Order a special edition Mercedes-Benz 2015 S-Class Coupe and you get 47 Swarovski crystals in your headlamps. Let that sink in for a second. Crystals on your headlamps. Crystals, instead of bugs. The rich really do live differently than us. The lowly peons who order the standard coupes still get 449 hp from a V8 engine, touch-pad controllers for center consoles and $100,000 less in their bank account.
The new compact SUV from Mercedes-Benz, the GLA, is already being given the limited edition treatment. In March 2014 the GLA Edition 1 will come sauntering into showrooms with a bevy of upgrades. Bi-xenon headlamps, 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels finished in high-gloss black, a black radiator grille louvre with chrome inserts, black-painted exterior mirrors, black waistline trim strips and dark-tinted glass starting from the B-pillars are among the exclusive appointments. It’ll come in four funky colors, including something quite deliciously called ‘designo magno mountain grey.’
Introducing Future Forward. Ideas yet to hit the marketplace, stewing in someone’s mind or lab somewhere. When they hit though, they’ll make our lives a little better or slightly more swagworthy. And we know everyone can use more swagginess.
This week, beer and cars. Is there really anything else better in life? Just don’t mix the two. Don’t drink and drive. Especially if you have a really expensive car.
1. Hangover Free Beer
Who doesn’t want to get plastered without next morning repercussions? Certainly not some scientists in Australia, currently working on hangover free beer. By adding electrolytes, they’ve concocted beer that both hydrates and maintains the pleasant qualities of beer, i.e. beer goggles and regretful decisions. According to the folks at Griffith University’s Health Institute, the electrolytes mean you can even drink beer after a workout to replenish lost liquid.
The 4 in the 2014 S63 AMG 4Matic means that each wheel will be screaming GO! when you step on the gas, and yes, getting AWD action in a sedan that does 0-60 mph in a blistering 3.9 seconds is truly gobs of icing on the cake. The S63’s hand-built 5.5-liter V8 engine cranks out 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, and those gaudy numbers are only more impressive when paired with the AMG-tuned version of 4Matic. Weighing 220 pounds less this time around, the S63 will also deliver better gas mileage, according to Mercedes.
You may have never seen one in person, but the Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been around for more than 60 years, and it’s everything Paul Bunyan wish he had. The latest iteration features a new sculpted grille, new twin LED headlights set in the front bumper, and the same fiercely rugged design and capabilities. Whether it’s the base engine’s 5.1-liter turbodiesel I-4 (156 hp) or the 7.7-liter turbodiesel I-6 (354 hp), the Unimog makes Bunyan’s ox Babe look like Clay Aiken.
The Mercedes-Benz “Night Edition” of its G550 SUV ($145,000) is headed exclusively to Japan, and that’s great news for the residents of that fine country but not so much for us poor slobs. Between its funky square styling, twin 5-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, sumptuous Porcelain or Classic Red leather interior, and the black obsidian paint job, there’s a lot to covet here. First Japan had the sushi, then it was the anime, and then the crazy game shows. This is just insult to injury, Mercedes.
Sedans are generally not meant to take you around town with sass; they’re more about comfortable and competent transportation with a style that won’t offend anyone (right, Camry?). But when Mercedes-Benz slaps the AMG badge on one of their sedans, that rule goes out the window. The new CLA Class is the latest line to get souped up, with the CLA45 AMG debuting next week in New York. Packed inside is the M133 AMG engine that produces 355 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque–0-60 in under five seconds is what we’re hearing. When it’s not blowing by you on the highway, you’ll also know it’s the step-up model when you see the larger wheels and brakes, fresh AMG branding, and steeper asking price, which we shall find out soon enough.
The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 is pretty much a super hero’s ride. The specialness starts with the six, yes, six wheels on a frame that was originally built for the Australian army. The 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 delivers 536 hp and even takes this 8,300-lb. beast from 0 to 60 mph in about six seconds. Wearing just a thin layer of tights, heroes need to ride in comfort; the G63’s quilted white leather seats take care of that, while the bamboo-lined cargo area is surely a classy way to carry your arch nemesis to the county lockup. Begin your crime-fighting career in October for somewhere around $450,000.
