Curvy CLK swoops in next year

This computer-generated image shows how the new CLK might look when it's launched in 2009.

The picture illustrates how the car shares the swooping lines of Mercedes' larger CLS, and has more than a touch of Lexus GS about the front and rear ends.

Details are yet to be confirmed, but the CLK will almost certainly share its underpinnings with the C-Class, which should save on manufacturing costs

Much of the fancy technology in the flagship S-Class should find its way into new CLK, so you can expect adaptive cruise control, night vision, a Presafe II pre-collision safety system and Comand II system for controlling the car's interior functions.

Engine options are likely to include a 3.5-litre V6 petrol (CLK 350), 5.0-litre V8 (CLK 500) and a 6.2-litre V8 with over 500bhp (CLK63 AMG).

There are also rumours of hybrid and four-wheel-drive versions later in the car's life.