Autoblog

Some people are just pathological. At first, it was amusing that Fresh C280, a member of the MDStreetScene forums, would claim to own a Mercedes CLS55 AMG. How a 19-year-old affords a car that normally retails for around $100,000 is the first thing that made everyone on the forum suspicious. A story about a digital camera becoming a sewage buoy was also an immediate head scratcher, since the pic he posted supposedly came from said camera. Further cementing the obvious dementia was the claim that the picture was taken during a dyno run in New York. It could be New York, except right now it's chilly early spring in the Empire State, and the dyno run picture clearly shows garage bays with the doors flung open and leaves on trees. It gets better as it becomes clear how many balls this kid's trying to juggle to hold up his story. There's a nice little synopsis that debunks the girlfriend angle – even though it's supposedly her car.

It didn't take long for total pwnage to occur when Fresh C280s fellow Maryland car enthusiasts did a little detective work. The car is actually owned by a CarDomain member named Xavier, who hails from Florida and showed up with proof of ownership around 30 pages in. All of the pictures posted to the MDStreetScene bulletin board were stolen from the actual owner's CarDomain page. This is weirder than the guy who thought up direct exhaust injection. The makings of a character study are all there – apparent delusional schizophrenia, a longing to be somebody, a sad little existence, and completely self-inflicted massive public humiliation. There's even a cameo by a famous lolcat. It doesn't get better than this, folks, the thread is only a day old so far. Check it out for yourself, it gets good around page 6. Oh, and Fresh C280's quote at the bottom of his posts is oddly prescient. Thanks for the tip, Terry!

[Source: MDStreetScene]

Mercedes-Benz CL500 4MATIC: click to view in high resolution

While we have four big auto shows every year in the United States – Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and New York – the Europeans get only two major shows, one in Geneva and the other alternating annually between Frankfurt and Paris. No wonder, then, that the big European automakers are descending upon Switzerland in full force, and Mercedes is no exception, coming to Geneva's Palexpo with no less than five new models.

Most of the new model debuts we've already told you about. There's the newly updated SL-Class roadster, which Mercedes will be showing with engines ranging from six to twelve cylinders. Its kid brother, the SLK, which we already saw in Detroit, will also be there with its facelift on. The new entry-level CLC will also be on display for the first time since its debut at the Berlin fashion show, along with the updated CLS four-door coupe. What we haven't told you about yet is the fifth model to debut at Geneva under the three-pointed star: the CL500 4MATIC. In case we've lost you by now with the various models bearing the letters CL, the CLC is the compact C-Class hatchback, the CLK is the mid-range coupe, the CLS is the slinky four-door and the CL is the big mama two-door version of the S-Class sedan. 4MATIC, meanwhile, is Mercedes' term for all-wheel-drive, finding its way into the big GT for the first time. The latest version of the system adds only 70 kg (154 lbs.) to the vehicle's curb weight, which relative to its existing heft is like spitting in the ocean, and helps the big coupe accelerate smoothly to 100km/h (62mph) in 5.4 seconds, while sacrificing no penalty in fuel consumption over the rear-drive model.

Check out the press release after the jump to read more about the Mercedes fleet pulling into Geneva next week, and the galleries below. including the new images of the CL500 4MATIC.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

click above to view more high-res pics of the new Mercedes-Benz CLS

Mercedes-Benz has released official information detailing the evolution changes made to its pioneering four-door coupe, the CLS. While mostly subtle, the exterior enhancements combine to soften the look of the car's exterior a bit. The grille now features two bars instead of four, the sideview mirrors are 32% larger and feature integrated turn signals that look like arrows when blinking, and the rear of the car gets new LED taillights, a redesigned rear apron and twin trapezoidal tailpipes. New wheels are also available in 17-inch and 18-inch diameters. Overall, enough has been changed for the discerning eye to notice, but Mercedes thankfully left this car's sexy silhouette untouched.

Follow the jump to learn more about what has changed on the new CLS.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

click above image to view 66 high-resolution image in our gallery

Jaguar has been pushing its product with the Gorgeous campaign for over a year now, but anyone who thinks that the current S-type can be properly described as such probably needs a new prescription for corrective lenses. To show that it's aware of the problem, the British automaker rolled out the C-XF concept into Cobo Arena last night as a hint towards what corrective action we can expect when the new XF replaces Jag's aging entry-level sedan.

The car's entire shape is drawn around the recessed metal-mesh grille, and perhaps this is the most production-ready aspect of the C-XF's styling. The striking silhouette follows the current design trend towards making four doors blend into a couple-like rooflines, and is augmented with short front and long rear overhangs (the latter of which tapers dramatically); unfortunately, that probably won't make it to the production XF. Inside, carbon fiber mixes with poplar - blackened with torches - and copious amounts of machined aluminum to provide a rather gorgeous interior experience. Especially noteworthy are the trio of B&W drivers in the rear parcel shelf, and a rotary shifter residing in place of a conventional lever.

Check out the gallery for 66 shots from the official introduction and the press release can be found after the jump.



For our comprehensive listing of everything from Detroit, click here.