1992 Mercedes-benz 300sl Base Convertible 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ultra-rare Maybach 57S Coupe ordered new by Moammar Gadhafi is for sale

One of Maybach's rarest 21st-century cars is for sale in Holland, and it owes its existence to one of the most controversial African leaders in recent history. Dutch exotic car dealer Auto Leitner listed a Xenatec-built Maybach 57S Cruisero coupe ordered and customized by Colonel Moammar Gadhafi but built after his death. Short-lived German coachbuilder Xenatec chose to start with the short-wheelbase 57 rather than with the longer and more stately 62. It didn't alter the sedan's length or wheelbase; instead, it created the Cruisero by extending the front doors, removing the rear doors, and adding more rake to the roof pillars. Several other minor visual tweaks set the coupe apart from the sedan, and the interior was given a more superficial makeover. Xenatec made no mechanical modifications, so power comes from an AMG-built 6.0-liter V12 twin-turbocharged to 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It spins the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission. Although the coupe weighs 6,000 pounds, it takes five seconds to reach 60 miles per hour from a stop. The 57S Coupe was not a hefeweizen-fueled hack job haphazardly welded together in a shed. It was authorized by Daimler, and it was engineered to the same standards as the regular-production car. Executives were confident that they could sell 100 units to politicians, entrepreneurs, oligarchs, and other wealthy people around the world, but Xenatec filed for bankruptcy and closed after making only eight when one its main investors, a Saudi Arabia-based company named Auto Kingdom, abruptly stopped funneling money into the project. Gadhafi configured Auto Leitner's 57S Coupe, which was the fourth one built, and he should have taken delivery of it in 2012, but the Libyan Civil War that erupted in 2011 and ultimately led to his death on October 20 of that year derailed those plans. It was instead sold to another buyer whose identity is unknown. What's certain is that the person who ended up with Gadhafi's Maybach rarely drove it: its odometer shows about 1,429 miles. Highly optioned, this 57S is equipped with 20-inch wheels, soft-close doors, heated and massaging individual rear seats separated by a fridge, rear tray tables, front and rear air conditioning systems, a rear-seat entertainment system, and, for good measure a fire extinguisher.

Mercedes mulling Renault-based entry-level X-Class?

Somewhere in between the Smart brand and the all-new A-Class (pictured above), Daimler is said to be readying a smaller entry-level product for the Mercedes-Benz brand to compete with models like the Audi A1. According to AutoBild, Mercedes-Benz will get a new hatchback based on a platform from its recent partnership with Renault-Nissan, and it could be called the X-Class.
Expected to debut by 2018, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class could be offered in sedan, hatchback and crossover variants, and it would likely have a starting price below the $20,000-euro mark. Power would come from either a 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder engine or a 1.5-liter inline-four, and the car would likely be built in a low-cost nation in order to make the financials work. Wearing the Mercedes-Benz name, the X-Class would have to exhibit more distinguishable luxury and styling to set itself apart from the models that helped provide its underpinnings.

2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 revealed as the biggest, most luxurious S-Class

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS-Class made a splash recently as the company's ultra-luxury crossover. But if you're a well-heeled individual looking for the true peak of Mercedes luxury, there's no replacement for the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580, the biggest, fanciest sedan the company can produce. You'll be able to identify the land yacht thanks to a number of styling tweaks. The grille gets slender vertical chrome bars, and the lower intakes feature a chrome mesh. Topping the grille is a Mercedes hood ornament. The hood is restyled, too, with a center ridge running front to back with a line of chrome trim. Besides these styling tweaks, the Mercedes-Maybach has had its wheelbase stretched a full seven inches, with the space going to rear passenger room. The stretch also included rear quarter windows. Just behind those windows are illuminated Mercedes-Maybach badges. The car can also be optioned with an array of exclusive wheels and two-tone paint. The two-tone paint jobs can take up to a week to complete. Of course, the interior is what really sets the Mercedes-Maybach apart from the "average" S-Class. All examples come standard with Mercedes Designo leather upholstery, and even the headliner is finished in leather. Like other S-Class models, there is an air freshener function, and Mercedes has saved a special scent specific to the Maybach. The front seat backs are covered in wood trim to enhance the design. Rear occupants get individual 11.6-inch screens for entertainment, as well as a removable tablet for controlling various car functions. Passengers get to enjoy a 1,750-watt, 30-speaker Burmester sound system, which won't be interrupted by outside noises thanks to additional sound deadening materials around the rear arches, thicker laminated quarter windows and active noise cancelling. Foam-filled tires and laminated glass around the rest of the car are options. Speaking of options, there aren't many, but they're also quite lavish. The one we expect to be quite popular is the executive rear seating. It replaces the rear bench with two reclining chairs complete with power leg rests. These leg rests even feature massage functions, a first for the S-Class. The seats come with climate adjustments and several massage settings. The option also adds seatbelt airbags and frontal airbags for the rear passengers. Other interior options include a refrigerator, champagne flutes and electrically assisted rear doors for easier entry and exit.