New Mercedes-Benz CLA Compact Sports Saloon

While some people are enjoying Christmas Eve with their families, others are busy posting on forums and leaking official shots of new cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLA compact saloon.

A total of five images of the new Mercedes entry-level sedan including three of the exterior and two of the interior made their way online.



As was the case with the revealing CLA scoops in Iceland this past September, the car pictured here is a regular model fitted with Mercedes' AMG exterior and interior styling packages and not the CLA 45 AMG, which will feature a similar aero kit but will do away with the "diamond" front grille.

Being that it will be the first member of Mercedes-Benz's extended family of A-Class-based compact models to be offered in the States, the CLA is anticipated to make its world premiere on this side of the Atlantic, possibly as early as next month's Detroit Motor Show.

Naturally, the engine lineup will be shared with the A-Class hatchback offering consumers a variety of turbocharged four-cylinder diesel and petrol units, including a 2.0-liter gasoline powerplant with 208hp (211PS) for the CLA 250 BlueEFFICIENCY, and a heavily tuned version of the same engine delivering 350-horsepower and 332 lb-ft (450Nm) for the all-wheel drive CLA 45 AMG.

Mercedes' newly developed 4AMTIC all-wheel drive system for cars with front-wheel drive will be offered as an option on other CLA models as well.

 

 

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Top Tuned Mercedes SLS

From yacht-inspired body kits to significant boosts in power, there's no shortage of aftermarket programs for the benchmark Benz roadster.

The Mercedes-Benz SL is the default choice for those with the means and the desire for a luxury roadster. But there will always be those looking for that extra touch. Fortunately for them there is no shortage of aftermarket firms that will gladly retrofit a client's SL. Whether it's a boost in performance or a slick new body kit, tuners from across the globe can be found willing and able to make the top-end Mercedes even more desirable. What follows is a selection of some of the best on the market today.

Most tuners focus on upgrading the SL's performance, but Graf Weckerle is all about adding luxury, which it did in abundance when employing a yachting-inspired theme on the SL-Class. Upgrades include custom-machined forged alloys finished in white enamel with chrome detailing measuring 20 inches across and fitted to a lowered suspension. Inside the open cockpit is decked out in custom blue leather with contrasting white piping and top-stitching, while the emblems are crafted from white gold. An ECU remap and stainless steel exhaust are available to upgrade the six-cylinder SL350 or the eight-cylinder SL500.

Wheelsandmore delivered a refined program for the SL500 R231 roadster, the most striking feature of which is the finish to the bodywork thanks to an aluminum-silver-gray film that gives the SL roadster a stealth-like appearance. The tuner also added the maximum possible wheel sizes for the 6Sporz2 rim. The 20-inch alloys are available in nearly every color and surface finish combination imaginable. A fully-adjustable lowered suspension module named LowMaXX has been fitted, which shuts down at 44 mph to preserve comfort and safety. Optimizing the ECU has improved performance of the SL, providing an additional 70 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque, giving it figures of 505 hp and 590 lb-ft.

MEC Design is renowned for its aftermarket programs for top-end Mercs, and its work on the benchmark SL-Class is no different. Starting with the exterior, the German tuner awarded the roadster AMG-inspired bumpers, the front receiving integrated LEDs. An electronic suspension riding on new wheels lowers the ride height to a ground-hugging 55 mm, and a new variable quad-pipe exhaust system features two different sound levels, the relatively quieter "Daytona" setting and an "Earthquake" mode that announces the car's presence from even further away. The project sits on a set of MEC's own 20-inch 3-piece forged alloy MecxtremeI wheels finished in bright silver.

No stranger to uber-powerful Benzes, Brabus installed a PowerXtra module to the SL's 4.7-liter twin-turbo V8 with plug-and-play capability for added power. Along with an auxiliary water-to-air intercooler and a stainless steel sport exhaust system, output was been increased from 435 to 520 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque, resulting in a 0-62 mph time of 4.4 seconds. Exterior upgrades include more dramatically-styled front fenders complete with side air vents, a new rear spoiler and side skirts. Wheels can be had in 18, 19 or 20 inches in three different designs. A custom interior includes scuff plates with a backlit Brabus logo, carbon fiber or fine wood trim and special Brabus upholstery shop leather and Alcantara.

Prior Design came up with a hard-nosed widebody kit for the SL-Class dubbed the Black Edition V2. Designed for the R230, it's aerodynamically optimized and made of Dura-Flex FRP (a composite made of a polymer matrix reinforced with carbon fibers) including a new front bumper with add-on spoiler and special winglets that generate downforce while sending cool air to the engine and brakes. A revised front fascia comprises of a new black mesh grille and ventilated hood, wider front and rear fenders connected by a pair of skirts give the SL more muscle, while an upgraded rear bumper with integrated diffuser aims to keep the bulky back end firmly fixed to the road at high speeds.

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CL63 AMG by Unicate Germany

German tuner boosts the already potent Mercedes CL63 AMG to 616 horsepower.

A subsidiary of German tuning house MEC Design, Unicate is a dab hand at developing subtle aftermarket programs transforming cars with the lightest of touches. Its latest project is based on the Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, to which it made some minor exterior and performance mods. The high-performance luxury coupe has been fitted with a 3-piece carbon-fiber rear spoiler taken from MEC Design's catalogue, from which the floor mats with nubuck edging were also borrowed to spruce up the interior.

Leaving the more than capable 21-inch AMG alloys in their place, Unicate fitted the CL63 with an MEC Design suspension lowering module with programmed dynamics, and a complete exhaust system with modified tailpipes that claim to make the engine sound like the onset of the Apocalypse. Combined with an optimized ECU, output of the 5.5-liter biturbo V8 has increased by 72 horsepower to 616 hp, which should help the coupe sprint from 0-62 mph in less than 4.5 seconds.

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Mercedes-Benz Releases Pictures and Video of New CLA and CLA 45 AMG

According to the crew over at the German-language Mercedes-Benz Passion website, the brand with the star has shared a multitude of pictures and a video of the upcoming Mercedes CLA compact sports saloon ahead of the car's world premiere at the Detroit motor show in mid-January next year.This wouldn't be a first for Mercedes-Benz, which often releases pictures of its future models, sometimes with heavy camouflage, sometimes without, in advance of their world debuts, as was the case recently with the A 45 AMG hatchback.

We don't have the official press release in our hands yet – it shouldn't be long before Mercedes shares it with the rest of the world, but it's obvious that there are two CLA models pictured here, a regular version and the AMG model, both featuring the brand's 4Matic all-wheel drive system, developed for FWD models with front transverse engines.

The new CLA is a spin-off model from the A-Class hatchback, with which it shares its platform, albeit stretched in length, the interior and mechanical components, including a range of four-cylinder turbocharged diesel and gasoline engines topped by the AMG model fitted with a 2.0-liter force-fed unit rated at 350-horsepower and 332 lb-ft (450Nm).

Unlike the hatchback, which has been received warmly in Europe, the CLA will be offered in North America as well.

 

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