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Mercedes GLE Coupe spotted in almost undisguised AMG form

Say what you will regarding the form and function of the BMW X6, the bottom line is that BMW essentially pioneered a winning formula, sloping a roofline onto an existing model to make a new and highly lucrative) derivative. No wonder rival Mercedes-Benz is clamoring to follow suit with models like the one pictured here. Under development for some time now, the model originally slated to be called the MLC and now expected to be dubbed GLE Coupe looks about ready for its big debut. It's based on the replacement for the current M-Class (to be rechristened GLE) but with that vital sloping roofline to make it more rakish. This particular example seems to be an AMG version and was spied with only minimal camouflage around the front and rear bumpers while undergoing testing in snowy climes. That could be the full-on GLE63 AMG performance variant, or the new AMG Sport model destined to debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month. If it's the former, expect it to be packing the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as the new Mercedes-AMG GT, where it produces either 462 horsepower or 510 depending on spec - ready to take on the X6 M and whatever Audi is preparing to throw at it.

Mercedes widens luxury sales gap on strong early CLA demand

Mercedes-Benz CLA sales have been booming, with the Stuttgart-based manufacturer moving 2,300 of the sleek four-doors in its first week on sale. That is astonishing. Mercedes moved nearly twice as many CLAs (which start at $29,900) in one week than Jaguar, a brand that is on a very solid roll, sold in all of September. Ignoring the price differences between the Jag line and the CLA, that is still wildly impressive.
Mercedes has been pushing the CLA in television ads, using a shortened version of its Super Bowl spot, which starred William Dafoe, Usher and Kate Upton. "As the bargain entrance into the Mercedes portfolio, we weren't sure how luxury buyers would react," Kelly Blue Book auto analyst Alec Gutierrez told Bloomberg.
The CLA push was just part of MB's 6.7-percent increase in September sales, which were also helped along by a 17-percent jump in E-Class sales. That surge has allowed Mercedes to widen its 2013 sales lead over its rival, BMW, to 2,491 cars, according to Bloomberg. If CLA sales continue at this rate, we can only expect that margin to grow.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton buys LaFerrari

Lewis Hamilton has driven some of the fastest cars ever devised, like the McLaren MP4-23 with which he won the 2008 Formula One World Championship, the Mercedes W05 with which he won the title last year, and the new W06 he drove to the checkered flag in the season opener earlier this month. But what does he drive in his spare time? According to the latest reports quoting his boss Toto Wolff, the reigning champ celebrated his win at the Australian Grand Prix by ordering a new LaFerrari. The seven-figure, 950-horsepower hybrid hypercar may be made by a rival manufacturer to the team for which he drives, but then his employers at Mercedes don't (for the time being at least) build anything that competes in the segment – unlike his former employers at McLaren that offer the similarly potent P1. Something tells us he won't be invited to drive it at Fiorano, though - which is something his rivals Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have all had the chance to do. Hamilton has a long-established penchant for driving twelve-cylinder exotic supercars in his spare time. At his previous place of work, he was promised an exceedingly rare McLaren F1 LM – valued at some $4 million – but only if he won three world titles for the Woking-based team. He also owns a Pagani Zonda that was made specifically for him with a 760-horsepower engine (supplied, naturally, by Mercedes) and a six-speed manual – complete with a clutch pedal, which (apart from starting off the line) is something he doesn't usually get to operate during working hours. Related Video: