Mercedes-Benz diesels -- the new celebs’ choice
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It’s hard to say which is the bigger story here. Whether it’s the possibility that the Toyota Prius might soon be unseated as the cool wheels among Hollywood’s young elite, or that -- in a town obsessed with youth -- actor Naomi Watts admits to being 40.
Watts was given a Mercedes-Benz ML 320 Bluetec SUV recently by her beau, Liev Schreiber, at a party celebrating the big four-oh. And while “Celeb drives upmarket Euro car” might not be much of a headline, the “Bluetec” in the name points to a significant shift. This is M-B’s latest clean diesel technology and its oh-so-faint clatter is appealing to the ears of many of the young (-ish) and talented (-ish).
Next time Watts stops at the diesel pump, she could well bump into Kyle “Desperate Housewives” MacLachlan, Kim “Sex and the City” Catrall, Gary Oldman or Emmy “Phantom of the Opera” Rossum, all of whom drive M-B Bluetec cars. Ms. Rossum (pictured) is eager to sing her machine’s praises: “My ML320 Bluetec has all the power and luxury you’d expect of a Mercedes-Benz, plus the efficiency and low environmental impact of an economy or even a hybrid vehicle.”
It seems the music world has also found a new definition of the Blues. Pop star Gwen Stefani drives a Bluetec-equipped Benz, and singer/songwriter Alanis Morisette put an E320 Bluetec sedan in the video for her new song “Underneath.” “I’m glad Mercedes-Benz has introduced a great option,” she says. Other cars wearing the three-pointed star and using this ammonia-squirting system have also appeared in what Mercedes-Benz describes as this season’s hottest TV shows, but the company puts “The Starter Wife” on the list.
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