Mercedes-Benz Archives

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler partnership reached a milestone today when Tennessee officials joined Nissan leadership to break ground on a new manufacturing facility in Decherd, Tenn. The new facility, which is located at the existing Nissan powertrain assembly complex - will produce Mercedes-Benz 4-cyl. gasoline engines for Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz models.

"Today, we begin an exciting new chapter for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and our continued investment in the United States," Swenson said. "Today's groundbreaking marks the latest move in our collaboration with Daimler to localize production capacity and enhance our competitiveness in the global market."

The current electric cars are heavy and too expensive, which prevents them from being a true alternative to conventional cars. BMW and Daimler have joined forces with scientists at the Technical University Munich to develop an electric car that is efficient, safe and inexpensive. BMW is the lead manager of the Visio.M research project that has received $14 million in funding from the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).

The group feels that since electric cars are silent and have zero emissions they are an important option for future individual mobility in urban areas and beyond. But on the way to mass production of electric vehicles, there are still significant technological hurdles to overcome. Previous small electric vehicles offer only a minimum level of vehicle safety and therefore are not mass-marketable. Electric cars that were derived from gasoline-powered models are usually too heavy and require large and expensive batteries.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the ultimate G-Class, the 2013 G63 AMG SUV. Just like the lesser powered 2013 G-Class, the 2013 G63 AMG gets some small styling updates. Mercedes-Benz also claims that the 2013 G63 AMG is also more efficient than before.

The G63 AMG is powered by a 5.5L biturbo V8 with 544 horsepower and 560 lb-ft. of torque. The new 5.5L biturbo V8 puts out 44 more horsepower and 44 lb-ft. than the old G55 AMG. The 5.5L V8 is mated to an AMG Speedshift plus 7-speed transmission and gets an ECO stop/start function to make it 13 percent more fuel efficient.

The first official photos of Mercedes-Benz's newest concept, the Concept Style Coupe have shown up on the internet ahead of the concept's debut at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show.

The Concept Style Coupe is a preview of the automaker's new compact four-door coupe. The Concept Style Coupe borrows many styling cues from the larger CLS and the Concept A model that was unveiled last year. The production version of the Concept Style Coupe will be based on the same front-wheel-drive platform that as the A Class and B Class models. It is expected to reach U.S. showrooms early next year.

Mercedes-Benz is giving the iconic G-Class a facelift for the 2013 model year. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class still looks pretty much the same as it did when it did 33 years ago, but now its received an updated face and updated interior.

On the outside the 2013 G-Class gets LED daytime running lights and new mirrors. The AMG version also gets a new AMG grille, red brake calipers, 20-inch wheels and a new bumper with large air intakes.

The interior of the revised G-Class gets a new instrument panel and center console. A TFT color display has been added between the gauges in the instrument cluster and a large color screen is part of the COMAND infotainment system. This new infotainment system offers, amongst other features, a navigation system with special additional off-road functions, voice-operated controls and Bluetooth.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the new 2013 GL-Class full size SUV, which goes on sale in the U.S. this September.

Mercedes describes its largest SUV as the S-Class of SUVs with safety and comfort that are on par with the S-Class. At 201.6 inches long, 84.3 inches wide and 72.8 inches tall, the 2013 GL is slightly bigger than the outgoing model. The 2013 GL will be offered with a choice of three engines. The GL350 BlueTEC is powered by a 3.0L turbodiesel with 240 horsepower and 455 lb-ft. of torque. The GL450 is powered by a twin-turbo direct-injection 4.6L V8 with 362 horsepower and 406 lb-ft., while the GL550 gets its motivation from a 4.6L V8 with 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft.

The 2013 GL gets new innovations like standard Collision Prevention Assist, Crosswind Stabilization, self-leveling air suspension and electromechanical steering. Also new are assistance systems like Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist, as well as Parktronic with Active Parking Assist and the Surround View camera.

Mercedes-Benz has given its smallest SUV, the GLK a facelift for the 2013 model year. The 2013 GLK gets a refreshed exterior, more standard equipment and a new diesel engine.

On the outside the 2013 GLK now has a more athletic look with styling cues borrowed from the current Mercedes-Benz sedans. It gets new headlights with LED daytime running lights, a revised grille, new taillights, a new rear bumper and redesigned roof rails. The 2013 GLK also rides on new 19-inch alloy wheels and the available Appearance Package adds 20-inch wheels. A new AMG Styling Package gives the GLK an even sportier appearance with 20-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke alloys, AMG front and rear skirts, AMG grille with two chrome louvers, AMG LED daytime running lights and aluminum roof rails.

The 2012 New York Auto Show kicks off at the beginning of next month and now according to Car and Driver, it's being reported that Mercedes-Benz is bringing a new GL to the show.

The second-generation GL-class is slated to debut at the show, which will share its platform with the new ML. The three-row SUV will be offered with a diesel engine and a twin-turbo 4.6-liter with 402 horsepower.

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL will go on sale later this year. Stay tuned...

Mercedes-Benz has officially unveiled the 20123 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG ahead of its world debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show, next month. The SL65 AMG is powered by a AMG 6.0-liter V12 biturbo engine that generates 621 hp and a maximum torque of 738 lb-ft. The use of an all-aluminum body-in-white delivers a drastic weight reduction as the new SL65 AMG is 254 pounds lighter than before.

"The combination of exclusive V12 dynamics and cultivated roadster pleasure was already unique in the previous model. We are certain that, with the new SL65 AMG, we have developed a stunning high-performance automobile beyond compare for a small, but loyal fan base," says Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

The SL65 AMG features a standard 7-speed transmission.The ECO stop/start function improvements to the internal efficiency of the engine and alternator management help improve the roadster's fuel economy. It reaches 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph.

The SL65 AMG joins the SL550 roadster and the SL63 AMG roadster. The SL550 has a starting retail price of $106,375 and arrives in U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealerships in May. The SL63 AMG arrives in July.

It's being reported that Mercedes-Benz will stop selling the R-Class wagon in the U.S. According to Motoramic who spoke with Mercedes spokesman Chrisitan Bokich, the 2013 R-Class will not be sold in the states, although it will continue to be produced at the automaker's Alabama plant for other markets like Canada and China.

Through March of this year, Mercedes-Benz has sold less than 300 units of the R-Class in the U.S. Bokich stated, "R-Class sales have shrunk to the extent that we can no longer make the business case for continuing to offer the R-Class."

The all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been unveiled in Geneva.

"A is for Attack: the A-Class is a clear statement of the new dynamism of the Mercedes-Benz brand", explains Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "It is completely new, down to the last detail. In automotive development, it's not often you get the chance to start with a clean sheet of paper. Our engineers and designers have made the very most of that opportunity."

The all-new A-Class was originally previewed by the A-Class concept last year and is a dramatic departure from its predecessor. The new A-Class has a far sportier two-box design that now sits 18 centimeters closer to the ground.

"Applying the new dynamic style of Mercedes-Benz to the compact class was a challenge that we thoroughly enjoyed", explains Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz. "The almost sculptural lines of the A-Class are very typical for Mercedes. The feature lines, particularly along the sides of the car, then give the A-Class structure and tautness."

Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off the 2013 SL63 AMG, which has more power, but is also lighter and approximately 30 percent more fuel efficient.

The weight of the SL63 AMG has been dropped 275 pounds thanks to a new aluminum bodyshell. It now weighs 4,059 pounds. The SL 63 AMG is powered by a 5.5L twin-turbocharged V8 that puts out 530 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque. With the optional AMG Performance Package, these figures rise to 557 hp and 664 lb-ft respectively. It reaches 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. With the Performance Package the 0-60 mph time drops to 4.1 seconds and its top speed rises to 186 mph.

Other additions are the AMG active suspension, new AMG speed-sensitive sports steering, the AMG high-performance compound brake system and the AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission. The 7-speed transmission includes four drive modes: : "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual).

The SL63 AMG stands out from the SL lineup with its AMG bodykit, LED daytime running lights and V8 Biturbo logos on the vent grilles.

The interior gets AMG sports seats in single-tone or two-tone nappa leather with a unique seat upholstery design and AMG badges in the seat backrests, a multicontour function and seat heating as well as AMG carbon-fiber trim, AMG illuminated door sill panels, ambient lighting and an IWC-design analog clock.

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG will officially debut next month at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG will arrive in the U.S. next month with a starting price at $95,865.

The 2012 ML63 AMG is powered by a 5.5L biturbo V8 engine with 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque, which is 15-hp and 44 lb-ft. over its predecessor. The V8 is mated to a 7-speed transmission and a permanent all-wheel-drive system. An estimated combined fuel economy rating of 16 mpg is also a 33 percent improvement over the last model. The ML63 AMG will reach 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph. If you want even more power the available AMG Performance package boosts the V8 engine's power output to 550 hp and its maximum torque to 560 lb-ft.

The 2012 ML63 AMG comes standard with AMG stainless steel sports pedals, illuminated door sills, COMAND system with hard-drive navigation & Sirius real-time traffic & weather, a harman/kardon Logic 7 surround sound system, Bluetooth and Heated & active ventilated front seats.

Mercedes-Benz is going to unveil the all-new 2013 A-Class at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March. To give us a preview of next A-Class Mercedes-Benz has released this quick teaser video.

The new A-Class was originally previewed in concept form at last year's New York and Shanghai auto shows. The 2013 A-Class will go on sale in Europe later this year. For the first time ever, the A-Class is expected to be sold in the U.S. as well.

The A-Class prototype in this video is covered in QR codes that allows fans the ability to learn more about Mercedes' new A-Class.

This fall Mercedes-Benz is going to release a refreshed 2013 GLK that will be offered with a diesel engine in the U.S. The addition of the diesel-powered will mark the sixth diesel-powered model in the automaker's U.S. lineup.

The official specs of the diesel-powered GLK have not been released, but it's been reported that it will be a four-cylinder. Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA stated that the addition of the diesel will likely push GLK sales into the "high 30's," up from the 24,310 units Mercedes-Benz sold last year.

Last week Mercedes-Benz officially dropped all the details on the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL and now three videos of the new SL have been released.

if you missed last week's announcement, the 2013 SL is now 300 pounds lighter than the current generation and gets styling that is similar to the SLS and smaller SLK. The SL550 is powered by a 4.6L V8 with 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. The 2013 SL550 will hit U.S. showrooms this spring.

Yesterday we saw our first unofficial photos of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL thanks to a leaked brochure. A day later we now have a bunch of official photos thanks to the guys over at GermanCarForum.com.

Expect to get all the details soon, but for now enjoy...

Mercedes-Benz planned on giving us our first official look at the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL next month in Detroit, but a leaked brochure has now foiled those plans.

The photos you see here come courtesy of Autoblog.nl and a leaked brochure for the new SL. If these photos are accurate, the all-new SL will keep the same basic shape from the current model, with styling cues from the smaller SLK.

The all-new SL will be about 300 pounds lighter than the current model thanks to the extensive use of aluminum and magnesium.

Although the 2013 SL is going to debut next month, don't be surprised if Mercedes-Benz releases photos prior to the show.

Over the weekend a total eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and two Mercedes were involved in a pileup in Japan. According to reports the accident was caused when one of the drivers lost control of his Ferrari while trying to change lanes. His supercar lost control and collided with the other cars. The accident occurred on the rain-soaked Chugoku Expressway in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the island of Honshu.

Fortunately no one out of the 14 cars involved was seriously hurt, although 10 were taken to the hospital. Sadly as you can tell from this video most of the cars involved are beyond repair. According to Bloomberg, the 60-year old man suspected of causing the accident could face up to three months in jail.

Check out the video after the jump...

The slow selling Maybach brand is officially getting the axe according to Mercedes-Benz sources that spoke with Autocar.

Mercedes-Benz has decided to kill off the Maybach brand since sales of the current 57 and 62 models have failed to meet expectations.

According to one insider, "We've come to the conclusion that it is better to cut our losses with Maybach than to continue into an uncertain future with a brand that has failed to live up to original sales expectations."

The next-generation S-Class is expected to fill the void left by the departed Maybach models. According to the sources the next S-Class will be offered with three different wheelbase options.

The current Maybach 57 and 62 models will continue to be produced until the next S-Class is introduced in early 2013.

Mercedes-Benz is set to debut the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, but here's your first look at it.

The 2012 ML63 AMG is powered by an AMG 5.5L V8 biturbo engine that packs 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. The available AMG Performance Package pushes that number even higher to 550 horsepower and 560 lb-ft. of torque. The ML63 AMG reaches 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and 4.6 seconds with the performance package, while the top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph and 174 mph with the with the AMG Performance Package. The V8 is mated to a AMG Speedshift Plus 7-speed automatic and a permanent four-wheel-drive system. The estimated combined fuel economy for the 2012 ML63 AMG is 16 mpg, which is a 33 percent improvement over the last model.

The 2012 ML63 AMG will be available in the first quarter of 2012.

Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz have announced a new partnership that will produce a new Infiniti compact car based on the Mercedes-Benz MFA platform. The Mercedes-Benz MFA platform is also the basis for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

The upcoming Infiniti compact will launch with both gasoline and engine versions in 2014. Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer recently told Automotive News Europe that the compact will be based on the Etherea concept that was unveiled in Geneva and again at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week.

The B-Class is expected to come to the U.S., but it's not yet known if Infiniti will release the new concept in here, although it will most likely happen. The compact Infiniti is predicted to account for 40 percent of Infiniti's sales in the U.S.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled what it thinks we will be driving around in the year 2025, the F 125! research vehicle. After 125 years of making cars, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the F 125! hydrogen powered concept as its vision of the future of the luxury segment.

"With the F 125! we want to show that large, comfortable and safe saloon cars have an excellent future, partly because they are able to operate with no emissions. The legend that is the S-Class will continue into the future thanks to intelligent solutions that always have the customer's needs in mind," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "The new research vehicle illustrates and underlines this claim to leadership with innovative ideas and traditional Mercedes strengths in the areas of design, safety, comfort and performance."

The F 125! employs a host of future technologies, like lithium-sulphur batteries, an e4Matic all-wheel-drive system with four individual electric motors and a lightweight body made up of a combination of carbon-fiber, aluminum and steel.

The concept has a range of 1,000 kilometers and can reach 0-62 mph in 4.9 seconds.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class has been officially unveiled ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

The all-new B-Class MPV is now lower and sportier than its predecessor. It's overall design borrows cues from Mercedes' current design language. Mercedes claims that the new B-Class will be more agile and efficient than the past generation.

The 2012 B-Class can be powered by a range of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. The gasoline engine is a 1.6L that puts out either 122 horsepower or 156 horsepower. The diesel engine is a 1.8L unit that generates either 109 horsepower or 136 horsepower. The engines can be mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch transmission. There are rumors about a more powerful AMG version.

Will the B-Class come to the U.S.? It's a possibility...

What appears to be the first official photo of the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class has leaked onto the internet. The new B-Class is going to debut in Frankfurt next month.

The 2012 B-Class MPV has grown a bit. Although this is our first look at the exterior of the new B-Class, Mercedes-Benz has already given us a preview of the interior. There will be two gasoline powered models, the 122-hp B180 and the 156-hp B200. Diesel fans will be able to choose from a 109-hp B180 CDI or a 136-hp B200 CDI.

Stay tuned for all the official photos and specs next month.

Mercedes-Benz has unwrapped the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, the fastest SLK ever.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG is powered by Mercedes' new AMG 5.5L V8 that puts out 415 horsepower and 398 lb-ft. of torque. The V8 is mated to a standard AMG 7-speed automatic transmission with three modes. It reaches 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed at 155 mph. The new V8 is based on the AMG 5.5L biturbo V8 that powers the E63 AMG, CLS63 AMG, S63 AMG and CL63 AMG models, minus the turbochargers. The 5.5L in the SLK gets AMG Cylinder management that allows the engine to shut off cylinders to improve efficiency.

The SLK55 AMG stands apart from the lesser powered SLK models with its darkened headlights and taillights, black detailing on the front fascia and the vent gills in the front fenders. Inside the SLK 55 gets an AMG steering wheel and instrument cluster and the standard Airscarf neck heating system.

Mercedes-Benz has not announced the pricing for the 2012 SLK55 AMG.

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly going to release a second Shooting Brake model after the CLS Shooting Brake debuts in 2012. Mercedes-Benz boss Dieter Zetsche has reportedly given the green light to a smaller CLC Shooting Brake.

The CLC Shooting Brake will be based on the upcoming CLC four-door coupe. The CLC is basically a mini CLS. Just in case you're not familiar with the term "Shooting Brake", it's the term that is used for wagons that only have two long doors, instead of the typical four-doors on most wagons.

The CLC Shooting Brake is expected to sell alongside the CLC coupe that will go on sale in the U.S. in 2013.

Mercedes-Benz has decided to discontinue the twelve-cylinder versions of the SL roadster, the SL600 and SL65 AMG without an official announcement. The move is reportedly in anticipation of the upcoming all-new 2013 SL-Class that is expected to debut sometime next year.

The SL600 was the first model to disappear and was powered by a 5.5L V12 that put out 510 horsepower and 610 lb-ft. of torque. The SL65 AMG, which is powered by a 604 horsepower 6.0L V12 has been dropped from the 2012 lineup.

It's not known if Mercedes-Benz will be phasing out its V12 engines completely and replacing them with V8s.

Mercedes-Benz is going to unveil the all-new 2012 B-Class at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Mercedes-Benz has released has given us a tiny teaser of the exterior, but today the automaker is giving us a full view of what the inside looks like.

According to Mercedes-Benz the interior is inspired by ideas from Advanced Design Center in Como, such as the free-floating, streamlined screen in the new Mercedes B-Class. As expected, the 2012 B-Class will have an intior made of the highest quality materials, including a dashboard may be covered with stitched ARTICO man-made leather.

Stay tuned for the debut of the new B-Class at the Frankfurt show. The 2012 B-Class will hit dealers in Europe in November 2011.

It's already been reported that Mercedes-Benz is working on a rival to the BMW X6. The Mercedes-Benz crossover will feature coupe-like styling, but share its platform with the new M-Class.

According to the latest sources the crossover is expected to be dubbed the GLS and will be built at the automaker's plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where the M, R and GL-Class models are produced.

Audi is also reportedly working on an X6 competitor, dubbed the Q6.

Mercedes-benz has officially unveiled the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, which is the most powerful C-Class coupe available.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series takes the C63 AMG Coupe and dials up the performance even higher. It's powered by a naturally-aspirated AMG 6.3L V8 that puts out 510 horsepower and 457 lb-ft. of torque. The V8 is mated to a AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed gearbox. The coupe reaches 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds.

The C63 AMG coupe Black Series has wider tracks and sits lower than the C63 AMG. The track has been widened by 1.57 inches in the front and 3.11 inches in the rear. To help stop all that power the Black Series gets large 15-inch brakes in the front and 14-inch brakes in the rear.

Mercedes-Benz hasn't announced the pricing for the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, but it's expected to be somewhere around $90,000 when it arrives in early 2012.

Yesterday news broke that Mercedes-Benz is planning a new 5.5L V8 for the 2012 SLK55 AMG. Mercedes-Benz has now unveiled the new engine. The new 5.5L V8 features an AMG Cylinder Management system that gives it the fuel economy of a four-cylinder without sacrificing the power of the large V8.

The 5.5L V8 is codenamed M152 and is based on the AMG M157 engine that powers the CL63 AMG and S63 AMG models. The M152 engine does away with the twin turbochargers from the M157, but the displacement, bore/ stroke and direct injection systems are the same. The naturally-aspirated 5.5L V8 puts out 415 horsepower and 398 lb-ft. of torque, which is up from 355 horsepower and 376 lb-ft. in the previous engine. Fuel consumption has been improved by about 30 percent.

"With the new 415 hp AMG 5.5-liter V8 engine we have once again created a real masterpiece. The M152 sets an outstanding example for efficiency, while demonstrating the creativity and expertise of our engineers, who took their inspiration from Formula 1 when developing the cylinder shut-off system. This makes the new, naturally aspirated eight-cylinder the perfect power unit for the new SLK55 AMG, which will celebrate its premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt/Main in the autumn," says Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

Mercedes-Benz is going to unveil the new SLK55 AMG in Frankfurt this fall. The SLK55 AMG will be powered by a version of the 5.5L V8 that powers the CLS63 AMG and E63 AMG models, minus the twin-turbochargers.

The SLK55 AMG will make due with a naturally aspirated 5.5L V8, which had to have the turbochargers removed to fit under the hood of the SLK. One insider also stated, "It also wouldn't do to have an SLK that's faster than the SL."

The 5.5L V8, which weighs 412 pounds, will put out 422 horsepower and 398 lb-ft. of torque in the SLK55 AMG. The engine is expected to get fuel saving features like a cylinder-deactivation system.

Mercedes-Benz has announced the pricing for the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, which starts at $49,865 for the 2012 ML350 4Matic.

The third-generation M-Class is going to initially be offered in two versions, the ML350 4Matic and the diesel-powered ML350 BlueTec. The ML350 4Matic is powered by a 302-hp 3.5L V6, while the ML350 BlueTec is powered by a 240-hp 3.0L diesel engine. The ML350 BlueTec starts at $51,365.

A V8 powered M-Class will debut early next year.

Mercedes-Benz has released new photos of the US-spec 2012 M-Class. The third-generation M-Class is all-new for the 2012 model year and now sits almost an inch lower, is an inch longer and half an inch wider than the last generation. The 2012 M-Class will be available either as the ML350 BlueTec diesel or the gas powered ML350 4MATIC.

The ML350 is powered by a 302 horsepower 3.5L V6 that now has 13 percent more power than the last model. The ML350 BlueTec is powered by a 3.0L V6 diesel that puts out 240 horsepower and 455 lb-ft. of torque. The 3.0L diesel gets 30 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gas engine.

Pricing for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class has not been announced.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class is going to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but Mercedes has just released the first teaser photos of the next B-Class.

According to Mercedes-Benz the new B-Class will be "substantially more agile and efficient, but as comfortable and spacious as ever." The 2012 B-Class will be powered by a new turbocharged 4-cylinder gas engine with direct injection or a new diesel engine. The engines can be mated to either a dual clutch transmission or a manual.

Mercedes-Benz expects the 2012 B-Class to be a "quantum leap in the compact class." It features a low 0.26 drag coefficient, which can be lowered to 0.24 with the optional ECO Technology package. The B-Class measures 4359mm long, 1786mm wide and 1557mm tall.

The new four-cylinder 1.6L gas engine puts out either 122hp in the B 180 and 156-hp in the B 200. The four-cylinder diesel engine is a 1.8L that puts out 109-hp in the B 180 CDI and 136-hp in the B 200 CDI. The engines can be mated to either a seven-speed dual clutch transmission or a six-speed manual.

Stay tuned for the official debut in September.

Brabus has just announced the introduction of the world's most powerful and fastest four-seater convertible, the Brabus 800 E V12 Cabriolet.

The Brabus 800 E V12 Cabriolet is the most powerful Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible available with its V12 engine borrowed from the Mercedes S600. Engineers heavily modified the engine with a special crankshaft with a longer stroke and longer pistons in conjunction with increased cylinder bore bumped displacement up from 5.5 to 6.3 liters. Two special exhaust manifolds with integrated larger turbochargers have been added in addition to four water-to-air intercoolers. All the modifications have resulted in a total 788 horsepower and 1,047 lb-ft. of torque. The torque is unfortunately electronically limited to 811 lb-ft.

The 800 E V12 Cabriolet reaches 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds and only takes 9.9 seconds to reach 124 mph. It has a top speed of 231 mph.

If you want the "world's fastest four-seater convertible" it won't come cheap. It's listed at 478,000 euros, which is about $680k.

We already knew that Mercedes is working on a Black Series version of the new C63 AMG, but now it looks like the car has just gotten a premature unveiling on the internet.

The photo you see here is our first official view of the 2012 C63 AMG Black Series thanks to SpeedFans.fr. The C63 Black Series was revealed at a Mercedes-Benz drive event in Le Castellet, France. It's rumored that the C63 Black Series will be powered by a more powerful version of the 6.2L V8 in the C63 with around 517 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.

Stay tuned for the official unveiling and all the stats.

According to the latest reports, Mercedes-Benz is planning a new SUV that will compete with BMW's X6, called the GLS. The Mercedes-Benz GLS is expected to launch in 2014 on the same unibody platform as the new third-generation M-Class.

An insider revealed to Autocar, "After closely monitoring sales trends, we've concluded there is potential for an additional off-road model with a more sporting emphasis than the new M-Class."

The GLS will basically be Mercedes' interpretation of the BMW X6, which will ditch the practicality of the five-seater M-Class for a crossover with a sportier roofline that only seats four passengers. The GLS will also face competition from the upcoming Audi Q6 and a new Range Rover Sport that is planned for 2013.

Mercedes-Benz announced this week that the all-new 2012 SLK350 is now on sale in the US with a starting price at $54,800. When Mercedes initially unveiled the all-new SLK, it was announced that a 4-cylinder powered SLK250 would also eventually be offered. We have yet to see the official photos of the SLK250, but it looks like a prototype was driving down the 405 freeway today in LA.

These two shots were sent in from a TR reader. It appears that this is our first unofficial look at the 4-cylinder 2012 SLK250. Note the smaller wheels and slightly less aggressive Unfortunately the caravan of Mercedes driving down the 405, caught onto him before he could get in front of the SLK that you see here.

The 2012 SLK is going to be released after the SLK350 and is powered by a 201 horsepower 1.8L four-cylinder. It reaches 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds.