Teaser: 2008 Mercedes CLC

Two stars in the photo studio: Top model Eva Padberg and the new Mercedes-Benz CLC:

Leading model Eva Padberg and the new Mercedes sports coupé CLC share top billing in the key visual for the second Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, which takes place from January 27 - 31, 2008. The new CLC will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the fashion event.

The purpose of the key visual is twofold:

It will be used as a motif on adverts, posters and event materials promoting the Berlin event, and at the same time will generate interest and a sense of anticipation in advance of the world premiere of the new CLC, because the photo reveals only part of the sport coupé. Most of the body is hidden by the vivid yellow fabric of the evening gown worn by Eva Padberg. The CLC will then be revealed in all its beauty on January 27, 2008 at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin 2008.

“The choice of Eva Padberg as our brand ambassador lends a fascinating face to our long-standing commitment to fashion,” says Dr. Olaf Göttgens, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Like Berlin, she epitomises a young, modern lifestyle. That's why we are introducing our new sports coupé here, at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, and are presenting the CLC and Eva Padberg together in the key visual.”

Eva Padberg has been representing Mercedes-Benz as a brand ambassador at international fashion and lifestyle events since May 2007. Her encounter with the new CLC was captured on film by the renowned German fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth, whose photos encapsulate perfectly the relationship between fashion and Mercedes design - both worlds in which innovation and perfection, coupled with elegance and style, are critical success factors.

Elegance, style and lifestyle:

In the automotive world, the name Mercedes-Benz epitomises these values. The commitment to fashion is therefore a logical development of the Stuttgart motor manufacturer's traditional image and claim.

Just like fashion, the car is now an expression of personal lifestyle. This is particularly true of the highly individual and exclusive species of the coupé.

New Mercedes sports coupé is the attractive “youngster” of the coupé family:

The new CLC, available from spring 2008, is an attractive and affordable entry into the Mercedes-Benz coupé family. The design, technology and equipment of the sports coupé meet the desire of young people for a car that is fun to drive and has a high lifestyle value, yet which also offers typical Mercedes standards of quality in respect of safety, comfort, environmental compatibility and functionality. 1,100 components have been either developed for the new sports coupé or refined from the previous model. The technical highlights of the CLC include new direct steering for even more nimble handling of bends, modern infotainment systems with colour display, Europe-wide DVD or hard-drive navigation with multimedia interface and a more powerful four-cylinder engine with 135kW / 184 bhp. Fuel consumption is up to 10.8 per cent better than in the predecessor model.

The key visual was shot in a studio near Barcelona, and features a black CLC with sports package picked out in a headlight beam. The coupé contains further exclusive technical innovations and extra fittings such as 18” light alloy rims, wide base tyres, headlights with black painted inner frames, sports suspension with lowered bodywork and chrome trim.

Top fashion designers present their collections:

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin 2008 takes place from January 27 - 31, 2008 at Postbahnhof, the city's former mail train station. Leading international fashion designers will be presenting their latest collections, including the following brands: 30paarhaende, Heiress, Hugo, Intuitive, Joop!, Macqua, Michalsky, Marcel Ostertag, Sinemus, Stefan Eckert, Strenesse, Suzana Peric, Unrath & Strano, Sisi Wasabi and Zac Posen.

Mercedes C63 AMG pricing announced (UK)

Mercedes-Benz has announced prices for its C-Class flagship models, the C 63 AMG saloon and estate. Available to order now and on the road in spring, the latest additions to the highly acclaimed range will retail at £51,317 for the saloon and £52,567 for the estate, increases of just four and 4.5 per cent respectively over the previous generation C 55 AMG. That’s despite a substantially more powerful engine and enhanced equipment levels.

Prodigious performance is delivered courtesy of AMG’s new 6208 cc V8 engine, which produces 457 hp at 6800 rpm – up 90 hp on the 5.5-litre V8 of the C 55 AMG. Even more outstanding is the torque delivery which peaks at 600 Nm, a figure unprecedented in this class. What’s more, the driver always has more than 500 Nm on tap between 2000 and 6250 rpm, ensuring supreme flexibility throughout the rev range.

On the road that translates into a 0 to 62mph figure of 4.5 seconds for the saloon and 4.6 for the estate (C 55 AMG 5.2 and 5.4 seconds respectively), while top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. As you might expect, there’s a delicious V8-sound track to match – all thanks to AMG’s race-winning heritage.

The engine is perfectly complemented by the seven-speed AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic transmission which features Sport, Comfort and Manual shift modes. Shift speeds are around 30 per cent faster in Sport compared to Comfort and 50 per cent faster in Manual mode using the steering wheel mounted shift paddles. There’s the added satisfaction of an automatic blip of the throttle as you downshift manually, which helps to maximise stability, particularly when braking into a corner.

The latest AMG models are more clearly differentiated than ever before, with a wide road hugging stance accentuated by flared wheel arches and two prominent power domes on the bonnet signaling the cars’ latent power. A honeycomb grille, large front apron, side skirts and a rear apron with black diffuser insert complete the assertive look. The standard light alloy wheels are titanium painted 8.0 x 18 five-spoke items at the front and 9.0 x 18 items at the rear. Optional 19 inch multi-spoke items are also available at £600.

A decidedly sporty interior features AMG sports seats with integral head restraints upholstered in luxurious Nappa leather with cross-piping and AMG badging. The small diameter AMG steering wheel has a flat lower edge and perforated leather trim and the trademark AMG tube-style instrument cluster adopts AMG specific lettering together with a 6.3 V8 logo in the rev counter. Front seats are fully electrically adjustable with memory, including adaptive backrests with side bolster and lumbar adjustment.As an alternative to the standard aluminium trim elements, carbon fibre trim is an option at £1520.

In common with all C-Class models, the C63 AMG features the readily intuitive central control system with colour screen, allowing rapid access to audio, navigation and telephone functions, and complemented by the multifunction steering wheel. Unique to AMG models is the Racetimer feature appearing in the central display which enables lap times to be recorded.

Naturally the estate model offers all the practicality of its siblings, including 1/3: 2/3 split rear seat, bag hooks and load ties, stowage compartments with covers, a collapsible shopping crate and a combined luggage cover and retaining net. Even more convenience comes courtesy of the standard Easy-Pack tailgate which automatically opens and closes at the push of a button. Able to swallow up to 1500 litres (VDA), no other premium estate in this class offers the C 63 AMG’s mix of performance and exceptional load carrying capacity.

AMG sports suspension with an all-new three-link front axle, a 35 mm wider track and the longer wheelbase common to all C-Class models delivers outstanding grip and agility.

The redesigned front wheel location is 100 per cent more rigid than the previous model to give more precise steering precision and more responsive braking, while the suspension geometry, larger anti-roll bar, and rebound buffer springs provide greatly improved lateral dynamics and higher cornering speeds. Feedback from the speed-sensitive AMG sports steering is also improved.

At the rear the multi-link suspension has been re-engineered with a 12mm wider track and more camber for enhanced cornering performance.

Stopping power is provided by 360mm discs with six piston calipers at the front, 330mm with four piston calipers at the rear.

New, three-stage ESP® can be turned off altogether for track use or switched to a Sport setting whose higher dynamic thresholds and corresponding drift angles allow greater driver interaction. Braking while in Sport mode or with the ESP® deactivated restores all normal ESP® functions until the brakes are once more released; traction control is active in all three modes.

Options unique to the C63 AMG models include the AMG driver’s package which increases the limited top speed and includes attendance at an AMG ‘Power and Passion’ driving event (£2160); and a Performance Package which comprises compound front disc brakes, a limited slip differential, performance suspension and a Nappa leather and Alcantara trimmed steering wheel (£3120).

Mazda2 hatchback & sedan go on sale in January (China)

Mazda has launched the Mazda2 five door hatchback and four door sedan in China with the first deliveries starting in early 2008. The hatchback variant comes out in January with sales of the sedan following after. The new model was introduced in China, in November, at the Guangzhou motor show.

The Mazda2 is built in Nanjing by Mazda parent company Ford's joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, a new plant completed in September 2007. Mazda is targeting sales of 55,000 or more Mazda2 hatchbacks per year in the growing China market and overall Mazda sales of at least 180,000 units there. Mazda has said that it targets 300,000 sales in China and 300 dealers by 2010.

Next on Mazda's list for China is the Mazda3 five-door hatchback which is due to go on sale in China in mid-2008.

Iran to create million jobs to its citizens by mass production of powertrains locally

Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) has taken a step closer to total self-sufficiency in its vehicle production after acquiring the technology to produce its own powertrains. The company has acquired cylinder block and cylinder head machining equipment, which will enable it to produce powertrains for 680,000 vehicles by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 2010). In the next full year, IKCO aims to supply 800,000 powertrains.

The new equipment will also enable IKCO to diversify its powertrains. According to IKCO's Powertrains deputy CEO, Ali Sheikhzadeh, the carmaker is now in a position to move into supplying diesel engines for passenger cars, which will enter mass production in 2011. He added that the new equipment will 'put an end to Iran's dependency on foreign companies'.

IKCO has a partnership with French company PSA Peugeot Citroën , through which it assembles vehicles under licence. It also based its Saman 'national car' on the Peugeot 405 platform. However, as the threat of further international sanctions against Iran loom, the carmaker is seeking to reduce its dependence on other companies, particularly from overseas, for vital parts and components.