2006 Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI

The big news for 2006 at Mercedes-Benz was the new E320 CDI, powered by a 201-horsepower 3.2-liter turbodiesel inline 6-cylinder engine, with a 0-60 miles per hour time of 6.6 seconds, fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon city or 37 miles per gallon highway and a range of up to 780 miles.

Of course, the diesel engine was nothing new to Mercedes-Benz; they introduced the first diesel-powered passenger car in 1936. But, it had been absent from the US market for a number of years.

Perhaps following the Volkswagen Jetta's lead, Mercedes-Benz now had the only diesel-powered luxury car available in America.

2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500

The traditional 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500 was powered by a 302-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine. Also available was a 493-horsepower twin-turbo V12 in the SL600, and more powerful versions of both engines in the SL55 AMG and SL65 AMG.

Standard features included a Bose 6-CD changer, a DVD-based navigation system, heated seats and of course a one-touch power retractable hardtop.

2007 Mercedes-Benz S550

 

I wonder if the dealers were happy about Mercedes-Benz showing off the all-new 2007 S550 sedan, while they still had the 2006 models to get rid of, which looked very old-fashioned by comparison. And the improvements weren't just skin deep; the 2007 S550 was powered by a 382-horsepower 5.5-liter double overhead cam aluminum V8 engine, which beat the 2006 S500's 5.0-liter V8 by 80 horsepower.

Not surprisingly, the new model required 91-octane premium gasoline, but if you could afford a car that started at over $80,000 in 2006, you probably didn't have to worry about gas money.

2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG

In 2006, the SLK55 AMG was the most powerful version of the SLK-Class, the smaller Mercedes-Benz coupe/roadster, powered by a 335-horsepower V8 engine instead of a V6 as in the SLK280 and SLK350. Other standard features included a 7-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted controls.

1972-1973 Mercedes-Benz SL

In 1971, Mercedes-Benz introduced an all-new 350SL roadster and 350SLC coupe in Europe, and were powered by a 200-horsepower, 3.5-liter overhead-cam V8 with Bosch fuel injection. The 350SL and 350SLC models were introduced in North America in 1972, but the 3.5-liter V8 could not make adequate power while meeting American emissions standards, so the North American cars were equipped with a 4.5-liter overhead-cam V8 engines with low compression that met American emissions requirements. The North American versions also had four round sealed-beam headlights, as the composite headlights used in Europe were not legal in the United States. In 1973, the North American models were renamed 450SL and 450SLC, reflecting the true size of their V8 engines, and in 1974, they received protruding 5-mile-per-hour bumpers. This roadster with the optional removable hardtop, pictured at the 1999 Eagles car show in Rainier, Oregon, has the original bumpers, making it either a 1972 350SL or a 1973 450SL.

1974-1976 Mercedes-Benz 280C

Mercedes-Benz introduced its "New Generation" series of sedans and coupes in 1968, and continued to produce them under a variety of model numbers until 1976. Though the exterior changed very little from year to year, this hardtop coupe at the 1999 Eagles Car Show in Rainier, Oregon, can be narrowed down by the protruding 5-mile-per-hour bumpers that were mandated in the United States beginning in 1974. With that in mind, this coupe would be a 280C from between 1974 and 1976, powered by a 145-horsepower 2,746-cubic-centimeter (almost 2.8 liter) M110 inline 6-cylinder engine.

2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4MATIC

The new 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4MATIC compact SUV, shown here at the 2009 Portland International Auto Show, is powered by a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 with 258 foot-pounds of torque with a 7-speed driver adaptive automatic transmission and 4MATIC permanent all wheel drive.

Standard features include electronic stability control with trailer stability assist, 4-wheel electronic traction system, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft alarm system with engine immobilizer, automatic headlights and dual-zone automatic climate control. Options include autodimming mirrors, Sirius satellite radio, rearview camera, navigation system and 20" alloy wheels.

The base price is $35,900 while this example with options costs $45,645.