Rumors: Mercedes-Benz to Gun for BMW’s X6 with New GLS

It seems that 2014 is going to be a good year for SUV fans: after the news on Audi’s Q4, Mercedes-Benz is also reportedly planning to release another crossover, according to Autocar. However, this one will be more up-market and will have BMW’s X6 (and Audi's Q6, which is expected in 2016) squarely in its sights.

An obvious movement since the controversially styled SUV from BMW has sold more than 120,000 since its launch in 2009. Like its archrival from Munich, Mercedes’s sporty SUV will be a four-seater with a sporty design.

The new model will probably be named GLS and will be based on the new M-Class, sharing its platform and most of its engineering, including the four-wheel drive system. However, it will differentiate itself with more aggressive styling, taking cues from Mercedes’ four-door sedan, the CLS.

Nothing is yet known about the engines, but expect the usual range of gasoline and diesel units, as well as a hybrid, with the top version being powered by a turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 fettled, predictably, by AMG to provide a challenge to the X6 M.

The GLS will most likely be manufactured alongside the M-Class in Mercedes-Benz’s US factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML CLASS

Mercedes-Benz World View Suspended 2

This spectacular display, called View Suspended II, has just been unveiled at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey, UK. The piece, consisting of 3200 parts, was created by Dutch artist Paul Veroude.

Nick Fry, Mercedes GP Petronas CEO, was on hand for the official opening and said, “It is fantastic to see View Suspended II here at Mercedes-Benz World. Formula 1 is a sport watched by over 580 million people worldwide annually, so to be able to see a racing car in this way is something very special and a unique look at the heart of the sport.”

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Mercedes Celebrates Unimog’s 60th Birthday with Impressive Design Study

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the presentation of the Unimog, the Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks (MBS) unit, which is responsible for the Unimog, Econic and Zetros range of models, created a special design concept that attempts to link the past and present together with the future.

Using the current Unimog U 5000’s chassis as a base, the German brand’s designers came up with a futuristic-looking yet distinctly retro-feeling styling for the body of their off-road workhouse. The concept vehicle features an open top design as a nod to the first Mercedes-Benz Unimog model that rolled off the assembly line on June 3, 1951.

“At Mercedes Benz Special Trucks we decided to construct a design concept because we are of the opinion that such a vehicle will act as a bridge between the progressive strength of self-renewal that has distinguished the Unimog programme for 60 years and the future design of the coming generations of products,” said Yaris Pürsün, Director of the Mercedes-Benz Plant at Wörth and Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks.

While there are no plans to produce the Unimog study, the German company said the concept’s expressive "face" corresponds to the future form language of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle design.

The Unimog Cabrio Concept was officially revealed during a special ceremony in the Customer Centre at the Mercedes-Benz Plant in Wörth, Germany, on June 3, 2011.

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VÄTH’s €32,670 Tune Lifts Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe to 615HP

The star of the Mercedes-Benz range, the SLS AMG Coupe, has only a year under its belt but the V8-powered supercar has gained a lot of love from the tuning industry in the past 12 months. The newest performance and styling package for the ‘Gullwing door’ supercar to hit the tuning stage comes from Germany’s VÄTH with the introduction of the V63S kit.

The company’s first priority was to squeeze some more juice from the SLS AMG Coupe’s 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine through the use of a software upgrade and an in-house high-performance exhaust system that also allows drivers to adjust the tone of the eight-cylinder unit.

The result is an increase in output from 571-horsepower and 650Nm (479 lb-ft) at 4,750 rpm to 615HP and 680Nm (502 lb-ft) at 5,800 rpm, which in turn slashed 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration from 3.8 seconds to 3.6 seconds and boosted top speed from 317km/h to 330km/h (205 mph).

VÄTH’s tune continues with a high-performance brake system and a 25mm lowering kit, while the German supercar rides on new 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels shod in 265/30ZR20 tires at the front and 315/25ZR20 at the rear.

In addition to the performance upgrades, VÄTH added an aerodynamic package with a front lip spoiler, side skirt add-ons and a boot lid spoiler, all made from carbon fiber composite materials. Interior updates include an optional leather sport steering wheels, a new speedometer and black floor mats.

The complete package is priced in Germany from €32,670 or about US$46,600 at today’s exchange rates.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster Officially Revealed : 68 High-Res Photos [Updated]

Little by little, Mercedes-Benz is releasing more photos and information on its 2012 SLS AMG Roadster ahead of the supercar’s world premiere at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Following the release of a barely disguised car earlier this month, the German company’s PR tease continues today with the first official photos of the roadster version of the SLS AMG without any kind of camouflage.

We also get to learn that the three-layered fabric soft top will not eat in the roadster model’s trunk area as its capacity remains at 6.1 cubic feet with the roof either open or closed, and is roughly the same to that of the SLS AMG Coupe, which stands at 6.2 cubic feet. The fully automatic top is available in three colors – black, beige and a classic red. It opens and closes in eleven seconds, and can be operated on the move at speeds up to 31 mph or 50km/h.

Like other open-top Mercedes models, the SLS AMG Roadster is equipped with the firm’s AIRSCARF system that warms the head and neck areas of the driver and passenger by blowing hot air from vents integrated in the head restraints. Other standard features include a black designo leather treatment, heated AMG sports seats, a detachable glass windstop, COMAND with Navigation and DVD player, anti-theft alarm system with tow-away protection and interior monitoring, dual-zone automatic climate control and the KEYLESSGO starting function.

There are no surprises under the hood with the roadster sharing the coupe model’s AMG 6.3-liter V8 mounted just behind the front axle and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives the rear wheels. In North American specification, the naturally aspirated eight-cylinder engine delivers 563 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque, while the European model is rated at 571 horsepower and 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque.

Sales of the SLS AMG Roadster will begin this fall.

*Article has been updated with new photos

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