Autoblog

Click image for hi-res gallery

Here's my issue with NASCAR (and I know I'm in the minority here, based on the sport's immense popularity): I can barely tell one car from another, and as a result, I get bored. Sure, I know who the big guys are and what cars they're supposedly driving, but the fact of the matter is this: the bodies are, to the naked eye, identical-looking. If the cars didn't have stickers to simulate the front fascia of an actual production car, I'd be lost. Monte Carlo SS? Charger? Fusion? Camry? Sure, if you (and the decals) say so. Thank goodness for the production-based classes in ALMS, SPEED World Challenge, Grand-Am and the like, where Vettes, Astons, Mustangs, etc. are completely identifiable.

The Germany-based DTM series also gets it right. Granted, only two marques participate -- Mercedes-Benz and Audi -- but the cars look like the ones they're supposed to be based on, well..because they are. This week in Geneva, Mercedes unveiled its extra-mean-looking new DTM car. In conjunction with the debut of the redone C-Class sedan, the new AMG-prepped DTM car has been similarly brought up-to-date. The C-Class' new beak looks right at home on the wide-bodied A4-hunter, and despite the massive fender flares, aggressive ground effects, and serious rear wing, there's no mistaking it for anything other than a C-Class.

The Germans, it seems, enjoy knowing what the hell it is they're looking at when the cars streak by the stands.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Click image for a gallery of the recently-revealed C-Class

In a report published earlier last week by Automotive News, Mercedes-Benz USA president and CEO Ernst Lieb told the industry mag that when the newly-unveiled C-Class arrives in the US this September, it'll sport a more aggressive look than its European counterpart.

What does that mean? Well, we don't know, but we'll happily don our speculation caps. When you consider that the new C will be sold in Sport (top left) and Luxury (top right) trim levels when it hits the Continent in March, it makes us think that maybe we won't see the more staid-looking Luxury version in US dealerships. The Sport, with its grille-mounted 3-pointed star, snazzy 5-spokes and AMG fascia, is clearly the more aggressive of the two. We can't imagine MB would do anything too drastic (read: costly) to separate the US car from the Euro-model, so exporting the only sportier of the two seems like a pretty good possibility to us.

How will it shake out? We'll find out in September. But if it's as simple as sending over the C-Class Sport by itself, you won't hear any complaints from us.

[Source: Automotive News -- sub req'd]