Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery from Daimler's press conference

Just like any good political campaign, Mercedes came to the New York Auto Show touting nothing much as a whole lot. Actually, the faux political rally might have been less than compelling with its old news, but the new M Class sporting 50-state legal BlueTec diesel power is exciting. Almost as exciting as the very original 1965 190 D Mercedes had borrowed to illustrate its long-running experience with Rudy's coal dust motor. The senescent sedan will be helping MBZ recreate Bill Carroll's cross-country diesel-fueled journey to celebrate the U.S.-wide availability of what it's touting as the cleanest diesel ever. BlueTec allows the M-, GL- and R-class oil burners to earn ULEV and TierII/Bin 5 classification.

Mercedes says its new diesels are now as clean as gasoline powerplants, and once they drop BlueTec hybrids on us, emissions and economy will improve yet again. JD Power projects that fully 40 percent of vehicles will be diesel powered by 2017, and Mercedes wants to increase diesel sales beyond the current level of 22 percent. The newly tweaked M-Class should help move the powertrain off dealer lots. Sporting plenty of safety upgrades, new headlights, a Hannibal-Lechter inspired grille and some interior tweaks, the M-Class has returned from the gym freshly chiseled. It was not all utes and politely obscured minivans (*ahem* R-Class). Just before Mercedes wrapped the presser, they said, we're paraphrasing here, "Oh yeah, we also brought the SL, w00t."

Gallery: New York 2008: Mercedes M Class and SL

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Volvo C30 R-Design

Volvo directed its efforts at the New York Auto Show toward debuting the XC60 SUV for North America, but quietly standing sentinel at the front of the display was the C30 R-Design. There's not much to complain about when you gaze upon any C30, though the R-Design trimmings offer sprinkles on the cupcake. The cars will be exclusive, with oly 400 hitting showrooms in April for a base price of $25,700. The easiest way to spot the special Swedish hatches will be the metallic mirror housings, grille and grille crossbar. There's also a subtle R-Design badge affixed to the grille to identify the car as something just a little special. Special paint colors will also set off the R-Design cars, and the body kit-equipped car we photographed shined resplendently in Black Sapphire. Interior changes consist of blue-faced gauges like the actual high-performance S60R (RIP) and R-Design logos embossed into the leather inserts on the seats and metal accent bits around the cabin. The R-Design cars are more style than substance, but the exclusivity will be of value to buyers who like to have something special, and the T5 powertrain that all U.S.-bound C30s carry offers snappy performance already.