Articles by Karla Pincott

A refreshed Mercedes-Benz CLS has been captured by Carsguide's spy photographers during the car's testing in the icy weather of northern Europe, giving us a look at the styling tweaks that will give a mid-life update for the prestige four-door coupe four years after it first launched.The barely-camouflaged prototype caught on camera shows minor revisions are on the way for the front and rear fascia and the lights. The headlight clusters are getting new LED beams, now topped by restyled LED daytime running lights echoing the S-Class, while a mesh grille brings the nose styling draws closer to that of the A-Class and CLA-Class.Our spies say the cabin scores a redesigned steering wheel, plus a nearly iPad-sized larger COMAND display screen jutting upwards from the dash. The new CLS is likely to be unveiled later this year and arrive in Australia in 2015, followed by the Shooting Brake wagon version.While drivetrains are yet to be confirmed, they are are expected to continue with the 250 and 250CDi but tipped to echo the rationalisation of the E-Class by dropping the range-topping 500's V8 in favour of a V6-powered 400. Mercedes-Benz has just repositioned the current CLS line-up, slashing the CLS250 and CLS250 CDI by $5000, and the range-topping CLS500 by just over $50,000, while axing the mid-range CLS350 and CLS350 CDI.

The CLS-Class has been around for 10 years -- spearheading a decade ago the trend for 'four-door coupe' styling. And to mark its first double-digit birthday (and while we're waiting for the new one to arrive, likely next year) Mercedes is making some big changes to the line-up.The German prestige brand is adding in a package of new features, dropping the prices $5000 on the lower level models and more than $50,000 on the top sepc, but axing the CLS350 petrol and diesel models from the line-up.Named the Avantgarde 10, the new spec level builds on the existing Avantgarde features, but drops the price by $5000 on both the four-door Coupe and wagon Shooting Brake bodies, now available for $114,900 and $124,000 respectively -- plus on-road costs.The extra features include AMG body kit and five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels, active-cornering adaptive LED headlights, electronically controlled Airmatic damping system, heated front seats, and a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system.The Avantgarde 10 treatment has also been given to the CLS500 four-door Coupe, with the price slashed $50,400 to make it now available for $159,900 plus on-roads. It also gets the Avantgarde 10 package with the additions of a digital radio tuner and the Easy-Pack quick-fold rear seat system.The price change on the CLS500 drops it to roughly the price of the axed models, with the petrol CLS350 having started at $158,700 and the CLS350 CDI at $159,200.Mercedes-Benz spokesman David McCarthy says the realignment adds considerable value to the anniversary models. "Customer value if the options are added on is $20,000 extra for the CLS250 and CLS250 CDI and about $45,000 for the CLS500," he says.The changes are a resounding shot fired at key German rivals. However McCarthy says the realignment is not prompted by any perceived threat to sales."It was an opportunity to give the the E-Class and CLS-Class a greater focus. We did really well with E-Class and CLS last year so the buyers are there, but we wanted to sharpen it," he says. "We think with this realignment you get the choice of luxury and the luxury of choice."One of the reasons we're taking the 350 out of the catalogue at this point is that E-Class and CLS buyers -- while they're not the same -- are in the same segment. So excluding the AMGs, you've now got an E-Class E200 that starts around $80,000, and then the range is now topped off by the CLS500 anniversary edition at $160,000."He points out a similar strategy was undertaken when rationalising the E-Class line-up. "When we dropped E500 from the E-Class range we replaced it with E400 -- same equipment, different engine, but again it was about a $50,000 drop."There are still a lot of customers out there that want a V8 other than an AMG, so we decided with the anniversary edition to make that vehicle much more affordable. We think there could be some E500 owners that really wanted a V8... well they've always had the choice of a CLS and we've now made it more accessible."However he emphasises that sales figures have not been a problem with either the E-Class or CLS-Class, which sold 1451 and 456 last year respectively, with the E-Class leading the segment against the BMW 5 Series on 1108."Obviously you always want to sell more. But this is not that we're seeing a problem in that segment -- we won that segment -- it's in response to what customers have been telling us and at the end of the day our job is to meet those expectations and give them what they want," McCarthy says.The new price of the CLS500 now makes it a much more attractive proposition than it's former $210,300 ask, with the Merc now about $70,000 less than the closest BMW rival, the 550i starting at $231,445"Our competitors could be a bit put-out by where we've priced the CLS500," McCarthy says. "But our role is to meet the customers' expectations and provide them with the best product and the best value. I'm not interested in giving our opposition a free kick or any sympathy. Now if that upsets another marque, well ... bah."The reality is we wanted to sharpen the range. And I think it really does -- to the extent that we feel pretty confident about how it's going to sell."2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class pricesMercedes-Benz CLS250 CDI Avantgarde 10 $114,900 (-$5000)Mercedes-Benz CLS 250 CDI Shooting Brake Avantgarde 10 $124,000 (-$5000)Mercedes-Benz CLS500 Avantgarde 10 $159,900 (-$50,400) 

We've all had a 'grrr' moment when finding the only parking spot in the suburb is half-occupied by the car in the next slot. Or seeing a blatantly able-bodied person bound out of a disabled spot, or even finding a car blocking your driveway. But our problems pale in comparison to Rome where people park... well, anywhere really. Driveways, footpaths, traffic islands -- anywhere a car can fit, you'll probably find one. The city's polizia, who probably can't find a park themselves, have come up with a new dobbing solution for social media: urging residents to tweet photos of badly-parked cars to the police Twitter account. In just the first month of the campaign, they've received more than 1100 photos, and have reportedly responded to about 750 of them (presumably the ones showing registration plates) by handing out citations. The polizia are working on making the process even more responsive, allowing the tweeters to track the progress of their complaints, and having their boffins build data maps that show problem parking areas. While the program is being touted as "modern, open and transparent", according to Reuters, we wonder if this dob-in approach will fall victim to being misused in neighbourhood parking feuds. And would it work in Australia... would you dob in a bad parker, and if so, under what circumstances? This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

The Subaru Liberty is marking its 25th anniversary for the Legacy nameplate under which it sells overseas, and to chime in with the birthday the carmaker is unveiling the next version at Chicago motor show on February 6.Subaru has released a teaser image that gives a look at the profile, but fans will already have an idea of what to expect, after seeing the Legacy concept that debuted at the Los Angeles show in November. The Japanese brand has already said the 2015 Liberty will get sharper styling and more features, including the latest iteration of Subaru's Eyesight safety system, with colour stereo cameras with a larger range and better ability to recognise obstacles and pedestrians.No further details have been released, but it's likely the current naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder will continue in the lower-level models, mated in Australia only to a six-speed continuously variable auto transmission - and it's unlikely the outputs will change from the exiting car's 127kW of power and 235Nm of torque.And the turbocharged 2.5-litre for the upper levels is also expected to return, with both six-speed manual and possibly a six-speed auto replacing the outgoing five-speed, plus a hoped-for increase on the current 195kW and 350Nm.All variants will feature Subaru's all-wheel drive. A wagon body is also in the wings, although we may not see that until a future motor show later in 2014.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Want to relive your (very) early youth -- and your very first driving experiences? You should get in touch with British mechanic John Bitmead, who's built an adult-sized version of the popular kid's car, the Little Tikes Crazy Coupe. As we've previously reported, the Little Tikes Crazy Coupe is the world's best-selling car, even topping the likes of the Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus (both of which claim to be world best, depending on which nameplates are counted). And after noticing how many houseyards were garaging one of the little plastic vehicles, Bitmead got together with some friends and built his own, with a total cost of £35,000 ($66,000), which would buy you a fleet of 550 of the $120 pint-sized version. The project took about five months, with the Oxfordshire resident working on it for about 1000 hours, with most of the time taken up with the bodywork, including replicating the rounded yellow roof and glassless windows. Bitmead told the UK's Daily Mail he and his team worked hard on echoing the design and styling of the Crazy Coupe as closely as possible. "I thought a (Daewoo) Matiz was the most similar in shape to the Cozy Coupe, we just needed to chop the middle out to make the dimensions correct," he said. "It was really important to me to get the details exactly right - the ignition is even a big button, and we created all kinds of moulds to get the steel roof and unique seat shape exactly right. I wear a helmet when driving it, not because I need it, but because it gets fairly windy with no windscreen." The 'Big Tikes' is powered by the donor car's little 40kW 800cc engine -- rather than the Little Tikes' pedal power -- and can do 0-100km/h in a tidy 17 seconds and a top speed of 112km/h. That might sound a bit sluggish, but we imagine there's be no trouble overtaking other cars once they spot this in their reaerview mirror... they'd be pulling over for a quick blood-alcohol check. "We've taken it out on a few trips, and people can't believe their eyes when we come driving down the street in this red and yellow toy car," Bitmead says. "We took it on the motorway once, but I'm too scared to do it again in case we cause an accident - people were taking photos of us driving past at the wheel and swerving all over the place."   The Specs Engine: 800cc Power: 40kW 0-100km/h: 17 seconds Top speed: 112km/h Fuel: ULP Safety: One airbag Cabin features: two giant drink holders This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Hungarian design master X-Tomi has released an impression of what the next Nissan GT-R could look like, and has shown how the styling of the Japanese carmaker's Sports Sedan could translate onto the performance hero.The Sport Sedan Concept unveiled at Detroit motor show is believed to be pointing to the development of the next Maxima sedan, which is due for a refresh. However X-Tomi has adapted its cues to the GT-R and the sleek nose with its sweptback headlights look to be a good fit.A new generation of the GT-R is rumoured to be just a couple of years away, but in the meantime Nissan gave the current car a dose of steroids to develop a Nismo version at November's Tokyo motor show.The GT-R Nismo's twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine has been tweaked to deliver 441kW of power and 650Nm of torque -- 37kW and 22Nm more than the current GT-R's 404kW and 628Nm -- with revised intake and exhaust systems, upgraded fuel pump, bigger and harder-breathing turbos drawing on the GT3 race car, and improved individual ignition timing for each cylinder.We’ve already test-driven the 2015 GT-R NISMO on the track at Japan’s Sodegauro Forest Raceway and found it to be even easier to drive at very fast speeds than the previous modelWatch the Nissan GT-R Nismo video reviewThe suspension -- with three modes: Comfort, Normal and (track) R -- has also been revised, with specially-tuned springs and custom-developed Bilstein DampTronic dampers front and rear, and specifically-developed links for the double-wishbone front.The GT-R has already clocked a lap at Germany's Nurburgring with a time of 7:08.679 -- yes, nearly 12 seconds behind the Porsche 918 Spyder's Ring record of 6:57. However, Nissan is stressing that the GT-R's time is a record for a 'volume production car', while the 918 is a small production run -- and much more expensive than the GT-R.Watch the Nissan GT-R Nismo Nurburgring lap video hereThis reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Chevrolet has gone for a bit of rom-com in their Super Bowl commercial for the 2015 Silverado HD ute -- although it's not your usual chick-flick kind of story.In the ad, titled Romance, we get to meet "a man ... a man and his truck ... and a very eligible bachelor" who just happens to be a prize bull. It goes on in the vein of "bated breath and lonely hearts" -- you get the picture -- as the driver hauls his new bull through the US landscape with Hot Chocolate's 'You Sexy Thing' in the background.And of course on arriving at his ranch, there's the obligatory "helloo ladeez". It's all been done with subtlety, and quite a bit of warmth, guaranteed to appeal to the big pick-up's target market."We like how ‘Romance’ uses humor to show the power and capability of the truck and the interesting demands our customers place on their heavy-duty trucks," Chevrolet global chief marketing executive Tim Mahoney says in the accompanying press blurb.Watch the desktop version of the Chevrolet Super Bowl ad here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Who wouldn't want to be Ken Block... armed with insane driving skills and tearing around rallysport courses in a bespoke-built car, then setting up ultimate stunt playgrounds for the series of Gymkhana videos.We're not him, but now we can at least get a taste of the action from his point of view, with a Go-Pro edition of his latest Gymkhana 6. His car was seemingly bristling with the benchmark sports cameras, which give us not only a Block's-eye view but also captures his footwork and some close bonnet and fender footage as he approaches obstacles.Watch the Gymkhana 6 Go-Pro editionIf anything, it's even better than the official Gymkhana 6. So get in, buckle up and prepare to indulge your smokiest Walter Mitty driving daydreams.Watch the original Gymkhana 6 videoThis reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

There might not be a performance-focused MPS on the horizon for the new Mazda 3, but Australia is getting its own sports pack with the Kuroi kit.

There are many ways to measure up the showroom choices for your next car. Is it efficient, is it affordable, is it comfortable, is it safe ... and now: is it attractive to the opposite sex? A new survey has explored that last factor and come up with some surprising results, especially for those men who think a sports car will make them more attractive to women.In good news for tradies everywhere, the research undertaken in the US by Insure.com found that more women consider utes the most attractive for potential dates to drive. The poll of 2000 drivers found that of the women,  32 per cent said they saw men who drove utes as the most attractive, with sports cars behind at 27 per cent. SUVs scored just 16 per cent with women, sedans 11 per cent and hybrids and electrics a measly 5 per cent.Women judged Ford the most attractive brand at 16 per cent, and black the hottest colour at 53 per cent. So, gentlemen: a Ford Ranger in the Black Mica finish? Oh, that does suit sir.When it came to men's opinions of what cars made women most attractive, the results were more expected. The leader was sports cars with 39 per cent, with sedans trailing behind at 22 per cent, SUVs at 20 per cent and people-movers at the bottom with 4 per cent.BMW earned the top brand choice for men with 16 per cent, and red the favourite colour with 40 per cent. So ladeeez: a red BMW Z4, perhaps.The survey added a few very questionable explanations as to why these body types were the top picks, suggesting women were looking for a mate who could "help me move, bring me large gifts ... and do repairs" while they would "think twice about dating a guy driving a VW Beetle, or anything labeled a chick car".And the research focused only on opposite-gender attraction, so if you're lesbian or gay the results possibly mean even less to you than they should to everybody else when choosing your next car.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott