The movie franchise Star Wars is probably the largest franchise ever created, and the fans even celebrate May 4 under the slogan “May the 4th Be With You.” It is so huge that even Mercedes-Benz has been involved with the franchise for a while, but now they have reached a whole new level with the introduction of the special edition CLA180 to celebrate Star Wars Day.
These models are for real, but unfortunately, they will be offered in Japan only. What is great is that Japanese customers will be able to choose a car either inspired by Darth Vader or a Stormtrooper. The color is not that relevant because both models have plenty of Star Wars references, but what did Mercedes think when they decided to introduce the CLA180 special edition only in Japan?
One of the vehicles features a Night Black color, which is a clear nod to Darth Vader while the other is painted in Calcite White, inspired by a Stormtrooper. The black CLA180 comes with a high-gloss black grille that sports chrome details, it sits on 18-inch multispoke wheels while it also comes with black window tint. The interior is all black with some red accents, which signify the colors of the Dark Side. There is red stitching on the seats, red seat belts, and scarlet ambient lighting. It is just amazing inside!
On the other hand, we have the Stormtrooper edition. This sedan comes with black trims in the front lip, side skirts, mirror caps and window trim. The CLA180 is equipped with the same 18-inch multispoke wheels which also feature black details, while the cabin is completely different from the Darth Vader-inspired model. The Stormtrooper comes with white and gray combination with silver stitching, white climate control rings, and Space Blue ambient lighting.
Merc is only going to produce 120 CLA180 Star Wars Edition vehicles, with 60 models in black and 60 in white color. With the actual car, the customers are going to receive a wide range of Star-Wars accessories to go. The German manufacturer focused on details, and for example, both models have puddle lights which show the Star Wars logo. Main characters Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Obi-wan Kenobi are depicted on a windshield sunshade, while on the other side there is the “May The Force Be With You” message. Furthermore, the stylish Star Wars floor mats are placed inside, whereas when you turn the car on or off, our favorite Droid will have a message for you.
The Mercedes CLA180 Star Wars Edition is simply amazing, and every franchise fan would definitely like to have one. However, there is a downside to this vehicle – Mercedes didn’t upgrade the sedan’s ongoing 1.6-liter four-cylinder unit at all. This might not be a deal breaker, but it would have been better if the engine got a power boost, because it currently delivers only 121 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque.
Furthermore, this is not the only vehicle inspired by the Star Wars movie series, and it will not be the last one. Nissan also presented the exclusive Rogue One Star Wars Edition at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, just before the Star Wars: A Rogue One Story hit the cinemas last December. However, Nissan had a different approach, and they presented everything as a package that can be added to Rogue models. One package offers plenty of items related to the movie with Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire logos on the cup holders and the Rogue One logo on the front seats.
Just like Mercedes, Nissan also offered its vehicle in two colors – Magnetic Black and Glacier White, but there were some other upgrades such as a new black grille, black rear door finishes and a movie logo clear rear bumper protector. A total of 5,400 Rogue units will be offered with the Rogue One package, 5,000 of which will be sold in the States and 400 in Canada. The Rogue Star Wars package costs $1,900.
