Solazyme is taking the brand new Merced-Benz and honoring it as the first vehicle to be trying this new fuel. The company says Soladiesel will work in any diesel engine, in almost any climate. “In demonstrating this new fuel alternative, we’re responding to the need for a near-term solution that will also be cost effective and sustainable,” Harrison Dillon, the company’s president, said in a statement. “Our technology combines all the key components: low carbon footprint, environmental sustainability, certified compatability with existing vehicles and infrastructure and energy security for our country.”

Solazyme hopes to begin mass-producing Soladiesel at a competitive price within three years. That could be a tad optimistic, but Chevron Corp. is sufficiently impressed that it’s joining Solazyme to perfect the technology. “Is it going to be commercial in the next couple of years? I don’t think so,” he said. “There’s a lot of research needed both on the engineering side and the biology side. Remember, if this is going to work, it has to be dirt cheap.”

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That math finally has caught on with the competition. For example, the upcoming Audi A5 coupe/convertible is based on the A4, the two-door BMW 3-series cars will be priced more like a theoretical 4-series, and the second-generation Lexus SC will be GS-based but positioned between the GS and the LS. There is no doubt that the increased competition will cut into the CLK’s market share pie.

In response, Mercedes plans to fortify the next CLK with several advanced technologies currently found in the S-class, including Presafe II, night vision, Comand II, and the Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control system. Mercedes also will treat the CLK to all-new styling when the third-generation model is introduced in the summer of 2008. The new CLK goes up half a notch in size but will continue to be twinned with the C-class, the next version of which is due next year. To save costs, both the C-class and the CLK also will share components with the next E-class, using a modular approach that’s a first for Mercedes. All three models will share a similar design language.

The lineup should include the CLK350, which gets a 272-hp V-6; the 388-hp, V-8-powered CLK500; and, later, the 503-hp CLK63 AMG. All will send power to the rear wheels, but 4Matic also may be offered. A hybrid version is likely, but Mercedes plans to roll out its hybrids from the top down, starting with the S-, M-, R-, and GL-classes in 2009, so don’t expect a CLK version anytime soon.

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Design, dynamism, dimensions, these are the shared hallmarks of the Sports Tourers which make them individual and distinctive. The design lines with their striking front ends emphasise the muscular and active nature of the Sports Tourers, which are equipped with high-torque CDI diesel engines.

In the Grand Sports Tourer “Vision R” a new V6 power unit ensures effortless performance, thanks to 218 hp and 510 Nm from 1800 rpm. Generous seating space, exemplary comfort and a high level of practicality are other attributes shared by the Mercedes-Benz Sports Tourers, providing first-class conditions for relaxed and enjoyable touring.

The idea of the Sports Tourer, which Mercedes-Benz first presented in 2002, combines the advantages of familiar vehicle concepts such as a sporty saloon, estate, van and “Sport Utility Vehicle” (SUV) to create a new category in its own right. Accordingly the show cars impress with their size, comfort and practicality while meeting the highest expectations in terms of performance and dynamic handling.

The Sports Tourers are the Mercedes-Benz answer to the wishes of forward-thinking people for an automobile with an exciting design and a striking character which is equally suitable for family, recreational and professional use. Both concept vehicles provide this versatility. The Grand Sports Tourer “Vision R”, which Mercedes-Benz is presenting in its European version with a wheelbase of 2980 mm in Paris, is designed as a 4+2-seater. The passengers have the benefit of comfortable, single seats and a level of spaciousness which exceeds that of many a luxury saloon.

Thanks to four-wheel drive, air suspension and the powerful new V6 diesel engine, the large Sports Tourer has everything needed for dynamic driving pleasure. Equipped with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, the 218 hp six-cylinder powerplant manages more than 32 mpg. The exhaust emissions meet the EU-4 standards, and the particulate filter system developed by Mercedes-Benz also reduces soot emissions.

Thanks to its intelligent concept, the Compact Sports Tourer “Vision B” is likewise in a class of its own. Arranging the engine and transmission partly in front of and partly beneath the passenger cell, according to the sandwich principle, gives this all-new touring car the interior spaciousness of larger saloons and estates despite its compact external dimensions. The compact Sports Tourer is powered by a new four-cylinder diesel engine with an output of 140 hp and a highly respectable torque of 300 Nm. Other equally impressive attributes are a fuel consumption of over 47 mpg and exhaust emissions at EU-4 levels. A diesel particulate filter is also included.

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This year, the Mercedes-Benz E-, Mercedes-Benz S- and Mercedes-Benz SL-Classes were recipients of the J.D. Power and Associates Award for highest ranked initial quality. These Mercedes models ranked highest for initial quality in their competitive segments, Midsize Premium Car, Large Premium Car (in a tie) and Premium Sporty Car, respectively.

“We are delighted to have J.D. Power and Associates recognize Mercedes-Benz with these awards,” said Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO Ernst Lieb. “This recognition is a result of the intense efforts we have made to return product quality perception and customer satisfaction to the levels we have historically enjoyed. In every aspect of our business, our focus is on meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations. At Mercedes-Benz it’s about delivering the customer’s dream,” he added.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2006, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 248,080 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 13 consecutive years of sales growth.

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Mercedes is trying to get back to the over-attention to detail for which their cars used to be known. Examples abound in the CLS: A black dashboard topper for the beige interior, which all but eliminates dangerous windshield glare. A “max cool” button for the air conditioning system. Frameless door glass.

And then there’s the center console armrest: It’s double-hinged to open left or right, so either driver or passenger can reach the contents with ease. Once inside there’s enough room to sit comfortably, but the fact that you have to scoot your toes in under the front seat presents an additional challenge when trying to get out. All in all, aside from the individual temperature controls, the back seat accommodations aren’t any better than Mercedes’ own E-Class. And while the E seats five, the CLS only accommodates four.

Driving the CLS takes some getting used to. The driving position is somewhat awkward because the steering column is offset slightly to the right, a consequence, I would guess, of taking a car based on the E-Class platform and widening it by two inches. The added width, the CLS is as wide as a Mercedes S-Class, makes the CLS feel like a much bigger car, but the turning circle is remarkably tight: The CLS can pull a U-turn on small residential streets. The rear-wheel-drive CLS550 is powered by a new 382 horsepower 5.5 liter V8 with a 7-speed automatic. Acceleration is brisk, passing is effortless, and the CLS is remarkably quiet at all speeds.

Regardless of which suspension mode you select the CLS is very stable in sudden swerves. The fun factor isn’t very high, though, even with the suspension in sport mode. If you really love to drive, try the CLS550’s big brother, the CLS63 AMG, provided the $96,000 price tag doesn’t put you off.

You can’t help but love the way the CLS looks, even if it does seem to evoke the ire fellow motorists. But from the inside you’ll barely notice the CLS’ more rakish styling. You will, however, notice the offset steering wheel and the challenge of driving a wider car, provided you aren’t too busy apologizing to your rear-seat passengers for not warning them to watch their heads as they got in. 

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The exterior has been left predominately untouched except for new taillights sporting an “LED look”. The interior, however, has been warmed over with a new instrument cluster, steering wheel, modified center stack and redesigned switches. Some additional optiions have also been added to eek out a few more bucks from the big stars that buy these behemoths.

The new options include a reversing camera, tire-pressuring monitoring system, a sports exhaust system for the G500 that’s basically identical to the one used on the G 55 AMG, and a couple new interior packages, one of which includes “Cognac” leather. The new G wagon is available for sale in Europe now with deliveries expected by April. No word yet, however, on when Britney, Christina, and Jessica can buy theirs in the U.S.

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And on the road, left-lane squatters will quickly take heed of the broad, star-tipped hood in their mirror and virtually leap to the next lane, allowing for safe and expedient passing. You see, the most important – or annoying, as the case may be – point of owning a the SL320 is that it is never invisible. Whether clean or dirty, moving fast or slow, everyone notices the SL320. Frankly, it’s just too difficult to ignore.

Walking toward the SL320 with key in hand imparts a sense of awe mingled with delight. The awe is because the key might as well be a house key, for the SL320 costs about as much as the average single-family house.

As mind-numbing as its stratospheric prices may be, Mercedes is recognizing the importance of value even in premium luxury cars. In fact, the automaker has loaded its new S-Class and SL-Class models with more standard equipment and lowered the total amount. Mercedes Benz SL-Class models include the SL320, SL500 and SL600. For our test drive, we chose the SL320 convertible, which featured no optional equipment and came in at $78,775.

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While today’s new Bluetec Benz can’t meet California standards, it is significantly cleaner than the outgoing straight-six diesel, an achievement made possible largely by the arrival of ultralow-sulfur diesel fuel.

Although the E320 Bluetec’s 208 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque would seem to be a significant improvement over the E320 CDI’s 201 hp and 369 lb-ft, by factory estimates the new car needs the same-still quick-6.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph; and the Bluetec’s fuel economy actually slips slightly, by 1 city mpg, to 26/37 mpg.

This new turbo-diesel V-6 is the smoothest and most well-mannered diesel to date. This oil-burner’s sound is more murmur than clatter, and even then it’s discernible only at low speeds. The 0-to-60-mph figure is essentially the same as an E350’s, yet the fuel economy is better by 7 mpg city and 11 mpg highway, and its range can top 700 miles on the highway.

For all that, the E320 Bluetec costs only $1000 more than the gasoline-powered V-6 E-class. Cleaner, quieter, smoother, but still economical and plenty quick, the E320 Bluetec is one polished diesel. Unfortunately for advocates of diesel passenger cars, for this year at least, it’s a party of one.

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Mercedes renames the C230 in honor of the sports car’s engine, appending “Kompressor” German for supercharger to the alphanumeric, adding a shiny badge to the trunklid to make sure everyone knows. Anyone driving last year’s C230 would quickly find out, however, as the 1999 C230 Kompressor scampers from rest to 60 mph in a factory-claimed 8.1 seconds, a full two seconds faster than the older model.

That may not be as quick as the limited-production V8-powered C43 performance sedan that tops the C-Class line-up, but it is quick and the C230 Kompressor is much more accessible with a base price not far over 30 grand.

Our car was equipped with the Sport Package, a remarkable bargain at only $890. It not only sharpens the handling of the C230 Kompressor but also gives the junior Mercedes four-door a slightly naughty track-ready look. The only reason to pass on this package is its slightly firmer ride, but we found the optional sport-tuned suspension pleasantly firm. It’s a matter of priorities.

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The Mercedes E-Class is comprised of three models. The least expensive of this trio (from $40,495, including destination charges) is the E300D, powered by a thrifty 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel. The E320 (from $45,395) is the most popular member of the line, with a 217-hp 3.2-liter dohc 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine.

The E420 tops the E-Class range, powered by a robust 4.2-liter dohc 32-valve V8 with 275 hp. With this kind of thrust, the senior E-Class entry rates as one of the planet’s premier cabin-class hot rods. All three Benzes send their horsepower to the ground through an ultra-smooth five-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels.

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