Tenders have been received...
Tenders have been received from Birmingham"s NEC, plus Earls Court and the ExCeL centre, both in London. Proposals from Silverstone, Northamptonshire, and the Goodwood race circuit in West Sussex never materialised. So the trio of contenders will pitch their ideas to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which puts on the exhibition, later this month.
These are the first...
These are the first official pictures of the production version of the car - and it looks very similar to the concept that Mercedes unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September.
Using the E-Class"s underpinnings, the CLS will initially be offered with two engines. A 272bhp V6 will power the entry-level model, while the top-of-the-range CLS 500 makes use of Mercedes" existing 5.0-litre V8.
The former does 0-60mph in seven seconds, with the latter achieving it in only six. Standard kit will include 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels, speed-sensitive steering and an automatic gearbox.
With prices starting from í‚á£45,000, buyers will expect luxury, and the German firm is convinced they won"t be disappointed. Standard upholstery is a mix of fabric and leather, but there"s an option to upgrade to one of three different types of full leather interior.
After these two CLS models have gone on sale, other variants will appear. A new diesel engine, likely to be a 4.0-litre V8 producing 252bhp, will be available before being introduced on later versions of the E and S-Class. A year after the CLS launch, a 467bhp CLS55 AMG will join as the new flagship.