2007 New York Auto Show-Big Power and New C-Class From Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz introduced cars at both end of the spectrum at this year’s New York Auto Show. Most important for the company is the North American debut of the all-new C-Class.

Longer and wider than its predecessor, the 2008 C-Class offers a roomier interior with an increased level of safety and luxury accoutrements. A revised suspension and steering help make the new C-Class more agile and fun to drive.

A host of new features can be found on the new C-Class, including a power sunroof, eight-way power front seats with lumbar support, two-zone automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity and a central controller with a seven-inch display screen.

C-Class will be launched in North America with three trims: C300 Sport, C300 Luxury and C350 Sport. All three are powered by a V6 engine — C300s get a 3.0-liter V6 producing 228 horsepower while the C350 jumps t0 268 horsepower from its 3.5-liter V6. C300s are also available with Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel- drive system, and can also be run on E85 ethanol-gasoline mix.

While manufactures will provide different styling to sport and luxury-type trims to differentiate them, Mercedes has gone a bit further and given the Luxury and Sport trims very different faces. The Luxury features a grille quite similar to the S-Class and like the S, it wears the iconic three-point star hood ornament. While the Luxury trim is aligned with the flagship sedan, the C-Class Sport trims feature the Mercedes star integrated into the grille similar to the CL-Class coupe.

Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG and CLK63 AMG
Mercedes also celebrated the 40th anniversary of AMG, the automaker’s high-performance tuning division, with the introduction of two vehicles that epitomize what AMG is all about.

The Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG is the most powerful version of the company’s flagship coupe, the CL-Class. Painted in a special Alubeam paint that AMG refers to as “liquid metal”, this limited-edition vehicle was built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of AMG.

Under its hood is a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine that produces a mind-bending 604 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque which makes it possible for the 4,500 lb car to reach 60 mph in a mere 4.2 seconds — faster than many pure sports cars. AMG also developed special high-performance brakes which can bring this rocket to a stop from 60 mph in just 116 feet.

Also built for the AMG anniversary was a car that debuted in New York amid an exciting light show of flames and fireworks. The CLK63 AMG Black Series is a street-legal version of the official safety car used during Formula One races. While this CLK might be mistaken for a common luxury coupe, those in the know would recognize the side skirts, larger air intakes and flared fenders covering the 19-inch aluminum wheels fitted with low-profile high-performance tires.

And this car has the power to match its aggressive styling — a specially tuned AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine puts out 500 horsepower and pushes this car to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds on its way to a governed top speed of 186 mph.