For lovers of exclusive cars Mercedes-Benz is proud to announce the arrival of an eye-catching new version of the C-Class on the scene. The new Special Edition is set to draw admiring glances with its sporty, elegant design features, reserved for this model only, a high-quality interior plus some exciting technical highlights as part of the standard specification, including AGILITY CONTROL, ADAPTIVE BRAKE, BlueEFFICIENCY and the Intelligent Light System, ensuring that even the most discerning requirements are met for those looking for refinement, motoring pleasure and a car with a distinctive character. The Special Edition is available as a saloon and an estate and with all the C-Class engines.

Sporty passion, exciting dynamism and effortlessly superior style – these are the distinguishing characteristics of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Special Edition. The striking C-Class design that has won a number of awards has now been given an even finer, and yet at the same time more sporty, air by Mercedes-Benz through the addition of some charismatic details. Playing a major role in the vehicle’s image are its darkened front headlamps with a dark cover frame, the new indium grey paintwork (obsidian black, palladium silver, iridium silver or calcite white are also available) and 17-inch 5-spoke light-alloy wheels with mixed-size tyres (235/60 R 17 at the front, 255/55 R 17 at the rear). As an alternative there are also 16-inch 7-spoke light-alloy wheels and 205/55 R17-size tyres all round.

The optical finesse of the exterior comes courtesy of touches such as shoulderline trim strips in polished aluminium, the finned radiator in brilliant silver matt with chrome highlights and an integrated star, front fog lamps with a chrome ring and chromed twin louvres, chrome highlights in the bumper, rub strip and boot lid plus the B-pillar trim painted glossy black.

Like the exterior, the interior is based on the AVANTGARDE design and equipment line. Its aesthetics have been streamlined and its sportiness sharpened through the inclusion of further high-quality materials and carefully coordinated details. An example of these stylish elements are the seats – exclusively manufactured for the Special Edition – made from black ARTICO man-made leather with Liverpool fabric in como beige. There is contrasting topstitching in comobeige embellishing the seats, centre armrest, door centre panel and floor mats, serving to underline the dynamic theme. The floor mats also bear the “Special Edition” lettering. Leather seats are available as an optional extra – also in two-tone variants featuring black/sahara beige or black/cognac brown.

Trim parts in brushed aluminium which have been designed exclusively for this C-Class Special Edition contrast with the interior in black and beige, creating an ambience full of soul. The standard specification includes armrests with a double cup holder and a stowage compartment at the front and rear, 1/3 : 2/3 folding rear seats with a through-loading feature, a luxury multifunction leather steering wheel with a 4.5 inch display in the instrument cluster that boasts three analogue round dials with tapered tube-style surrounds, not to mention a shift/selector lever in leather, plus seat heating.

The range of equipment includes some superb technical innovations such as AGILITY CONTROL, ADAPTIVE BRAKE and BlueEFFICIENCY, helping the C-Class to set standards in the compact premium-car segment. Also part of the standard specification on board the Special Edition is the Intelligent Light System featuring bi-xenon headlamps with variable light distribution, an active light function,

dynamic headlamp range control plus a cornering light function that ensures optimum adaptation to the current visibility. Yet more comfort is afforded by PARKTRONIC with its acoustic and optical distance warning.

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Special Edition is available now in both saloon and estate guise with the entire engine line-up, including the redeveloped, especially powerful four-cylinder diesel engines which come complete with the assurance of their exemplary thriftiness and environmental compatibility. Indeed, it is thanks to them that Mercedes-Benz has achieved model status in this class where efficiency is concerned.

Depending on which engine is ordered, the additional charge on the respective base model in conjunction with the fabric/ARTICO man-made leather upholstery is between 2,689.40 and 3,879.40 euros (between 4,629.10 and 5819.10 euros in conjunction with leather upholstery) including German VAT.

Reprising their roles from the 2008 Formula One season, the Mercedes SL63 AMG and C63 AMG Estate will again be a presence on the F1 tracks in 2009, as the two have been named the Official F1 Safety Car and the Official F1 Medical Car.  To handle their track duties, both feature a wealth of performance and practical enhancements, ranging from various cooling improvements to extensive weight saving measures.

On the Mercedes SL63 AMG F1 Safety Car, alterations include a newly developed AMG sport exhaust system; a specially developed coil-over suspension setup; additional coolers for the engine oil, transmission oil, coolant and power steering; and a reduction in weight by some 220 kilograms thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.  As for the C63 Estate AMG Medical Car, it too features a new exhaust system; coil-over suspension and additional coolers for the engine oil, transmission oil, coolant and power steering; while monitors and an on-board radio system help the C63 AMG Estate’s drivers stay up-to-date with the action on the track.

Now that the 2010 Mercedes E-Class has been officially unveiled, it’s only a matter of time before the estate variant of the new E makes its debut as well. While we’re waiting for that momentous event to occur, here’s a few new shots showcasing precisely what we have to look forward to from the upcoming model. Yes, there is still quite a bit of masking covering its various design attributes, but with a little imagination, you can make out to a large degree the amount of extra space the wagon holds over its sedan counterpart.

Not being much of a wagon connoisseur, I’ll keep my thoughts on the E-Class Estate’s design to myself. However, from a functional standpoint, I’m sure it will score very high on the practicability scale – assuming, of course, that you need to store a prodigious amount of crap in the back of your vehicle on a daily basis.

To see more of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate, you can see a few additional shots immediately below (click to enlarge)