Mercedes-Benz Said to Have Approved CLC Small Shooting Brake Model

Being that the Stuttgart company has already officially confirmed a shooting brake derivative of the new CLS, which it previewed in April with the concept you see in these photos and that was displayed at the China Auto Show, Zetsche's decision to build a similar version of its “baby CLS” sounds reasonable.

Its styling will be a fusion of the CLC and the CLS shooting brake, with the emphasis given on the desugn rather than practicality and outright loading capacity.

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Piecha Design Mercedes SLK

A redesigned bumper fitted with a spoiler lip, new vents and LED daytime running lights dominates the front end of the car. Piecha Design's aerodynamic package also includes side skirts with LEDs that light the asphalt under the car. At the rear end, Piecha designers fitted the Mercedes SLK with a new diffuser, available in two sizes, small or large. In addition to its functional role, the diffuser also acts as a frame for the quad tailpipes. Finally, a rear spoiler lip on the boot lid completes the aero package.

Piecha also offers 19-inch monoblock rims with a turbine-inspired design. The wheels are available in combination with 25 mm lowering springs. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for aftermarket specialists to get their hands on the new Mercedes-Benz SLK. Piecha Design is if not the first, one of the first tuners to release a package for the compact German roadster. Named “Accurian RS”, the kit focuses on exterior enhancements.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Carlsson

Mercedes Carlsson also worked on the suspension, offering sport springs that lower the car by 30 millimeters and improve handling. The aerodynamic package consists of a new front bumper with an RS spoiler lip, a rear spoiler plus redesigned bumper and assorted sills. The car rides on light Carlsson-designed wheels, sized from 18 to 20 inches, with complete sets of rims and tires available from €2,712 ($3,850).

For the interior, Carlsson offers only new details such as gearshift lever covered with leather and Alcantara, aluminum door pins, soft velvet door mats with the Carlsson logo and aluminum pedals with footrests.German aftermarket specialist Carlsson released a new tuning package for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, offering 20 percent more power, a new aero package and interior improvements. All these are available for the E 350 CDI model, whose 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine delivers 231 horsepower out of the box. As expected, Carlsson didn't think that was enough, so it developed the C-Tronic Diesel Power CD28-35 REVO package that consists mainly of ECU remapping.

Engine power is boosted by 20 percent to 280 horsepower, while maximum torque goes from 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) to 648 Nm (478 lb-ft). The package is also available as a retrofit solution, for a price of €1,784 ($2,532). The sport end mufflers with two double-walled stainless steel end tubes are even more expensive, at €2,319 ($3,290).

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Mercedes has not yet given out specific details on the SLS AMG Emergency Medical Vehicle, so we don’t know what else it gets aside from the proper livery and flashing LEDs. The SLS AMG will be joined by similar versions of the latest C-Class and E-Class models. We are not quite sure what you would do with a two-door, low riding, Gullwing-door emergency medical vehicle with a boot capacity of just 176 liters, other than to reach an accident scene in a flash, but even if that’s the case, we assume a motorcycle would be a better choice. Then again, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Emergency Medical Vehicle is just a pure study and it will make its world premiere at this week’s 2011 RETT mobil in Germany. The show is the largest European trade fair for rescue and mobility and it runs from May 11 to 13.

McLaren's MP4-12C GT3

This year will be a development season for the MP4-12C GT3 with McLaren planning to debut the new car at the Blancpain Endurance Series race at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain, followed by Magny-Cours and Silverstone. The company also intends to enter the 24 Hours of Spa endurance race and to make an appearance at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

McLaren's development team drivers are Andrew Kirkaldy, Oliver Turvey and Alvaro Parente. This year McLaren GT will produce 20 cars, which will be raced by customer teams in 2012. Scroll down to learn more about the car and to see it in action alongside its road-going brethren.McLaren has announced full technical specifications of its MP4-12C GT3 racing model, which much surprisingly, has 100 horses less than the road car it's based upon. The racer uses the same 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 engine (codenamed M838T), but in a de-tuned state deliver 500 horsepower (down from 600HP) in order to “provide optimum power for a performance-balanced race car,” according to McLaren.

The British carmaker says the GT3’s tweaked aerodynamics and lightweight construction more than compensate for the loss in output. The eight-cylinder engine is linked to a six-speed sequential gearbox, which is 80 kg lighter than the road car's 7-speed box. In addition, the GT3 gets a race-spec suspension setup and improved aerodynamics. The MP4-12C GT3 was first tested in the F1 team's McLaren Simulator, with the car also benefiting from the brand’s Formula 1 expertise in many other aspects. “The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the 12C’s carbon MonoCell and the same steering wheel design employed by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car,” said Martin Whitmarsh, CEO McLaren Group.

“Plus, we are working closely with Formula 1 suppliers past and present: Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin for example. This blend of road car and Formula 1 technology and experience will be a great advantage to anyone racing a 12C GT3 in 2012,” he added.

Mercedes to Mark Unimog's 60th Birthday

The name “Unimog” is short for "Universal-Motor-Gerät", which stands for “universal motor unit” in German. Over the years, Mercedes’ hardcore truck has been used in a variety of tasks ranging from agriculture, construction, utilitarian work, military, security, expeditions and more. Since 1951, the Unimog has been produced in more than 300,000 units.The anniversary celebration will feature many attractions including a large exhibition of historical Unimog vehicles, special demonstrations on the off-road course, an "Old against New" show, and an opportunity to tour the plant.

There will also be a Unimog rally, in which 60 vehicles will be driven from the previous production location in Gaggenau via the Unimog Museum to the current production site in Wörth. On June 5, the celebrations will continue at the museum, where demonstrations with Unimog vehicles will take place, as well as specialist presentations and book-signings by famous authors of books on the Unimog.
This year, Mercedes-Benz's Unimog truck celebrates its 60th birthday and to honor this milestone, the German automaker will host a special anniversary party on June 4. Fans, club members, owners of classic vehicles, drivers and owners of current models are all invited to the event, which will be hosted at the Wörth plant in Germany where the Unimog is built today.