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Spy Shots: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS shows off even more skin

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Up until last week, Mercedes-Benz had been doing a rather admirable job keeping the 2011 CLS under wraps. But as we saw last Friday, that got blown out of the water as the forthcoming four-door was caught posing for the camera as part of what appeared to be a photo shoot. All that was missing was a nice clean shot from the front.

Problem solved. This morning, a lone image has appeared that shows off the shapely new 2011 CLS' SLS-inspired fascia with LED lighting, dramatically sloping roofline and its newly contoured bodysides. As we saw last week, a bit of comparison work proves that the production car will share the vast majority of its sheetmetal with the CLS Shooting Break (yes, we know... it should be Brake, but we didn't name it) concept that M-B introduced just a few months back.

In fact, the car in the spy shot looks so much like the conceptual CLS hatch that we had to open the two in their own windows the double check what we were looking at. See for yourself. In any case, we're mostly digging this new fastback sedan shape and relishing the idea of a 5.5-liter turbocharged and direct injected AMG-fettled V8 engine underhood.

[Source: SecretNewCars.com]

Spy Shots: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS shows off even more skin originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 May 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beijing 2010: Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break concept is the four-door coupe of wagons

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Wagon, Mercedes-Benz, Beijing Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

The shooting break (yes, it's 'break,' not 'brake', according to M-B's marketers) design isn't something new - we've seen it before in smaller vehicles like the original BMW Z3 M Coupe. Today, though, Mercedes-Benz takes the shooting break concept one step further with the addition of two rear doors and a healthy dose of next-generation style. It's the CLS Shooting Break Concept, folks. Think of this as the four-door coupe for the wagon segment.

The exterior design is awash with swoopy shapes that mimic both coupe and hatchback/wagon elements. Full LED headlamps and sharp 20-inch wheels round off the whole outside package, and if we're honest, we really like it.

Under the hood lies a direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 capable of producing 306 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque (the exact same output as a Cadillac CTS, for what it's worth). Mercedes-Benz hasn't released estimates, but the automaker says that the concept car "sets new standards among the competition in terms of fuel consumption."

Scroll through our gallery below to see live shots of the CLS Shooting Break Concept direct from the floor of the Beijing Motor Show.

Gallery: Beijing 2010: Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break concept

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept

Beijing 2010: Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break concept is the four-door coupe of wagons originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept revealed ahead of Beijing *UPDATED

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Wagon, Mercedes-Benz, Beijing Motor Show, Design/Style, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz may not have invented the idea of a "four-door coupe" with the original CLS back in 2005, but the German automaker can surely be credited with the recent influx of such designs from automakers as varied and far-ranging as BMW, Jaguar and Hyundai. As such, you can be sure that Mercedes is keenly interested in reinventing the look it made so popular in the first place so as to differentiate itself from its competitors.

As we reported late last month, it seems likely that Mercedes-Benz will use the upcoming Beijing Motor Show to preview its next-gen CLS, along with the introduction of what appears to be a production-ready shooting break design. While the moniker is more often spelled 'shooting brake,' MB is keen to point out that the correct spelling is 'break,' as in breaking a horse that draws a carriage. Whatever the name, we're liking what we see from this concept.

From what we can see in these pictures, which we presume show a conceptual shape that's awfully close to what a future production model will look like, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break seems to be a much more successful design than that of the BMW 5 Series GT that it will undoubtedly be compared to. We'd also wager that the rear hatchback and flat load floor would prove fairly useful in real life due to a suitably tall roof without too much downward slope.

Powerplants for the next-gen CLS are also previewed by this concept. Expect a turbocharged and direct injected 3.5-liter V6 engine with over 300 horsepower along with an uplevel turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 that puts out around 435 horsepower and over 400 pound-feet of torque. Those engines will reportedly provide a 25-percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the mills they replace and will route power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Not powerful enough for you? Perhaps the 5.5-liter V8, complete with turbocharging and direct injection, in the AMG model will be more to your liking. How does up to 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque sound?

Expect to see a sedan (codenamed C218) in addition to this shooting brake (codenamed X218) when the next-gen CLS is finally ready for production. Either way, it appears buyers will be getting cutting-edge styling along with a nicely appointed and luxurious interior. As always, we suggest you take a peek for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

UPDATED: Official press release added after the jump.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept revealed ahead of Beijing *UPDATED

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept revealed ahead of Beijing *UPDATED originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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