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will be available when the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class arrives later this year. The Mercedes CLS 350 is equipped with a 272-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine that accelerates the car to 60 mph in less than seven seconds, thanks in part to a thick wad of torque available between 2,400 and 5,000 rpm. The CLS 350 rides on 17-inch, five twin-spoke alloy wheels wearing 245/45 tires.

The sensible, left side of your brain knows that you need a four-door sedan, one that has room enough in the rear for your carpool buddies who don’t appreciate having to climb over seats to get settled in with their morning coffee and random thoughts. Yet the artistic, right side of your cranium wants a sleek, two-door coupe. Sexy. Uninhibited. You want to project an image that’s as young and hip as you feel. Forget responsibilities. Have fun.

Mercedes-Benz feels your pain. The Vision CLS concept, introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show, was an exercise blending the functionality of a sedan with the visual impact of a coupe. Thanks to positive response from the press and consumers alike, the company has decided to make the Vision CLS a reality.

Based on the platform of the excellent E-Class sedan, the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class will only be three inches shorter overall, relying on the rakish slope of the roof, small rear doors and its teardrop silhouette to convey the image of a coupe. Mercedes says that the intent of the CLS-Class is to elegantly blend the “strong, emotive charisma” of a coupe with the “comfort and practicality” of a sedan.

The 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class certainly looks like a coupe, thanks to its minimized greenhouse, frameless side glass, arcing sheetmetal and low-slung roofline. The rear backlight sweeps seamlessly into the trunk area, while short front and rear overhangs lend an assertive stance. The wheel wells are stuffed with handsome alloy wheels, imparting the impression that this is a solid piece of machinery with no extraneous gaps or flourishes. The headlamps are more reminiscent of the Mercedes S-Class rather than the circular figure eights found on most other cars in the Benz stable, providing a clear distinction between the CLS-Class and the platform-donor E-Class. As on the automaker’s coupes and convertibles, the three-pointed star is mounted in the center of the grille rather than on the hood as an ornament, signifying the sporting intentions of the CLS-Class.

Two models will be available when the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class arrives later this year. The Mercedes CLS 350 is equipped with a 272-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine that accelerates the car to 60 mph in less than seven seconds, thanks in part to a thick wad of torque available between 2,400 and 5,000 rpm. The CLS 350 rides on 17-inch, five twin-spoke alloy wheels wearing 245/45 tires.