Photo: Mercedes-Benz Japan
In 2017, the Star Wars saga celebrates 40 years since the theatrical release of A New Hope. And in an act of outright randomness, some higher-up at Mercedes-Benz Japan had an idea: “Why don’t we pay tribute to Star Wars by developing a limited edition of the CLA 180?”
For whatever reason, Mercedes-Benz’s Japanese division saw fit to greenlight the project, and thus, the CLA 180 Star Wars came to be. Limited to 120 examples nationwide (60 finished in Calcite White, 60 painted in Night Black), there are two sides to this automobile.
As if it wasn’t obvious enough, the white CLA 180 Star Wars serves as a nod to the lousiest shot in the franchise’s universe (the Storm Trooper). The black one, meanwhile, is Merc's tribute to the Darth Vader, the antagonist you can’t help but love for one too many reasons. The Force, however, isn’t strong with the most underpowered CLA variant of them all: the CLA 180.
Priced from 5,040,000 yen or $44,960 at today’s exchange rates, the 180 suffix translates to 1.6 liters’ worth of four-cylinder turbo drivel. More to the point, this special edition packs 122 PS (120 horsepower) and 200 Nm (148 pound-feet) of torque, figures that don’t really pay justice to Mercedes-Benz’s coupe-ified compact sedan. What’s more, bear in mind that this particular engine isn’t special enough for a vehicle that’s marketed as a special edition.
Speaking of special, what sets this CLA 180 apart from the base CLA 180? Well, the welcome lights display the Star Wars logo and the floor mats are very groovy. There’s also a sunshade on the menu, with four characters printed on one side (Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker), whereas the other side boasts a “May the Force be with you.”
A Mercedes-Benz-branded dash cam that makes R2-D2 sounds, a quirky coffee mug, and two license plate holders round off the goodies list.
As if it wasn’t obvious enough, the white CLA 180 Star Wars serves as a nod to the lousiest shot in the franchise’s universe (the Storm Trooper). The black one, meanwhile, is Merc's tribute to the Darth Vader, the antagonist you can’t help but love for one too many reasons. The Force, however, isn’t strong with the most underpowered CLA variant of them all: the CLA 180.
Priced from 5,040,000 yen or $44,960 at today’s exchange rates, the 180 suffix translates to 1.6 liters’ worth of four-cylinder turbo drivel. More to the point, this special edition packs 122 PS (120 horsepower) and 200 Nm (148 pound-feet) of torque, figures that don’t really pay justice to Mercedes-Benz’s coupe-ified compact sedan. What’s more, bear in mind that this particular engine isn’t special enough for a vehicle that’s marketed as a special edition.
Speaking of special, what sets this CLA 180 apart from the base CLA 180? Well, the welcome lights display the Star Wars logo and the floor mats are very groovy. There’s also a sunshade on the menu, with four characters printed on one side (Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker), whereas the other side boasts a “May the Force be with you.”
A Mercedes-Benz-branded dash cam that makes R2-D2 sounds, a quirky coffee mug, and two license plate holders round off the goodies list.
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