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Mercedes Benz CLS
This class was first offered for sale in Europe in autumn 2004. The model uses the Mercedes-Benz W219 designation, and
... borrows the platform of the contemporary E-Class sedan. It is six inches(152 mm) longer than the E-Class. The car was designed to slot between the E-Class and the S-Class, and compete against the BMW 6-series, Cadillac STS and Lexus GS, along with other fastback sedans. Marketed as a 'four door coupe,' the CLS recalls the fastback sedan designs of Robert Opron in the 1970's. According to a Mercedes-Benz press release, the CLS-class was produced to combine the "strong, emotive charisma" of a coupe with the "comfort and practicality" of a sedan. Due to the popularity of the CLS-Class, other manufacturers are offering similar designs. Audi plans to release a 4-door coupé called the A7, Porsche will have the Panamera, Aston Martin is showing off its Rapide. During its development, Mercedes-Benz executives nicknamed the CLS the "Jag fighter," hoping that it would be the type of vehicle that Jaguar customers would be attracted to. Jaguar, however, has not launched a four-door coupe to compete with the CLS. The CLS-class was first displayed as the Vision CLS concept at the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The production version CLS 500 made its debut at the 2004 New York International Auto Show. A new AMG model was introduced at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the CLS 55 AMG. Only 3,000 CLS 55 AMG cars will be built each year. The CLS was first offered for sale in the United States in January 2005; only the CLS 500 and CLS 55 AMG are sold in the United States. The CLS 500 has a base price of US$65,620, with the CLS 55 starting at US$87,320. CLS63 starts at $92,500 for a "base" model, and is offered with steering wheel mounted paddles (F-1 style), and huge 19" wheels for the US market. The CLS 350 and CLS 500 have a 7-speed automatic transmission. The CLS 55 features Mercedes renowned five speed automatic gearbox that can be shifted manually or automatically. A diesel version, CLS 320 CDI, is available for the European market with a 3 liter V6 producing 224hp (167kw) and 510 N.m (376 lbf) of torque. IVM Automotive, a subsidiary of German roof system specialist Edscha, developed the entire vehicle from the Vision concept to the production version. More than 150 IVM engineers were involved, making the CLS the largest vehicle development project in the company's history. Mercedes-Benz has planned a yearly production of 30,000 units worldwide, of which about 10,000 will be allocated to the U.S market. For the model year 2007, Mercedes-Benz has replaced the CLS 55 AMG with the CLS 63 AMG. The CLS 63 uses the newly developed AMG M156 naturally aspirated V8 engine capable of 514hp (378kw) and 630 N·m (464 ft·lbf) of torque. The CLS 55 AMG was featured in the 2006 video game release Test Drive Unlimited for the Xbox 360. Loading... Please Log In / Sign Up
