Wednesday 4th July 2012

CLS Shooting Brake AMG leaked - by Merc

Official pictures found published (briefly) on Mercedes-Benz consumer website

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Following the global reveal of the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake at Goodwood, photos of an AMG version (shown in disguised form at the FoS) have emerged. Leaked directly from Mercedes itself, the pictures have been quickly seized upon by US mag Car and Driver.

Quad exhausts mark out AMG

They show a Shooting Brake with a new exhaust and rear bumper arrangement, a more aggressive front grille and new wheels. As ever with AMG, the external changes to the standard car are fairly subtle, although they certainly hint at the latent performance potential.

This potential is sourced from the same 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 that features in the CLS 63 AMG saloon. In standard tune, this produces 518hp and 516lb ft of torque, but expect the Performance Pack (upping these figures to 550hp and 590lb ft) to be offered. As with most other AMGs, the transmission will be a seven-speed Speedshift automatic.

Predictably, Stuttgart has taken away any trace of the Shooting Brake AMG’s emergence from its website. But expect it to follow soon after the standard Shooting Brakes reach British showrooms in November.

Also, BMW may be extending its 6 Series family to combat the threat posed by the Shooting Brake. Not content with producing the 6 Gran Coupe to fight the CLS, BMW Blogsuggests a 6 SeriesGran Touring could go on sale in 2014. And while BMW is not producing an M5 Touring, the emergence of an CLS Shooting Brake AMG could change their minds when considering the Gran Touring.

Gran Coupe + 5 Touring = Gran Touring?

Original rumours about an estate 6 Series came out in 2010 when BMW’s head of development, Dr Klaus Draeger, said a Shooting Brake concept had been built but not shown.

With no official confirmation yet, details on the 6 Gran Touring remain vague. Presumably we can expect something that compares to the 5 Series Touring in the way the CLS Shooting Brake compares to an E-Class estate; more curvaceous, and with the focus much more on style than outright carrying capacity.

[mr2j]

but but but an M5 touring would be way better. capacity is cool. although i do like the looks of the CLS SB, not so much the 4-door 6 series.

[morgansssss]

Wish they made it look a bit more aggressive like the c63 estate. I'd love one of those. Maybe in black or dark grey it will look a bit better

[Essex Exile]

A 5 door estate 6 series? HMMMMMMM
I've clearly forgotten what a 6 series is supposed to be then. I remember when all this was fields and a BMW 6 series was a beautiful 2 door coupe.

[K2MDL]

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

[Trommel]

I'd say it was more of a five-door hatchback. You're not going to get much of a wardrobe in the back of it.

[BMWill]

A SB version of a 6er sounds quite vulgar IMO given it started it's life as a gran tourer. The whole function over form thing should be left to the 5er. That said, the saloon (sorry, '4 door coupe') looks quite dashing. Can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I think there's something quite old school and refined about it. It's got the elegance and class you don't see in cars any more.

Perhaps with the CLS SB and 6er SB, 'zee germans' are trying to introduce the estate as the new coupe? Come to think of it, Ferrari's done that already with the FF...

[gionascm2]

mr2j said:

but but but an M5 touring would be way better. capacity is cool. although i do like the looks of the CLS SB, not so much the 4-door 6 series.

Yes, i think so.

[MX7]

K2MDL said:

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

Agree. Car manufacturers seem to have taken over from Estate Agents in talking bks.

[Cotty]

K2MDL said:

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

If its a BMW then its a Touring

[kambites]

Cotty said:

K2MDL said:

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

If its a BMW then its a Touring

It's still an estate car. "Estate" is the generic term for the body shape, "touring" is BMW's brand name for it.

[ZesPak]

K2MDL said:

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

Don't be bothered, "estate" has gotten a bit of a "bad" name, so they look for euphemisms.
cfr "Avant", "Touring", "SportWagon", "StationWagon", "Sport Break" for further reference. Just add "Shooting Brake" to that list and stop moaning about it.

[tommy vercetti]

MX7 said:

K2MDL said:

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

Agree. Car manufacturers seem to have taken over from Estate Agents in talking bks.

+1

[gck303]

tommy vercetti said:

MX7 said:

K2MDL said:

What's all this shooting brake nonsense? They used to refer to Estates years ago as shooting brakes when they were used for carring guns. It's an estate car!!

Agree. Car manufacturers seem to have taken over from Estate Agents in talking bks.

+1

Shooting brake is an estate for those that don't want to actually carry anything.

Ugly and no doubt overpriced.

[Veeayt]

Someone could have done it years ago and it would be much cooler

[soad]

Veeayt said:

Someone could have done it years ago and it would be much cooler

That looks alright.

[Luca Brasi]

That CLS reminds me of a hearse. Completely pointless car.

[R300will]

It wast Goodwood in the merc building. Looked quite nice actually but, like all mercedes, overpriced.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i love it, i want it, i cant afford it

[Skodaku]

Luca Brasi said:

That CLS reminds me of a hearse. Completely pointless car.

Unless you're an undertaker, of course.

Just a thought.

[ukmike2000]

The Merc is probably a great car to drive, but it will always be minging.