Hottest 50 Cars, Trucks, and SUVs for 2006
Born in concept form as the GST--for Grand Sport Tourer--Mercedes brought its supersized luxury crossover to market largely unchanged as the new-for-2006 R-Class. Now dubbed a "Sport Tourer," the Alabama-built R-Class shares platform basics and about 35 percent of its hardware with the equally new M-Class, including V-6 and V-8 engines and all-wheel drive. From there, this unique 2+2+2 seater treads its own path into an emerging segment that lies somewhere between, yet beyond, station wagon and SUV. The R350 has M-B's new 3.5-liter DOHC modular V-6 that's now filtering into other model lines. Producing 268 hp at 6,000 rpm, it uses variable valve timing to help turn out a stout 258 lb-ft of peak torque from 2,400-5,000 revs--90 percent of that from just over 1,500 rpm. The SOHC V-8 in the R500 is Mercedes' veteran 5.0-liter that develops 302 hp and 339 lb-ft of twist from 2,700-4,750 rpm.
Watch video of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class
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