There are better people to protect secrets than the people over at Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to folks over at eMercedesBenz, the new CLS has been leaked. This is the first time we have seen the car in all of its glory.
As far as engine choices go, eMercedesBenz is reporting that there will be a new 3.5-liter direct-injection V6, as well as a twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8. That last motor will put out around 430 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. There will be an AMG version with the new 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 as well.
As we thought, the front of the car takes its design cues from the Shooting Break Concept. The grille is upright and the front is far more aggressive. The headlights are sectioned off and they look sensational. It should be interesting to see how the new LED lights look at night when they’re lit up. Around the back, the CLS gets a shapelier rear-end. The old CLS wasn’t exactly ugly, but this new machine is brilliant.
In the cabin, the CLS has the same seating arrangement with a center console that runs the full length of the cabin, like we find in the Aston Martin Rapide. That design works for this car as it would be tough to squeeze three in the back with that roofline.
Now that Mercedes doesn’t have anything to hide, we should see the car’s official photos sometime soon.
If imitation is the highest form of flattery, than consider the Mercedes-Benz S-Class completely flattered. Volvo has already made it clear that they want to build an S-Class rival, and now Detroit automaker General Motors wants to build one for Cadillac. Let’s just hope it’s more CTS than DTS.
The luxury playing field has been expanding over the past few years. The Germans were all over the segment, with the 7-Series, the A8, and the S-Class. Toyota came along and released the Lexus LS and the Infiniti Q45, Jaguar released the new XJ, and Hyundai is about the drop the Equus.
Reports are indicating that the top dog, CEO Ed Whitacre, would like Cadillac to create a premium luxury sedan. We would expect this new car - if the rumors are correct - to be slotted above the XTS around 2014. In total, that will give Cadillac nine vehicle modes on offer, from the ATS down to the Escalade. That being said, Whitacre has some time before he gets a new ride to be driven around in.
We hate to beat a dead horse (really, it’s just cruel), but we are about to mention Cadillac’s plans for a flagship yet again. We can’t help it. The company plans to unveil a new flagship model and a compact car, but again, there’s no official launch date for them. That being said, we do know that the future flagship model was previewed by the XTS Platinum concept, so we might be able to get an idea by checking that out. Of course, we’ve already done that before so let’s just move on.
Before we get to see the flagship model, we’ll be able to check out some other Cadillac goodies in store for us. First we’ll be able to see the new ATS model set to debut sometime in 2013 or 2014. It will be based on the new RWD Alpha platform and will be offered as a two-door coupe and four-door sedan. They might also come out with a convertible version, but that’s not concrete yet. The Cadillac ATS will be powered by a 3.0 liter V6 engine, with a four cylinder engine being a possibility.
As for the models already in the line-up, Cadillac has big changes for them too. The CTS will be moved to the new RWD Alpha platform and will get a redesign in 2014. Bad news for both the DTS and STS though, as they will both be discontinued in 2011 and 2010, respectively.
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In what can only be described as an aggressive growth strategy by the Jaguar Land Rover Group, Range Rover is rumored to be working hard on introducing another vehicle into an already growing line-up of models for the brand.
It wasn’t that long ago when Range Rover unveiled the new Evoque SUV to the public, joining the Range Rover Sport and signaling a turning point in the company’s direction. Turns out, according to sources, Range Rover may not be done expanding its growing portfolio.
There’s no word yet on what exactly this model is going to be, but from what we’ve heard, it looks like it’s going to be slotted somewhere between the new Evoque SUV and the Range Rover Sport. Earlier this month, we caught wind of a new premium sedan that will be priced between $40,000 and $60,000 that was currently in the works from Tata and Jaguar, but we can only hope that this second rumor is about yet another model to add to their lineup. The more the merrier!
The rapid expansion of the brand is a stark difference from the problems it was facing last year when Tata Motors scooped up the then-beleaguered brand which, at that time, was experiencing plummeting sales and was in dire need of some serious resuscitation.
Now, they’re introducing new models left and right. What a difference a year – and a change in ownership – makes, right?
After many teaser photos - many, many teaser photos - Ford is finally unveiling the 2011 Ford Explorer to the world today. However, in true Ford style, the unveiling will come in many videos and photos released throughout the day. They have already released two videos, one at 12:01am and another at 7:40am, and there will be plenty more as the day drags on.
Thankfully, we were able to get our own little video of the Ford Explorer’s unveiling this morning. You can check out our video above as well as some pictures we took while we were there.
The first of Ford’s videos showed Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” and Ford celebrity spokesman as he interviewed Ford CEO Alan Mullaly the last night. The second video was the one that everyone wants to see. Yes, we were able to witness the official unveiling of the 2011 Ford Explorer. Of course, you’ll have to sit through about three minutes and 15 seconds of Ford’s staff discuss their jobs and experiences at Ford before the tarp gets thrown off of the Explorer. Ford does seem to have a theatrical vein running through them, don’t they?
We’ll keep you posted on the videos they decide to throw out at us throughout the day. Of course, we’ll try to lump them all together so you won’t have to set your alarm for each piece of information as Ford dishes it out sparingly.
Hit the jump for the two videos already released by Ford.
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