Mercedes releases new photos of 2012 SLK Roadster, gets panoramic glass roof

Mercedes-Benz has published a bevy of pictures of its next-generation SLK hardtop roadster during endurance testing in the heat of Death Valley to show off the upcoming model's panoramic glass-roof with Magic Sky Control [MSC].

Driving with the top down is not always an option. There might be clear blue skies, but temperatures could be also very low. Other times the car's interior gets way too hot if it has a panoramic glass roof. Either way, your drive is ruined.

And this is where the Magic Sky Control system comes into the picture. A roughly 2,000 euro (US $2,772) option for the next generation SLK, the MSC is, in essence, a panoramic roof that can be made either transparent or darkened, just by pushing a button.

So, when it's too cold you make it transparent and still enjoy the nice visuals or, when you have to park in the sun, it darkens on engine-shut down and the interior remains much more cooler. No more burnt arms on an over-heated armrest…

Mercedes says that the system works on the principle of a plate condenser. The glass roof has some special particles in it, which react to electrical voltage. And when you push that button you're feeding it voltage or cutting the supply off, thus the glass becomes transparent or not.

The Germans have been testing the Magic Sky Control on prototype SLKs in Death Valley (check out the gallery below) and came to the conclusion that parts of the interior remain much cooler (up to 10 degrees Celsius) than in cars using traditional green glass.

The 2012 Mercedes SLK is expected to go on sale next summer and we'll probably see it for the first time either at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2011 or at the Geneva Salon in March of the same year.

If we're to believe the rumors going around, the new generation of the roadster model may be the first SLK to get a diesel engine. Other than that, it's business as as usual under the bonnet, with turbocharged four-pots and more noble V6s.

By Csaba Daradics

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Busted: 2011 Toyota Prius MPV Picture is an Older Photoshop

Not that we expect the actual production version of the upcoming 2011 Toyota Prius MPV (or whatever else the Japanese maker names the hybrid minivan) to look any more exciting than the vehicle shown in the black-and-white picture above, but just to set things straight, what you see here is an older photoshop created by Japan's Best Car magazine and not the real deal as some hastily baptized. Proof seekers may follow the jump for color shots from the magazine.

We'll just remind you that Toyota has confirmed that the world premiere of the Prius minivan will take place at the 2011 Detroit motor show in mid-January, with sales to follow either towards the end of the same year or in early 2012.

Photoshop: Best Car , Via: Autoblog.it

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2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate Spied, Shows Redesigned Interior

Our intrepid spy photographers not only caught the Estate version of the facelifted 2011 C-Class, but this time they also managed to snag some pictures of the car's redesigned dashboard, which will be the same for all body styles including the sedan and the new addition to the range, the coupe.

Taking styling cues from the larger E- and S-Class models, the prototype C-Class facelift pictured here gets a newly designed instrument panel that extends to include the display screen over the new center console, which has new controls and air-vents.

On the outside, the light camouflage hide a series of subtle design tweaks that include gently massaged front and rear bumpers, small changes to the design of the headlamps and tail lights plus a more contoured bonnet and front grille.

There's not much info going around about the engineering upgrades, but buyers should expect some mechanical tweaks to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions across the range.

The facelifted C-Class sedan and Estate models along with the all-new Coupe variant (see our most recent spy shots here) will go on sale next spring.

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2012 Toyota Yaris / Vitz Mini Site Launched in Japan, but Leaked Brochure Shots Reveal All

Toyota is getting ready to present a new generation of its Japanese domestic market Vitz supermini, which we will come to know (with a few changes here and there) as the 2012 Yaris.

For this reason, Toyota launched a mini site teasing the new car through some cropped images and text, which unfortunately, is in Japanese - any help with the translation would be appreciated. From what we understand, the new Vitz / Yaris will either be unveiled or is planned to go on sale in Japan, in December

The teaser shots on the site match the leaked brochure images of the JDM car that have been making the internet rounds these past few days. The catalog pictures reveal a more aggressive and edgier styling language for the new Yaris, while we also learn that the car is 100mm longer in total length and 20 mm shorter in height, compared to the current model. It also gets a 50mm stretch in wheelbase, which should improve interior space.

We'll keep an eye out for any new information and pass it on as it comes.

Link: Toyota Mini Site , Brochure Shots: Minkara & Lo Vitz

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