Featured How Obama fulfilled the dreams of Osama

Featured How Obama fulfilled the dreams of Osama

ShareThis278  129  143 Email4 Osama bin Laden is history now but Al-Qaeda is still determined to make some new history. US officials have rightly claimed many times that Al Qaeda has become weaker after the death of Osama bin Laden but they cannot deny the fact that bin Ladenism is still a source of inspiration for the militants fighting from Afghanistan to Yemen and from Iraq to Palestine. Dead Osama is as dangerous as living Osama. The Obama administration has foiled at least 8 terrorist plots on the US soil since the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011. President Obama can take credit of bin Laden’s death but he is not aware that actually bin Laden got the death of his own choice. It was his old dream not to be captured by enemy but to be killed by enemy and no burial in any grave. Osama bin Laden always prayed to become a martyr like his old friend Shafiq-al Madni. I heard the name of Shafiq from bin Laden first in 1997. I was the first Pakistani journalist to meet Osama bin Laden in March 1997 and I was the last journalist to interview him seven weeks after 9/11. I started writing his biography in 1998 and once I asked him about the people who impressed him a lot and created big impact on his life. Osama said that he was lucky to have brave friends like Shafiq-al Madni who always loved martyrdom. Shafiq from Madina was a very good player of soccer but he joined the Jihad against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan with Osama bin Laden. He remained on the frontline during the battle of Jalalabad in 1989. Shafiq al-Madni always wanted a unique and different kind of martyrdom. Once he told him: “oh my Sheikh Osama, please pray that when I become a martyr the stomach of birds and animals should become my grave, I don’t want to be buried in ground; I want that on the day of judgment birds and animals should tell the Allah Almighty that the body of Shafiq al-Madni was torn into pieces by the enemies of Islam because he was fighting in the name of Allah”. Osama said that Shafiq al Madni was very good in destroying Russian tanks with his RPGs. One day Shafiq and two other Arab fighters were trapped by the Russians in the battle for Jalalabad. The three men tried to escape but they were surrounded from all sides. Shafiq was senior to the other two. He decided to provide them fire cover and ordered them to escape. He destroyed the tank coming from the front but became target of another tank gunfire from his left. His body was torn tosmall pieces. His dream came true. He was killed on enemy territory and his dead body was not available. He was not buried in a grave. The stomach of birds and animals became his ultimate grave. Osama bin Laden said: “Allah Almighty fulfilled the dream of Shafiq al-Madni, he became a martyr and I pray to Allah that I should also become a martyr like Shafiq al-Madni who never wanted to be buried in the ground”. Osama was so much impressed with Shafiq al-Madni that he purchased a speedboat and docked it at the bin Laden marina at the Jeddah harbour. He named it after Shafiq al-Madni. The engine of the boat was removed and replaced with a more powerful one. This “Shafiq al-Madni boat” was the first step towards Al Qaeda men’s training in operations in the seas. Osama loved sea a lot. He read many books of Syed Qutab while fishing in the Red Sea. He had never imagined that the US Marines would bury him in the sea and he will not be buried in the any grave like his friend Shafiq al-Madni. The Obama administration never provided a grave to Al Qaeda but it certainly gave a martyr to Al Qaeda. The Pakistani authorities have demolished bin Laden’s house in Abbotabad where he was killed on May 2, 2011 but Al Qaeda is not demolished. The Obama administration fears that maybe Dr. Ayman al Zawahri is still present on the Pakistani soil but there is lack of cooperation between Pakistan and US against Al Qaeda after the Abbottabad operation and attack on Salala check post. Pakistan never gave CIA full access to interrogate Osama bin Laden’s family. The big family was handed over to the Saudi authorities a few days back. Pakistanis were careful because they feared a serious backlash from Al Qaeda. They knew many Al Qaeda leaders were hiding quietly in big cities like Karachi and they can become a big danger anytime. Why Pakistanis are not ready to underestimate Al Qaeda? They know that Al Qaeda operators started moving from Karachi to Afghanistan after the attack on Mehran base in Karachi last year. These operators helped Afghan Taliban launch attacks on the NATO forces in a more organised manner. They also advised Taliban not to listen to Pakistan for starting a dialogue with the US. Most of them are not active militants but they have become terror consultants. Incidents like the desecration of Holy Quran in Afghanistan and the detention of a Pakistani woman Afia Saddiqui in a US prison are enough for Al Qaeda terror consultants to exploit the religious sentiments of the Muslim youth. The Obama administration must tell the world what actually motivated young American Muslims like Sami Osmakac and Amine El Khalafi to organise terror attacks in US. Both were arrested in January and February this year in the US. They never visited Pakistan or Afghanistan, they never met any Al Qaeda leader in their whole life but even then they developed hatred against US. Sami was caught because he was trying to find out the Al Qaeda flag on web before hitting the targets. If some boys living in the US can develop hatred against America then what about those boys who live in Afghanistan and Pakistan, who see the occupation forces with their own eyes and who participate in the burials of those innocent children and woman killed in US drone attacks? It is this pressure from these angry young boys, which stopped the senior Taliban leadership from opening formal negotiations with Washington. The US prevented more than 50 terror attacks on its soil since 9/11 but Afghanistan and Pakistan are not America. These two countries are the biggest victims of US war against terrorism since 9/11 and are still unsafe even after the death of Osama bin Laden. One can differ with the ideology of Al Qaeda but the fact is that his ideology still exists and is getting stronger because of the US policies. The combination of flawed US policies and dangerous Al Qaeda ideology creates angry boys who want to become martyrs like Shafiq al-Madni and Osama bin Laden. Obama can throw the dead body of Osama bin Laden in the deep sea but he cannot drown the ideology of Al Qaeda in the sea. If the US and its allies want to prevent Al Qaeda attacks in future they must throw out their bad policies in the sea. The least they should do is punish the US soldiers responsible for the burning of Holy Quran in Bagram; punish the soldier who killed many innocent people in Kandhar and punish the officers who organised attack on Salala check-post. Don’t protect them, or you will be fulfilling the dreams of Osama bin Laden.

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BMW H2R Hydrogen Record Racecar

BMW’s H2R (Hydrogen Record Car) is powered entirely by the clean-burning process of liquid-hydrogen combustion, and this futuristic racecar has already set nine speed records of 300 km/h and above.http://bmwvehicals.blogspot.com

New York to break the green auto show streak?

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New York to break the green auto show streak?

Green concepts car and announcements have dominated every single major car show – except for Chicago – for the last year or more. Autoweek thinks that’s about to change in New York. “The New York auto show will have an old-fashioned flavor. Instead of a long list of world debuts for hybrids and other gasoline-saving technologies, the show will concentrate on redesigns,” writes Autoweek. While green pickings do look a little slim for the New York show and the last few major cars shows have show some cracks in the green, I have to disagree with Autoweek because there should be lots of green news at the New York Auto Show.
First, the New York show has the official start of the Auto X-Prize which will include news of the exact purse and the sponsors. A few of the teams will be there and the press is sure to eat that up. We certainly will. Second, Toyota might have more details about their hybrid plans. Rumors are floating around that the iQ, a mini to be released this year, might be a plug-in hybrid. Third and finally, a new focus on power and the economy should not exclude green technology. In fact, green tech is the perfect solution for more power and saving money.
I guess we will know in a week when the New York Auto Show begins Wednesday. Check out several videos below the fold about green cars at recent car shows.

The New Mercedes Benz CLC: Sports Coupe

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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a stand-alone model series in the guise of the new CLC, the compelling entry-level model in the Mercedes-Benz coupé family. The Sports Coupé’s design, technology and equipment meet the discerning requirements of young drivers looking for an athletic car that gives an involving drive, while at the same time delivering the hallmark Mercedes quality standards in terms of safety, comfort, environmental compatibility and functionality.

Compared with the previous Sports Coupé, the Mercedes engineers have newly developed or enhanced over 1100 components. Engineering highlights of the CLC include a new direct-steer system for even more agile cornering, state-of-the-art infotainment systems featuring a colour display, Europe-wide DVD or hard-disc navigation and media interface, as well as an uprated four-cylinder engine that now develops 135 kW/184 hp. Fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 10.8 percent compared with the outgoing model.

The compact body dimensions and the muscular lines emphasise the sporty appearance of the new CLC. The Mercedes designers have completely redesigned the front and rear so that the Sports Coupé embodies the contemporary Mercedes design idiom with its distinctive coupé radiator grille featuring a large Mercedes star in the centre, and the new projection-beam headlamps. The redesigned large tailgate conceals a variable boot with up to 1100 litres of luggage capacity. The new tail lights, the long row of LEDs which make up the third brake light unit and the rear bumper subdivide the rear and emphasise its width.

The interior of the new Mercedes-Benz CLC is akin to a contemporary tailor-made suit – custom-fit and comfortable. Sports seats with better lateral support than ever, a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, automatic climate control and brushed aluminium trim elements form part of the standard specification.

Mercedes-Benz offers four four-cylinder and two six-cylinder engines with power outputs ranging from 90 kW/122 hp to 200 kW/272 hp for the new CLC. The 135 kW/184 hp powerplant in the CLC 200 KOMPRESSOR now develops an extra 15 kW/20 hp while consuming just 7.8 to 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the NEDC cycle, the equivalent of up to 0.7 litres less than before. The CDI models boast operating ranges of over 1000 kilometres with a full tank (62 litres).

The six-speed manual transmission comes as standard with all engine variants. Mercedes-Benz can also supply a five-speed automatic transmission for the four cylinder units, and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission for the V6 models.

Lamborghini Reventon

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Lamborghini Reventon

Born in Sant’Agata Bolognese

The Lamborghini Reventón has been entirely designed in Sant’Agata Bolognese, the original birthplace of the Lamborghini and the native home of every super car born under the sign of the bull. The design drawn up in Lamborghini’s Centro Stile (Style Centre) is fine-tuned in close collaboration with the Lamborghini Research and Development Department. Thus, the Reventón is not only “haute couture” but it also stands out for its elevated dynamism whilst being entirely suitable for every day use.

The Lamborghini Reventón is not destined to remain a one-off. A total of 20 Lamborghini friends and collectors will be able to own this extraordinary car and, naturally, enjoy the incomparable pleasure of driving it.

The name Reventón has been chosen according to Lamborghini tradition. Reventón was a fighting bull, owned by the Don Rodriguez family. It is included in the list of the most famous bulls ever and is known for killing the famed bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943.

Inspired by the fastest airplanes

The present day Lamborghini models are distinguished by the clear language of their shape. The coherent proportions of the Murciélago and Gallardo highlight their power and dynamism. Sharp edges, precise lines and clean surfaces: these are ingredients of a style reduced to the essential. Each element is created exactly according to its function; ornaments and decorations are totally foreign to a Lamborghini.

With the Reventón the Centro Stile designers have coherently developed this philosophy, inspired by another sphere where speed and dynamism reign absolute: modern aeronautics, responsible for the fastest and most agile airplanes in the world. This has created an extremely precise, technically striking style with a new vitality: interrupted lines and contorted surfaces create a fascinating play of light, giving the car incredible movement.

Made of carbon fibre and precision

Although it is based on the extraordinarily successful Murciélago LP640, the exterior design of the Reventón is completely new. Just like the base model, the exterior is made of CFC, a composite carbon fibre material, which is as stable as it is light. The exterior components are glued and fixed to the body comprised of CFC and steel.

The front is characterised by the acute angle of the central ‘arrow’ and by the powerful forward-facing air intakes. Although they do not supply air directly to the turbine like an airplane, bearing in mind the 650 hp, an abundant volume of air is necessary to cool the carbon brake disks and the six cylinder callipers.

Born to become a legend

Since its foundation, Lamborghini has been a creator of trends in the world of sports cars and has always manufactured cars with an absolutely unmistakable character. Models such as the Miura or Countach, for example, were veritable forerunners and rapidly acquired the status of timeless classic cars. From the moment they are launched, every new Lamborghini promises to become a legend, destined to become a sought-after and precious possession.

With the Lamborghini Reventón, Lamborghini has done it again; it has created an unequalled super car; the perfect synthesis between the exclusivity and appeal of a limited edition design masterpiece, and the dynamism and driveability of a standard sports car. Thus, the Lamborghini legend is further enhanced by another, stylish future classic.

Lamborghini Reventón – Technical data

• Frame
  • High strength tubular steel structure with carbon fibre components.
• Bodywork
  • In carbon fibre, except roof and door external panels (steel)
• Steering
  • Type: Mechanical (rack and pinion) power-assisted
  • Right-hand turning circle: 12.55 m (41.17 ft)
• Wheels and tyres
  • Front: 245/35 ZR 18
  • Rear: 335/30 ZR 18
• Engine
  • Type: 12 cylinders at 60°
  • Bore and stroke: 88 mm x 89 mm (3.46 in x 3.50 in)
  • Displacement: 6496 cc (396.41 in3)
  • Compression ratio: (11 ± 0.2):1
  • Maximum power: 650 HP (478 kW) at 8000 rpm (guaranteed through the engine selection)
  • Maximum torque: 660 Nm (487 lb-ft) at 6000 rpm
  • Engine position in vehicle: Longitudinal central-rear
  • Cylinder heads and engine block: Aluminium
  • Intake system: Variable geometry with 3 operating modes
• Performance data
  • Top speed: 340 km/h (211.3 mph)
  • Acceleration 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 3.4 s (before: 3.8 s)
• Fuel Consumption (according to DIR 1999/100/CE)
  • Urban: 32,3 l/100km
  • Extra-urban: 15,0 l/100 km
  • Combined: 21,3 l/100 km
  • CO2 emissions: 495 g/km

Bentley S3 E design concept

Bentley S3-based concept it’s an amazing car that melds 1960’s styling from the original Bentley S3 with new millennium technology. That it is possible thanks to the Bentley Boys USA, and specifically Arturo Alonso who is an engineer and automotive visionary.and they will call it Bentley S3 E Design Concept. This splendid concept car will use the original body and chassis but some modern additions like 4-headlamp layout design, vertical grille, dual air conditioning system and a deluxe interior with leather and suede trim for maximized comfort. The car stands on 20 X 9.5 inch forged wheels wrapped with 275/40/20 Continental Sport tires.

Under the long hood will be a 4.4-litre V8 engine borrowed from German automaker BMW mated to a 5-speed ZF BMW automatic transmission producing close to 300 horse power. The S3 is fitted with customised exhaust system consist of stainless steel exhaust pipe, 2 rear muffler and double tips.
Alonso and the guys from Bentley Boys USA decided to build only three of these special, extremely exclusive and unique vehicles and each vehicle it’s going to be built one at a time over a period of eight months. The Bentley S3 Concept will be priced at 150,000 american dollars. The producers will be targeting cashed-up buyers in the usual places, such as the Middle East, Russia the UK and North America.

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Duster Sales Cross 3 Lakh Unit Milestone Across the Globe

Dacia, the subsidiary brand of the Romanian car manufacturer Renault proclaimed that the sales of of its SUV Duster have surpassed the 3 lakh unit milestone across the world. Renault Duster's initial target audience for the European market were the so-called status conscious opulent class, and the SUV was beyond reach of the middle class European. Dacia has used the tried and tested components from its parent company Renault, to build the SUV Duster; it is based on Renault’s B-Platform that has churned out many models for the Renault-Nissan JV like Clio, Modus, Logan etc.

It helped Dacia to keep the cost low and earn a profit as its entire product line is based on Renault’s platform and the low cost brand Dacia is the perfect example of using the top-hats components and make an affordable products with them. Duster presently running on roads today have both Dacial emblem as well as Renault’s diamond long, to be precise only 265k units have Dacia’s badging.

Renault is going to amplify Duster’s presence in the auto world with it’s introduction in the UK and Indian car market this year. Indian market will get the Renault badged Duster while the RHD variant assembled in Renault’s Chennai facility will be exported to UK. Renault has invested 290 million Euros in the production of  Dacia Duster which was designed at Pitesti in Romania.

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2012 Audi QS3 by ABT Sportsline

2012 Audi QS3 by ABT Sportsline

German tuner ABT Sportsline is bringing a host of new programs to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, one of which is the QS3 program based on the Audi Q3.

Drawing on their expertise in building fantastic programs for Audis, ABT Sportsline took the Q3 and added a host of aesthetic and performance modifications on the crossover. On the outside, the QS3 program comes with a new body kit that consists of a completely redesigned front bumper fascia, front grill, door strip attachments, rear spoiler and a new rear bumper fascia. ABT also dressed up the Q3 with a full body graphics package that’s similar to what they did to the other vehicles they’re bringing to Geneva.

As far as performance improvements are concerned, the QS3 program comes with significant power increases for a number of the engine options available to the Q3. For starters, the 2.0 TDi version gets 205 horsepower, an increase from the 177-horsepower output of the standard model. Meanwhile, the 2.0 TFSI model scores an impressive 270 horsepower, up from the standard model’s 211-horsepower output.

The Audi QS3 will be joined by other ABT-tuned vehicles in Geneva, particularly the Audi AS6 Avant, theVolkswagen Beetle, and the Volkswagen Up!.

2012 Audi R8 PPI Design Razor GTR for John Olsson

Jon Olsson is famous for the amazing cars, like the Rebellion R1k Ultima GTR or the Lamborghini Gallardo Ski Transporter. Now, it’s time to add another great car to his impressive garage: a specially designed PPI Design R8 Razor GTR.

According to his official blog, all Olsson wanted to do was add "a nice little spoiler on it and do a nice little "quick" pimp," but PPI kind of ruined his plans. They added a full carbon fiber body kit that weighs only 600 grams. Knowing about his passion for skiing, PPI also added a ski box at the top of the R8.

The standard PPI Razor GTR features a normally aspirated V10 engine that provides over 601 hp at 7,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 416 lb-ft at 6,400 rpm. However, from what we know about Olsson’s rides, we wouldn’t be surprised to see at least 700 HP under this hood.

Audi officially buys Ducati

After months of rumors and speculation, Audi has officially confirmed the acquisition of theDucati Motor Holding S.p.A. The acquisition was approved today in Hamburg and will be completed as quickly as possible once authorized by the competition authorities.

While it hasn’t been confirmed just yet, rumors say that Audi paid approximately €860 million, or $1.13 billion at the current rates, in order to buy Ducati. This is a fabulous deal considering Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some €480 million (about $631 million at the current rates), employing around 1,100 people.

Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, declared: "Ducati is known worldwide as a premium brand among motorcycle manufacturers and has a long tradition of building sporty motorcycles. It has great expertise in high-performance engines and lightweight construction, and is one of the world’s most profitable motorcycle manufacturers. That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi."

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Audi RS Q3 set

Audi has lifted the veil on a production-based concept from its quattro performance division that previews a range-topping variant of the Q3 for European markets.

Called the Audi RS Q3, the go-fast version of the company's compact SUV is planned to make its public debut at next week's Beijing motor show, packing a 355-hp version of the same turbocharged, direct-injection 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine found in the TT RS, set in a stylized bay featuring carbon-fiber trim panels.

With its drive channeled to all four wheels through a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox, the RS Q3 is claimed to hit 62 mph in 5.2 seconds and to reach a top speed of 165 mph.

By comparison, today's top-of-the-line Audi Q3, the 208-hp 2.0 TFSI, boasts an official 0-to-62-mph time of 6.9 seconds and a 143-mph top speed with the same gearbox.

Distinguishing the concept from the standard Q3 on sale in Europe since mid-2011 is a series of exterior styling changes. Included is a reworked version of Audi's signature single-frame grille sporting brushed- and polished-aluminum trims and a new insert.

Further visual tweaks include tinted headlamp assembles with carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic graphic elements, a more angular front bumper with larger lower air ducts, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic mirror housings, altered sills underneath the doors, a more prominent spoiler atop the tailgate, tinted tail lamps and a deeper rear bumper.

A one-inch reduction in ride height and upgraded 20-inch multispoke wheels also help set the Audi RS Q3 apart, endowing it with a more hunkered stance than existing Q3 models.

Audi won't officially say when the RS Q3 will see production. However, insiders at the company's Ingolstadt headquarters in Germany contacted by Autoweek suggest that plans are already under way to gear up a factory in Spain, where the Q3 is built, to begin production of the new performance-based SUV by mid-to-late 2013.

Audi's quattro division is responsible for the development of all existing Audi RS models, including the RS3, the TT RS, the RS4, the RS5 and the mid-engine R8 coupe, roadster and GT.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe revealed ahead of Beijing motor show Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120418/CARNEWS/120419820#ixzz1sRcrJa1x

Mercedes-Benz is previewing its eagerly anticipated CLA sedan at an event in Los Angeles this week before providing a more detailed look at the Beijing motor show with the unveiling of the latest in a long line of concept cars, the 2.0-liter, 208-hp, four-cylinder-powered Concept Style Coupe.

Pictured here officially for the first time, the heavily sculptured four-door reveals the dramatic appearance that the next junior Mercedes-Benz sedan will carry into North American showrooms in 2013.

Advancing the look first established on the F800 Style concept wheeled out at the 2010 Geneva motor show, the Concept Style Coupe is clothed in a four-door body that makes extensive use of concave and convex surfaces to provide its exterior with what Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener describes as “an almost fluid appearance and constantly altering depth.”

The car has a large gaping grille known to insiders as a soft-nose treatment, striking headlamps with LED graphics, a heavily curved roofline, a shallow glasshouse, a high waistline, frameless doors and a trio of sharply creased lines along its flanks. Plus there are curvaceous C-pillars, a tapered rear and a sloping trunk line. That is an unmistakable clear visual connection with the larger CLS, whose success both as a stylistic figurehead for the rest of the Mercedes lineup and at showroom levels heavily dictated the decision to add the less mechanically complex and more affordable CLA.

“The almost-production-standard Concept Style Coupe sets a new benchmark for design in the executive segment,” Wagener said. “Its proportions, surfaces and lines are an expression of our dynamic design idiom.”

Although Mercedes-Benz is quick to point out that the Concept Style Coupe is a one-off show car, Autoweek sources privy to the final appearance of the CLA confirm its styling is largely faithful to the production version of the new sedan.

“Certain design elements have been subtly altered to lend a more powerful look for added presence on the show stand, but as a whole the exterior and interior reflect the true design of the car we will build at our new manufacturing plant in Kecskemét, Hungary,” an insider said.

Mercedes used a similar approach to the unveiling of the third-generation A-class, which was previewed by the concept show car at last year's Shanghai motor show. But as one source hinted, “You will see less change in the transformation of the Concept Style Coupe to the CLA as in the Concept A-class to the new A-class. It really does set the tone and capture the intrinsic visual character of the production car.”

The Concept Style Coupe is expected to undergo mild stylistic changes before the CLA, developed under the code name C117, lands in showrooms. They include the adoption of sturdy B-pillars for added structural integrity, less flamboyant bumpers—particularly at the front—altered headlamp graphics (the Concept Style Coupe's headlamps glow red in standby mode), more conventional exterior mirrors, the same pull-out door handles as those seen on the new A-class and smaller wheels and tires than the towering 21-inch items that adorn the show car.

Underlining the importance Mercedes has attached to the new car in boosting its sales at the lower end of its lineup, chairman Dieter Zetsche said, “We are staking our claim very clearly here. This is the model against which vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in the future.”

Inside, the Concept Style Coupe uses an upgraded interior borrowed from the recently unveiled A-class. The same basic appointments will be used on the CLA, albeit in a tone-down form. As with versions of its hatchback sibling equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, Mercedes' latest concept forgoes a traditional center-console-mounted gearlever in favor of a column-mounted shifter.

While the production version of the entry-level Mercedes sedan will receive a five-seat layout, the concept car boasts a 2+2 seating arrangement, with the individual rear seats divided by a prominent center console. A similar arrangement may be offered as optional equipment on the CLA.

Among the CLA's premium-brand four-door rivals will be a sedan version of the third-generation Audi A3 also due out in 2013 and a secret new sedan version of the BMW 1-series that is undergoing conceptual development with a view for introduction in 2015. Also set in its sights is the Volkswagen Jetta, a car that Mercedes-Benz officials suggest they will target heavily in North America and China, markets considered crucial to the CLA's chances of sales success.

Billed as a junior CLS, the CLA will sit below the existing C-class sedan in price and features in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. However, the Concept Style Coupe car hints that Mercedes' entry-level sedan will be 1.9 inches longer, a considerable 4.8 inches wider and—thanks to its swoopy turret—some 1.9 inches lower than its long-established four-door stablemate.

These official measurements also make it 13.6 inches shorter, the same width and 1.4 inches lower than the new A-class—a car with which the CLA shares its platform, chassis and driveline architecture.

Based on the German carmaker's new MFA (modularen front architecture) platform used beneath the third-generation A-class and the second-generation B-class, it will also use a 106.3-inch wheelbase, 2.3 inches shorter than the fourth-generation C-class but the same as the A-class.

As a result of the CLA's introduction, the next generation C-class, known internally under the code name W205, is set to retain standard rear-wheel drive and will grow in size, increasing in length and width but retaining much the same height.

For its initial unveiling in Los Angeles and at the Beijing motor show, the Concept Style Coupe has been fitted with the same turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder direct-injection engine confirmed for the new A250 from the Geneva motor show in March.

The aluminum-block unit is a development of the M240 designated engine used throughout the Mercedes lineup that has been extensively re-engineered for transverse mounting within the engine bay. Drive is channeled through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels.

In production guise, the CLA will also offer the choice of either standard front-wheel or optional four-wheel drive. Gearboxes will include a standard six-speed manual or the seven-speed dual-clutch unit as the Concept Style Coupe as optional equipment.

Besides the unit showcased in the Concept Style Coupe and set to see light of day in a planned CLA250 model, the production sedan is also set to offer at least two more turbocharged four-cylinder direct-injection units. They include two 1.8-liter units with 108 hp in the CLA180 and 134 hp in the CLA200, and a 2.2-liter engine with 168 hp in the CLA220. The engine line for North America is unclear.

The highlight of the lineup, however, will be an all-wheel-drive AMG model running a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with up to 340 hp. Secrecy surrounds the name of the range-topping CLA model. However, insiders suggest it may take the designation CLA45 AMG into production as a nod to the Mercedes performance off-shoot's 45th anniversary.