Just like any good political campaign, Mercedes came to the New York Auto Show touting nothing much as a whole lot. Actually, the faux political rally might have been less than compelling with its old news, but the new M Class sporting 50-state legal BlueTec diesel power is exciting. Almost as exciting as the very original 1965 190 D Mercedes had borrowed to illustrate its long-running experience with Rudy’s coal dust motor. The senescent sedan will be helping MBZ recreate Bill Carroll’s cross-country diesel-fueled journey to celebrate the U.S.-wide availability of what it’s touting as the cleanest diesel ever. BlueTec allows the M-, GL- and R-class oil burners to earn ULEV and TierII/Bin 5 classification.

Mercedes says its new diesels are now as clean as gasoline powerplants, and once they drop BlueTec hybrids on us, emissions and economy will improve yet again. JD Power projects that fully 40 percent of vehicles will be diesel powered by 2017, and Mercedes wants to increase diesel sales beyond the current level of 22 percent. The newly tweaked M-Class should help move the powertrain off dealer lots. Sporting plenty of safety upgrades, new headlights, a Hannibal-Lechter inspired grille and some interior tweaks, the M-Class has returned from the gym freshly chiseled. It was not all utes and politely obscured minivans (*ahem* R-Class). Just before Mercedes wrapped the presser, they said, we’re paraphrasing here, “Oh yeah, we also brought the SL, w00t.”

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Pay no attention to the “2008″ on that snake badge. Even though the 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR was built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a certain former chicken-farmer’s automotive exploits, it seems that neither Ford nor ‘ol Shel want the party to end. As a result, Ford and Shelby will produce an additional 746 units of the GT500KR in model year 2009. 541 of those will go to U.S. customers, making for a U.S.-market total of 1,571 cars, which conveniently matches the production run of the original KR. (Never mind those additional foreign-market cars — they just mess with that warm, fuzzy, marketing-oriented math.) For your enjoyment, check out our gallery of the Vista Blue Shelby GT500KR currently on the New York Auto Show floor.

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After wading through the trucks and specialty makers on hand, we reached the Milner Motors booth. To one side was the Milner Motors ElectriCar. Across from it was the Milner Motors AirCar, which was what we came to see. Essentially the same as its electric vehicle, the flying car adds a set of wings and twin engine nacelles that theoretically supply enough thrust and lift for 1,000 miles of flight at 200 MPH. When earthbound, the wing package folds up and the car’s 40-hp electric motor powers it up to 85 mph thanks to its light weight and great aerodynamics (the cd is only .209). This particular one is a non-functioning prototype, but we think we’ll toss it off the roof of the Empire State building to test its glide prowess. We can only guess how much fun this thing might be if we could figure out a way to use those jet engines and their extra 300 hp to power this 1,800 lb. missle on the ground.

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Suzuki has been teasing us over the last few months with its duo of highly stylized concepts, the Kizashi and Kizashi 2. While it was obvious that cues found on both those concepts are going to inspire the styling of future models, it wasn’t clear how Suzuki would implement some of the more extreme features of this design language. Today in New York, Suzuki showed what elements were making the cut with the unveiling of the Kizashi 3 concept.

Sporting a toned-down version of the gaping maw found on the first two concepts, deeply drawn headlights and recessed fog lamps, the fascia has made the successful transition from design exercise to down-to-earth concept. While the profile and rear end is a little less dramatic than the view up front, the 21-inch wheels add a healthy amount of visual weight down below. Underneath the hood is a 300-hp, 3.6-liter V6 that drives all four wheels through Suzuki’s intelligent AWD system.

Suzuki made it very clear that the Kizashi 3 is a close representation of the production model that will arrive in the U.S. by 2010. It’s a serious step to shore up market share in a segment rife with competition, but if the Kizashi is executed as well as the concept, there could be another serious contender coming out of Japan.

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This very blogger wrote a post yesterday about the Saleen S5S Raptor. I didn’t mention the cars I thought the Raptor looked like, but a fair number of commenters did. This is what you should know: in person, the car looks like nothing else but the S5S Raptor, and it looks better than any car you think it might look like. It is, to put it plainly, all kinds of hot. Even in yellow, which is this blogger’s least favorite car color, I’d still pay for it. Saleen CEO Paul Wilbur said the Raptor is a concept, and he wanted the media’s feedback on building it. Mr. Wilbur: yes. Today. Like, now. Check out the hi-res pics and let Mr. Wilbur know what you think.

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New York has been a relatively quiet show for Ford, with the Transit Connect Taxi Concept being its highest-profile (literally, even) unveiling at the show. It’s not the only one, however. Ford quietly unveiled the 2009 “Warriors in Pink” Mustang. Like its predecessors, the WIP ‘Stang will be produced in a limited run (1,000 cars) with $500 from each sale going to the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, a charitable organization dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness. The ‘09 Warriors In Pink cars are Mustang V6 Premium models adorned with a new grille, pink hood and side stripes, pink-ribbon badging, and pink accent stitching inside. The display car is a silver coupe with the optional glass roof. The car is also available as a ragtop, and black or white paint is also on offer. On the coupe Carroll Shelby once referred to as a “secretary’s car”, the Warriors In Pink package seems to fit right in.

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We’ve already chronicled the debut of the Porsche GT2, and shown you pics of it from the Frankfurt Motor Show, but the red one on display here at the New York Auto Show looks hotter than any other we’ve seen. We think it’s those new factory-option black rims, but there’s definitely something special about this hottest 997 offering. 530 HP from a twin-turbo version of the automaker’s famous flat-six, 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, a 204-mph top speed, and 18.8 mpg makes a nice cherry on top, too. Check out the gallery and see what you think.

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