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Mercedes GLC spotted nearly nude ahead of tomorrow's reveal

Mercedes is set to officially take the wraps off its new GLC-Class crossover tomorrow, but if you can't wait that long, here it is all but completely undisguised. The GLC, for those just joining us, is the replacement for the GLK, rounder and renamed to align more closely with the C-Class. It was previewed as a slant-roofed concept in Shanghai, but as you can see, it'll reach production with a more conventional greenhouse. Rooflines (and various show-car details) aside, the production GLC looks pretty close to the aforementioned Concept GLC Coupe. Certain elements on this pre-production unit still remain taped up to keep from our prying eyes – though the engineer driving it doesn't seem to mind. We can at least hope that rather ungainly looking chrome lower rear bumper element is just there to throw us off, or will look more convincing as part of a complete package. But we'll be finding out one way or another tomorrow... so watch this space. Related Video:

The cars of notorious dictators

It's good to be the king, at least until your people have had enough of you. Last week, we brought you famous presidential cars. This week, we're going to the opposite end of the political spectrum, looking at what history's mad men drove throughout their repressive and violent regimes. These dictators were absolutely powerful, and absolutely corrupt. More nightmares for their people than rulers, their iron-fisted control gave them the ability to satisfy any wild desire with nearly limitless funds. While they all splurged on luxury goods, cars were a particular passion of many dictators. Cars make a powerful statement to the public about wealth, status and control. It's how you are presented at ground level to your adoring masses or mortal enemies. A custom luxury car with plenty of armor plating reinforced the specialness and "otherness" of the ruler to friend and foe alike. Muammar Gaddafi, Libya, 1969 - 2011 Lybia's President for Life Muammar Gaddafi fancied himself not just a car enthusiast, but a car designer for the masses as well. He supposedly designed a car called the "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya" or Libyan Rocket. It had a 230-horsepower V6 and the nose and tail of a rocket. He was trying to produce a safer car. What makes it safe car? Tough to say. Not a lot was ever released it. Apparently the el-Jamahiriya did come with airbags and collapsible fenders in case of a collision. A spokesperson said "The invention of the safest car in the world is proof that the Libyan revolution is built on the happiness of man." We'll just have to take his word for it. When he wasn't designing his own cars, Gaddafi was ordering up custom rides, large and small. Besides a heavily armored BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes S-Class stretch limo, Gaddafi had this custom Fiat built at a cost of $260,000. The gold in the trim is real gold (of course) and comes with some touches that are pure Gaddafi. For instance, the Fiat badge was replaced with an outline of the continent of Africa, with Libya cut out in green. Rebels seized the Fiat and Gaddafi's other trappings of power after putting an end to Gaddafi's 42 years in control. Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haiti, 1971 - 1986 Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was the second-generation dictator of Hati from 1971 to 1986. He made life hell for his people for 15 long years, starting when his father died when he was just 19 years old. Imagine if Justin Beiber was given a tiny island nation to run.

Mercedes-AMG teases 2016 C63 Coupe [w/video]

Mercedes-AMG says it has "something fast" on the way. We now know it's the C63 Coupe, which will be unveiled to the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. The carmaker teased its hot new two-door on Facebook, with a series of elusive photos showing a camouflaged C63 at the track. Something fast, indeed. We just drove the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S sedan and found it to be absolutely wonderful. It's no slouch, either – the four-door will run 0-60 in under four seconds. We expect the same from the upcoming coupe, thanks to the incredibly powerful, 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 under the hood. The C63 sedan produces 503 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in S guise. The coupe should do the same. The AMG C63 will debut with the rest of the C-Class Coupe range at the Frankfurt show, or possibly even a bit earlier. We can't wait. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.