CLS Benz - Sedan or coupe?
The new Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class from Messrs
DaimlerChrysler is probably one of the best looking new cars I
saw at the Bangkok International Motor Show this year.
Although released in Europe in the latter half of 2004 in its
left hand drive guise, DaimlerChrysler left the release of the
right hand drive variant until 2005, where it made its world
debut in Bangkok. Since then, some CLS models have been
appearing on our capital’s streets, just keep your eyes
peeled for the ‘swishest’ four door on the motorways!
CLS
Mercedes
The CLS is a world leader in many ways.
Mercedes Benz has given us a four door, four seat coupe. And
forget about coupes having only two doors! This thing looks
like a coupe. The low roof line as it dips down in the rear,
the shallow side glass, the pillarless side profile, it all
screams sports coupe. Inside you see that this car has only
four, very individual, very separate, places. Despite the low
roof-line, the two rear seat passengers do have adequate
headroom (even the latest Aussie testers were OK) and 829 mm
of knee-room between the front and rear seats is more than
enough, helped by the scalloped backs on the front seats.
There a division between the rear seats so that three people
cannot sit side by side, but results in giving 1464 mm of
space between the two rear passenger elbows.
Based on the E-Series, but reputedly 40
percent stiffer, the new CLS has all the under-the-skin cred
to be a sports car. In its top-of-the-line configuration with
the 5.5 litre supercharged V8 breathed upon by AMG and
churning out a very healthy 350 kW/476 brake horsepower, the
CLS goes from zero to 100 kmh in 4.7 seconds. The 5 litre
‘standard’ V8 CLS 500 with (only) 225 kW/300 bhp will
propel the CLS to 100 kmh in 6.1 seconds and even the entry
level, ‘cooking’ model, the 3.5 litre 200 kW/272 bhp V6
CLS 350 can cover the same speed bracket in 7 seconds. Top
whack for all CLS models is a governed 250 kmh.
The transmission in all models is
automatic, with the smaller engines getting a seven speed, but
the top of the range AMG needs a five speed only. Gears can be
changed manually with all the trendy ‘Michael Schumacher F1
style’ buttons on the steering wheel, but quite frankly, the
micro-processors do it better! And quicker! After the first
half hour of ownership, you forget the buttons.
Being a car of the electronic era, this CLS
has much adding to the sporty feel such as the speed-sensitive
steering and Sensotronic Brake Control, which is tied in with
the Electronic Stability Program. One of the characteristics
of these systems is such that under adverse conditions like
our torrential rain, the brake pads ‘pulse’ on the discs
to stop lock-up and the wheels are individually controlled
through braking sensors to keep everything in line. If you
have been pressing on and suddenly lift your foot from the
accelerator, the micro-processors will have already told the
brake system to be prepared for a sudden stop. Everything is
tensed up and alert. This is not just the old skid control -
this is everything control!
And in case you do have to come to an
unplanned sudden stop, both front and rear seats feature belt
tensioners and belt force limiters, everyone gets an air bag
(or two) with the fronts being adaptive with two stage
deployment according to the severity of the impact.
All the other goodies you would expect in a
car of this calibre are there too, including the bi-xenon
headlamps (once you have driven a car with them, you will
accept no other) with cornering lights as well. Electric seats
with a better memory than yours are standard, key-less access
and infra-red reflecting glass. And more - if you are prepared
to pay, of course.
There always is a price to be paid for
perfection, and in this country the price has several hundred
percent of taxes, duties and anything else that can be thrown
at it in imposts. The CLS 350 - 8.6 million, the CLS 500 is
10.9 million, while the CLS 55 AMG is 14.85 million. While
there is no other direct comparison, it is interesting to note
that the Jaguar XK8 is around 8 million, the BMW 6 series is
12 million and the Porsche GT2 is 23 million.
What did we
learn from the Turkish GP?
Well, the first thing we learned was that
Herr Herman Tilke can produce a good F1 track. Places for
passing to occur (though Webber and Schumacher the elder might
question that) and an interesting layout, with hills and
hollows. Also of interest was the fact that there appeared to
be more than adequate run-off areas, with nobody hanging their
cars on walls.
Jarno
Trulli
We also learned that Raikkonen really is
the ‘class act’ at this point in the championship, and it
is only because of previous unreliability problems at McLaren
Mercedes that he is not leading the championship. His fighting
through the two Renaults on the first lap was superb. Now if
we could only inject some personality into him, like Valentino
Rossi, the two wheeled champion!
After the great broo-ha-ha over Ferrari and
the “team orders” a few years back, we have the new and
apparently politically acceptable instructions from the pits
such as those to Alonso that he was “faster” than
Fisichella and should pass him. This was done with total ease,
even though Fisi was faster than Alonso in qualifying, and had
the same amount of fuel as Alonso. So much for being
“faster”. I have written about this before, but it is a
team, and teams have tactics and orders to make sure that
happens. The constructor’s championship is also for the
“team”, not the individual. Team managers have been
working out the best scenario for their teams for over 80
years, so why have people become horrified recently? Or was it
just part of the anti-Ferrari fever? The truth today is that
team orders still exist, and will always exist. Full stop!
We also learned that some of the
pay-for-their-drive back-markers are definitely not of an F1
standard. Monteiro’s, tagging of Montoya being a classic
example. So much for “super licenses”.
And speaking of Juan-Pablo Montoya, if you
were Ron Dennis, in charge of the purse strings at McLaren
Mercedes, would you be all that happy with your expensive
“star” Colombian? You are supplying your drivers with the
best two cars on the track, yet you are not seeing the 1-2
finishes you expect. Raikkonen’s determination is not
possessed by Montoya. To me, it looks as if Montoya, having
been relegated to being “second” driver, is doing just
enough, and no more.
What about Williams and their
“punctures” which are certainly not a Michelin problem, or
otherwise all the Michelin teams would have had the same
situation? It is a Williams problem, and the best guesses at
this stage are that there was a problem with the rim/bead
seating for the tyres.
BAR’s Jenson Button did show tenacity and
deserved his finishing spot, up from his very lowly starting
position, brought about by the one lap blinder, make or break,
qualifying. The sooner they bring back the best time you can
produce in X number of laps, the better. This is supposed to
happen in 2006.
Finally, Toyota must be happy with Trulli,
but the highly expensive Schumi Junior is certainly not living
up to the image he has been cultivating of his talents. He was
upstaged at Williams last year by Montoya, and is being
outdriven by Trulli this year at Toyota. Would you keep him on
for 2006?
The next GP is the Italian at the famous Monza circuit on
the 4th of September. It could be interesting.
New circuit
for Chonburi?
There have been mutterings about new
circuits in Thailand for some time, but most have been ‘get
rich quick’ schemes by entrepreneurs. However, the latest
edition of the authoritative magazine ASEAN Autbiz claims that
there will be another FIA approved circuit built in the
Chonburi province and ready for opening in 2006.
The location is in Banglamung, so it cannot
be far from the existing Bira circuit, and it is apparently in
two phases. The first will need 750 million baht and involves
developing a 347 rai tract of land with a 4.2 km race track,
facilities for 60,000 spectators, parking for 4,400 cars and
pits and paddock for 200 race cars. A go-kart track and a
multi-functional area for driver education, autocross and
drifting (that somewhat daft oversteering tyre burning sport
from Japan) are supposed to be built by April next year.
The second phase will need another 250
million baht to build a 100 room hotel and a motorsport
industrial estate, all of which is supposed to be completed by
December 2006. All I can say is that they had better extract
the digit, if all this is going to be completed by the end of
next year, especially as the article goes on to say that only
15-20 percent of the design for the complex has been completed
so far.
The next question, of course, is whether
this is being built to bring F1 to Thailand. After all if
Turkey got a GP, why not us? Take a look at the numbers being
quoted - 750 million works out as less than USD 19 million,
and you don’t build a Formula One track for that. Round
about USD 100 million would probably be closer.
Yes, whilst it would be fantastic to have
an F1 facility here, I doubt very much that this will be it.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week, I mentioned Ferrari in
particular and asked who was the youngest Ferrari importer in
the world, and where? The clue was that he also made exotic
cars under his own name. The answer was Peter Monteverdi in
Switzerland, who was 22 years old. He built his first
Monteverdi when he was 17.
So to this week. A very famous sports car
began its life with a 34 year old six cylinder overhead
camshaft engine. This was then replaced by another six
cylinder engine having the same name as a British port. This
in turn was replaced by a six cylinder engine from a model of
a car named after a wind. Finally, someone threw in a large
lump of American iron, and it became a motoring icon. What was
the name of the original car?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be
the first correct answer to email au [email protected]
Good luck!
