupercars.org

Cars Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Short Take Road Test

Highs and Lows

Highs: Good power, great visibility, newly richened interior.
Lows: Chassis pitches and bobs over uneven surfaces, styling doesn’t advance the game.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE:front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door sedanPRICE AS TESTED: $83,095 (base price: $72,175)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 285 cu in, 4663 cc
Power (SAE net): 402 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 443 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 113.2 in Length: 194.5 in
Width: 74.1 in Height: 55.8 in
Curb weight: 4158 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.2 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 17.6 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 4.7 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 2.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.8 sec @ 112 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 134 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 163 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.89 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 18/26 mpg
C/D observed: 18 mpg

It's an age-old automotive-design problem—how do you fix what isn't broken? How do you update a timeless shape?
There are two possible answers: One, you tweak it a little, à la Mini Cooper, until your shape is neither new nor old. Or two, you start over, Jaguar XJ–style, throwing everything out the window and starting fresh. Best case, you end up with something revolutionary. Worst case, you get a hacked-up rehash that just reminds you of what you've lost.
Bigger and More Muscular
Well, there is a third possibility: somewhere in between, and that’s what we have here. When it was launched in the United States in 2005, the Mercedes-Benz CLS turned heads; the "four-door coupe" oxymoron suddenly made some sense. Even though the car was little more than a rebodied E-class, 40,000 examples whizzed out of American dealers in five years. Now we have a new CLS for 2012.
Meet the new oxymoron, not quite the old. You will note that it looks different. Kind of. Also note that it’s still fundamentally an E-class. Wheelbase is up, from 112.4 inches to 113.2, and overall length has jumped by nearly an inch. Height and width increase too, as do the front and rear tracks. The biggest difference is the lack of a naturally aspirated powerplant. In place of the old car's 5.5-liter V-8, the CLS550 now sports a 4.7-liter, direct-injection, twin-turbo V-8, the same engine used in the humongous 2011 CL550 4MATIC coupe and proliferating throughout the Merc lineup in the coming years.







Power is down from the CL—402 versus 429—as is torque, from 516 lb-ft to 443. This is still 20 hp and 52 lb-ft more than the last-gen CLS550 offered, and the 4.7-liter goes like the clappers: Hitting 60 mph requires just 4.2 seconds and the quarter passes in 12.8 at 112 mph. Even so, we can’t help missing the CL's extra bit of shove. (Disclaimer: The CL550 thumps its way across the landscape with the kind of seamless urge usually found in booster rockets. We miss its shove in everything.) A smooth-shifting seven-speed automatic is the only transmission available in the CLS550. If you're absolutely desperate for more grunt, a 518- or 550-hp, 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 can be found in the CLS63 AMG. And no, we don't understand the naming scheme, either.
Capable but Cautious
This is a big car—it tipped our scales at more than 4100 pounds—and it drives like one. The plushly appointed cabin is comfortable, the heavily bolstered seats seemingly good for thousand-mile days. But the low roofline lends a small-car feel, and you end up tossing the CLS around like you would a much smaller machine.







Chassis behavior is predictable and entertaining but won't surprise anyone. The standard Airmatic air suspension works well enough on winding pavement but doesn’t like being rushed; you spend a lot of time waiting for the nose to take a set, for the back end to settle down, for the rest of the car to make it through the corner. Grip on a smooth skidpad is a commendable 0.89 g, but truly crazed asphalt can bind things up to the point where the car simply gives up and throws in a stability-controlled brake application to yank everything back down again.
The brakes are simply unflappable, with short pedal travel and surprising fade resistance in hard street driving, and they turned in an impressive 163-foot stop from 70 mph. The electric power steering is accurate and possessed of classic Mercedes heft. All in all, it’s a nice, quick package, if not an overly sporty or aggressive one.

Okay, so the styling occasionally seems forced, with too many angry-face fillips and none of the previous CLS’s elegance. But the 2012 CLS550 is still more stylish than the E-class sedan, and if you’re not enamored of the new sheetmetal, consider this: From the driver’s seat, all you see is the road.
source : Caranddriver.com