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Gran Turismo 6 will Feature Three New AMG models 
Just yesterday, we reported that the upcoming Gran Turismo 6 will feature a total of 1,200 cars. Today, Mercedes announced that three of these model will come from AMG and include: the SLS AMG GT3, E63 AMG and A45 AMG. These models will join the current lineup already offered by Mercedes in the GT5 which includes a total of 21 vehicles. The three AMG models deliver a combined output of more than 1,400 horsepower: 500 from the SLS, 557 from the E63 and 360 from the A45 AMG. The new Gran Turismo 6 will be released just in time for the holiday season, so this might be a good gift idea if you’re drawing a blank for the car lover in your family. The new GT6 will be initially available for the Play Station 3 platform, but it will be offered for the PS4 at a later date. Click past the jump to read more about the three AMG models. Full story
2013 Mercedes-Benz A 220 CDI by Brabus
Mercedes tuner extraordinaire Brabus has been quite busy the past few days. Earlier this week, it unveiled its very first program for the new CLA-Class and though it wasn’t as extensive a project as what we’ve come to expect from Brabus, it was still enough to draw significant attention. This time, Brabus is following that up with its new take on the Mercedes A-Class, particularly the A 220 CDI diesel model. There’s a tendency to ignore the A-Class because it’s the littlest brother in the Mercedes family. But doing so would be to ignore what makes it such a special car. It’s little, yeah; but it’s also affordable, especially to the younger market who can’t afford anything north of the CLA-Class. And when you have an entire generation fixated on a car that they can attach themselves with because it’s a Mercedes, then you have one that can sell more than a handful just by sitting still. Brabus knew that, hence the program for the A 220 CDI. Everybody should too. Click past the jump to read about the components Brabus installed on the Mercedes A 220 CDI Full story
Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake is in the Works We brought you a rendering of a shooting brake version of the CLA-Class last year and now we have gotten a little confirmation of the car. In a conversation with What Car?, Mercedes’ design boss, Gordon Wagener, admitted that the company is currently planning to add a shooting brake variant sometime in the future. With the CLS Shooting Brake receiving rave reviews for its careful mixture of utility, luxury and sportiness, and the CLA looking to add a little affordability to the mixture, a shooting brake model is nearly a no-brainer. For now, the report stops here, but we can say that this one is all but in the bag, considering the rather reliable source it comes from. We’ll keep a close eye on this developing report and let you know as soon as Mercedes releases a little more confirmation. Click past the jump to read more on the current CLA sedan Full story
2013 Mercedes A-Class by Vath
German tuner extraordinaire, Vath, has made a living building some of the most impressive Mercedes programs this side of Brabus. Recently, Vath added another program to its growing portfolio, this time for the 2013 Mercedes A-Class. The program is actually based on the A250 and comes with a host of upgrades that give new life to the German automaker’s resident sports hatchback. To be fair, the A-Class already looks pretty good in standard guise, but it certainly looks better with Vath’s aerodynamic program. The carbon front spoiler lip (€1416 / $1,840) adds sporty aggression to the sports hatch while the car’s brakes were improved with the addition of stainless-steel brake lines and Castrol SRF racing brake fluid. Rounding out the list of exterior enhancements is a set of 19-inch wheels and tires (€2,545 / $3,310) and lowering springs (€333 / $433) that drop the car’s height by 30mm (1.18 inches). Inside, there are not a whole lot of upgrades, but at least there’s a new sports steering wheel to go with several wood and carbon applications inside the cabin. Moving to the engine, Vath kept the A250’s 2.0-liter gasoline engine, but thanks to a remapped ECU unit (€940 / $1,222) and the installation of a 270 EVO downpipe system, a stainless-steel, 200-cell tri-metal catalyst and a rear silencer (all priced at €5,450 / $7,090), the tuner was able to improve the output all the way to 245 horsepower and 287 pound-feet of torque. Those new output numbers translate to a 0-to-100km/h (62 mph) time of just 5.9 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. 2013 Mercedes A-Class Sport
Mercedes’ stand at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show included a particularly sporty and racy A180 that was designed to preview the German automaker’s new Sport program. If this display is any indication, then Mercedes has a versatile choice of options to give its customers. Dressed in a Polar Silver exterior paint with Jupiter Red detachable parts, the A-Class Sport is a real sight for the senses. The new components fitted into the sports hatchback and treated with the Jupiter Red shade include the front apron spoiler lip, the roof spoiler, and the rear apron trim, all of which carry a distinct complement to the shiny Polar Silver body. From there, Mercedes decorated the entire body of the A-Class Sport with a sticker kit that features a checkered-flag design with a color gradient and a silver-tinted sun protection strip with red linings and a choice of racing numbers that customers can have run the entire length of the car. If that isn’t enough, the German automaker is also previewing its "Night" styling package, one that comes with its own front and rear trim, a new diamond radiator grille, illuminated door sills and a set of 18-inch two-tone light-alloy wheels. A sports steering wheel is also part of the program, as are the new sports pedals. Last but not least, the A-Class Sport also receives performance and handling kits that feature a two-pipe rear silencer, a new sports suspension system and perforated brake discs and red calipers. Check out the full list of Sport spec accessories available for the A180 after the jump Full story 2013 Mercedes-Benz A200 CDI by Brabus
German aftermarket company, Brabus, is the foremost authority when it comes to building tuning programs for Mercedes vehicles. Just look at its history and you’ll notice that about 80 percent of its projects involve Mercedes vehicles with the occasional Smart programs sprinkled in. Its latest program for the Mercedes A200 CDI is yet another shining example as to why people go to Brabus when they have a Mercedes that’s ready for some aftermarket lovin’. Compared to what we’ve seen from some of their past projects, we’d say that the performance mods given to the A200 CDI are relatively modest. But that doesn’t mean that it won’t garner some attention, especially since the A-Class is a popular choice among people looking for an affordable Benz. So with the help of its BRABUS PowerXtra D2 kit, Brabus was able to take the A200 CDI’s 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and improve its output from 136 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque up to 165 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. On top of the decent performance spike, the German tuner also added a set of grey twin-ten-spoke alloy wheels while taking out the stock exhaust and replacing it with a twin dual-exhaust setup. It’s also worth noting that with the 2013 Geneva Motor Show just around the corner, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Brabus brought this car to their exhibit space.
2014 Mercedes A45 AMG Edition 1
Mercedes told us in the past few month that every new model launched on the market will also get a special "Edition 1" and, of course, the new A45 AMG is no exception. The new Mercedes A45 AMG Edition 1 is painted in cirrus white combined with AMG sports stripes in matte graphite grey on the hood, roof and sides. The white finish has been combined with contrasting red insertions on the radiator grille, exterior mirrors and rear wing. The car sits on a set of wheels, sized 19 inches and painted matte black and combined with contrasting red-painted brake calipers. For the interior, the Edition 1 is offered with AMG Performance seats in ARTICO manmade leather, a dashboard in ARTICO manmade leather and the AMG Performance steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather. The A45 AMG Edition 1 is also offered with a new Performance Package that removes the speed limiter, so that the A45 AMG Edition 1 can hit a top speed of 167 mph not the 155 mph the standard version is limited to. Three More A45 AMG-Based Models Under Development Now that we have officially seen the new A45 AMG sports hatch, it looks like Mercedes has three more A45 AMG-based models in the works, all of them are rumored to be unveiled at major shows in the upcoming months. The first to arrive will be an AMG version for the new CLA-Class. It will arrive at the New York Auto Show and will be followed by the GLA45 AMG and the CLA Shooting Brake. All three models will be powered by the same engine used in the A45 AMG: a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 360 horsepower and a peak torque of 331 pound-feet. Also, performance figures will be pretty much identical: 0 to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The only model to be a little bit slower will be the GLA45 AMG due to its added weight. 2014 Mercedes-Benz A45 AMGWith so many Mercedes-Benz AMG models floating around the market at the moment, it would have been easy to forget that the German giant doesn’t have a direct competitor to the Audi RS3 hatch or the BMW M135i. That’s where the new A45 AMG is said to step in. Pinned to be the most affordable AMG on sale, the A45 AMG aims to not only compete with the aforementioned BMW and Audi models, but to completely annihilate them with its performance capabilities. The A45 AMG has actually been in development for the better part of two years, and, after spying it in many times, the first official details on the car are finally here. It is the first high-performance vehicle Mercedes has ever offered in the compact class, and according to officials it will target the age range from 30 to mid-40. The new Mercedes A45 AMG will be making its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will be put on sale in April. UPDATE 2/13/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG. Full story 2013 Mercedes A-Class Brabus "Tune-It-Safe!"Tune it! Safe!, the campaign for safe and legal automobile tuning, has revealed its 8th specialty model at the 2012 Essen Motor Show. This year, it decided to use a Brabus-tuned Mercedes A250 BlueEFFICIENCY for the occasion. In collaboration with Hankook, the campaign’s main sponsor, the special police-livery A-Class was given a Brabus body kit comprising of a new front spoiler, and a roof spoiler. Foliatec then dressed the A250 BlueEFFICIENCY in full police livery and Hella supplied a special signal system — "RTK 7" — with the latest LED technology, blue lights and sirens. Finally, a quad-tailpipe exhaust system and a set of 19" Brabus "Liquid Titanium" alloy wheels wrapped in Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 2 tires round out the exterior modifications on the car. Inside, the Tune It! Safe! A-Class’ interior modifications were highlighted by alloy pedals, special floor mats, and controls for the aforementioned roof-mounted light bar. As far as performance goes, the car’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was treated to a sharp power improvement and it now pumps out a stout 245 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. All told, that allows the Tune It! Safe! A-Class to hit a top speed of 155 mph while also averaging 38.6 mpg with CO2 emissions of just 143 g/km.
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