Car Moon

We’ve been patiently waiting for the new season of Top Gear to come to our screens, but the time is almost here as the first episode of the series will air on Sunday.

Following last week’s release of the first teaser of season 17, BBC has now aired a second video highlighting the antics of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

Among the other cars featured in the trailer are a McLaren MP4-12C taking on a Ferrari 458 Italia, a BMW 8-Series Coupe compared to a Mercedes CL, the rally version of the Mini Countryman and a Chevrolet Corvette from the early 1990s. You can check out the trailer for the new season of Top Gear after the break.

Longtime Mercedes-Benz tuner has released a performance package for the latest S500 and CL500 as well as the S63 and CL63 AMG models, which are fitted with Stuttgart’s new V8 bi-turbocharged engines. In addition to the powerplant enhancements, the German tuning firm has also developed a range of cosmetic and handling upgrades.

Starting with the S500 and CL500 models, Brabus offers two different engine tunes for the 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V8. The first kit includes a new ECU priced at €4,900 (~US$7,160), which bumps output from 435HP and 700Nm to 482HP and 780 Nm (575 lb-ft).

If the stock Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG doesn't offer quiet enough power or pizazz for your tastes, Anderson Germany will try to make good use of your money and turn Stuttgart's coupe into something a bit more special. Heck, they'll even pick up your car from your house and return it all zinged up - though we're assuming this offer stands for its Germany-based clients only. And by zinged up, Anderson Germany means it will upgrade both the styling and performance of the CL65 AMG.

Less than a month after taking the wraps off the regular CL-Class facelift models, Mercedes-Benz went ahead and revealed the flagship versions of its über luxury coupe, the 2011 CL63 and CL65 AMG models. Both cars will have their world premiere at the Paris Motor Show and arrive in U.S. showrooms in November.

On the outside, there are some subtle styling tweaks on both AMG models such as the redesigned front bumper with LED daytime running lights, the more "V"-shaped grille, a contoured hood, larger headlamps and a reworked rear bumper with newly styled tail pipes. Interior revisions are limited to the new steering wheel, higher-quality trim materials and different color options.

This here is the refreshed 2011 CL-Class, which despite the rumors, doesn't adopt the S-Class Coupe moniker as part of Mercedes-Benz's new nomenclature that started with the new E-Class Coupe that replaced the CLK. For its mid-life facelift, the CL coupe has received a mild redesigned and a new bi-turbo V8 engine.

Visual updates include a redesigned front bumper housing LED strips with chrome surrounds for the daytime running lights, a reshaped hood, new headlamps and a more V-shaped grille.

The LED turn indicators and position marker lamps along with the reprofiled rear bumper and newly-designed tail lamps round off the exterior changes.

An official picture of the updated 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL (see the spy shots here) in AMG guise has been found by our fellow bloggers over at Autoblog.nl. The facelifted CL gets a new snout with a more pointed design and a single, instead of two, horizontal bar on the grille along with new LED daytime running lights.

Now here's an incident that you don't get to see very often - let alone capture on film. But these spy photographers got lucky when, while they were tailing a camouflaged 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML SUV prototype on a snow covered road, the driver of the SUV led them straight to a CL-Class AMG facelift test car that was trapped in a ditch!

At first, the Mercedes-Benz team tried to pull out the CL-Class AMG coupe only with the all-wheel drive ML.

When that didn't work, they then employed the help of an S-Class AMG sedan equipped with snow chains. The combined pulling power of the two Mercs did the job. Enjoy the video after the break.

German tuning firm Vath is upping the performance ante on the Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG once again with the release of a new package that increases power and gives the luxury coupe a more aggressive look. As if the standard Benz's 612-horsepower twin-turbo V12 wasn't already enough, Vath's engine kit lifts output to 745HP and a spectacular 1,150Nm or 848 lb-ft of peak torque.

Almost three years after its debut at the 2006 Paris Show and Mercedes is readying a subtle mid-life facelift for the CL-Class that may be re-designated as the S-Coupe when the car arrives at Merc's showrooms sometime during the first quarter of 2010. Our spies captured the range-topping AMG version of the CL that will once again be available in two guises, the V8-powered CL63 AMG and the V12-powered CL65 AMG or, S63 and S65 AMG Coupe respectively if Mercedes decides to change the coupe's name as it did with the CLK's replacement, the E-Class Coupe.

Is there any type of model that the folks from California-based NCE won't whack the roof off? The answer to that question is probably no. If it's got four wheels and a fixed roof, the California-based company won't have any problem transforming it into a convertible. After the Dodge Challenger, Toyota Prius, Cadillac CTS, NCE has now chopped the roof off a Mercedes-Benz CL-Class AMG coupe. No word if it's the $150k CL63 AMG or the $200k+ CL65 AMG, but either way, the owner of the car must have a lot of 'ping-pongs' (and way too much play money) to dare such a conversion.

Just when you thought it was safe again to take a peak into the world of ASMA Design, the German tuning house goes and presents this burlesque creation, the Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG-based, Phantasma CL Chrome. We're not entirely sure if the car's name is derived from the Greek word Phantasma that translates to ghost, but there's no doubt in our mind that most will act like they've seen one after looking at this monstrous creation.

As if the vent-astic 'Darth Vader' grille, the various aerodynamic add-ons of the wide-bodykit and the humongous 22-inch wheels shod in 255/30 tires up front and 295/25 at the rear weren't scary enough, ASMA Design took the liberty to paint the car a shiny chrome finish.

Performance-wise, the Phantasma CL Chrome's AMG 6.0-liter turbocharged V12 engine has been upgraded to deliver an output of 725HP and a maximum torque of 1,180Nm or 870lbs/ft. This results to a zero to 100km/h or 62mph sprint time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 205mph or 330km/h.

In celebration of the 100th birthday of Mercedes' three-pointed star and the Benz emblem, the Stuttgart automaker is launching a special edition version of the CL500 coupe dully dubbed "Trademark Centenary". Available from June 26 in rear-wheel drive (CL500) and four-wheel drive layouts (CL500 4MATIC), the Trademark Centenary model features special appointments and details including a unique paint finish from the Merc's designo collection, an AMG Sports package, full leather interior, black piano lacquer trim and a set of the original Mercedes and Benz emblems on lower part of the centre console.

The new AMG Sports package that was officially launched in April adds front and rear aprons, side skirts and sports pedals in brushed stainless steel with black rubber studs, plus painted brake calipers with Mercedes-Benz lettering. The anniversary edition also comes equipped with unique high-sheen 20-inch 5 twin-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels painted in titanium grey. They are shod with 255/35 R 20 tires at the front and 275/35 R 20 at the rear.

All these extras come at a hefty cost which in this case has been set by Mercedes-Benz at €17,850 (incl. 19% German VAT) or about $23,100 US - and that of course, does not include the price of the CL500 / CL500 4MATIC.