Cl55 Amg Wide Body Monster on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes spotted testing new GLC-Class

Mercedes is set to replace its GLK-Class compact crossover with the new GLC, and here's our best look at it yet. Previewed in concept form with a sloping coupe-like roofline in Shanghai and previously spotted wearing swirly camouflage (in AMG form, no less), we can easily see from these latest spy shots that the GLC will ditch its predecessor's straight edges for a far more rounded form. Sort of like a C-Class, but taller. That, we gather, is kind of the point, as Mercedes moves to realign its crossovers with its sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible counterparts: GLC with C-Class, GLE (nee M-Class) with E-Class and GLS (GL) with the S-Class. And of course the GLA with the CLA and A-Class. Look for the new GLC to debut in June, soon to be accompanied by a chopped-roof version and offering similar powertrain options as the latest C-Class sedan. Hopefully the range will eventually include an AMG performance version, too. Related Video:

Artist bent out of shape over ticketed warped truck sculpture

If Germans and traffic cops have one thing in common, it's that they aren't necessarily known for their sense of humor. But at least one German parking enforcement officer had a laugh last week when they ticketed a sculpture of an impossible object. The infraction was for the 'Gross Violation of Physical Laws.' At first, Austrian artist Erwin Wurm was incensed that his sculpture, "Truck", which includes a Mercedes transporter MB100D truck curving up the side of a building, received a parking ticket, according to The Local. Wurm's work often features autos bent and twisted into unexpected shapes. He took to Facebook to express concern that he or the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, might be stuck with the 30-euro bill. However, the ticket was all in good fun. City officials and even the clerk's office were in on the joke. Karlsruhe mayor Frank Mentrup announced he would make sure the ticket was cleared, despite the illegal parking job. "We think it's great if the fine men of this city think for themselves artistically," a spokeswoman for the arts center told CityLab. This isn't the first gravity-defying auto to be used in a work of art. In London, a town with notoriously tricky parking, Vauxhall suspended a full-scale Corsa hatchback from a strip of curved tarmac. It hung around for a few days in February. No word on how many tickets that instillation wracked up. News Source: CityLabImage Credit: Twitter/Sham Jaff Weird Car News Mercedes-Benz Vauxhall parking Corsa

2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec gets 33 mpg, priced from $38,950*

It's been more than a year since we first saw the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec unveiled at the 2012 New York Auto Show, but it looks like the compact diesel crossover is finally starting to roll into dealerships. Those wanting to buy a diesel GLK will only have to pony up an extra $1,500 over a base, gas-powered GLK350, as the GLK250's starting price is listed at $38,590 (*not including $905 destination charge).
The turbocharged 2.1-liter four-cylinder diesel produces 200 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and Mercedes-Benz has also provided some fuel economy numbers for this model, with claimed EPA estimates of 24 miles per gallon city and 33 mpg highway. There is no listing for the GLK250 on the EPA's website yet, but the figures represent significant increase over the GLK350's lackluster 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway figures, which are for the rear-wheel drive model. The GLK250 comes standard with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system - a $2,000 option on GLK350 - meaning that if you want an all-wheel-drive version of the 2013 GLK, it's actually cheaper to opt for the diesel model. Head over to the Mercedes-Benz site for the full 2013 GLK-Class configurator.