02/07/2008 11:41. On a typical day in Los Angeles , where I live, I spot at least one celebrity, a dozen surgery-enhanced starlet wanna-bes and tons of freshly minted exotic cars. So I was stunned when I parked my CLS500 tester at a ritzy garden party in the Santa Monica mountains and watched as several west-side hipsters slanted their Guccis to check out my wheels. I'd thought everyone here was immune to automotive eye candy, but no. With its sleek coupe lines draped over a four-door body, Mercedes has blended the sexiness of a two-door with the practicality of a sedan. And what a looker it is.

Yet unlike an L.A. bubble-headed beauty, this Benz is loaded with substance. Massive power comes from a 5.0-liter,... // Newsweek