2006 Mercedez CLS
 By  Greg N. Brown
$64,900 to
$86,600

Carver 33 SS
 By Capt. Stuart Reininger
Photos by Bruce Miller
from
$249,050

Sleek new sedan looks like a coupe. A slew of concept cars roll onto car show stands each year, but few earn the distinction of instant hit. The Mercedes-Benz "Vision CLS" prototype was just that kind of car. When it appeared at Frankfurt two years ago, it was one of those rare projects that evoke immediate public acclaim, and Mercedes had little choice but to respond to the clamor and turn it into a striking new addition to the stable of the three-pointed star: the CLS.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS is based on the E-Class platform, but only about 35 percent of the car's components are shared with other models. There's a little SL thrown in and the rest is pulled from the company's extensive parts bins, but this is no cobbled-together "special" conspired one late night by a desperate marketing department. The CLS is not only a prime example of the company's technical acumen, but it has the looks to elevate it onto any list of the most beguiling Mercedes-Benzes ever crafted.

Let's dispel, from the start, any dispute over the car's nomenclature: Sedan, coupe, who cares what a car is called as long as it's appealing and fulfills its promise? In those respects, the CLS allows no equivocation: This swoop-roofed four-door coupe might use its handsome face to draw the eye and inflame our passions, but don't imagine the good looks render moot the qualities that make the CLS a thoroughly modern motorcar. That's not the way Mercedes builds its vehicles, no matter how pretty the wrapping. The company uses every new model to widen the application of its technology, refining systems on the run so as to ensure that the element of "newness" reflects a better automotive experience.

Carver's 33 Super Sport has all the comforts of home in an easy-to-handle command bridge cruiser. among midsize cruising yachts.  

There are people who have very little experience on the water and a pressing desire to get into boating in a big way. Yet these enthusiasts are often led to believe that they must start with a small, "entry-level" design and then work their way up the LOA ladder to their dream. That process can be perceived as too much of a hassle for some of these would-be boaters, so they decide to leave the real boating to the old salts and invest in a waterfront condo.

Carver had these people in mind when it came up with its new 33 Super Sport. This command bridge sedan is the smallest in Carver's stable, and it has a number of come-hither touches designed to snag new boaters. For instance, its modified deep-V hull along with a slight keel should provide reassuring stability and sure tracking over a wide range of inshore and coastal conditions. But the boat's most outstanding features are the bountiful stowage areas and the resemblance of its interior to that condo I mentioned, which will never float or give you the kind of rush that a yacht can.

You'll need to throw a tape on it to believe this convertible cruising boat is a 33. Clever design and an innovative use of space make it look bigger. A high bridge on a boat this size could appear ungainly, but not here, thanks to the 33's swept-back styling, which makes the boat look lower and sleeker. I also believe this streamlined configuration contributes to the 33's stability in a beam sea, but more on that later.

The Carver boasts a number of big-boat features, including the topside access. Instead of the usual ladder, the 33 has three molded stairways-one to each of the sidedecks and another directly to the command bridge. All stairways are railed, and there are no awkward steps. Other factors designed to keep you safely on deck are the diamond-pattern nonskid and foredeck rails that'll hit most of us just below the waist. As you move forward, the railings segue from single to double to triple layers at the bow-your Chihuahua would have difficulty slipping overboard. Those rails, which I've only seen on Carvers, are welded, except at the bow section, where they are pieced together. Thus, if you make a bad landing your first time out, the repair will be easier on your wallet. There's  .........More>>>>