Mercedes means a cut above the rest
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
THERE'S only one way to describe Mercedes Benz cars: Expensive. And the luxury beasts hardly get more expensive here than the new CL500, which was launched in Brunei Darussalam last week.
The CL500, with a V8 engine, is undoubtedly a beautiful coupe. The Mercedes brochure says the entire design idiom of the CL Class "is an irresistably eloquent invitation to take the wheel. Even at first glance, the CL seems to hug the road, ready to deliver an exceptional driving experience".
For the seven-speed 5,461cc CL500, 0-100kph takes 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 250kph.
The monster coupe is heavy, with its kerb weight including 75kg for driver and luggage standing at a massive 1,995kg. Not surprising considering its size its slightly over five metres long. The Mercedes Benz CL class has a fuel tank capacity of 90 litres that would cost you about $48 to fill.
Another arresting thing about the CL's design is the lack of B-pillar interrupting the sleek curve of the side profile's window into the interior.
And in terms of inner beauty, as expected from its luxury status, you get a very classy wood interior with lavish amounts of leather. The hand brake lever and gear shift are not in traditional places, leaving the centre console free and simple. Parking brake is operated via a foot pedal instead, and you shift gears from a little stalk behind the steering wheel.
The only complaint is that the long doors make it hard to exit the car without scraping some paint when it hits the car parked next to it. But then again, the $290,000 behemoth, the only one brought into the sultanate, is no longer in the showroom and we can just hope that the new owner has ample space to park his new beauty.
Another Mercedes model which you can't call homely is the S300L, which is priced at $191,920 OTR.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the flagship sedan of Daimler-Chrysler's Mercedes-Benz luxury division. The series has confirmed that Mercedes are, among others, pioneers in safety, and the new C-Class range comes with improved safety systems including Perform-Safe, which is based on the belief that driving should be as comfortable and safe as possible, and night-view assist, which addresses potentially hazardous situations when driving at night.
The S-Class is equipped as standard with the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission. The close-ratio seven-speed design means that gear changes are virtually imperceptible.
And in a car this luxurious, suspension counts for a lot. The S-Class is supplied with further improved Airmatic suspension or with the optional Active Body Control system. The new Airmatic provides even greater comfort and agility, while on ABC-equipped vehicles, high-pressure hydraulic servos, sophisticated sensing systems and high-performance microprocessors adapt the suspension with split-second speed to changes in road conditions.
And with all these R&D extras, it's really not incomprehensible that Mercedes Benzes are worth that really high sticker price.
The Brunei Times
The CL500, with a V8 engine, is undoubtedly a beautiful coupe. The Mercedes brochure says the entire design idiom of the CL Class "is an irresistably eloquent invitation to take the wheel. Even at first glance, the CL seems to hug the road, ready to deliver an exceptional driving experience".
For the seven-speed 5,461cc CL500, 0-100kph takes 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 250kph.
The monster coupe is heavy, with its kerb weight including 75kg for driver and luggage standing at a massive 1,995kg. Not surprising considering its size its slightly over five metres long. The Mercedes Benz CL class has a fuel tank capacity of 90 litres that would cost you about $48 to fill.
Another arresting thing about the CL's design is the lack of B-pillar interrupting the sleek curve of the side profile's window into the interior.
And in terms of inner beauty, as expected from its luxury status, you get a very classy wood interior with lavish amounts of leather. The hand brake lever and gear shift are not in traditional places, leaving the centre console free and simple. Parking brake is operated via a foot pedal instead, and you shift gears from a little stalk behind the steering wheel.
The only complaint is that the long doors make it hard to exit the car without scraping some paint when it hits the car parked next to it. But then again, the $290,000 behemoth, the only one brought into the sultanate, is no longer in the showroom and we can just hope that the new owner has ample space to park his new beauty.
Another Mercedes model which you can't call homely is the S300L, which is priced at $191,920 OTR.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the flagship sedan of Daimler-Chrysler's Mercedes-Benz luxury division. The series has confirmed that Mercedes are, among others, pioneers in safety, and the new C-Class range comes with improved safety systems including Perform-Safe, which is based on the belief that driving should be as comfortable and safe as possible, and night-view assist, which addresses potentially hazardous situations when driving at night.
The S-Class is equipped as standard with the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission. The close-ratio seven-speed design means that gear changes are virtually imperceptible.
And in a car this luxurious, suspension counts for a lot. The S-Class is supplied with further improved Airmatic suspension or with the optional Active Body Control system. The new Airmatic provides even greater comfort and agility, while on ABC-equipped vehicles, high-pressure hydraulic servos, sophisticated sensing systems and high-performance microprocessors adapt the suspension with split-second speed to changes in road conditions.
And with all these R&D extras, it's really not incomprehensible that Mercedes Benzes are worth that really high sticker price.
The Brunei Times
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