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Here is a 2004 Mercedes Benz CLK320 Convertible with the very rare Espresso Designo package. This convertible has been a lifelong Florida kept vehicle. It has an original MSRP of $63,805 and is shown in Obsidian Black Metallic on Premium leather with Napa Light Brown inserts. It comes with the incredibly rare Designo package from Mercedes which includes premium Napa light brown leather two tone seats, natural maple wood trim on wheel and dash, Alcantara suede A pillars, and Designo badges. This option alone was $6900 from Mercedes Benz and is extremely rare. Here is a breakdown of the MSRP and other options on this CLK320.

Keyless GO (push button start and key recognition) $1040

Espresso Designo Package $6900

Obsidian Black Metallic Paint $670

Command Integrated Navigation System $2170

Heated Seats $670

This Espresso Designo CLK is in outstanding condition for the age and mileage and has been pampered. Mechanically the vehicle has no issues and is an absolute dream to drive.It also has 4 brand new tires that were just installed! It comes with 2 keys, books, navigation disc, and factory floor mats. This is a very stately and rare Mercedes convertible. Don’t miss your chance to own the first year of this updated CLK body style at a great value. This is the only Espresso Designo CLK320 I have seen to date! For a ten year old car, the body is very nice, no door or fender dings. There are a few lite scratches.

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VW could look outside its own ranks for next CEO

Fri, Feb 27 2015

Companies have two options when coming up with succession plans – hire within, or go outside its ranks. Either choice comes with advantages and disadvantages, to be sure. Hiring within means generally getting someone familiar with the company and its culture and traditions, while going outside is ideal if you're looking to shake things up and bring in fresh ideas. It's unclear which avenue the Volkswagen Group will go down when it comes time to replace its head man, Herr Professor Doctor Doctor Herr Martin Winterkorn, but he isn't ruling out a trip outside of Wolfsburg. Winterkorn has already given the reins of the VW brand to former BMW board member Herbert Diess, while Andreas Renschler, a former Daimler board member, is heading up VW's truck group. Now, Winterkorn has made some statements to a German weekly that indicate the most important thing about his successor isn't necessarily his (or her, though no women appear to be on the short-list) previous employer, Motoring.com.au is reporting, so much as his qualities as a leader and an engineering background. "A Volkswagen boss has to have a big affinity to our products. He needs to be close to customers and he needs to have a relationship with dealers," Winterkorn told Stern. "Like always, it depends on the personality and it also helps if the candidate is an engineer." Motoring throws out a couple of potential candidates from within, including Porsche boss Mathias Muller, Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler and engineering guru Ulrich Hackenberg, in addition to both Diess and Renschler. And while each candidate has a lot of potential, the only thing that's guaranteed right now is what Winterkorn has already said: "The decision about who will succeed me is not an easy one for the supervisory board."

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class caught totally undisguised

Mon, 18 Mar 2013

Based on the lightly camouflaged spy shots of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class we've seen lately, it hasn't taken a vivid imagination to picture what the next iteration of this big luxury sedan will look like. Even so, we now we have our first unobstructed views of the redesigned S-Class, codenamed W222, as it has just been caught out flaunting for some promo shots.
The first thing we notice about the new S-Class design is the disappearance of the last generation's flared wheel arches. Yet the new design adds even more character with bodyside creases similar to the CLS-Class and some elements reminiscent of 2007's F700 Concept, including the massive grille and vertical LED taillights. Other key details include a large panoramic roof and the narrow exhaust outlets, but the large LED-trimmed headlights and the aggressive front fascia are probably the biggest departure from the current design. With these spy shots, we also catch a blurry shot of the interior, but we've seen a practically uncovered look at the new S-Class' cabin back in January.
Overall, the next S-Class sports an expressive and premium new look, but as far as all-new designs go, it's quite conservative - a move no doubt fitting for these lean financial times.

Mercedes has already booked 30k orders for new S-Class

Mon, 21 Oct 2013

When Toyota snags 30,000 Corolla orders over a three-month span, it's entirely possible we're in the midst of a global economic collapse and that the end is nigh. That's because the scale for Toyota is so very large. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, operates on a much smaller scale, particularly when we talk about its higher-end models, like the S-Class.
In 2012, Mercedes sold 65,000 of its flagship sedans in Germany and the EU. That's 178 units per day, for 365 days. Based on that, you can imagine the excitement at Stuttgart when it accepted 30,000 orders for the new S-Class in just three months. That's an average of 333 per day on a continent with a notoriously shaky economy. Now, admittedly, this enthusiasm could wane as the refitted S-Class becomes more common and Mercedes achieves market saturation in Europe's many chauffeur and livery services, but Mercedes isn't choosing to look at it that way.
"The new S-Class has already jumped back into the lead in terms of new vehicle registrations in Germany and its neighboring European countries," Mercedes-Benz head of sales and marketing, Ola Kaellenius, said in a statement last week.

2004 Mercedes Benz Clk320 Rare Designo Nav Keyless Go Hid 2 Tone Leather on 2040-cars