16 October 2009 - 16:00
Horrell spies: new CLS AMG
STOP PRESS! Top Gear's resident Foreman, Paul Horrell, has just filed this exclusive undercover report from the depths of, er, Spain:
Like Ronald and Pammy from Badiddlyboing, Odawidaho, I do tend to keep my camera about my person when on holiday. Last week I was walking in some middle-of-nowhere hills in Spain. We were just getting back in the car when something four-wheeled and covered in bin bags arrives at the lay-by. Alongside is a Mercedes C63 AMG. So I assume this is another new Benz.
I raise the camera to my eye and the prototype driver immediately spots me, hooks reverse and tears off back down the hill. Unfortunately his path is blocked, so he goes past at speed just below me, and it’s easy to get a panning shot.
It’s the 2011 CLS 63 AMG.
Luckily, on my first week back at work I’m off to see Mercedes to drive the new E-Class estate. So I can ask a few quiet questions and get some facts to go with the photos.
Basically, the next CLS is a design evolution of the current one, but the mechanics are derived from the new E-Class.
So this AMG version gets the usual colossally powerful 6.2-litre V8 and MCT Speedshift paddle transmission. I’m told those bonnet vents won’t be seen on the real car. I think that’s a bit of a shame.
The ‘ordinary’ CLS versions will have a new trick under the bonnet. They get a new range of turbo direct-injection petrol V6s and V8. More power than now, less fuel.
As to the body, well you can see the arched roofline and pointy side windows, as well as wraparound light clusters and a more upright grille than the current car’s.
The designers say that under the disguise panels, the sculpture on the flanks is more pronounced than the current CLS, and the surfaces more edgy.
Got any scoopy holiday snaps yourself? Let us know.
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I think it's hideous
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Think it's cool you got a photo of it:) Looking forward to hear more about it.:) And bonobo, it won't look like that.. It's just a disguise.
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your right cappe, its what all car companies do to their new un-officialy released cars, matte black, bin bags, and wrong panels. I remember when porsche where testing a new 911 and one thing they did was put a dodge viper's front bumper on.
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Its horrible. It's just an s class pimped up by darth vader.
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Its horrible. It's just an s class pimped up by darth vader.
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Its horrible. It's just an s class pimped up by darth vader.
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Not bad, But when I was on holoday in Italy a few years a'go I saw a black ferrari in the distance throug my binoculars. Sadly it turned up to be Porsche when I got closer, so I was Kind of dissapointed. But than my dad said that it looked like the Posche carrera GT concept. He was right it was the GT in hiding behind those black panels. But as I was about to get my camera out the guys just drove off into the distance, so no photo, Sorry :(
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I actually saw this in real life out on the roads of Spain in a small beach town outside of Barcelona being followed by two 2010 E-Classes. Was trying to figure out what it was till saw this posting on Top Gear. It does look like a CLS. Interesting how car companies chose small towns to test their future models in.
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I got some shots of a disguised car being tested recently (4x4 style but not sure what) Any suggestions who would be interested in them?
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I live very near to Dingolfing in Germany, one of the main BMW plants, and frequently see prototypes on the road in their black and white camouflage print they use. I remember being very confused seeing a prototype which I couldn't figure out for the life of me... turned out to be the 5 series GT :)
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Welcome back Paul, hope you had a good holiday Cheers
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For everyone that thinks it looks bad: it's disguised, so fools like yourselves don't notice it.
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That's a very extreme disguise. I wonder if the looks inside are worth all that armor plating...
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Guess this is post wind tunnel/track testing then as all that additional plastic panels would mess with driving dynamics; must be worth the integrity of intellectual property or against copy cats. However there could be give-away signs, that this is the AMG model are the quad exhaust tailpipes, additional air vents on the bonnet, and oversized brakes. The bottom bracket gets a speculative 3.5-liter V6 with 292 hp, 5.5-liter V8 with 388 hp and a 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel producing around 231 hp. Could speculation be correct that there could be a hybrid on Mercs cards?! The wheel arches are wide like the flag ship c class and expects to compete with Audi A7, Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide. I never seen a test care myself.
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I think the car looks worse than the last one because mercedes are trying to make the car aero dynamic for fuel efficiency. I bet the AMG will probably be a diesel.
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the new family design of MB is nice looking and quite aggressive, but i think a bit less personal.... Pauly get some relax at least on holiday ;-)
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i think it wil look nice after they remove the black armor
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yeah whats with all the ugly comments, its in disguise so we don't know what it looks like till its released. eejits.
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That's it!!!!!! I will not have any more cars out of their factory without their tape and cladding removed. Why do they do it? It tricks commenters into thinking that it will be horrible and that's not going to do Merc (or indeed AMG) any good is it?! The only thing they will achive is people slacking it off! The driver of that car shouldn't have tried to run off anyway. The whole thing is covered in god knows what!
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I think all sporty cars should have a matte black paintjob. At least optional. And I kind of like the disguise. Now add 2 machine guns on each side...
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There are quite a lot of cars that look good with their 'disguises' on out there. On the other hand, when they are released....
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Another one? Who cares? Audi and BMW have thrown Mercedes into the realms of irrelevance - if you like Hitler mobiles, that is. Now the R8 V10...
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I think... most of Mercedes class car (get the sport versions out of that okay?) looks the same exept for some details here and there. The new 2011 will just be one like others on the list. Sorry but no much thoughts.
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did a render of it [ http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhail_r/4036938424/ ]
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did a render of it
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did a render of it
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ManelGabirra commented on this article
16 October 2009
I don't think its the CLS AMG. It looks like a crossig between the E-class and S-class. Maybe a allnew Merc class. But it's kinda cool.
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