2014 Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series to start at $275k*, C63 Edition 507 priced from $70k*

The 2014 model year is shaping up to be quite an exciting one for fans of Mercedes-Benz and its AMG cars. Two of the newest additions to the AMG family go on sale over the next couple months, and Mercedes has revealed pricing for the ultimate SLS AMG GT and its most powerful and exclusiveC63 AMG variant. The 2014 C63 AMG Edition 507 goes on sale this month with a price starting at $70,000 (*not including $925 for destination) and the 2014 SLS AMG GT Black Serieshits dealers in August – in "extremely limited" numbers – starting at $275,000 (*plus $1,800 for destination).

As for the Edition 507, this car will be offered in sedan form starting at $70,000 and as a coupe for $72,500, which are both price hikes of just over $10,000 over the standard C63 AMG models; unfortunately, the wagon model we recently drove will not be offered in the US. Edition 507 cars will receive a hefty bump in horsepower to 507 ponies, and it will get plenty of styling cues to set it apart as well. Some of the options on the for the Edition 507 will include matte exterior paint, a locking differential and carbon fiber trim.

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Next Mercedes C-Class sedan shows its face

Although our recent spy shots of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class revealed a mostly uncovered look at the sedan's profile, these latest images give us our best look yet at its front end. Caught performing some hot-weather tests, this sedan is devoid of any major camouflage obscuring the fascia, grille and headlights, showing off what is clearly an E-Class-inspired face.

With its two-bar grille and massive lower intakes – similar to what we've already seen on the 2014 E-Classwith Sport Styling Package – we wonder if Mercedes is planning to offer the new C-Class with two distinct visual packages. As a refresher, expect to see the redesigned C-Class sedan make its debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, followed shortly thereafter by wagon, coupe and convertible variants.

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Mercedes releases spy shots of its sub-SLS AMG sports car

Mercedes has handed out "spy shots" of its sub-SLS AMG sports car prototype, which tells us that this on-again/off-again product is most definitely on again. Looking smaller than the company's SLS AMG in these first shots of a running prototype, it nevertheless appears to retain the same basic shape as the larger halo car with a long hood and the cabin located far back on the chassis. Despite the similarities in shape, it does not have gullwing doors and appears to have barely enough room for 2+2 seating like the Porsche 911.

Moving into the realm of speculation and hearsay, the sub-SLS should have a good fighting weight thanks to a new all-aluminum spaceframe, and be powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 producing in the neighborhood of 485 horsepower. Of course, being a Merc, we can expect a 500+hp S variant and a bonkers Black Series model with something approaching 600 hp, the latter of which would be spoiling for a fight with the 911 Turbo. As for the car's name, we're told internally its codename is C190, but the production model could go by GT,SLC or even revive the SLR moniker.

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2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG

Mercedes-Benz has AMG on an impressive growth curve these days, the official name of the effort being Performance 50. By the 50th anniversary of AMG in 2017, the Mercedes performance division will produce 30,000-plus units per year, up from today's 20,000 or so. In addition, AMG will boast a catalog of 30-plus models, and a greater dedication to making AMG cars truly nimble performers in every sense will be a priority. Within that very full agenda, this new CLA45 AMG is certain to be an important contributor on all accounts.

The thrill monitors at AMG have a long-established reputation for creating large, open-road rockets that err on the side of brute force and everyday comfort over zippy, tight-feeling sports car finesse and balance. The strategy has worked wonders for the company's sales ledger and created handsome levels of profit per unit, but entire developing sectors of the premium hot-car market have been knowingly left out of the AMG equation. While there are exceptions, AMG has never been considered a maker of truly agile machinery that's easily tossed around.

The very first thing that we notice while driving the CLA45 AMG – on schedule for North American deliveries beginning in November with a reported starting price of $47,450 – is exactly how lively its new 4Matic chassis can be. It's an entirely new feeling for an AMG, and it's entirely welcome by us. Some will complain about the price being asked for this super CLA-Class, but this little sedan is a true AMG of the new genre, and as such, it might just be something of a bargain.

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2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG revealed

Following the reveal of the standard Mercedes-Benz S-Class last month, we're eagerly anticipating the next several chapters of the brand's flagship range, especially the all-important S63 AMG. And while Mercedesitself has done a pretty good job of keeping things under wraps, it looks like a mistake was made. As part of its celebration kicking off S-Class production at the company's Sindelfingen, Germany plant, Mercedes released some official videos showing the new sedan coming off the line, and the one you see here is the S63 AMG.

Because of how precisely styled all of Merc's new cars are, the AMG models won't necessarily carry the same sort of visual assault that they've had in generations past. For example, take a look at the brand new CLA250, and then compare it to a CLA45 AMG. Almost identical, right? Even here with the S-Class, the larger air intakes below the front bumper are a dead giveaway about the performance underneath (as are the larger wheels), but it doesn't look substantially more aggressive than the other S-Class models sitting in the same room.

We don't have official details on the new S63 AMG yet, but we expect the company's twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 to be found underhood, putting out something like 550 horsepower in the base model. (Like the newE-Class, an S model will likely be offered). The AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive will likely be part of the S63 AMG package, too.

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Next-gen Mercedes C-Class spotted under the covers

We aren't expecting to see the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class until the 2014 Detroit Auto Shownext January, but our quick-snapping spy shooters managed to catch a prototype being pulled out from under the covers. In these shots, we can clearly see that the new C-Class will take many of its design cues from the larger E- and S-Class sedans – something that's especially noticeable with the more vertical taillamps.



When Mercedes-Benz launches the new C-Class next year, it will reportedly come with a range of gasoline,diesel and hybrid powerplants, as well as a couple of different bodystyles (at least sedan and coupe, anyway). Of course, Mercedes-Benz will need to reposition the C-Class in its lineup, since this small sedan will no longer be the entry point to the brand, what with the fresh new CLA-Class hitting our market later this year.

Still, there should be a lot to like about the upcoming C-Class, and folks from Mercedes-Benz are eager to get this thing on the road. In an earlier Automotive News report, the company's US CEO, Steve Cannon, admitted that, "We were fighting the 3 Series with two arms tied behind our back, and now we will change that."

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Face to giant face with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz isn't a brand afraid to put on a show for any old reason at all – like, just because it's Tuesday – but the premiere of the 2014 S-Class, even by the standards we're used to, was Broadway-theater intense. Held at a purpose-built venue inside a hanger at the Airbus factory in Hamburg, the hours-long extravaganza was hosted by two German newscasters and guest-starred Alicia Keyes, an A380, fireworks, every model in the lineup in a choreographed driving routine while The Stig did donuts in an SLS AMG in the rain, and at the very end, burlesque. That's how much the S-Class means to this brand.

What's it going to mean to the razor's edge of the mass-market large luxury sedan market? The exterior, that's ripe for debate. But the interior – well, it just hung a sign on the segment that read, "Achtung! This,meine Damen und Herren, is how it's done."

Truth be told, we were concerned about meeting the latest conveyance of kings. We couldn't get a handle on its proportions in the photos – the homogenized face gave us pause, and the sloping rear end had us genuinely concerned that this was about to get ugly.

Turns out the car is fine. Some other introductions of late have had us worried that Mercedes is designing cars like it knows people will buy them no matter what, even if they're unattractive (SL anyone?). And they're right - the new SL will not have a problem finding new owners to please, and it is a terrific car for its class, but to our eyes the current convertible is an aesthetic step sideways and down compared to the last one. And those headlight eyebrows that are going on everything, well, let's just not get into that.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 BlueTEC 4Matic

We got our first taste of the refreshed 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK lineup last summer, once again affirming our belief that it's easy to fall in love with the littlest Benz CUV. There's something sort of charming about the boxy, rugged-looking luxury crossover, and while it won't set the world on fire in terms of driver engagement, it's a solid front-runner in the segment.

In addition to the GLK350 – in both rear- and all-wheel-drive forms –Mercedes-Benz has now launched this GLK250 BlueTEC model, packed with a brand new 2.1-liter four-cylinder diesel engine and offered exclusively with the automaker's 4Matic all-wheel drive. With improved fuel economy and torque-tastic diesel characteristics, this oil-burning GLK could easily be the star child of the company's small CUV lineup. We hit the roads northwest of Ann Arbor, MI to find out.

Driving Notes

• Mercedes' new 2.1-liter turbo-diesel engine is good for a healthy 200 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. This is the first application of Merc's new four-pot diesel here in the US, but we'll soon be seeing it in the E-Class later this year. Compared to the GLK350, the diesel engine has 102 less horsepower but 96 more foot-pounds of twist. What's more, the torque thrust is delivered at just 1,600 rpm in the BlueTEC, compared to 3,500 rpm in the GLK350.

• That said, the GLK250 is significantly slower off the line than its naturally aspirated counterpart. Hitting 60 miles per hour in the BlueTEC takes 7.9 seconds, compared to only 6.4 seconds in the GLK350. Of course, the diesel model is slightly heavier than its petrol-drinking kin – 4,321 pounds here versus the 4,079 of a 4Matic-equipped GLK350.

First official 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class exterior image leaked

Thanks to some quick-triggered spy photographers in the right place at the right time, we've already seen our first undisguised images of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Now, BlogAutomobile from France has managed to get a hold of what appears to be the first official image showing the exterior design of the big luxury sedan. Of course, Mercedes-Benz has already released a select batch of images showing the car's interior.

The car in this image appears to be identical to the car photographed back in March right down to the color, multi-spoke wheels and even the license plate. With the extra effect added into this image, it practically confirms that it is a leaked press photo. Have a good look then let us know what you think in the Comments.

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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive

Reading the stats for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Driveis like looking at the Prada storefront on Rodeo Drive – it is an extravagance tinged with Electrobeam gaudiness that's so far from normal it makes the average viewer declare, "Interesting, but..." before trying to find the stargate back to Earth.

It's a shame if the SLS AMG Electric Drive comes off as an otherworldly bauble for the moneyed – most of whom won't appreciate it beyond the early-adopter and top-tenth-of-one-percenter status it confers – because it's almost 2.5 tons of passionately engineered electric fun and optic-smashing vinyl wraps. To overlook it is to miss out on technology that is, we hope, headed for a more prosaic AMG soon. We drove this car on the same day as the SLS AMG Black Series, and there was so much to learn and enjoy that we almost regretted having to leave it to drive the Black Series. Almost.

Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept gets mobbed in China

If the reception it received at the Shanghai Motor Show is any judge of marketplace acceptance, Mercedes-Benz has a hit on its hands in the form of the GLA Concept. And we can understand why – we're quickly becoming fans of Mercedes' recent styling language, as defined by new models like the CLA and this GLA Concept.

The big news on the exterior front are the headlamp clusters, which have frickin' laser beams attached to their foreheads embedded inside that are capable of projecting videos and images on a screen. Plus, a pair of video cameras are mounted on the roof that can be used to capture driving excitement or removed and taken with you. How cool is that? We just hope they have a substantial locking mechanism to prevent would-be thievery... 

Mercedes 300SL Gullwing wrecked by mechanic

This one isn't going to be for the faint of heart. A mechanic recently destroyed a Mercedes-Benz 300SLduring a test drive near Pleidelsheim in Baden-Wütterburg, Germany. The owner brought the car to Mechatronics, a shop specializing in high-end and vintage Mercedes-Benz vehicles, for some work. After the job was done, a 26-year-old technician hopped behind the wheel and brought a 19-year-old apprentice with him for the ride. As you can see, the car did come back in one piece, but that piece didn't quite look like it used to. Police say – surprise! – speed was a factor when the vintage Gullwing left the road and rolled. Neither the driver nor the passenger were seriously injured.

All told, the damage is estimated 650,000 euros, or $830,000 at current conversion rates. Both the car and the garage are sufficiently insured to cover the damages, and Spiegel Online says the owner took the news about his destroyed classic in stride. At this point, it's unclear whether their driver will pay to have this particular car repaired.

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Unveiled – 2014 Mercedes 6x6 G63AMG

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a six-wheel version of its extreme luxury off-roader, the G63 AMG.Based on a military version of the decades-old truck that it created for the Australian army, the hand-built 6×6 has a pickup bed grafted onto its cabin to accommodate the extra axle, a total of five locking differentials, bead lock wheels and a compressed air system that allows the driver to adjust tire pressures remotely.
Power comes from the standard G63s twin-turbocharged V8, which is good for an earth-moving 536 hp, 561 lb-ft torque and not at all overkill as the vehicle weighs 8,300 pounds.
Fuel economy has not been determined, but since the 4×4 version gets 13 mpg combined, you can guess it won’t be that impressive. Two 21-gallon gas tanks should help with any range anxiety you experience.

U.S. sales have not been confirmed, but Autocat says Mercedes-Benz expects to build 20-30 of the monster trucks each year at a price second only to its most expensive car, the upcoming battery-powered $550,000 AMG E-Cell sports car.
Since that one uses no fuel, consider it the world’s most expensive carbon offset for the G63 6×6.