The new Mercedes CLC: One of the best sports cars

Artistic Mercedes CLC unveiled in 28^th January 2008. Mercedes-Benz has put together the sports package for drivers looking for sporting flair. It includes exclusive engineering innovations and equipment extras such as 18-inch light-alloy wheels, wide-base tyres, headlamps with black inner surrounds, sports suspension with lowered body, leather sports steering wheel and dark brushed aluminum trim elements. At the same time, these expressive front design styling touches firmly position the two-door model as a member of the contemporary Mercedes family. Similarities with familiar models are anything but coincidence.

The Sports Coupe bears the typical family traits of the well-known, established coupe members, including the luxury CL Coupe, the four-door CLS and the CLK. The new Mercedes CLC steps forward as a self-confident newcomer, emphasizing its distinctive personality. One typical feature of the contemporary Mercedes design idiom is the arrow shape of the front end – a styling touch with a symbolic character that emphasizes typical attributes such as forward motion and agility. This new feature is based on the speed-sensitive power steering and also offers a variable rack ratio which changes as a function of the steering angle so that the driver only has to turn the wheel slightly when cornering; the Sports Coupe therefore responds far more spontaneously to steering commands and offers even sportier handling.

The front design of the new Sports Coupe embraces this hallmark and takes it to new heights. For instance, the distinctive line, which adds visual emphasis to the V‑shape, begins at the bottom louver of the radiator grille and extends along the whole bonnet. It then reappears at the rear end, divides up the spoiler and chrome trim strip and finally flows downwards into the bumper. Design quality down to the last detail. These lines, which interact harmoniously with the large, smooth surfaces, define the contemporary Mercedes design style. No extra flourishes, no superfluous embellishments and no design complexities. Instead you have clarity and calm. The design idiom concentrates on what is important, thereby emphasizing the intrinsic and functional beauty of things. Even at first glance the new Sports Coupe comes across as a striking proposition, reinforced inside and out by numerous nods to the world of motor racing, such as the subtle side air intakes in the front bumper. With the sports package this is also reflected in the black instrument cluster with its filigree Chaucer flag pattern used as a background: its luminous red needles are located at the “six o’clock position” when at rest and spring into action when the engine is turned on to create a very striking effect.

A closer look at the aluminum trim in the Sports Coupe reveals a small detail that adds a particularly elegant touch, namely a fine chrome strip surrounding the aluminum surface. The two materials – chrome and aluminum – are formed and finished together. To ensure the bright sheen of the chrome surround comes to the fore as it should, great care must be taken during painting to prevent the paint destined for the aluminum surface from getting onto the chrome.