1972 Mercedes 350slc - 164k - Non Op - Smog Exempt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

First official shot of Mercedes S-Class Coupe leaks out

With the official debut for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe expected tomorrow, it shouldn't be a surprise that some clicky fingers have already managed to uncover an official image of the car before the unveiling. Outside of this sole image, though, there's precious little detail on the new car.
First posted by Autofilou and then picked up by WorldCarFans, the production S-Class Coupe isn't far off from the concept car we saw a few months back in Frankfurt. Like the concept, the leggy production model appears related, albeit distantly, to the S-Class Sedan. The hood and front fascia are longer and lower, befitting of a two-door, while the character lines in the profile are more pronounced. Obviously, the beltline and slim, B-pillarless greenhouse are coupe-only items. We can't see any details on the back of the car, although it does appear that the long hood has a correspondingly short rear deck.
We'll have all the details on the official replacement for the CL-Class when it makes its full debut tomorrow. Until then, what do you think of this lone image? Does it appear that Mercedes has got it right? In terms of design, where would you rank this with the departing CL-Class? Have your say in Comments.

Mercedes may be working on a new electric car dubbed 'Ecoluxe'

Automobile has a lengthy piece this month on how the four German mass-market luxury manufacturers each plan to go after Tesla with their own electric vehicles. It was written by Georg Kacher, the magazine's European bureau chief, and the English version came a month after he wrote the German-language original for Autobild. Tesla isn't exactly a threat to the Germans, but, according to the report, the Model S is planting the right kinds of seeds in niches that are important to the luxury players. The thinking is that - in addition to needed electric vehicles anyway for stricter US regulations - it's better to start designing the machinery now. The article posited Porsche's attack would rest on the coming Panamera platform, but a big hurdle would be battery placement. Unable to find one large space for a lithium-ion pack, engineers would instead put batteries everywhere they could, for a supposed tally of some "108 battery pouches" throughout the body. A few days after the Automobile piece, however, Porsche publicly said it had no intention of challenging the Model S, because the enthusiastic driving the brand is known for doesn't jive with useful range. In Kacher's retelling, Mercedes' plans are even more ambitious, supposedly taking aim at the Model S and the coming Model X. It would do this with an investment in excess of $2 billion in a program called "Ecoluxe" – Mercedes has no brand division akin to BMW's i and Audi's e-tron. The new brand would create a four-strong family of bespoke electric vehicles: a smaller platform with a wheelbase around 106 inches and a larger one with a wheelbase around 118 inches. In addition, the range would have "provisions for rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and rear-wheel steering." The numbers are impressive: seating for seven in the larger vehicles, both longer than 16 feet, front and rear storage areas, ratings of up to 610 horsepower and production capacity of 80,000 units per year. When would we see such creatures? Perhaps as soon as 2019. We do know that if Tesla can knock the Model X over the outfield fence, automakers are going to have to do something. We don't know what the chances are that Ecoluxe is Mercedes' first move - but such a plan could help explain the weird Mercedes concept spied in October.

Mercedes-Benz V-ision e Concept ups the plug-in hybrid van game

The various V-Class vehicles from Mercedes-Benz don't get a lot of press around here, but when the German automaker brings something as unusual as the Concept V-ision E (yes, there's a dash in the name) to the Geneva Motor Show, we're happy to make an exception. The standard powertrain V-Class was first unveiled in Geneva last year and it returns in 2015 as a decidedly Daimleresque take on a plug-in hybrid van with a whole heap of cool new technology under the hood. C'mon, you know you want a luxury plug-in hybrid van. Well, if you think you don't want a van like that, listen to the specs and maybe you'll change your mind. It's got an all-electric range of up to 31 miles (if you're going no faster than 50 mile per hour), roughly 78 miles per gallon equivalent (based on the stated fuel economy of 3.0 liters burned per 100 kilometers) and a top speed of 128 mph. That should be plenty to get the basketball team to the tournament on time and in style. The powertrain has a total system output of 333 horsepower thanks to a four-cylinder engine and a 90-kW electric motor. If those numbers sound vaguely familiar, that's because Mercedes said it's "the same advanced drive system" as what's found in the Mercedes-Benz C 350 e, even though some of the performance figures differ. Stylistically, Mercedes has pulled no punches, adding two sun roofs, a real wood floor, nappa leather and executive seats along with something shiny and silver called "designo titanium alubeam" paint. In short, this is an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to PHEV design, and we like it. It's just a concept, though, so don't go asking to buy one just yet. Instead take a better look in the gallery above and dream of going to the auto show prom in a van like this. V-Class concept car with a PLUG-IN HYBRID drive: Mercedes-Benz Concept V-ision e - Higher Performance at Lower CO2 Emissions Stuttgart, Mar 03, 2015 At the Geneva International Motor Show the Concept V-ision e from Mercedes-Benz presents a preview of the great variety of development potential offered by the V-Class. The concept vehicle combines environmentally friendly performance with the lightness of modern luxury. The most advanced PLUG-IN HYBRID technology available ensures extremely powerful propulsion in the model, as the highly efficient drive-system duo consisting of a gasoline engine and an electric motor delivers total system output of 245 kW (333 hp) and system torque of up to 600 Nm.