Are these Official Drawings of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Facelift?

Definitely take this with a grain of salt, but Autobild has published some allegedly official drawings of the facelifted 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon. There's a possibility they may be sourced from some kind of promotional material, but they could also be faked - we're, just not sure.
In any case, the sedan model pictured here appears to feature the same styling changes seen on recent prototype models (check out our scoop pictures here), most importantly the redesigned front end with the "L" shaped headlamps and re-sculptured bumper, as well as the revised dashboard that encompasses the upper part of the center console.
The revised 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class range, which will see the introduction of an all-new coupe model, will go on sale in spring 2011.

Source: Autobild

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BREAKING: Mercedes-Benz to Build CLS Shooting Brake, on Sale in 2012

Mercedes-Benz has officially confirmed recent speculations that its CLS Shooting Brake concept, first shown at the Auto China in April 2010, is heading into production. The sporty-looking shooting brake model with the sloping tail end will be based on the second generation of the CLS sedan and will be launched to the market in 2012.
The CLS Shooting Brake will be built at the Mercedes-Benz Plant Sindelfingen on the same production line as the CLS and the E-Class Sedan.
While the Stuttgart-based automaker is keeping its cards close to its chest, it's safe to assume that the Shooting Brake model will more or less carry the same lineup of gasoline and diesel engines as the new CLS, which made its world premiere in Paris in October. The range will most likely also include a flagship AMG model powered by Merc's new 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with at least 536-horsepower.
Speaking on the announcement of the new CLS Shooting Brake, Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars stated:
"The CLS still makes waves with its fascinating design and wows customers for our brand. With the new generation of the CLS we expand our pioneering role in this segment. We aim to extend this success story with the CLS Shooting Brake and complement our product portfolio with another appealing model. This car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterised the great Mercedes Coupés, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further. At the same time it points the way towards the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz."
Expect to see the production version of the CLS Shooting Brake making its world premiere at a major motorshow event either in late 2011 or early 2012.

Mercedes-Benz explains the origins of the name "Shooting Brake"
Break, or the homonym Brake, was the name once given to carriages used to "break" in wild horses and also to restrict (or "brake") their urge to move, so that they could be put to use as work horses. Since the carts could easily be broken as part of this process, people tended not to use ones which they may have urgently needed for other purposes.
Where necessary, "Brakes" were often fitted out with variable bodies, which were only really used to carry along anything that may have been necessary for the hunt, for example. Any such vehicle which was used when going out shooting was called a Shooting Brake or Shooting Break. In the 1960s and 1970s motorised Shooting Breaks were popular in Great Britain – exclusive cross-over vehicles, which combined the luxuriousness of a coupé with extended space on offer and additional variability.

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Mercedes releases new photos of 2012 SLK Roadster, gets panoramic glass roof

Mercedes-Benz has published a bevy of pictures of its next-generation SLK hardtop roadster during endurance testing in the heat of Death Valley to show off the upcoming model's panoramic glass-roof with Magic Sky Control [MSC].
Driving with the top down is not always an option. There might be clear blue skies, but temperatures could be also very low. Other times the car's interior gets way too hot if it has a panoramic glass roof. Either way, your drive is ruined.
And this is where the Magic Sky Control system comes into the picture. A roughly 2,000 euro (US $2,772) option for the next generation SLK, the MSC is, in essence, a panoramic roof that can be made either transparent or darkened, just by pushing a button.
So, when it's too cold you make it transparent and still enjoy the nice visuals or, when you have to park in the sun, it darkens on engine-shut down and the interior remains much more cooler. No more burnt arms on an over-heated armrest…
Mercedes says that the system works on the principle of a plate condenser. The glass roof has some special particles in it, which react to electrical voltage. And when you push that button you're feeding it voltage or cutting the supply off, thus the glass becomes transparent or not.
The Germans have been testing the Magic Sky Control on prototype SLKs in Death Valley (check out the gallery below) and came to the conclusion that parts of the interior remain much cooler (up to 10 degrees Celsius) than in cars using traditional green glass.
The 2012 Mercedes SLK is expected to go on sale next summer and we'll probably see it for the first time either at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2011 or at the Geneva Salon in March of the same year.
If we're to believe the rumors going around, the new generation of the roadster model may be the first SLK to get a diesel engine. Other than that, it's business as as usual under the bonnet, with turbocharged four-pots and more noble V6s.
By Csaba Daradics

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