Hartman Tuning Applies its Goods on Mercedes-Benz Citan

We're not at all convinced that this specific foil wrap in a three-color combo is the best choice for the Mercedes-Benz Citan buyers, but we suppose you could skip the Ronald McDonald outerwear and focus on the other parts offered for the German model by Hartman Tuning and its Vansports' division.

These include new front grille slots, front and rear aprons, rocker panels, bigger alloy wheels available in different colors, and a sports exhaust system complete with a new tailpipe design.

If you're looking to improve performance, handling and the van's stance, Hartman's catalogue offers a 25mm lower sport suspension, a number of ECU upgrades for the Citan's engine range and a faster reacting electronic accelerator pedal-kit.

Photos of tune can be found below the jump.

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MT Tries Out All-Wheel Drive Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG S

Mercedes’ CLS63 is basically an E-Class with a far more tapered, sportier body but with less room inside, and in AMG trim, it ends up costing almost $7,000 more. MotorTrend’s latest review of it tries to find reason behind its purchase over that of the regular sedan, weighing in its pros and cons.

Handling is said to be pretty much identical between the two, and reviewer Carlos Lago is keen to point out that the steering feels very particularly nice and allows for good placement on the road. However, he reports that the car doesn’t really feel that sporty on anything other than a straight road, where in S guise (with 577 hp on tap), it screams to sixty in 3.4 seconds.

Its figure eight and braking performance are also very impressive for a barge of its size and weight, though you can’t get away from physics and the car leans heavily in corners or squats onto its rear tires under really hard launches (the kind you need to achieve the aforementioned acceleration time…).

Not the sportiest of choices, then, but it has head-turning design and a surprisingly bubbly exhaust note for a turbocharged car; if you owned one you’d defend it to the death!

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Mercedes Confirms 4.0-Liter Twin Turbo V8 for C 63 AMG, Will Launch in 2015

While BMW was revealing the M3 and M4 at the Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz was announcing that the C 63 AMG will arrive in about a year from now with a new downsized 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

Tobias Moers, Mercedes AMG’s product chief, confirmed to Auto Express that the new C 63 AMG, which is based on the latest C-Class that also made its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show, is “about a year” away.

The current C 63 AMG’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine will be replaced by a smaller unit, continuing the downsizing trend initiated by Mercedes AMG with the SL 63 AMG, S 63 AMG and E 63 AMG, all of which are motivated by a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8.

However, in the case of the upcoming C 63 AMG, the engine will be even smaller, as Boers hinted at a 4.0-liter unit. “You are now familiar with our 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine? Well you can imagine what happens when you put two of those together,” he said.

While Boers didn’t give any information about output, the new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 unit should produce well over 450hp in standard trim and possibly over 500hp with the optional Performance Pack.

Note: The car shown in pictures is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG Line.

By Dan Mihalascu

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New Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG Brings High-Performance to Compact SUVs

What Mercedes-Benz called a concept at last November's LA Auto Show is being fashioned as the new limited production GLA 45 AMG Edition 1 at this week's Detroit motor show where the series is making its world premiere.

The white colored Edition 1 with the flashy red and silver livery maintains the regular GLA 45 AMG's 2.0-liter turbocharged four with 355hp (360PS) and 450Nm (332 lb-ft), connected to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports dual clutch transmission and the AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, adding styling and aero mods.

Among other things you get with this package is a high-gloss black Aerodynamics kit with larger front splitter, additional flics in the front fascia, and rear airfoil, silver gray/red AMG racing stripes complemented by red highlights on radiator grille, exterior mirrors, diffuser insert and rear wing. The Edition 1 rides on special 20-inch alloy wheels mounted on 235/40 R 20 tires all-round.

Exterior color options for this model are restricted to four options, the cirrus white seen on the display car, cosmos black, polar silver and mountain gray, while the interior is finished in red and black, with exclusive trims.

Both the base GLA 45 AMG and the Edition 1 will go on sale in the USA in the fall of 2014 with prices to be announced.

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2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Makes Stylish Entry at the Detroit Auto Show

We've known all about the all-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class for nearly a month now, but the actual world debut of the car took place at the Detroit Auto Show, where the carmaker staged a special event featuring former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland.

As we’ve already dissected the design of the 2015 C-Class, we’ll focus on the main technical highlights of the car. Although the new C-Class is larger, it is also up to 100 kg (220 lbs) lighter than the outgoing model, thanks to the aluminum hybrid body, with fuel consumption dropping by up to 20 percent.

In the U.S., the new C-Class will be available from September 2014 with two gasoline powertrains: the C 300 4MATIC with a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection in-line four-cylinder engine producing 235 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque and a C 400 4MATIC with a 3.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection V6 churning out 329 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque.

In Europe, the C-Class will launch with three engine variants: a diesel (C 220 BlueTEC) and two petrol models (C 180 and C 200). The 2.1-liter diesel produces 168 hp (170PS) and is the most economical, averaging 4 l/100 km (58.8 mpg US). The C 180 features a 154hp (156PS) 1.6-liter engine that returns 5 l/100 km (47 mpg US), while the C 200 has a 2.0-liter unit producing 181 hp (184PS) and averaging 5.3 l/100 km (44.4 mpg US). The C200 is the fastest of these three models, sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.5 seconds.

Soon after the market launch, Mercedes will roll out new diesel engines, including a small 1.6-liter unit with either 114hp (115PS) or 134 hp (136hp), as well as more versions of the 2.1-liter engine with up to 201 hp (204PS).

Five four-cylinder petrol engines rated at 154hp (156PS) to 235hp (238PS) will also be available, including the special C 180 ECO Edition model. A six-cylinder petrol engine rated at 329 hp (333PS) will follow later, as well as the C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid pairing the 201hp 2.1-liter diesel with a 20kW (27hp) electric motor for an average fuel consumption of 3.9 l/100 km (60.3 mpg US).

Four-cylinder engines are mated as standard to 6-speed manual transmissions, with the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic gearbox offered as optional.

The C-Class is available to order in Germany from €33,558 ($46,200) for the entry-level C 180. The C 200 starts from €36,414 ($50,090), while the C 220 BlueTEC is priced from €38,675 ($53,250). U.S. prices have yet to be announced.

By Dan Mihalascu

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