Mini Cooper Countryman Park Lane edition unveiled 2016

Boasting a host of unique styling touches, the 2016 Mini Cooper Countryman Park Lane made its debut in Geneva. To be offered in Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper S All4 models, this latest variation on the theme takes its name from a high-end district in the London borough of Mayfair. The Countryman will be the third Mini model to carry this distinctive badging, which was first used by the automaker in 1987

The basic changes on the Park Lane Mini start with unique exterior colors that match an Earl Grey Metallic primary finish with Oak Red accents on various body bits. That tony look is set off with bespoke badging and side scuttle trim, white directional signal indicators and lightweight 18-inch Dark Grey Turbo Fan alloy wheels. The Mini All4 nets its own exterior trim that's optional on the Cooper/Cooper S, while supplemental Oak Red sport stripes on the hood, deck and lower body are optional across the board. Inside, the Park Lane has Oxide Silver door-bezel and cockpit trim, with Cross Stripe Grey for the center console surrounds paired with Carbon Black inlays that also appear on the door panels to add a more upscale character. Lest one forget, the dash and door-sill plates also carry Park Lane badging

Like any other Mini, the new Park Lane will offer plenty of personalization potential that includes the nifty roof rack seen here. Arriving at dealers in July, pricing for all members of the 2016 Mini Park Lane lineup will be announced closer to their actual on-sale date

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Mercedes-Maybach Pullman set for Geneva launch 2017

The second entry into of the new Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand, a Pullman limousine, will make its debut at the Geneva Auto Show, marking the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the best-known Pullman sedan of them all, the 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600. The all-new 2017 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is an impressive limo, measuring 21.3 feet in overall length, fully 3.5 feet longer than the current Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

Powered by a twin-turbo 6.0-liter producing 523 horsepower and 612 lb-ft of torque, the massive Maybach Pullman has a 14.5-foot long wheelbase to accommodate an interior that features a partition between the driver's seat and the rear passenger cabin that has two rear executive seats that can recline up to 43.5 degrees as well as facing jump seats for two additional riders.  In addition to its impressive length, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman stands 5.2-feet tall, nearly 4 inches taller than a standard Mercedes S-Class

Unabashed luxury

Quite apart from providing stately and stylish seating for high-ranking passengers in the comfort and spaciousness for which it is famed, the new Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is of course the embodiment of exclusivity at its highest level," commented Ola Källenius, Member of the Daimler AG Management Board responsible for sales and marketing of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "One can sense the significance and greatness of it in every detail

The interior of the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is upholstered entirely in leather and the center partition features a glass window that can be raised and lowered as well as changed from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. The rear cabin also features standard window curtains, and a retractable 18.5-inch rear monitor

Unique Pullman design

Unlike the ubiquitous stretch limousines on the road today, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman S600 features long side doors for easy access, a rear seat positioned behind the vehicle's C-pillar and a generous area at the front of the rear cabin for the power jump seats (which can be deleted at the buyer's option). The standard Burmester audio setup can be upgraded to a Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System, while customers are also given the opportunity to individually specify colors, equipment and materials to match their preferences

The prices for unarmored models start at around half a million euros ($566,922). The first customers will take delivery at the beginning of 2016, while the U.S. launch is still to be determined

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Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake -- a wagon we still want 2015

this new wagon -- which remains a Euro-only offering for now - will start hitting showrooms there this month. Like its sedan sibling, the new Shooting Brake offers a choice of gasoline and diesel engines with outputs ranging from 121 horsepower to 355 horses in the range-topping CLA45 AMG - a variant that also comes standard with M-B's 4Matic all-wheel drive which is optional on the other front-drive members of the family

"Like its big brother, the CLS Shooting Brake, the CLA Shooting Brake is targeted at active customers who are looking outside of the mainstream for a car that impresses with a high utility value," notes Ola Källenius, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars with responsibility for Marketing & Sales. Those seeking a bit more visual distinction without the added performance and expense of going the full AMG route will be able to choose a limited-run OrangeArt Edition that adds unique orange highlights to the bezels around its the bi-xenon headlamps, rim flanges of the AMG light-alloy wheels and lower fascias as well as orange/black sports seats with orange contrast topstitching

Offered in standard, Urban and AMG Line trims as well as the CLA45 AMG itself, the 5-passenger CLA Shooting Brake features bespoke body bits from the A-pillar back to its smartly raked tail. Both a Panoramic glass roof and power liftgate are included in its roster of upline options. The Shooting Brake's more flowing roofline adds nearly 1.6 inches of additional rear headroom and the available cargo space can be increased from 17.5 to 47.8 cu ft by dropping the near-flat folding backs on its 60/40-split rear seat. There are currently no plans to bring the CLA Shooting Brake to America, although we hope Mercedes reconsiders that decision at some point

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Mercedes-Benz 550 SL Mille Miglia 417 bows 2015

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the production sports car win by a Mercedes-Benz 300SL in Italy's grueling 1955 Mille Miglia (1,000 mile) road race, the German automaker debuts in Geneva  a limited edition model called the "Mille Miglia 417" that will go on sale in the U.S. later this fall. The original 300SL that won its class in 1955 was piloted by American John Fitch and left the starting gate at 4:17 a.m. in the morning with co-driver Kurt Gessl aboard. Fitch SL's fifth overall finish and class victory has been overshadowed by the record run by Sterling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, which completed the 1,000 road race from Brescia to Rome and back in 10 hours. That duo's overall win came in a competition-only Mercedes-Benz SLR

The anniversary model is based on the 2015 Mercedes-Benz SL550 coupe equipped with a 429-horsepower twin-turbo 4.7-liter V8 engine mated to a 7-speed transmission. Primarily an appearance package, the Special Edition "Mille Miglia 417" is painted black like Fitch's 300SL Gullwing, but it's a matte finish with contrasting red on the front and rear spoilers, brake calipers and rims on the sport alloy wheels, which measure 19-inches in the front and 20-inches in the rear

Cabin highlights

Interior upgrades include AMG Line sport seats, black center console with contrasting red inlays and edging as well as headrests embossed and embroidered with "SL Mille Miglia." Red is also used to outline the door panels and arm rests, while red seatbelts contrast with the black leather seating. The sport steering wheel is wrapped in red and black Nappa leather. Other trim bits are finished in matte carbon, while the black floor mats are edged in red and embroidered with a "1000 Miglia" logo

The SL Special Edition "Mille Miglia 417" will be available as an SL550 in the U.S.  in the fall of 2015, and pricing will be announced closer to the market launch. Current starting price on the standard 2015 Mercedes-Benz SL550 is about $107,000

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Mercedes-AMG GT3 races into Geneva 2015

Heading to customer hands at the end of this year, the GT3 is rumored to foreshadow a range-topping version of the production GT

Although incorporating much of the basic engineering found in the standard GT, this new GT3 racer takes everything up a notable notch. Finished in 

designo Selenite Grey Magno, the car features a wider and more aggressively contoured body that for the most part replaces aluminum panels with lighter carbon fiber. The GT3 matches its larger front intake and aggressive splitter with a downforce enhancing rear spoiler and lower diffuser. Beneath its skin, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is equipped with a full steel rollcage and a carbon-fiber seat pan

While understandably circumspect about output numbers, Mercedes-AMG does say the new GT3 will be fitted with a "further enhanced" version of the 6.2-liter AMG V8 used in the outgoing SLS AMG GT3 racer. Under FIA rules, the engine will likely be restricted to around 600 horsepower. Whatever the specific pony count, that output is sent to the rear wheels via a new 6-speed sequential racing-style transaxle, which further optimizes the car's weight distribution

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