Everything but a cavity search, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

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Everything but a cavity search, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

Written by Mark Elias

Wednesday, 08 August 2007 19:00

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I had the great pleasure of attending a Mercedes-Benz press event this week, an opportunity to test drive the new ML550 and GL550 SUVs. As part of the preview, we were also given a super-secret screening of one of their future concept vehicles. We don’t usually get to see these things until auto show season. Well, first we’re asked to hand over our cell phones and cameras. Then, Frank Lavigna, who handles Mercedes-Benz security (ex-"on the job in Jersey") works us over with his magnetic magic wand device, and checks to make sure we have no James Bond 007 "camera watches" on. Finally we’re escorted into the garage at the Whitetail Club & Resort in McCall, Idaho, which has been converted into a top-secret briefing room where we are shown.....a heavily disguised vehicle that has more padding on it than a WonderBra.

Officially, the pre-production prototype is being readied for the upcoming 2008 North American International Auto Show, but Mercedes-Benz designer Volker Hellwing described it as the firm's card into the entry-level SUV classes at M-B. Slotted against the BMW X3 and Acura MDX, expect it to be priced similarly (Acura checks in around $39,990).

Even under duress, Geoff Day, Mercedes' head of communications and experiences, would offer little in the way of details other than to say that the interior which featured the Mercedes-Benz COMAND-Plus control knob (don't say iDrive!) was pretty well "locked in." That’s all he can confirm at this point. (From what we could see, the interior featured an off-white leather with dark contrasting piping, and black wood appliques. Woo hoo!) To further cloud the matter, when asked about power, all he would offer was that "Mercedes-Benz has a very large family of engines."

Other than having a very high roofline, with upright windshield and grille, the cladding did a very good job of obfuscating the matter at hand....

And so it went in McCall, Idaho....