1988 Mercedes-benz 420 Sel 4d on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes-Benz SL snapped getting major facelift

With the new Mercedes-AMG GT leading the charge, it'd be all too easy to forget about the SL. But Benz hasn't, as you can see from these latest spy shots. Spotted undergoing testing in Germany, this heavily disguised prototype foreshadows the arrival of a heavily revised two-seater convertible. It's hard to tell much from the other side of the body cladding and camouflage, but it appears to be hiding a new front end – complete with slimmer headlights, reprofiled front bumper and more upright grille – as well as a new hood, rear bumper, exhaust tips and tail lamps. Unlike the last time we saw the new SL out testing, we can now see inside as well. Although the steering wheel and center console remain hidden from view, we can anticipate a bigger touchscreen display and other updates. And apparently an onboard winter hat, as well. Now in its sixth generation, the Sport Leicht may not be as sporty or as light as the original, but while others have come and gone, the SL remains a mainstay of the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The current model was introduced in 2012, and this update should keep it fresh on the boulevards of Beverly Hills, the French Riviera and Abu Dhabi for several more years to come. Related Video:

Why we can't have better headlights here in the U.S.

It wouldn't be a European auto show if we weren't teased with at least one mainstream vehicle we can't have here. At the Geneva Motor Show last week, the small but vocal contingent of shooting-brake buffs lamented that the Mazda6 wagon won't be coming to our shores, although they can take comfort in the fact that the vehicle won't get the torquey 250-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine we'll get here. Mercedes-Benz also announced a new headlight technology in Geneva that likely won't be available here anytime soon. It's just the latest in a long line of innovative and potentially lifesaving front-lighting solutions that the federal government doesn't allow in this country due to outdated standards — and a current lack of leadership at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mercedes-Benz's new Digital Light system that debuted in Geneva uses a computer chip to activate more than a million micro-reflectors to better illuminate the road ahead. The Digital Light headlamps works with the vehicle's cameras, sensors and navigation mapping to adjust lighting for the given location and situation and to detect other road users. The Digital Light technology also serves as an extended head-up display of sorts by projecting symbols on the pavement ahead to alert drivers to, say, slippery conditions or pedestrians in the road. And it can even project lines on the road in a construction zone or through tight curves to show the driver the correct path. Digital Light will be available on Mercedes-Maybach vehicles later this year, although like any technology it's bound to trickle down to less expensive vehicles. That is, if we ever get it here in the U.S. Audi, a leader in automotive lighting, has repeatedly run into snags trying to bring state-of-the-art car headlights to the U.S. The German luxury automaker's recently introduced matrix laser headlight system, which performs many of the same trick as Mercedes-Benz's Digital Light, also isn't legal on U.S. roads. And five years after the introduction of its matrix-beam LED lighting, which illuminates more of the road without blinding oncoming motorists with brights by simultaneously operating high and low beams, Audi still can't bring that technology to the U.S. either.

Jay Leno listens to the people, shows off still-stock 1972 Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3

Let it be known, Jay Leno is a man of the people. Long-time viewers will recall the time he walked fans of his popular video series around the various projects going on in his eponymous garage. One such vehicle was his 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3, which he'd planned on fitting with the powertrain from the awesome SLS AMG. But rather than just make the move and be done with it, Leno asked viewers whether he should restore the silver sedan or carry on with his plan to resto-mod. Well, the restoration team won, and the 6.3-liter sports sedan soldiers on unmolested. That is, of course, no bad thing, according to Leno. In his latest video, he revisits the 1972 luxury sedan, and takes it for a spin around Los Angeles. Fans of Mercedes' big-grilled 1970s styling won't want to miss this video.