This Ice Spice's Ride Looks Like It Survived a Disco Inferno
Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
Oh boy, do we have a doozy today… Remember those fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror? Or how about the trend of slapping extra chrome on everything until it looked like a disco ball on wheels? Good times, good times. Well - Mercedes cranked up its wild side a notch and has just unveiled something that makes even those questionable decisions look like high art.
Scene: The grand stage of the New York Auto Show, usually a place where sleek lines and innovative engineering take center stage. And amidst all that sophisticated metal, what do we find? A 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA, minding its own business, was suddenly ambushed by what we can only call a creative explosion. Apparently, this “art car” is the brainchild of the rapper Ice Spice, who seems to have a very different definition of beauty than yours truly.
Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
This isn’t just a splash of color here and there - we’re talking a full-on “molten chrome” situation, which, to my eye, makes the poor CLA look like it’s having a very bad day in a pizza oven. And as if that wasn’t enough visual excitement, they’ve gone ahead and bedazzled the tires with what appear to be faux jewels. Yes, jeweled tires. I’m not sure if they improve traction, but I can guarantee they’ll turn some heads – and probably elicit a few concerned glances.
Our artistic CLA also sports “slanted wheels.” Now, I’m all for a bit of flair with a dash of wild JDM influence, but these seem to be leaning at an angle that would make even a Formula One mechanic raise an eyebrow. It’s certainly…unique. And the grille, a familiar Mercedes face, is now adorned with a “unique surround.”
Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
While this particular creation might leave some of us scratching our heads and reaching for our sunglasses, it’s apparently the first in a “Class of Creators” series. Four more of these one-off wonders are on their way, courtesy of artists like Gustaf Westman, KidSuper, Hot Wheels (now that could be interesting!), and even League of Legends. I’m both intrigued and slightly terrified to see what they come up with next. Will we see a car covered in giant plush toys? Perhaps one that dispenses glitter on the highway?
Amidst this artistic hullabaloo, Mercedes did actually debut the 2026 CLA for the American market. And thankfully, the production model seems to have escaped the molten chrome treatment. This sleek little number will initially arrive stateside as a fully electric vehicle, with a hybrid version slated to join the party later.
Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
For those of you who like your specifications as much as I like a good cup of tea, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty. The all-electric CLA will come in two flavors initially. The CLA 250+ with EQ Technology features a rear-mounted electric motor pumping out a healthy 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough juice to scoot you from zero to sixty in around 6.6 seconds. Not bad at all! And you can keep going until you hit the electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. Plus, with a WLTP range of 431 to 492 miles – that’s roughly 694 to 792 kilometers for our metric friends – you can actually take it on a proper road trip without experiencing too much range anxiety.
If you’re the kind of person who likes a little extra pep in their step, there’s the CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology. This one boasts a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, delivering a combined output of 349 horsepower and a robust 380 pound-feet of torque. That extra grunt shaves the zero-to-sixty time down to a brisk 4.8 seconds, while the top speed remains the same. The range takes a slight dip, landing between 418 and 479 miles (approximately 672 to 771 kilometers), but that’s still plenty of electrons to play with.
Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes also let slip that a hybrid CLA is on its way to the US. While details are still a bit scarce, we know the European version packs a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, a tiny 1.3 kWh battery, and an electric motor integrated into an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Word on the street is that it will be offered with different power outputs and both front- and all-wheel drive options. So, it seems there will be a CLA for just about everyone, whether you prefer pure electric power or a bit of a hybrid hustle.
Pricing details for the US market haven’t been officially announced yet, but knowing Mercedes, it will likely sit comfortably in the premium segment. We’ll have to wait and see exactly where it lands, but if the European pricing is anything to go by, expect it to be competitive with other luxury electric vehicles in its class.
Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz.
The new Mercedes-Benz CLA is quite a looker. Just try to forget about the “artistic” interpretation we saw in New York. Sometimes, it seems, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder – even if that beholder has a penchant for molten chrome and jeweled tires.
