New Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG with 518HP or 550HP to Premiere in LA

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the world debut of its next-generation CLS63 AMG sports sedan at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public November 19-28. The German maker also revealed that it will make an announcement on the U.S. rollout of its fuel cell-powered F-CELL car.

The yet to be shown 2011 CLS63 AMG model (the standard CLS is pictured above), which is based on the second generation of Merc's so-called "four-door coupe", will be powered by a new 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine matched to a MCT (multi-clutch technology) transmission. In base form, the biturbo V8 churns out 518 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque, but there's also an optional Performance Package that increases output to 550 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque.

As for Mercedes' F-CELL model, it's essentially an electric B-Class that makes its own power on board as the hydrogen and air react without combustion in the fuel cell, producing current to run the 136-horsepower electric motor. The F-CELL is also equipped with a 35-kilowatt lithium-ion battery that stores recovered braking energy.

According to the German automaker, the hydrogen gas is stored in 10,150-psi tanks that can be refueled in only three minutes, and offers a driving range of about 230 miles.

Beginning in Southern California, Mercedes will offer the new F-CELL car through a special lease program in markets with available and growing networks of hydrogen refueling stations.

*Non-AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS shown in photos

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.

________________MERCEDES CLS SHOOTING BRAKE CONCEPT_____________